New York City issues more than $150,000 in fines for Covid-19 violation
From CNN's Alec Snyder and Kristina Sgueglia
The New York City government announced 62 summonses and over $150,000 in fines since Friday during pandemic-related closures and restrictions, the city said in a Sunday tweet.
The penalties — which were levied by “City agents in the Red, Orange and Yellow zones" — included five issued to religious congregations.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week that the fines for mass gatherings in violation of state rules would be up to $15,000 a day, and the fines for not wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing could be $1,000 a day.
The violations and fines come as the city grapples with a Covid-19 resurgence in some Brooklyn and Queens neighborhoods. Officials are seeking to contain with a three-tier approach that includes the closure of non-essential businesses and schools in some areas.
CNN has reached out to the NYC Finance Department and Mayor Bill de Blasio for more details.
8:01 a.m. ET, October 12, 2020
It's just after 1 p.m. in London and 8 a.m. in New York. Here's the latest on the pandemic
The novel coronavirus has infected more than 37 million people worldwide and caused more than a million deaths. Here's what you need to know so far today:
German cases on the rise: Covid-19 cases in the country are rising rapidly, with almost all of its largest cities becoming virus hotspots.
England rolls out new lockdown rules: The English city of Liverpool, in the country's northwest, is to be placed under tier three lockdown restrictions, the strictest of the country's new Covid-19 rules.
Czech Republic imposes new restrictions: Office hours, school classes and sporting, social and religious events will all be impacted by strict new rules.
Latin America and the Caribbean top 10 million cases: At least 10,057,182 cases and 368,542 deaths have been recorded in the region, according to a CNN tally and data held by Johns Hopkins University.
France adds more cities to its "maximum alert" list: Toulouse and Montpellier will be added to the category from Tuesday. France recorded 16,101 new cases in 24 hours on Sunday.
7:53 a.m. ET, October 12, 2020
Some German hotels are turning away tourists from virus hotspots
From CNN's Stephanie Halasz
As German cities face major Covid-19 outbreaks, some popular tourist spots are turning away people visiting from affected areas, due to state regulations.
But different federal states have different rules, which makes the process more complex.
Hoteliers in the popular Baltic Sea resort of Warnemuende have had to cancel the bookings of guests from high risk areas such as Berlin, Warnemuende Tourism Center's public relations manager Anja Thomanek told CNN.
Thomanek says she hopes regulations in the state—Mecklenburg-Vorpommern—will be updated this week so they can accommodate more guests.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has set a high bar for accepting guests from Covid-19 hotspots.
Visitors must produce a recent negative coronavirus test, and then quarantine for 14 days. The quarantine period can be reduced to five to seven days if they can provide evidence of a second negative test -- paid for by the visitors themselves.
Thomanek told CNN that the resort is "very, very, very" well booked nonetheless, most likely because holidaymakers face more difficulty going abroad.
In Schleswig-Holstein, another popular Northern state, the rules for accepting visitors from hotspots are different.
People heading there from high-risk areas only have to say they have had a negative coronavirus test in the past 48 hours. Those who have not been in their home district for at least two weeks are exempt from having to present a test.
Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to meet with the Prime Ministers of Germany's federal states on Wednesday to discuss country-wide regulations.
The country has reported 326,499 cases in total.
7:21 a.m. ET, October 12, 2020
Further restrictions come into force in Czech Republic
From CNN's Amy Cassidy and Ivana Kottasova in London and Tomas Etzler in Prague
Customers drink in a bar shortly before closing time in Prague, Czech Republic, on October 10. Gabriel Kuchta/Getty Images
The Czech Republic has introduced a new range of restrictions to bring the virus under control, after the country recorded a surge in infections.
From Monday all sporting, social and religious events will be limited to groups of ten people indoors and 20 people outdoors, unless all participants come from the same household.
University students are barred from in-person learning, except for practical medical training.
In-person classes have also been cancelled for high school pupils who are past the point of compulsory attendance (Grade 9, which typically ends at the age of 15).
Children in Grades 1 to 5 will continue attending school as normal, while the remainder of students up to Grade 9 will take it in turns, with half attending classes one week and half the next week.
Office hours at public institutions will also be limited to five hours a day, two days per week and visits to health and social care facilities are banned with "precisely specified exemptions."
Strict measures came into force in the country over the weekend, with bars and restaurants limited to a maximum of four customers per table, and ordered to close at 8pm.
No public WiFi is available anywhere in an effort to deter teenagers socializing.
The Czech Republic announced a second state of emergency on October 5, which will last for 30 days. The country reported 3,105 new cases as of Sunday.
Trump takes his Covid-19 misinformation machine back on the road
From CNN's Stephen Collinson
President Donald Trump speaks to supporters at the White House on October 10. Alex Brandon/AP
US President Donald Trump takes his Covid denial tour back to the campaign trail Monday, as the tense final stretch of an election now three weeks away gets a fresh jolt with Senate hearings on his Supreme Court pick Amy Coney Barrett.
Trump, who announced Sunday -- without providing evidence -- that he has tested "totally negative" after his bout with the virus, plans to hold his first rally since his diagnosis was publicly disclosed, in Florida, in what risks turning into yet another super spreader event.
"I'm immune. So, the President is in very good shape to fight the battles," Trump said on Fox's Sunday Morning Futures, in comments that misrepresented his own capacity to spread the virus if he is exposed to it again.
A tweet along the same lines earned a warning from Twitter that the President was spreading misleading information about the virus.
The President's proclamations about his own health followed another opaque memo from his physician, who cleared Trump to end isolation but who hasn't taken reporters' questions in a week.
Europe struggles with second wave outbreaks as winter looms
From CNN's Claudia Otto, Fred Pleitgen, Mick Krever and Samantha Tapfumaneyi
A medical assistant in Berlin takes a throat swab sample to test for Covid-19 on October 12. Sean Gallup/Getty Images
European countries are racing to contain coronavirus outbreaks as the continent struggles with a second wave of Covid-19. Here's what you need to know
Germany
Germany's largest cities have become coronavirus hotspots over the last few days.
Berlin has reported a spike in cases, while the cities of Cologne, Dusseldorf, Essen and Stuttgart have also recorded a rise in infection rates.
Stuttgart has requested military assistance to manage the crisis, an unusual move for a major German city.
The country reported 2,467 new coronavirus cases on Monday, which is less than the record daily cases seen over the weekend, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany's public health institute.
Germany now has 325,331 coronavirus case and 9,621 deaths according to the RKI.
The Netherlands
Ahmed Aboutaleb, the mayor of the Netherlands' second-largest city -- Rotterdam -- has tested positive for coronavirus.
The city said Aboutaleb was "home with mild symptoms, and based on the advice of the municipal health service must remain in isolation for seven days," in a statement published Monday.
A spokesperson for the mayor told CNN that he began showing symptoms on Friday, and tested positive for the virus on Sunday evening.
She added that the mayor is carrying out his duties from home.
England
The English city of Liverpool, in the country's northwest, is to be placed under tier three lockdown restrictions, the strictest of the country's new Covid-19 rules.
The region's rising infection rate is worrying the UK government.
The restrictions, which are stricter than those imposed on southern areas, have caused tensions between politicians in northern regions and the British government, based in London.
Liverpool's mayor reacted with fury on Monday and accused Boris Johnson's government of imposing "lockdown by diktat."
"Let's be clear that, having ignored my pleas for over a month, the Government now blame us, and impose 'lockdown by diktat' without a full financial package and support for businesses we are levelling down not levelling up," Joe Anderson tweeted Monday. "We will continue to stand up for our local businesses."
Johnson is due to reveal more details about the new system of restrictions later on Monday.
5:46 a.m. ET, October 12, 2020
New coronavirus cases are up by at least 50% in 5 US states
From CNN's Madeline Holcombe
More than half of US states are seeing an increase in new Covid-19 cases, with five states -- Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee and Vermont -- reporting a jump of more than 50% in one week.
Health experts warned over the weekend that the US could have a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths in the coming months, adding to the more than 7.7 million cases and 214,764 deaths on record.
Only Maine, Texas and Washington are reporting fewer new daily cases on average from last week.
The number of new cases is holding steady in 16 states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, South Carolina and Wisconsin.
Everywhere else -- 31 states in all -- new cases have climbed compared with the week before.
Russia reports more than 13,000 new Covid-19 cases
From CNN’s Mary Ilyushina in Moscow
A medical professional treats a patient said to be suffering from Covid-19 at a hospital in Moscow on October 8. Iliya Pitalev/Sputnik/AP
Russia reported 13,592 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, a slight decrease following three consecutive days of daily-high increases in new infections, according to the country’s coronavirus response headquarters.
Moscow is the most affected city with 4,395 new cases, followed by St. Petersburg with 538 infections.
On Sunday, Russia confirmed 13,634 new Covid-19 cases, the highest daily increase to date.
The total number of coronavirus cases reported in Russia stands at is 1,312,310. Only the United States, India and Brazil have reported more cases than Russia, according to Johns Hopkins University.
5:15 a.m. ET, October 12, 2020
US children are struggling with Covid-19 and its months of aftermath
From CNN's Ryan Prior
Veronica Richmond is just 15, but she's skipped three grades and is about to graduate from high school in the US state of Idaho. But the self-described photographer, biologist, poet, graphic designer and debater now has a new identity she never wanted.
She is a Covid-19 long hauler, along with her sister Audrey and mother Jamie.
One of her friends came home in March after spending two years in Wuhan, China. That may have been the source of the virus that would cut across the whole Richmond family and leave them with six months — and counting — of fatigue, pain and uncertainty in its wake.
Jamie Richmond has tallied $6,000 in medical bills for two girls who were healthy until March.
Both girls now have a host of problems, including postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, which causes a person's heart rate to shoot up upon standing and lead to dizziness or fainting.
"It's been horrific to go through this for so long," Richmond said.
