As experts continue to urge citizens to continue to practice pandemic safety protocols, the U.S. recorded its highest single-day coronavirus infection count in almost two months over the weekend. There were more than 54,000 positive cases of the coronavirus reported on Friday, the highest single-day case count since Aug. 14, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Twenty-one states saw a rise in new Covid-19 infections over the past week while slightly more than half held steady. Only three states – Texas, Missouri and South Carolina – are reporting a drop in new coronavirus cases compared to last week.
The 21 states reporting a rise in new cases are Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
MORE ON THE PANDEMIC
According to an ABC News/Ipsos poll, 72 percent of Americans felt Trump did not take the risk of contracting coronavirus seriously enough or take the appropriate precautions to avoid infection.
That survey of 506 adults included 43 percent of Republicans and roughly 95 percent of Democrats.
In a Saturday tweet from Walter Reed Medical Center, Trump urged Congress to pass a new coronavirus stimulus.
An unexpectedly weak September jobs report, combined with an additional 870,000 Americans filing for first-time unemployment benefits, pressure to pass another round of stimulus grows.
House Democrats passed a $2.2 trillion relief package on Thursday night, while the White House has offered a $1.6 trillion bill. [READ MORE]
Following the news of the president’s Covid-19 diagnosis, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will be tested for Covid-19 more frequently as his campaign plans to continue in-person campaigning.
His campaign said Saturday that it would “adhere to strict and extensive safety practices recommended by public health experts and doctors,” and will disclose the results of every test Biden takes.
Health experts say children will not likely see a coronavirus vaccine until late 2021, despite evidence that children may play a large role in community spread of the virus. Experts stress that the delay is typical, since vaccines should first be tested on adults to ensure it is safe and effective to use in children.
Still, the American Academy of Pediatrics called for the inclusion of children in research on potential COVID-19 vaccines to best understand any potential immune responses and unique safety concerns.
Cinema chain Cineworld, which owns 543 Regal Cinemas in the U.S., said it is considering closing all its movie theaters after the postponement of the new James Bond film.
Its theaters remain closed in New York and Los Angeles, two of North America’s biggest markets, and moviegoers are reluctant to return to the cinemas as the pandemic continues.
