The daily coronavirus death toll rocketed to almost 1,900 on Wednesday as weeks of rising infection totals are beginning to translate into fatality numbers not seen since May. And the surge is only getting worse.
The fall surge is now killing Americans almost as quickly as the worst week of the summer surge. After that, deaths will be measurable only to the spring surge, when for more than a week daily deaths averaged over 2,000. President Donald Trump and others had brushed aside the current jump in daily infections, saying improved treatments have lessened COVID-19's deadly impact. And for awhile the average daily death total was well below 1,000.
That was then, this is now. The sheer number of infections has driven hospitalizations to record levels. And in the last two days alone, more than 3,200 deaths have been reported.
Here is today's latest news:
California will soon become the second state in the U.S. to surpass 1 million cases of the coronavirus.
New York City has introduced new restrictions aimed at curbing coronavirus, with Mayor Bill de Blasio warning it was the city's "last chance" to stop a second wave.
📈 Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 10.4 million cases and 241,800 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: 52.2 million cases and 1.28 million deaths.
🗺️ Mapping coronavirus: Track the U.S. outbreak in your state.
‘They think workers are like dogs': Did pork plant execs trim safety for profits?
USA TODAY and the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting spent five months piecing together the pivotal moments in the Triumph Foods outbreak, interviewing more than a dozen current and former workers and examining thousands of pages of government records.
The reporting found Triumph failed to respond with effective safeguards during a crucial period from mid-March to mid-April that could have contained the spread of COVID-19. And local health officials, who received complaints from employees and their family members, missed several opportunities to investigate. They instead took the company’s word that it was doing all it could to protect its workers. Read more here.
Mask mandates gain momentum among GOP governors
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, this week ordered that masks at many public gatherings. Reynolds, who has long resisted calls from health professionals to issue a statewide mask mandate, cited the strain the surge in the state has placed on hospitals. Republicans including Gov. Gary Herbert of Utah and Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio also issued mask mandates.
But in South Dakota, Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken stepped in to break a 4-4 tie with the city council, rejecting a mask requirement. He cited the city of Fargo, North Dakota's mask mandate, which he said has "made little to no impact."
Gates Foundation spending $70M to aid vaccinations in developing nations
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced another $70 million to global efforts to develop and distribute vaccines for low- and middle-income countries. The funding includes $50 million to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment working to secure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for 92 low- and middle-income countries. Another $20 million will go to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations to advance research and jumpstart the development of promising vaccine candidates.
Numerous vaccine candidates are already in the works, and one or more could gain FDA approval as soon as next month. The distribution of the vaccines remains a complex and not fully resolved issue.
Halloween gatherings draw blame for outbreaks in New Jersey
New Jersey health officials are blaming Halloween parties for at least five COVID-19 outbreaks. Donna Leusner, spokeswoman for the state Health Department, told CNN the outbreaks include 70 cases from Halloween parties and other gatherings among students. Leusner said all social gatherings outside of immediate family are a concern. Gov. Phil Murphy tweeted a warning that "we are still in the midst of a pandemic. Wear a mask. Social distance. Stay safe." Leusner preached the same message.
"If you let your guard down, you could be exposed and not even know it if someone is asymptomatic," Leusner said.
Ukraine president latest leader to take ill from virus
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been hospitalized after contracting the coronavirus earlier this week. Zelenskiy and the head of the presidential office, Andriy Yermak, are being treated at Kyiv’s Feofaniya Clinical Hospital, a spokesman told the online newspaper Ukrayinska Pravda. An office has been set up in his hospital room and Zelenskiy continues to perform presidential duties. The virus has infected more than 500,000 Ukraines and killed over 9,000.
"There are no lucky people for whom #COVID19 does not pose a threat," Zelenskiy tweeted. "Despite all the quarantine measures, I received a positive test. I feel good & take a lot of vitamins. Promise to isolate myself, but keep working. I will overcome COVID19 as most people do. It's gonna be fine!"
New Jersey attorney general quarantines after mixed test results
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal is quarantining at home after testing positive for COVID-19. Grewal tested positive using a rapid test, but a follow-up PCR test came back negative, said Steven Barnes, a spokesman. PCR tests can be more reliable than other types of tests.
Barnes said Grewal, who was asymptomatic, came into contact Monday with a staff member who later tested positive.
Grewal had tweeted Tuesday that "We are in the Supreme Court to defend the Affordable Care Act." Barnes, however, later said that Grewal had not been in the courtroom for the oral arguments.
– Scott Fallon, NorthJersey.com
Infections rise to new record again
A record 144,133 infections were reported Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins data. It was the ninth straight day the count surpassed 100,000 – and until nine days ago, the U.S. had never surpassed 100,000 cases. For days, nearly every state, or every state, has reported rising case counts. Nearly two-thirds of the states are reporting cases faster than they ever have before.
On Wednesday, seven states reported record death tolls for the latest week. The latest U.S. daily death total of 1,893 puts the seven-day total at 7,844. That's the worst since the summer surge in August – and we're on a path to quickly surpass it.
– Michael Stucka
California close to becoming second state with 1M cases of coronavirus
California will soon become the second state in the U.S. to surpass 1 million cases of the coronavirus.
As cases continue to surge, some of the state's largest counties have paused reopening plans. San Francisco, which has the lowest virus case rates among California’s major cities, voluntarily imposed new restrictions, including a ban on indoor dining. In Los Angeles, city officials issued a public safety emergency alert to residents' cell phones warning of a rise in cases and urging people to get tested for COVID-19.
“We are certainly seeing, almost all across the state, an upward trajectory,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s secretary of health and human services. If trends don’t ease by next week, he said, “over half of California counties will have moved into a more restrictive tier.”
Ticketmaster plans to require proof of COVID-19 vaccine, test from customers
In preparation for a COVID-19 vaccine, Ticketmaster is working on a plan to safely allow people to return to concerts in 2021 by verifying if they tested negative for COVID-19 or have been vaccinated, Billboard reported.
While the plan is still in the development phase, the company told Billboard that customers will be required to provide proof of vaccination or a negative test result approximately 24 to 72 hours, depending on local government requirements, before a concert. Customers would then authorize vaccine distribution providers, like Labcorp or CVS Minute Clinic, to send their results to a health pass company, like CLEAR or IBM.
If the test result is negative, the lab will notify Ticketmaster, who then will grant the customer access to their tickets. If they test positive or haven't shown proof of vaccination, they won't be allowed to attend the event.
"Ticketmaster’s goal is to provide enough flexibility and options that venues and fans have multiple paths to return to events, and is working to create integrations to our API and leading digital ticketing technology as we will look to tap into the top solutions based on what’s green-lit by officials and desired by clients," Ticketmaster president Mark Yovich told Billboard.
Vanuatu, a remote Pacific island nation, reports first COVID-19 case
A small Pacific island nation has recorded its first case of the novel coronavirus, shortening the list of places untouched by the global pandemic.
Vanuatu, a country of just under 300,000 people located in the south Pacific Ocean, according to the CIA, reported its first COVID-19 case on Tuesday. The positive test was recorded in a Vanuatu citizen who returned to the nation from a "higher-risk location" in the United States, the country's health ministry reported.
There are few remaining places in the world that haven't reported positive COVID-19 cases, according to the World Health Organization in its "Situation by Country, Territory & Area" table on its website. They are almost all remote locations, including the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Samoa and Tonga.
– Jordan Culver
There's a black market for negative COVID-19 test results
With COVID-19 tests becoming a common entry requirement for countries and states, a black market has popped up to serve travelers who need test results taken within a few days of departure. Last week, French police arrested seven people for selling falsified negative test results at Paris' Charles de Gaulle International Airport, which is Europe's largest. Prosecutors said the suspects were charging between $180-360 for fake certificates.
The practice of falsifying COVID test results has also popped up in South America. Thanks to more readily available testing, COVID-19 test forgery does not appear to be widespread in the U.S. However, early on in the pandemic, the FBI and Federal Trade Commission warned of fake pop-up testing sites being used to steal unsuspecting customers' social security numbers and credit card information.
– Jayme Deerwester
COVID-19 resources from USA TODAY
Contributing: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID update: Daily deaths jump; California 1M cases; Ticketmaster