November 3 coronavirus news

By Zamira Rahim, Lauren Kent, Joshua Berlinger, Brett McKeehan and Emma Reynolds, CNN

Updated 12:22 a.m. ET, November 4, 2020
37 Posts
Sort byDropdown arrow
3:19 p.m. ET, November 3, 2020

Wisconsin forced to cancel second football game due to Covid-19 outbreak

From CNN's Kevin Dotson

The Wisconsin Badgers raise their helmets prior to kickoff on November 24th, 2018 at the Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, WI.
The Wisconsin Badgers raise their helmets prior to kickoff on November 24th, 2018 at the Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, WI. Dan Sanger/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

The University of Wisconsin has canceled its second football game due to a rising number of Covid-19 cases within the program. 

The game against Purdue University, which was due to take place Saturday, will not be rescheduled.

The school said that five more members of the football program -- three student-athletes and two staff members -- have tested positive since October 31. This increases the total number of active cases within the team to 27 -- 15 players and 12 staffers. 

All 27 positive tests have come since October 24. The Badgers have indefinitely paused team activities since October 28, canceling a scheduled game against Nebraska on October 31.

“I share in the disappointment of our student-athletes and staff,” Wisconsin Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez said. “We have seen a level of improvement in our testing numbers, but not enough to give us confidence to resume normal activities and play our game on Saturday. We will continue to test regularly, take the proper health-related precautions and look forward to getting our team back on the field as soon as possible.”

The Wisconsin team's next scheduled game is Saturday, November 14, at the University of Michigan.

The Badgers remain 1-0 for the 2020 season and are ranked 10th nationally.

2:45 p.m. ET, November 3, 2020

Arizona Covid-19 hospitalizations climb to highest level since August

From CNN's Kay Jones

Arizona's number of hospitalizations for Covid-19 patients has climbed to its highest level since August, according to the state's health department. 

The latest report shows that 956 patients are hospitalized with the virus, with 227 of those in intensive care. The total number of patients hospitalized as of Tuesday morning is the highest in the state since August 25, when 967 patients were in the hospital, according to the dashboard. 

The state's dashboard shows that 15% of the state's ICU beds are available while the inpatient adult bed availability stands at 16%. 

The state reports 1,679 new Covid-19 cases, taking the total number of cases to 249,818, the dashboard shows.

Arizona Department of Health Services is reporting 38 new deaths due to the virus, bringing the total number of deaths to 6,020.

1:36 p.m. ET, November 3, 2020

New Jersey reports more than 1,000 coronavirus cases a day for two weeks

From CNN's Julian Cummings

People wait in a line to get tested for COVID-19 at an urgent care clinic in Newark, New Jersey on October 26.
People wait in a line to get tested for COVID-19 at an urgent care clinic in Newark, New Jersey on October 26. Seth Wenig/AP

New Jersey reported 1,832 new cases of Covid-19 and 18 new deaths Tuesday, according to its Covid-19 dashboard.

It has reported more than 1,000 coronavirus cases a day for the past two weeks, the state's Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said in a news conference Monday. 

The state has now reported a total of 242,825 cases and 14,582 confirmed deaths.

There are 1,113 people hospitalized due to Covid-19 in New Jersey. Of those currently in the hospital, 216 are in intensive care units and 78 are on ventilators. 

2:09 p.m. ET, November 3, 2020

Pennsylvania reports highest daily increase in Covid-19 cases

From CNN's Kristina Sgueglia and Evan Simko-Bednarski

Pennsylvania reported its highest daily increase of Covid-19 cases to date on election day, according to its health department. 

The state added 2,875 new cases as of midnight, bringing the statewide total to 214,871, the Pennsylvania Department of Health said in a press release.

This is the 29th time the state has reported more than 1,000 new cases of the virus in a day. 

There were 32 additional deaths reported, bringing the total to 8,885, the health department said.

Health Secretary Rachel Levine yesterday emphasized that in-person voting remains safe, and recommended that voters bring a "Covid kit" -- a mask, a pen, and hand sanitizer -- to the polls. She said any voter under quarantine should contact Pennsylvania's Department of State to make voting arrangements. 

1:02 p.m. ET, November 3, 2020

Maine sees highest single-day jump in Covid-19 cases since start of pandemic

From Anna Sturla

Maine had its highest single-day jump in Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, according to the state's Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The state had 127 new cases on Monday -- beating the previous record of 103, which was set on Friday -- according to Maine CDC spokesman Robert Long.

The data is telling us our nation is off-course," Gov. Janet Mills said during a press conference on Monday.

Maine has responded by lowering indoor gathering limits and postponing bar re-openings, among other restrictions, the governor added.

The state's seven-day positivity rate doubled over the past week to 1.06%, according to Mills.

Maine's Department of Health and Human Services reported five new hospitalizations due to Covid-19, with 29 people hospitalized in total.

12:35 p.m. ET, November 3, 2020

Colorado releases new health order to streamline state's pandemic guidance

From CNN's Gregory Lemos and Leslie Perrot 

A tester prepares to administer a swab test at a drive-in COVID-19 testing site in Federal Heights, Colorado, on October 27.
A tester prepares to administer a swab test at a drive-in COVID-19 testing site in Federal Heights, Colorado, on October 27. David Zalubowski/AP

Colorado's health department released a new public health order on Monday intended to clarify and streamline guidance, according to a news release. 

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CPDHE) has been communicating the severity and risk of Covid-19 in the state through both a color-coded dial and numbered "Safer at Home" levels.

Now the two systems will be combined and the numbers removed. The change is "intended to be more easily understood by Coloradans already accustomed to ... color-coded warning systems," according to the guidelines.

"We are at a pivotal juncture. We need to change course ... to prevent more Coloradans from getting severely sick," CPDHE Executive Director Jill Hunsaker Ryan said in a statement. "We need everyone to step up."

The state designates color codes by county, according to the CPDHE website. 

The new guidelines:

  • Limit gatherings to 10 people, from no more than two households, while the state is in the lower level Safer at Home color bands.
  • Prevent gatherings altogether when the state is in red, the highest level.
  • Change indoor and outdoor event capacity guidelines when the state is in the orange range of Safer at Home.  
  • Require masks and social distancing on public transportation.

The guidelines, which go into effect at midnight on Tuesday, also designate pre-schools and K-12 schools as "Critical Businesses." 

2:08 p.m. ET, November 3, 2020

Dubai's PM receives coronavirus vaccine shot

From CNN's Sarah el Sirgany, Mohammed Tawfeeq, and Kareem Khadder

Dubai leader Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid al-Maktoum receives a dose of what is thought to be a coronavirus vaccine that is currently in clinical trials.
Dubai leader Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid al-Maktoum receives a dose of what is thought to be a coronavirus vaccine that is currently in clinical trials. Emirates News Agency

The Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al-Maktoum, has been given a coronavirus vaccine shot, according to state media.

Al-Maktoum shared a photograph on Twitter, showing him receiving the shot from a medical worker. It is not clear which vaccination shot he was given.

"We wish everyone safety and great health, and we are proud of our teams who have worked relentlessly to make the vaccine available in the UAE," said al-Maktoum on Twitter.

In June, the UAE and China announced the launch of Phase 3 clinical trials for a Covid-19 vaccine developed by China's state-owned Sinopharm pharmaceutical company. According to UAE state media in June, 31,000 volunteers took the vaccine.

The United Arab Emirates has approved the Sinopharm vaccine for emergency use for frontline workers, according to the country's health minister.

"Studies show that the vaccine is efficient and safe and showed a positive response in generating antibodies," Minister of Health and Prevention Abdul Rahman al-Owais said in September. 

The UAE Ministry of Health reported 1,008 new coronavirus cases and six deaths on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases there to 136,149, and the death toll to 503.

11:53 a.m. ET, November 3, 2020

Italy could run out of intensive care unit beds within weeks

From Sharon Braithwaite

Healthcare workers transfer a COVID-19 patient in a biocontainment stretcher at the emergency room of San Filippo Neri Hospital on October 29 in Rome, Italy.
Healthcare workers transfer a COVID-19 patient in a biocontainment stretcher at the emergency room of San Filippo Neri Hospital on October 29 in Rome, Italy. Antonio Masiello/Getty Images

Italy could run out of intensive care unit beds by the end of November, if Covid-19 cases continue to increase at the current rate, the President of the Italian Association of Doctors, Filippo Anelli, said on Monday.

Italian doctors are concerned that "this second wave is not a storm, but a tsunami that could overwhelm the health system," said Anelli, adding that doctors are asking the government to implement more aggressive anti-coronavirus measures. 

The problem today concerns the stability of the health system, because the progressive occupation of places by Covid-19 patients gradually reduces the possibility of guaranteeing care for other patients," Anelli said. "If we go on like this, the situation could get out of hand."

According to the doctors' association, 184 of the country's doctors have died since the start of the pandemic.

Italy has recorded a total of 731,588 coronavirus cases and 39,059 deaths, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.

11:41 a.m. ET, November 3, 2020

At least 231,000 people have died of Covid-19 in the US

From CNN's Amanda Watts

There are at least 9,297,353 cases of Covid-19 in the US, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

According to JHU, at least 231,599 people have died of coronavirus in the country to date.

The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases. 

The US has the highest Covid-19 case count in the world.

CNN is tracking the spread of coronavirus across the US here: