Coronavirus USA summary: cases, deaths, latest news - 30 Sept

New York battles Covid-19 hot spots as Washington wrangles over relief

New York City restaurants welcomed patrons back inside for the first time in months on Wednesday as authorities scrambled to contain Covid-19 outbreaks in some neighbourhoods and negotiators in Washington wrangled over a coronavirus relief package, Reuters report.

Coronavirus infection rates continued to climb in many of the nine ZIP codes in the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn where new clusters have emerged, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Wednesday. The city is deploying 400 police officers as well as other officials to improve compliance with social-distancing rules and a face-covering mandate in the affected neighbourhoods.

Residents and visitors will be fined up to $1,000 if they refuse to wear a mask in public, de Blasio said on Tuesday, after the daily positivity rate topped 3% for the first time since June as more students headed back to the classroom. On Wednesday, the rate ticked back under 1%, he told a news conference, while the seven-day rolling average of infections rose slightly to 1.46%.

WHO targeting more support

Governments, the private sector, civil society & international organisations commit over 1 billion US$ at #UNGA event to support the Access to #COVID19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator initiative, to bolster access to lifesaving tests, treatments & vaccines

White House update

The rapid, point-of-care tests are the focus of the latest White House communication on how the government is trying to help the most vulnerable.

Biden says Trump 'will step down' if he loses 

Presidential nominee Joe Biden on Wednesday said the American people would not stand by if President Donald Trump loses the election and refuses to step down, one day after the Trump again refused to say whether he would accepts the results of the Nov. 3 election.

"The president will step down. The American people will not stand for it. No agency would stand for that happening," Biden, said at a campaign stop in Ohio. He also denounced a right wing group that Trump declined to condemn in Tuesday night's debate, saying: "My message to the Proud Boys and every other white supremacist group is: cease and desist."

Burned out by coronavirus, millions of U.S. women want to quit

One in four U.S. working women is thinking about slowing their careers or quitting the workforce altogether because of Covid-19, research showed on Wednesday, a trend that could erase progress women have made in the ranks of business.

Women said they felt burned out, with many doing double duty on the job and at home due to the new coronavirus pandemic, in a survey by LeanIn.Org, a U.S.-based women's rights group, and McKinsey & Company, a global consultancy.

Companies risk seeing an exodus of women from their top ranks, undoing years of female management gains, the groups said, after surveying 40,000 employees at 317 firms about women in the workforce and the impact of Covid-19.

"If one in four women who are thinking about leaving the workforce do, it will wipe out all the gains at all levels of management," said Rachel Thomas, LeanIn.Org's co-founder and chief executive.

Covid cases up among young U.S. adults

Coronavirus cases among young adults rose steadily across the United States in recent weeks as universities reopened, suggesting the need for this group to take more measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, a U.S. health agency said.

Universities that want to reopen for in-person learning need to implement mitigation steps such as mask wearing and social distancing to curb the spread of the virus among young adults, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in the report.

Between Aug. 2 and Sept. 5, weekly cases of Covid-19 among people aged 18 to 22 rose 55.1%. The Northeast region recorded a 144% increase while Midwest cases rose 123.4%, the report said.

GAVI urges more countries to join COVAX, 'enormous consolidated market'

​​​​​​The head of the GAVI vaccine alliance on Wednesday urged countries that have not signed up to the COVAX vaccine facility to join the global effort to help finance doses for low- and middle- income countries.

Seth Berkley, addressing a high-level United Nations session in New York, said that 168 countries had now joined COVAX, including 76 wealthy, self-financing ones, adding: "I urge others who are wavering urgently to join us."

Neither China, Russia nor the United States have joined the facility, although World Health Organization (WHO) officials have said they are still holding talks with China.

US Stocks: Wall Street jumps on stimulus

Wall Street's main indexes jumped on Wednesday, led by industrials and technology-related stocks, as officials rekindled the idea of an imminent fiscal stimulus package, while upbeat data suggested a domestic economic recovery was on track.

U.S. House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin hoped for a breakthrough on Covid-19 relief as they prepared to resume talks aimed at hammering out a bipartisan deal.

All 11 major S&P indexes were up, with energy also among the biggest gainers, as data showed U.S. private employers stepped up hiring in September, while the Chicago PMI reading jumping to 62.4, the highest level since December 2018.

Titans home NFL game versus Steelers postponed due to Covid-19

The NFL has postponed Sunday's game between the Tennessee Titans and visiting Pittsburgh Steelers after some players and staff from the Nashville-based team tested positive for the coronavirus, ESPN reported on Wednesday.

According to ESPN, which cited unnamed sources, playing the game on Monday is among the options being considered to reschedule the contest.

The report comes a day after the Titans closed their facilities after three players and five team personnel tested positive for the virus following their Sunday game against the host Minnesota Vikings.

"One million lives lost is a tragic figure, it's not just a number"

Infectious Disease Epidemiologist and member of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme Committee Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove described reaching one million Covid-19 deaths as a tragedy which should not be underestimated.

"We are at a tragic milestone right now of at least one million deaths due to Covid-19. And these are deaths that have occurred over the last nine months - from a new virus which has entered the human population, spread across the globe and I think we need to reflect on this, as it's not just a number," she explained. "These are a million lives lost, families, mothers and fathers, children, friends and loved ones..."

She continued, "For me, there is so much we can do. This just makes us work even harder. So there is hope, because we continue to see countries working incredibly hard to bring outbreaks under control - for earlier clinical care for patients, to save lives". 

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U.S. Treasury's Mnuchin 'hopeful' for coronavirus aid compromise with Democrats

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Wednesday that he is hopeful that a deal for new coronavirus relief legislation can be reached between the White House and congressional Democrats, and the two sides should know by Thursday whether they have an understanding.

Mnuchin told a CNBC investor conference that he is continuing recently revived talks with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and said he thinks they can "reach a reasonable compromise."

South Africa says tourists from high-risk countries still barred entry

Leisure travellers from countries with coronavirus infection rates higher than South Africa, including Britain, the United States, France, India, The Netherlands and Russia, will still not be permitted to enter when South Africa's borders open up on 1 October, ministers said on Wednesday. But business travellers from these 'high-risk' countries with scarce and critical skills including diplomats, repatriated persons and investors will be allowed to enter, Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said.

COVAX is supporting the development of nine Covid-19 vaccines - WHO

Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus gave update on the advances which the body have been making in recent weeks. Speaking in a virtual video conference today, he explained, "Earlier this week we reached agreement to make 120 million new rapid Covid-19 tests available to low- and middle-income countries. We’ve secured courses of dexamethasone – the only medicine shown to reduce the risk of Covid-19 death so far – for up to 4.5 million patients in lower-income countries".

The WHO Director-General also confirmed that COVAX is supporting the development of nine Covid-19 vaccines, with more in the pipeline. "We already have 167 countries who will benefit from the COVAX vaccine facility, representing over 70% of the world’s population"

COVAX is one of three pillars of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, which was launched in April by the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Commission and France in response to this pandemic.

Teenager dies from rare Covid-19 complications

Chad Dorrill, a healthy, 19-year-old sophomore studying at Appalachian State University has died from complications after contracting Covid-19, The teenager died on Monday night at Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem. He had been diagnosed with Covid-19 earlier this month but later needed to be hospitalised after his condition deteriorated.

Hawaiian Airlines hopes to provide Covid-19 tests in U.S. airports next month

From 15 October, Hawaiian Airlines will offer drive-through Covid-19 tests in select U.S. mainland gateways that will allow guests to bypass the state of Hawaii quarantine and begin enjoying the islands from the moment they arrive, the company said.

Hawaiian’s partnership with Worksite Labs will give guests exclusive access to drive-through PCR testing ($90 for results within 36 hours, or $150 for day-of-travel express service) from dedicated, conveniently located labs.

Hawaiian’s initial labs will be operational near Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO) international airports, with more testing locations coming soon at its other U.S. mainland gateways, including Las Vegas and Pheonix.

Travel slump threatens 46 million jobs, aviation group says

The impact of the coronavirus on travel may cost as many as 46 million jobs globally, according to projections published on Wednesday by an aviation industry group. The Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) predicted that the travel slump and a slow recovery will threaten 4.8 million aviation workers and more than half of the 87.7 million total jobs supported directly or indirectly by the sector, in related leisure industries and supply chains.

$12 billion coronavirus vaccine plan for poor and developing countries

Reuters - World Bank President David Malpass said he is seeking board approval for a $12 billion coronavirus vaccine financing plan to help poor and developing countries secure a sufficient share of doses when they become available. 

Malpass told Reuters in an exclusive interview that the initiative is aimed at helping countries procure and distribute vaccines early to healthcare and other essential workers and expand global production. He added that the board was expected to consider the plan in early October.

The U.S. government has pledged over $3 billion to secure hundreds of millions of doses of vaccines under development by Britain's AstraZeneca Plc AZN.L and by U.S. drug giant Pfizer Inc PFE.N and Germany's BioNTech SE 22UAy.F.

Disney to lay off  28,000 employees due to Covid-19

Walt Disney Co said it will lay off approximately 28,000 employees, mostly at its U.S. theme parks, where attendance has been heavily hit by the coronavirus pandemic, especially in California where Disneyland remains closed.

About two-thirds of the laid-off employees will be part-time workers, the company said in a statement.

“We have made the very difficult decision to begin the process of reducing our workforce at our Parks, Experiences and Products segment at all levels,” Josh D’Amaro, chairman of the parks unit, said in a statement.

Trump continues to question effectiveness of masks

More than 200,000 Americans have died from Covid-19 and Donald Trump is still casting doubt about the effectiveness of wearing a mask and mocking Democratic nominee Joe Biden for doing so himself.

“I don't wear a mask like (Biden), every time you see him, he's got a mask,” Trump said. “He could be speaking 200 feet away from it, and he shows up with the biggest mask I've seen.”

One million deaths from Covid-19

Nine months have passed since the first death from a mysterious virus in Wuhan, China. That virus, SARS-CoV-2, has now claimed the lives of 1 million people around the world, according to a comprehensive tally by Johns Hopkins University. The number of people known to have been infected with Covid-19 is estimated to be more than 33 million.

Election 2020

Biden - Trump debate, as it happened, reactions: USA presidential election 2020

Biden and Trump clash over coronavirus

The presidential candidates clashed over Covid-19, just as they clashed over everything during the first presidential debate. Trump defended his record despite over 200,000 Americans having died from the disease, while Biden said he would shut the country down again if necessary.

The Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings suspended team activities on Tuesday after a number of positive COVID-19 tests following their Sunday game in the third week of the NFL’s 2020 season.

Germany’s CureVac NV said on Tuesday it has started a mid-stage study testing its experimental coronavirus vaccine and plans to begin a decisive global trial with about 30,000 volunteers in the fourth quarter.

Coronavirus cases among young adults rose steadily across the United States in recent weeks as universities reopened, suggesting the need for this group to take more measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, a U.S. health agency said.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc REGN.O on Tuesday said its experimental two-antibody cocktail reduced viral levels and improved symptoms in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients, enhancing its chances of becoming a treatment for the disease that has killed over a million people worldwide.

Lonza is confident that U.S. and Swiss plants it is building to help make Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate will be ready for commercial production this year, executives at the Swiss company said on Tuesday.

CStone Pharmaceuticals said on Wednesday a unit of Pfizer Inc PFE.N had agreed to buy a 9.9% stake for HK$1.55 billion ($200 million), as the Hong Kong-listed biopharmaceutical firm seeks to improve the commercialisation of its products.

Results from an early safety study of Moderna Inc's MRNA.O coronavirus vaccine candidate in older adults showed that it produced virus-neutralizing antibodies at levels similar to those seen in younger adults, with side effects roughly on par with high-dose flu shots, researchers said on Tuesday.

A healthcare worker gathers information from a motorist at a drive-through coronavirus testing center at M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi School of Islamic Sufism on September 29, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)

World Bank seeks board approval for $12 bln coronavirus vaccine financing plan

(Reuters) World Bank President David Malpass said on Tuesday he is seeking board approval for a $12 billion coronavirus vaccine financing plan to help poor and developing countries secure a sufficient share of vaccine doses when they become available in the coming months.

Malpass told Reuters in an exclusive interview that the initiative, part of $160 billion in coronavirus aid financing pledged by the multilateral lender, is aimed at helping countries procure and distribute vaccines early to healthcare and other essential workers and expand global production. He said the board was expected to consider the plan in early October.

Global competition for early coronavirus vaccine doses is already fierce, months ahead of any approvals, as wealthy countries move to secure supplies.

The US government has pledged over $3 billion to secure hundreds of millions of doses of vaccines under development by Britain's AstraZeneca Plc and by US drug giant Pfizer Inc and Germany's BioNTech SE.

Malpass said the World Bank plan aimed to put poor and middle-income countries, where the virus is spreading most rapidly, on the same footing as richer countries by ensuring they have financing to secure supplies and a system for distribution, which will encourage drugmakers to meet their demand.

Cuomo: "If the schools are not safe, I'm not going to allow them to operate. Period."

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has said that the city is going to get tough on face mask wearing and said schools will not be allowed to operate unless the new regulations are adhered to. New York introduced mandatory face mask laws on Tuesday with those not covering their faces facing fines. 

Disney to lay off about 28,000 parks employees due to coronavirus

(Reuters) Walt Disney Co will lay off roughly 28,000 US employees in its theme parks division, the company said on Tuesday, as its resorts struggled with limited attendance and the continued closure of California's Disneyland due to the coronavirus pandemic.

About two-thirds of the laid-off employees are part-time workers, the company said in a statement.

Disney shut its theme parks around the world when the novel coronavirus began spreading earlier this year. All but Disneyland gradually reopened, though the company was forced to limit the number of visitors to allow for physical distancing. 

"We have made the very difficult decision to begin the process of reducing our workforce at our Parks, Experiences and Products segment at all levels," Josh D'Amaro, chairman of the parks unit, said in a statement.

He cited the parks' limited capacity and continued uncertainty about the duration of the pandemic, which he said was "exacerbated in California by the state's unwillingness to lift restrictions that would allow Disneyland to reopen." 

US NEWS

US elections 2020: who are the three moderators for the presidential debates?

Chris Wallace, Steve Scully and Kristen Welker have been handed the task of moderating tonight's presidential debate. Here's the low down on the trio who will be refereeing the contest between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. 

Election 2020

USA election 2020 Biden - Trump presidential debate live online

Trump vs Biden live

You can follow every jab and parry of the first presidential election debate right here on AS English.  

US ELECTION

The Biden-Trump debate: what is the format and what topics will be covered?

The Biden-Trump debate: what is the format and what topics will be covered?

Democrat candidate Joe Biden and current US president Donald Trump go head-to-head in the in the first live televised debate on Tuesday night at 21:00 (ET).

Over 600,000 confirmed cases of children with Covid-19 in the US

A survey compiled by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association has shown that a total of 624,890 child cases of Covid-19 were reported in the United States from the start of the pandemic up until 24 September. The survey looked at data published on the health department websites of 49 states, New York City, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam,

It added that "Covid-19-associated hospitalization and death is uncommon in children and severe illness among children is rare". A total of 25 states and New York City reported hospitalizations by age. "Children were 0.5%-3.7% of total reported hospitalizations, and between 0.2%-7.9% of all child Covid-19 cases resulted in hospitalization".

NY to fine people who refuse to wear mask, says mayor

New York City will impose fines on people who refuse to wear a face covering as the rate of positive tests for the coronavirus climbed above 3% for the first time in months, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Tuesday.

Officials will first offer free masks to those caught not wearing one. If the person refuses, they will face an unspecified fine, de Blasio told reporters.

"Our goal, of course, is to give everyone a free face mask," de Blasio said. "We don't want to fine people, but if we have to we will."

(Text: Reuters; photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP)

US judge weighs whether to drop criminal case against ex-Trump adviser Flynn

(Reuters) A federal judge on Tuesday weighed whether to grant a request by the Justice Department to dismiss a criminal charge against President Donald Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn in a highly anticipated court hearing.

The hearing pits the Justice Department and Flynn's defense attorneys against John Gleeson, a former trial judge who was tapped by US District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan to argue against the government's position that the case should be dropped.

"I'm going to spend some time essentially capturing the essence of the opening arguments," Sullivan said at the outset of the hearing.

After Sullivan spent roughly an hour spelling out the history of the case and recapping each side's arguments, he was forced to delay the proceedings being conducted remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic after one of the prosecutor's microphones stopped working properly.

Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, was charged under former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation that detailed Russian interference in the 2016 US election to boost Trump’s candidacy.

Flynn pleaded guilty twice to lying to the FBI about his conversations before Trump took office with Sergey Kislyak, who was then Russia's ambassador to the United States, concerning US sanctions imposed on Russia under President Barack Obama.

Trump vs Biden

USA election 2020 presidential debate Trump vs Biden: time, TV and how to watch live online

Trump vs Biden: how and where to watch tonight's presidential debate

The coronavirus pandemic has, unsurprisingly, been chosen as one of the six topics up for discussion in tonight's first debate between US presidential election candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

Here's a guide on how you can follow the debate, which gets underway at 21:00 ET:

US coronavirus latest news 

Welcome to our US-focused coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic for Wednesday 30 September.

Worldwide there have now been over 33 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with over one million deaths. 

In the US, there have been over 7.1 million cases and over 205,000 deaths.