Coronavirus Live Updates: More Than 1,000 Test Positive For COVID-19 At University Of Alabama

HuffPost reporters around the world are tracking the pandemic and its effects.

Read the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic below. (To see the latest updates, you may need to refresh the page. All times are Eastern. For earlier updates on the pandemic, go here.)

COVID-19 Cases Soar At The University Of Alabama — 8/31/20, 3 a.m. ET

More than 1,000 students and employees have tested positive for the coronavirus at the University of Alabama since the school resumed in-person classes two weeks ago.

According to a tracking dashboard that monitors positive cases on campus, the school recorded 481 cases from last Tuesday to last Thursday alone. The climbing figures come amid ongoing concerns about schools that have already started or are set to begin their fall semesters while the pandemic continues to ravage the U.S.

In response, the university formally admonished students and issued a two-week ban of off-campus parties and Greek housing meetings.

“The rise we’ve seen in recent days is unacceptable, and if unchecked, threatens our ability to complete the rest of the semester on campus,” UA President Stuart Bell said during a press conference. “Now is the time for action.” 

— Nick Visser

Global Coronavirus Cases Top 25 Million As India Becomes New Epicenter — 8/31/20, 3 a.m. ET

The global tally of confirmed coronavirus cases topped 25 million for the first time this weekend, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University.

At least 846,000 people have died during the pandemic.

The U.S. still leads the world in terms of confirmed COVID-19 cases and has now passed 6 million positive tests. At least 183,000 people have died in the states due to the virus. 

However, India, a nation of 1.3 billion people, has quickly become a new epicenter of the pandemic. The country reported more than 78,000 new cases on Saturday alone. The rate of growth there now outpaces both the U.S. and Brazil.

To date, India has tallied more than 3.5 million cases and 63,000 deaths.

— Nick Visser

4 Kansas State University Sororities Test Positive For Coronavirus — 8/29/20, 12:25 p.m. ET

Outbreaks of the coronavirus have been identified at four different sororities at Kansas State University, the Riley County Health Department said Friday.

Greek houses Alpha Delta Pi and Alpha Xi Delta have six cases each, while Kappa Delta and Chi Omega have five cases each.

The new infections come less than two weeks after a fraternity at the university, Phi Delta Theta, was found to have 13 cases of the virus.

More than 350 students at the university are in quarantine less than a month after classes began.

Statewide, Kansas has recorded more than 40,000 cases of the virus and 445 deaths. 

—Sebastian Murdock

Gayle Benson, Owner Of New Orleans Saints And New Orleans Pelicans, Tests Positive For COVID-19 — 8/28/20, 3:15 p.m. ET

Gayle Benson, the 73-year-old owner of both the New Orleans Saints and the New Orleans Pelicans, tested positive for COVID-19.

Benson tested positive at some point in the last few weeks, Saints senior vice president of communications Greg Bensel told The Times-Picayune in New Orleans Friday.

Bensel declined to disclose the extent of Benson’s symptoms.

Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwell tested positive in July, the first NFL owner to do so, Yahoo Sports reported.

Saints head coach Sean Payton tested positive in mid-March.

— Ryan Grenoble

For more on the pandemic, go here.


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