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With a rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations across the U.S., medical administrators are struggling to find nurses. As the pandemic continues to spread across the country, nurses are being trained to provide care in fields where they have limited experience, while experienced nurses are “burned out with this whole pandemic,” with some quitting their jobs, according to Kevin Fitzpatrick, an emergency room nurses at Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Michigan. “Replacing them is not easy,” he added. However, according to experts, the departures come as no surprise, given that many nurses trained in acute care are over 50 and are at a higher risk of complications if they contract the virus, while younger nurses often have children and a family to worry about. “Who can actually work and who feels safe working are limited by family obligations to protect their own health,” Karen Donelan, professor of U.S. health policy at Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management, said, according to The Associated Press.

Although Donelan said that there is little date on how the pandemic has affected nursing, she added that hospitals had a shortage even before COVID-19. Hospitals across the country are currently offering bonuses and higher salaries for nurses as competition steepens, with paychecks ranging from $1,500 a week to more than $5,000, said April Hansen, executive vice president at Aya Healthcare, a company that recruits and deploys travel nurses. She added that demand for nurses has more than doubled since the start of the pandemic.

Protesters gathered in Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro on Sunday to demonstrate against any mandatory immunization plans, according to The Associated Press. After President Jair Bolsonaro publicly rejected a campaign for mandatory COVID-19 immunization suggested by Sao Paolo State Gov. Joao Doria, some residents took to the streets to express their support for Bolsonaro’s decision. “Doria will fall!” Protestors chanted. The potential vaccine, which is being developed by Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac and the Brazilian Butantan Institute, has been criticized by Bolsonaro, who says that Brazilians should not be guinea pigs for drugmakers in China. A PoderData poll said that the percentage of Brazilians who say they want to take a coronavirus vaccine dropped from 85% to 63% in four months. However, experts argue that mass vaccination is the most effective way to slow the spread of the virus. Dr. Paulo A Lotufo, a University of Sao Paulo epidemiologist, said national immunization programs in Brazil have proven to be effective in the past. “The population will take the vaccine,” he predicted. “More than 90% of the population will vaccinate.” Watch the video below for more.

On Friday, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said it stopped enrolling patients with severe cases of COVID-19 in a trial testing its experimental antibody treatment due to potential safety concerns. The pharmaceutical company joins Eli Lilly & Co, who also stopped enrolling sick COVID-19 patients based on similar reasoning earlier this week. “It appears a trend is emerging in the class, and it may be that neutralizing antibodies simply do not work and/or are not safe in this (hospitalized) population,” JP Morgan analyst Cory Kasimov said, according to Reuters. As late-stage trials continue, Regeneron will continue to enroll other types of patients, including non-hospitalized as well as hospitalized patients who required no or low level of oxygen. The drugmaker said on Friday that its treatment lowers virus loads on some non-hospitalized patients and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is evaluating it for the potential use of authorization in mild-to-moderate patients. President Trump, who received the treatment, also said that he would push for an emergency use authorization status for it and make it free to Americans.

As the 2020 NFL season continues amid the pandemic, more players test positive for the coronavirus. On Monday, Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury confirmed that two players tested positive for the coronavirus. Although Kingsbury gave no names, linebacker Devon Kennard tweeted later on Monday that he tested positive for COVID-19. “I learned that like many others, I have tested positive for Covid 19. Thankfully, I feel completely normal so far,” he wrote in a tweet. ESPN reporter Adam Schefter also confirmed that Packer’s running back AJ Dillon will be out for Thursday’s game against the 49ers after he tested positive for the virus. Marlon Humphrey, a cornerback for the Ravens, also announced on Twitter that he tested positive for the virus, adding that he’ll “be back healthy soon.”

A new report from the CDC reveals that children under the age of 12 may be infecting others much more frequently than previously thought. According to the report, children ages 12 or younger infect other members of their household more than half the time, UPI reported. In addition, teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 infect others in the household almost 40% of the time. Transmission rates in children have been a topic of contention since the summer when school districts across the U.S. had to make the difficult decision to either return to in-person classes or continue with remote instruction. According to a study published by the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society in June, only two cases out of 34 in Chicago with multiple lab-confirmed infections of the coronavirus spread the virus between children, and only two more spread from children to adults. "These findings suggest that transmission of [COVID-19] within households is high, occurs quickly, and can originate from both children and adults," according to the CDCD report. "Prompt adoption of disease control measures, including self-isolating at home, appropriate self-quarantine of household contacts, and all household members wearing a mask in shared spaces, can reduce the probability of household transmission.”

A woman helps a child with adjusting a face mask in New York City. (John Angelillo/UPI)

(John Angelillo/UPI)

On Monday, Gov. Charlie Baker announced a new stay-at-home order, as well as a mask-wearing mandate and a restaurant curfew. The new measures, which will go into effect on Friday, were announced in response to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Massachusetts. “The data points to a clear need to do something about these trends now. What we should not do to deal with these trends is shut down the economy or close our schools,” Baker said, according to NBC Boston. The stay-at-home order will be imposed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., with residents being asked to stay home except to go to work, for a walk or grocery shopping. In addition, restaurants will be required to stop offering table service and liquor sales at 9:30 p.m. The face mask order, which was also updated, requires everyone over the age of 5 to wear a face covering in public. The governor also reduced the limit on indoor gatherings to 10 people and outdoor gatherings to 25 people. Those who violate the gathering order could face a $500 fine. “It’s time once again for us all to do our jobs. The game here is the same – it’s to bend the trend,” Baker said.

Friendly’s announced on Sunday night that it is filing for bankruptcy again and is preparing to sell the business. “We believe the voluntary bankruptcy filing and planned sale to a new, deeply experienced restaurant group will enable Friendly’s to rebound from the pandemic as a stronger business, with the leadership and resources needed to continue to invest in the business and serve loyal patrons, as well as compete to win new customers over the long-term,” FIC Restaurants, the company that operates Friendly’s, CEO George Michel said. According to the New York Daily News, the chain first opened during the Great Depression, and first filed for bankruptcy in 2011. Friendly’s now joins the growing list of restaurant chains filing for bankruptcy protection during the pandemic, including Chuck E. Cheese, Ruby Tuesday, California Pizza Kitchen and Le Pain Quotidien. “Unfortunately, like many restaurant businesses, our progress was suddenly interrupted by the catastrophic impact of COVID-19, which caused a decline in revenue as dine-in operations ceased for months and re-opened with limited capacity,” Michel said.

El Paso County, Texas, is dealing with a significant rise in COVID-19 deaths. The increase is so dramatic that the county is now setting up a fourth mobile morgue unit at the medical examiner's office, according to KFOX-TV. The medical examiner is the official charged with identifying a victim's cause of death, but because patients have been dying at such a fast rate, a backlog has formed and it's been hard for officials to keep up. At least 94 bodies have still need to be investigated, KFOX-TV said. “People that die are under investigation, to see if they died of COVID and to discern whether or not they had other diseases. That holds back the process,” Judge Ricardo Samaniego said, according to KFOX-TV. “I think you’re going to see tremendous more deaths coming up in the next two to three days.”

After a nearly eight-month lockdown as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, one of the world's most famous tourist destinations reopened to the general public on Sunday. Peru's Machu Picchu, a historic citadel, welcomed hundreds of guests back first the first time since March. Just under 700 visitors will be permitted to tour the site on a daily basis, which is about 30 percent of the normal number allowed pre-pandemic, AFP reported. Although the public was barred from entering the site during the pandemic, an exception was made for one tourist from Japan in October. Jesse Katayama, a tourist from Japan who became stranded in Peru amid the lockdown, was granted access to Machu Picchu after he submitted a special request to the country's government. Sunday's reopening of the landmark was marked by the performance of an Inca ritual and a speech from Rocio Barrios, Peru's foreign trade and tourism minister. "Today, Machu Picchu opens. It opens with (health and safety) protocols, it opens to say that we are reactivating ourselves but with responsibility and great prudence, because we see everything happening in the world" with the pandemic, Barrios said. According to the AccuWeather forecast, the weather at Machu Picchu for its first full week open to the public again will be largely pleasant. Watch the video below for more.

Many businesses across the U.S. have tried to find outdoor alternatives to keep their companies afloat, and drive-in movie theaters already had a leg up for their socially-distanced format. However, as warm weather winds down across the country, will drive-in theaters be able to stay open? “It’s cold,” Julia Wiggin, an employee at Northfield Drive-in in New Hampshire, told The Associated Press. “It’s definitely time we closed.” Northfield Drive-in went over its normal season by two months as have many other drive-ins across the country, as it became the venue for many community events such as graduations, plays, and more. While some southern states are able to keep their drive-ins operational year-round, most of the drive-ins in the U.S. are seasonal, and it is uncertain how much longer they can stay in business when it gets colder. “How far into December we can go will depend on Mother Nature and turnout,” Jude DeLeonardis, owner of the 700-car Delsea Drive-in located in New Jersey, said. “We would keep it going all year if we knew it wasn’t going to get stupid cold and snowing.”

Bars, cafes and restaurants closed in Germany on Monday as did theaters, operas and cinemas, AFP reported. The closures were part of a new round of shutdowns that Chancellor Angela Merkel hopes will lead to a "turnaround" in the surge of infections, AFP reported. However, Germans aren't being forced to stay at their homes as part of the new lockdowns. With the holidays approaching, Merkel said she hoped that families would be able to celebrate Christmas together, but ruled out having "lavish New Year's Eve parties," AFP said. Elsewhere in Europe, Antonio Costa, the prime minister of Portugal, said the country's government will declare a health emergency to help fight the contagion, while Austria also announced a full lockdown would begin this week.

According to multiple reports from British media, Prince William contracted COVID-19 back in April and kept his battle with the illness under wraps, even has he struggled to recover, Reuters reported. The Duke of Cambridge is 38 years old and second behind his father, Charles, the Prince of Wales, in succession to the throne. “William was hit pretty hard by the virus," an anonymous source reportedly told The Sun. "At one stage he was struggling to breathe, so obviously everyone around him was pretty panicked.” According to reports, William kept his battle with COVID-19 secret because U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was also suffering from a severe case of COVID-19 at the time, and so was William’s 71-year-old father. “There were important things going on and I didn’t want to worry anyone,” he reportedly said of his decision to not disclose his infection. Neither Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, or the couple’s three children -- George, Charlotte and Louis – contracted the illness. Watch the video below for more.

With a nationwide lockdown underway, officials in France are taking extra steps to try to lessen the spread of COVID-19 in the hard-hit country. French Prime Minister Jean Castex said Sunday that the nation will establish a ban on the sale of all "non-essential" items in supermarkets starting on Tuesday, according to France 24. Castex said in an interview with France TV station TF1 that the decision to impose the restrictions was "heartbreaking" and added that the government will continue to support businesses impacted by the decision. "I say to these shopkeepers and to others – to all our citizens – it’s better to respect these health and safety rules now so that we can get out of this [lockdown] sooner,” he said, according to France 24. A total of 46,290 new cases were reported in France on Sunday, bringing the country's total cases to more than 1.4 million, France 24 reported. The government's decision to shutdown the sale of non-essential items is to essentially keep a level playing field for smaller retailers that have been forced to close entirely due to the recent lockdown, The Local reported. Watch the video below for more.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization, is entering quarantine after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. "I am well and without symptoms but will self-quarantine over the coming days, in line with @WHOprotocols, and work from home," Tedros said on Twitter. "It is critically important that we all comply with health guidance. This is how we will break chains of #COVID19 transmission, suppress the virus, and protect health systems." Tedros, 55, is the former Ethiopian minister of health and foreign affairs, according to AFP. He has spent months advocating that each person has an individual responsibility to slow the spread of the virus which has infected more than 46 million worldwide and killed more than 1.2 million.

FILE PHOTO: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) attends a session on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak response of the WHO Executive Board in Geneva, Switzerland, October 5, 2020. Christopher Black/WHO/Handout via REUTERS

(Christopher Black/WHO/Handout via REUTERS)

The U.S. recorded more than 81,000 new coronavirus cases on Saturday and Sunday, after tallying more than 99,000 on Friday. The nearly 300,000 new cases over the previous three days sent the U.S. to more than 9.2 cumulative cases on Monday. The death toll in the U.S. stood at just above 231,000 as of Monday morning and more than 3.6 million Americans have recovered from the coronavirus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Watch the video below from Johns Hopkins University to see where new cases are accelerating the fastest in the U.S. Globally, the U.K. became the ninth nation on Earth to reach 1 million total cases and Mexico, with more than 929,000 cases, is next in line to hit that grim milestone. Here’s a look at coronavirus numbers worldwide.

• Confirmed cases: 46,632,558

• Fatalities: 1,201,927

• Recoveries, 31,148,323

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

• Confirmed cases: 46,419,939

• Fatalities: 1,199,500

• Recoveries: 31,009,559

Nine countries now have reported over one million cases of the virus, with the U.S. remaining in the lead with nearly 9.2 million cases.

Schools in the U.K. remaining open during the upcoming lockdown could cause cases to remain higher for longer, some medical experts say. Former chief scientific adviser Mark Walport said that the restrictions for the November lockdown are much looser than the first lockdown, and because of that he said restrictions may have to stay in place even longer, Sky News reported. According to the National Education Union, more than 70,000 teachers and school staff want the lockdown provisions to be expanded to school closures. "It would be self-defeating for the government to impose a national lockdown, whilst ignoring the role of schools as a major contributor to the spread of the virus," the National Education Union's general secretary Kevin Courtney said. "This would be likely to lead to the need for even longer lockdowns in the future."

Australia reported its first day without any new coronavirus cases in nearly five months on Saturday. As a result, some health officials now say that restrictions may be eased within the next few days, The BBC reported. "Thank you to all of our amazing health and public health workers & above all else the Australian people," Health Minister Greg Hunt said. Earlier this week, the state of Victoria and the city of Melbourne have already began reopening after reporting no local transmission cases since June. 

Coronavirus cases in the U.S. saw a sharp uptick in October in comparison to the month prior. Throughout the month of October, the U.S. reported a staggering 1.87 million new cases of COVID-19, increasing 57.6% from September’s 1.19 million cases. The only states to report lower numbers in October than September were Hawaii, Georgia, Louisiana and South Carolina, according to USA Today. Wisconsin had the most dramatic uptick, with 103,095 new cases in October, compared to 46,671 in September. Despite the rise in cases, deaths in the U.S. have remained consistently around 23,000 each month.

Two individuals became the first participants in human trials for Israel’s coronavirus vaccine candidate on Sunday. The vaccine, called Brilife, was developed by the Israel Institute for Biological Research. The human trials are currently in phase 1, according to The Jerusalem Post. “The true exit from the coronavirus crisis is in the development of vaccines,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “Therefore, this is a very important day, a day that gives a shot of encouragement... We wish success during these and the latter stages. With God’s help, we will have a vaccine made here in Israel. This is a very big thing.” He also said he has been using connections he has with other world leaders to ensure the country would be able to receive their vaccines upon approval as soon as possible. “With the independent production that has been developed here or through the importing of vaccines from abroad, we will bring enough vaccines for all citizens of Israel,” he said.

People in England are being ordered to avoid all non-essential travel in the U.K. and abroad as part of a new month-long lockdown. This means foreign holidays and overnight stays anywhere in the UK are banned from Nov. 5 to Dec. 2. The government's decision to impose a second coronavirus lockdown in England will force thousands to cancel their holiday travel plans. The government has also said people must not travel to second homes either in the UK or abroad. "Sadly... our message is people should stay at home," Cabinet Minister Michael Gove told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show. However, people traveling for work or education are exempt from the orders.

San Francisco has put a halt on the city's reopening plans amid a rise in coronavirus cases. The city was set to resume reopening on Nov. 3, but on Friday Mayor London Breed announced San Francisco would pause reopening plans. "We are starting to see a slight uptick in the number of hospitalizations, which puts us in a situation where things could possibly get worse than what they are," Breed said. "As a result of some changes that we've seen in the numbers, what we will have to do as a result is put a pause on some of our reopening efforts that we have planned for next week."

New York City police charged nine party organizers after they broke up an illegal Halloween party of nearly 400 people were inside a warehouse in Brooklyn early Saturday morning. Deputies were alerted to a potential mass gathering and watched more than 150 people wearing Halloween costumes enter the warehouse around 1 a.m. at a building on Meadow Street in East Williamsburg, according to officials. On Saturday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned against Halloween gatherings that increase the risk of transmitting COVID-19, tweeting "Halloween should be spooky, not scary."

On Friday, the United States set a new record for COVID-19 cases confirmed in a single 24-hour period with just over 100,000 new cases. This new record surpassed the previous record total of 91,000 posted a day earlier, according to a Reuters tally. The U.S. passed 9 million cumulative cases on Friday, representing nearly 3% of the population, according to a Reuters tally of publicly reported data.

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

• Confirmed cases: 45,916,151

• Fatalities: 1,193,070

• Recoveries: 29,837,092

The United States remains as the country with the most confirmed cases of the virus, with now over 9.1 million cases. India holds the highest recovery count with more than 7.4 million.

CORRECTION: This post previously said India had the world's highest fatality count. According to Johns Hopkins University, India has the highest number of recoveries from the virus.

In just a few days, the U.K. will enter its second lockdown since the pandemic began, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Saturday. The announcement from Johnson came the same day the U.K. surpassed one million confirmed cases of the coronavirus, CNN reported. The upcoming lockdown will involve the closure of pubs, restaurants and non-essential businesses, such as hair salons and gyms. Schools, universities and playgrounds will remain open. The lockdown will go into effect on Thursday and remain in place until Dec. 2. "We must act now to contain the autumn surge,” Johnson said. 

A new coronavirus breathalyzer test developed by a Singapore startup firm will enable people to know if they are infected in under a minute. According to Breathonix, the startup firm from the National University of Singapore, the test proved to be highly effective, as it achieved more than 90% accuracy in a clinical trial of 180 people. The company is currently expanding its trial in Singapore to further improve accuracy and to get approval for commercial sale early next year. The test will cost $20, which is 70% cheaper than a PCR nasal swab test, according to Breathonix. However, the company said that the breathalyzer test should be followed by PCR tests to confirm the diagnosis. “The breath test is more like a first level screen device,” Jia Zhunan, co-founder and CEO of Breathonix, told Reuters. He added that the device could be deployed at concerts, sports games or other social venues, as it uses disposable mouthpieces, so there is no cross-contamination.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced New York is ending a requirement for travelers from places with a high amount of coronavirus cases to quarantine for two weeks upon arriving in the state and will now require people coming to the state to test negative. Cuomo will require travelers to get tested for coronavirus before traveling, and again within three days of entering the state, a spokesperson for Cuomo confirmed to CNBC on Saturday. "There will be no quarantine list, there will be no metrics," Cuomo said. "If you are coming into New York within three days you must have tested negative. Once you arrive in New York, you must quarantine for three days and can take a test on the fourth day." Travelers must also have proof that they tested negative upon arrival, and must quarantine for three days.

New Jersey is now the first state in the U.S. to mandate coronavirus safety protocols in an effort to protect workers. The executive order will go into effect on Nov. 5 at 6 a.m. and will require public and private sector employers to conduct daily health checks on employees and notify them when they were potentially exposed to the virus. Employers must also provide workers with breaks throughout the day to allow them to wash their hands. “We can’t wait any longer,” New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy told Yahoo Finance. “We’re doing it now, frankly, because the federal government should be doing it, and they haven’t done it.”

A judge in El Paso County, Texas, issued a shelter-in-place order and a two-week shutdown of nonessential services amid growing hospitalizations in the area. The order went into effect just before midnight Friday local time and calls for hair salons, gyms and restaurant dine-in services to close, NPR reported. The order is set to expire at 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 11. However, shortly after the judge's announcement, the State's General Attorney Ken Paxton quickly denounced the order and said the judge had no authority to enact such a measure. Now the attorney general has joined several restaurant owners in suing to block the order.

El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said in a statement that the county "has never seen this level of high infection rates of COVID-19 cases throughout our community." The judge continued by saying “our hospitals are at capacity, our medical professionals are overwhelmed, and if we don't respond, we will see unprecedented levels of death. Essential sites, including child care facilities, polling sites and grocery stores, are allowed to remain open.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during a hearing in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

On Friday, the U.S. surpassed 9 million confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 91,000 new cases reported on Thursday alone, which set a new daily record. There have been at least 9,048,430 cases of coronavirus in the U.S. since the coronavirus pandemic started, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally of cases in the United States. The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.

A new survey conducted by Upwork shows big cities should prepare for many families to move out due to the spike in remote work caused by the coronavirus. Workers are increasingly preferring working remotely as opposed to an office due to less crowds and the ability to live in less expensive areas. The results of the survey showed 14 million to 23 million people plan to move due to remote work. The pandemic has made commuting via mass transit dangerous and working in crowded offices unsafe. Some 20,000 people participated in the surveys which showed 6.9% to 11.5% of households plan to move due to remote work opportunities. Of those planning to move, 20.6% are living in a major city and 41.5% are moving more than four hours away. Many tech companies such as Facebook, Twitter, and Square, have given employees the ability to work from home permanently.

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

• Confirmed cases: 45,671,699

• Fatalities: 1,190,098

• Recoveries: 29,724,700

While the coronavirus pandemic continues to run rampant across the globe, Taiwan marked its 200th day in a row without a single case of local coronavirus transmission.The last reported local transmission in the country of 23 million people was on April 12 — Easter Sunday. As of Thursday, the country had only 553 confirmed cases of the virus, with only 55 of those cases being from local transmission. Seven deaths have been reported so far, CNN reported. Since Taiwan is an island nation, officials in the country were able to strictly control the borders. Taiwan also had previous experience with getting hit hard by a respiratory outbreak with SARS in 2003, and Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said the experience allowed the country to build up their pandemic response for future disease outbreaks. "When we heard that there were some secret pneumonia cases in China where patients were treated in isolation, we knew it was something similar," he said.

Belgium is now instating a partial lockdown as officials try to gain control of the rapidly rising case count across the country. The new lockdown is restricting shopping and travel, and has made remote work mandatory. The nation has received criticism from medical professionals for their hands-off response to the pandemic throughout the summer when cases began to decline. According to The Associated Press, The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control has Belgium ranked as the worst-affected country in the EU with 1,600 cases per 100,000 people. “We are going towards a reinforced confinement with only one goal: avoiding that health care services collapse,” said Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, as he announced the measures. “It is now in our hands, it is in your hands. These really are the last-chance measures and it is up to all of us to make sure that these measures produce a result.” 

The Denver Broncos canceled practice on Friday after lineman Graham Glasgow tested positive for COVID-19, NFL.com reported. “We were informed early this morning that a Broncos player has tested positive for COVID-19. The player is at home in self-isolation along with two other players who were determined to be close contacts,” the team said in a statement. The Minnesota Vikings also reported that linebacker Todd Davis tested positive, joining teammate Cameron Dantzler on the reserve/COVID-19 list, a delineation that was created specifically for this season for players who contract the coronavirus. Both the Broncos and Vikings are slated to play this weekend with divisional rivals and are still scheduled to play planned.

Officials in Seoul, South Korea, are stepping up to ensure Halloween festivities do not get out of hand amid the coronavirus pandemic. Officials warned that the holiday this year “could really turn scary” if coronavirus cases make a resurgence. To make sure party-goers are following coronavirus guidelines, Park Yoo-mi, a general director of the city government, said officials will be patrolling nightclubs throughout Seoul. One poster in the city reads “don’t end up a real ghost while enjoying Halloween.” Eighty-five night clubs in the city have already made the decision to voluntarily close their doors on Halloween night, and Park is urging other businesses to follow in their footsteps. “The city plans to reap immediate results from prevention measures by ordering a two-week ban on gatherings for the facilities that violate the guidelines,” Park said, according to Reuters.

The Canary Islands in Spain passed a new law requiring tourists staying in hotels on the islands to present a negative coronavirus test first. The islands are a popular tourist spot for Northern European travelers, especially in the upcoming winter months, when Reuters reports half of the tourism revenue for the islands are generated. Negative test results are required for everyone aged 12 and over, and they must be presented within 72 hours of arrival. “It is the feasible solution, for the time being... for the protection of the islands, our tourists and our residents,” regional tourism chief Yaiza Castilla said.

As the virus rages with no end in sight, New York City's hospitals are using lessons learned during the pandemic's early days to prepare for the coming winter months, The Associated Press reports. Back in March and April, hospitals were overwhelmed as New York City became ground zero for the pandemic in the U.S. Resources were lacking, testing was still in the early stages and emergency rooms were overflowing, the AP said. Health care officials with the city's hospital system have used those dark memories as a way to fortify themselves against the virus' resurgence. Greater supplies of personal protective equipment and more effective drugs used to treat the virus are several key differences from earlier this year.

“We didn’t even have testing in February when there was so much transmission,” Dr. Mitchell Katz, head of the city’s public hospital system, told The AP. “I can’t see how we’d ever have the same situation that we had in March and April, but we are preparing for that possibility anyway.” NewYork-Presbyterian hospital has increased the number of beds in intensive care unit from 450 to 600."I’m very confident that with any resurgence, we could deal with it,” Dr. Steven Corwin, chief executive officer of NewYork-Presbyterian told the AP.

Medical personnel wash their hands while tending to patients in Bellevue Hospital in New York, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020. The rooms in this area have been outfitted to care for COVID-19 patients if there is a surge that overwhelms their usual critical care facilities. Hospitals in the city's public NYC Health and Hospitals' system have been upgrading their equipment, bracing for a potential resurgence of coronavirus patients, drawing on lessons learned in the spring when the outbreak brought the nation's largest city to its knees. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Japan confirmed 808 new coronavirus cases on Thursday which brought the country over 100,000 since the pandemic began in January. Roughly one-third of new cases came from Tokyo with 221 new cases being reported there. The country has seen more than 1,700 deaths from the virus. Experts have praised Japan for avoiding an explosive infection as seen in Europe and the U.S. without enforcing lockdowns, according to The Associated Press. Residents of the country are credited with following face mask orders and disinfecting surfaces as well as other common preventive measures. The country was under a state of emergency in April and May, and saw a less serious second wave in August. Since then, northern prefectures have seen a slight uptrend in new coronavirus cases which has caused concerns of a possible surge in the winter. Experts continue to caution traveling in Tokyo where daily cases remain high.

The U.S. is in the grips of an "unrelenting" surge of COVID-19 cases, The White House coronavirus task force warned. A new daily record of cases was reported in the country of more than 91,000, causing the task force to urge new countermeasures to try and halt the spread. The West and Midwest remain the hardest hit regions and cases are on the rise in 47 states, according to Reuters. The task force has warned that states seeing significant surges will need to implement aggressive measures to curb the virus. “If things do not change, if they continue on the course we’re on, there’s gonna be a whole lot of pain in this country with regard to additional cases and hospitalizations, and deaths,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said told CNBC on Wednesday night.

Dr. Ashish Jha, Brown University's dean of public health, told Reuters “We are having some of the largest breakouts that we’ve had during the entire pandemic. Things are very, very bad in the United States right now." At least a dozen states recorded a record daily number of COVID-19 cases on Thursday.

As the virus surges across Europe, prompting new restrictions and lockdowns, the World Health Organization's director for Europe said Thursday that over 1.5 million cases were confirmed last week, a new weekly record for the continent. The number of cases since the pandemic began has also topped 10 million in Europe. “Hospitalizations have risen to levels unseen since the spring," WHO European regional director Dr. Hans Kluge said, according to The Associated Press. "Deaths have risen by more than 30% in the last week. “Europe is at the epicenter of this pandemic once again,” Kluge said. “At the risk of sounding alarmist, I must express our very real concern."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) takes off her mask after a press conference at the Chancellery in Berlin, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020. (Fabrizio Bensch/pool photo via AP)

Traffic jams reached record levels in Paris just hours before a national lockdown went into effect across France. The traffic jams spanned 430 cumulative miles in the Ile-de-France region on early Thursday evening, according to BBC. The lockdown went into effect on Friday at midnight and people have been ordered to stay at home unless for medical reasons or essential work. This is due to a recent surge in coronavirus cases that have impacted the country for weeks now. The daily number of COVID-19 related deaths in France is at its highest level since April. Heavy traffic was reported in cities such as Lyon and Bordeaux. Many Parisians left the city to spend lockdown in the countryside.

With Thanksgiving gatherings likely to be scaled back this year across the U.S. amid the coronavirus pandemic, turkey farmers find themselves in limbo, The Associated Press reports. With smaller gatherings expected, fewer turkeys may be consumed. In addition, grocery chains, as well as turkey farmers, are working to predict what Americans will be choosing for their primary dish this turkey day. In some cases, the turkey dinner could be replaced by alternatives such as ham, pork roast, or plant-based meats, according to research from the grocery chain Kroger, the AP said. Dede Boise, a turkey farmer at Root Down Farm in Pescadero, California, located about 60 miles west of San Jose, told the AP that the Thanksgiving holiday has been on her mind since the spring when her newest group of turkeys were born. “We’ve invested so much time and energy and love into these birds, and the whole point is that they go and they are celebrated with people for these great meals. We’re just really hoping that still happens,” Boies said.

Clemson starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence has tested positive for COVID-19, he announced in a statement Thursday. The star quarterback, considered by many to be the presumptive No. 1 overall draft pick for the upcoming NFL Draft,will not play in the school's game against Boston College this Saturday. Lawrence released a statement on Twitter where he said his symptoms have been "relatively mild" and he was following protocols put in place by Clemson and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Under the conference's rules, a player that tests positive for COVID-19 must isolate for at least 10 days after the test before they can return to practice, according to ESPN. "While we certainly will miss Trevor, this is an opportunity for other guys to step up and we're excited about competing against a very good BC team on Saturday," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said in a statement. Go Tigers."

For the second time this week, the United States has broken its own record for most new COVID-19 infections recorded in a single day. With 88,000 new cases confirmed on Thursday, the nation has now seen five different days with over 70,000 new cases in the past two weeks. The continuing spike in cases inches the U.S. closer to the 9 million case mark, as the country currently sits at 8,947,862.

Elsewhere around the world, here are the latest updated global totals from Johns Hopkins University:

• Confirmed cases: 45,126,200

• Fatalities: 1,182,368

• Recoveries: 30,346,618

As part of a four-week pilot program, United Airlines will offer free rapid COVID-19 tests to all passengers on select flights from Newark to London, Reuters reported. The program, which will run from Nov. 16 through Dec. 11, consists of three flights a week from Newark Liberty International Airport to London’s Heathrow Airport. The airline made the announcement on Thursday, adding that it would provide Abbott Laboratories’ rapid molecular ID Now Tests, which take about 15 to 20 minutes, to all passengers above the age of 2. United hopes that the new method will encourage air travel, as COVID-19 testing could lead to a replacement or reduction of 14-day quarantines. Due to the pandemic, air travel has seen a 66% decline in overall traffic in 2020, airline trade group International Air Transport Association reported. However, the new program could be a profitable solution for air travel. According to Josh Ernest, United’s chief communication officer, the airline has already seen an increase in traffic since it first introduced testing on its San Francisco to Hawaii flights around two weeks ago.

An outbreak of coronavirus cases in Long Island, New York, following a birthday party and a country club wedding has led to at least 56 infections and nearly 300 others in quarantine. The wedding, which was held at North Fork Country Club, was in violation of the state’s coronavirus restrictions by hosting 91 total people on Oct. 17. Two weeks later, 30 wedding guests had tested positive, one-third of the total number in attendance, and an additional 159 people were potentially exposed to the virus. On that same day, a birthday party in Long Island hosting 50 people resulted in 26 additional cases and 132 more individuals being asked to quarantine due to exposure. “This type of blatant disregard for the well-being of others is not only extremely disappointing, it will not be tolerated,” Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said, The Washington Post reported. “If you violate the rules, you’ll be caught and held responsible.” The country club that held the wedding is now facing a suggested fine from officials of $17,000.

With the holiday season right around the corner, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is asking state residents to politely decline invitations to gatherings this year. “My personal advice is the best way to say, ‘I love you,’ this Thanksgiving, the best way to say, ‘I’m thankful for you,’ is to say, ‘I love you so much, I’m so thankful for you, that I don’t want to endanger you, and I don’t want to endanger our family, and I don’t want to endanger our friends. So we’ll celebrate virtually,’” Cuomo said.

As Moderna continues to prepare for the release of its potential coronavirus vaccine, the company took in $1.1 billion in deposits from global governments, according to the third-quarter earnings reports the biotech firm released on Thursday. The company added that it has inkedsupply agreements in North America, the Middle East and other regions of the world.“We are actively preparing for the launch of mRNA-1273 and we have signed a number of supply agreements with governments around the world,” Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a press release, according to CNBC. “Moderna is committed to the highest data quality standards and rigorous scientific research as we continue to work with regulators to advance mRNA-1273.” Last week, Moderna announced that it had completed enrollment for its 30,000-participant late-stage trial, 37% of which come from diverse community, while 42% were at high risk of severe disease.

A new strain of the coronavirus that was first observed in Spain in June has now spread across Europe. The new variation of the virus, called 20A.EU1 by researchers, now accounts for most of the new cases across the continent. Since July, the strain has been recorded with increasing frequency, CNBC reported. Switzerland, Ireland and the U.K. have seen high numbers of the strain in September. While the new variation has spread rapidly across the continent, researchers are not convinced it spreads any faster than the original coronavirus. “It is currently unclear whether this variant is spreading because of a transmission advantage of the virus or whether high incidence in Spain followed by dissemination through tourists is sufficient to explain the rapid rise in multiple countries,” according to the study.

While the U.S. buckles up and braces for an influx of new coronavirus cases as the weather across the country begins to cool down, New Jersey is already reporting what officials believe to be the beginning of a second wave for the state. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said on Thursday that new cases and hospitalizations relating to COVID-19 have surged in the past few weeks. “(The figures) continue to show that the second wave of the coronavirus is no longer something off in the future,” Murphy said, NJ.com reported. “It is coming and it is coming in now.” On Thursday, Murphy announced 1,477 new cases in the state, which marked the 12th day in a row New Jersey has reported over 1,000 new cases. “After eight months, I understand, we understand, that we are all suffering from pandemic fatigue,” he said. “But this virus has been waiting for us to get lax in our personal responsibilities so it can come roaring back.”

The U.S. economy grew a record 33.1% annual rate in the quarter from July-September, but the economy is still a ways to go before fully rebounding from its decline in the first half of the year from the coronavirus. As government aid dries up and cases start to soar again, the recovery of the US economy is slowing, according to The Associated Press. The Commerce Department estimated the third-quarter growth showed the country has only regained about two-thirds of the output that was lost early in the year. The department also showed the economy was weakling again and facing renewed threats despite the 33% gain. Chief US economist at Oxford Economics, Gregory Daco, said the record-high third-quarter growth “tells us little, if anything, about momentum heading into” the current quarter. The unemployment rate, while down to 7.9% compared to the 14.7% seen earlier this year, is still at historically high levels. The economy is still more than 10 million jobs short of recovering all 22 million lost due to the pandemic.

The Boston Athletic Association announced that the 125th Boston Marathon that was scheduled to take place in April 2021 will not take place that month. The BAA will be postponing the marathon to fall of 2021 and will begin working with local, city, and state officials to determine if a fall 2021 dates will remain feasible. Tom Grilk, CEO of BAA, said in a statement, “With fewer than six months until Patriots’ Day and with road races prohibited until Phase 4 of the Massachusetts reopening plan, we are unable to host the Boston Marathon this coming April." No specific date for 2021 has been chosen but the BAA said it will continue to work with local, city, and state officials to determine when the next live, in-person Boston Marathon can occur. A new date is expected to be announced before the end of the year, according to the BAA. The 2020 Boston Marathon was held as a 10-day virtual experience after also being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Germany set a new record for daily coronavirus infections on Thursday, prompting Chancellor Angela Merkel to warn Germans about the “difficult winter” that lies ahead. While France prepares for a second lockdown and Spain is urged to tighten restrictions, Germany also faces a “dramatic situation at the beginning of the cold season,” as 16,774 new positive cases were reported on Thursday, pushing the country’s total close to the half million-mark. “The winter will be difficult, four long, difficult months. But it will end,” Merkel told Parliament, according to The Associated Press. “We have already seen over the past eight months how we can learn and help each other,” she added. Starting on Monday, Germany will impose stricter restrictions, including the shutdown of restaurants, bars, sports, beauty salons and cultural venues for four weeks. Social gatherings will also be limited to a maximum of 10 people and non-essential travel will be discouraged. However, like in France, schools, kindergartens and places of workshop will remain open.

The Marshall Islands recorded two positive cases of the coronavirus, according to government officials. The remote Pacific archipelago was one of the last places in the world to have been untouched by the virus. The two positive cases were reported on Wednesday after two workers at a U.S. base tested positive after arriving from Hawaii on Tuesday, BBC News reported. Authorities said that the two were “strictly border cases” and the 35-year-old woman and 46-year-old man are currently in quarantine while they recover. Although the local government told the nation’s 55,000 residents to “remain vigilant” officials added that there is no threat of community transmission and “businesses and government operations will continue as normal until further notice.”

On Wednesday, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said its coronavirus antibody cocktail has proven effective at reducing medical visits. The claim comes as Regeneron is currently performing a trial on nearly 800 patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. According to the New York-based drug company, patients given the treatment, REGN-COV2, made around 57% fewer COVID-19-related medical visits than those who were given a placebo over the course of 29 days. For patients with one or more risk factors, including obesity and cardiovascular disease, the treatment reduced medical visits by 72%. Last month, the company released data that showed that the treatment is also effective at reducing the viral load and improving symptoms in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients, Reuters reported. President Donald Trump, who received the treatment, credited the Regeneron therapy for his speedy recovery from COVID-19 and has said the U.S. government would provide it for no cost to Americans. Watch below for more on the story.

On Thursday, India’s coronavirus case total since the beginning of the crisis shot past 8 million – only the second country behind the U.S. to reach that plateau. More than 120,000 fatalities have been recorded in India throughout the pandemic thus far. Brazil is third worldwide with more than 5 million confirmed cases. Here’s a look at some global coronavirus numbers as of Thursday morning, according to tallies kept by Johns Hopkins University, and for more on India's unwelcome milestone, watch the video below.

Confirmed cases: 44,583,829

Fatalities: 1,175,684

Recoveries: 30,103,631

The coronavirus pandemic has hit Uzbekistan’s economy hard. Many small businesses across the country have been affected, as strict lockdowns led to reduced profits and layoffs. However, this year's melon harvest has seen an increase in revenue, even as the pandemic continues. “Every year in Uzbekistan, on 35,000 hectares of land, an average of 750,000 tons of melon is grown,” Shokhrukh Tolibov, official from the Uzbek Ministry of Agriculture, told AFP. “Over the past 10 years, the volume of cultivation of melons and gourds has been increasing, which makes it possible to replenish not only the domestic market, but also to export products abroad.” Over the past three years, “melon exports have grown fivefold” and as winter approaches the fruit's value is expected to grow 15-fold on the domestic market and even more abroad, according to Tolibov.

Pope Francis maintained social distance on Wednesday, as he talked to an audience during an indoor service at the Vatican. “I will stay up here. I would very much like to come down and greet each of you, but we have to keep our distances,” he said to the crowd, which was made up of people who were nearly all wearing masks, according to Reuters. The pope, however, was not wearing a mask. Most aides and translators who were on the stage with the pope were also mask-less. Over the past, the pope has received criticism for not wearing masks, especially since 13 Swiss Guards and a resident of the guest house where he lives tested positive for the virus. Father Augusto Zampini, a member of a Vatican commission the pope set up to advise him on the social effects of the crisis, spoke on the pope's inconsistency, saying that “we are trying to convince him, we are almost there.”

On Monday, Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Brett Giroir said that Americans “can control the pandemic,” The Associated Press reported. The claim is a response to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who, just a day prior, said that “we’re not going to control the pandemic.” Giroir added that “what American people have done – has been able to put out very significant outbreaks … all across the Deep South.” He emphasized the importance of the “3 W’s” as a method to control the spread of the virus. The "3 W's" consist of: Watching your distance from other people, wearing masks when you can’t keep away and frequently washing your hands. Giroir appeared on NBC's Today show to explain what's driving the rise in cases across the country and the increase in fatalities.Watch below.

The NFL is preparing for 20% seating capacity at Super Bowl LV, which is expected to take place in Tampa, Florida on Feb. 7, ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced on Twitter. Fans will be in pods six feet apart and will be required to wear masks at all times, he said in the statement. Schefter added that the date for the Super Bowl will remain unchanged, even if a Week 18 is added to the regular season. The NFL reportedly plans on creating a Week 18, due to virus outbreaks among teams.

As France continues to battle a second wave of the coronavirus, President Emmanuel Macron announced a new nationwide lockdown starting Friday. “We have been overwhelmed by the rapid acceleration of COVID-19,” Macron said on Wednesday, adding that “all French regions are now in high alert.” The lockdown will be enforced until Dec. 1, with all cafes, restaurants and shops being asked to shut down, while schools and some workplaces will remain open. “Like last spring, you will be able to leave your home only for work, for a doctor’s visit, to help a relative, do essential shopping or go out shortly for air,” Macron said, according to France 24. He added that measures would be eased once the number of new daily infections drops below 5,000, down from the current average of 40,000. France has reported a total of 1,244,242 cases and 35,582 deaths, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. Watch some of Macron's remarks announcing the lockdown below.

Major League Baseball is investigating the actions of Justin Turner, the star Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman who was removed from the decisive Game 6 of the World Series on Tuesday night in the eighth inning because of a positive COVID-19 test result, according to Bleacher Report. Turner later returned to the field to celebrate the franchise’s first World Series title since 1988 with his teammates. On Wednesday, the league condemned his actions. In a statement posted on Twitter by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the league said, “It is clear that Turner chose to disregard the agreed-upon joint protocols,” and added that when MLB security confronted Turner, “he emphatically refused to comply.” MLB and Dodgers officials learned of the positive test result in the middle of the game, and Turner was promptly taken out of the lineup.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced stricter regulations, including a $50 fine for anyone who is not wearing a mask at its facilities, according to ABC7. Starting on Monday, face masks will be required to be worn at all times at airports, PATH trains, AirTrains, and bus terminals.

Although America’s top infectious disease expert predicts that the world will likely have a vaccine “in the next few months,” he said that people will not be able to go back to their normal lives for a while. “I think it will be easily by the end of 2021 and perhaps into the next year before we start having some semblance of normality,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Wednesday in a discussion with Shitij Kapur of the University of Melbourne. “If normal means you can get people in a theatre without worrying about what we call congregate-setting super infectious, if we can get restaurants to open almost at full capacity.” Fauci cited vaccine hesitancy as a problem that might cause the pandemic to continue through 2021 in the U.S. “Right now, there is a reluctance to take vaccines,” he said, according to The Age. Watch the full discussion with Fauci below, which begins at approximately the three-minute mark.

Halloween is shaping up to be much different this year, with many communities altering trick-or-treating plans or foregoing the Halloween night staple altogether. For those that are still planning to celebrate the holiday, the American Red Cross has put together a list of helpful tips on how to stay safe while going out on the annual quest for candy.

In terms of the weather, Saturday is shaping up to be quite benign across the majority of the United States. The AccuWeather forecast is calling for some rain and snow across the Upper Midwest in Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Some showers are also forecast to develop from southern Florida and into eastern Georgia. Keep an eye on AccuWeather.com and the AccuWeather mobile app for the latest forecasts and up-to-the-minute conditions in your area.

The Saturday matchup between football teams from the University of Wisconsin and the University of Nebraska has been canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak that has rocked the Wisconsin team, ESPN reported. At least 12 people associated with the Wisconsin football team have tested positive for COVID-19, including head coach Paul Chryst. In a statement released by the university, Chryst said, "This morning I received the news that I had tested positive via a PCR test I took yesterday. I informed my staff and the team this morning and am currently isolating at home. I had not been experiencing any symptoms and feel good as of this morning.” Just a day earlier, Chryst had reportedly said he was “confident” the game against Nebraska would be played as scheduled. Now, not only has the game been called off for Saturday, it won’t be rescheduled, according to ESPN. Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz is one of the other notable members of the team who tested positive this week. According to Johns Hopkins University, the state of Wisconsin reported 5,262 new cases on Tuesday – second-most in the country for that 24-hour period.

Canada on Tuesday crossed the 10,000 fatalities milestone, prompting solemn words from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau along with a stark warning about what lies ahead. “What we are living through is a horrific national tragedy,” Trudeau said, according to Reuters. “Families have lost loved ones, been devastated by these tragedies, and we need to know that there are more tragedies to come.” Due to the sharp increase in the number of cases, new restrictions have been implemented in parts of the country concerning public gatherings and activities that take place indoors. Trudeau said he had difficulty explaining to his 6-year-old son why he wouldn’t be allowed to go trick-or-treating this year. And he prepared Canadians for things to get worse before it gets better. “It’s going to be a tough winter,” he said, but “spring and summer will come and they will be better.” Watch some of Trudeau’s remarks below.

According to the data crunchers at Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. reported another 73,240 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday – the largest increase of any nation in the world yesterday -- and 985 fatalities. Globally, the case count pushed above 44 million early on Wednesday, and the official recovery count neared 30 million. Below, watch a brief video from Johns Hopkins University that visualizes how and where the coronavirus is spreading in the U.S.

Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday announced that a ban on indoor dining and drinking in bars will go into effect in Chicago on Friday as cases across the city and the state of Illinois continue to rise. The move prompted almost immediate pushback from Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who said she was going to try to persuade Pritzker to not go through with the ban. "We're going to continue our engagement with the governor and his team, but it's not looking good, and if we can't convince him that some other metrics should apply, then the shutdown, unfortunately, is going to take effect starting Friday by state order," Lightfoot said, according to ABC 7 in Chicago. Business owners responded with frustration. "It hurts," Jeff Lawler, a local café owner, told ABC 7. "My first thought was, 'Here we go again.' Will this be a two-week shutdown? Will this be a two-month shutdown? What's it going to be? No one knows.” Plus, outdoor dining solutions many restaurants have implemented due to the pandemic, don't really help a businesses' bottom line that much, a new report shows.

Eight more NFL players and 11 team personnel members tested positive last week, according to numbers released by the league and the NFL Players Association. Those numbers are identical to the case increases from the week prior, according to Reuters. The 19 new infections come from a total of 42,687 tests given to nearly 8,000 players and team personnel throughout the week.

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner celebrates after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 to win the baseball World Series in Game 6 Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, in Arlington, Texas.(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series late Tuesday night, bringing an end to what was a tumultuous season that was severely abbreviated by the coronavirus pandemic. And the pandemic loomed large in the conclusive game as Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner was yanked from the lineup in the middle of the game after learning that he’d tested positive for COVID-19. Turner, one of the team’s top players, abruptly left the game in the eighth inning and no reason for his departure was immediately given. Later on it was revealed that the positive test resulted is what prompted the move. Initially, it looked like Turner wouldn’t be able to celebrate with teammates after the Dodgers clinched the franchise’s first World Series title since 1988. But he eventually showed up on the field – with a mask and without a mask at some points – and hugged teammates. It’s not clear how Turner became infected as all MLB players competing in the playoffs had been living in a bubble, ESPN reported. Turner addressed the surprise test result on Twitter, saying he had no symptoms.

A dance troupe based in Manhattan’s Harlem neighborhood has taken a cue from the NBA by keeping its dancers and choreographers in a bubble to protect them from the coronavirus, and, at the same time, produced a jaw-dropping video of its dancers performing in various parts of New York’s iconic cityscape. The ballet company sent the dancers and choreographers to live for a time in Tivoli, a suburb outside New York City, in isolation where they could practice their craft, which the company’s executive director Anna Glass described as “a contact sport.” The video of the dancers, which shows them performing under what are largely pristine weather conditions, went viral and caught the eye of pop legend Janet Jackson, among others. Glass told The Associated Press that one background the dancers were shot performing in front of drew a number of questions. “Everyone who has watched that, they ask me, ‘Oh, is that Paris?” And she answers: “No, it’s Harlem.” Watch the video below to see the dancers in action.

Research findings from a non peer-reviewed study found substantial cognitive deficits in some people who suffered severe COVID-19 cases. “Our analyses ... align with the view that there are chronic cognitive consequences of having COVID-19,” the scientists concluded in a report of their study’s findings, which were published on the website MedRxiv Tuesday. “People who had recovered, including those no longer reporting symptoms, exhibited significant cognitive deficits.” Some patients were shown to have declining brain functioning on par with 10 years of aging, according to Reuters. The cognitive effects were found to be substantial, especially in those who had been hospitalized with the new coronavirus. More than 84,000 patients were given cognitive tests to measure the brain’s performance on tasks, including word recall and puzzles. Scientists not involved in the research said to take the results with a grain of salt, since cognitive function before the patients suffered from COVID-19 was unknown. “Overall (this is) an intriguing but inconclusive piece of research into the effect of COVID on the brain,” Derek Hill, a professor at University College London, said of the study's findings, noting that they may not be reliable.

Consumers are concerned about the precautions being taken by retailers as they start their holiday shopping, a survey released by Oracle Retail on Monday shows. The survey reflects the sentiments of more than 5,100 consumers in the United States, United Kingdom, China, Brazil, Mexico, Italy, France, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates. According to the results, about 79% of respondents want to see masks being worn, while 82% expect visible cleaning efforts and 76% want to see reduced occupancy in stores. In addition, consumers also expect contactless checkout and social distancing requirements to be imposed. “Consumers are eager to shop,” Mike Webster, senior vice president and general manager of Oracle Retail, told Reuters. “What consumers are looking for is basic levels of protection and safety and they’re looking for that confidence that their needs are being looked after.” For more takeaways from the Oracle survey, watch the video below.

The pandemic has been hitting France particularly hard in recent days, to the point where it has become the epicenter of the crisis in Europe, The Wall Street Journal reported. According to France 24, more than half of the nation’s ICU capacity was full as of Tuesday – more than 2,500 patients, mostly people suffering from COVID-19. Some of the patients are on the younger side and don’t have pre-existing conditions, but are still suffering mightily from severe cases of COVID-19. In a hospital in the southwestern city of Toulouse, as soon as a bed is vacated, it’s promptly filled with a new incoming patient. Dr. Elise Noel-Savina, the head of Toulouse University Hospital’s ICU, said, “I am worried, especially because I know we are on the curve and we are not at all at the peak of the curve.” She added, “The next few weeks will be difficult for everyone.” And it’s not just the quickly-accelerating number of cases that has officials and those in the medical community worried. Watch the video below for more on the situation in France.

Officials from the European Union said only part of the EU population can be vaccinated for COVID-19 before 2022, as the vaccines the 27-nation bloc is securing may not prove effective or may not be manufactured in sufficient doses, Reuters reported. The EU has a population of 450 million and has ordered more than 1 billion doses of potential vaccines from three drugmakers. According to Reuters, it is negotiating the advance purchase of another billion vials with other companies. “There will not be sufficient doses of COVID-19 vaccines for the entire population before the end of 2021,” a European Commission official told diplomats from EU states in a closed-door meeting on Monday, a person who attended it told Reuters. There is still no effective coronavirus vaccine, but the first shots could be available at the beginning of next year, the commission said earlier in October.

“I hate to say it,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday, according to CNBC, “but I have to urge all New Yorkers: Do not travel out of state for the holidays.” He added, “Realize that by doing that, unfortunately, you could be putting yourself and your family in danger and also the risk of bringing the disease back here.” The mayor advised anyone who should travel over the holidays to follow the guidelines of the New York’s travel advisory, which includes more than 40 states, and quarantine for 14 days upon returning. Later on Tuesday, de Blasio reiterated his call for New Yorkers to avoid traveling over the holidays, saying on Twitter, “We've all made sacrifices this year, and I'm asking you to make one more to get out of this crisis. Stay home for the holidays.” New York City has reported more than 250,000 cumulative cases and more than 19,000 deaths, with most of those occurring in the early stages of the pandemic.

As COVID-19 cases continue to increase across the U.S., daily deaths from the coronavirus are increasing again, according to The Associated Press. Just as experts had feared, the death toll is increasing, with the average number of deaths per day up by 10% over the past two weeks, from 721 to nearly 794 as of Sunday. The number of new infections is also on the rise in 47 states, while the number of new, confirmed deaths is up in 34 states. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, said that the increase in cases is due to “pandemic fatigue” as well as “pandemic anger” and cold weather. “When you put those three together, we shouldn’t be surprised what we’re seeing,” Osterholm said. Although deaths are still well below the U.S. peak of more than 2,200 per day in April, experts warn that as winter approaches, numbers are likely to increase. A model from the University of Washington projected about 386,000 deaths by Feb.1, up from the current 225,000 deaths.

The University of Wisconsin football team is dealing with several reported COVID-19 cases, but head coach Paul Chryst doesn't believe the team's game against the University of Nebraska this coming Saturday is in jeopardy. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the team's starting quarterback, Graham Mertz, reportedly tested positive, as did his backup, redshirt sophomore Chase Wolf. If both Mertz and Wolf are unable to play, fourth-string quarterback Danny Vanden Boom would be the next quarterback in line, the Journal Sentinel reported. The team's initial starter at quarterback, Jack Coan, suffered an injury in training camp earlier this month. Big Ten rules require that that the earliest any athlete can return to play is 21 days following the initial diagnosis. Chryst wouldn't comment on the team's testing but emphasized that he felt confident about the game being played. “I feel confident in everything that is happening right now,” he said, according to the Journal Sentinel. “We’re going with that. I feel confident going forward this week.”

If the game happens, the weather will cooperate. Lincoln, Nebraska, experienced an unseasonable cold snap over the weekend and early in the week, but by game day, conditions at Memorial Stadium will be just right for some fall football, though it could be a little breezy for the kickers, according to the AccuWeather forecast.

Weather forecast for Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020. (AccuWeather)

The head of the World Health Organization warned on Monday that officials should not give up the fight against COVID-19, AFP reported. “The fatigue is real, but we cannot give up, we must not give up,” WHO Chief Tedros Adhanon Ghebreyesus said. He added that “leaders must balance the disruption to lives and livelihoods with the need to protect workers and health systems as intensive care fills up.” The encouragement to continue the fight against COVID-19 comes as many countries across Europe are experiencing a second surge in virus cases and infections in the U.S. are on the rise.

The drive-thru testing sites in New Orleans run by the Louisiana National Guard will close on Tuesday and Wednesday, NOLA Ready announced on Twitter. The closure of the sites comes as New Orleans is prepping for Tropical Storm Zeta, which is expected to move inland as a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday night.

An aerial view showing a drive-through COVID-19 testing center in New Orleans. Testing sites run by the Louisiana National Guard are being shut down for two days with Tropical Storm Zeta set to make landfall on the Gulf Coast, likely as a hurricane. (Twitter / NOLA Ready)

(Twitter / NOLA Ready)

The U.S. government ended a study testing an Eli Lilly antibody drug for COVID-19 hospitalized patients after it did not seem to be helping them. The study, which had been paused two weeks ago because of a possible safety issue, was canceled on Monday as researchers found that there was a low chance that the drug would prove helpful for hospitalized patients. In a statement, Lilly said that the government is still continuing with a separate study, testing the drug in mild to moderately ill patients to see if it prevents severe illness. The company will also continue a separate study to test the drug, which is being developed by AbCellera, The Associated Press reported.

Starting on Wednesday, Russians will be required to wear masks in all public spaces, according to consumer safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor. The reintroduction of the mandate comes as Russia set a daily record of 17,347 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, pushing the total number of infections past the 1.5 million mark. In addition, Rospotrebnadzor also recommended that all restaurants and bars close between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., according to The Moscow Times.

It may feel like the U.S. is experiencing a second or even third wave of the coronavirus outbreak, but that’s not quite what’s going on, NIAID Director Anthony Fauci said in an interview with Yahoo Finance on Monday. "I look at it more as an elongated and exacerbation of the original first wave," Fauci told Yahoo senior reporter Anjalee Khemlani. Why is this still the first wave? According to Fauci, because the U.S. never saw its baseline dip below 10,000 cases per day. And in recent days, new cases have been routinely topping 60,000 and 70,000 per day and went over 80,000 on two days. “Now as we're getting into the cold weather, we came back up again to the worst that we've ever had, which was over 80,000 per day.” Watch the video below as Fauci walks through the data on how cases have risen and fallen across the U.S.

On Monday, thousands of protesters crowded the streets of several Italian towns and cities to express disagreement with the government's latest pandemic restrictions. The restrictions, which include earlier closing times for cafes, gyms, movie theaters, and other leisure venues, are the government’s response to the increasing spread of the virus in the nation, Euronews reported. However, some of the protesters turned to violence. In the city of Turin, in northern Italy, some demonstrators were seen smashing windows, setting smoke bombs and throwing bottles at the police, according to Euronews. In Milan, police used tear gas in attempts to scatter protesters. Smaller cities, including Catania in Sicily, also saw protests, as restaurant owners complained about the economic impact that the new restrictions would place on their business. With the new restriction, restaurants are asked to close at 6 p.m. for the next month, which creates a problem for owners as most Italians don’t dine out before 7:30 p.m. at the earliest, according to Euronews. For more on the tensions in Italy, watch the video below.

As a spike in coronavirus cases has overwhelmed hospitals in El Paso, Texas, residents have been urged to stay home for two weeks and are now under a curfew. The influx of cases has prompted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to dedicate part of the city’s civic center as a makeshift care center for the ill with 50 hospital beds, The Associated Press reported. On Sunday night, El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego issued a stay home order with a daily curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Violators could be fined $500 under the order, but the curfew does not apply to people who are going to or from work or out for essential services, including grocery stores and healthcare. On Monday, the county reported a new record high in daily coronavirus cases, with 1,443 cases. The county had 853 patients hospitalized for the virus on Monday, up from 786 a day earlier.

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