USA coronavirus: summary and news - 22nd october
Coronavirus live USA: all the latest news
US coronavirus latest: headlines
- Trump and Biden prepare for final presidential debate
- Four US states report record daily deaths
- Volunteer in Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine trial dies, reportedly not given trial drug
- Pelosi sees chance for Covid-19 relief bill
US covid-19 latest: 14:00 PT / 17:00 ET on Thursday 22 October (23:00 CEST)
Latest figures published by Johns Hopkins University.
Worldwide
Cases: 41,536,126
Deaths: 1,134,981
Recoveries: 28,200,848
US
Cases: 8,393,406
Deaths: 222,896
Recoveries: 3,323,354
Related coronavirus articles that may be of interest:
France becomes second European country to surpass one million Covid-19 cases
Just hours after Spain hit one million Covid-19 cases, France became the second European country - and the seventh worldwide, to reach six figures. By late on Thursday, France had overtaken Spain and Argentina with the fifth highest number of Covid-19 infections - 1,041,991, behind Russia, Brazil, India and the United States.
Covid-19 surges across U.S. as some hospitals stretched
Several U.S. states, many of them in the Midwest, reported record single-day increases in Covid-19 infections on Thursday, further evidence that the pandemic is accelerating anew as cooler weather takes hold in many parts of the country. Indiana, North Dakota, Illinois, Montana, Oklahoma, Utah and Ohio posted daily records on Thursday, according to a Reuters analysis, while Florida reported more than 5,500 new cases, its highest single-day increase since 15 August.
Twenty-eight states have reported their daily record high of Covid-19 cases in the month of October alone. Increases in deaths tend to trail spikes new infections by several weeks. The autumn resurgence and dire predictions that the spread would further accelerate in the cold winter months have once again cast a harsh spotlight on President Donald Trump's handling of the pandemic.
A report released on Wednesday by Columbia University estimated that between 130,000 and 210,000 Covid-19 deaths could have been avoided in the United States, calling the federal government's response to the pandemic an 'enormous failure'.
Trump tests negative for coronavirus ahead of debate - aide
President Donald Trump has tested negative for covid-19 on Thursday ahead of the final presidential debate against Democratic nominee former Vice President Joe Biden before the 3 November election, his chief of staff Mark Meadows said.
Trump was hospitalized with the highly contagious novel coronavirus days after his first debate with Biden. Participants were to have been tested for the virus before the 29 September debate. The White House and Trump have repeatedly declined to say when the president last tested negative before that event. (Reuters)
Trump tests negative for coronavirus ahead of debate
U.S. President Donald Trump tested negative for Covid-19 on Thursday ahead of the final presidential debate against Democratic nominee former Vice President Joe Biden before the 3 November election, his chief of staff Mark Meadows said.
Trump was hospitalized with the highly contagious coronavirus days after his first debate with Biden. Participants were to have been tested for the virus before the 29 September debate. The White House and Trump have repeatedly declined to say when the president last tested negative before that event.
White House says $8.9bn in loans awarded to Tennessee small businesses
Ahead of the second and final presidential debate tonight in Nashville, Tennessee, the White House has claimed that the Trump administration has awarded over $8.9 billion in loans to over 99,000 businesses in the state since the start of the pandemic.
Trump plans to vote early on Saturday in Florida - spokesman
President Donald Trump plans to cast an early vote in the US presidential election while visiting Florida this weekend, White House spokesman Judd Deere said on Thursday.
Deere said the president would vote in West Palm Beach, Florida, where his Mar-a-Lago estate is located, on Saturday. (Reuters)
Who is to blame for a stimulus bill not being passed?
With a stimulus bill looking unlikely to be passed before the election, who will voter's blame for the impasse, and could it have a bearing on whom they vote for. This FT pieces looks at the issue in more depth...
Trick-or-treaters look to avoid covid-19 in this year's haul
As covid-19 haunts this Halloween communities and revelers around Florida find innovative ways to continue filling bags with candy. Some events will have to be put on hold this year but there are still ways to get a good fright.
Some questionable spending
The Chicago Tribune and ProPublica Illinois take a look into how the state of Illinois spent $1.6 billion in federal and state funds on covid-19 relief. Most of the expenses look above board but others are somewhat questionable.
Coronavirus driving a boom in high-end housing
Home sale in September were up more than 20% from a year ago according to the National Association of Realtors as per reporting from NPR’s Chris Arnold. However the boom reveals a lop-sided recovery with house sales at the high-end selling for over $1 millions doubling compared with house sales for houses under $250,000 showing modest increases of about 4%.
Low interest rates along with the smallest number of homes for sale available in decades are helping drive sales and push up prices. With the increased sales the median home price has surged by around $40,000 compared to a year ago. This is pricing first-time buyers out of the market as their numbers decrease.
As remote learning and working are becoming the norm people are looking for a bigger house to ride out the pandemic.
Four tips for a safer carpool
Health experts give four simple pieces of advice on how to avoid getting covid-19 when carpooling or using ride-sharing services.
Mask up even if the windows are down.
Form a carpool bubble.
Set A/C or heat to non-recirculation mode.
Use hand sanitizer or wash your hands when you leave the car.
US elections 2020: who is the moderator for the final presidential debate?
Who is the moderator for the final presidential debate?
Democrat candidate Joe Biden and current US president Donald Trump will go head-to-head in the second and final live televised debate tonight at 21:00 local time (ET).
NIH director says vaccine should be ready within a "couple of months"
Dr Francis Collins, the director of the US’ National Institutes of Health (NIH), says he expects a coronavirus vaccine to be available “within the next couple of months”.
“We are on the path towards having, I believe, a very good likelihood, and within the next couple of months of having at least one vaccine directed against SARS CoV-2 that will be found to be safe and effective in Phase 3 trials of tens of thousands of individuals,” Collins told the Milken Institute 2020 Global Conference on Wednesday, per CNN.
Dr Collins added that a successful roll-out of a covid-19 vaccine in under a year would be a "truly breath-taking" achievement.
Last debate Trump vs Biden tonight: time, TV and how to watch live online
Fireworks tonight?
Expect Biden to slam Trump's handling of the coronavirus hard tonight. Here's how to follow the debate tonight, which is likely to fairly fiery, despite the addition of the mute buttons...
Masked stroll along Venice Beach
Superb shot from Etienne Laurent of a couple wearing face masks walking along on the Venice Beach, California.
US records highest death toll in over a month
The United States reported over 1,100 new coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, the highest single-day fatality rate in the country in more than a month, CNN notes.
And according to a study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, this number could double in the coming months.
Researchers at the IHME say around 2,300 Americans could be dying every day by January.
Waiting for testing
An aerial view of people waiting in their vehicles for covid-19 tests at a drive-through testing site in the parking lot of Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Wednesday.
(REUTERS/Bing Guan)
Obama slams Trump's pandemic handling
Former President Barack Obama is campaigning for Democratic nominee Joe Biden and held his first in-person rally where he criticised the Republican candidate.
There are 13 days until the election and 54 days until the Electoral College meets.
Curfews part of drastic solution proposed in Spain
Spain needs drastic measures to combat an out-of-control new wave of the coronavirus pandemic and is considering new restrictions including curfews, Health Minister Salvador Illa said on Thursday. Illa will hold a video meeting on Thursday afternoon with regional health chiefs to agree on new measures.
On Wednesday Spain became the first country in Western Europe to have recorded more than one million cases of the virus. 'The second wave is a reality. In many areas of our country, the epidemic is out of control,' Illa told Onda Cero radio. 'I insist we have to take drastic measures, as do several regions,' he said.
A number of regions are advocating for localised curfews such as those implemented in France and other European countries with lower infection rates, he said.
Colorado mayor warns of Thanksgiving effect
In the state of Colorado one place seeing a significant spike is Pueblo, a former steel town with a population of just over 100,000 that is nearly 50% Hispanic.
Pueblo Mayor Nick Gradisar says that the recent increase in cases could likely be due to a combination of people relaxing during the summer, schools and the local university going back in session, and more extended family gatherings.
NPR reports:
Vaccine trial death appears to be placebo patient
The Brazilian trial of the covid-19 vaccine candidate by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca would have been suspended if the volunteer who died had been part of the active arm, a source familiar with the situation said on Wednesday, via Reuters.
The comment would suggest the volunteer was part of the comparative control group, which is given a meningitis jab.
Participants and investigators are not told which group they are in.
"The only reason that we're in a situation like this is because Donald Trump has failed to lead...
"The first duty of an American President is to keep the American people safe, he's failed to do that"
Shares down, dollar ticks up as US stimulus talks drag
Asian shares fell on Thursday and the dollar edged higher as investors fretted over the slow pace of US stimulus talks and a surge in global cases of covid-19.
The falls in Asia looked set to continue in Europe, putting European shares on track for a fourth straight session in the red. In early European trade, pan-region Euro Stoxx 50 futures were down 0.5%, German DAX futures shed 0.52% and FTSE futures slipped 0.39% to 5,722.5 Global investor sentiment has taken a fresh hit after US President Donald Trump accused Democrats on Wednesday of being unwilling to craft an acceptable compromise on fresh stimulus, following reports of progress earlier in the day.
As we've reported, it remains unclear whether stimulus negotiations would continue ahead of the US presidential and congressional elections on 3 November.
Last debate Trump vs Biden tonight: time, TV and how to watch live online
Hot topic: covid-19 will form part of tonight's debate
One of the candidates continually played down the dangers of the now devastating pandemic, and then caught the virus. The other says he has a plan to help America recover from it.
President Trump faces presidential nominee Joe Biden in the second and final live televised debate on Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET. The election will be held on 3 November.
All you need to know:
Whose antibody drugs are they anyway?
The Food and Drug Administration is evaluating two potential drugs that could help keep people healthy after they've been infected with the coronavirus.
So far, there's no clear system to make sure they would be allocated fairly or how to pay for these expensive drugs over the long haul.
South Dakota: mixed messaging on virus
Gov. Kristi Noem talks positively on the way they have handled covid-19 in the state, but this is quickly questioned with the use of actual facts.
Young man dies during vaccine trials in Brazil
Clinical trials of the covid-19 vaccine being developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca PLC will continue in Brazil despite the death a volunteer, Brazilian health regulator Anvisa said Wednesday.
Oxford University said it had carried out a careful assessment of the case in Brazil and that there were no concerns about the safety of the trial. An independent assessment of the case didn’t present any concerns, AstraZeneca said.
German cases rise by more than 10,000 for first time
Across in Germany, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose by more than 10,000 in a single day for the first time, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday.
The institute recorded 11,287 new cases in its daily update for a total of 392,049. The previous day's increase was 7,830. The reported death toll rose by 30 to 9,905, the tally showed.
While Germany's infection rates are lower than in much of Europe, they have been accelerating rapidly since the onset of cooler weather, with politicians warning that stricter social distancing rules may be needed if the trend continues. Health Minister Jens Spahn tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday.
MSNBC Producer tweets on FBI "major election security issue"
AP have announced that Russia and Iran could be trying to interfere in US 2020 election using voter registration information.
Covid-19 thwarts arguments as US judge reviews Trump rape case
Reuters report that a U.S. judge said he will consider without hearing arguments whether to excuse President Donald Trump from a defamation lawsuit by a former Elle magazine columnist, after the coronavirus pandemic unexpectedly derailed the government from presenting its case on Wednesday.
The decision by US District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan disappointed the lawyer for E. Jean Carroll, the former columnist, who said that Trump raped her in a Manhattan department store a quarter century ago and falsely denied it happened.
At the behest of Attorney General William Barr, the US Department of Justice has been trying to substitute the federal government for Trump as a defendant in Carroll’s case, shielding the president from liability and likely dooming Carroll’s claim.
But the Justice Department lawyer who planned to argue the case was stopped at the courthouse door because he had traveled from Virginia, requiring that he quarantine for 14 days under an Oct. 13 advisory from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Majority of America on the brink of rampant coronavirus spread
Nearly two-thirds of US states were in a danger zone of coronavirus spread and six, including election battleground Wisconsin, reported a record one-day increase in covid-19 deaths on Wednesday while the pandemic’s resurgence in Europe strained hospitals, according to Reuters.
Coronavirus deaths hit fresh daily records in Hawaii, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana and Wisconsin, a state that also reported a record daily increase in new cases together with Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio, according to a Reuters analysis.
Donald Trump goes out of his way to insult anybody who doesn't support him or threaten them with jail. That's not normal presidential behavior. His actions embolden other people to be cruel and divisive and racist.
I get that this president wants full credit for the economy he inherited, and zero blame for the pandemic he ignored. But you know what — the job doesn't work that way. Tweeting at the television doesn't fix things. Making stuff up doesn't make people's lives better.
Mouthwash no guarantee against Covid-19
Claims that oral antiseptic mouthwashes can kill the coronavirus have been rejected by experts who add that they may kill some other types of coronaviruses common in humans in laboratory petri dishes but not Covid-19 in people's mouths.
Second stimulus check: why does McConnell advise against the deal?
McConnell tells White House to avoid a stimulus deal until after the election
Mitch McConnell recommends that the White House wait on passing a big stimulus package while negotiations continue between Pelosi and Mnuchin.
Read more:
U.S. Covid-19 hospitalisations hit two-month peak
The number of Covid-19 patients in U.S. hospitals hit 40,000 for the first time since August on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, as the nation battles a surge in infections led by Midwest states. Hospitals have seen a 36% rise in coronavirus patients over the past four weeks and Midwest hospitals are setting new records every day.
So far in October, 16 states have reported their highest daily numbers of hospitalized Covid-19 since the pandemic started, including the Midwest states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Hospitalizations of virus-stricken patients have set records in every region except the Northeast. Hospitalizations are a closely watched metric because they are not influenced by how much testing is done.
In addition to hospitalizations reaching 40,264 on Wednesday, the seven-day average of new cases of Covid-19 have risen 45% in the past four weeks and is also approaching levels last seen during the summer peak, according to a Reuters analysis. On Friday, the U.S. recorded 69,478 new cases, the highest single-day total since July 24 and the fifth-highest single-day total since the start of the pandemic.
Volunteer in Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine trial dies
A volunteer who was taking part in AstraZeneca-Oxford coronavirus vaccine trial has died, Anvisa confirmed. Bloomberg report that the volunteer was a a 28-year-old man from Brazil however, it is believed that he was not in the group that were given the vaccine. In a statement to NBC News, AstraZeneca confirmed the trial, which is at the Clinical Stage 3 phase, will continue.
CDC witnessing a “distressing trend” in U.S. Covid-19 situation
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday that they are seeing a “distressing trend” in the United States’ current coronavirus situation. CDC’s deputy director for infectious diseases Jay Butler said, “Unfortunately, we are seeing a distressing trend here in the United States. Smaller, more intimate gatherings of family, friends and neighbors may be driving transmission as well, especially as they move indoors. I recognize that we are all getting tired of the impact Covid-19 has had on our lives. We’re tired of wearing masks, but it continues to be as important as it has ever been and I would say even more important than ever as we move into the fall season
USA Election 2020: why was the second Trump vs Biden debate cancelled?
Why was the second Trump vs Biden debate cancelled?
The second scheduled presidential debate was cancelled in recent weeks following a row over a "ridiculous" new format and concerns over coronavirus spread.
Read more:
Obama: Trump is like "a crazy uncle" with his mad conspiracy theories
Barack Obama took a potshot at Donald Trump for spreading conspiracy theories on his own Twitter account as he joined Joe Biden's campaign rally in Philadelphia. "You'll be able to go about your lives knowing that the president is not going to retweet conspiracy theories - about secret cabals running the world or that Navy Seals didn't actually kill Bin Laden. Think about that! The president of the United States retweeted that!"
Trump threatens to post ‘biased’ ’60 Minutes’ interview early
President Donald Trump has threatened to post his interview with “60 Minutes” — which he called “Fake and biased” before it is scheduled to be aired on Sunday. He wrote on Twitter, “I am pleased to inform you that, for the sake of accuracy in reporting, I am considering posting my interview with Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes, PRIOR TO AIRTIME,” the president tweeted Tuesday evening. “This will be done so that everybody can get a glimpse of what a FAKE and BIASED interview is all about...”
How long will the final Trump - Biden presidential debate last?
How long will the final Trump - Biden presidential debate last?
The President and former Vice President go head-to-head in Nashville on 22 October with officials hoping to avoid a repeat of their first encounter.
Read more:
Democrats to boycott Senate panel vote on Trump Supreme Court pick
Democrats will boycott a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee vote scheduled for Thursday on President Donald Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, a Senate Democratic aide said on Wednesday. There are 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats on the Judiciary Committee. Republican Chairman Lindsey Graham has signaled that even with Democrats boycotting Thursday's vote he will be able to move the nomination forward, according to a panel spokeswoman.
Democrats have opposed Barrett, a federal appeals court judge whose confirmation by the Republican-led Senate would expand the top U.S. judicial body's conservative majority to 6-3. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has made confirmation of Trump's conservative judicial appointees a high priority, has been working to get Barrett confirmed to the lifetime post before Election Day on 3 November, as the Republican president has requested.
Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority. Trump nominated Barrett to replace liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died in September. Assuming the Judiciary Committee sends the nomination to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation, McConnell aims to hold a Senate procedural vote on Barrett's nomination on Sunday, which would limit debate so that a final vote to confirm her could occur sometime on Monday.
Trump says he doesn't see agreement with Democrats on stimulus
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he did not see any way House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer "will be willing to do what is right for our great American workers, or our wonderful USA itself, on Stimulus."
Good morning and welcome to our rolling feed of U.S. coronavirus news. We'll be bringing you the latest in cases and death statistics, economic stimulus updates and more.