How Biden plans to change the US pandemic response
From CNN's Jen Christensen
President-elect Joe Biden speaks in Wilmington, Delaware, on November 7. Paul Sancya/AP
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris say they plan to move the US Covid-19 pandemic response in a dramatically different direction.
"The pandemic is getting significantly more worrisome all across the country," Biden said Friday. "I want everyone to know on day one, we're going to put our plan to control this virus into action."
There were dauntingly high new case numbers last week, and by the time Biden takes office January 20, the influential University of Washington Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation model projects there will be more than 372,000 Covid-19 deaths -- that's 135,000 more than the current total.
"By the time that the Biden-Harris administration takes over, this virus is going to have already run rampant through the communities across the United States," Dr. Megan Ranney, an emergency physician at Brown University, said Sunday on CNN.
While President Donald Trump's administration touted the end of the pandemic as one of its accomplishments, Biden laid out a pandemic plan on his campaign website which is now echoed on the Biden-Harris transition website that published Sunday.
There are five key ways Biden says the US coronavirus response will change when he's President.
Melbourne lifts some travel restrictions after 10 days of no new Covid-19 cases
From Angus Watson in Sydney
A general view of pedestrians crossing the bridge with the Yarra River and CBD in the background in Melbourne, Australia, on November 06. Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images
Residents of the Australian city of Melbourne can travel freely within the state of Victoria after a so-called "ring of steel" around the city was removed on Monday.
The "ring of steel," as locals called the tough Covid-19 restrictions, consisted of checkpoints manned by police and other officials, and separated Melbourne from the rest of the state throughout the bulk of the city’s 112-day lockdown.
The state government has also dropped a previous restriction preventing Melbourne residents from traveling further than 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) from their homes.
Movie theaters, galleries, museums and music halls will now be able to open, with 20 people allowed per space.
What happened this summer: Restrictive measures were put in this summer, when Melbourne and the rest of the state of Victoria were recording hundreds of cases per day -- becoming the epicenter of Australia's Covid-19 outbreak. Though the decision to lock down Victoria was unpopular with some people, by late September, cases had declined to low double digits, allowing the government to begin lifting restrictions.
Melbourne has not recorded a new Covid-19 case since October 29, the week its lockdown ended. Neighboring New South Wales on Monday also said it had not detected any new cases detected in the previous 24 hours.
10:17 p.m. ET, November 8, 2020
Mexico surpasses 95,000 Covid-19 deaths and nears 1 million cases
From CNN’s Taylor Barnes in Atlanta
City government health workers carry out Covid-19 tests in the Coyoacan neighbourhood of Mexico City, on October 26. Pedro Pardo/AFP/Getty Images
As of Sunday, at least 95,027 people in Mexico have died from Covid-19, the country's health ministry reported.
Only the United States, Brazil and India have reported more virus-related deaths than Mexico, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.
Mexican authorities have identified 967,825 coronavirus cases since the pandemic began.
9:39 p.m. ET, November 8, 2020
Idaho sees highest single-day rise in Covid-19 cases
From CNN’s Jennifer Selva
The state of Idaho reported 1,403 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday -- the highest number counted there in a single day since the pandemic began.
The previous record was set earlier this month, according to the Idaho Division of Public Health.
Since the pandemic began, Idaho has identified 72,961 cases in the state. At least 686 people have died.
8:14 p.m. ET, November 8, 2020
US states continue to see alarming rise in coronavirus cases
From CNN's Melissa Alonso and Jennifer Selva
Cars wait in line at the coronavirus drive-in testing site at the Hard Rock Stadium's parking lot in Miami Gardens, Florida on November 3. JL/Sipa USA/AP
With the US clocking its highest new coronavirus cases in a single day on Saturday, states across the country continue to report daily surges in the virus' spread, along with diminishing hospital capacity. The country has the highest number of Covid-19 cases worldwide, with more than 9.9 million recorded since the start of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally of cases.
Florida sees highest number of new daily cases since August
In Florida, health officials reported 6,820 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, the most cases reported in a single day since August 12, according to the Florida Department of Health (DOH). It also marks the twelfth consecutive day the state reported more than 4,000 cases in a single day, CNN's tally shows. This does not include high totals reported by the state due to lab or technical issues.
To date, Florida has recorded 843,897 Covid-19 cases statewide, and a total of 17,121 Covid-19 related deaths, DOH data shows.
Oregon surpasses 50,000 coronavirus cases
Oregon Governor Kate Brown says the state has surpassed the ‘alarming threshold’ of 50,000 coronavirus cases.
The Oregon Health Authority reported 874 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases since the pandemic began to 50,448. They also reported the state’s 730th death, as hospitalizations reach an all-time high.
Governor Brown tweeted, “This is a wake-up call. We have to slow the spread in our communities. Cancel your social plans, wear a mask, get a flu shot, and wash your hands.”
On Friday, Governor Brown ordered five counties in the state to take a two week ‘social pause’ as cases soar and hospitalizations reach an all-time high.
Wisconsin only has 12% of hospital beds available in the state
Wisconsin recorded 4,280 new cases of coronavirus Sunday and 11 new deaths, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
There are 112 more people hospitalized, with just 12 percent of hospital beds still available in the state.
Since the pandemic began, 2,312 people have died in Wisconsin from coronavirus.
Texas inches closer to 1 million cases
Texas is getting closer to reporting one million coronavirus cases as it announces 5,404 new cases Sunday, according to Texas Health and Human Services.
So far there have been 956,234 total cases reported in the state since the pandemic began.
The state reported 43 new deaths, bringing their total number of coronavirus deaths to 18,743.
There are currently 6,080 people in the state’s hospitals with the disease. Hospitals have 1,000 ICU beds available, and more than 7,000 ventilators.
Illinois has 3rd consecutive day of over 10,000 new daily cases
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported 10,009 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus in the state, making Sunday the 3rd consecutive day that Illinois has reported over 10,000 daily coronavirus cases.
IDPH is reporting a total of 487,987 cases across the state, including 10,196 deaths, 42 of which were tallied on Sunday.
We should “demand" cooperation between Trump and Biden coronavirus task force teams, says a public health expert
From Lauren Mascarenhas
Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health CNN
It is critically important that President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden’s respective coronavirus task force teams work closely together during this time of transition, Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, said Sunday.
“First and foremost, I think we should demand that there be cooperation," Jha told CNN's Fredricka Whitfield when asked if he's concerned about the access Biden’s team will have to pertinent information without the cooperation of Trump’s team.
Biden is expected to announce a 12-member coronavirus task force, headed by former surgeon general Dr. Vivek Murthy, former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. David Kessler, and Yale University's Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith.
Jha said it’s important for Biden’s team to include a breadth of expertise.
“So far, the three people we've heard about are all great public health practitioners, public health experts,” said Jha. “I also want to make sure that we have people who can bring the other perspectives – economists, sociologists or people who've worked in government and other roles.”
Watch the intervew :
7:12 p.m. ET, November 8, 2020
More than 237,400 people have died from Covid-19 in the US
From CNN's Amanda Watts
At least 9,926,622 totalcases of coronavirus have been reported in the US and at least 237,425 people have died across the country, according to data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
As of 3pm ET Sunday, JHU had reported 66,064 new cases and 312 deaths in the US which has the highest number of infections worldwide.
The total includes cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.
CNN is tracking the spread of coronavirus across the US here:
Covid-19 will have already “run rampant” in US by the time Biden takes office, says emergency physician
From CNN's Leanna Faulk
Dr. Megan Ranney, emergency physician at Brown University CNN
The coronavirus pandemic will have worsened by the time Joe Biden is inaugurated as US President in January, an emergency physician has told CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield.
“By the time that the Biden-Harris administration takes over, this virus is going to have already run rampant through the communities across the United States,” Dr. Megan Ranney said Sunday. “We’re just heading into the very worst of this pandemic,” Ranney told CNN’s Whitfield, adding that she is concerned about the expected social gatherings during late November and early December. “We’re about to see all of these little epidemics across the country, crossed and mixed, and it’s going to be an awful lot like pouring gasoline on a fire,” she said.
Ranney said she is optimistic about President-elect Joe Biden’s transition plans for leading the coronavirus response.
“The folks that I know who are already leading the task force are absolute paragons of excellent science, excellent public messaging. They have a wealth of public health experience,” she said. “I have really zero doubt that they are going to lead the Biden transition team and do the right thing for the country.”
Ranney also said she hopes there is an emphasis on mask use and making personal protective equipment available to health care and frontline workers in the future. She stressed the importance of having increased access to data and testing facilities.
“I want to see it easy for every American to get tested quickly, to get their results quickly and then to make it easy for them to do the right thing if they have symptoms,” Ranney said.
CNN is tracking the spread of coronavirus across the US here:
WHO calls reports about mink Covid-19 strain in Denmark "concerning"
From CNN's Naomi Thomas
Reports about a strain of coronavirus infecting mink in Denmark are “concerning,” but more studies are needed to determine if the strain is more dangerous in any way, the World Health Organization has said.
“It is normal for viruses to mutate or change over time. But each time a virus goes from humans to animals and back to humans, it can change more. That’s why these reports are concerning,” the WHO tweeted on November 6.
While major mutations can affect the efficacy of vaccines and treatments, the WHO said scientists have not yet noted changes to the mink-related strain that affect how well the virus transmits, the severity of disease or the risk of reinfection in people.
“The preliminary findings by Denmark are globally relevant and WHO recognizes the importance of sharing epidemiological, virological and full genome sequence information with other countries and research teams, including through open-source platforms,” the agency said in a statement Friday.
At least 214 cases of Covid-19 have been linked with farmed minks in Denmark since June, the agency said.
The WHO noted that the minks were infected following human exposure. The animals can act as a reservoir, “passing the virus between them, and pose a risk for virus spill-over from mink to humans.”
“WHO advises all countries to enhance surveillance for Covid-19 at the animal-human interface where susceptible animal reservoirs are identified, including mink farms,” it added.
