October 18 coronavirus news

There have been more than 8.1 million cases of coronavirus in the US since the start of the pandemic, according to the latest Johns Hopkins University data.

Many states are reporting rising Covid-19 cases. Catch up with the latest developments in the pandemic from this weekend:

Restaurants and cafés close before curfew in Paris, which started at 9 p.m. on October 17.

French health authorities announced 29,837 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours on Sunday, a figure above 25,000 for the fourth day in a row.

Case numbers released on Sundays tend to be lower because of less testing on weekends, though this is the highest number of new cases recorded on a Sunday in France since the start of the pandemic?

This comes a day after France set a new record for daily Covid-19 infections on Saturday, with 32,427 cases reported in 24 hours.?

In France, at least 33,477 people have died from coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic, including 85 in the past 24 hours. Positivity rate of tests is 13.2%.

France has the eighth?highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world according Johns Hopkins University.

Transportation Security Administration workers walk through Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on September 8, when the new COVID-19 testing facility, XpresCheck, was made available for passengers.

Both Connecticut and New Jersey appear to have qualified for their own travel restrictions that require out-of-state travelers to self-quarantine for two weeks, according to a CNN review of Census Bureau population estimates and case counts on the states’ respective Covid-19 data dashboards.?

First, some background: On June 24, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut?issued a joint travel advisory?requiring a mandatory 14-day quarantine for residents arriving from states with either a seven-day average percent positivity greater than 10% or a seven-day average daily case count higher than 10 per 100k residents, or .01%.?

Using the most recent Census Bureau population estimates of 3.56 million and 8.88 million for?Connecticut?and?New Jersey?respectively, both states appear to have just barely surpassed the latter threshold this month:

That amounts to just above .01% of each state’s respective population.?

The 1,282 new cases the New Jersey Department of Health reported Sunday afternoon pushed the state back over the edge of the .01% threshold. It had first crossed the mark for the period Oct. 8 through Oct. 14.?

On Oct. 8, the health department had reported 1,301 cases, the largest daily increase since late May.?Governor Phil Murphy called it a “sobering number” at the time.?

The Connecticut Department for Public Health has not yet updated its dashboard with case tallies for Friday through this weekend.??

New York, meanwhile, has thus far steered clear of meeting the criteria for the tri-state travel advisory. It currently has a seven-day average percent positivity of 1% and seven-day average of 1,427.86 cases. Using the Census Bureau’s?population estimate?of 19.45 million, the seven-day average amounts to .0073%, below the threshold of 10 cases per 100k residents, or .01%.?

So what happens now? Neither the office of Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont nor the Connecticut Department of Public Health immediately responded to CNN’s requests for comment on whether state officials will revise the tri-state travel advisory this week.?

During a Covid-19 news briefing Thursday, Gov. Lamont said he would consider revising the criteria for the travel rules.??

A spokesperson for New Jersey Governor Murphy declined to comment further beyond his comments Thursday during a Covid-19 press conference.?

“We’re already on other states’ lists. Our job is to not complain about being on those lists but to do everything we can to break the back of the numbers and get it into shape, and that’s what we’ll continue to focus on,” Murphy said, adding that it’s best to avoid interstate travel in general during the pandemic.?

A spokesperson for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo also did not immediately respond to CNN’s requests for comment.

There are currently 38 states on the tri-state travel advisory list as of Oct. 13. State officials are slated to update it every Tuesday.?

NOTE:?These numbers were released by the states and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.

Nancy Pelosi during the Weekly News Conference on Capitol Hill on October 08. Pelosi spoke on the uncertainty around negotiations of another emergency COVID-19 relief package.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized the language the Trump Administration sent to House Democrats concerning what would be funded for coronavirus testing under a stimulus agreement, she said in a letter to her Democratic colleagues Sunday.?

“While there was some encouraging news, much work remains,” she wrote arguing Democrats had been assured there would only be a “light touch” of editing of their language but instead it was major changes.

Earlier Sunday she said there would need to be an agreement with the Administration within 48 hours in order for a bill to be passed by Election Day. Her office said that timeframe would end Tuesday evening.?

“These unacceptable changes include, but are not limited to, the White House’s refusal to commit to a science-based national plan for testing, tracing, and treatment to crush the virus.?The White House has removed 55 percent of the Heroes Act’s language for testing, tracing, and treatment.?Especially disappointing was the elimination of measures to address the virus’s disproportionate and deadly impact on communities of color.??

She continued: “We are hoping to find common ground,” she wrote her colleagues. “I am optimistic that we can reach agreement before the election.?To that end, we are writing language as we negotiate the priorities, so that we are fully prepared to move forward once we reach agreement.”

Travelers walk through Terminal 1 at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, on October 14.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported Sunday 4,245 new Covid-19 cases and 22 additional deaths.?

The preliminary seven-day positivity rate in the state is 5.3%. The state is also reporting 2,012 people are hospitalized with Covid-19 as of last night, including 408 patients in the ICU and 157 on ventilators.?

Illinois has reported 344,048 coronavirus cases to date and 9,214 total deaths.?

NOTE: These numbers were released by the state’s department of public health and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.

Minnesota reported 1,732 new Covid-19 cases Sunday and 17 additional deaths, according to the state’s department of health.?

This brings the total number of Covid-19 cases in the state to 122,812 and 2,234 total deaths.?

The latest data from John Hopkins University shows Minnesota has seen daily coronavirus case counts of more than 1,000 for 10 consecutive days. The state reported its highest daily count since the pandemic started, 2,290, on Friday, according to Johns Hopkins.?

NOTE: New Covid-19 numbers reported Sunday were released by the Minnesota Department of Health and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.

The National Governors Association (NGA), a bipartisan association of the nation’s governors, has submitted a list of 36 questions to the White House about how to properly distribute and administer a Covid-19 vaccine when it becomes available, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced at a press conference Sunday.

Cuomo said that although New York state authorities are willing to do whatever is necessary to protect New York lives, he said state governments will need the assistance of the federal government to safely and effectively coordinate vaccine distribution.

According to Cuomo, the questions that the NGA has submitted to the White House include:

People walk past closed stores in the Borough Park section of Brooklyn, one of the five boroughs of New York City, on October 9.

The average Covid-19 positivity rate in New York’s specific “red zone” focus areas in Brooklyn, Queens, Rockland, and Orange Counties is currently 3.19%, down from 4.34% on Saturday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday.

New York’s overall positivity rate, with the red zones included, is 1.08%, Cuomo said.

As of Saturday, 1,784 more New Yorkers have tested positive for Covid-19 and 7 more have died, Cuomo said.

One thing to note: These numbers were released by New York state, and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.

People wearing protective masks walk across the Piazza del Duomo in Milan on October 17. Italy's government has made it mandatory to wear face protection outdoors, in an attempt to counter the spread of the coronavirus.

Italy has recorded a record daily increase of coronavirus cases for the fifth day running, with another 11,705 positives reported, the national Civil Protection Agency said Sunday.????

There have been an additional 69 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the number of deaths to 36,543.??

As of Sunday, 750 coronavirus patients remain in ICU – up by 45.???

Ski resorts in New York state will be allowed to open at 50% indoor capacity beginning on Nov. 6, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday.

Here are the restrictions at reopened ski resorts:

The state of South Carolina announced 722 new confirmed cases and 12 additional confirmed deaths due to coronavirus, on Sunday.?

That brings the state total to at least 157,394 confirmed cases and 3,439 confirmed deaths since the pandemic began.

The state’s positivity rate is currently tracking at 10.3%, which is down slightly from Saturday’s rate of 11.4%

Cole Beasley of the Buffalo Bills runs with the ball while being tackled by Jayon Brown of the Tennessee Titans in the fourth quarter at Nissan Stadium on October 13, in Nashville, Tennessee.

The National Football League confirmed there are no new positive tests for Covid-19 ahead of Sunday’s action, a league source told CNN.?

The league has 12 games scheduled for Sunday and two more on Monday.?

The UK recorded another 16,982 on Sunday, an increase of 811 from Saturday.?

The number of deaths however saw a decrease to 67 in the past 24 hours, according to government data.?

President Trump tweeted a rare acknowledgement that cases are indeed rising across the country, and that the US is not turning the corner away from the pandemic, as he has repeatedly claimed in campaign appearances.

His claim that the Covid-19 spikes are due solely to increased testing, however, is a well-worn argument his White House has promoted since the summer.?This is the same line Trump frequently used during previous increases in cases – a suggestion that the only reason for the rising case numbers was an increase in cases. It wasn’t true then, and it’s not true now.?

Some more context: While the number of daily tests has been rising, there is no doubt we’re seeing an increase in the actual spread of the virus, not just seeing more cases being captured by testing.

One telltale sign: hospitalizations are also rising; we’re seen major hospitalization increases in various states. Also, the national test positivity rate has also been rising since late September; in some states, it has seen a sharp spike.

US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar testifies before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on October 2.

Health Secretary Alex Azar blamed a rise in US coronavirus cases on “mitigation fatigue,” and he said he wished more seniors had worn masks at an indoor event President Trump held in Fort Myers, Florida, on Friday.??

“Cases are increasing,” Azar acknowledged on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “We’re seeing this happen because we’re getting colder weather and were losing that natural social distancing that happens from being out of doors.”

Azar encouraged people to continue to adhere to guidelines about face coverings, hand-washing and maintaining social distance in an effort to create what he described as a “bridge” to the time when a vaccine and treatments become available.

“Be mindful of those indoor household gatherings,” he said. “Just because you’re related to someone or friends with someone doesn’t mean you can’t transmit.”

Trump has frequently held large gatherings, in defiance of the wishes of local officials, where social distancing does not happen and people do not wear masks. Many, but not all, are outdoors.?

Pressed on Trump’s indoor event in Fort Myers, which Azar attended, the health secretary argued masks were provided and social distancing was attempted.?

“I wish everybody there would’ve worn face coverings and maintained social distancing,” he said.?

Azar said herd immunity regarding coronavirus?— when a percentage of people have become sick and achieved immunity thereby protecting the rest of the population — is not the current policy of the administration.??

“No, that’s not our policy. It’s a desire through vaccination to get to herd immunity,” he said. “The desire is reduce cases, reduce cases, reduce hospitalizations, reduce fatalities.”

He added it was the overall goal of the administration to achieve that in the future once there is large distribution of a vaccine which will protect most people.

Switzerland announced on Sunday a series of measures including a mask mandate to curb the spread of Covid-19, to go into effect on Monday.

According to a?government press release, the Swiss?Federal Council introduced national measures such as a mandate to wear masks in publicly-accessible indoor areas.

Masks were required on public transport for those over the age of 12?since early July, but the additional measures will require masks at publicly accessible public transport areas such as railway stations (including platforms), airports, bus stops and tram stops as well. Masks are now also required in indoor spaces like shops, post offices, banks, museums, libraries, sports facilities, restaurants and other publicly accessibly spaces.

Masks are also required in schools, higher education institutes and child-care facilities.

The government also banned spontaneous public gatherings of more than 15 people in public places such as town squares, streets, paths and parks. Organized outdoor events such as demonstrations however, are allowed provided precautionary measures are followed. For private events of more than 15 people, food and drink should only being consumed when seated, and anyone standing up must wear a mask. For private events, hygiene rules need to be followed and contact details for those in attendance must be recorded.

“Since 19 June, the cantons have played the lead role in combating the COVID-19 epidemic in Switzerland,” the press release added, “The Confederation still expects the cantons to conduct widespread testing, implement a sound system of contract tracing and employ targeted measures to help fight the epidemic.”

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on October 9, in Washington, DC.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin must reach an agreement within 48 hours if they want to pass a stimulus bill before Election Day.?

She also said the White House has watered down language Democrats have been pushing to create a national plan for Covid-19 testing and contact tracing.

“The 48 only relates to if we want to get it done before the election, which we do,” Pelosi said in an interview on ABC’s “This Week.”

Pelosi also noted that the Trump Administration had changed much of the language on testing and tracing after the two sides seemingly came to an agreement last week.

“They took out 55% of the language that we had there for testing and tracing,” Pelosi said, and noted that they are “seeking clarity” on the details of the language.

Pelosi and Mnuchin spoke Saturday evening for more than an hour.

President Donald Trump gestures during a rally at Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport in Janesville, Wisconsin on October 17.

President Trump defended holding large rallies as nearly every state in the country is seeing coronavirus cases trending in the wrong direction in?an interview with CNN affiliate WTMJ on Saturday.

Although he did not address the surges during his Saturday rallies in Michigan and Wisconsin, the President was directly asked by the local Wisconsin station whether he was sending the wrong message with his actions.

He also said his campaign has heard of no “incidences” where there’s been a “problem” with the virus after one of his rallies.

Some more context: CNN reported on Friday that the Minnesota Department of Health says it has so far traced 20 cases of Covid-19 back to Trump’s rally in Bemidji last month, or to related events.?And the city of Tulsa experienced a surge in coronavirus cases a little over 2 weeks after Trump held an indoor rally there in June. There were also other large events in the city around the same time.

Faced with the record setting case count in Wisconsin, the President railed against lockdowns and touted his political success in the state in 2016.

Pressed later on the fact that Wisconsin is not completely shut down, Trump said although the state has been “very toughly run,” “frankly, it’s not doing as well as a lot of other states,” adding he wanted the state to do well and pivoting to talk about his administration’s assistance to governors and progress on vaccines and therapeutics.

There are only two states in the country — Vermont and Missouri — that are reporting a more than 10% improvement in the average number of reported cases over the past week, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Meanwhile, cases in Connecticut and Florida increased by 50% or more. Another 27 states rose between 10% and 50%.

Here’s a state-by-state look at coronavirus cases across the US:

There have been at least?8,106,384?cases of?coronavirus?in the US, and at least?219,286?people have died, according to?data from Johns?Hopkins?University

On Saturday,?Johns?Hopkins?University?reported?57,519?new cases and?711?new deaths.?

Keep in mind: The Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced on Saturday that due to routine maintenance and updates to their data reporting system, we will not see any new data from the state of?Wisconsin on Saturday or Sunday.

Israel has imposed tougher restrictions on two occasions during the pandemic.

Israel has begun easing some of the restrictions imposed last month during the country’s second general lockdown, as the number of daily coronavirus cases continues to fall.

On Thursday and Friday, Israel recorded 1,608 new cases and 1,469 new cases, respectively, and a positivity rate of approximately 4.2%, according to data from the Ministry of Health. Those numbers are down from a record 9,000 new cases in one day, seen at the peak of Israel’s second wave a few weeks ago, when the positivity rate stood at well over 10%.?

As part of the eased restrictions, citizens will be allowed to go more than 1km from their home. Natural parks and beaches will reopen. Restaurants will be allowed to serve takeout instead of only delivery. And more businesses will reopen.?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the reopening of the economy would go slowly, tacitly acknowledging that the reopening after the first lockdown was done too quickly and without proper safeguards. “It is important to follow the rules,” Netanyahu stressed Saturday evening.

“If we all follow the rules, then I am certain that this will work. Another thing, I have said that if it appears that it is not working, if it appears that we are going backwards, then we will have no choice but to retighten the restrictions.”

Israel has a number of “red cities” with high infection rates that will not reopen and where tight restrictions will remain in place.

These are predominantly ultra-Orthodox cities and areas where the spread of coronavirus has not seen the same drop as the rest of the country. These “red cities” include Elad, Beitar Illit, Modi’in Illit, and ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods in Jerusalem.

In Manchester, authorities have been locked in days of tense talks.

As?coronavirus?cases?spike across the continent, European governments are facing a new obstacle in their efforts to enforce restrictions – with several major cities and regions fighting back against instructions to lock down in recent days.

Cities in the UK, France, Spain are resisting centralized efforts to impose tighter regulations, with days of tense negotiations ongoing as infections increase.

In the northern English city of Manchester, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has become engulfed in a row with local mayor Andy Burnham over whether to move the city from the UK’s second tier of restrictions to its most severe third tier.

“If an agreement cannot be reached, I will need to intervene in order to protect Manchester’s hospitals and save the lives of Manchester’s residents,” Johnson said on Friday, urging Burnham to “reconsider his position” and “engage constructively” with the government.

But Burnham has resisted the government’s efforts to increase the severity of his city’s measures, urging for more financial measures to protect the region’s workers placed under stricter rules.

The row escalated on Sunday as Michael Gove, a member of Johnson’s Cabinet, called on Burnham “to put aside for a moment some of the political positioning that they’ve indulged in.”

And a similar scenario is unfolding across Europe, as leaders grapple with the difficulties of pursuing a “whack-a-mole” approach to slowing the spread of Covid-19.

Read more about coronavirus stand-offs across Europe here.

Pope Francis delivers his weekly general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday.

A resident at Casa Santa Marta, the building in the Vatican that houses the Pope and other clergy, has tested positive for Covid-19.??

The resident is currently asymptomatic and has been placed in isolation outside of Casa Santa Marta, along with all who came into direct contact with him, Holy See spokesperson Matteo Bruni said in a statement.

The health of all other residents is being constantly monitored, he added.

The positive test raises fears over the well-being of 83-year-old Pope Francis and other senior clergy, and comes days after four members of the Vatican’s Swiss Guard tested positive.

Those guards were all showing symptoms and a contact tracing operation began at the Vatican after their results came through, Bruni said earlier in the week. Three other Vatican residents also tested positive in recent days, it was announced at the time.

Vatican City, which is a city-state located within Rome, is the home of the Pope and the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church.

Italy reported more than 5,000 new coronavirus cases on October 9, which represents the highest daily rise in new Covid-19 cases since March 28. The Italian Council of Ministers passed a decree on Wednesday that requires the mandatory use of masks outdoors in an attempt to slow down the spread of the virus across the country.

Billboards in London warn commuters of a rise in local infections.

A national two to three weeks “circuit-breaker” lockdown to try to tackle the increase of Covid-19 cases in the UK has been ruled out “at the moment,” UK Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said Sunday.

Asked if the government would take the measure, Gove told Sky News on Sunday: “No,” arguing that the spread and nature of the disease “does not merit” the step “at the moment.”

“It would seem an error to try to impose on every part of the country the same level of restriction when we know that the disease is spreading more intensively and quicker in some parts of the country,” Gove said, adding that the nature of the epidemiology is “different” in this wave.

The opposition Labour Party has called for a short “circuit-breaker” lockdown to tackle rising infection counts in the country.

Asked whether the lockdown could be implemented in the future, the minister said: “we always look at how the disease spreads and we will take whatever steps are necessary to maintain public health.”

Trump speaks in Wisconsin on Friday.

As President Trump visited two states seeing major spikes in Covid-19 cases, he did not talk about the rising rates there or what the administration may do to try to curb the increases being seen nationwide.

Trump went to Michigan – which on Thursday and Friday saw more than 2,000 cases each day, its highest daily case rates yet – and Wisconsin, which set records this week regarding its case numbers. Friday was the sixth highest case total since the start of the pandemic.

At both rallies, and in keeping with his previous events, thousands of attendees did not wear masks. However, those who were chosen by the campaign to sit right behind the President at both events to be captured as part of television images of the President speaking?were seen wearing Trump masks. Neither event featured social distancing.?

Trump’s speeches covered familiar ground, with the President claiming the nation needs to open up, China is to blame for the virus, and he has recovered quickly. He also touted what he claimed was his immunity towards the virus, although it is not known if that is medically accurate.?

In Janesville, Wisconsin, Trump again emphasized erroneously that the nation was “rounding the corner,” even as it heads into what appears to be a third spike in cases. “You’ll see it. We’re rounding the corner,” he said. A vaccine for the virus is close, Trump claimed, “except for a little politics.” There is no evidence that progress towards a vaccine has been slowed due to political machinations.

Trump told his supporters how some states previously have seen spikes but are now going in the right direction: “My plan will crush the virus and will make Wisconsin greater than ever before, that’s what’s going to happen. It’s going to happen fast.”

He also erroneously blamed reports of increases – which actually come from non-partisan universities – on Democrats.

During the rally in Muskegon, Michigan, he blamed the pandemic for his current political standing, without citing evidence. “You know, we were leading by so much, this thing wasn’t even going to be an election, and then we had the plague come in. You know, this was, I had to go back to work on this stuff.”

Trump did talk about his recovery in both rallies. “Hey I’m here! Me I’m here. Right?” he told the Michigan crowd.?

A sign at the University of New Mexico encourages students to wear a mask.

The US state of New Mexico is experiencing a 101% increase in Covid-19 hospitalizations so far this month,?Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a tweet Saturday.?

A total of 173 people are currently hospitalized with the virus in the state, according to the governor.?

On Saturday 577 new coronavirus cases were reported for a total of 36,343 cases in total statewide, Lujan Grisham said.

This comes after the state saw three record breaking days for new Covid-19 cases this week,?according to a tweet from the governor Friday.

One additional death was reported Saturday for a total of 929 deaths statewide, she said.

“Every New Mexican can and must do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19 by staying home, limiting their interactions with others, and wearing their masks,”?Lujan Grisham said in another tweet.?

The governor already tightened restrictions in the state earlier this week due to the rise in cases. The new rules started Friday and include bars and restaurants having to close by 10 p.m. local time and mass gatherings being limited to only five people.

Slovakia's Prime Minister Igor Matovic (right) and its President Zuzana Caputova (left).

Slovakian Prime Minister Igor Matovic announced plans Saturday to test everyone aged 10 years and over in the country for Covid-19, Slovakian news agency TASR reported.

After seeing a recent surge of infections across Slovakia, Matovic explained that it was his belief the only way to contain the outbreak is through mass testing.??

Speaking to the nation in a televised address, Matovic promised that if the widespread testing does not happen, he would tender his resignation.

“I’m afraid that the current protective measures have thus been rendered useless,” Matovic said. “At any rate, this mass testing cannot hurt, it can only help us.”?

According to TASR, Matovic said “testing will be free-of-charge” for the population of 5.4 million. The campaign is expected to take place over two weekends starting at the end of October.?

It is not yet known whether participation will be mandatory, TASR said.?