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Coronavirus Live Updates: Experts Warn Of Potential Surge In Cases After U.S. Thanksgiving

November 19, 2020
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The U.S. is repeatedly breaking coronavirus records, and experts predict cases will surge after the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

To date, more than 11.5 million Americans have contracted the coronavirus, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. More than 1.34 million people worldwide, including more than 250,000 Americans, have died.

The virus continues to disrupt daily life around the globe, with more than 55.9 million people confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 since Chinese officials implemented the first coronavirus lockdown in the city of Wuhan in January. But pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna have both seen promising results from vaccine trials, which some experts ― including Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ― have called “good news.”

  • University of Oxford’s coronavirus vaccine candidate, being developed with AstraZeneca, produces a strong immune response in older adults, according to early stage results published Thursday in medical journal The Lancet. The phase two research found the vaccine produced similar immune responses from three age groups —  18-55, 56-69, and 70 and over. Phase three trials are ongoing and the University of Oxford is expected to release data on the vaccine’s effectiveness in the coming weeks. If this vaccine candidate proves effective, it would provide an option that doesn’t have the very cold storage requirements of the Pfizer vaccine. The UK government has ordered 100 million doses and the U.S. has ordered 300 million doses of the University of Oxford vaccine. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/oxford-covid-vaccine-older-adults_uk_5fb54ea6c5b66cd4ad4105d6
    Dominique MosbergenREPORTER
    The Department of Defense reported its highest ever number of daily COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, according to CNN’s Barbara Starr. The DoD reported 1,314 new coronavirus cases in a single day, Starr said.  Amid the surge in cases, several military bases across the country have moved into Health Protection Condition Level (HPCON) Charlie in recent days. Charlie is the second highest HPCON level and is only activated in the face of “substantial” health threats.
    Mollie ReillyREPORTER
    More than 250,000 Americans have now died from the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University.
    A Quarter Million Americans Have Died From COVID-19. It Didn’t Have To Be This Way.
    huffpost.com
    Sanjana KaranthREPORTER
    Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) and Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) both announced Wednesday that they have tested positive for COVID-19. Newhouse said he tested positive Tuesday night after feeling “a little run down.” The congressman said his symptoms are mild, but that he’s following guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and quarantining in his central Washington home. Lamborn’s statement said he tested positive “recently,” but did not specify exactly when. The congressman is also experiencing mild symptoms, and is isolating at his home in Colorado Springs. Several other lawmakers this week have tested positive for the virus. Reps. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) and Tim Walbert (R-Mich.) said Monday that they are infected. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the Senate’s president pro tempore and the second oldest member of the upper chamber, tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.

  • ara BoboltzREPORTER
    New York City Public Schools is cancelling in-person instruction once more as infection rates rise citywide. Beginning Thursday, the nation’s largest public school system will move to online-only learning as it did in the spring when the virus began pummeling the region. Mayor Bill de Blasio had hoped that students would be able to attend classes in person for some of the week over the fall semester, but maintained that schools would close if the city’s test positivity rate reached 3%. The city passed that mark this week.
    Sara BoboltzREPORTER
    Beginning with Thanksgiving, the holiday season will undoubtedly lead to a nationwide rise in coronavirus cases — at a time when heath care systems in many regions are barely meeting current needs. To minimize risk, it’s important to understand how the virus will spread and why a negative test does not necessarily mean it’s safe for family members to spend time together as usual. Read more here:
    The Most Common Ways COVID-19 Will Spread During The Holidays
    huffpost.com
  • ltzREPORTER
    California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, is facing backlash after photos emerged showing him sitting with a group of friends at a birthday party in an upscale restaurant on Nov. 6. The party, held for a political lobbyist, included “people from several households,” as the San Francisco Chronicle first reported earlier this week. At least a dozen revelers drank and dined together to celebrate the lobbyist’s 50th birthday — violating guidelines put out by Newsom’s own government. California limits social gatherings to include small groups of people from no more than three households, including the host’s. Newsom initially defended his behavior, saying the dinner was held outside, but photos published Wednesday suggest the setting was largely enclosed. A witness told Fox 11 Los Angeles that the party essentially dined indoors after restaurant staffers shut sliding glass doors around them when they were being too loud.
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    Paige LavenderREPORTER
    The economic crisis caused by the pandemic has created untenable situations for Black and brown survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, making it more likely for them to return to abusers so they can stay afloat, HuffPost’s Alanna Vagianos reports. Read more here:
    COVID-19’s Economic Impact Is Forcing Some Victims Of Violence To Return To Their Abusers
    huffpost.com
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    Paige LavenderREPORTER
    Final results from Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine trial showed its shot had a 95% success rate and two months of safety data, paving the way for the drugmaker to apply for an emergency U.S. authorization within days, it said on Wednesday. Read more from Reuters:
    Pfizer Says COVID-19 Trial Ends With 95% Efficacy, Will Seek Authorization
    huffpost.com
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  • Paige LavenderREPORTER
    Nearly 12 million workers will lose federal unemployment benefits on Dec. 26 if lawmakers fail to reach a reauthorization deal, HuffPost’s Arthur Delaney and Igor Bobic report. Read more here:
    12 Million To Lose Unemployment Aid The Day After Christmas Unless Congress Acts
    huffpost.com
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Read live updates on the coronavirus below. (Note: An ad blocker may prevent you from seeing the blog, so if you’re using one, please pause or turn it off. For earlier updates on the pandemic, go here.)

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