A pandemic of the new coronavirus has killed more than 673,000 people worldwide.
More than 17.3 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to a paucity of evidence, many unreported cases, and suspicions that some governments are hiding the extent of their nations’ outbreaks.
Since the first cases were detected in China in December, the United States has become the most affected country, with almost 4.5 million diagnosed cases and at least 152,075 deaths.
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This is how the news is unfolding today. All eastern times.
10:36 am: DeSantis announces new initiative to fight COVID
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged state residents to wear a mask indoors and maintain social distance as part of his new initiative to stop the spread of the virus.
The DeSantis initiative, called One Goal One Florida, encourages the public to follow four guidelines: protect the vulnerable, practice proper hygiene, practice social distancing, and wear a mask if you are in close contact with another person.
“COVID-19 has been a significant challenge for all Floridians, but I am 100% sure that we can overcome this challenge,” DeSantis said in a statement. “To that end, I ask all Floridians to join me in this important effort.”
DeSantis has previously encouraged people to wear masks when they cannot maintain social detachment.
10:13 am: Cardinals v. Game Brewers canceled
The St. Louis Cardinals have postponed their game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday after multiple positive tests for coronavirus were reported, a source told ESPN.
It was unclear exactly how many positive tests had been reported.
The two teams were expected to play in Milwaukee at 2:10 pm local time.
Six of the 30 major league baseball teams will not play Friday due to coronavirus cases. That’s 20% of the league.
7:25 am: 45 fraternity members at the University of Southern California test positive
At least 45 members of the University of Southern California fraternity have tested positive for COVID-19, authorities said.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed the cases while investigating a coronavirus outbreak at three fraternities associated with the private university of Los Angeles. The names of the fraternities involved were not disclosed.
“The outbreak may be related to a large social gathering on July 4,” the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in a statement Thursday night. “As a reminder, gatherings of people from different households are prohibited under the current Health Officer Order. These are high-risk situations where COVID-19 can quickly spread to many people. Those people, even if they are asymptomatic They can spread to your home, which may include someone who becomes seriously ill or who may die. ”
ABC News has contacted the University of Southern California for comment.
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6:32 am: Hong Kong government delays elections, citing coronavirus
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announced on Friday that the highly anticipated legislative elections scheduled for September have been postponed, citing the coronavirus outbreak in the semi-autonomous Chinese city.
Lam said at a press conference that his government has the support of China to make the decision to delay local elections for a year, a move that is sure to enrage legislators and supporters of democracy.
Lam said it was “the most difficult decision I have made in the past seven months,” but a “necessary” one to “protect public health, people’s lives, and ensure fair elections.”
Hong Kong has seen an increase in coronavirus infections in recent weeks. The total number of diagnosed cases is 3,273, including at least 27 deaths, according to the latest data from the Hong Kong Department of Health.
6:14 am: Dr. Anthony Fauci to testify on Capitol Hill
Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the nation’s leading medical experts on the coronavirus pandemic, will testify Friday on Capitol Hill.
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health and a key member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, last testified before Congress on June 30. His latest appearance comes amid growing COVID-19 cases in the United States and mounting scrutiny over his strained relationship with President Donald Trump.
Fauci will be joined during a hybrid face-to-face hearing by two other lead task force officials: the director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Robert Redfield, and the assistant secretary of health at the Department of Health and Human Rights. Services, Admiral Brett Giroir.
5:39 am: South Africa reports more than 11,000 new cases overnight
South Africa’s health ministry said 11,046 new cases of COVID-19 were reported across the country on Thursday.
That brings the national total to 482,169, including 7,812 deaths, according to data released Friday morning by the South African National Department of Health.
The latest number of daily cases is just below the record set in the country on July 9, when nearly 13,500 new cases were identified in a 24-hour period.
South Africa has the fifth highest number of diagnosed cases of COVID-19 in the world, according to a count maintained by Johns Hopkins University. The country also represents more than half of the total number of cases in Africa.
4:27 am: USA Records over 67,000 new cases in a single day
More than 67,600 new cases of COVID-19 were identified in the United States on Thursday, according to a count by Johns Hopkins University.
The latest number of daily cases is below the country’s record set on July 16, when more than 77,000 new cases were identified in a 24-hour period.
A total of 4,494,601 people in the United States have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the pandemic began, and at least 152,055 of them have died, according to Johns Hopkins. Cases include people from all 50 US states, Washington, DC, and other US territories, as well as repatriated citizens.
By May 20, all US states had begun lifting orders to stay home and other restrictions in place to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. The country’s daily rise in cases hovered around 20,000 for a couple of weeks before shooting and crossing 70,000 for the first time in mid-July.
Many states have seen an increase in infections in the past few weeks, and some, including Arizona, California, and Florida, report daily logs.
ABC News’ Kirit Radia, Rachel Katz, Scott Withers and Brian Hartman contributed to this report.
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