November 3 coronavirus news

Hospitalizations for Covid-19 in the US state of Indiana reached a record high on Monday, with 1,867 patients being treated.

The state’s previous record came on April 13, when 1,799 Hoosiers were hospitalized.

Cases in Indiana have climbed since September.

As of Tuesday, Covid-19 cases have exceeded 2,500 for seven days in a row, according to the state’s Department of Health.

The state had 2,945 newly reported cases on Monday and 22 newly reported deaths, according to the health department’s website.

The US state of Montana reported its third-highest day for new coronavirus cases since the pandemic began on Tuesday, according to the state’s dashboard.

Tuesday’s dashboard showed that 909 new cases were reported, with 35,159 cases reported since the pandemic began. The state recorded its highest number of cases in a single day last week. 

Montana Department of Health says that there are now 399 total deaths, up 13 since Monday’s report. 

The hospital occupancy report shows that 389 patients are hospitalized with the virus statewide, with 79 of those patients in intensive care.

John Elway, President of Football Operations/General Manager for the Denver Broncos, stands on the sideline of a 2019 Broncos game.

The Denver Broncos have revealed Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, the team’s president of football operations/general manager, has tested positive for Covid-19.

The team said Elway was experiencing mild symptoms but was “doing well.”

Broncos president and CEO Joe Ellis has also tested positive for coronavirus. Like Elway, Ellis is quarantining at his home and continues to work. 

“Other than mild symptoms, both Joe and John are doing well,” a team statement read. “They will continue to work from home in self-isolation and participate in virtual meetings while their health is monitored.”

The team statement said Ellis was not feeling 100% on Sunday morning, so he reported his symptoms to the Broncos’ medical team and watched that day’s game from home.

“He continued to work from home on Monday before receiving a positive test result this morning,” the statement said.

Elway immediately left UCHealth Training Center on Monday morning after experiencing minor symptoms, which he quickly brought to the attention of the team’s medical staff. 

“Based on a review of contact tracing data with the league, we are confident these cases originated independently outside team facilities. There were minimal close contacts identified for each (no players or coaches), and those individuals have been notified,” the statement said.

The Broncos’ facilities are closed for Election Day and coaches are conducting Tuesday’s game preparations remotely as a precaution.

Members of the Wisconsin National Guard operate a mobile Covid-19 test center on the grounds of Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on October 29.

Wisconsin recorded 5,771 new cases of Covid-19 cases on Tuesday according to the US state’s Department of Health Services, a record high number. The state has a total of 238,067 cases of the virus.

The state also reported 52 more Covid-19 related deaths, bringing the death toll from the virus in the state to 2,102

According to the state’s Covid-19 dashboard, on November 2, the seven-day average percent positive was 30.8%.

These numbers were released by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project

A sign for the Food And Drug Administration is seen outside of the headquarters in White Oak, Maryland, on July 20.

Coronavirus antigen tests can yield false positives, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned clinical lab staff and health care providers on Tuesday. This includes “when users do not follow the instructions” for using antigen tests for rapid detection of the virus, the FDA said.

“The FDA is aware of reports of false positive results associated with antigen tests used in nursing homes and other settings and continues to monitor and evaluate these reports and other available information about device safety and performance,” the agency said.

Antigen tests are not as accurate as molecular, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, but they are faster and are often used as a screening tool for the virus in settings like nursing homes. False positives can occur with any laboratory test, the FDA said, and labs should expect them when screening large populations with low rates of infection, even when using a very accurate test.

To ensure accurate reporting, the FDA advised providers and lab staff to follow guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) when performing tests. The FDA noted that it is working with manufacturers to ensure test instructions are as clear as possible.

The FDA advised that, when necessary, providers should consider the potential occurrence of false positives and follow up with molecular tests.

Hospitals in the US state of Nebraska are under strain due to a recent surge in Covid-19 cases according to local health officials.

The chief medical officers of three major hospital systems in Nebraska told the press that coronavirus hospitalizations had increased 91% in the Omaha metro area from October 17 to October 31 and that hospital capacity and staff are approaching their limits.

Dr. William Lydiatt chief medical officer for Methodist Health System said the Methodist system has “the highest number of Covid patients since the pandemic began.” Lydiatt also said that hospitals had started “paring back surgical cases” on October 29. 

Nebraska is “seeing significant increases in Covid-19 infections. This continues to pressure us to find appropriate beds, and even more critically staffing for those beds.” Lydiatt said.

Dr. Carey Ward Chief Medical Officer of CHI Health said staff are approaching their limits. “We have seen a doubling of Covid positive patients in the last several weeks. No doubt if this trend continues, not just our hospitals, but every hospital in the state could be at capacity and apparently short period of time,” Ward said.  

Ward also said that surgeries that are considered non-urgent could be postponed to free up beds for patients.

The health officials emphasized the importance of wearing masks. “There’s no room for further debate about the efficacy of masks. Please continue all you can do to keep yourself in those that you love healthy,” Ward said. The officials also asked the public to trust medical professionals.

When asked about gatherings over the holidays, the health officials said that while the decision was personal, they asked the public to exercise discretion and that it would be wise to follow the coronavirus guidelines. 

Nebraska has 72,620 confirmed coronavirus cases according to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.

The Corona Altar, an art installation dedicated to those who died from the coronavirus by artist Scherezade García, marks Dia de Los Muertos or Day of the Dead. The installation includes personal offerings placed by visitors at The Green-Wood Chapel at The Green-Wood Cemetery on October 30 in New York City.

There are at least 9,358,469 cases of coronavirus in the United States and at least 232,374 people have died from Covid-19, according to Johns Hopkins University figures.

So far today, Johns Hopkins has reported 67,405 new cases and 884 reported deaths.

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:

The World Health Organization (WHO) is seen at their headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on August 17.

As of November 1, there have been 46 million coronavirus cases and 1.2 million deaths globally, according to the World Health Organization’s weekly Covid-19 update.

An age and gender analysis shows younger people account for more coronavirus cases over the course of the pandemic, with the proportion of cases among 15- to 24-year-olds increasing from 4% in the beginning stages of the pandemic to 14% more recently, and from 50% to 65% among 25- to 64-year-olds. Among those 65 and older, the proportion of cases decreased from 40% to 15%.

The WHO also notes increasing reports of long-term effects of coronavirus, including among younger people.

While the trend in cases is shifting among age groups, older people remain the most vulnerable to illness and death from Covid-19.

Background: As CNN previously reported, the median age of people diagnosed with coronavirus keeps getting lower. In May, the median age of confirmed cases was 46. By July, that number had dropped to 37.

According to a September report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), by August, 1 of every 5 confirmed cases in the US is a person in their 20s, and from June to August, Covid-19 incidence was highest in people ages 20 to 29.

New Mexico’s Department of Health recorded its highest number of daily new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday according to the US state’s dashboard and the Johns Hopkins University Covid Tracking Project.

With 1,141 new cases, this is the third time the southwestern state has reported over 1,000 new cases since Thursday.

There are now 49,240 cases statewide since the start of the pandemic and 1,045 deaths.

There are 401 patients hospitalized with the virus, but the health department notes that the figure includes residents of other states who may have been hospitalized in state. It also says the number of hospitalizations does not include New Mexicans who have been transferred to hospitals in other states. 

The number of patients in hospital care is the most since the pandemic began, according to the state’s dashboard. 

NOTE: These numbers were released by the New Mexico Department of Health and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear delivers a speech in September about the state's response to Covid-19 at the Kentucky State Capitol.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) said that “Kentuckians should be alarmed by the surge of Covid-19 cases in the commonwealth and renew their commitment to stop the spread of this disease before the crisis escalates further,” in a press release Tuesday.

Beshear also said the percentage of children getting Covid-19 is rising.

On Tuesday Kentucky reported 1,795 new cases of Covid-19 and 11 new deaths for a total of 1,503 deaths form the virus in the state.

These numbers were released by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project

National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins appears before a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing in Washington DC on September 9.

More than 130,000 US lives could be saved by March if most Americans wore masks, said Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, in a blog post on Tuesday.

“If most Americans pulled together to do the right thing and wore a mask in public, this simple, selfless act would save more than 130,000 lives in the next few months alone,” Collins wrote.

Collins said only about half of Americans wear a mask in public, citing a study by the team responsible for the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation coronavirus model. The team predicts that Covid-19 deaths could surpass 1 million in the US by the end of February on this trajectory.

He noted that an increase in mask use would also help the economy, by preventing the need for another lockdown. 

“Think about it in the same way you think about putting on your seat belt – a minor inconvenience that can save lives,” Collins wrote.

People wearing face masks at a railway station in Budapest, Hungary on October 14.

Hungary will reintroduce its state of emergency from midnight on Tuesday, Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced in a video posted on his verified Facebook page.

The country will close nightclubs and impose a night-time curfew to curb the spread of coronavirus infections, Orban said.

The Prime Minister said the government would also reinforce tighter control on entertainment venues – such as cinemas, theaters and sports events – to make sure audiences follow stipulated precautions for social distancing and mask wearing. If these protocols are not followed, police have authority to intervene, fine and even close venues if necessary.

The government will also “increase the frequency of public transport in the morning and during the noon rush hour” to avoid commute overcrowding, Orban added.

The Prime Minister listed other improvements, such as the increase in doctors salaries, as well as making more equipment available to hospitals in need across the country.

These measures come as the numbers in Hungary continue to rise, leaving the government concerned about reaching December with hospitals on the brink of their capacity limit.

The number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care in Utah is at its highest level in eight weeks, according to the state Department of Health’s latest dashboard.

There are 366 patients hospitalized with the virus and 152 of them are currently in intensive care units.

The health department dashboard states that 73.7% of all ICU beds are currently in use statewide. Utah Department of Health (UDOH) says that when ICU capacity is at 72%, it “creates major strains on the healthcare system. When 85% capacity is reached, Utah will be functionally out of staffed ICU beds, indicating an overwhelmed hospital system.”

UDOH also reports six new deaths today bringing it to a total of 620. There were 1,669 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases to 119,375. 

Utah’s 7-day rolling positivity rate for Covid-19 also continues to go up, as the state shows an average of 19.1% on Tuesday. 

Police officers patrol outside Paris' courthouse, on September 2, the opening day of the trial of 14 suspected accomplices in the Charlie Hebdo attack.

The trial in Paris over the 2015 attacks on satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo has been further suspended until November 12 after three of the 10 defendants appearing in court tested positive for Covid-19, the press office of the anti-terrorism prosecutors in France announced Tuesday.

On Sunday, the trial was delayed until Tuesday after one of the lawyers tested positive for the virus.

Fourteen people have been on trial since September over their alleged involvement in a series of deadly terrorist attacks in the French capital in January 2015. Ten defendants are currently in custody. Three people are on the run and one is facing charges, but is not in custody.

A total of 17 people were killed in the attacks which began in the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine and ended at a kosher supermarket two days later.

Those charged are accused of having provided logistical support to the perpetrators – brothers Said and Chérif Kouachi and their accomplice Amedy Coulibaly – and face charges of participating in a terrorist criminal association.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson updates the media on the state's COVID-19 response on November 3.

Covid-19 is the third-leading cause of death in Arkansas, preceded only by cancer and heart attacks, according to Governor Asa Hutchinson.

The state today reported 878 new cases of Covid-19, bringing it to a total of 115,519 cases. Arkansas is also reporting 18 new Covid-19 related deaths, bringing the total to 2,003 deaths, according to the Governor. 

Bed capacity in northeast and central areas of the state is currently “tight,” Bo Ryall, president and CEO of the Arkansas Hospital Association said Tuesday.

• 10% of occupied beds have Covid-19 patients in them
• 26% of occupied ICU beds have Covid-19 patients in them
• 31% of ventilators are in use by Covid-19 patients

Ryall said these were “some of the highest numbers that we’ve seen in those areas.”

While hospitals are not currently seeing any major deficiencies in PPE or testing supplies, there is a shortage of healthcare workers caused by fatigue, competition from other states, increasing costs and community exposure, Ryall added.

“If we continue to see these cases escalate, we in turn will have hospitalizations increase, and the stress on the health care system will be felt. Hospitals are stretched thin in some areas and we ask that you please adhere to the safety measures again,” Ryall said.