A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 1.1 million people worldwide.
Over 41.5 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 8.4 million diagnosed cases and at least 223,000 deaths.
California has the most cases of any U.S. state, with more than 893,000 people diagnosed, according to Johns Hopkins data. California is followed by Texas and Florida, with over 871,000 cases and over 768,000 cases, respectively.
Nearly 200 vaccine candidates for COVID-19 are being tracked by the World Health Organization, at least 10 of which are in crucial phase three studies. Of those 10 potential vaccines in late-stage trials, there are currently five that will be available in the United States if approved.
Here's how the news developed today. All times Eastern.
Oct 22, 2020, 9:50 AM EDT
Germany's daily case count soars past 11,000 to new record high
Germany confirmed 11,287 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, its highest single-day increase since the start of the pandemic.
The latest daily tally soared past the country's previous record of 7,830 new cases set on Saturday.
People wear face masks to protect against the novel coronavirus walk though downtown Munich, Germany, on Oct. 22, 2020.
Christof Stache/AFP via Getty Images
An additional 30 deaths from COVID-19 were also registered Wednesday. The cumulative totals now stands at 392,049 cases and 9,905 deaths, according to the latest data from the country’s public health institute.
Germany has broken its own record for daily case counts several times this month. While testing has increased since then, the country is among several in Europe that have seen a sharp uptick in COVID-19 infections in recent weeks.
Oct 22, 2020, 8:55 AM EDT
Analysis shows hospitalizations rising in 41 US states plus Guam
An ABC News analysis of COVID-19 trends across all 50 U.S. states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam found there were increases in hospitalizations over the past two weeks in 41 states plus Guam.
The analysis also found increases in the daily positivity rate of COVID-19 tests in 27 states plus Guam and increases in daily COVID-19 death tolls in 17 states.
Meanwhile, case numbers are higher -- a daily average of at least 15 new cases per 100,000 people over the past week -- and staying high in 31 states plus Puerto Rico and Guam, and case numbers are lower -- a daily average of under 15 new cases per 100,000 people over the past week -- but are going up in nine states.
Democratic supporters wearing masks and visors get final instructions before heading to the suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona, on Oct. 15, 2020, to canvass for the upcoming U.S. presidential and congressional elections.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
One state -- North Dakota -- hit a record number of new cases in a 24-hour reporting period. Nine other states -- Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and West Virginia -- saw a record number of current hospitalizations in day.
The United States is rapidly approaching an average of 60,000 new cases a day, with no signs of slowing. At its peak in July, the country reported an average of 66,000 new cases per day.
Over the last five and a half weeks, new cases across the nation have surged by more than 72%. More than 1 million cases have already been registered in the month of October alone, with over 412,000 reported in just the last seven days.
People eat outside on a closed street while maintaining social distancing in the Charles Village neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland, on October 14, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
States across the Midwest such as Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wisconsin all continue to consistently report high numbers, while other states such as Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Ohio continue to trend upward.
Additionally, nearly 40,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, the highest in almost two months.
The trends were all analyzed from data collected and published by the COVID Tracking Project over the past two weeks, using the linear regression trend line of the seven-day moving average to examine whether a state's key indicators were increasing, decreasing or remained flat.
ABC News' Benjamin Bell, Brian Hartman, Soorin Kim and Arielle Mitropolous contributed to this report.
Oct 22, 2020, 7:48 AM EDT
Belgium's foreign minister admitted to ICU for COVID-19
Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes was hospitalized for COVID-19 and admitted to an intensive care unit on Wednesday evening, a spokesperson told ABC News.
The 45-year-old's condition remains stable, the spokesperson said.
Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes is seen during a plenary session of Belgium's federal chamber, held at the European Parliament in Brussels, with the debate and vote following the government declaration of the new federal government, on Oct. 2, 2020.
Christophe Licoppe/Belga/AFP via Getty Images
Wilmes, who was the caretaker prime minister of Belgium during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, announced via Twitter on Saturday that she had tested positive for COVID-19, saying that the "contamination probably happened within my family circle given all precautions taken outside of my home."
She is the country's first woman foreign minister, as well as the first and only woman prime minister in Belgian history.
ABC News' Aicha El Hammar Castano contributed to this report.
Oct 22, 2020, 7:22 AM EDT
Czech Republic sees another record surge in new cases as restrictions tighten
The Czech Republic confirmed 14,968 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, setting a new record for the second straight day.
The country's cumulative total now stands at 208,915 confirmed cases, about a third of which have been registered in last seven days. More than 124,000 cases were active, including 4,417 patients who remained hospitalized for COVID-19, while over 83,000 have recovered from the disease, according to data from the Czech health ministry.
So far, 1,739 people have died from the disease in the Czech Republic. The country's highest single-day death toll of 97 was recorded on Monday, according to the health ministry data.
Soldiers walk among beds installed in the COVID-19 field hospital in Prague, Czech Republic, on Oct. 22, 2020. The field hospital was built by the Czech army and has a capacity of 500 beds for COVID-19 patients.
Michal Cizek/AFP via Getty Images
The Czech Republic has the highest rate of COVID-19 infection in Europe. Over the past two weeks, the nation of 10.7 million people has reported 1,066.3 cases per 100,000 population, according to data published Thursday by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
New restrictive measures, including mandatory mask-wearing outdoors and in cars, went into effect across the Czech Republic on Wednesday. Further restrictions, such as limits on movement and the closure of many businesses, will be imposed Thursday.
