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Coronavirus latest: Over 74K new cases in US children since early August, report says

There has been a 21% increase in cases among children since Aug. 6

Last Updated: August 26, 2020, 1:07 PM EDT

A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 821,000 people worldwide.

Over 24 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 criteria for diagnosis -- through clinical means or a lab test -- has varied from country-to-country. Still, 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.

Since the first cases were detected in China in December, the virus has rapidly spread to every continent except Antarctica. The United States has become the worst-affected country, with more than 5.8 million diagnosed cases and at least 179,000 deaths.

Nearly 170 vaccine candidates for COVID-19 are being tracked by the World Health Organization, six of which are in crucial phase three trials.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing today. All times Eastern. Please refresh this page for updates.
Aug 26, 2020, 1:07 PM EDT

NY has positivity rate below 1% for 19 straight days

New York state has had 19 straight days with less than 1% of people being tested for COVID-19 coming back positive, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced.

There were 71,189 tests reported to the state on Tuesday and only 566 tested positive -- a 0.79% rate.

The statewide total of confirmed coronavirus cases for the Empire State now stands at 431,340.

The state reported an additional three deaths on Tuesday -- the state now has 25,305 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Aug 26, 2020, 12:03 PM EDT

South Korea reports 40% rise in coronavirus infections

South Korea has seen a more than 40% jump in COVID-19 cases over the past month, as the virus spreads to every province across the country.

The total number of confirmed cases increased from 12,890 on July 26 to 18,265 on Aug. 26, a 41.7% increase, according to data from South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And in just the last two weeks, cases increased by 24% from the 14,714 reported on Aug. 12.

Medical staff take test samples from a visitor at a COVID-19 testing station in Seoul on Aug. 26, 2020.
Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images

South Korea once had the largest COVID-19 outbreak outside China, where the virus first emerged, but health authorities were able to bring it under control with an extensive "trace, test and treat" strategy. Now, infections are on the rise in the capital and other parts of the country.

Some 6,800 schools will be closed across South Korea through Sept. 11 due to the growing outbreak. The country has implemented a Level 2 social distancing scheme, but authorities are hesitating to implement even tighter measures, according to Yonhap News Agency.

ABC News Christine Theodorou contributed to this report.

Aug 26, 2020, 11:07 AM EDT

World Economic Forum postpones Davos due to pandemic

The World Economic Forum has decided to postpone its 51st Annual Meeting in Davos due to safety concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

The elite conference at the Swiss Alps resort town, frequented by billionaires and heads of state, will be rescheduled for early next summer. The gathering was originally slated to take place in January 2021.

"The decision was not taken easily, since the need for global leaders to come together to design a common recovery path and shape the 'Great Reset' in the post-COVID-19 era is so urgent," Adrian Monck, managing director of public engagement at the World Economic Forum, said in a statement Wednesday. "However, the advice from experts is that the Forum cannot do so safely in January."

ABC News’ Christine Theodorou contributed to this report.

Aug 26, 2020, 10:50 AM EDT

Gaza Strip reports 1st coronavirus death since May

The Gaza Strip reported its first coronavirus-related fatality since May on Wednesday, after the besieged Palestinian territory went into a 48-hour lockdown prompted by a fresh cluster of COVID-19 cases.

A 61-year-old man died there after contracting COVID-19, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The death came just two days after a family of four tested positive for the disease in the al-Maghazi refugee camp in the center of the Gaza Strip.

A Palestinian health worker outside a hospital where a 61-year-old man died after contracting COVID-19, in the northern Gaza Strip, Aug. 26, 2020.
Mohammed Salem/Reuters

The new cluster of cases and death are the first known instances of the novel coronavirus spreading through the local community of the coastal enclave, which is ruled by the militant group Hamas. Prior to that, all cases and the lone death reported there were linked to Palestinians returning to the territory from abroad, who were placed into quarantine.

Palestinian authorities believe the new cases came from a woman who had contracted COVID-19 while receiving medical treatment in Jerusalem. Although Israel has imposed restrictions on movement in and out of the neighboring Gaza Strip for over a decade, some Palestinians are still permitted access to Jerusalem’s hospitals to receive essential health treatment, such as chemotherapy.

ABC News’ Nasser Atta and Guy Davies contributed to this report.

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