A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 324,000 people worldwide.Over 4.9 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some governments are hiding the scope of their nations' outbreaks.Since the first cases were detected in China in December, the United States has become the worst-affected country, with more than 1.5 million diagnosed cases and at least 92,149 deaths.Today's biggest developments:Religious gatherings to resume in NY World sees highest one-day increase of cases since outbreak began Motor vehicle fatality rates spike 14% in March Editor's PicksAsian Americans face coronavirus 'double whammy': Skyrocketing unemployment and discriminationHow COVID-19 is exposing -- and widening -- cracks in the US health systemWorld's 2nd-largest continent Africa sees steep rise in coronavirus cases
Here's how the news is developing today. All times Eastern. Please refresh this page for updates.1:15 p.m.: NJ offering self-administered tests at several Walmarts
Over 150,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in New Jersey, but Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday that the curve overall is moving in the right direction.Adam Abdelouahad, right, and Brandon Esper wait in line, in a car, to pick up an order from Dick's Sporting Goods in Paramus, N.J., May 18, 2020.Adam Abdelouahad, right, and Brandon Esper wait in line, in a car, to pick up an order from Dick's Sporting Goods in Paramus, N.J., May 18, 2020.Seth Wenig/AP
Beginning May 22, New Jersey residents can take self-administered, self-swab tests outside seven Walmart locations in the state, Murphy said.These drive-up locations are set to be available three days a week, by appointment only. Results will be available in about two days, the governor said.MORE: Faces of the coronavirus pandemic: Remembering those who died
At least 10,747 people in the state have succumbed to the virus.Tune into ABC at 1 p.m. ET and ABC News Live at 4 p.m. ET every weekday for special coverage of the novel coronavirus with the full ABC News team, including the latest news, context and analysis.12:20 p.m.: Religious gatherings to resume in NY
Beginning Thursday, religious gatherings can resume across New York state, but with no more than 10 people and with strict social distancing guidelines, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.State officials have asked religious groups to consider drive-in and parking lot services, Cuomo said.A person paints the outside of a church on May 19, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough in New York.A person paints the outside of a church on May 19, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough in New York.Stephanie Keith/Getty Images
Cuomo said New York City's new coronavirus hospitalizations and deaths are originating in minority and low-income neighborhoods, a finding based on antibody tests administered at churches.MORE: Know the risks: Where you are most likely to get coronavirus
In lower-income communities and communities of color, 27% tested positive for coronavirus antibodies, compared to 19% of the general population citywide. Cuomo said New York will increase testing in 40 public housing projects, get personal protective equipment (PPE) and hand sanitizer into these neighborhoods and launch a public health education effort. A man speaks to a street vendor about face masks, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, in the Queens borough of New York, May 19, 2020.A man speaks to a street vendor about face masks, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, in the Queens borough of New York, May 19, 2020.Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters11:45 a.m: World sees highest one-day increase of cases since outbreak began
With an increase of 106,000 COVID-19 cases worldwide in the last day, the globe is experiencing its highest one-day increase since the outbreak began, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday.Two-thirds of those cases were reported in four countries, he said.MORE: High school seniors become first to head back to school in South Korea
He added that WHO officials are particularly encouraged by how South Korea built on experience gained during the SARS outbreak to quickly find, test, isolate and trace cases, curtailing a first wave and quickly identifying and containing new cases.11:10 a.m.: Motor vehicle fatality rates spike 14% in March
Despite Americans across the country staying home, early data shows a 14% spike in car accident deaths nationally in March, according to the National Safety Council.An aerial view shows a sign imploring drivers to not speed while morning traffic gradually increases on the Interstate 110 freeway as the coronavirus pandemic continues, in Los Angeles, May 18, 2020.An aerial view shows a sign imploring drivers to not speed while morning traffic gradually increases on the Interstate 110 freeway as the coronavirus pandemic continues, in Los Angeles, May 18, 2020.David Mcnew/Getty Images
Through the first three months of 2020, states with notable jumps in roadway deaths are: Arkansas (16%); Connecticut (42%); Illinois (11%); Louisiana (23%); Nevada (10%); New York (17%); and North Carolina (10%)."Disturbingly, we have open lanes of traffic and an apparent open season on reckless driving," said Lorraine Martin, president and CEO of the National Safety Council."Right now, in the midst of a global pandemic and crisis, we should take it as our civic duty to drive safely," Martin said. "If we won't do it for ourselves, we should do it for our first responders, our law enforcement and our healthcare workers, who are rightly focused on coronavirus patients and should not be overwhelmed by preventable car crashes."10:35 a.m.: NYC offering testing to all of its 169 nursing homes
New York City is expanding testing to reach residents at all of the city's 169 nursing homes, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday.Seniors are especially vulnerable to the virus and U.S. nursing homes have experienced outbreaks. A man wearing PPE stands behind a sign for the Sapphire Center nursing home after reports of a number of deaths there came to light during an ongoing outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the Brooklyn borough of New York, April 17, 2020.A man wearing PPE stands behind a sign for the Sapphire Center nursing home after reports of a number of deaths there came to light during an ongoing outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the Brooklyn borough of New York, April 17, 2020.Lucas Jackson/Reuters, FILE
Starting next week, New York City will offer on-site tests in all nursing homes and will "continue as long as it takes," de Blasio said.MORE: COVID-19's hidden victims, Alzheimer's patients in nursing homes
The city is expected to run 3,000 tests per day through a city-contracted lab, he said.Mandatory staff testing has begun, the mayor said, and any staff member who tests positive will be required to stay out of work for 14 days. New York City's surge staffing has already added 240 personnel and will fulfill all staffing requests by the end of next week, de Blasio said.De Blasio said 10 outbreak response teams are ready to jump into action if an outbreak hits a nursing home or senior center. Each team has an epidemiologist and experts in infection control, mental health and social work, he said.MORE: I took the contact tracer training, and here's what I learned
Part of the recovery planning will also include looking at the way to maximize home-based care, rather than nursing home care, the mayor said.De Blasio on Wednesday also called attention to the "troubling" decline in vaccination rates during the pandemic.A playground stands empty in East New York on May 19, 2020 in New York City.A playground stands empty in East New York on May 19, 2020 in New York City.Spencer Platt/Getty Images
With families staying home and fewer doctors' offices open, the number of administered vaccine doses are down 63%, de Blasio said.Vaccinations are down 91% for those older than 2 years, and down 42% for those younger than 2.MORE: How schools around the world are reopening during the coronavirus pandemic
Over a six-week period in 2019, almost 400,000 doses were administered in the city, compared to fewer than 150,000 doses over the same six weeks in 2020, he said."Something has to be done immediately," the mayor stressed, calling vaccinations "essential work" and "a reason to leave your home."Vaccines are being offered for free at over 1,000 facilities in the city. The mayor urged parents to call their pediatrician to make an appointment.When it came to New York City's three tracking progress indicators, de Blasio called it "not perfect, but a good day."People gather outside a bar selling to-go drinks during the coronavirus pandemic on May 18, 2020 in New York City.People gather outside a bar selling to-go drinks during the coronavirus pandemic on May 18, 2020 in New York City.Cindy Ord/Getty Images
There were 63 people admitted to New York City hospitals for suspected COVID-19 on Monday, up from 57 admissions on Sunday.But there were 483 patients in city ICUs on Monday, down from 492 patients on Sunday.And of those tested citywide on Monday, 8% were positive, down from 9% one day earlier.9:19 a.m.: Wuhan nearly doubles number of COVID-19 tests per day
The Chinese city of Wuhan, ground zero of the coronavirus pandemic, conducted 856,128 nucleic acid tests on Tuesday, nearly doubling the previous day, according to the local health authority.No confirmed cases of COVID-19 with symptoms were found during Tuesday's testing period; however, 13 new asymptomatic carriers were identified, according to daily reports published by the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission.A medical worker takes a swab sample from a man to test for COVID-19 in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on May 19, 2020. Authorities in the Chinese city, ground zero of the coronavirus pandemic, have launched a mass testing campaign for all 11 million residents after a new cluster of cases emerged.A medical worker takes a swab sample from a man to test for COVID-19 in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on May 19, 2020. Authorities in the Chinese city, ground zero of the coronavirus pandemic, have launched a mass testing campaign for all 11 million residents after a new cluster of cases emerged.Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images
Last week, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission announced a citywide campaign to test the entire population of 11 million residents for COVID-19 in an effort to search for asymptomatic carriers of the virus, after a cluster of new cases emerged for the first time since the city had lifted its strict lockdown on April 8. The number of nucleic acid tests conducted in the city daily has rapidly increased since then.Although recommended, participation in the testing campaign is voluntary. Residents who were previously tested do not need to take part. It is not recommended to test children under the age of 6, according to the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission's website.8:29 a.m.: Students start returning to classrooms across South Korea
South Korean schools began welcoming back students on Wednesday for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.Hundreds of thousands of high school seniors in South Korea were allowed to return to their schools Wednesday morning, while students in lower grades are expected to go back in phased steps in the coming weeks. Both students and teachers much have their temperatures taken before entering schools and wear face masks in classrooms.Some 5.4 million students in South Korea have been taking classes online prior to Wednesday's reopening of schools.Senior students wait for class to begin with plastic barriers placed on their desks at Jeonmin High School in Daejeon, South Korea, on May 20, 2020. Students in South Korea began returning to classrooms on May 20, as their country prepares for a new normal amid the coronavirus pandemic.Senior students wait for class to begin with plastic barriers placed on their desks at Jeonmin High School in Daejeon, South Korea, on May 20, 2020. Students in South Korea began returning to classrooms on May 20, as their country prepares for a new normal amid the coronavirus pandemic.Kim Jun-beom/AP
South Korea once had the largest novel coronavirus outbreak outside China, where the virus first emerged, but appears to have brought it under control with an extensive "trace, test and treat" strategy. A total of 11,110 people in the country have been diagnosed with COVID-19, of which 10,066 have recovered and 263 have died, according to South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.After relaxing its social-distancing restrictions earlier this month, South Korea saw a small yet sharp spike in new infections linked to reopened nightclubs in the capital, Seoul.What to know about coronavirus: How it started and how to protect yourself: Coronavirus explained What to do if you have symptoms: Coronavirus symptoms Tracking the spread in the U.S. and worldwide: Coronavirus map 7:43 a.m.: Dutch officials say mink may have infected human with COVID-19
Dutch investigators believe a human may have contracted the novel coronavirus from a mink at a farm in the Netherlands.New research findings in the ongoing investigation into the country's mink farms also show that the animals can have COVID-19 without showing any symptoms, according to a press release from the Dutch government.Investigators also believe cats may have a role in the spread of the virus on the mink farms. Coronavirus antibodies were detected in three out of 11 cats at one of the mink farms under investigation. Pending further research, the Dutch government is advising mink farm owners to ensure that cats cannot enter or exit the site.Barrier tape cordons off buildings at a mink farm in the southeastern town of Beek en Donk in the Netherlands on April 26, 2020, after tests showed that animals within had been infected with the novel coronavirus.Barrier tape cordons off buildings at a mink farm in the southeastern town of Beek en Donk in the Netherlands on April 26, 2020, after tests showed that animals within had been infected with the novel coronavirus.Rob Engelaar/ANP/AFP via Getty Images
The government is now instituting mandatory antibody testing of minks at all farms in the Netherlands. The European country is one of the world's largest producers of mink fur."These new findings have a major impact on mink farm owners and staff and their families, as well as on local communities," Dutch Agriculture Minister Carola Schouten said in a statement late Tuesday night. "I'm in close contact with all those involved."7:08 a.m.: Russia surpasses 300,000 total cases of COVID-19
Russia on Wednesday reported 8,764 new cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 308,705, according to the country's coronavirus response headquarters.There were also a record 135 coronavirus-linked fatalities registered over the same period -- the country's highest single-day increase so far -- which places the nationwide death toll at 2,972. The previous record was 119 deaths reported on May 16.For the first time on Wednesday, Russia's coronavirus response headquarters reported more patients recovering from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours -- 9,262 -- than the number of people testing positive.Municipal workers wearing face masks clean Krymsky Bridge across the Moskva river, with the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour seen in the background, in downtown Moscow, Russia, on May 20, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic.Municipal workers wearing face masks clean Krymsky Bridge across the Moskva river, with the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour seen in the background, in downtown Moscow, Russia, on May 20, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic.Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images
Russia has one of the world's highest nationwide tallies of diagnosed cases in the coronavirus pandemic, second only to the United States, according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University.Russia's latest daily caseload is down from a peak of 11,656 new infections reported on May 11. Last Thursday marked the end of a 12-day streak during which the country registered over 10,000 new cases per day.6:24 a.m.: UN chief warns coronavirus pandemic threatens Africa's progress
The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Wednesday that the coronavirus pandemic threatens Africa's progress, although the vast continent seems to be relatively spared from the scourge of the virus so far.There have been less than 3,000 deaths from COVID-19 out of some 88,000 cases of the disease reported throughout Africa. That could be, in part, due to the fact that many countries across the continent took swift action in imposing preventative measures to stem the spread of the virus."As of now, reported cases are lower than feared," Guterres said in a video message Wednesday, while warning that "much hangs in the balance" and the pandemic "will aggravate long-standing inequalities and heighten hunger, malnutrition and vulnerability to disease."This aerial view shows people queueing during a distribution of hampers, masks, soap and sanitizer organized by different charities at the Iterileng informal settlement near Laudium suburb in Pretoria, South Africa, on May 20, 2020.This aerial view shows people queueing during a distribution of hampers, masks, soap and sanitizer organized by different charities at the Iterileng informal settlement near Laudium suburb in Pretoria, South Africa, on May 20, 2020.Marco Longari/AFP via Getty Images
The U.N. chief called for "international action to strengthen Africa's health systems, maintain food supplies, avoid a financial crisis, support education, protect jobs, keep households and businesses afloat, and cushion the continent against lost income and export earnings." He said the continent needs more than $200 billion and "an across-the-board debt standstill for African countries" to help address the devastating economic and social fallout of the crisis."Already, demand for Africa's commodities, tourism and remittances are declining," Guterres said, adding that "the opening of the trade zone has been pushed back."5:41 a.m.: University of Cambridge to keep all lectures online until summer 2021
The prestigious University of Cambridge plans to keep all lectures online over the course of the next academic year due to the coronavirus pandemic."The University is constantly adapting to changing advice as it emerges during this pandemic," a spokesperson told ABC News in a statement Wednesday. "Given that it is likely that social distancing will continue to be required, the University has decided there will be no face-to-face lectures during the next academic year."PHOTO: Bikes are seen outside the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England, on April 1, 2020.PHOTO: Bikes are seen outside the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England, on April 1, 2020.Andrew Couldridge/Reuters
It's the first globally-known university to announce such plans beyond the upcoming fall term."Lectures will continue to be made available online and it may be possible to host smaller teaching groups in person, as long as this conforms to social distancing requirements," the spokesperson added. "This decision has been taken now to facilitate planning, but as ever, will be reviewed should there be changes to official advice on coronavirus."The University of Cambridge, one of the oldest universities in the world, closed its campuses in the United Kingdom in March due to the pandemic. All teaching has been moved online and exams are conducted virtually.4:19 a.m.: All 50 US states have now eased coronavirus restrictions
All 50 U.S. states have now taken steps to ease restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.Connecticut was among the last to begin reopening its society and economy, with residents allowed to go to retail shops and dine outdoors at restaurants starting Wednesday. Hair salons and barbershops, however, won't be allowed to reopen until June 1, while guidance on gyms, nail salons, massage therapy businesses and tattoo parlors will come at a later date.A main shopping street of closed stores in an affluent community remains mostly empty of pedestrians in Westport, Connecticut, on May 5, 2020.A main shopping street of closed stores in an affluent community remains mostly empty of pedestrians in Westport, Connecticut, on May 5, 2020.Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont called it a "slow and methodical reopening.""There is a balance and there's nothing that is risk-free," Lamont said at a virtual press conference Tuesday. "I think we can proceed on a very thoughtful basis with those businesses that are least likely to be dangerous and most likely to have a real economic value for the state. And I'm looking forward, I think this is a good day for the state and I hope everybody maintains their discipline because that's going to make it successful."The process hasn't been without controversy. Earlier this month, protesters gathered outside the Connecticut state capital and the governor's mansion in Hartford demanding that businesses be allowed to resume activities, as a growing number of other states across the country began reopening.A barbershop has gone out of business and the space is for lease in the Pennywise Shopping Center in Wethersfield, Connecticut, on May 7, 2020. The survival of many small businesses is threatened by the economic decline brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont says the state is showing positive signs that it can meet criteria set for the planned May 20 initial reopening date.A barbershop has gone out of business and the space is for lease in the Pennywise Shopping Center in Wethersfield, Connecticut, on May 7, 2020. The survival of many small businesses is threatened by the economic decline brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont says the state is showing positive signs that it can meet criteria set for the planned May 20 initial reopening date.Mark Lennihan/AP
Connecticut, home to some 3.5 million people, has so far tested more than 185,000 people for COVID-19 and at least 38,430 have returned positive results.At least 3,472 people in the state have died from the disease, while another 914 remained hospitalized Tuesday."These are trend lines that I think give us some confidence," Lamont said. "The timing is right, and we hit the key metrics that we thought we would."ABC News' Gio Benitez, Dragana Jovanovic, Aaron Katersky, Alina Lobzina, Sam Sweeney and Christine Theodorou contributed to this report.
Source : abcnews.go.com
Source : abcnews.go.com