The novel coronavirus has now killed more than 727,000 people worldwide.
More than 19.5 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 5 million diagnosed cases and at least 162,441 deaths.
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Here’s how the news develops today. All times Eastern. Please refresh this page for updates.
12:18 p.m .: Texas reports highest average positivity level
The Texas Health Department said its seven-day average for COVID-19 positivity on Saturday was 19.41%.
This was two percentage points higher than the previous record on July 16, according to data from the health department. The average fell steadily from July 16 to July 29, when it averaged 12.09% for seven days, however, it has steadily increased since July 30, data from the health department indicated.
An increase in test positivity could reflect an increase in new cases, a decrease in tests performed, if both. The state has conducted more than 4.3 million COVID-19 tests to date, the Department of Health said.
11:42 a.m .: Washington records 1st teen to die to COVID-19
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department announced it recorded the first coronavirus death to affect a Washington State resident under the age of 20.
The unidentified teen lived in South Hill and had no reported underlying health conditions, according to the Department of Health.
“The disease is everywhere. To dispel the spread and protect our loved ones, we must all mask, maintain physical distance and stay close to home,” Anthony LT Chen, director of health at Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, said in a statement. statement.
The state of Washington has 62,523 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 1,688 deaths as of Sunday, according to the state Department of Health.
11:28 a.m .: Maryland’s positivity rate hits a new low
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced the seven-day average of the statewide COVID-19 positivity rate a new high of 3.75%.
The state has conducted 1.03 million tests so far and 17.2% of the state’s population has been tested, according to the mayor. Maryland conducted 40,473 tests on Saturday and had a positivity rate of 2.72%, the governor said.
The statewide positivity rate has been below 5% since June 25, and is now more than 86% lower than its April 17 peak, Hogan’s office said.
The state has 95,903 total COVID-19 cases as of Sunday morning and 3,448 deaths, according to the state Department of Health.
11:15 a.m .: Florida records more than 6,200 new cases, 77 new deaths
The Florida Health Department said it recorded 6,229 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the statewide total to 532,806. The state recorded 77 new deaths during that time frame, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths to 8,315, according to the state Department of Health.
Florida has registered 254 new hospitalizations in the last 24 hours, and the virus has so far hospitalized 30,505 people, the health department said.
About 20% of the state’s ICU beds are available, according to Florida’s Agency for Healthcare Administration. Thirty-seven hospitals across the state are on ICU beds, and four counties do not have ICU beds available, according to the agency.
10:15 a.m .: US reaches 5 million coronavirus cases
The U.S. filed its five millionth COVID-19 case Sunday morning, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
The death toll in the country is above 162,000, the data indicated.
Globally, there are approximately 19.6 million COVID-19 cases and more than 727,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins. The US has led the world in coronavirus cases for months, with nearly 2 million more than Brazil, which has the second-most cases.
1:22 p.m .: Minnesota Vikings player needs open heart surgery after post-COVID diagnosis shows heart problem
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Cameron Smith posted on his Instagram page Saturday night that he will need open heart surgery to repair a defective valve he has had since birth.
The condition was discovered from additional tests administered after his positive diagnosis COVID-19.
“Earlier this week, I found out I needed open heart surgery to repair a bicuspid aortic valve where I was born,” Smith’s statement stated. “Although this will unfortunately end my 2020 season, it is really a blessing that we found this, because my heart is badly enlarged and would not last much longer. I found this out after testing positive for COVID and had to test further done as a protocol. The Lord works in mysterious ways, but I could really feel Him in these! ”
Smith concluded: “There is an operation that will allow me to go football as soon as I am healed and removed and I did not think twice about going with this. I am in no way ready to go “Football, there’s so much more I want to accomplish on the field. I’ll attack this like everything I have in life. Look forward to the comeback!”
12:40 p.m .: Cardinals vs. Pirates were suspended Monday due to coronavirus
The flight of the Pittsburgh Pirates to St. Louis on Sunday was canceled and her game on Monday against the Cardinals was postponed, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
By Sunday, the teams will have a better feeling when they play Tuesday and Wednesday, sources told Passan.
The Cardinals’ three-game series against the Chicago Cubs this weekend was postponed after the league said two Cardinals players and one staff member tested positive for the coronavirus from samples collected over the past two days.
In total, nine Cardinals players and seven employees have tested positive since last week. The Cardinals have not played since July 29th.
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12:15 p.m .: US bids reach 5 million COVID-19 cases: ‘It’s a number that bends the mind and breaks the heart’
Former Vice President Joe Biden responded Saturday night to the news that the United States has reached 5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19.
In a paper statement, Biden said the number “bends the mind and breaks the heart,” and urges Americans to take steps, including wearing masks, to combat the spread of the virus and eventually overcome it.
Because he has the whole pandemic, Biden also blamed Trump’s lack of leadership on the crisis, writing that the country “will continue.[s] not hearing much more from President Trump than excuses and lies. ”
“No other high-income economy is still struggling to get this under control. Indeed, Americans are no longer welcome in much of the world because we are seen as a threat to public health. And we are where we are.” “We are here today for one simple, annoying reason: Trump waved the white flag and gave up. He did not want to deal with the pandemic, so he stopped trying. He did not do his job,” Biden wrote.
“Trump has been throwing away months of sacrifice and the hard work of the American people. Imagine what four more years of his failures will cost us,” he added.
ABC News’ Scott Withers, Matthew Furhman and Sara Shales contributed to this report.
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