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Beginning on Tuesday, bars in Paris will be shut down entirely as the government cracks down on coronavirus cases in the city, raising its alert level to maximum. The office of Prime Minister Jean Castex announced the restrictions, and said a full list of restrictions will be announced on Monday and last for two weeks. The new restrictions come as infection rates continue to rise in the city, now exceeding 250 cases per 100,000 people in a locality, The BBC reported. "These measures, indispensable in the fight to curb the virus' spread, will apply to Paris and the three departments immediately surrounding it, for a duration of two weeks," according to the office.

The U.S. just hit its highest daily rate of new coronavirus cases in nearly two months, CNN reported. In addition, only three U.S. states are now reporting a decline in new COVID-19 cases from last week. On Friday, 54,506 new cases were reported, which is the highest one-day count since 64,601 were reported on Aug. 14. "We've got to get back to enforcing these rules because 1,275 cases are going to result in a lot of death, too," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said about his states climb in cases. Beshear reminded residents the importance of wearing masks to prevent the spread. "Testing does not replace safety measures including consistent mask use, physical distancing, and hand washing," ormer director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tom Frieden said.

As a last-minute deal to extend coronavirus relief aid for the airline industry fails to pass congress, it is feared as many as 50,000 airline workers may be furloughed starting this week. Doug Parker, CEO of American Airlines, said 14% of the airlines will be laid off which is about 19,000 people. United Airlines confirmed a similar process and will be furloughing 13,000 airline employees. Close to 50,000 pilots, flight attendants, baggage handlers, counter agents and other airline personnel have their jobs at stake now, according to NBC News. The CARES Act passed in March and covered nearly 75 percent of airline payroll expense until Oct. 1. With the act now expired and no deal passed, tens of thousands may soon be without work.

Despite experts warning about a double respiratory threat this winter, less than 60% of Americans plan to be vaccinated against the flu this winter, according to a survey released Thursday by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. The NFID surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults during August on their sentiments toward flu and pneumonia prevention before the start of flu season for most of the U.S. Less than one-third of the respondents said that COVID-19 would make them more likely to be vaccinated against the flu, and nearly half said they were concerned about the potential side effects of the new coronavirus on seasonal influenza, according to UPI. Of the respondents, 25% said that if flu vaccinations were offered via drive-thru clinics alongside medical officers and pharmacies, they were more likely to go get vaccinated. “If there was ever a time to get the flu vaccination, this is the year,” Schaffner said, warning the world could see “a double-barreled respiratory virus season where COVID-19 and the flu collide.”

In a briefing on Sunday, White House physician Sean Conley told the press that President Donald Trump, who was taken into hospital care to receive treatment for COVID-19, had two oxygen level drops through the weekend — one on Friday and one on Saturday. Trump received supplemental oxygen on Friday, but Conley did not make clear if he received a second dose on Saturday, The New York Times Reported. Conley announced that Trump received a dose of the steroid dexamethasone, which is only meant to be used in severe cases of COVID-19 and could actually cause more harm if administered to someone in early stages of the illness. A U.K. study of the steroid suggests the drug is helpful to patients that have been sick for longer than a week. According to the World Health Organization, it is intended to only be administered to patients who are experiencing “severe and critical COVID-19.”

In this image released by the White House, President Donald Trump works in his conference room at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020, after testing positive for COVID-19. (Joyce N. Boghosian/The White House via AP)

As restaurants and dine-in options closed down due to the pandemic, drive-thrus saw a big increase in demand as consumers looked to easier and healthier ways to get their food. Due to the massive increase, average drive-thru times across 10 chains have slowed down by nearly 30 seconds, according to a study conducted by SeeLevel HX. The coronavirus pandemic has gradually shifted customers preference to the drive-thru due to it being safer. As a result, a 26% increase in drive-thru visits was recorded in April, May and June. Taco Bell served 4.8 million more cars during the second quarter, according to CNBC. Some restaurants, such as Starbucks and Chipotle, have both increased drive-thru lane sizes to keep up with the demand. In total, the average drive-thru time has slowed by 29.8 seconds this year. Despite the decrease in average time, service time between ordering and picking up food has become faster this year thanks in part to menus being slimmed due to the pandemic.

After coronavirus lockdown orders caused most U.S. theaters to close in March they have endured historic levels of financial strain for months. After reopening in August, the second-largest U.S. cinema chain, Regal Cinemas, is likely to close all its more than 500 U.S. locations indefinitely, according to The Wall Street Journal. The potential decision to suspend operations follows numerous postponements for big-budget Hollywood films. A final decision on whether to close all locations or not will likely be made on Monday or Tuesday.

There have been at least 7,384,422 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. 

The Carolina Panthers will be welcoming fans back to Bank of America Stadium on Sunday and are taking drastic steps to ensure all COVID-19 precautions are taken. One of the ways the team is going to combat the virus is by using three $125,000 coronavirus-killing robots, according to The Charlotte Observer. The maker of the robot, Xenex, says the Panthers are the first football team to use the robot. The Xenex LightStrike robot is a xenon UV-ray device that launched in 2011 for use in hospitals and health care facilities. As the pandemic started to worsen across the country, the robot began to be used in other places and resulted in demand six times higher than usual. The device uses UV light to break down bacteria and viruses. Bank of America Stadium will allow a 7% capacity which is just over 5,000 people.

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

• Confirmed cases: 34,782,404

• Fatalities: 1,031,095

• Recoveries: 24,157,152

Two physics professors at a university in Cyprus examined how humidity, temperature and wind affect the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and released their findings in a newly-published study. The researchers told AccuWeather’s Mark Puleo that they were surprised by what the study revealed -- which challenges some conventional wisdom. In the relatively short time scientists have been studying SARS-CoV-2, a widespread theory has developed that higher relative humidity suppressed the spread of the virus. But the physics professors -- Dimitris Drikakis and Talib Dbouk – found just the opposite to be true. Even more concerning, perhaps, the study also turned up some new insight into how wind can affect the spread of the virus – and what that may mean for social distancing practices.

The Athens Marathon, originally scheduled to take place Nov. 7-8, has been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. A number of scenarios were considered, including decreasing the number of participants, but the event was forced to be called off completely because safety could not be guaranteed, according to Reuters. The marathon was first held in 1972 and attracts more than 15,000 participants yearly. A special virtual race is being planned by SEGAS with additional details to follow in the coming days. Four of the six major marathons have been canceled or postponed, including races in Berlin, New York, Boston, and Chicago. Athens of course was the conclusion of the very first marathon, as legend has it, when a Greek messenger in 490 B.C. ran from the city of Marathon to Athens, covering a distance of roughly 26 miles, to deliver the news that the country's army had won a victory over the Persian army, which had attacked Greece.

President Donald Trump experienced a “very concerning” point in his fight against the coronavirus on Friday, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said. According to an anonymous source who is familiar with Trump’s conditions, he had to be administered supplemental oxygen while at the White House before being transported to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland. During a briefing however, Navy Commander Dr. Sean Conley denied that the president was on any oxygen, The Associated Press reported. Conley further revealed that Trump experienced “clinical indications” that he had contracted the virus on Thursday, which is earlier than what was previously known by the public. Meadows said the next 48 hours “will be critical” for Trump in his battling of the virus. “We’re still not on a clear path yet to a full recovery,” Meadows said.

A statement released by Amazon revealed that over 19,000 Amazon workers have contracted the coronavirus this year. Between March 1 and Sept. 19, Amazon recorded 19,816 cases of the coronavirus among its employees, which totals 1.44% of the companies employees. Labor groups and politicians have pressured Amazon to disclose the numbers after concerns were raised by warehouse workers that the company wasn't doing enough to stop the spread. A crowdsourced database was created to keep track of infections due to lack of data being provided from Amazon. The company previously declined to share the data but is now encouraging other companies to release numbers because it will be "more powerful." A total of eight Amazon workers have died from COVID-19 this year.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced on Saturday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus. The announcement comes after Christie helped President Donald Trump, who has also tested positive for the virus, prepare for the presidential debate earlier this week, CNN reported. "I want to thank all of my friends and colleagues who have reached out to ask how I was feeling in the last day or two,” Christie said on Twitter. “I will be receiving medical attention today and will keep the necessary folks apprised of my condition."

New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton tested positive for coronavirus and will not play in Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and Field Yates. In a statement, the Patriots said the team was notified Friday night that a player had tested positive for coronavirus, but did not identify the player. The player immediately entered self-quarantine, according to the team’s statement. Players, coaches and staff who have been in close contact with the player received point-of-care tests Saturday morning and all of them tested negative. "We are in close consultation with the NFL, as well as our team of independent doctors and specialists, and will follow their guidance regarding our scheduled trip to Kansas City and the game against the Chiefs. The health and safety of our team, as well as our opponent, are of highest priority,” the team's statement reads. The New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs game on Sunday has since been postponed in wake of multiple positive COVID-19 tests, the league announced Saturday.

New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton before an NFL football game. (Winslow Townson/AP Images for Panini)

On Saturday morning, the President’s son, Donald Trump Jr. announced he has tested negative for coronavirus. He was present at the presidential debate with other family members Tuesday. Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence also tested negative for COVID-19 Saturday morning, CNN reports. An administration official said Pence is still planning to travel to Salt Lake on Monday as planned, the official said. 

Kellyanne Conway, the former top White House adviser to President Trump until earlier this year, announced she tested positive for coronavirus. "Tonight I tested positive for COVID-19. My symptoms are mild (light cough) and I’m feeling fine," Conway wrote on Twitter. "I have begun a quarantine process in consultation with physicians." Senator Mike Lee of Utah and Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina also tested positive for COVID-19, while Vice President Mike Pence has tested negative.

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

• Confirmed cases: 34,658,163

• Fatalities: 1,029,318

• Recoveries: 24,085,070

Projections released by PolicyLab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) reveal an increasing resurgence risk of new coronavirus cases over the next four weeks. This risk could suggest that colder weather may play a role in increasing COVID-19 cases this fall. Southern states, on the other hand, may see lower testing positivity rates over the next few weeks. PolicyLab at CHOP and the University of Pennsylvania researchers created the model used to track COVID-19 transmissions and positivity rates throughout the country so they are able to project future case counts in 817 counties that have active outbreaks. The models represent 82% of the U.S. population and 87% of identified COVID-19 cases in the country.

North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. According to a statement released on Twitter by Tillis on Friday evening, he has no symptoms, feels well and is continuing to follow advice from his doctor. Tillis said he has been routinely tested for the virus over the past few months and had a negative result as recently as last Saturday. He encouraged North Carolinians to practice social distancing, to wear masks and to frequently wash their hands. “COVID is a very contagious virus,” Tillis wrote on Twitter. “If you were exposed or start to display symptoms, please call your doctor, self-isolate, and get tested.” The news of his positive test results comes after a coronavirus outbreak in the White House that has affected President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and many others. Tillis was present at the Supreme Court nomination ceremony in the White House Rose Garden, The Associated Press reported.

Storm chaser Jim Reed posted Thursday evening over Facebook that he was recovering from the coronavirus. Contact tracing shows he had likely been exposed to the virus on Sept. 6 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, which The New York Times had highlighted as a national hot spot, or on Sept. 9 in Caledonia, Minnesota. In La Crosse, he had been unaware that the the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse had been experiencing a jump in cases and had gone to a popular grocery store that was frequented by college students. He suspects he may have touched an infected grocery cart, frozen food door, produce or credit card reader and may have touched his face before washing or sanitizing his hands. In Caledonia, Minnesota, he spoke with a construction worker who had just returned from a Labor Day weekend wedding from out-of-state who hadn’t quarantined upon returning. Neither of them had been wearing a mask during the conversation. He considered both possibilities an error on his own part, warning people to not let their guard down. “I STRONGLY recommend using a mask, social distancing, NOT touching your face and regularly cleaning your hands,” Reed wrote. “Also, please keep an eye on the number of cases in your area.”

After testing positive for COVID-19, President Donald Trump is being transported to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center via his helicopter, Marine One,a senior official for the administration said. According to the official, the trip to the hospital is simply a precautionary measure that was recommended by the president’s physician. Trump will continue his work out of the hospital for the next few days, the official told NBC News.

At least two journalists who work at the White House and one White House staffer who sits in the “lower press” area of the West Wing were confirmed to have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a series of internal memos from the White House Correspondents Association board to reporters obtained by CNN. The announcement comes during a coronavirus outbreak at the White House, the memo adding that members of the media are being notified “so that you can make informed judgements.” 

Friday morning, a journalist who was tested “as part of today’s in-house pool” received a preliminary positive result, and the White House staffer received a confirmed positive result. “All other journalists tested today tested negative,” the memo said. Later on Friday, a follow-up memo announced a second journalist had tested positive for the coronavirus. “We are writing to let you know that another member of our press corps tested positive today for COVID-19. This individual last began experiencing COVID-19 symptoms yesterday,”the memo said.

President Donald Trump is “fatigued” and being given experimental antibody cocktails after testing positive for the coronavirus, the White House announced on Friday. The president’s physician said in a memo on Friday that the antibody cocktail being given to Trump was created by Regeneron and is still in its clinical trial period. Navy Commander Dr. Sean Conley said Trump “remains fatigued but in good spirits.” First Lady Melania Trump reportedly has a “mild cough and headache,” The Associated Press reported. The rest of their family, including their son Barron who lives in the White House with them, has tested negative for the virus.

The NFL announced the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans will be postponed for the second time after two more Titans players tested positive for COVID-19, according to ESPN. This brings the combined total of players and personnel who tested positive for the Titans this week to 13. The football game between the two teams, which had already been postponed from Sunday after multiple positive coronavirus tests within the Titans organization, has been rescheduled for Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. EDT. The game originally slotted for that date, the Steelers at Baltimore Ravens game, will be moved to Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. EDT. “You need to be flexible,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “This is the year for that. You just don’t worry about it. I do believe and understand the lease has the best interest at heart, and everybody has to do what they have to do.” The tickets for the original date of the Steelers at Titans game will be honored on the new date, Oct. 25, according to the Titans. In a memo obtained by ESPN on Friday, the NFL announced it was extending daily testing indefinitely and would include during bye weeks.

President Donald Trump is experiencing “mild symptoms” of COVID-19, the White House reported on Friday. Trump announced his positive test results in a tweet at 12:54 a.m. EDT on Friday morning, and said first lady Melania Trump tested positive as well. Multiple others in the White House have also tested positive. The day prior, Trump attended a political fundraiser and did not tell the audience that he was exposed to the virus, The Associated Press reported. Democratic nominee Joe Biden, his running mate Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence have all tested negative for the virus. A memo from the president’s physician said he and Melania “are both well at this time” and “plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence.” According to The New York Times, Trump's symptoms could be described as cold-like. One person who attended the fundraiser Trump attended on Thursday said he was acting lethargic.

U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to participate in the first presidential debate with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., September 29, 2020. Picture taken September 29, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

(REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced on Friday that he has tested negative for the coronavirus. This latest test for Biden came in the wake of President Donald Trump having tested positive – Biden and the president faced-off in a fiery debate in Cleveland on Tuesday night. “I’m happy to report that Jill and I have tested negative for COVID,” Biden wrote on Twitter just after 12 p.m. on Friday. “Thank you to everyone for your messages of concern.” The former vice president added, “I hope this serves as a reminder: Wear a mask, keep social distance, and wash your hands.”

Voting polls will see a variety of changes this November due to the coronavirus pandemic. One of the biggest changes will be the requirement of masks that 33 states, including Washington, D.C., will enforce, according to ABC News. Twelve state did not respond on mask requirements, but seven of the 12 have statewide mask mandates. Grocery stores and other shops have routinely refused service to those who choose not to wear masks, but voting officials face a bigger challenge for people refusing to wear a mask to vote due to much bigger legal issues. None of the states contacted by ABC News said they had a plan to turn away voters that do not wear masks. However, they are making preparations to lower the risk by encouraging mail-in ballots or curbside voting.

Earlier this week, Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden went head to head with President Donald Trump in the first presidential debate of the 2020 election cycle. On Friday, morning, Biden sent well wishes to the president and first lady after learning the news that the two have tested positive with COVID-19. The candidate said he and wife Jill Biden “send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery. We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family.” In addition, Biden’s running mate Kamala Harris, U.S. Senator from California, echoed the sentiment, writing on Twitter that she and her husband wish “President Trump and the First Lady a full and speedy recovery.”

Following the news that President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19, The Associated Press reported Friday morning that Vice President Mike Pence has tested negative for the coronavirus. A spokesperson for the vice president said Pence “remains in good health.” During the overnight hours, in the wake of the bombshell news, Pence took to Twitter to show support for the president, saying, that he and Second Lady Karen Pence “send our love and prayers to our dear friends.” Pence added, “We join millions across America praying for their full and swift recovery.”

President Donald Trump stands on stage with first lady Melania Trump after the first presidential debate with Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio. President Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus, the president tweeted early Friday. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have both tested positive for COVID-19 after being exposed to White House senior aide Hope Hicks, who previously tested positive. President Trump made the announcement himself on Twitter at 12:54 a.m., saying that he and Melania would "will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!"

The White House announced that Hicks had tested positive just hours prior, according to The Associated Press, after she traveled closely with Trump multiple times in the past week. The 74-year-old president is reportedly doing well, according to the White House physician, Dr. Sean Conley. In a Friday memo, Dr. Conley said the “President and First Lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence.”

“Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future developments," Dr. Conley wrote.

Hope Hicks, a long-time aide and trusted advisor to President Donald Trump, tested positive for the coronavirus, Bloomberg first reported on Thursday evening. Hicks was photographed with out a mask after traveling with the president on Air Force One to the presidential debate on Tuesday, according to CBS News.The two also traveled together aboard Marine One and Air Force One to Michigan on Wednesday. Hicks began feeling poorly on Wednesday, Bloomberg reports, and was quarantined on Air Force One on the return flight. She tested positive on Thursday. “Contact tracing has been done and the appropriate notifications and recommendations have been made,” a White House official told the news outlet.

Rent prices continue to plunge across the country as the coronavirus pandemic persists, and San Francisco is leading with the most dramatic drop. According to data from real-estate start-up Zumper, average rent prices for a one-bedroom apartment in the city has dropped 20% from the year prior to $2,830. According to CNBC, the drop is the largest Zumper has ever recorded. Zumper CEO Anthemos Georgiades explained that the drop in rent prices could be due to over saturation of the market, as more and more people are choosing to abandon crowded city living conditions and moving toward suburban areas instead, especially as working from home has made people less commute-focused. In addition, looming fears from wildfires could be driving people out. “Despite everything our data is showing, there are so many signals that it will recover, however contrarian this point may sound,” Georgiades said. “However, I think we’re talking years to fully recover, not months.”

Twenty-seven U.S. states’ coronavirus cases rose month-to-month in September, with a shocking 111% increase in Wisconsin. In the entire Midwest region, only Ohio and Indiana experienced a fall in cases. North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin all had rises over 50% month-to-month, according to an analysis from Reuters. Despite this, the U.S. reported 1.18 million new cases in September, compared to the 1.41 million reported in August. California saw the biggest decline in month-to-month cases at 50%.

The retail store H&M is closing 250 stores next year as more and more customers turn to online shopping due to the coronavirus pandemic, the company announced Thursday. Despite the retailer’s stronger sales numbers over the summer, September sales declined by 5% compared to the same time as last year, according to CNN Business. “More and more customers started shopping online during the pandemic,” after its store count, at one point including 80% of its stores, closed temporarily, H&M said in the statement. Of its 5,000 stores worldwide, the number of stores closing equates to only 5% of its total store count.“Although the challenges are far from over, we believe that the worst is behind us and we are well placed to come out of the crisis stronger,” CEO Helena Helmersson said. Online shopping has disrupted other retailers as well, such as American Eagle Outfitter and GameStop, which have announced they could be closing hundreds of stores, according to CNN Business. Fashion retailers such as Inditex, which owns Zara and other brands, announced earlier that it could close as many as 1,200 store into next year.

On Monday night, a seemingly healthy 19-year-old student at Appalachian State University in North Carolina died from coronavirus complications. Chad Dorrill contracted flu-like symptoms early last month, before he went home and tested positive for the virus, NBC News reported. He quarantined in his family home until he received a clearance from a doctor; however, when he returned to his off-campus housing at Appalachian State he developed further complications from the deadly virus and was hospitalized.“Any loss of life is a tragedy, but the grief cuts especially deep as we mourn a young man who had so much life ahead,” University of North Carolina System President Peter Hans said. “I ache for the profound sadness that Chad Dorrill’s family is enduring right now. My heart goes out to the entire Appalachian State community.” At the time of contracting the virus, Dorrill was living off-campus and taking his classes online. "His family’s wishes are for the university to share a common call to action so our entire campus community recognizes the importance of following COVID-19 safety protocols and guidelines," Appalachian State Chancellor Sheri Everts said. "Despite generally being at lower risk for severe illness, college-age adults can become seriously ill from COVID-19." Chad's mother, Susan Dorrill, said doctors told her that her son's complications from the virus were rare. “If it can happen to a super healthy 19-year-old boy who doesn’t smoke, vape or do drugs, it can happen to anyone,” she said.

The amount of Americans that have applied for unemployment benefits decline last week but remained high as another 837,000 filed for unemployment benefits. This suggests the economy is still struggling to sustain a recovery that began over the summer. The Labor Department released a report on Thursday that showed companies continue to cut a historically high number of jobs. The $600 a week federal check to unemployed individuals expired at the end of July, leaving those without a job with less money to spend. The extra loss of income will likely lead to lower overall spending in the coming months. Total paid unemployment benefits saw a sharp decline by more than half in August, according to The Associated Press. Consumer spending rose by 1% which is down from the 1.5% seen in July.

A new study published by European researchers says that people who have genes inherited from their Neanderthal ancestors have an increased likelihood of suffering severe forms of COVID-19, The Associated Press reported. The scientists examined a cluster of genes linked to a higher risk of hospitalization and respiratory failure for patients who had contracted the novel coronavirus, The AP said. That gene grouping, also known as haplotype, was found to belong to a group that came from Neanderthals and is reportedly found in about 16% of the population in Europe and half of the South Asian population. The research group published its findings in the journal Nature on Wednesday. Click here to watch a video for more on this subject.

Czechs will be given the option to vote even if they have been placed in quarantine thanks to new drive-through voting centres. The government has set up various voting centres across the country where Czechs can cast their votes in regional and senatorial elections, according to AFP. There are 78 sites that offer these 'covid-safe' ballots set up around the country. Residents are able to drive up to the centres and drop their ballot off in a covid-safe bag while an official in hazmat gear monitors. The next election in the Czech Republic is the Czech Senate election, which will take place between Oct. 2-3. This election will take place alongside multiple regional elections. Watch the video below for more.

Movie theaters around the country are in jeopardy, according to multiple Oscar-winning film directors. James Cameron, Clint Eastwood and Martin Scorsese sent a letter to leaders of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives saying the pandemic has caused a devastating loss for movie theaters and without funds to help them recover, the entire industry may not survive, according to Reuters. More than 70 directors and producers signed the letter along with the National Association of Theater Owners, the Directors Guild of America and the Motion Picture Association. Many theaters have been closed since mid-March and while some big chains have reopened since then at a reduced capacity, many of the countries largest markets still disallow them to reopen, such as Los Angeles and New York City. Big movies such as "Black Widow" and "Top Gun: Maverick" have been delayed to 2021.

An employee cleans the seats in preparation for reopening at a Regal move theater in Irvine, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020. Gov. Gavin Newsom relaxed coronavirus restrictions in five more counties on Tuesday, clearing the way for restaurants, movie theaters, gyms and churches to resume indoor activities with fewer people and other modifications. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Following an announcement earlier this week that the game between the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers has been postponed, the NFL announced Thursday that it will be rescheduled for a date later this season.According to NFL.com, additional positive tests in the Titans organization on Thursday made the league move the game back to a date that is to be determined. At least 11 people, including players and staff, have tested positive in the organization. League officials had been hopeful that the game could take place in Nashville on Monday or Tuesday night. "The decision to postpone the game was made to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel," the NFL said in a statement. "The Titans facility will remain closed and the team will continue to have no in-person activities until further notice." Since the Titans played at the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, the Vikings also shut their facility this week. However, NFL.com reports that the team plans to return to its facility Thursday and is expected to play its regularly-scheduled game against the Houston Texans in Houston on Sunday. 

Although daily confirmed cases of COVID-19 remain lower in Italy than in other European countries, the country's prime minister said Thursday that he is looking to extend the nationwide state of emergency until the end of January 2021. The current state of emergency is due to expire during the middle of October, Reuters reported.  “We will propose to parliament to extend the state of emergency, probably to the end of January 2021,” Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told reporters. “The situation remains critical, although the infections are under control,” Conte said. Italy, once the epicenter of the pandemic in Europe, has a total case number of 314,079 according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 35,000 deaths as a result of COVID-19 have been reported in the country. 

After issuing numerous six-figure fines to several head coaches who weren't fully complying with the league's mask policy,the NFL is now reportedly threatening teams with suspensions for coaches and other personnel who don't properly wear masks during games, The Associated Press reported. The league is also considering other punishments for teams including forfeiting draft picks, The AP said. Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints and Jon Gruden of the Las Vegas Raiders are two of the coaches that have been fined already by the league. Both coaches tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this year and have since recovered.  

Troy Vincent, the executive vice president of football operations for the league, wrote in a memo to all 32 teams that was obtained by The AP that "accountability" is required for all teams on the sidelines. “We will continue to address lack of compliance with accountability measures that may also include suspensions of persons involved, and/or the forfeiture of a draft choice(s),” Vincent wrote, according to The AP. The NFL is currently dealing with its first COVID-19 outbreak of the young season and had to postpone Sunday's game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and. Tennessee Titans following at least nine positive test results in the Titans organization this week.

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden celebrates after defeating the New Orleans Saints in an NFL football game, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

The Washington Monument reopened on Thursday, ending a six-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. The National Park Service announced some changes will be in effect that tourists will undoubtedly notice, including “a new set of safety and cleaning procedures to keep staff and visitors safe from the spread of infectious diseases.” The famed obelisk will be open to the public seven days a week between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Below are the new guidelines and safety measures visitors will notice.

• • Significantly reduced elevator capacity, limiting trips to 4-8 passengers to allow for physical distancing

• Mandatory face coverings for all individuals while inside the monument 

• Touchless check-in

• Time limit at the 500-foot observation level of 10 minutes per group

• A closure each day from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. for cleaning and disinfecting using antiviral disinfectant cleaners recommended by the CDC and registered with the Environmental Protection Agency

As far as weather goes in the nation’s capital for the monument’s first weekend back in business, the AccuWeather forecast shows rather pleasant conditions for tourists who may be visiting.

The AccuWeather forecast for Washington Monument Grounds in D.C. shows pleasant fall weather is on tap for Oct. 2 through Oct. 4. (AccuWeather)

(AccuWeather)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended its no-sail order for passenger cruising from all U.S. ports through Oct. 31, according to CNBC. The announcement made on Wednesday is an extension of an order that was issued on March 14, as the CDC said “that cruise ship travel exacerbates the global spread of COVID-19.” Between March 1 and Sept. 29, the CDC announced that at least 3,689 COVID-19 infections and 41 deaths were reported on cruise ships sailing U.S. waters. “Recent outbreaks on cruise ships overseas provide current evidence that cruise ship travel continues to transmit and amplify the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 -- even when ships sail at reduced passenger capacities – and would likely spread the infections into U.S. communities if passenger operations were to resume prematurely in the United States,” the CDC said on Wednesday. Although CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield pushed to extend the order until February 2021, Vice President Mike Pence overruled the order, allowing the ban to continue only through Oct. 31.

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

• Confirmed cases: 33,997,825

• Fatalities: 1,014,588

• Recoveries: 23,662,200

Among the four countries with over 1 million cases, Russia's overall impact from COVID-19 may seem mild compared to the United States, India or Brazil. However, a recent resurgence in cases has given reason to worry for the nation. After steadily seeing more than 10,000 new cases per day in May, the country dropped its daily increase to less than 6,000 throughout July and August. However a late September resurgence now has new daily cases back above 8,000, a mark reached on September 30 that hadn't previously been seen since June 16.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced on Thursday that the recent spike will force businesses to transfer 30% of their employees to remote work through October as he called the city's situation "very dangerous," in a released statement.

The biotech firm Moderna doesn’t expect to apply for an emergency use authorization with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its potential coronavirus vaccine until after the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 3, CEO Stephane Bancel told the Financial Times, CNBC reports. “November 25 is the time we will have enough safety data to be able to put into an EUA [emergency use authorisation] file that we would send to the FDA — assuming that the safety data is good, ie a vaccine is deemed to be safe,” Bancel told the international news publication. The company also does not expect to have full FDA approval to distribute the vaccine until next spring, Bancel said, according to CNBC. Other vaccine manufactures, such as Johnson & Johnson, are working hard to beat competitors. Johnson & Johnson has kick-started phase 3 coronavirus testing already. Ordinarily it takes 10 years to develop a vaccine and test it for safety and side effects, according to CNBC.

On Wednesday, the Nevada Gaming Control Board reported the gaming industry in Nevada continues to take a blow from COVID-19 with gaming win below 2019 and July 2020 figures. The lack of entertainment and conventioneers is taking a toll in the state’s largest submarkets, but some of the rural markets where large gatherings aren’t as important rebounded a little quicker in August, Control Board statistics show, according to Review Journal. The Control Board reported statewide revenue of $743 million, off 22.1 percent from August 2019.

The German government has added ventilating rooms by opening up windows to the country’s formula for tackling coronavirus. According to The Guardian, German’s air hygiene experts have been asking for this to become official for months. They practice impact ventilation which involves widely opening a window in the morning and evening for at least five minutes to allow the air to circulate. Germans also do something called cross ventilation, which is when all the windows in a house or apartment are opened letting stale air flow out and fresh air come in. Often opening up windows multiple times a day is a requirement which is included as a legally binding clause in rental agreements even in the winter, mainly to protect against mold and bad smells. However, now many Germans are habitually opening windows due to the coronavirus. “It may be one of the cheapest and most effective ways” of containing the spread of the virus, Angela Merkel insisted on Tuesday, according to The Guardian. “Regular impact ventilation in all private and public rooms can considerably reduce the danger of infection,” the government’s recommendation explains.

Amid a big surge in COVID-19 cases, the Czech government has instituted a state of emergency and instituted a ban on large gatherings that includes popular musicals and opera performances, Reuters said. The Czech Republic, home to about 10.7 million, has reported more than 43,000 cases and a 50% increase in deaths in September, Reuters reported. “We need to snip the chain of infections to get to levels significantly below the current ones and then relax and remain in some holding pattern until a vaccine comes,” the country's Health Minister Roman Prymula told reporters. 

With New York City schools just back in session and several new coronavirus hotspots emerging around the city, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced officials will step up efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19. One of those efforts will involve so-called “mask patrols,” which will roam the streets of New York looking for residents and tourists not wearing face masks. The mask patrols will first offer a free mask to any violator, but anyone who refuses the face covering will be hit with a $1,000 fine, Reuters reported. "That will happen aggressively. Clearly, our goal, of course, is to give everyone a free face mask and get them to wear it," de Blasio told reporters on Tuesday, according to FOX 5. The mayor said the fines are part of a blitz of new measures aimed at preventing a full-blown outbreak and warned that more stringent restrictions could be enacted should the city continue to see its COVID-19 test positivity rate remain above 3%.

New York City elementary schools reopened for in-person learning on Tuesday for the first time since they were closed back in March. However, as CNN reports, large clusters of cases are emerging in the city, which is causing alarm among health officials and could force school administrators to revert back to virtual learning once again. Parents in the Big Apple displayed a mix of worry and excitement as they dropped off their children for the first day back. Watch the video below for more. 

A significant uptick in virus cases is being reported across Europe, but one of the countries that suffered greatly during the early stages of the pandemic is not currently one of the worst affected. Italy's new daily case number has remained below 2,000 for several weeks. That number is well below France's 16,096, a countrywide daily record from last Thursday, and Spain, which had been reporting over 10,000 new cases for several days, AFP said. Although Italy is carrying out fewer tests, experts say that's not enough to explain the drop in new infections. Instead, they are pointing to the collective trauma the country experienced earlier this year when hospitals and morgues were overwhelmed, as well as a strict lockdown that was enacted by the government. “The epidemic hit Italy earlier… and it immediately put in place a very tough containment plan,” Professor Massimo Andreoni, an infectious disease expert based out of Rome, told AFP.

For the first time this season, the NFL has postponed a game due to COVID-19 concerns. According to a report from ESPN NFL reporter Diana Russini, the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans in Nashville will not take place on Sunday, but it could be played as soon as Monday night. On Tuesday, it was reported that at least eight members of the Titans organization, including three players, had tested positive. The team then promptly shut down its facility as did the Minnesota Vikings, who the Titans played this past Sunday. The team facilities are expected to remain closed until at least this weekend. ESPN reporter Dan Graziano said there were no positive test results so far from the Vikings organization, but one additional positive Wednesday in Tennessee. The Vikings' game agains the Houston Texans in Houston is still scheduled for Sunday. The NFL said in a statement that the game was being rescheduled to allow for additional testing and to ensure the health and safety of players. coaches and game day personnel.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tennessee Titans line up in the second half of a preseason NFL football game Sunday, Aug. 25, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/James Kenney)

A study released Tuesday by researchers from the Rand Corporation and Indiana University shows how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the drinking habits of Americans. According to the researchers’ findings, alcohol consumption rose among Americans above the age of 30 this year over 2019. The study asked a sample of 1,540 Americans between the ages of 30 and 80 to complete a survey about their drinking habits for the six-week period covering April 29, 2019 to June 9, 2019 and then May 28, 2020 to June 16, 2020 – well after lockdown and stay-at-home orders had been enacted in many U.S. states. Participants reported not only consuming alcohol on more days per week this year than last, but also an increased number of drinks consumed and more instances of heavy drinking days, which researchers defined as “5 or more drinks for men and 4 or more drinks for women within a couple of hours.” The researchers concluded, “These data provide evidence of changes in alcohol use and associated consequences during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to a range of negative physical health associations, excessive alcohol use may lead to or worsen existing mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression, which may themselves be increasing during COVID-19.”

Some of the other key findings from the study, which can be read in its entirety here include:

• Frequency of alcohol consumption increased overall

• On average, alcohol was consumed 1 day more per month by 3 of 4 adults

• For women, there was 41% increase in heavy drinking

• 1 in 5 women reported one additional day of heavy drinking per month

• For women, there was an increase in alcohol-related problems independent of consumption level

New results from an early safety study of Moderna's coronavirus trial showed it produced virus-neutralizing antibodies at levels in older adults that are on par with younger adults, according to Reuters. The study is said to offer a better glimpse into the vaccine's safety for older adults, who are more at risk for severe complications from COVID-19. Dr. Evan Anderson, a researcher with Emory University in Atlanta, who is one of the lead author's of the study, told Reuters the study's findings were reassuring, "because immunity tends to weaken with age." The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and can be read here.

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

• Confirmed cases: 33,676,272

• Fatalities: 1,008,411

• Recoveries: 23,419,066

After dealing with a harsh spike in cases during April, Belgium appeared to have COVID-19 transmission under control. Between May 1 and Sept. 9, the nation never saw a day with more than 800 new cases. However, a resurgence of cases in the second half of September has not only restored outbreak worries, but also fueled the country's death toll. Since Sept. 16, the country has seen over 1,000 new cases every day, including a peak of 2,208 on Sept. 25. On Tuesday, the country recorded its 10,000th death from COVID-19, becoming the 18th country to reach the fatality figure.

India’s lead pandemic agency said more than 60 million people could have contracted the novel coronavirus, citing a nationwide study measuring antibodies. India, which is home to 1.3 billion people, is now the world's second most infected nation, just behind the United States with more than 6.1 million cases, according to a study testing blood for certain antibodies to estimate the proportion of a population that has fought off the virus, AFP reports. "The main conclusions from this sero-survey are that one in 15 individuals aged more than 10 have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 by August," Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) director-general Balram Bhargava said at a health ministry press conference.

The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients rose more than 15% in Colorado over the past week, as cases continue to increase in the state, according to The Denver Post. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported 177 people received hospital care for COVID-19 on Monday, up from 152 a week earlier. “Any increase in hospitalizations is concerning,” said Beth Carlton, an associate professor of environmental and occupational health at the Colorado School of Public Health. “The good news is we’re still nowhere near hospital capacity.” Although new COVID-19 cases increased in Colorado for a fourth week, the increase is not as drastic as the week prior. Colorado has reported a total of 69,490 cases of the virus and 7,530 hospitalizations since March.

The entrance to the parking lot at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World closed because of restrictions due to the pandemic. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

More than six months into the coronavirus pandemic, The Walt Disney Co. is feeling the economic toll lockdown restrictions have taken on its businesses and announced Tuesday that it will be laying off 28,000 employees. According to The Associated Press, the majority of the layoffs will impact part-time workers, but about one-third of the layoffs involved salaried employees and nonunion hourly workers. The layoffs will affect workers at parks in both Florida and California. All told, about one-quarter of Disney’s U.S. workforce will be let go, according to The New York Times. Disney shut down parks during the springtime as the pandemic worsened in the U.S. and, over the summer, some of its Florida theme parks reopened. But parks in California have remained closed. Many employees had been furloughed and were still receiving full health benefits. “As heartbreaking as it is to take this action, this is the only feasible option we have in light of the prolonged impact of COVID-19 on our business, including limited capacity due to physical distancing requirements and the continued uncertainty regarding the duration of the pandemic,” Josh DÁmaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experience and Product, said in a letter to employees announcing the layoffs, according to the AP. DÁmaro said the company had tried other measures, including cost-cutting, but reduced capacity, due to coronavirus restrictions, in the parks that are open is not resulting in enough revenue. Watch the video below for more.

As N95 mask shortages continue to strain healthcare workers, hospitals have been looking for ways to disinfect used equipment, including respirators, in order to make the products reusable. New research suggests using moderate heat along with high relative humidity can disinfect N95 mask materials. The research also found that the process does not reduce the ability to filter out the virus. The treatment can be easily automated and scaled-up making the method much more useful for healthcare workers, unlike other disinfection strategies, according to UPI. "This is really an issue, so if you can find a way to recycle the masks a few dozen times, the shortage goes way down," Stanford physicist and senior study author Steven Chu said in a news release. A variety of different disinfecting strategies were tested by researchers, but all of them degraded the filtering abilities of respirators.

Over a dozen Purdue athletes have been suspended after holding a party on Saturday in an on campus residence hall. The university said in an announcement that 13 athletes were among the 14 who were suspended. All who were suspended do not play a fall sport and are not members of the men's or women's basketball teams, according to ESPN. The school's attempt to limit the spread of the coronavirus includes prohibiting campus parties if those attending can not social distance. Those suspended must vacate their residence hall by Wednesday but still have the ability to appeal. The party over the weekend became the second incident to trigger large suspensions by Purdue. The first incident came when 36 people were suspended in August due to connections to a party.

Passengers aboard the first cruise ship to sail to Greece after lockdown restrictions were lifted were tested on Tuesday, and early results came back negative, according to AFP. The Mein Schiff 6, operated by TUI Cruises, currently has 922 passengers and 666 crew members aboard. On Monday, the Greek coastguard said that 12 crew members had tested positive for the virus but were asymptomatic, according to TUI Cruises. However, a health ministry source told AFP that the first results from follow-up tests had come back negative. “The results were negative, the inspection continues,” the source said.

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh could face a hefty fine after removing his face mask to yell at a referee during Monday night's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The NFL mandated all personnel on the sidelines to wear a face mask at all times due to the coronavirus; however, Harbaugh removed his face mask midway through the first quarter after a questionable call of tripping was called against his team, according to Sporting News. Several coaches across the league have already been fined $100,000 for not wearing masks, and Harbaugh is expected to face the same fine sometime this week. The Ravens ended up losing 34-20 to the Chiefs.

The Utah Department of Health has reported nearly 2,000 school-related cases of COVID-19 since the start of the 2020-21 academic year. Of the 1,955 cases to be reported, 71% are students, 14.3% are teachers, and 14% are other school members. In just the last 14 days, 960 new cases have been reported. The dashboard used by the Utah Department of Health includes all cases from people who have attended, worked, or visited a K-12 school for more than 15 minutes while they had symptoms, according to Deseret News. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sydnee Dickson said the dashboard data “is about what we anticipated. I’m grateful that it’s not more than what we are seeing.” Dickson also noted that schools are the cleanest they've ever been and school students and staff have been following mask guidelines.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, announced on Tuesday that it would be distributing up to 100 million additional doses of any eventual COVID-19 vaccines to poorer countries in 2021. “This brings the total number of vaccine doses to be covered by the partnership between SII, Gavi, and the Gates Foundation to an aggregate of up to 200 million doses,” Gavi said in a statement, according to AFP. The statement added that the agreement “provides an option to secure additional doses, potentially several times the 200 million dose total,” if needed. Under the agreement, SII will also receive upfront capital to scale up production for its candidate vaccines being developed by AstraZeneca and by Novovax. “No country, rich or poor, should be left at the back of the queue when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines: this collaboration brings us another step closer to achieving this goal,” Gavi chief Seth Berkley said in the statement.

Amid a surge of new coronavirus cases across European countries, governors of 16 German states met to make plans on how to prevent Germany from seeing further spread. In recent weeks, infections have reached the highest levels not seen since April in the country. A reported 2,000 new cases are being seen per day on several occasions, according to The Associated Press. Despite the surge, the number is still much lower than the peak the country saw towards the start of the pandemic. Munich and other German cities have started to hover around the 50 new cases per 100,000 residents a week mark which has started to raise concerns. In response, Germany announced it would limit the amount of people at parties and family gatherings due to the increase in COVID-19 cases, AFP reports. More than 280,000 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Germany since the pandemic began along with nearly 10,000 deaths.

The New York City region has reported a 40% surge in bankruptcies during the coronavirus pandemic when compared to the same timeframe in 2019, a report by Bloomberg shows. Some of the most notable companies that have filed for bankruptcies since the pandemic began include Chuck E. Cheese and Neiman Marcus. In March, New York City became the epicenter for the pandemic which lead to sharp decline in tourism and spending. Wealthy residents also fled the city to live in the suburbs as cases started to rise, according to CNBC. The report by Bloomberg shows that small businesses are less likely to file for bankruptcy and have instead just shut down completely. More than 4,000 New York City businesses have shut down for good since March and the number is only expected to increase as the cold weather arrives.

South Koreans are being asked to stay home for their Thanksgiving holiday this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, The Associated Press reported. During the holiday, which begins on Wednesday and lasts for five days, people usually travel to reunite with their families. However, this year, health authorities are asking people to stay home, as increased mobility could cause a spike in virus cases. “We ask you to stay home and rest during these holidays for the health and safety of yourself and your family,” said Director of Korea’s Centers for Disease Control Jeong Eun-kyeong. “We experienced a nationwide spike in virus infections after the holidays from late April to early May and summer vacation periods. We plead you to spend this holiday at home and refrain from going outside and traveling if it’s not urgent.” As a solution and a way to still be close to family, Health Minister Park Neung-hoo encouraged South Koreans to “have video calls with each other or use video conferencing for family gatherings.” Watch the video below for more.

Just three weeks into its season, the NFL appears to have its first COVID-19 outbreak on its hands. NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero reported that the Tennessee Titans had three players and five members of its personnel staff test positive. As a result, the Titans and the Minnesota Vikings, who hosted Tennessee on Sunday, will suspend in-person activities immediately. The NFL said in a statement that both organizations were working with infectious disease experts to monitor developments, perform additional testing, and evaluate close contacts.  ESPN reporter Dianna Russini said that the Titans are not expected to be allowed back into their training facility until Saturday. The Titans are scheduled to host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, while the Vikings are scheduled to travel to Houston to play the Texans. 

Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) looks on in the second quarter during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Minneapolis. The Titans defeated the Vikings 31-30. (AP Photo/David Berding)

The pandemic has brought dramatic change to much of the world, and that includes people's eating habits, according to Swiss food and beverage company Nestle. The company says that the pandemic has brought increased demand for plant-based foods, as people look to eat healthier, Reuters reported. Problems at factories that have impacted meat supplies were cited as another factor, the company said. “People also have a renewed interest in personal health and losing weight as COVID particularly affects those with pre-existing health conditions,” Nestle CEO Mark Schneider told Reuters. 

A report released on Monday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that almost 280,000 school-aged children contracted the coronavirus between March 1 and Sept. 19. The figure, which accounted roughly for 4% of the total number of cases in the U.S. during that period, indicates that children aged 12-17 are approximately twice as likely to be infected as those aged 5-11. The data also suggests that, although cases plateaued in late August, following a peak on July 19, they are slowly starting to increase again as some schools have resumed in-person learning. “School studies suggest that in-person learning can be safe in communities with low SARS-CoV-2 transmission rates but might increase transmission risk in communities where transmission is already high,” the authors of the study said, according to AFP. Overall, 277,285 children were infected, 3.240 hospitalized, 404 were admitted to intensive care and 51 died.

President Donald Trump warned Americans that coronavirus cases in the U.S. might increase in the coming weeks. The warning comes as the president announced that the federal government will deploy 150 million of the new rapid tests that don’t require laboratory equipment for analysis. “In a short period of time, my administration has built the most advanced testing system in the world, there’s never been anything like this,” Trump said on Monday, according to Bloomberg. The new test, which was manufactured by Abbott Laboratories, has been praised by health officials for its technology. The test consists of a single-use device, which is about the size of a credit card, so it can be administered almost everywhere as it doesn’t require laboratory equipment. The World Health Organization also announced plans to distribute rapid tests, as WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that they will make 120 million rapid COVID-19 tests available to low- and middle-income countries.

With the Thanksgiving holiday less than two months away, the CDC recently issued new guidelines for how to stay safe during one of the busiest travel times of the year. "Travel increases the chance of getting and spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others. If you must travel, be informed of the risks involved," the CDC says on its website. Instead of large gatherings of extended family and friends, the CDC recommends, as with nearly everything else during the pandemic era, that virtual gatherings be held instead. Large events, including the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City have already been modified into TV only experiences this year. Read the CDC's full list of Thanksgiving guidelines below.

• Having a small dinner with only people who live in your household

• Preparing traditional family recipes for family and neighbors, especially those at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, and delivering them in a way that doesn’t involve contact with others

• Having a virtual dinner and sharing recipes with friends and family

• Shopping online rather than in person on the day after Thanksgiving or the next Monday

• Watching sports events, parades, and movies from home

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

• Confirmed cases: 33,389,891

• Fatalities: 1,002,394

• Recoveries: 23,177,913

The global COVID-19 fatality total surpassed the 1 million mark on Monday night, according to statistics kept by researchers from Johns Hopkins. Seven months to the day after the nation's first COVID-19 death, the United States leads the world with 205,091 deaths. Three other countries, Brazil, India and Mexico, have seen more than 50,000 deaths.

The World Health Organization (WHO) called the 1 million death mark “a very sad milestone,” according to Reuters. “So many people have lost so many people and haven’t had the chance to say goodbye. Many people who died died alone... It’s a terribly difficult and lonely death,” said WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris. “The one positive thing about this virus is it is suppressible, it is not the flu.”

In this Aug. 31, 2020 photo, family members mourn the passing of Manuela Chavez, who died from symptoms related to the coronavirus at the age of 88, as a government team prepares to remove her body from inside her home, in the Shipibo Indigenous community of Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region. The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus eclipsed 1 million, nine months into a crisis that has devastated the global economy, tested world leaders' resolve, pitted science against politics and forced multitudes to change the way they live, learn and work. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File)

(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File)

A new deal between United Airlines and pilots saves about 3,900 United pilots from furloughs planned in 2020 and 2021. The deal reduces their hours in exchange for a commitment from the company not to furlough any aviators through June 2021. Unfortunately for other employees, United and other airlines are allowed to start furloughing workers when the terms of $25 billion in federal aid expires on Oct. 1. Roughly 13,000 other United employees, including flight attendants, mechanics, customer service representatives and others are facing furloughs or layoffs starting Thursday, according to CNBC. Airlines are now asking for another $25 billion in federal aid that would preserve jobs through the end of next March.

New York state’s COVID-19 infection rate hit 1.5% on Sunday -- the highest level since mid-July, according to The New York Post. On Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that Brooklyn, Orange County and Rockland County all reported an increase in the positivity rate for the virus. Additionally, a nursing home in Steuben County, a church gathering in Chemung County and a pub in Broome County also reported a virus outbreak. “It’s very targeted and focused on those clusters,” Cuomo said. He added that “every New Yorker must: Wear a mask. Get tested. Social distance. Wash your hands often. Avoid large gatherings.” Cuomo also announced the extension of the State moratorium on COVID-related residential evictions until Jan. 1, 2021. “We must do all we can to provide stability to New Yorkers who are struggling financially so they will not be forced from their homes as a result of COVID.”

Many colleges and universities across the U.S. have taken to outdoor classrooms as a way to promote social distancing as they return to classes amid the pandemic. As the weather cools down for fall in many regions, however, outdoor classes could pose as a challenge for students and professors hoping to stay warm. “Science says that for the rate of transmission the odds are much lower if you’re in an outdoor environment than if you’re in an indoor environment,” Marist College sports culture and communications professor Jane McManus said. McManus is one of the many professors across the country taking advantage of their college’s outdoor spaces for learning. On days where it rains, her class is taught online. While many southern schools may be able to get away with an outdoor classroom through the semester, northern schools may not be so lucky, AccuWeather’s Dexter Henry reported. “You could probably get by with a nice sweater and a blanket where we are [until the] middle of October probably,” McManus, who teaches in New York state, said. “And then I think you’d have to make some decisions about whether or not it’s too cold.”

On Monday, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta allowed bars to reopen and restaurants to sell alcohol again. Starting on Tuesday, all bars will be allowed to serve customers until 10 p.m. The announcement comes as the rate of infections is slowly decreasing in the African nation. In addition to the reopening of bars, the dusk-to-dawn curfew, which was extended by another 60 days, was pushed back from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. The number of guests allowed at weddings and funerals was also doubled to 200. Despite the easing of measures, schools are still not allowed to open for the 2020 school year, as the government announced that classes will resume in 2021. Since the start of the pandemic, Kenya has reported 38,115 COVID-19 cases and 691 fatalitiesand Kenyatta said that a second wave could still be very possible if not careful. “We are the most vulnerable and fragile at the moment where we think we have won,” Kenyatta said, according to AFP. “If we have won the battle against COVID-19, we have not yet won the war.”

Several restaurants in Marseille’s Old Port in France defied government orders of remaining shut down on Monday, claiming they had nothing to lose. A two-week shutdown went into effect at midnight on Sunday, which was a controversial decision among politicians, restaurant owners and workers who did not believe the benefits of lockdown would outweigh the damage to the economy. “It’s not in bars and restaurants that COVID has come surging back,” one restaurant owner who defied orders by opening for lunch service told Reuters. “I’ve 60 kg (132 lbs) of mussels that need using up.” Critics of the shutdown have filed a legal petition in hopes it would be overturned, and a protest broke out in the city as well. “Overnight, we have no money coming in and we have families to feed,” the anonymous restaurant owner said.

An official death toll from Mexico regarding the coronavirus may not be available for a few years, Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell said. Mexico currently holds the fourth highest coronavirus death toll in the world with 76,430 confirmed fatalities. López-Gatell, however, said the number might not be high enough, as it doesn’t account for people who were never tested or died in their own homes, NBC News reported. “When will the final statistics on deaths from COVID-19 be ready? Certainly, a couple of years after the first year of the pandemic,” López-Gatell said, calling the official death toll “one of these technical details” that “cannot be measured.”

The upcoming G-20 summit, scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia this November, will now be a strictly virtual event, officials said Monday, according to The Associated Press. The G-20, or Group of 20, consists of 19 of the world's richest and most powerful countries as well as the European Union. According to The AP, citing a Saudi statement, the meeting will prioritize “protecting lives and restoring growth by addressing vulnerabilities uncovered during the pandemic and by laying down the foundations for a better future."

How easily can the coronavirus spread from one person to another? Scientists at a University of Maryland lab are now determined to find out — through the use of a giant cone. People who are infected with COVID-19 are taking turns sticking their head into the wide end of a giant cone that sucks in any particles that come from their mouth or nose. Scientists are hoping with this study they will discover the kind of danger each of the particles can pose, The Associated Press reported. The results will allow for a better public understanding on how to prevent catching the deadly virus. The study has also stirred up the unfaltering conversation surrounding aerosol transmission, and how it could play a role in the pandemic. While Linsey Marr, a leading researcher studying aerosols at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, said aerosol transmission likely happens “a lot more than people initially were willing to think,” it is still up in the air just how contagious the virus is via aerosols. “We’ve been studying influenza for 102 years,” Donald Milton of the University of Maryland School of Public Health said. “We still don’t know how it’s transmitted and what the role of aerosols is.”

This February 2018 photo provided by the University of Maryland School of Public Health shows The Gesundheit II machine in Dr. Donald Milton's Public Health Aerobiology, Virology, and Exhaled Biomarker Laboratory of the university in College Park, Md. The device is helping scientists study a big question: Just how does the virus that causes COVID-19 spread from one person to another? (University of Maryland School of Public Health via AP)

As the world nears 1 million deaths due to COVID-19, residents of Wuhan, China, the original epicenter, reflect on the battles the city faced. “One million people dead, maybe relatively speaking in terms of the total global population it's not a lot," Hu Lingquan, a scientist and resident of Wuhan, said. "But these are actually all real people's lives.” After months of strict lockdowns, testing and contact tracing, Wuhan’s economy is  bouncing back and things such as factories and retail are back in business. The city has not seen a new case since May, which has led some scientists in the city to raise concern over the global response to the virus. "From China's point of view they’ve really done badly," Hu said, according to AFP. "Maybe they never really comprehended how serious this thing is.” Guo Jing, another resident of the city, told the news agency that the death toll was something they could have never imagined. "It has exceeded a lot of people's expectations, and it continues to rise." Watch the video embedded below for more.

On Friday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis lifted all restrictions on bars and restaurants in the state, while also banning fines against people who refuse to wear masks, The Associated Press reported. Monday morning, appearing on ABC's Good Morning America, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said DeSantis' decision was "very concerning to me."

"When you're dealing with community spread and you have the kind of congregate setting where people get together, particularly without masks, you're really asking for trouble . Now's the time, actually, to double down a bit." Fauci noted that he didn't mean officials should close and shut down everything once again, but rather keep following strict public health measures. "We want to do everything we possibly can to avoid an absolute shutdown, in other words get the cases under control by the common sense types of things, those public health measures." Watch the full interview below.

Residents of the small southern Romanian village of Deveselu recently conducted an election for a new mayor, and the results came back with a surprising choice. Ion Aliman recently passed away due to COVID-19 complications about 10 days prior to the local elections. However, the villagers wound up re-electing the popular Aliman in a landslide, The Associated Press reported. Because Aliman's death occurred too close to the election, his name wasn't able to be removed from the ballot, The AP said. Results on Sunday showed that Aliman had earned about 1,057 out of 1,600 votes cast in Deveselu, home to about 3,000 people, according to The AP. In the aftermath of the vote, a number of villagers went to his grave to light candles and pay their respects. 

View of the empty seats on Suzanne Lenglen court as rain suspended most matches in the first round of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Monday, Sept. 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

The rescheduled French Open is currently underway in Paris, and the competitors are noticing a big difference in the weather in the French capital compared to when the event normally takes place in late May and early June. Not only is the weather gloomy, but the the quiet atmosphere is completely different than what players are used to for one of the biggest tournaments of the year. Only about 1,000 spectators are allowed on site each day, France 24 reported. One spectator identified only as Yannick, a 22-year-old student, said, "I don't know what I'm doing here, it's freezing, I'm not sure I'll see a lot of play today apart from those on central court."

Matches that weren't under a roof were interrupted by windy and wet weather. "It's ridiculous, it's too cold," Montenegro's Danka Kovinic said after her first-round match was interrupted, according to France 24. The weather for the rest of the week doesn't seem to offer much in the way of improvement. Temperatures are forecast to dip from the upper 60s F to the upper 50s by the weekend and some rain is expected almost every day this week. The tournament is scheduled to take place at Roland Garros until Oct 11.

The AccuWeather forecast for the next week in Paris shows cool and wet conditions are expected to remain in the city.

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

• Confirmed cases: 33,130,914

• Fatalities: 998,145

• Recoveries: 22,940,351

India has become the world hotspot for coronavirus transmission in recent months and surpassed the 6 million case mark over the weekend, becoming the second country to do so. The nation has only seen one day with fewer than 75,000 new cases over the past month, a mark no other country approaches.

As of Monday morning, the cumulative global fatality total from COVID-19 is nearing the 1 million mark, according to statistics from researchers at Johns Hopkins. The threshold is expected to be surpassed on Monday, less than nine months after the outbreak began. No country has seen nearly as many reported deaths as the United States, which has totaled 204,762 fatalities as of Monday morning.

Correction: The headline on this post previously said the world was nearing 2 million deaths. The current global death toll is nearing 1 million.

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