Live Updates
Our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic has moved here.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has asked states to be ready to distribute a coronavirus vaccine by late October.
Drugmaker Pfizer thinks it will have enough data to ask the US Food and Drug Administration to authorize its potential vaccine next month.
Most experts think it’s unlikely – but not impossible – that a vaccine will be ready ahead of the US election. But with at least seven candidates in phase 3 trials, it’s very likely that at least one successful vaccine will emerge in the months to come. Pharmaceutical companies are also racing to develop effective treatments for the disease.
An effective vaccine has been touted as the magic bullet that will allow the global economy to quickly shift back into gear. Yet there are reasons why the recovery may be slow going: vaccines are typically not 100% effective and there will be a limited number of doses to go around.
Distribution could be a problem, both between countries and within them. Even if those challenges are overcome, some people may choose not to take the vaccine.
Neil Shearing, group chief economist at Capital Economics, wrote recently in a research note that there are a range of potential outcomes for economies once a vaccine is certified. And it would be wrong, he said, to assume that a vaccine will transform the economic outlook for next year.
“At one end of the spectrum lies a highly effective vaccine that is produced and distributed quickly. At the other lies a less effective vaccine that faces significant production and distribution challenges and would be in relatively short supply in 2021,” he said. “In most scenarios in between, it is likely that containment measures, including social distancing and restrictions on some foreign travel, will remain in place for the foreseeable future.”
Read the full analysis:
Covid-19 can have lasting impacts on the body, but preliminary research is finding that patients not only can recover over time, but can do so faster with pulmonary rehabilitation.
Two early research reports which will be presented today at the European Respiratory Society International Congress describe how a severe Covid-19 infection can leave lasting lung damage and, in some cases, even psychological wounds.
“The bad news is that people show lung impairment from COVID-19 weeks after discharge; the good news is that the impairment tends to ameliorate over time, which suggests the lungs have a mechanism for repairing themselves,” Dr. Sabina Sahanic, a clinical PhD student at the University Clinic in Innsbruck, Austria, who was involved in one of the reports, said in a news release.
Sahanic’s research included data on 86 patients with severe Covid-19 symptoms who were enrolled in the study between April and June.
“About 50% of our study population showed a persisting shortness of breath six weeks after discharge from hospital that improved slightly until visit two,” Sahanic said.
“Regarding our CT findings, we found that about 88% of our study population still showed pathological findings in visit one, which ameliorated to 56% in visit two.”
The second study, presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress on Friday, found that patients with severe Covid-19 symptoms who underwent pulmonary rehabilitation early in their recovery process showed improvements in a range of areas, including:
Neither study has yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal and more research will be needed to determine whether similar findings would emerge among a larger and more diverse group of patients.
Read more:
Brazil recorded 14,521 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, according to the country’s Health Ministry on Sunday, bringing its total number of infections to 4,137,521.
Another 447 virus-related deaths were also recorded, raising Brazil’s death toll to 126,650.
The United States is the only country to have recorded more coronavirus cases than Brazil.
CNN is tracking worldwide coronavirus cases here:
Biden campaign senior adviser Symone Sanders was on Fox News this morning to discuss the development of the coronavirus vaccine.
Sanders said the Biden camp would support a Covid-19 vaccine that is ready before the election and threw out a hypothetical end of October date.
“We all want a vaccine,” Sanders said, “the question is how will it be distributed?”
A President that couldn’t effectively manage personal protective equipment distribution can’t be trusted to do the same with a life-saving vaccine, she said.
CNN’s Rebecca Grandahl contributed to this report
The state of New York has maintained a positive Covid-19 infection rate below 1% for 30 straight days, a release from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office said.
The state had a positive infection rate of 0.85% reported Saturday, the release said.
Hospitalizations across the state have dropped to 410 which is the lowest number since March 16, according to the release.
“We know based on experience that an incremental, data-driven reopening is the best way to protect the health and safety of all New Yorkers. As this virus continues to be a national crisis, it’s clear that caution is a virtue, not a vice,” Cuomo said.
The governor added: “Our infection rate has been below 1% for 30 days, and New Yorkers can help us keep that streak going by wearing masks, socially distancing, and washing their hands. Our actions today determine the rate of infection tomorrow, so as the Labor Day weekend continues, I urge everyone to be smart so we don’t see a spike in the weeks ahead.”
The United Kingdom has recorded 2,988 new Covid-19 cases in a 24-hour period — the highest daily number since May, according to government figures published on Sunday.
The UK’s total recorded case number now stands at 347,152.
In addition, two people with Covid-19 have died, bringing the UK government’s official death toll to 41,551 on Sunday.
In response to the new figures, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “Cases rising across the UK - 2988 being reported today compared to 1813 yesterday. This reminds us again of the need to be very vigilant and comply with all the facts.”
Comparisons should be made with caution because the number of tests being processed has increased since May.
When asked to clarify her running mate Joe Biden’s stance on a federal mask mandate— Sen. Kamala Harris confirmed that it would just be a standard, appearing to walk back a legally enforceable action versus a strong suggestion.
“It would be a standard,” Harris said on CNN. “This is not about in terms of the priorities of Joe Biden and myself, this is not about punishment. It’s not about big brother. It is simply about saying what a leader says in times of crisis. You look at world war II, you look at the great depression where leaders said, we each have to sacrifice for the sake of the nation and the collective. And that’s what this is about.”
The California Senator and Democratic vice presidential candidate did not clarify how that standard would be enforceable, instead she faulted the President for playing politics on the issue making it difficult to bring everyone else along.
Watch:
Seven more areas in France have been added to the Covid-19 “active circulation zone,” or “red zone,” according to a decree published on Sunday, bringing the total number to 28.
In red zones, the authorities have the power to apply measures such as making masks compulsory outdoors and closing bars and restaurants.
France is made up of 101 administrative divisions called “departments” and now 28 of these are “red zones.”
The Nord, Bas-Rhin, Seine-Maritime, Côte-d’Or (four ‘departments’ home to the urban areas of Lille, Rouen, Le Havre, Strasbourg and Dijon), the two “departments” of Corsica (South Corsica and Haute-Corse) and the island of Reunion have been added to the list.
This post has been updated to accurately reflect the number of departments in France.
Kamala Harris would not say whether she would take a vaccine for Covid-19 that is approved and distributed before the election, saying she does not trust President Trump, and that it would have to come from a credible source of information, according to an interview she did with CNN.
Harris spoke inside Founder’s Library at Howard University, her alma mater, in Washington, DC with CNN’s Dana Bash.
“Well, I think that’s going to be an issue for all of us,” the Democratic vice presidential candidate said. “I will say that I would not trust Donald Trump and it would have to be a credible source of information that talks about the efficacy and the reliability of whatever he’s talking about. I will not take his word for it. He wants us to inject bleach. No, I will not take his word.”
Harris did not project confidence that public health experts and scientists would get the last word about a vaccine.
“[I]f past is prologue that they will not, they’ll be muzzled, they’ll be suppressed, they will be sidelined because he’s looking at election coming up in less than 60 days. And he’s grasping for whatever he can get to pretend that he has been a leader on this issue when it’s not,” she said.
As the death toll in the United States from the coronavirus pandemic approaches 200,000, Harris attacked the Trump administration for “minimizing the seriousness” of the coronavirus outbreak and failing to do enough for millions of American struggling to make ends meet.
“There is no question that Donald Trump has been an abject failure and incompetent when it comes to addressing the severe job loss that has happened as a result of the pandemic, because he has failed to address the pandemic itself,” Harris told CNN. “We need to talk about how the economy is doing based on how working people are doing. And right now, working people are suffering.”
The unemployment rate in the United States stands at 8.4%, according to new Labor Department data released on Friday. That’s down from a high of 14.7% in April, but still far from the pre-pandemic unemployment rate of 3.5% in February.
Harris continued to say she would not trust Trump’s word alone on the safety and efficacy of a coronavirus vaccine, but said she “would trust the word of public health experts and scientists,” including Dr. Anthony Fauci.
“Joe Biden and I have a plan,” Harris said on vaccine distribution. “Donald Trump does not.”
Some context: Trump said on Friday he believed a coronavirus vaccine could “probably” come sometime in the month of October, though experts agree it is more likely to come in November or December.
A new University of Washington coronavirus model, routinely cited by the White House in the early days of the pandemic, is now projecting more than 400,000 dead by the end of the year.
Asked whether she believes states should mandate a coronavirus vaccine for public school students along with other vaccinations, Harris said she would listen to public health experts.
Harris also declined to back a mask mandate on a federal level, instead vowing a “national standard.”
“This is not about punishment. It’s not about big brother,” she said. “We have a president of the United States who made this a partisan issue.”
Harris added: “The virus could care less who you voted for in the last election or who you plan to vote for in the next election. We need leadership that appreciates that, on certain issues, they should not be partisan. Wearing a mask certainly shouldn’t be one of them.”
Vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris will be discussing the coronavirus pandemic during an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”
Watch the interview at 9 a.m. ET.
Anxieties over the process that could lead to the approval of a coronavirus vaccine are escalating as President Donald Trump, desperate to stamp an end date on the deadly pandemic nightmare, ratchets up pressure on top regulatory officials to deliver him a medical and political panacea ahead of the November election.
Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris registered her concerns during an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” airing Sunday, saying she would cast a skeptical eye on a vaccine made available in the less than nine weeks to go before Election Day – a goal scientists have roundly said would be next-to-impossible to meet.
Harris also suggested that public health officials were likely to face pushback, potentially at the expense of their jobs, from the White House if they expressed reservations over a would-be vaccine or the standard for greenlighting it.
“If past is prologue, they will not, they’ll be muzzled, they’ll be suppressed, they will be sidelined,” Harris said. “Because he’s looking at an election coming up, in less than 60 days, and he’s grasping for whatever he can get to pretend he has been a leader on this issue, when he is not.”
The widespread distribution of a dodgy vaccine, with a shove from a President whose reelection campaign has been laid low by the pandemic and its crushing effect on the economy, would heap calamity on top of catastrophe. But it has emerged as a very real concern – enough so that, according to the Wall Street Journal, at least three of the companies working to develop a coronavirus vaccine are now drafting a pledge to assure the public they would not seek approval for their vaccines before they are proven safe and effective.
Read the full analysis here:
There are at least 6,244,970 cases of coronavirus in the US, and at least 188,538 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University’s tally of cases in the United States.
On Saturday, Johns Hopkins University reported 44,452 new cases and 783 new deaths.
The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.
CNN is tracking coronavirus cases in the US here:
Labor Day weekend celebrations are in full swing – and many include the large crowds health experts feared.
Covid-19 doesn’t have to stop Labor Day celebrations, health experts said this week. But with more than 6.2 million Americans infected with the virus and 188,538 killed by it, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, the festivities should look a lot different this year. To avoid outbreaks, experts including Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said people should continue to distance, wear masks and avoid groups as they enjoy the weekend.
“We don’t want to see a repeat of the surges that we have seen following other holiday weekends,” Fauci said, referring to the outbreaks that followed Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.
Still, many gathered in large groups Saturday. Throngs of people are expected at Tybee Island beaches in Georgia over the weekend, CNN affiliate WTOC reported. And images from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, show umbrellas lined up side by side down the beach.
In Pennsylvania, the amusement park Kennywood is expected to have its busiest weekend of the season, CNN affiliate KDKA reported.
And in Atlanta, many weekend Labor Day parties are on the schedule including “The Biggest Labor Day Weekend Party in the City” hosted by rapper Gucci Mane and a “Sunday Funday” rooftop party advertised with an image of people standing close together, some without masks.
Vladimir Putin announced the approval of Russia’s Sputnik-V coronavirus vaccine on August 11 amid much fanfare, saying it works “quite effectively” in forming a stable immunity.
How would he know this? Because the Russian President revealed one of his daughters had already taken it.
Speaking on Russian state TV at the time, Putin said his daughter had a slightly higher temperature after each dose of the two-stage coronavirus vaccine, but that “Now she feels well.
Russian authorities have singled out teachers – as well as doctors – as key workers who will get access to the vaccine first, even before crucial phase 3 human trials have finished.
But that’s not gone down well with some sections of these frontline workers who don’t buy Putin’s claims of the efficacy of the vaccine and are reluctant to be used as human guinea pigs.
Schools opening, but not all teachers want the vaccine: On September 1, Russian classrooms reopened for the first time since March amid the Covid-19 pandemic – the same day the country surpassed 1 million coronavirus cases. Teachers were meant to be among the first to benefit from Russia’s new coronavirus vaccine, especially given the close contact with hundreds of children that they are exposed to on a daily basis. But CNN is learning that few – if any – have so far taken up the offer to be vaccinated.
Russia’s claim of victory at being the first to approve a coronavirus vaccine in a worldwide pandemic was initially met with widespread concern and unanswered questions over its safety and effectiveness, and not just from outside the country.
Police have arrested 54 people for flouting coronavirus guidelines in the north Indian state of Punjab.
A pool party was organized at a restaurant in Ludhiana amid the coronavirus pandemic on Saturday, Sameer Verma, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police told CNN.
A raid was conducted at the restaurant after police received an initial tip-off, said Verma.
Police also seized alcohol from the venue, he added.
Punjab has reported a total of 15,731 coronavirus cases including 1739 deaths until Sunday morning.
India is on track to become the country with the second highest number of coronavirus cases. On Saturday, Brazil’s Health Ministry reported 4,123,000 total cases, just 9,189 more than India.
According to Health Ministry data, India currently has 862,320 active cases of coronavirus while 3,180,865 patients have recovered after undergoing medical supervision.
India reported 90,632 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday – the highest single-day rise in infections since the pandemic hit the country.
The country’s total number of recorded cases now stands at 4,113,811, including 70,626 deaths, according to India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
India is on track to become the country with the second highest number of coronavirus cases. On Saturday, Brazil’s Health Ministry reported 4,123,000 total cases, just 9,189 more than India.
According to Health Ministry data, India currently has 862,320 active cases of coronavirus while 3,180,865 patients have recovered after undergoing medical supervision.
In India, not all patients require a test to be considered recovered. Patients with mild and moderate symptoms are considered no longer active after 10 days of symptom onset if they meet certain conditions, and a test to confirm that they no longer have the virus is not required. However, severe cases can only be discharged after one negative coronavirus test.
India has tested 48,831,145 samples for coronavirus until Saturday, the ministry says.
The Australian city of Melbourne will remain on a strict “Stage 4” lockdown until at least September 28, despite the daily average number of new Covid-19 cases dropping into double-digits.
Stage 4 restrictions were due to expire on September 14, however the government of Premier Daniel Andrews said today that the city would not be in a safe enough position to do so.
Melbourne has suffered through the toughest restrictions felt by Australians through the Covid-19 pandemic, as the city has felt the brunt of a brutal second wave of coronavirus.
The cases: At least 19,542 cases and 666 deaths have been recorded in the state of Victoria, the vast majority coming from the capital Melbourne in July and August. New South Wales, the next worst-hit Australian state, has recorded 4,114 cases and 52 deaths, mostly in April.
What the Stage 4 restrictions mean: They include the closure of all non-essential businesses, a curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. local time each day and restrictions on who may go outside and for how long.
Some minor changes will come into effect as of Sunday, September 13: The curfew will be pushed back to 9 p.m. and outdoor socializing with one other person will be allowed, Andrews said.
What to watch for: Further restrictions will be removed gradually from September 28 should the 14-day average for new cases per day be between 30 and 50. That includes public gatherings increased to a maximum of five people, some businesses reopened and some students allowed back to class.
If the 14-day average in new daily cases is below five as of October 26, the curfew will be lifted and residents will not need a valid reason to leave their home.
Saturday saw 63 new cases of Covid-19 in Victoria and five deaths added to the total.
US states should be prepared to distribute a coronavirus vaccine by November 1 “just in case” one is ready, US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said.
“We’ve always said that we are hopeful for a vaccine by the end of this year or beginning of next year,” Adams said in an ABC News interview Friday.
“That said, it’s not just about having a vaccine that is safe and effective – it’s about being ready to distribute it.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has asked public health officials in the states to prepare to distribute a coronavirus vaccine by late October or early November.
More than 6.2 million people have been infected in the US since the pandemic began, and 188,501 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Adams said the guidance is “just in case” a vaccine is approved by that time, reiterating comments by public health officials that such an event is possible but not probable.
Read more:
Dr. Anthony Fauci said Friday that he’s not sure what President Donald Trump meant when he said earlier that evening that the United States is “rounding the corner” on the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’m not sure what he means,” Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN’s Jim Acosta on “The Situation Room.”
“There are certain states that are actually doing well in the sense of that the case numbers are coming down.” However, Fauci continued, experts remain concerned by a number of states, including Montana, Michigan, Minnesota and the Dakotas, that are starting to see an uptick in the percentage of coronavirus tests coming back positive – an indication of spread of the virus.
The exchange marked another example of a top scientist and a member of the White House coronavirus task force publicly disputing the President’s claims about the virus, a dynamic that has played out nearly since the start of the pandemic.
“By the way, we are rounding the corner,” Trump said during a news briefing at the White House. “We are rounding the corner on the virus.”
Read more:
South Korea reported 168 new Covid-19 cases Saturday, its lowest number since August 15, according to the country’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The country recorded a surge in infections last month, partly driven by a cluster from Seoul’s Sarang-jeil Church, which was linked to 1,156 confirmed cases. Another 510 cases were linked to Seoul’s anti-government rallies, which were held on August 15.
The spike in new cases was especially high in the greater Seoul area. Last week, South Korea reported a peak of over 400 daily cases.
On August 28 the government announced stricter social distancing measures for the greater Seoul area, which took effect from August 30.
The measures include permitting only takeout services from franchise cafes, banning eat-in services between 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. local time at all restaurants and bakeries, and shuttering gyms and indoor sporting facilities.
On Friday, the strict social distancing measures for the greater Seoul area were extended until September 13.
South Korea’s national tally of confirmed cases stands at 21,010, and the death toll increased to 333 as two new deaths were added, according to a news release by the KCDC Saturday.
