August 15, 2020 • No Comments • National News

ReDunnLev/iStockBY: WILLIAM MANSELL AND SAMARA LYNN, ABC NEWS

(NEW YORK) — The novel coronavirus has now killed more than 762,000 people worldwide.

More than 21.1 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 national governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their outbreaks.

The United States is the worst-affected country in the world, with more than 5.3 million diagnosed cases and at least 168,446 deaths.

Here’s how the news is developing today. All times Eastern. Please refresh this page for updates.

10:22 a.m.: NY announces lowest COVID hospitalizations, record testing

On Saturday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said New York had its lowest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations since March 17. The governor also announced a record-high in the number of tests.

Since March 17, hospitalizations have dropped to 523; the number of COVID-19 tests reported to New York State is at 88,668.

“In New York, we knew from the beginning that testing would be a key factor in controlling this new virus. We ramped up testing immediately and took a nation-leading role in developing capacity to test as many New Yorkers as possible, and I’m proud that we continue to raise the bar and we’ve broken our record high once again,” Cuomo said. “Yesterday’s numbers — especially the new low in hospitalizations — continue to reflect the progress we’ve made during this pandemic, but we will keep monitoring the data and the alarming increases in cases around the country. My message is the same: stay New York Smart, wash your hands, socially distance, and wear masks!”

Gov. Cuomo also confirmed 734 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 424,901 confirmed cases in New York State, with the highest concentration in New York City.

As of Friday, there were five deaths due to COVID-19 in New York state, bringing the total to 25,244.

6:43 a.m.: University of Notre Dame reports 29 cases of COVID-19

The University of Notre Dame reported 29 cases of COVID-19 in a one-week period, reports the South Bend Tribune.

The cases were from Aug. 6 to Aug. 14. On Friday, Aug. 14, the university reported 10 new cases.

Notre Dame’s spokesperson, Paul Browne, told the South Bend Tribune that many of the COVID-19 cases were traced to an off-campus party where students didn’t wear masks and didn’t practice social distancing.

“What is reinforces is our concern that it only takes a weak link. You can have a strong chain, but if you have only one weak link, it can cause numbers to spike,” Brown said. “Notre Dame officials believe they can still get the virus under control without canceling in-person classes and sending students home.”

The virus not only struck students who attended the party, but some who came in contact with those who attended,” Browne said.

6:22 a.m.: Florida high school sports start date approved

Fall high school sports in Florida are a go after the Florida High School Athletics Association voted Friday to begin sports throughout in the Sunshine State on Aug. 24.

Practices can begin this month with games set to resume in September. Teams, according to FHSAA, can start later and not opt-in to state-wide play due to coronavirus hot spots.

The organization also said that “schools may opt out of the State Series by September 18th with the ability to form their own regional schedule upon approval from the FHSAA.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been a strong advocate for reopening schools and sports in the state, despite the summer surge in cases and deaths.

“To our parents – you deserve the choice of in-person instruction or distance learning and I’m glad that so many school districts are making this vision a reality,” DeSantis said a press conference this week. “To our teachers and school administrators – thank you for refusing to let obstacles stand in the way of providing opportunities for our kids. This has been a difficult time, but I believe your hard work will do more than you know to get our society back on its feet.”

In Florida, more than 563,000 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and at least 9,141 people have died of the virus.

The state reported more than 6,200 new COVID-19 cases and 200 deaths on Friday.

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August 15, 2020 • No Comments • National News

ABC NewsBY: REED MCDONOUGH, ABC NEWS

(NEW YORK) — Wildfires in the West continue to rage as the region sees more record high temperatures.

The extreme weather has proved to be particularly a problem in California. As the state battled both extreme heat and wildfires, Pacific Gas and Electric Company initiated rotating outages Friday night at the request of California’s grid operator.

The outages, which impacted 220,000 customers, are now over, the company said.

The Lake Fire, north of Los Angeles, is currently burning 17,482 acres and is only 12% contained.

Mandatory evacuations remain in place due to the Lake Fire for Lake Hughes and additional evacuations were ordered Friday for Antelope Valley. The number of residents impacted is still be determined, according to Cal Fire. Many structures are endangered, officials said.

Nearby, the Ranch Fire in Azusa, California, is currently 2500 acres and only 3% contained. Evacuations for the Mountain Cove community have been lifted.

Not helping firefighters battle the blazes is the excessive heat throughout the West.

There are several fire weather alerts in place Saturday morning from northern California to Washington state.

Low relative humidity, coupled with breezy conditions and afternoon heat have prompted the need for a red flag watch and a red flag warning further north in western Oregon and western Washington state on Saturday.

Heat alerts are in place Saturday morning from Louisiana to Washington state as a heatwave builds across the western U.S.

Saturday afternoon high temperatures are expected to break into the triple digits in several parts of the U.S., including central Texas, and further west in Arizona and California.

The heat across the West is likely to remain well into this coming week

This California heatwave is likely to rival that of the deadly July 2006 heatwave in California.

Meanwhile, a warm front is expected to slowly lift over the Mid-Atlantic states Saturday bringing a threat for heavy rainfall through the weekend.

A flash flood watch is in effect Saturday morning for five states, including Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina.

Showers and thunderstorms are expected to move slowly through the area, with rainfall rates of up to 2 inches per hour.

Some areas here could see up to 4 inches of rain by Sunday night.

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August 14, 2020 • No Comments • National News

Ovidiu Dugulan/iStockBy WILLIAM MANSELL and ELLA TORRES, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — The novel coronavirus has now killed more than 753,000 people worldwide.

Nearly 21 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 national governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their outbreaks.

The United States is the worst-affected country in the world, with more than 5.2 million diagnosed cases and at least 167,242 deaths.

Here’s how the news is developing today. All times Eastern.

12:18 p.m.: Half of Americans know someone with COVID: Survey

The number of Americans who know someone in the U.S. who has tested positive for coronavirus has reached a new high, according to a new survey.

Half of the country’s population now says they know someone who has contracted the virus, up from 41% last month, according to the Societal Experts Action Network.

The survey also shows that the virus has touched all regions of the country, with 51% in the Midwest and South knowing someone who has tested positive, 49% in the Northeast and 47% in the West.

While the numbers were comparable among racial groups, Black and Hispanic people are much more likely than white people to know someone who has died from coronavirus.

For Black and Hispanic people, the numbers are respectively 35% and 28%. For white people, the number is 16%.

The study also showed that pessimism in the country remains, with two-thirds of people saying the situation is getting worse.

Moreover, 74% of Americans favor a national face mask mandate. On Friday, President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, told CBS News This Morning that Trump does not want to tell people to wear masks.

“If people feel more comfortable wearing masks, they absolutely should. I do think it’s a public health — a good thing to do. But President Trump does not believe that Washington should be telling people how to live their lives and all the different states,” Kushner said.

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden has taken the opposite stance, saying that governors should institute mask mandates.

11:57 a.m.: Museums to reopen in NYC

Museums and cultural institutions can reopen in New York City beginning Aug. 24, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday. They have been closed since mid-March.

Cuomo said they will operate at 25% capacity and both timed ticketing and face coverings will be required. There will also be pre-set staggered entries.

Other businesses are also set to reopen, with bowling alleys starting Monday. Protocol for gyms will be released Monday, he said.

Cuomo also provided an update on COVID-19 cases in the state. Out of the 85,455 tests reported Thursday, 727 — or .85% — were positive.

Total hospitalizations fell to 554 and there were four COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, he said.

5:33 a.m.: CDC: Up to 200,000 deaths by Labor Day

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted in its latest forecast that the U.S. coronavirus death toll could reach 200,000 by Labor Day as children across the country head back to school.

Its national ensemble forecast predicts that 4,200 to 10,600 new COVID-19 deaths will be reported for the week ending on Sept. 5 and that 180,000 to 200,000 total COVID-19 deaths will be reported by that date.

Last month, the CDC predicted there would be between 160,000 and 175,000 deaths by Aug. 15. As of Aug. 13, with more than 1,000 deaths a day every day for more than two weeks, there have been 167,097 deaths.

The U.S. surpassed 100,000 COVID-19 deaths on May 27.

New cases continue to decrease across the country week-over-week, but the rate of new deaths have increased over the same period, according to a Federal Emergency Management Agency memo obtained by ABC News.

There were 7,517 deaths recorded from Aug. 5 to 12, which marked a 2.3% increase in new deaths compared with the previous week. The national test-positivity rate remains at 6.5%.

ABC News analyzed state coronavirus trends across all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, and found there were increases in cases in two states (Hawaii and Illinois) and Puerto Rico, increases in the daily rate of positivity in 15 states plus D.C., increases in hospitalizations in 19 states, and increases in daily deaths in 23 states, D.C, and Puerto Rico.

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August 14, 2020 • No Comments • National News

The-Vagabond/iStockBy ELLA TORRES, ABC News

(LOS ANGELES) — A wildfire that broke out in Los Angeles earlier this week has spread to 11,000 acres as of Friday, according to authorities.

The Lake Fire, which grew to 10,000 acres in just a few hours on Wednesday, was more contained than it had been at 12%.

Cal Fire said that crews took advantage of improved weather conditions, with slightly lower temperatures and moisture from tropical storm Elida to battle the blazes.

However, “near critical fire weather” could develop later in the afternoon when warmer and drier conditions move through the area, according to Cal Fire.

No injuries have been reported yet, but officials said 5,420 structures were threatened and at least 100 structures were affected by the evacuation orders, according to ABC Los Angeles station KABC.

The fire, which broke out near the intersection of North Lake Hughes Road and Pine Canyon Road, has burned in some areas that have not burned since 1968, according to officials who spoke with KABC.

Evacuations orders have been in place for residents in the area.

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August 14, 2020 • No Comments • National News

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesBy JOHN SANTUCCI, KATHERINE FAULDERS and AARON KATERSKY, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Robert Trump, the younger brother of President Donald Trump, has been hospitalized in New York, sources told ABC News, a development confirmed by the White House.

The details of his condition remain unknown though he is described by several sources as “very ill.”

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany confirmed the hospitalization to ABC News, adding that the president and his brother “have a very good relationship” and that the president would be providing more details later.

Sources told ABC News the president is expected to visit his brother today, though final details were still being worked out.

In June, Robert Trump was hospitalized in the intensive care unit at Mount Sinai hospital in New York for more than a week.

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