Here are the latest updates, listed in eastern time, and the most important things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic.

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Task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx warned that nine cities across the country could experience an increase in coronavirus positivity rates this week. Although areas across the south have been particularly hit by COVID-19 in the past month, Birx said that there are now new areas of concern as the virus continues to spread. “We are concerned that both Baltimore and Atlanta remain at a very high level,” Birx said, according to CNN. “Kansas City, Portland, Omaha, of course what we talked about in the Central Valley (in California).” Birx then added that there is “a slow uptick in test positivity in cases in places like Chicago, Boston and Detroit and DC.” With the virus being more “extraordinarily widespread” than it was in the early days of the pandemic, back in March and April, authorities are worried about the future, and claim that the country is in entering a new phase of the pandemic.

Here are the latest global coronavirus numbers, provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins University:

• Confirmed cases: 19,111,123

• Fatalities: 715,163

• Recoveries: 11,578,821

India became the third country in the world to record at least 2 million cases on Friday morning and the tragic threshold was coupled with a strike from local community health volunteers who are saying they haven't been properly equipped or prepared to respond to infection surges in rural areas, according to The Associated Press. Authorities in states such as Uttar Pradesh, an area with 220 million residents, are reimposing lockdown mandates after initially fully reopening in early July.

Ten countries in Africa make up 80% of the continents coronavirus testing. South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, Morocco, Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda and Mauritius have conducted more than 200,000 tests each, with almost 9 million total tests having been conducted throughout Africa as a whole, meaning testing is up 9.4% from the previous week. “This number indicates we reached 90% of our goal for the partnership to accelerate COVID testing,” John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said during a news conference. Experts believe the low testing levels across the majority of the continent has likely resulted in a large amount of unreported cases. Some countries are too poor to properly instate widespread testing, while others have not released their data at all, according to Reuters. In South Africa, the death toll continues to increase, and funeral directors are now having to turn to new methods in order to account for the growing number or bodies. Watch it here:

https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1291447699716415491

Penn State University announced they will hold the 2020 football season with no fans in attendance due to a new Pennsylvania regulation on large gatherings. “As of today, the current large gatherings guidance from the Governor’s Office limits capacity to 250 people for outside events and 25 people for inside events,” a letter to season ticket holders from Penn State Athletic Director Sandy Barbour read. “Therefore, under the current conditions and current state orders, our fall sports events would be conducted without fans in the general seating areas of our facilities.” In the letter, Barbour specifically states that the decision to hold fall sports without fans in attendance will be redacted if the guidance for Pennsylvania is lifted. Season ticket holders can request a refund, according to The Center Daily Times. Any season ticket holder that does request a refund will loose their place in the event that the state guidance changes and will not receive a refund for the Nittany Lion Club donation that is required to be made before purchasing the tickets.

New Castle County, Delaware, is now taking an unorthodox approach to encourage residents to wear masks, by putting giant surgical masks on 11 paramedic and public works vehicles in the county. The initiative, called #TeamMask, aims to encourage people to wear masks while in public spaces. The vehicles were selected because they are the ones driven most often, according to Delaware Public Media. The masks will stay on the vehicles for the next three months. "Team Mask is about keeping our residents safe," said County Executive Matt Meyer. "Unfortunately in this day and age it's little bit controversial to stand up and say 'Hey everybody wear a mask.' It is uncontroversial among the medical profession, among scientists that simply putting on a mask help prevent the spread of a deadly virus so we want to do everything we can, use every creative tool we can to prevent the spread of this deadly virus."

Dermatologists are taking a new look at some of the side effects of the coronavirus after some patients have experienced changes in their skin. Changes in the skin are not evident with every case of COVID-19, but some people that have been infected have reported hives, red or purple toes, rashes and mottled bumps on fingers, CNN said. Lesions in the mouth have also been reported, but more research is needed to determine if this could be considered a symptom of the coronavirus. “Many viral infections can affect the skin, so it’s not surprising that we are seeing these rashes in COVID-19,” Dr Veronique Bataille said. “However, it is important that people know that in some cases, a rash may be the first or only symptom of the disease. So if you notice a new rash, you should take it seriously by self-isolating and getting tested as soon as possible.”

A case study conducted in Ohio revealed that one person may have infected nearly 100 people with COVID-19. Back in mid-June, a 56-year-old man with COVID-19 attended a church service, which lead to 53 other people in attendance testing positive, said Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who himself announced he tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday. "It spread like wildfire, wildfire. Very, very scary," DeWine said. "We know that our faith-based leaders want nothing more than to protect those who come to worship." Of these 53 people, 18 went on to spread the virus to at least one other person. In all, 91 cases of COVID-19 were able to be traced back to the one man, according to CNN. This case study is a prime example of community spread of the coronavirus.

(Ohio Department of Health)

Despite longstanding claims of being coronavirus-free, a recent guideline introduced by the government indicates that North Korea could be experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is quarantining thousands of people and shipping food and other aid to Kaesong, a southern city that is currently under lockdown, according to officials. However, foreign experts remain skeptical and have released more information that seems to contradict the country’s claim of having no cases of the virus. According to a report released by the World Health Organization, North Korea said it has quarantined 63 first contacts of the suspected Kaesong case and 3,571 second contacts in several state-run facilities for 40 days.

Additionally, since the end of December, North Korea has quarantined and released a total of 25,905 people, according to The Associated Press. However, due to the lack of information released by the government, it is unclear how serious the country’s situation is. “Though a really extensive local outbreak might not have occurred yet, it’s likely that a considerable number of people has been infected,” said Hong Min, an analyst at Seoul’s Korea Institute for National Unification. “Even though North Korea locks itself down, there should be suspected cases there and authorities must aggressively diagnose them. But North Korea has never been transparent about whether it has such a capacity and the will to do so.”

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has tested positive for COVID-19. According to a statement posted on the governor's Twitter account, DeWine, 73, took a test as part of the standard protocol to greet President Trump on the tarmac at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland. The governor currently has no symptoms and is said to be returning to the state capital of Columbus, where he and his wife, First Lady Fran DeWine will be tested. The governor is expected to quarantine at his home for the next 14 days. DeWine was expected to meet with Trump to visit a Whirlpool Corp. manufacturing plant in northwest Ohio on Thursday, The Associated Press reports. DeWine is the second sitting governor to test positive for the illness after Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announced in July that he had COVID-19. 

In this Feb. 27, 2020, file photo, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine gives an update on COVID-19 at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)

As federal unemployment aid expires, many unemployed workers are forced to look for ways to pay their bills, even if it means risking their lives. New York City-based Uber driver Johan Nijman is one of the thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers across the U.S. being forced to choose between physical and financial health as he tries to make a living while unemployed. “I never thought that after working so hard for song long that I would ever find myself in a situation where I had to ask for food one day,” Nijman told Reuters. Nijman, who is a type 2 diabetic, puts his life at risk every time a new passenger gets into his car but was forced to resume driving after the unemployment benefits he had been receiving since mid-March expired. Other drivers, like Sacramento-based Melinda Pualani, are still waiting for their unemployment claims to process, and are forced to resume work to make a living. “Driving again was simply a necessity because I used up most of my saving and still have to keep food on the table,” Pualani said.

The number of weekly unemployment claims for the week ending Aug.1 was just under 1.2 million, the U.S. Department of Labor said in its weekly update. This is a decrease of about 249,000 from the previous week's revised level. The numbers are the lowest of the pandemic era, and below what analysts had predicted, which was about 1.42 million, CNBC reported. Still, the number is considerably higher than the pre-pandemic record of 695,000 in 1982, CNBC said. The figures come as many are now without the extra $600 weekly federal unemployment benefit that expired at the end of July. The Associated Press reports that this is the 20th straight week that over 1 million people have sought jobless aid.

Safety guidelines were tightened in Amsterdam after the number of infections doubled in a week in the Netherlands. On Wednesday, wearing a mask became required in certain busy areas of the city, including the Red Light district.The new mandate comes as the number of infections reached 55,000 and 6,150 people have died due to the coronavirus. “We’re starting this experiment because we’re worried about the increasing number of coronavirus infections,” the Amsterdam city council said, according to AFP. Council workers went to the streets on Wednesday, to make sure everyone was wearing a mask, and even handed out masks to those who did not have one. However, as seen on a video posted by AFP, not everyone followed the new measures, especially in the Red Light district. In the video, many people can be seen walking without masks as they walk past the officers. “Unfortunately, it fits in a bit with the profile of the city,” a Red Light district resident said. Watch a video in the tweet below for more.

From Scotland to Greece, countries all across Europe are announcing new restrictions as the number of new coronavirus cases slowly rises. This week is being called “wake-up week” in Greece after hundreds of new cases were reported across the country. "The virus is here, it feeds on our complacency," Stelios Petsas, a government spokesman in Greece, told Mega TV. In France, the city of Toulouse implemented face mask requirements, with Paris expected to follow suit, AFP reported. Across the border in Switzerland, government officials expanded the quarantine list to 46 countries to include Singapore, Romania and Spain. People entering Switzerland from one of these countries must quarantine upon entry. To date, Europe has reported over 211,000 coronavirus-related fatalities, according to AFP.

Passengers, wearing full protective gear to protect against the spread of coronavirus, push their luggage to check-in, as they check in to travel to Colombo, Sri Lanka, at the Zaventem international airport in Brussels, Wednesday, July 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a report Wednesday highlighting more good news about Moderna's developmental coronavirus vaccine, which late last month entered its Phase 3 trial on humans. Moderna's vaccine, known as mRNA-1273, triggered antibodies in mice during a series of tests, which protected them from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Scientists from Moderna, the NIH and the NIAID collaborated with researchers from three universities. "The findings show that the investigational vaccine induced neutralizing antibodies in mice when given as two intramuscular injections of a 1-microgram (mcg) dose three weeks apart," the NIH said in its report. Scientists said subsequent tests of longer intervals between first and second dosages showed the mice were protected from developing infections in the lungs and noses. "The investigational vaccine also induced robust CD8 T-cell responses in mice," the NIH reported, which previous research has shown could provide long-term immunity from COVID-19.

FILE - In this Monday, July 27, 2020 file photo, a nurse prepares a shot as a study of a possible COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., gets underway in Binghamton, N.Y. Who gets to be first in line for a COVID-19 vaccine? U.S. health authorities hope by late next month to have some draft guidance on how to ration initial doses, but it’s a vexing decision. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)

Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot announced that the nation’s third-largest school district will rely on remote instruction in the fall. Lightfoot had previously presented a hybrid instruction plan, which included both in-person and remote instruction. However, on Wednesday, Lightfoot announced the change in plan, due to the recent increase in confirmed cases in Chicago. “Here in Chicago, we are in a better place than most other areas in the country and in the surrounding area,” Lightfoot said at a City Hall news conference, according to The Associated Press. “But the fact of the matter is, we are seeing an increases in cases. The decision to start remotely makes sense for a district of CPS’ size and diversity.” Officials in the area will reassess the situation this fall to determine whether in-person classes could be possible for the second quarter of the school year.

New York City will be setting up checkpoints across the city to check travelers from states or locations on the Tri-State travel advisory list for quarantine violations. Travelers who fail to quarantine for a period of 14 days upon entering New York City could now face up to $10,000 in fines. Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the COVID-19 traveler registration checkpoints will be located at key entry points into the city, to ensure compliance with the state’s quarantine requirements for travelers coming from certain states. “New York City is holding the line against COVID-19, and New Yorkers have shown tremendous discipline,” de Blasio said, according to ABC7. “We’re not going to let out hard work slip away and will continue to do everything we can to keep New Yorkers safe and healthy.”

Here are the latest global coronavirus numbers, provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins University:

• Confirmed cases: 18,830,344

• Fatalities: 708,278

• Recoveries: 11,381,042

Should India see at least 35,500 new cases on Thursday, the world's second largest country will surpass the 2 million case threshold, becoming the third country in the world to have reached that total, following the United States and Brazil. India hasn't seen a day with fewer than 35,000 new cases since July 16 and the recent surge in cases has yet to plateau. After the U.S., Brazil and India, no other country has seen more than 900,000 cases.

For the second week in a row, the NBA has reported no new cases of COVID-19 among players. “Of the 343 players tested for COVID-19 on the NBA campus since test results were last announced on July 29, zero have returned confirmed positive tests,” the NBA said in a statement on Wednesday. The NBA has resumed play in ‘the bubble’ in Orlando, Florida, where players remain in secure zones isolated from outside contact, significantly reducing the risk of contracting the coronavirus. This news comes just two days after the NHL made a similar announcement. Each member of the 24 NHL teams in contention for the Stanley Cup have tested negative for COVID-19 where they are being kept in a ‘bubble’ in either Edmonton or Toronto depending on the team’s conference. 

The COVID-19 pandemic is creating a resurgence for restaurant drive-thrus. According to CNBC, Starbucks, Chipotle and Shake Shack are just a few of the chain restaurants to prioritize building drive-thrus at their new locations since customers are looking for contactless access to their favorite dining establishments or convenience stores. Shake Shack is reportedly planning on building drive-thru lanes for the first time as is the popular convenience store Wawa. ShakeShack is planning on adding drive-thru lanes for ordering as well as picking up online orders. “Look, in the moment of safety, people want to stay in their cars,” Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti told analysts on a July 30 conference call, according to CNBC. “That’s not going to last forever. But obviously, this country has proven that the drive-thru in its old form works. We want to do in this new form.”

As lockdowns eased across the U.S. following the first wave of the coronavirus, many restaurants added outdoor seating to adhere to new restrictions and to help add extra room between tables so guests could follow social distancing guidelines. As the seasons transition to fall, some restaurants may be watching the temperature closely to make sure that it is not too cold for guests to sit outside.    AccuWeather has released the 2020 fall forecast, and warmer-than-normal conditions are in the forecast for a majority of the U.S.This is good news for restaurants that are relying on outdoor seating as they will be able to utilize that extra space throughout September and well into October before chilly weather settles in. The projected warmth will also help construction companies that had to stop work in March and April. “A good portion of the fall season is gonna be beneficial to the workers that work outside and have more projects that have to get done and finished because remember, they started out late due to [COVID-19],” AccuWeather Expert Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said. Click here to read AccuWeather’s complete U.S. fall forecast. 

Joe Biden won't travel to Milwaukee for the 2020 Democratic National Convention, neither will any of the other speakers who will address the convention. Democrats will hold a virtual convention amid coronavirus concerns. Biden will deliver his acceptance speech via video stream from his home state of Delaware, the officials reported. The decision on speakers not traveling to Milwaukee was made "in order to prevent risking the health of our host community as well as the convention’s production teams, security officials, community partners, media and others necessary to orchestrate the event." Organizers said in a statement that there had been ongoing consultation with public officials about the decision. “While we wish we could move forward with welcoming the world to beautiful Milwaukee in two weeks, we recognize protecting the health of our host community and everyone involved with this convention must be paramount,” Joe Solmonese, the convention's chief executive said in a statement.

Tom Lawton, a doctor at the Bradford Royal Infirmary in Yorkshire, England, ran 22 miles to work and back while wearing a face mask, to prove that it doesn’t cut oxygen levels. He recorded the results and showed that his oxygen levels never fell below 98% of what it would usually be. “There are a lot of people outdoor who just don’t want to wear a mask and will find any excuse they can,” Lawton told Newsweek. “But the people I’m more concerned about are people with respiratory illness, who would like to wear a mask, who would like to do their bit, but are scared because there have been reports it causes hypoxia (a condition where the body is deprived of oxygen).” Lawton added that wearing a mask does not affect people with respiratory illnesses and it is safe for them to use. In the U.K., the government has made mask-wearing mandatory at supermarkets and shops, as of July 24. Those who refuse to wear a mask will face a fine of up to £100.

The coronavirus continues to spread across India, as the union health ministry reported 52,050 cases on Tuesday, marking the sixth consecutive day cases have surpassed 50,000 in the country. As of Tuesday, the total number of confirmed cases now stands at 1.85 million, according to OneIndia. To help control the spread, the health ministry announced that more tests will be conducted. “In its fight against COVID-19, India scales a new high of 6,61,715 tests in the last 24 hours,” the Health Ministry shared in a tweet on Monday.

An uptick in COVID-19 cases has resulted in new restrictions in Aberdeen, Scotland. “This virus hasn’t gone away - if you doubted that, then today we have evidence of how true that is,” First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said. The new round of restrictions includes the closure of pubs and restaurants, Reuters said. People planning to visit the city are also being told to delay their trips. “It is still out there and it is still highly infectious and it is still highly dangerous,” Sturgeon said. “The outbreak in Aberdeen is a sharp reminder of that. It shows what can happen if we let our guard drop.” In one week, officials will review these restrictions and decide whether to extend them or to allow pubs and restaurants to open once again.

The University of Connecticut will not hold a football season this fall due to the coronavirus pandemic. The school is the first within the Football Bowl Subdivison (FBS) landscape to announce that it is canceling its season. The program recently left the American Athletic Conference and was scheduled to play as an independent this season, ESPN reported. "After receiving guidance from state and public health officials and consulting with football student-athletes, we've decided that we will not compete on the gridiron this season," UConn athletic director David Benedict said. "The safety challenges created by COVID-19 place our football student-athletes at an unacceptable level of risk."

Members of the team returned to campus in July and since then none have tested positive for COVID-19, the school said. "We engaged and listened to the concerns of our football student-athletes and feel this is the best decision for their health, safety, and well-being," head coach Randy Edsall said.  "Our team is united in this approach and we will use this time to further player development within the program and gear ourselves to the 2021 season." In an additional statement, the players said they agreed with the decision not to play. "We have many health concerns and not enough is known about the potential long term effects of contracting COVID-19. Additionally, we have not had the optimal time to train mentally & physically to be properly prepared to compete this season. We love this game and love competing.  We came to campus in the beginning of July knowing there would be challenges presented by the pandemic but it is apparent to us now that these challenges are impossible to overcome." 

Connecticut offensive lineman Matt Peart (65) hugs Connecticut head coach Randy Edsall during senior day festivities before the start of an NCAA college football game against East Carolina Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, in East Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Stephen Dunn)

As the coronavirus continues to spread, Hawaii Pacific Health CEO Ray Vara warned that the growing number of COVID-19 cases could soon overwhelm hospital capacity. “If we continue on these current trends of triple digit numbers for another seven to 10 days, we’re going to begin stressing those capacities pretty quickly,” Vara said on Monday, according to The Associated Press. Hawaii Pacific Health, which operates four hospitals across Hawaii, has built analytical models of the virus spread for months, with the goal of preventing the illness from overwhelming the state’s health care system. However, recent public gatherings and the lack of mask-wearing could be leading to a fast spread of the virus that could outstrip capacity at hospitals.

As the virus continues to spread in the Philippines, stay-at-home orders have been re-introduced in Manila and four surrounding provinces. For the next two weeks, residents of the area will be asked to stay home as infections in the country surge past 100,000, according to the BBC. As an additional measure, public transport has also been suspended, local flights have been canceled and restaurants are restricted to takeout. The new lockdown came after 80 medical associations in the country urged President Rodrigo Duterte to toughen restrictions due to the fast spread of the virus. On Sunday, the Philippines reported 5,032 new infections, forcing hospitals to turn away patients as they scramble to treat as many people as possible.

Disney’s two upcoming blockbusters, Mulan and Black Widow, will be available to purchase on Disney+ for a premium access fee of $29.99 as the company reported a better-than-expected $5 billion loss. Starting Sept. 4, Disney+ subscribers will be able to pay the premium fee to watch Mulan from the comfort of their homes, while Black Widow will be available for steaming starting Nov. 6 for the same fee. This is Disney’s first time experimenting with offering a movie via a premium access fee on its streaming services, and if it is proven to be successful, executives say that this could lead to a new revenue stream for the company, which took a nearly $5 million charge due to the coronavirus pandemic. “The majority of businesses worldwide have experienced unprecedented disruption as a result of the pandemic,” Disney CEO Bob Chapek told analysts, according to Reuters. “Most of our businesses were shut down, and this had a huge impact.” Watch the video in the tweet below for more.

The coronavirus turmoil of 2020 may extend far beyond New Year’s Eve, Dr. Larry Brilliant predicted. The former World Health Organization doctor told USA Today that he believes COVID-19 will be still be in steady circulation come 2024. “We will still be chasing the virus four years from now,” he said on Monday. “It will be like the smallpox eradication program. The polio eradication program. Having yellow fever in some countries and not in others.” Calling it a “bad and rocky ride,” Brilliant, who was part of the team that helped eradicate smallpox in the 1970s, said that he believes the coronavirus death toll will linger for decades, although he added that effective vaccines will help people recover more quickly.

The holidays will seem a bit different this year in the Big Apple as a longstanding holiday staple has been canceled. On Monday, Madison Square Garden Entertainment announced that the iconic Rockettes' Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall will not take place this holiday season due to uncertainty around COVID-19. "We are disappointed for everyone involved with the show, as well as for the many fans who make the Christmas Spectacular a cherished part of their holiday tradition. We look forward to welcoming audiences back for the 2021 production, which is on sale now," MSG Entertainment said in a statement. The Rockettes, which began in 1925, have drawn 75 million people to the show since it started in 1933. “Christmas has officially been canceled,” Samantha Berger, a Rockette who has performed for 15 seasons wrote on Instagram. “Until Next year,” she said, while adding two broken heart emojis. “Please Wear a Mask.”

You’ll have to forgive Chris Rogan for not knowing the date. After a 132-day hospital stay battling COVID-19, the 29-year-old was released from a New York hospital on Tuesday morning. Over the course of his traumatic stay, which began in late March, Rogan was intubated twice, coded once, had a tracheotomy and had to have to leg amputated due to blood clots, according to ABC 13. “It’s definitely shocking, because when I went down there, it was only 150,000 cases,” he said. “When I woke up, it was 2.5 million. I was like, ‘What? Are you serious?’”

To minimize face-to-face contact, a pizza restaurant in Spain launched an app that gives a new dining experience to customers. To adapt to social distancing rules, customers at Funky Pizza, in Palafrugell, a coastal town north of Barcelona, can browse the menu, order and pay via the “Funky Pay” app on their phones, the first of its kind in the country. Staff manage the orders from screens behind the bar, however a waiter does have to bring the order to the table. “Through this system we have tried to keep physical distance with our clients, which is what people are looking for during COVID,” restaurant owner Carlos Manich, said according to Reuters. Upon entry, the restaurant reminds customers they must wear face masks at all times when not at their tables. “The application is very user-friendly ... and you can also track your order and see when it is in the kitchen or when it will be arriving,” customer Claudia Medina said while eating at the restaurant, according to Reuters. Some customers weren’t fond of the new app and like to connect with the staff. “I think we lose the feeling with the waiter, for example when you order you can’t ask about different preferences or quantities,” customer Javier Comas said.

Here are the latest global coronavirus numbers, provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins University:

• Confirmed cases: 18,560,630

• Fatalities: 701,027

• Recoveries: 11,155,926

The world surpassed the 700,000 fatality threshold on Wednesday morning, less than seven months after China reported its first COVID-19 death. The United States, which saw its first death on Feb. 29, has seen the most in the world, with 156,830 fatalities. Only one other country, Brazil, has seen more than 50,000 deaths.

The U.S. government has started two trials testing a coronavirus antibody drug. Eli Lilly's experimental treatment, which is being developed in partnership with Canadian biotech company AbCellera, is entering two trails called ACTIV-2 and ACIV-3. The trial will help determine whether an antibody drug can work as a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19, according to CNBC. On Monday, the companies both announced the start of phase three trial testing. One trial will look at how the antibody drug will work with people who are experiencing mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms, but are not hospitalized. The second trial will look at those who have been hospitalized with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms for fewer than 13 days. Participants will be randomly assigned either an intravenous infusion of a placebo infusion. Patients will be assessed after five days and monitored for 90 days.

Teachers from dozens of school districts across the South and West protested from their cars after some U.S. governors announced plans to resume in-class instruction. On Monday, teachers and other school employees from across the country painted messages on cars and formed caravans as they argued against the reopening of schools until it is proven safe to go back. “I do not want to put my students or myself in harm’s way. I do not want to be an experiment,” Chicago elementary school teacher Andrea Parker said, according to Reuters.

Medicine suppliers in the U.K. are being urged to build up stockpiles to prepare for border disputes. Despite global supply chains seeing significant pressure from COVID-19, the U.K. government urged medical companies to make stockpiling a priority to a target level of six weeks. Border disputes between the U.K. and the European Union are expected to intensify as the Brexit transition period nears its end on December 31. The added stress from COVID-19 and Brexit has medical suppliers planning on how to re-route supplies in case of disruptions at major ports.

The number of occupied hospital beds is rising again in Japan as the amount of coronavirus patients has increased. The percentage of hospital beds reserved for coronavirus patients rose in 39 of 47 prefectures for the week ending July 29, according to Kyodo News. Occupancy rates have gone over 30 percent in eight prefectures which has raised fears that hospitals around the country could soon be overwhelmed. Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare found that the number of occupied beds in Japan increased 1,290 in a week, now totaling 4,034. Osaka leads all prefectures with 42.5 percent of hospital beds reserved for coronavirus patients. Tokyo currently stands at 37.9 percent reserved. The number of serious cases of the virus also rose 1.7 times, from 54 to 92, through the week ending July 29. Japan reported nearly 1,000 new cases on Monday, bringing the total of confirmed cases in the country to 40,000.

If you've had trouble finding Clorox disinfecting wipes at the grocery store or online, you can expect to continue having trouble until next year, the company's CEO Benno Dorer told Reuters. Dorer said the company has seen a six-fold increase over normal demand since the pandemic escalated earlier this year for most of its products. "That entire supply chain is stressed," Dorer said in the interview with Reuters. "We feel like it’s probably going to take until 2021 before we’re able to meet all the demand that we have.” He added that the disinfecting wipes "are the hottest commodity in the business right now," and probably the one that will be the hardest to ramp up production of due to a complex manufacturing process. But other Clorox products -- some that many might be surprised to learn are owned by Clorox -- are being affected by the high demand.

Rafael Nadal, the defending US Open champion, will skip this year's tournament due to the pandemic and concerns about traveling. "The situation is very complicated worldwide, the COVID-19 cases are increasing, it looks like we still don't have control of it," Nadal said, adding it was "a decision I never wanted to take."  The Associated Press reports that that current No.1-ranked women's player, Ash Barty, already had announced she would not be taking place in the women's tournament. The professional tennis tour had been on hold since March until the first women's event took place in Palermo, Italy, on Monday. The US Open is set to begin on Aug. 31 in Flushing Meadows, New York.

Due to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot resigned from her post on Tuesday. De Blasio confirmed that he received Barbot's critical resignation letter and appointed Dr. Dave A. Choksi as her replacement. The New York Times reported that Barbot submitted her resignation to de Blasio, amid a clash between the mayor and the city’s health officials. "I leave my post today with deep disappointment that during the most critical public health crisis in our lifetime, that the Health Department's incomparable disease control expertise was not used to the degree it could have been," she wrote to de Blasio, according to The New York Times. "Our experts are world-renowned for their epidemiology, surveillance and response work," Barbot continued. "The city would be well served by having them at the strategic center of the response not in the background." New York health officials disagreed with de Blasio's decision to task the public hospital system with coronavirus contact tracing instead of the Health Department, the Times reported. In a letter to the Department of Health colleagues, Barbot confirmed her resignation. "This morning I submitted my formal resignation to Mayor de Blasio," Barbot wrote. "Your experience and guidance have been the beacon leading this city through this historic pandemic and that to successfully brace against the inevitable second wave, your talents must be better leveraged alongside that of our sister agencies."

Rafael Nadal, the defending U.S. Open champion, will skip this year's tournament due to the pandemic and concerns about traveling. "The situation is very complicated worldwide, the COVID-19 cases are increasing, it looks like we still don't have control of it," Nadal said, adding it was "a decision I never wanted to take."  The Associated Press reports that that current No.1-ranked women's player, Ash Barty, already had announced she would not be taking place in the women's tournament. The professional tennis tour had been on hold since March until the first women's event took place in Palermo, Italy, on Monday. The U.S. Open is set to begin on Aug. 31 in Flushing Meadows, New York.

Bars in Ireland won't be reopening for another few weeks as the Irish government decided not to move into the final stage of lockdown. The government also tightened COVID-19 travel restrictions after infections doubled in more than a week, Reuters reported. “I know that this will come as a blow to pub owners and I want them to know I have enormous sympathy for their plight. This virus is taking away their ability to earn a living, to provide a key service in the heart of many communities,” Prime Minister Micheal Martin said at a news conference. The number of countries on Ireland's list of approved travel destinations was also reduced to 10, down from 15. Ireland has more than 26,200 cases of COVID-19 and has reported more than 1,700 deaths.

The governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have added Rhode Island to the list of states on its travel advisory, bringing the total to 35 of the 50 United States, according to NECN. All people -- even residents of those three states -- returning from Rhode Island will now need to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. However, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont's office said the mandate does not apply to those who live in Rhode Island and work in Connecticut, or to those who travel into Rhode Island for less than 24 hours. At the same time Washington, D.C., and Delaware were removed from the travel advisory list. Those who don't self-quarantine for 14 days are subject to a fine of $1,000.

Over the weekend, New York City officials arrested the owners of a boat company after a vessel carrying 170 revelers was shut down in the waters off of Manhattan. According to ABC News, police took into custody Ronny Vargas and Alex Suazo, the owners of the Liberty Belle, a company that operates party boats, for allegedly violating New York state's ban on large gatherings and for allegedly operating a bar without a license. Police were tipped off to the party boat by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, who said she received numerous complaints from concerned citizens who could hear noise from the festivities on Saturday evening. New York City was once the epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S., with more than 226,000 cases and more than 23,00 fatalities, but has since seen its numbers of cases and deaths lowered dramatically. In fact, Brewer said, on Saturday the city recorded no new coronavirus deaths. On Twitter, Brewer said, "If we want a return to a life WITHOUT social distancing, that means we need to avoid reckless behavior like booze cruises that put fellow New Yorkers at risk, no matter how much we miss our friends and meeting new people."

Millennials and Gen Z are twice as likely than their parents to have upended financial security due to the coronavirus pandemic. A new report from Age Wave and Edward Jones found that younger Americans are more financially impacted and have had their financial stability negatively impacted, or even wrecked at rates twice as high as baby boomers. The survey asked 9,000 Americans across five generations in May and June about how the coronavirus has impacted the individual. One-third of millennials and Gen Z respondents said COVID-19 had extreme or very negative impacts on their financial security, according to CNBC. Only 16% of baby boomers and 6% of the silent generation responded the same way. Younger generations also reported a mental health decline more severe than past generations reported. It was also found that 37% of Gen Z and 27% of millennials have had their mental health negatively impacted since the pandemic began, while only 15% of baby boomers reporting the same.

Cleveland Browns star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will not opt out of the 2020 season despite coronavirus concerns. In an article published by The Wall Street Journal, Beckham told reporters, "It doesn't make sense why we're trying to do this ... we're not ready for football season." Last month, Beckham participated in a roundtable discussion with other star NFL players where he shared similar feelings, "We're in a place where people are really being affected, [the] economy is being affected, people are dying, numbers are spiking ... yet they're trying to make football happen." According to a report by ESPN, Beckham is not expected to opt out of the season despite his comments. The interview with The Wall Street Journal was given before Beckham reported to training camp and saw the team's facilities. The wide receiver has been full participating in team activities with the Browns. Only two players for the Brown have opted out so far: guard Drew Forbes and lineman Drake Dorbeck. The deadline to declare dropping out of the 2020 NFL season is Thursday.

France is at risk of losing control of the coronavirus, as it continues to spread across the country. On Tuesday, the government’s COVID-19 scientific council warned that the country’s situation could “change course at any time to a less controlled scenario like in Spain,” as the virus has started to re-circulate in the country. Data released by the country’s health department on Monday showed that the number of people in intensive care had risen by 13 since last Friday. Additionally, 29 new deaths were also reported by the department. Prime Minister Jean Castex urged France to “not let down its guard” as cases continue to increase for the first time since April. “We are seeing an increase in the figures for the epidemic which should make us more attentive than ever,” Castex said, according to AFP. “I call on every French person to remain vigilant. The fight against the virus depends of course on the state, local communities, institutions, but also on each of us.”

Despite the shortened season, Major League Baseball still intended to hold its highly anticipated Field of Dreams game this August. However, due to a recent outbreak of COVID-19 among the St. Louis Cardinals, that game has been canceled. The Cardinals were slated to play the Chicago White Sox at the Field of Dreams movie site in in Dyersville, Iowa, on Aug. 13, but league officials decided to err on the side of caution and call off the game, the Des Moines Register reported. News of the cancellation was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. MLB still expects to host a game at the site in 2021, the Register reported.

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the world faces a 'generational catastrophe' due to school closures amid the coronavirus pandemic. On Tuesday, Guterres launched a U.N. “Save our Future” campaign, as he said that getting students back to the classroom must be a “top priority.” According to Guterres, schools were closed in some 160 countries as of mid-July, leaving 1 billion students to suffer the consequences. “Now we face a generational catastrophe that could waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate entrenched inequalities,” Guterres said, according to Reuters. “Once local transmission of COVID-19 is under control, getting students back into schools and learning institutions as safely as possible must be a top priority. Consultation with parents, carers, teachers and young people is fundamental.”

Students from Lagos State Model School wearing face mask to protect against coronavirus attend lectures inside a class room in Lagos Nigeria, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. Nigeria officials resumed both public and private schools on Monday for students following months of closure to curb the spread of coronavirus. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

The tourism industry has been one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, but in Maine, this summer season is turning out to be quite busy. According to the Bangor Daily News, things were looking bleak back in the spring, when a ban on renting lodging to anyone from outside of Maine who had not already quarantined in the state for two weeks was in effect. But since then, Gov. Janet Mills has eased restrictions for out-of-state visitors, and that has brought a ton of tourists to the state looking for socially distant vacations.

"We are insanely busy," Paige Teel, the general manager of On The Water in Maine Vacation Rentals told the Daily News, noting that they are "busier than ever." Still, Teel noted that vacationers are avoiding normal activities such as shopping and eating at restaurants and instead going hiking and kayaking. “There is lots of available parking in tourist towns, which never happens this time of year,” Teel said. “There are millions of [visitors] in Maine who are not moving about.” Another rental agency, The Knowles Group, has also seen a big surge in bookings. “We’ve had bookings through the roof,” Kate Chaplin a rental agent for the company told the Daily News. “They’ve been saying, ‘We want to go to a place where we feel safe.’ They want to go where it’s not crowded.”

Shoppers leave a clothing shop that now also sells masks to help fight the spread of the coronavirus, Thursday, July 30, 2020, in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Houston law enforcement officials will begin issuing citations and fines of up to $250 to people who fail to comply with the mask-wearing order issued by Mayor Sylvester Turner. “Mask wearing is required when in public and around other people,” Turner shared on Twitter. “A failure to do so can lead to a citation and monetary fine. Up to this point the emphasis has been on education. For August you will be subject to citation and fine after being warned.” The new order comes as Houston has seen an increase in the spread of the virus. More than 78,100 confirmed cases and 767 deaths in Harris County, according to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

The St. Louis Cardinals revealed Monday that seven players and six other members of the organization have tested positive for the coronavirus, Yahoo Sports reported. As a result, Major League Baseball has canceled the team's four-game series with the Detroit Tigers this week, and the team is expected to resume its schedule Friday in St. Louis against the rival Chicago Cubs. Two of the positive tests became public last Friday, which prompted to the team to quarantine in Milwaukee, where they will remain until at least the middle of this week. As for symptoms, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said that more than half of those who tested positive were experiencing some symptoms. Five of those who tested positive were asymptomatic. “It’s a variety of symptoms,” Mozeliak said, according to ESPN baseball reporter Jeff Passan. "But nothing that requires hospitalization." Mozeliak added that the symptoms emerged "after they tested positive.”

A new wave of coronavirus infections in Spain has hit young and middle-aged people. After three-months of lockdown, the Spanish residents were told to cautiously resume life under a new normal involving face masks, hand washing and social distancing, according to The Associated Press. However, outbreaks involving farm workers and young people, who were eager to resume socializing, soon followed. Health officials are now fearing the start of a second wave of infections across the country. The day Spain ended its lockdown in June, 125 new cases were reported in 24 hours. Six weeks after the lockdowns ended, over 1,500 new cases were reported in 24 hours. Spain has the most amount of cases per 100,000 inhabitants of all major Western European countries, with 60 cases per 100,000.

People wearing face masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus, sit on a bench street in downtown Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, July 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Here are the latest global coronavirus numbers, provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins University:

• Confirmed cases: 18,315,281

• Fatalities: 694,703

• Recoveries: 10,934,608

On Monday, Russia announced a plan to launch mass manufacturing of a COVID-19 vaccine. The country has a number of vaccine prototypes. According to Health Home Choices, the trialed vaccine by the Gamaleya institute in Moscow is about to cross state registration. “We are very much counting on starting mass production in September,” Industry Minister Denis Manturov reported in an interview with the state information company TASS. “We will be able to ensure production volumes of several hundred thousand a month, with an eventual increase to several million by the start of next year,” Manturov stated. The head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which funds the trials, said he expects official registration of the vaccine to be full “within ten days.” “If this happens in the next ten days, we will be ahead not just of the United States but other countries too, it will be the first registered coronavirus vaccine,” RDIF chief Kirill Dmitriev stated in televised remarks.

A protest of approximately 17,000 people marched in Berlin, Germany, to protest against coronavirus lockdowns on Saturday. People held signs saying ‘The end of the pandemic - freedom day.' Demonstrators said face masks and other lockdown orders violate their rights. “Our demand is to return to democracy,” said one protester who declined to give his name, BBC reported. “The mask that enslaves us must go.” Police filed a complaint against the organizer for failing to ensure that marchers wear masks and followed social distancing measures. More than 200,000 people have caught COVID-19 and more than 9,000 have died from the virus in Germany, according to Reuters. 

Small-business owners said they see no end in sight after months of sharp drops in revenue and depleting federal and local assistance. Many once-prosperous businesses that give New York’s neighborhoods their unique personalities are closing their shops and restaurants for good. More than 2,800 businesses in New York City have permanently closed since March 1, according to Yelp data, however, the actual number of permanent closings in New York is probably higher than Yelp’s tally. According to researchers at Harvard, roughly 110,000 small businesses nationwide shut down between early March and early May. During the height of the pandemic from March 1 to the end of April, businesses in New York City that use the payment company Square saw their revenues drop by half, according to The New York Times. In New York, more than 80 percent of the city’s restaurants and bars did not pay full rent in June, according to the NYC Hospitality Alliance.

On Monday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy re-tightened capacity limits on indoor gatherings by lowering the capacity on indoor gatherings from 100 to 25 people. The new orders, that remain in effect "until further notice,” were established due an increase in the rate of transmission. Murphy said the 25-person limit doesn't apply to weddings, funerals and first-amendment-protected events. Those events still remain at a 100-person capacity limit and are limited to 25% of a room's capacity, according to NBC Philadelphia. The Democrat said most people are doing the right thing, but "knuckleheads" are putting everyone in danger. "Unfortunately, the actions of a few knuckleheads leave us no other course," Murphy said. "We have to go back and tighten these restrictions." If the rate of transmission remains higher, Murphy said more rules can come. "We remain in a public health emergency," Murphy said.

The next big advance in COVID-19 treatment may be manufactured antibodies. Development of monoclonal antibodies made specifically to attack the coronavirus have been endorsed by many scientists including top U.S. infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci, who called it "almost a sure bet." Monoclonal antibodies are copies of naturally occurring proteins that the body makes as a response to target the virus. These copies are grow in bioreactor vats. Drugmakers are confident that the right antibodies could alter the course of the disease, according to Reuters. Regeneron is one company that is testing antibody treatment, currently they are a testing two-antibody cocktail. It is believed that the treatment limits the ability of the virus to escape, dosing on this treatment is still unknown. Regnereon recently got a $450 million supply contract with the U.S. government to continue the treatment.

Emmy-winning actor Bryan Cranston revealed that he has recovered from a mild case of the coronavirus and is now donating plasma. The 64-year-old actor is known for his lead role in the hit drama “Breaking Bad” shared the news on Instagram late last week. “I was pretty strict in adhering to the protocols and still... I contracted the virus,” Cranston said. “I was one of the lucky ones. Mild symptoms. I count my blessings and urge you to keep wearing the damn mask, keep washing your hands, and stay socially distant.” Since recovering, Cranston has donated 940 ml of blood plasma, which contains COVID-19 antibodies, ABC News said. He is one of several high-profile actors that has contracted the coronavirus, recovered and has gone on to donate plasma to help those in need.

The puck dropped for the NHL’s Stanley Cup qualifiers over the weekend, and on Monday, the league provided an update on the COVID-19 testing for the teams involved. In a statement, the NHL said that is has conducted 7,013 coronavirus tests and received zero positive results. “Testing was administered on a daily basis to all members of the Clubs' 52-member traveling parties, including Players, during the period from July 27 through August 1.” This daily testing began one day after the teams entered ‘the bubble’ where they remain in secure zones to limit the potential for contracting the virus. The 24 teams have been divided and placed in one of two secure zones in either Edmonton or Toronto, depending on the team's conference. Testing will continue on a regular basis according to the league’s protocols to ensure that members of every team remain healthy throughout the duration of the playoffs.

Energy levels in the United States hit a 30-year low amid coronavirus impacts. As the U.S. economy shut down due to growing concerns of the pandemic, energy consumption fell to its lowest level in over 30 years. This spring, there has been less demand for coal being burned for electricity and oil being refined into gasoline for jet fuel. Despite the lows, energy levels are starting to pick back up around the country as commercial activity continues to resume, according to The Associated Press. However, energy companies continue to file for bankruptcy as a result of the spring lows. In April, overall energy consumption in the United States dropped 14% compared to 2019, which was the largest drop ever recorded since data started being collected in 1973. Previously, the largest drop was December 2001, after the 9/11 attacks.

The number of coronavirus patients in intensive care in Belgium has doubled in the span of a month, according to AFP. Officials said that the virus is spreading "intensively" in the country. AFP reports that the country had one of the highest per capita rates of infection in Europe during the height of the pandemic, but eased lockdown restrictions in May. Tougher lockdown measures are being reintroduced, including in the port city of Antwerp. "We can see that the virus is circulating intensively in our territory. The numbers continue to rise," federal virus taskforce spokeswoman Frederique Jacobs said, adding the most of the newer cases are from young adults. "The number of people admitted to intensive care has doubled since the beginning of July," Jacobs said, according to AFP. According to Johns Hopkins University, Belgium is closing in on 70,000 total cases, and has more than 9,800 deaths.

The World Health Organization has warned that there may not be a "silver bullet" cure for COVID-19. During a message to other nations on Monday, WHO officials gave a warning that there may never be a perfect vaccine and that the road to normal will take a long time. According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 18 million people have tested positive for the coronavirus and more than 690,000 have died. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a virtual news briefing that, “The message to people and governments is clear: ‘Do it all’.” The international scramble to find a vaccine is said to be "unprecedented," according to the WHO.

New data shared with the BBC shows that cases and fatalities related to the coronavirus in Iran are significantly higher than previously reported. Iran’s health ministry has reported 278,827 cases and 14,405 deaths, but the new data reveals that the cases may actually exceed 450,000 and that nearly 42,000 people have died due to the virus. The anonymous source that shared this information with the BBC said that they are trying to “shed light on the truth” and give a full scope of the virus’ impact on the Middle Eastern country. Even without counting these additional cases, Iran has seen more cases than any other country in the region, according to Johns Hopkins University.

A volunteer wearing protective gear to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus checks temperature of a worshipper as he enters mosque of Tehran University to pray during Arafat Day, Iran, Thursday, July 30, 2020. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Although it has already been established that COVID-19 survivors can lose their sense of smell and taste, doctors in Britain warn that some could also lose their hearing. Experts at The University of Manchester studied 121 adults at the Wythenshawe Hospital, and eight of the patients reported having trouble hearing two months after being discharged from the hospital. “We already know that viruses such as measles, mumps and meningitis can cause hearing loss and coronaviruses can damage the nerves that carry information to and from the brain,” Kevin Munro, a professor of audiology at The University of Manchester, told the Mirror. Munro added that the virus could also impact pre-existing hearing loss and tinnitus, saying that there is an “urgent need for high-quality studies to investigate the acute and temporary effects of COVID-19 on hearing and the audiovestibular system.”

Mexico now has the third-highest coronavirus death toll in the world. On Friday, the country's death toll rose to over 46,500 deaths, according to Reuters. Previously, Mexico was fourth behind Britain. Brazil and the United States still remain above Mexico in total deaths. The country reported over 8,000 new cases in a single day on Friday, along with nearly 700 additional deaths. In total, over 424,500 have tested positive for the virus in Mexico.

Mets' outfielder Yoenis Cespedes has become the latest MLB player to opt out of the season. Ahead of the Mets' game against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, Cespedes failed to report and did not inform management of his decision. Team officials for the Mets are now saying the outfielder has chosen to sit the rest of the season out due to "COVID-related reasons," according to ABC News. Teammates only learned about his opt out decision late in the game on Sunday. Cespedes is the latest MLB player to decide to sit out for the year amid increased concerns of the virus spreading among clubs. Multiple games have already postponed due to outbreaks and the season is only in its second week. Twenty MLB players have opted out of the season as of Sunday, according to Baseball America.

New York Mets' Yoenis Cespedes reacts after striking out against Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Marcus Walden in the sixth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, July 29, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

A new outbreak was reported aboard a Norwegian cruise ship after at least five passengers and 36 crew members tested positive for the coronavirus. Authorities fear the outbreak may have spread along the country’s West Coast as passengers and crew members disembarked the ship multiple times along the route, according to The Associated Press. Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam has since released a statement, apologizing for the outbreak that originated at one of the company’s ships. “We have made mistakes. On behalf of all of us in Hurtigruten, I am sorry for what has happened. We take full responsibility,” he said. News agency NTB reported that 69 towns across the western coast of the country could have been affected, as officials continue to look into the case and trace hotspots of infection.

The new tests being deployed by the U.K. will be able to detect the virus within 90-minutes, according to Reuters. The country’s health minister, Matt Hancok, said that officials will distribute 5.8 million tests using DNA and 450,000 swab tests. “The fact these tests can detect flu as well as COVID-19 will be hugely beneficial as we head into winter, so patients can follow the right advice to protect themselves and others,” Hancock told Reuters. As a separate initiative, the publicly-funded National Health Service announced that it will be offering “COVID-friendly” treatments to cancer patients, which include drugs that don’t have a big impact on the immune system.

White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx holds her face mask as she speaks during a White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing at the Department of Education building Wednesday, July 8, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, said that the U.S. is now in a "new phase" in its fight against the virus, as it has now spread to most parts of the country. “What we are seeing today is different from March and April. It is extraordinarily widespread. It’s into the rural as equal urban areas,” Birx told CNN on Sunday. Birx also stressed that Americans need to follow the safety guideline regulations now more than ever, including wearing a mask and practicing social distancing. As the virus continues to spread across the country, it is now shifting to the Midwest. As of Sunday, the U.S. has reported more than 4.6 million cases of COVID-19 and at least 154,449 Americans have died, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. However, the death toll could double to 300,000 if the country doesn’t change its trajectory, according to U.S. Food and Drug Administrator Dr. Scott Gottlieb. Watch Birx's appearance on CNN below.

Lord & Taylor has sought bankruptcy protection as the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect sales for retail stores throughout the country, including J. Crew and Neiman Marcus, which also filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year. The owner of the department store since 2012, fashion start-up Le Tote Inc., filed for Chapter 11 protection in Richmond, Virginia on Sunday. The department store, funded in 1826 in Manhattan by two English immigrants, said it had a debt of about $137.9 million, according to Bloomberg. The debt of the company grew after its 38 stores had been temporarily closed since March, after stay-at-home orders were issued across the country. And Lord & Taylor was not the only major U.S. retailer to file for bankruptcy on Sunday. According to USA Today, Tailored Brands, the corporate parent of Men's Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank also filed for Chapter 11 on the heels of the decision to close as many as 500 stores nationwide.

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson has tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the second NFL head coach to contract the disease. Back in March, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Peyton announced that he had the coronavirus. Peyton has since recovered from the illness. The Eagles released a statement on Sunday night saying that Pederson was asymptomatic and "doing well." The coach is currently in self-quarantine and in communication with the team's medical staff. The statement added that the team is following protocols established by the NFL and NFL Players Association and said any individuals in close contact with Pederson at the team's facility have been notified. According to a report from ESPN, Pederson is believed to have contracted the virus away from the team's headquarters and will need multiple negative tests to return to work. Running backs coach Duce Staley will lead the team on a day-to-day basis, while Pederson helps manage things virtually, the report said.

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson smiles before an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

Here are the latest global coronavirus numbers, provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins University:

• Confirmed cases: 18,093,891

• Fatalities: 689,625

• Recoveries: 10,700,077

Amid a second surge of cases for many countries around the world, the global total of COVID-19 cases topped 18 million on Monday morning. The United States, which leads the world with 4,667,957 cases, saw its lowest daily new case total in nearly four weeks on Sunday, as 47,500 new cases were reported.

Here are the latest global coronavirus numbers, provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins University:

• Confirmed cases: 17,965,567

• Fatalities: 687,930

• Recoveries: 10,634,582

Officials in Victoria, Australia's second-most populous state, on Sunday declared a state of disaster as COVID-19 cases there have been rising. Victoria reported 671 new coronavirus cases and seven fatalities, the BBC reported. The disaster declaration comes with some lockdown measures, including a nighttime curfew that will require people to stay indoors between the hours of 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. People wanting to exercise outdoors must do so for only one hour at a time and remain no farther than three miles from home while exercising. And only one member of a household at a time is allowed to visit a store to shop for essential items. Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters on Sunday that the strict new measures were a necessary step. "We must go harder. It's the only way we'll get to the other side of this," he said, according to the BBC. Australia has just shy of 18,000 total cases and 208 deaths -- and the majority of cases have been centered in Victoria.

Moderna and Pfizer — the first two companies to have COVID-19 vaccines move into large-scale U.S. trials won’t be testing them in pregnant women this year, researchers told Reuters. Both have begun clinical trials that use new unproven gene-based technology, bioethicists, vaccine and maternal health experts have long argued that pregnant women should be included in early trials of pandemic vaccines to prevent a longer waiting period for an effective and safe vaccine. U.S. regulations require drugmakers to conduct safety studies in pregnant animals before testing the vaccines in pregnant women to prevent harming the fetus or leading to miscarriage.

Both Moderna and Pfizer, the latter which has partnered with Germany’s BioNTech, are requiring proof of a negative pregnancy test and a commitment to using birth control from applicable people. “It’s a problem because if (vaccines) are not tested in pregnancy, then they may not be available or people may not be comfortable offering them,” Dr. Denise Jamieson, chief of gynecology and obstetrics for Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, told Reuters. Even though pregnant women are recommended to take flu and whooping cough vaccines, not even these vaccines have been specifically tested and proven safe for pregnant women.

A noticeable trend has emerged in the United States that could allow people to tell where COVID-19 cases will surge next. As cases of the virus grow, the closing of Apple stores have proven to be an early indicator of the trajectory of individual cases, other retail closures and government-mandated lockdowns, according to The Wall Street Journal. On March 14, there were 1,678 confirmed COVID-19 cases recorded that day, according to data from the World Health Organization. That same day, Apple shutdown all of its stores nationwide — and a week later cases had gone up by more than 800% to 15,219. Dozens of other retailers soon followed Apple’s lead in closing their doors. Through the WSJ’s research, it was found that Apple has almost always been one of the first to close their stores before a surge of cases, specifically in the U.S. 

“One piece that really surprised me most about the pandemic more broadly and how Apple has behaved is the number of companies that have either followed their lead or are looking for information from Apple,” Gene Munster, managing partner of Loup Ventures, told the WSJ. After lockdowns in the U.S. began lifting, Apple began reopening — and reclining — some of its stores. The WSJ compares using the store to gauge the severity of an outbreak in an area to the Waffle House, which changes its menu ahead of hurricanes depending on the ferocity of the storm and closing only if the threat of damage is expected to be extreme.

Watch the full video here:

Over 120 billion face masks are used every month amid the pandemic, and disposable masks are turning up in oceans and washing up on beaches around the globe. “It’s important to understand we had a tremendously grave crisis before the pandemic even started in terms of plastic waste in the ocean. And now you take the global pandemic,” Doug Cress told The BBC. Cress is the Vice President of Conservation at Ocean Conservancy. Face masks and plastic gloves that end up in the environment can disrupt wildlife and even cause some animals to die if they ingest or get tangled up in the discarded material. People that want to help clean up masks and gloves that they find in the environment should do so safely as they can be considered used medical waste.

After being born prematurely, Amara Folse was got to see her parents’ full face three days later thanks to clear face masks designed by innovationOchsner. Immediately after being born, Amara was rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU, at Ochsner Baptist Medical Center in New Orleans, where mask-wearing was mandatory due to the coronavirus pandemic. The windowed masks were originally designed to help medical professionals attend to those with hearing disabilities, CEO Aimee Quirk explained to ABC News. For Amara’s parents, Mason and Henri, they let the new parents more deeply connect with their daughter, which they say helped her recover quicker. “You can see her watching our mouths, especially when I was singing to her,” Mason said. “She likes the silly faces we make too. I feel excited by that, that she is responding so well to it.”

Demand for champagne has dried up in France, causing sales to plummet and stockpiles to soar. Fewer celebrations during the pandemic, such as wedding and parties, is likely one of the contributors to the lower demand. “Champagne has never lived through anything like this before, even in the World Wars," Anselme Selosse, of Jacques Selosse Champagnes, said. "We have never experienced ... a sudden one-third fall in sales. Over one hundred million bottles unsold.” In the long-term, this could lead to regulations that put a cap on the amount of champagne that can be made due to such a large stockpile, ABC News said. If regulations are enacted, grapes being grown specifically for champagne production could be sold to distilleries at a reduced fee or destroyed. “It should not be forgotten that (champagne) has lived through every single war," said Paul-Francois Vranken, founder of Vranken-Pommery Monopole. "But with the other crises, there was a way out. For now, there is no way out — unless we find a vaccine.”

America’s most popular football team’s most-dedicated fans won’t be able to buy season tickets this season. The Dallas Cowboys announced in a statement on Thursday that due to limited capacity at AT&T Stadium, only single-game ticket options will be available for the 2020 season. In its statement, the warned fans that tickets may be for seats that are "in different locations from their normal seats." On Friday, the Arizona Cardinals organization also sent an email to season ticket holders to let them know that there will be no season ticket packages this season. “You likely heard last Friday’s news that the NFL and the NFLPA agreed to cancel all 2020 preseason games. As for the regular season, it is not clear at this point how many spectators — if any — will be permitted to attend Cardinals home games in 2020,” the team said in its letter to season ticket holders, according to AZCentral.com. “As such, all previous season ticket sales have been voided. All credits currently remain on account.”

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers, provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins University:

• Confirmed cases: 17,859,763

• Fatalities: 685,179

• Recoveries: 10,564,263

Demand for Malaysia's "stinky produce" has spiked amid the coronavirus. Before lockdown restrictions were put into place in Malaysia, street traders were selling durians, an edible fruit from the durian tree, on roadsides. Now, the business has moved online, and with it, a giant spike in sales has emerged. Durians are grown across tropical Southeast Asia and are known as the "king of fruits" due to a creamy, golden flesh and bittersweet taste, according to AFP. However, durians have a foul overpowering smell that can be compared to rotting food and stale vomit, which led to it being banned from public transport and even hotels. After lockdown restrictions were put in place, companies with frozen durians moved their business online, and by the fifth day of sales, hundreds of orders were being made daily. Durians can cost more than $14 for about two pounds, but the high price hasn't put a damper on sales. Some durian sellers are making as many as 80 deliveries a day during the lockdown.

The ban on spectators at sports events hasn’t stood in the way of a few dedicated Enterprising Chinese Super League football fans. As the first matches of the coronavirus-impacted season kicked off over the weekend, fans rented rooms at a hotel overlooking the closed stadium. From the windows of the Sports International Hotel, which is attached to Kunshan Stadium near Suzhou, fans chanted and cheered and one fan was even pictured banging a drum out of an open window. Officials had initially attempted to cover the windows, but had later given up, Tianjin Teda fan Sam Wang had told AFP. Prices of the stadium-facing hotel rooms have since skyrocketed on game days, and the most expensive rooms at the hotels rising from about 450 yuan ($65) to around 800 ($114) yuan on game days. Rooms have since sold out for Sunday when SIPG play Hebei China Fortune, and the availability of rooms on the days of other matches seem no different. However, local media reports that football authorities will attempt to prevent a repeat, AFP reported.

Movie buffs in Venice, Italy, this week got a new venue at which to watch a film on the big screen and alongside other moviegoers. Drive-in movie theaters have experienced a remarkable resurgence during the pandemic with most movie theaters still closed down, and this phenomenon was the inspiration for a "boat-in" or "barch-in" theater in Venice, the city's first-ever such movie experience. "I had this idea during the lockdown. When the media talked about drive-ins, phase two, re-start for culture, Venice was referred to as a dead city and culture was seen as a way to have it take off again," Nicola Scopelliti, president of Barch-in collective told AFP. "So I connected these ideas and thought: ‘Why not do a cinema screening on boats?" Classic films, documentaries, and blockbuster movies are all set to be screened and as long as the movies are playing outdoors, weather will be key. And according to the AccuWeather forecast, outdoor movie-watching weather will be delightful in Venice over the next week. Watch the video below for more.

Face recognition technology has a difficult time analyzing faces behind a mask. Even the best commercial facial recognition systems have error rates as high as 50% when trying to identify masked faces, a preliminary study published by a U.S. agency on Monday found. Apple made it easier for iPhone owners to unlock their phones without Face ID earlier this year because of masks, according to The Associated Press. Marks are also thwarting attempts by authorities to identify individual people at Black Lives Matter protests and other gatherings. Tech gurus are now studying ways to improve accuracy and adapt the technology to an era in which so many people are wearing masks in public. The National Institute of Standards and Technology is launching an investigation to better understand how facial recognition performs on covered faces.

On Saturday, a gathering of approximately 17,000 people marched in Berlin, Germany, to protest against coronavirus lockdowns with signs saying ‘The end of the pandemic - freedom day.' Demonstrators said face masks and other lockdown orders violate their rights. Protesters danced and sang "We are free people!" to the tune of rock band Queen’s We Will Rock You, and "We are making noise because you are stealing our freedom!", according to BBC. Our demand is to return to democracy,” said one protester who declined to give his name, BBC reported. “The mask that enslaves us must go.” Police filed a complaint against the organizer for failing to ensure that marchers wear masks and followed social distancing measures. Some politicians criticized the protesters. “They not only endanger our health, they endanger our successes against the pandemic,” tweeted Social Democrat co-leader Saskia Esken.

People gather at the Brandenburg gate for a demonstration with the slogan ‚The end of the pandemic - freedom day' - against coronavirus restrictions in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020. It comes amid increasing concern about an upturn in infections in Germany. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Throughout the month of July, the U.S. reported a 20% rise of more than 25,000 coronavirus deaths and 1.87 million new positive cases. Positive COVID-19 cases doubled in 19 states, according to a Reuters tally, which brought total infections to 4.5 million. Florida, followed by California and Texas saw the biggest increases in cases. During the month of July, 33 out of the 50 U.S. states hit new one-day records in the number of cases and 19 set records for 24-hour death tolls, according to the Reuters tally. The United States reported over 77,000 new cases on July 16, which shattered single-day global records. The United States tops the list for coronavirus fatalities in the world with Johns Hopkins University reporting a death toll of 153,642 since the pandemic began late last year. Brazil was the second hardest-hit with 92,475 fatalities followed by Mexico with 46,688.

A health worker prepares to collect nasal swab samples for COVID-19 tests at a mobile testing site in Hyderabad, India, Friday, July 31, 2020. India is the third hardest-hit country by the pandemic in the world after the United States and Brazil. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Last week Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, tossed the first pitch at the season opener in Washington between the Yankees and Nationals. The pitch itself was well off the mark, coming up short and to the left of the home-plate circle, but the moment was memorialized into a card that has now sold a record 51,512 copies. The card was on sale for 24 hours when it broke Topps company records. "We’re excited by the popularity of Dr. Fauci’s Topps NOW card," Emily Kless, Topps communications manager said in an email. "Topps prides itself on capturing the unique moments of the MLB season, one baseball card at a time and Dr. Fauci’s inclusion in this year’s Topps NOW cards is just one way in which we are highlighting the uniqueness of the 2020 season." The company’s previous record featured Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and sold 19,306 copies. The card image features Fauci behind the home plate throwing out the first pitch during last Thursday's MLB season opening game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees. "I feel a little embarrassed and humbled," Fauci told CNN about the card sales. "I hope that Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle are not looking up at me saying, ‘What the heck is going on here?’”

Leaving home landed a Key West couple in jail after Jose Antonio Freire Interian and Yohana Anahi Gonzalez were arrested this week for violating Florida’s state law that requires a two-week quarantine for anyone who tests positive for COVID-19. According to The Washington Times, the couple was arrested on Wednesday night and were each charged with two second-degree misdemeanors after they were ordered by the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County to remain isolated, according to Florida Keys News. Their apartment complex property manager reported them to the police after spotting them allegedly grocery shopping, walking their dog, washing their car, and walking outside. The couple was released after each posted a $1,000 bail on Wednesday.

Navajo farmer Tyrone Thompson is on a mission to help people return to their roots of farming. After decades of forced relocation, assimilation and federal food distribution programs the Navajos relied less and less on the land for food, according to NPR. Thompson has taken to social media to teach traditional farming techniques like how to layer organic matter to turn dry clay into rich fertile soil. The Navajo Nation is a food desert, according to The U.S. Department of Agriculture. People travel up to 40 miles to get their groceries, but if they listen to Thompson they won’t have to anymore. “As we see the shelves emptying of food and toilet paper we kind of reconnect to our roots," Thompson says. "Some of the tools that were given by our elders and our ancestors — our planting stick and our steering sticks — those are our weapons against hunger and poverty and sickness." Researcher Brandon Francis says more people are staying home and farming now. "There has been a surge in interest," Francis says. "Seeds were hard to come by. They flew off the shelves just as fast as toilet paper did."

Here are the latest updated totals from around the world, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins University.

• Confirmed cases: 17,613,859

• Fatalities: 679,986

• Recoveries: 10,351,577

Hackers linked to the Chinese government targeted Moderna Inc., a biotech company and U.S.-based coronavirus vaccine research developer, this year to steal data, according to a U.S. security official tracking Chinese hacking. China denied the accusation that it had any connection to the hackers who had targeted the biotech company, Reuters reported. The U.S. Justice Department publicized an indictment of two Chinese nationals accused of spying on the U.S. as well as three unnamed U.S.-based targets involved in medical research surrounding the coronavirus.

“Moderna remains highly vigilant to potential cybersecurity threats, maintaining an internal team, external support services and good working relationships with outside authorities to continuously assess threats and protect our valuable information,” company spokesman Ray Jordan told Reuters. Moderna’s vaccine is one of the few to make it to large-scale testing in the U.S., with the federal government supporting its progress with nearly half a billion dollars and helping the company run a clinical trial of up to 30,000 people.

A joint coronavirus vaccine has been approved for $2.1 billion funding from the U.S. government. Drug companies GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi Pasteur announced on Friday that the joint proposal between the two companies was able to move forward due to the approval. The companies announced in April that they would use Sanofi's flu vaccine technology and Glaxo's adjuvant to research a vaccine against COVID-19, according to CNN. Part of the deal includes producing up to 100 million doses of the vaccine next year, and an option for 500 million additional doses. Phase 1 and 2 safety study is planned for September with a Phase 3 trial by the end of the year.

There has been a 54% “marked increase” in the number of new coronavirus cases across the French mainland since last week, French health authorities confirmed. Although the rise was across all age groups, it wasn’t those above 60 who public health authorities were particularly concerned about. The rise was more significant in those between 20 to 30 years old, according to The Guardian. France also saw the first time the number of patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 increase in 16 weeks. The spike in cases came as the nation prepared for a heatwave that has already driven temperatures into triple digits (Fahrenheit), including Paris. More than half of those who tested positive were asymptomatic, and of those who tested positive, 69% of them were between the ages of 15 and 44. The biggest increase was among 20 to 25-year-olds, according to The Guardian.

On the latest edition of AccuWeather's Everything Under the Sun podcast, Meteorologist Dean DeVore discusses the impact COVID-19 is having on sports with special guests Kim Jones from the NFL Network, and Tom Ackerman, sports director of KMOX Radio in St. Louis. The podcast also touches on the latest forecast for Hurricane Isaias. 

Give it a listen below. 

Dr. Anthony Fauci warned that the coronavirus is so contagious that it may never disappear. In a House Select Subcommittee hearing on Friday, Fauci said, “I do not believe it would disappear because it’s such a highly-transmissible virus." More than 17 million people have been infected by the coronavirus with at least 673,000 being killed. The United States continues to report the most infections, having more than 4 million cases. Even though Fauci believes the virus may not disappear, he previously said it's possible world leaders and public health officials could bring it down to much lower levels, according to CNBC. Fauci also warned that there's never a guarantee that a safe and effective vaccine for the coronavirus will be made, but he remains cautiously optimistic of one.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies during a House Subcommittee hearing on the Coronavirus crisis, Friday, July 31, 2020 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Kevin Dietsch/Pool via AP)

The United States House of Representatives has canceled an August recess until coronavirus bill is passed. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced Friday that the planned recess for August will no longer take place until negotiations over the next coronavirus relief legislation is complete, according to CBS News. Hoyer told members and the minority leader to not schedule themselves for the next week. Usually, members of Congress take the month of August to return to their local districts. It is unknown if the Senate will also continue to work in August. A $1 trillion proposal was offered by Republicans on Monday but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are against passing relief legislation in a "piecemeal" fashion, and instead want a single comprehensive bill.

Just hours before the first pitch was set to be thrown, a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers has been postponed after two members of the Cardinals organization tested positive for COVID-19. “We are supportive of Major League Baseball’s decision to postpone today’s game and look forward to playing our home opener as soon as conditions safely allow,” Brewers general manager David Stearns said in a statement. This is the third game of the day that was scheduled to be played but had to be postponed due to players or staff members of a team contracting the coronavirus, The Associated Press reported.

The postponements are piling up at the start of the abridged 60-game season, making the MLB work diligently to figure out how to make up the missed games. One unnamed source told The AP that one option would be to hold more doubleheaders, but shorten each game to 7 innings, rather than the traditional 9. “If the doubleheaders were to pile up for whatever reason, I would have it like in a contingency plan,” Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “I’m in for anything right now.”

Although the COVID-19 death rate in the U.S. continues to increase, experts say that the surge of confirmed cases appears to be leveling off. However, the virus is far from gone, as The Associated Press reported that the trend is driven by the worst-hit places – Arizona, California, Florida and Texas -- where the number of cases cases seems to be hitting a plateau. In 30 other states, infections continue to spread, as the virus epicenter seems to be shifting toward the Midwest. According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the future of the virus is “very difficult to predict.” In the past week, the average number of COVID-19 deaths per day in the country rose by 25% from 843 to 1,057.

Data from the U.S. on COVID-19, although incomplete, shows that Native Americans have been disproportionately affected by the impacts of COVID-19. According to The New York Times, the rate of reported cases in the eight counties with the highest Native American populations is almost double the national average. In New Mexico, Native Americans and Alaska Natives, who make up up 9% of the state’s population, have accounted for nearly 40% of virus cases. Hospitalization rates published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also suggest that Native Americans are among the most-likely to become seriously ill from the virus. “I feel as though tribal nations have an affective death sentence when the scale of this pandemic, if it continues to grow, exceeds the public resources available,” Fawn Sharp, President of the Quinault Indian Nation and of the National Congress of American Indians, told the Times.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has postponed easing lockdown restrictions in England. In an announcement made Friday, Prime Minister Johnson said that further easing of coronavirus restrictions will be delayed by at least two weeks. These restrictions were supposed to be eased starting this weekend, according to CNBC. New restrictions have been put into place for some locations in northern England after a new rise in coronavirus cases. Wedding receptions of up to 30 people will no longer be allowed starting in August along with bowling alleys and casinos remaining closed. Face coverings are expected to be mandated in more settings in England. The U.K. has almost 304,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

A Southern California gym that refused to shutdown amid orders, is now linked to a coronavirus cluster. The Pacific Beach gym in San Diego was forced to shut down after disobeying a county health order to close last week, according to CNN. The gym was told to close operations on July 23 but didn't shut down until July 27. It is unknown how many cases are connected to the gym, but health officials say an outbreak is considered three or more cases from different households. Businesses that violate the order are subject to a $1,000 fine. San Diego County has had over 28,000 confirmed coronavirus cases.

A 70-year-old man from Hoi An has become the first person in Vietnam to pass away due to COVID-19, according to BBC News. Before earlier this week when an outbreak was reported in a nearby resort of Da Nang, no new infections had been reported in the country since mid-April. The country has reported 546 cases since the start of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University. Vietnam’s approach in handling the virus has proven to be highly affective, as authorities mandated the closure of all borders and enforced a quarantine before any cases were even confirmed. Since the report of the first death on Friday, authorities in Vietnam have started to carry out an aggressive prevention strategy to contain the virus, by opening more quarantine facilities and centers to treat infected patients. Additionally, the city of Da Nang is now undergoing a second lockdown due to the recent outbreak of 95 cases that have been reported since July 25.

On Thursday’s coronavirus briefing, WHO experts warned that young people are driving the spikes in coronavirus transmission. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO Lead Epidemiologist on COVID-19, said that young people are “amplifying transmissions” by frequenting night clubs, where the virus is often present and can be spread very easily. “Young people must take the same precautions to protect themselves and protect others, as everyone else,” WHO Director General Tedros Adhanon Ghebreyesus said, according to AFP. “They can be leaders; they should be leaders and drivers of change.”

Just five days after Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announced he had recovered from the coronavirus, the government reported that first lady Michelle Bolsonaro has tested positive for the virus. According to a statement released by the president’s office on Thursday, she is “in good health and will follow all established protocols.” President Bolsonaro has faced criticism for his response to the pandemic, as Brazil has the second-highest number of cases, only after the U.S. He has previously compared the virus to a “little flu,” and has tried to end stay-at-home order and restrictions across the country, despite the rapid spread of the virus.

The Hong Kong government has postponed its upcoming parliamentary election due to a rise in coronavirus cases, the BBC reports. Just over 120 new cases were reported on Friday, and the metropolitan area has reported more than 100 new daily cases for 10 straight days, the BBC said. Several weeks, ago Hong Kong had appeared to contain the virus, but now it appears to be suffering from a "third wave", the BBC reports.   

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said of the outbreak that the region was in "its worst situation since January," and said "as community spread continues, the risk of a large-scale outbreak will increase." She also called the decision to postpone the election "most difficult decision I've made over the past seven months". "This postponement is entirely made based on public safety reasons, there were no political considerations," she said. The election had been scheduled to take place in September. In total, Hong Kong has over 3,200 confirmed infections and 27 deaths from the virus, the BBC reports.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam arrives for a news conference in Hong Kong, Friday, July 31, 2020. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

For the third consecutive day, Florida health officials reported a single-day record for COVID-19-related fatalities with 253 new deaths on Thursday. That figure comes in the wake of 216 fatalities on Wednesday and 186 fatalities on Tuesday, according to CBS News. Also on Thursday, the Sunshine State recorded 9,943 new cases of coronavirus, another record. All of this comes as hospital ICUs are in some cases above capacity and the state is preparing for possible impacts from Hurricane Isaias, which could take a track up along the east coast of Florida. 

Here are the latest updated totals from around the world, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins University.

• Confirmed cases: 17,315,750

• Fatalities: 673,822

• Recoveries: 10,151,894

Just before the calendar flips to August, the world saw its total number of positive case recoveries top the 10 million mark on Friday. While the statistics may not prove reliable due to differences in reporting, Brazil leads the way with 1,956,807 recoveries with the United States behind with 1,414,155.

In the U.S., no state has reported more recoveries than Texas, which has seen 260,542 people bounce back from the virus.

Across the United States, Black people are dying from COVID-19 at 2.5 times the rate of white Americans, according to The COVID Tracking Project by The Atlantic. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert and director fo the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), spoke with BET News host Marc Lamont Hill in an interview on the why the virus was disproportionately affecting Black Americans. “We don’t like to generalize, but as a demographic group the African-American community is more likely to be in a job that does not allow them to stay at home and do teleworking most of the time, they’re in essential jobs,” Fauci told Hill. “You may be in a financial or economic or employment situation where you don’t have as much control or physical separation, which is one of the ways that you prevent infection.” The Hill also points out that long-standing systemic inequalities have put Black, Indigenous, Latino and other nonwhite communities at risk of becoming sick and dying from the virus.

Fauci referred to the combination of systemic inequalities along with a vulnerability to the virus as a “double whammy,” in particular against the African-American and Latinx community. “On the other side of the coin, and this has a lot to do with long-term social determinants of health, as a demographic group, African Americans have disproportionately greater incidence of the underlying conditions that allow you to have a more unfavorable outcome, namely more serious disease, hospitalization and even death,” Fauci added. The disease he lists include diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

Watch the full interview here: 

The closure of schools in the U.S. in March may have prevented more than 40,000 deaths, according to a new study. The study suggests that states that closed schools earlier saw greater declines in cases on a week to week basis, whereas the states that closed schools later on had a higher cumulative instance of the virus. The researchers involved in the study wrote that "the analyses presented here suggest that the timing of school closure plays a role in the magnitude of changes associated with school closure." According to CNN, the researchers said the findings may not be able to be related to the reopening of schools this fall because in March when schools originally began to close less people may have been social distancing and wearing masks. "It is unclear how COVID-19 spread would be affected if schools remained open while states enacted other policies to restrict movement," the researchers said in the study. "It is possible school-related spread may be mitigated with infection-control interventions recommended by the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics, including frequent hand washing, universal mask policies, physical distancing measures, and increased sanitation procedures."

The first dog that tested positive for COVID-19 in the U.S. has died, The Hill reported. Buddy the German Shepard died on July 11. He lived in Staten Island, New York, with his family. He first began to struggle with his breathing in April and likely had lymphoma, according to National Geographic. The Mahoney family, who owned Buddy, said it was frustrating that experts did not look further into the possibility of there being a connection between the coronavirus and Buddy’s conditions. “You tell people that your dog was positive, and they look at you [as if you have] ten heads,” Allison Mahoney said. “[Buddy] was the love of our lives. ... He brought joy to everybody. I can’t wrap my head around it.”

Across the United States, Black people are dying from COVID-19 at 2.5 times the rate of white Americans, according to The COVID Tracking Project by The Atlantic. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert and director fo the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), spoke with BET News host Marc Lamont Hill in an interview on the why the virus was disproportionately affecting Black Americans. “We don’t like to generalize, but as a demographic group the African-American community is more likely to be in a job that does not allow them to stay at home and do teleworking most of the time, they’re in essential jobs,” Fauci told Hill. “You may be in a financial or economic or employment situation where you don’t have as much control or physical separation, which is one of the ways that you prevent infection.” The Hill also points out that long-standing systemic inequalities have put Black, Indigenous, Latino and other nonwhite communities at risk of becoming sick and dying from the virus.
 

Fauci referred to the combination of systemic inequalities along with a vulnerability to the virus as a “double whammy,” in particular against the African-American and Latinx community. “On the other side of the coin, and this has a lot to do with long-term social determinants of health, as a demographic group, African Americans have disproportionately greater incidence of the underlying conditions that allow you to have a more unfavorable outcome, namely more serious disease, hospitalization and even death,” Fauci added. The disease he lists include diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

More than 18,000 people are under quarantine in China after the county reported an uptick in cases. At least 65% of those in quarantine are in the province of Xinjiang, NBC News said, resulting in a new round of lockdowns. Additionally, Chinese officials are ordering mass testing to get a better scope of the spread of the virus after 105 new cases were reported on Wednesday. This is a fraction of the number of new cases reported in neighboring Japan, which reached a record high number of cases on Thursday. Even after the county tallied an excess of 1,000 cases, the Japanese government said that it would not declare a state of emergency, according to NBC News. 

After reporting more than 9,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, Texas has now recorded nearly 419,000 total cases of the coronavirus. This is higher than New York, a hotspot early in the coronavirus pandemic, which has reported nearly 413,600 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Texas has also announced that it is changing the method in which deaths are confirmed and reported, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram said. “We may be able to account for some deaths now that would not previously have been reported until later under the old system,” Texas Department of State Health Services spokesman Chris Van Deusen told the publication. “This will be a more accurate reflection closer to when the deaths occur.” With this new change, Texas confirmed 313 new coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday, the highest single-day total on record in the state.

Despite difficulties caused by the pandemic, NASA was able to successfully conduct its Mars rover launch early Thursday. According to UPI, NASA technicians and engineers worked under tight workplace restrictions during the ongoing health crisis. Thursday's rover launch was one of the few that managed to remain operational during the pandemic, UPI said.   

"Our workforce has done an amazing job and here we are, we're launching to Mars in the middle of a pandemic. We already launched two astronauts ... in the middle of a pandemic," NASA deputy administrator Jim Morhard said Wednesday at the Kennedy Space Center. "Everybody worked extremely hard to make this happen during very difficult times. And the reason is to bring hope and inspiration to the country and to the world," Morhard said. Watch a video of the launch below. 

The second quarter for the U.S. economy was the worst in nearly 75 years, new data released by the Commerce Department on Thursday showed. The nation's gross domestic product (GDP) plunged 32.9% during the second quarter, which is the largest decline since record-keeping began in 1947, according to Reuters. Experts believe the contraction is the worst since the Great Depression. The economic fallout is the result of the coronavirus pandemic, which has been disrupting life across the country since mid-March. The news of the second-quarter plunge comes a day after the nation reached 150,000 fatalities since the outbreak began and as Congress is haggling over the specifics of another stimulus package. “Right now, the American economy is speeding toward a fiscal cliff," Jason Reed, a finance professor at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, told Reuters. "Not only do we need Americans to take serious action preventing the spread of the disease, but we also need Congress to agree on another stimulus package and quickly.”

Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain passed away after being hospitalized for weeks due to the coronavirus. “We knew when he was first hospitalized with COVID-19 that this was going to be a rough fight. He had trouble breathing and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. We all prayed that the initial meds they gave him would get his breathing back to normal, but it became clear pretty quickly that he was in for a battle,” a statement on Herman Cain’s website read. Cain was 74 and was considered to be in a high-risk group due to his history with cancer.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infection disease expert, said that another level of protection may be needed in addition to face masks. "If you have goggles or an eye shield, you should use it," Fauci told ABC News on Wednesday. This extra layer of protection would help to shield the mucosa in the eyes, a point on the body where the coronavirus can be transmitted. At this time, it is “not universally recommended” to wear goggles or an eye shield, but it would help to reduce the risk of infection even further. Fauci also added that protective gear like face masks will help to limit the spread of influenza during the upcoming flu season, but people should still get a flu shot when they become available. 

Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 30, 2020. (Al Drago/Pool via AP)

Hours after Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert announced that he tested positive for COVID-19, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi revealed a new policy that requires everyone in the House of Representatives to wear a mask. The only exception to this new rule is when a member is recognized to speak. Members on the floor of the house that do not wear a face mask will be in a “serious break of decorum” and may be removed from the chambers, Pelosi said, CNBC said. Masks will be available for members that show up to the House of Representatives without a mask.

The second wave of the coronavirus in Australia is becoming worse than the first wave of infections earlier this year. On Thursday, the country reported more than 700 new cases of COVID-19 and 14 deaths, the highest daily death toll in the country so far, Reuters said. A majority of the new cases were in Victoria state, the second-most populated state in Australia. “On some days the virus wins, on other days we beat it. But I think we’ve got to be careful not to slip into some idea that there’s some golden immunity that Australia has in relation to this virus,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. Residents of Victoria must now wear a mask when out in public and follow new social distancing restrictions. As of Thursday, Australia has reported over 16,300 cases of COVID-19 and 190 deaths.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded its list of potentially deadly hand sanitizers this week and the list included many companies that are using unsafe alcohols in their products. According to CNN, the FDA warned a company based in Mexico about using the ingredient methanol, a form of alcohol that can poison people. The FDA reported four deaths from earlier this month caused by people drinking hand sanitizer in New Mexico, as ingestion of methanol can prove fatal. Over 75 different hand sanitizer products were included in the FDA list for containing methanol and the administration is urging people to avoid using products from the manufacturers.

One death per minute. That was the grisly pace at which the United States saw COVID-19 fatalities climb on Wednesday, a day that saw the U.S. move past the threshold of 150,000 fatalities since the beginning of the outbreak, the highest in the world. Wednesday saw a total of 1,461 deaths, its most since late May according to Reuters, and represents the clear resurgence of the virus and its fatal impacts throughout the country. The weekly fatality total has risen for three consecutive weeks in the nation.

Here are the latest updated totals from around the world, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins University.

• Confirmed cases: 17,053,700

• Fatalities: 667,688

• Recoveries: 9,974,949

The global case total moved past the 17 million mark on Thursday morning, about eight months after the world was made. aware of a cluster of cases in Wuhan, China. Three different countries have seen at least 1.5 million cases as the United States leads the way with over 4.4 million infections.

On Wednesday, the U.S. recorded its fifth day of at least 70,000 new positive cases reported. All five such days have occurred in the past two weeks.

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