A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 721,000 people worldwide.
More than 19.3 million people worldwide 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 thought to be much higher due to lack of testing, many unreported cases and suspicions that some national governments are hiding or downplaying the extent of their outbreaks.
The United States is the least affected country, with more than 4.9 million diagnosed cases and at least 161,358 deaths.
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Here’s how the news develops today. All times Eastern. Please refresh this page for updates.
10:49 a.m .: Hospitalizations and deaths increase in Florida
The Florida Department of Health reported increases in both hospitalizations and deaths Saturday.
Hospitalizations went up by 521 in the last 24 hours, with 6,991 active hospitalizations, while deaths went up by 187, bringing the total number to 8,238, according to the department.
Cases also increased with 8,502 and 86,175 tests performed. The state has now seen 526,577 confirmed cases of coronavirus.
Bay County, of which Panama City is the province’s seed, has the highest positivity rate in the state at 16.3%.
However, Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in the state, has the highest number of new cases at 1,801.
8:54 p.m .: Princeton shifts curriculum for fall semester
Princeton University will not return aftercare and juniors to campus in the fall, as originally planned, due to cases of coronavirus that have been “soared” in recent weeks, according to a statement from the university’s president.
Courses will now be completely distance-ranging for undergraduates in the fall semester, said President Christopher L. Eisgruber. Graduate students will be allowed on campus because of the “various instructional programs and residency programs.”
“This combination of health care and limitations will significantly reduce the educational value of the experience on campus. It will also make this experience limited and unpleasant for most students,” Eisgruber said.
He also noted that students from 34 states must provide a quarantine upon arrival in New Jersey for 14 days and that the phase opening for the state has been halted due to fears of emerging cases.
“New Jersey’s prudent approach has helped keep an eye on the pandemic, but public health principles and state laws still substantially limit what we can do on campus,” Eisgruber said.
The president said the university will accommodate students who are unable to return home or study from home, as well as a limited number of students with previously approved exceptions, who recognized their need on campus for their research into senior dissertation as well as others working essential for their degree programs.
Eisgruber said that although he knows the news is “disappointing and disappointing”, the university is doing its best to advise them to welcome students back in the spring
New Jersey was one of the states hardest hit in the early stages of the pandemic, but has since seen some of the lowest daily infection rates. Gu .. Phil Murphy has been warning lately about increasing numbers.
5:57 p.m .: Georgia school district reports 100 COVID-19 cases among students, staff
As the debate over re-education across the country continues, many children are already back in classes as they are about to begin. One state that has grabbed headlines this week is Georgia, where photos of folop showing students without masks went viral.
Now, one of the largest school districts in Peach State reports that 100 of its students and staff are suspected of positive testing for COVID-19, even before classes in person have begun. Those figures were provided to the district by the Georgia Department of Health.
Cobb County Schools Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said the district would remain virtual “until public health data in Cobb County changes and guidance from state and local public health officials recommend it,” according to ABC News Atlanta branch WSB. The district, which has about 113,000 students, will begin distance learning on August 17th.
Georgia exceeded 200,000 COVID-19 cases on August 5, according to an internal memo from the Federal Emergency Management Agency received by ABC News. It took four months for the state to reach 100,000 cases and just four weeks to reach 200,000.
Cobb County has, according to the Georgia Department of Health, more than 13,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 1,363 current hospitalizations. The county has at least 317 COVID-19 deaths, the second most in the state, and traps only 420 deaths from Fulton County.
The state has more than 209,000 confirmed cases, with at least 4,117 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins.
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ABC News’ Scott Withers contributed to this report.
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