Via The Washington Post: Coronavirus live updates: U.S. tops 89,000 coronavirus cases in a single day for the first time ever. Excerpt:
The United States surpassed its record for single-day reported infections of the coronavirus Thursday, counting at least 89,940 cases, and pushing the total number of infections toward 9 million.
The country also tallied more than 1,000 deaths related to the virus for the second consecutive day. At least 228,000 fatalities have been linked to the virus since February.
Here are some significant developments:
• With five days to go before Election Day on Nov. 3, President Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden have crystallized opposing messages on a pandemic that has affected most aspects of American life, including voting.
• The United States will achieve full economic recovery by early spring, White House chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow said, pointing at gross domestic product growth data and the lowering number of initial jobless claims, despite the surge of coronavirus infections and hospitalizations. Kudlow dismissed shutdowns as unnecessary.
• The U.S. economy grew at a record 7.4 percent in the third quarter, a sharp reversal from its historic second-quarter plunge. Another 751,000 people applied for jobless claims last week, down about 40,000 from the week before.
• The Department of Health and Human Services’ plans for a $250-million campaign to “defeat despair” in the pandemic were tainted by potential conflicts of interest and government officials’ insistence that the ads reflect well on President Trump, according to documents obtained by House Democrats.
• WHO’s European regional director, Hans Kluge, estimated Thursday that Europe “is at the epicenter of this pandemic once again,” the Associated Press reported. The continent has now reported more than 10 million coronavirus cases, as several countries have imposed lockdowns this week to address the rampant spread of the virus.
• As the outbreak in Europe worsens, the Vatican announced Thursday that Pope Francis will return to holding his weekly general audiences online and his in-person Christmas plans will be scaled down, according to AP.
• Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence said Thursday he tested positive for the coronavirus, meaning the nation’s top-ranked college football team will be without its star quarterback for at least this weekend’s game against Boston College.
