September 29 coronavirus news

By James Griffiths, Adam Renton, Mike Hayes, Meg Wagner, Melissa Mahtani, Zamira Rahim and Ed Upright, CNN

Updated 12:00 a.m. ET, September 30, 2020
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5:59 a.m. ET, September 29, 2020

EU adds four more countries to "red list"

From CNNs James Frater

People sit at cafe terrace in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on September 26.
People sit at cafe terrace in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on September 26. Ramon van Flymen/ANP/AFP/Getty Images

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has added four more countries to its red list on its coronavirus map, meaning those nations have crossed the threshold of 120 infections per 100,000 people in the last two weeks.

The Netherlands, Iceland, Denmark and Hungary were added to list on Tuesday.

The Netherlands has registered 2,921 new infections in the last 24 hours. The country introduced a series of additional measures to fight a second wave, including the closing of all bars and restaurants at 10 p.m.

Iceland reported over 80 new infections during the weekend according to the ECDC, but given the country's small population even the slightest increase in cases can have a significant impact on the infection rate.

Denmark has seen the highest number of new cases in four months, according to the ECDC's data.

The full list of "red" countries, with more than 120 cases per 100,000 people:

  • Spain (320)
  • Czech Republic (267)
  • France (235)
  • Luxembourg (189)
  • Belgium (171)
  • The Netherlands (171)
  • Iceland (128)
  • Denmark (128)
  • Hungary (127)
5:34 a.m. ET, September 29, 2020

Russia signs deal to supply Sputnik-V vaccine to Nepal

From CNN's Zahra Ullah

A nurse prepares to inoculate a volunteer with Russia's new coronavirus vaccine in post-registration trials at a Moscow clinic on September 10.
A nurse prepares to inoculate a volunteer with Russia's new coronavirus vaccine in post-registration trials at a Moscow clinic on September 10. Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images

Russia's Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) announced a deal on Tuesday with Nepal’s Trinity Pharmaceuticals to supply 25 million doses of the Sputnik-V coronavirus vaccine.

The agreement will enable 90% of Nepal’s population to get access to the Russian vaccine, according to the RDIF.

“We are excited to announce our cooperation with Russian Direct Investment Fund," Kishor Adhikari, Director of Trinity Pharmaceuticals, said.

Russia approved the controversial Sputnik-V shot before it went to crucial Phase 3 trials, and its early approval was met with widespread concern worldwide.

"Trinity is waiting for results of the final trial of Sputnik V," Adhikari said.

"As soon as the vaccine is approved by Government of Nepal we will make it available for the population of Nepal,” he added.

5:14 a.m. ET, September 29, 2020

The US ranks top of the global 1 million death toll, and virus cases are rising in 23 states

From CNN's Madeline Holcombe

The global Covid-19 death toll has crossed 1 million -- and the United States accounts for more than 20%.

It took less than eight months to go from the first reported coronavirus-related death in Wuhan, China, on January 9 to a global death toll of 1,001,800 on early Tuesday morning, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The US has been hit hard by the virus, with more than 7.1 million reported infections and 205,085 deaths.

And with recent spikes in cases, health experts warn things could soon get worse in the US.

Twenty-three states are reporting more new daily cases on average than they did last week, while 20 are holding steady. Only 10 states show downward trends in new cases -- Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia.

Read more here:

4:44 a.m. ET, September 29, 2020

Dentists are seeing more cracked teeth. Pandemic stress is to blame

From CNN's Kristen Rogers

Shingles, maskne, migraines and quarantine fatigue: The stress of the pandemic has manifested in a variety of physical ailments. The latest evidence of this is a rise in cracked teeth.

"We have seen an increasing amount of fractured teeth in probably the past six months," said Dr. Paul Koshgerian, an oral surgeon with The Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Specialists of San Diego.

For Koshgerian's office, before the pandemic, treating one cracked tooth per day or every other day was normal. These days, two visits per day for fractured teeth have been the norm; on the worst days, he might see five cases.

Derek Peek -- leader of Eastern Iowa Endodontics and diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics -- found that in August and September, his office had already treated twice as many cracked teeth in comparison to those respective months last year, even with fewer patients this year.

Covid-19 doesn't make teeth more fragile, but the "anxiety that surrounds everything that's going on -- Covid, the rioting, the protesting, the looting (and) the general state of the country -- has gotten everybody's thermostat dialed up a couple notches," Koshgerian said.

"In the oral surgery or dental realm, often that translates to people bruxing their teeth," he added, describing the condition in which people involuntarily gnash, grind or clench their teeth. Bruxing can damage fillings or crowns, or crack teeth.

Read the full story:

4:16 a.m. ET, September 29, 2020

Moscow to extend school holidays because of coronavirus

From CNN's Anna Chernova in Moscow

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin gives a speech during an event marking Moscow City Day on September 5.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin gives a speech during an event marking Moscow City Day on September 5. Alexei Druzhinin\TASS via Getty Images

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has announced the extension of the fall school break from one to two weeks due to seasonal illnesses and the rise in coronavirus cases in the city, according to his official website.

Moscow’s kindergartens and preschool groups will continue to work as usual while all school students will be on holiday from October 5-18.

“On the recommendation of sanitary doctors, taking into account the autumn increase in colds and the growth of the number of identified cases of Covid, I decided to prolong the duration of the autumn holidays to two weeks and to hold them at the same time in all schools – on 5-18th of October,” Sobyanin’s message said.

The mayor advised children against spending this time in shopping malls and riding public transport “for fun”, urging parents to explain to their kids that “it is best to spend holiday time at home or in the countryside.”

"Today, a significant part of those infected, often asymptomatic, are children. When they come home, they very easily transmit the virus to adults and elderly family members, who suffer much more severely from the illness," Sobyanin added.

Rising cases: On Monday, Moscow recorded 2,217 new cases of coronavirus, the highest daily jump since early June and more than double the amount just four days earlier. That brings the capital's total to 287,993, according to its coronavirus headquarters.

Nationwide, 1,159,573 people have been infected, and 20,385 people have died of coronavirus in Russia, according to the country’s anti-coronavirus center.

3:47 a.m. ET, September 29, 2020

Angela Merkel will meet with German state leaders today to discuss tougher Covid-19 restrictions

From CNN's Stephanie Halasz

German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives at the Bundestag for the meeting of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in Berlin, on September 28.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives at the Bundestag for the meeting of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in Berlin, on September 28. Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to meet top ministers from the country’s 16 federal states today to discuss additional nationwide measures to curb rising coronavirus numbers.

Merkel will meet with the state ministers at 2 p.m. (8 a.m. ET) Tuesday via video conference behind closed doors. She will hold a news conference with the Bavarian prime minister and the Hamburg mayor afterwards to discuss results.

On the table: new limits of up to 25 people for private gatherings nationwide, according to the draft of a government paper obtained by CNN affiliate NTV and widely reported in German media.

Also to be discussed are fines if restaurant or bar visitors register wrong information for the track and trace system.

Meanwhile, bars in hard-hit areas may see a ban on alcohol sales, NTV said.

Warning system: Bavaria's prime minister had previously suggested an early-warning system for areas with a stark increase of the virus, a so-called traffic-light system. While this is not explicitly on the table, according to NTV, a nationwide warning strategy will be discussed.

So-called temperature ambulances for quick Covid 19 testing will be discussed for nationwide rollout. German Health Minister Jens Spahn has previously said he wants to introduce them.

Numbers: The Robert Koch Institute -- Germany's agency for disease control and prevention -- recorded an additional 475 coronavirus cases Tuesday, bringing the national total to 285,332. A total of 9,460 people have died as a result of the virus in Germany.

3:19 a.m. ET, September 29, 2020

Puberty in a pandemic? It's not all bad news, experts say

From CNN's Jen Rose Smith

For many, the pandemic has scrambled any sense of passing time. Parents and pediatricians know better: Babies turn into toddlers, who turn into elementary school students, who eventually hit puberty. Kids grow up no matter what happens in the outside world.

"I have a number of patients who have gotten their periods since the pandemic started," said Dr. Katherine Williamson, a pediatrician in Ladera Ranch, California. It can seem like one more thing at a stressful time. But Williamson said the pandemic might have a silver lining for kids going through puberty in her community, where nearly all schooling is virtual.

"The moms were like, 'Thank goodness she was at home!'" Williamson said. "They don't have to deal with their first period when they're at school."

That goes for other key transitions, too. "For girls who are putting on bras for the first time, or for boys whose voices are starting to crack ... it is actually nice to go through the physical changes in the safety of their own home."

While many kids are missing their peers, psychologist Lisa Damour said the playground isn't always the healthiest place to learn about bodily changes such as budding breasts, pubic hair or periods.

"So much of what happens is awkward comparison," said Damour, a senior adviser to the Schubert Center for Child Studies at Case Western Reserve University, whose podcast "Ask Lisa" explores the psychology of parenting. "When kids bodies are changing, or not changing, as quickly as their peers' are, kids are very conscious of that."

The changes that come with puberty can be challenging for kids and adults, but Damour said supporting your adolescent doesn't have to be (too) awkward.

Here's what you need to know about puberty in the pandemic, including "the talk," adolescent self-care and TikTok:

2:53 a.m. ET, September 29, 2020

Police broke up a massive party of more than 1,000 people near Florida State University

From CNN's Rebekah Riess and Brian Ries

Florida is opening up and its students are itching to party.

Police officers in Tallahassee, home of Florida State University's sprawling campus, responded to more than a dozen calls for in reference to large crowds last weekend, according to a statement from the Tallahassee Police Department.

One gathering at an off-campus apartment complex on Dixie Drive involved more than 1,000 people gathered outside along with 700 vehicles, police said. Officers arriving just before midnight were able to safely disperse the crowds with assistance from a Leon County Sheriff's Office helicopter. The apartment complex is about two miles from the FSU campus.

The massive party came as nearly 1,500 students have tested positive for the coronavirus since testing began Aug. 2. Florida Gov. Rick DeSantis called for "some type of bill of rights for students" that would protect them from "draconian" punishments put in place to stop its spread, according to CNN affiliate WJXT.

"That's what college kids do, and they're at low risk," DeSantis said about the partying students. "And I just think that we've got to be reasonable about this and really focus the efforts on where the most significant risk is."

Read the full story:

2:06 a.m. ET, September 29, 2020

Boston's "Salt Bae" restaurant fails Covid-19 safety regulations and must close, city says

From CNN's Anna Sturla

An unidentified man parks and takes a selfie next to the restaurant Nusr-Et, in Boston on Sept. 27.
An unidentified man parks and takes a selfie next to the restaurant Nusr-Et, in Boston on Sept. 27. Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

A popular Instagram star is catching flak after Boston's Licensing Board ordered his latest restaurant venture to close for failing to meet Covid-19 public safety standards, a city spokesperson told CNN.

The restaurant, Nusr-Et Boston, is part of a chain of steakhouses headed by Turkish celebrity chef Nusret Gökçe.

"Salt Bae," as he is better known, became famous on social media for the dramatic flair he added when butchering and salting his meat.

Violations listed on the city's website included patrons and employees not wearing masks, along with blocked fire exits. Multiple complaints on the city's 311 website also described cramped quarters, with many customers and employees going maskless. Video Gökçe posted to Instagram last week showed people closely lined up outside the restaurant, most in masks but some without, as crowds cheered the chef.

The city responded to the violations by ordering the restaurant to immediately cease operations, and indefinitely suspended its alcohol beverages license.

An emergency hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 29, a city spokesperson told CNN.

The restaurant chain did not immediately respond to CNN's requests for comment.