A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 948,000 people worldwide.
Over 30.3 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 6.7 million diagnosed cases and at least 198,306 deaths.
California has the most cases of any U.S. state, with more than 776,000 people diagnosed, according to Johns Hopkins data. California is followed by Texas and Florida, with over 701,000 cases and over 677,000 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.
Here's how the news developed today. All times Eastern.
Sep 18, 2020, 3:19 PM EDT
Southern, northern US borders to stay closed to nonessential travel through Oct. 21
The southern and northern U.S. borders will remain closed to nonessential travel until at least Oct. 21 as part of efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus, Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said Friday.
Entry lanes are closed at the Canada-U.S. border in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Quebec, Canada, Sept. 16, 2020. The U.S. and Canada will extend restrictions on travel across the border until at least Oct. 21.
Bloomberg via Getty Images
Wait times at the international checkpoints grew in recent weeks, including for U.S. citizens. Border authorities have closed lanes, added more inspections and are continuing to directly tell travelers about the nonessential restrictions.
ABC News' Quinn Owen contributed to this report.
Sep 18, 2020, 1:12 PM EDT
Israel goes on its 2nd lockdown as Jewish High Holidays begin
Israel's second COVID-19 lockdown started on Friday as the Jewish High Holidays began.
An Ultra-Orthodox Jew crosses an empty street during the first day of a three-week lockdown in Bnei Brak, Israel, Sept. 18, 2020. Israel went back into a full lockdown on Friday to try to contain a coronavirus outbreak that has steadily worsened for months as its government has been plagued by indecision and infighting.
Ariel Schalit/AP
The lockdown, which will last for three weeks, went into effect at 2 p.m. local time. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, begins Friday night, and is typically a time for family gatherings.
Supermarkets and pharmacies will stay open during the lockdown but schools and nonessential businesses will close.
A aerial view taken in the Israeli Mediterranean city of Netanya, shows an empty road after the authorities imposed a series of new measures meant to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, on Sept. 18, 2020. Israel imposed a second nationwide lockdown to tackle one of the world's highest coronavirus infection rates.
Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images
Synagogues can stay open but there are strict rules as to how many worshippers can go inside at one time. Ten days after Rosh Hashanah is Yom Kippur; attending synagogue is an important part of both holidays.
Israel has over 179,000 people diagnosed with COVID-19. At least 1,196 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins data.
Israel's first nationwide pandemic lockdown ended in May.
Sep 18, 2020, 11:12 AM EDT
New Zealand reports no new cases for 1st time in over a month
New Zealand has reported no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 for the first time since Aug. 10, after a fresh outbreak was discovered in the country's most populous city.
New Zealand's Ministry of Health said Friday that there were no positive results among the 7,360 people tested for COVID-19 the previous day. It's the fourth straight day without any cases of community transmission in the nation of 5 million people, with all recent cases being detected among quarantined travelers returning from abroad.
People jog past a social distancing sign in Auckland, New Zealand, on Aug. 31, 2020.
Fiona Goodall/Reuters
A cluster of cases emerged in the city of Auckland last month, ending New Zealand's 102-day streak without any local transmission of the novel coronavirus. The outbreak prompted the government to impose a temporary lockdown in the region and reschedule national elections.
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, New Zealand's Ministry of Health has identified 1,809 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases as well as 25 coronavirus-related deaths. There are currently 70 active cases and four coronavirus-related hospitalizations in the country.
Sep 18, 2020, 10:07 AM EDT
COVID-19 is New York City's 'largest mass fatality incident,' report says
The number of deaths reported to the New York City's Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) more than doubled in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic gripped the nation's most populous city, according to a new report from the mayor's office.
"COVID-19 tragically represents the largest mass fatality incident in modern NYC history," the report said.
There were 65,712 deaths reported to OCME during the 2020 fiscal year, compared to 30,964 in fiscal year 2019.
"The number of deaths reported to OCME increased, corresponding to the surge in NYC deaths during the pandemic," the report said.
Workers wearing personal protective equipment move bodies to a refrigerated truck from the Andrew T. Cleckley Funeral Home in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on April 29, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Craig Ruttle/AP
Meanwhile, the number of cremation requests reviewed by the OCME jumped from 17,148 to 27,863 over the past year.
"This increase came about during the months of March through June where OCME received 16,115 requests, a number that approached the entire Fiscal 2019 total," the report said. "This increase corresponds to the surge in deaths NYC experienced during the pandemic to date."
The number of decedents' remains transported by OCME and stored in the morgue also increased from 11,281 to 17,606.
New York City has counted nearly 24,000 confirmed or probable deaths from COVID-19 so far. In April, the city's COVID-19 death toll surpassed the number of people killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
ABC News' Aaron Katerksy contributed to this report.
