A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 1 million people worldwide.
Over 33.4 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 7.1 million diagnosed cases and at least 205,345 deaths.
California has the most cases of any U.S. state, with more than 812,000 people diagnosed, according to Johns Hopkins data. California is followed by Texas and Florida, with over 761,000 cases and over 701,000 cases, respectively.
Nearly 190 vaccine candidates for COVID-19 are being tracked by the World Health Organization, at least nine of which are in crucial phase three trials.
Here's how the news developed today. All times Eastern.
Sep 29, 2020, 11:03 AM EDT
Tennessee Titans players, personnel test positive
The National Football League announced Tuesday that three players for the Tennessee Titans have tested positive for COVID-19 along with five of the team's non-player personnel.
As a result, the Titans will suspend in-person club activities starting Tuesday. The Minnesota Vikings, who played the Titans on Sunday, will also suspend in-person club activities.
"Both clubs are working closely with the NFL and the NFLPA, including our infectious disease experts, to evaluate close contacts, perform additional testing and monitor developments," the NFL said in a statement Tuesday. "All decisions will be made with health and safety as our primary consideration. We will continue to share updates as more information becomes available."
Sep 29, 2020, 10:48 AM EDT
Cruise ship crew test negative in 'possible false alarm'
A dozen crew members on a cruise ship docked off the coast of Greece have now tested negative for COVID-19 twice after initially testing positive, according to the ship's operator TUI cruises.
The 12 crew members aboard the Mein Shiff 6 cruise liner tested positive for the virus on Monday and were immediately isolated, along with 24 other crew members who had come into contact with them. But those "unclear positive" results were later identified as negative by two further tests -- PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests performed on the ship by TUI Cruises and rapid antigen tests conducted by Greek authorities in the port city of Piraeus, according to a press release from TUI Cruises.
"A further PCR test, carried out by Greek authorities, should confirm this again. The results are expected later today," the company said in the statement Tuesday, calling the incident a "possible false alarm."
Maltese-flagged cruiser Mein Schiff 6 sits docked at the port of Piraeus early on Sept. 29, 2020 after a dozen crew members were reported positive for the COVID-19 virus.
Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP via Getty Images
None of the 12 crew members have shown any symptoms, and rapid antigen tests for the 24 close contacts also came back negative.
The ship departed Sunday night from the port city of Heraklion, the capital of the Greek island of Crete, with all 922 guests testing negative for COVID-19 prior to boarding. Crew members are tested for the virus every two weeks, according to a TUI spokesperson.
The company resumed cruise operations in late July in Germany and started sailing in Greece on Sept. 13, according to the spokesperson.
ABC News' Christine Theodorou contributed to this report.
Sep 29, 2020, 8:50 AM EDT
University of Oxford currently not recruiting children for vaccine trial
A spokesperson for the University of Oxford told ABC News Tuesday that volunteers under the age of 18 are currently not being recruited into the clinical trail of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine.
"We have prioritized adults as there is strong evidence that children are much less likely than adults to become unwell with COVID-19," the spokesperson said. "Whilst we do plan to run a trial in this age group, we first hope to generate evidence of the vaccine efficacy in adults, and as such cannot set a date for when the under 18 element of the trial may begin."
The studies to assess the safety and efficacy of the so-called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine began in the United Kingdom in April. In addition to the U.K.-based trial, phase III studies have now begun in Brazil, South Africa and the United States to assess the vaccine in other populations, along with a related trial in India.
ABC News' Zoe Magee contributed to this report.
Sep 29, 2020, 7:58 AM EDT
Israel's COVID-19 death rate per million overtakes US
Israel now has the world's highest daily COVID-19 death rate per million people, surpassing that of the United States, according to a report published Tuesday morning by an Israeli military task force.
The report shows that the daily COVID-19 death rate over the past week has been 3.5 per million people in Israel and 2.2 per million people in the United States.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to have the world's highest weekly COVID-19 infection rate per million people, followed by France and the United States, according to the report from the task force, which was formed by the Israel Defense Force's Military Intelligence Directorate and advises the country's health ministry.
A bandana-clad woman stands holding an Israeli flag during a demonstration in Jerusalem on Sept. 29, 2020. People have taken to the streets in the Israel's capital to protest a possible bill in the Knesset, Israel's unicameral parliament, that would limit political demonstrations as part of new coronavirus-related restrictions.
Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images
The report also shows that the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in critical condition has increased by 70% over the last month and is 10 times higher than three months ago.
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Israel has reported more than 233,000 confirmed cases with over 1,500 deaths, according to data from the country's health ministry.
Israel entered its second nationwide coronavirus lockdown on Sept. 18, as the Jewish High Holidays began. The country's health minister, Yuli Edelstein, said Tuesday that there was "no way" the lockdown would be lifted after three weeks as originally planned.
