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Coronavirus news: US records highest daily death toll in weeks

The death toll is a threefold increase from the previous day,

ByMorgan Winsor and Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: September 17, 2020, 5:51 AM EDT

A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 938,000 people worldwide.

Over 29.7 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 6.6 million diagnosed cases and at least 196,691 deaths.

California has the most cases of any U.S. state, with more than 770,000 people diagnosed, according to Johns Hopkins data. California is followed by Texas and Florida, with over 695,000 cases and over 671,000 cases, respectively.

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

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing today. All times Eastern.
Sep 16, 2020, 10:20 AM EDT

Russia sees highest surge in cases since July

Russia confirmed 5,670 new cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, the country's highest single-day increase since July 26.

An additional 132 coronavirus-related deaths were also recorded in the past day, according to Russia's coronavirus response headquarters.

A woman wearing a face mask to protect against the novel coronavirus walks in central Moscow, Russia, on Sept. 16, 2020.
Yuri Kadobnov/AFP via Getty Images

Russia's cumulative total now stands at 1,079,519 confirmed cases and 18,917 deaths.

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Finance has proposed hiking taxes on cigarettes to make up for higher budget spending due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Kommersant newspaper reported Wednesday.

ABC News' Alina Lobzina contributed to this report.

Sep 16, 2020, 10:17 AM EDT

No snow days for New York City public schools this year

Public schools in New York City won't take any snow days during the upcoming academic calendar year, amid concerns about meeting the state's 180-day instruction requirement.

If there is a need for a snow day this winter due to inclement weather, in-person classes will be cancelled that day and everyone will learn remotely. Almost all of the city's 1.1 million schoolchildren will already be doing some sort of remote learning during the 2020-2021 school year.

Normally, the New York City Department of Education builds at least one snow day into the academic calendar.

PHOTO: Teachers and students participate in an outdoor learning demonstration at P.S. 15 in the Red Hook neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York City, on Sept. 2, 2020.
Teachers and students participate in an outdoor learning demonstration to display methods schools can use to continue on-site education during the coronavirus pandemic, at P.S. 15 in the Red Hook neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York City, on Sept. 2, 2020.
John Minchillo/AP

“As we reopen schools for this critical school year we are utilizing all of the lessons learned from remote schooling this spring to maximize our students’ instructional time. This includes providing remote instruction during both Election Day and snow days," the department said in a statement Wednesday.

Earlier this month, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that students will not start the new school year Sept. 10 as planned, to allow for additional preparation. Instruction begins remotely for all students Sept. 16, and they can return to physical classroom from Sept. 21 for a blended learning approach, which involves a mix of in-person and remote classes.

ABC News' Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.

Sep 16, 2020, 8:23 AM EDT

Israel records its highest single-day rise in cases

Israel recorded its highest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, with 5,523 new diagnoses, according to the country's health ministry.

Overall, Israel has reported more than 166,000 cases with at least 1,147 deaths.

Israel is slated to begin another nationwide lockdown on Friday in an effort to curb the soaring infection rate, though restrictions will be slightly less severe than the first time.

PHOTO: Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men maintain social distancing and cover themselves in prayer shawls during early morning prayers at a synagogue in Jerusalem, Israel, on Sept. 16, 2020, two days before a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men maintain social distancing and cover themselves in prayer shawls during early morning prayers at a synagogue in Jerusalem, Israel, on Sept. 16, 2020, two days before a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Ammar Awad/Reuters

Hotels, restaurants, schools and entertainment venues will close for an initial period of three weeks and the public's movement will be restricted to 500 meters from home. However, supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open and businesses across the private sector that don't receive members of the public will operate at no more than 50% capacity.

Worshippers will be allowed to pray together indoors during the upcoming Jewish holidays, depending on the space and number of entries to the building. Political demonstrations will also be authorized, despite the lockdown.

ABC News' Bruno Nota contributed to this report.

Sep 16, 2020, 6:09 AM EDT

Trump says COVID-19 is 'going away,' even 'without the vaccine'

During an ABC News town hall on Tuesday night, U.S. President Donald Trump said the coronavirus pandemic "is going away," even "without the vaccine."

"Sure, over a period of time. Sure, with time, it goes away," Trump told the audience at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

Medical experts, meanwhile, say there is no evidence that the novel coronavirus will go away without a vaccine.

President Donald Trump speaks during ABC News' town hall hosted by ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Sept. 15, 2020.
ABC News

The president also disputed that he had downplayed the pandemic, insisting that he had actually "up-played it in terms of action."

"I think what I did by closing up the country, I think I saved two, maybe two and a half [million] -- maybe more than that -- lives," he said. "I think we did a very good job. I don't know if that's been recognized."

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