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Coronavirus news: State reaches 1 month with infection rate below 1%

Cuomo said New York has now seen 31 days with an infection rate under 1%.

ByMorgan Winsor and Emily Shapiro
Last Updated: September 8, 2020, 3:47 AM EDT

A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 890,000 people worldwide.

Over 27.2 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 is the worst-affected country, with more than 6.2 million diagnosed cases and at least 189,122 deaths.

California has the most cases of any U.S. state, with more than 740,000 people diagnosed, according to Johns Hopkins data. California is followed by Texas and Florida, with over 658,000 cases and over 648,000 cases respectively.

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

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Sep 07, 2020, 4:35 AM EDT

NYU suspends 20-plus students for violating coronavirus restrictions

New York University said it has already suspended more than 20 students for violating its coronavirus-related health and safety rules.

"Please don’t be next," the school warned in a post on Twitter over the weekend. "Avoid parties and bars. Wear a mask. Keep your distance."

The private research university in New York City welcomed students back for the fall semester just last week, with both in-person and remote classes. The school has urged students to stay away from gatherings where people aren’t wearing face masks or practicing social distancing, even at off-campus private residences.

A health care worker looks on as people wait in line at a testing site for COVID-19 set up for returning students, faculty and staff on the main New York University campus in New York City on Aug. 18, 2020.
Mike Segar/Reuters

In a message sent to students on Sunday, New York University’s senior vice president for student affairs, Marc Wais, said they "have received reports and videos of large crowds of young people gathering in Washington Square Park" in Lower Manhattan the previous night, "with some people not wearing masks or distancing."

"The expectations we have set for NYU students apply both on-campus and off-campus," Wais said. "We are investigating the circumstances from last night and any students who have violated our expectations will be subject to disciplinary action."

Wais has previously said that a student will likely be suspended for one academic semester if they are found to have participated in a gathering that impacts the community’s health and safety, including by violating public health guidelines. If a student is found to be the instigator of a party that impacts the community’s health and safety, they will likely be suspended for the full academic year. Other disciplinary actions may include restriction from campus, immediate removal from the residence halls and cancellation of the housing license, according to Wais.

Sep 07, 2020, 3:22 AM EDT

India overtakes Brazil as 2nd worst-hit country

India became the second worst-hit country by the coronavirus pandemic on Monday, as its cumulative total of COVID-19 cases surpassed that of Brazil.

India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare confirmed 90,802 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, pushing the national tally to over 4.2 million. The country has been recording the highest daily caseload in the world for nearly a month.

A health worker takes a nasal sample from a man for a rapid antigen test for COVID-19 at a temporary testing center in a school in New Delhi, India, on Sept. 6, 2020.
Prakash Singh/AFP via Getty Images

India’s tally is now only behind the United States, which has more than 6.2 million diagnosed cases of COVID-19. Brazil has the third highest total with more than 4.1 million cases, according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University.

The Indian health ministry also reported 1,016 coronavirus-related fatalities in the past day, bringing the nation’s death toll to 71,642. The COVID-19 death toll in the United States is more than double that in India.

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