Coronavirus updates: Los Angeles to prohibit gatherings, close playgrounds

Cases are on the rise in Southern California.

Last Updated: November 23, 2020, 6:16 PM EST

A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now infected more than 61 million people and killed over 1.4 million worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news developed this week. All times Eastern.
Nov 23, 2020, 6:16 PM EST

Maryland sees 19 straight days with over 1,000 new cases

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced his state will launch an education campaign and additional enforcement action this week, as the state sees a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Maryland has seen 19 straight days with over 1,000 new daily cases recorded, Hogan said. The positivity rate is 6.8%, hospitalizations have increased by 80% in the last two weeks, and  29 hospitals are at 90% capacity, according to the governor.

Federal and state officials have announced they will enforce compliance rules over Thanksgiving. A wireless alert will be send out on Wednesday that reminds the public about the pandemic and the state's enforcement.

"Following the public health directives is the only way we will be able to stop this virus, keep Maryland open for business, and keep hospitals from overflowing," Hogan said in a statement.

Nov 23, 2020, 5:24 PM EST

Buffalo Bills player out for season over COVID-related heart issue

The Buffalo Bills announced that one of their players would be out for the rest of the season due to a heart issue brought on by the coronavirus.

The team tweeted that a cardiologist discovered tight end Tommy Sweeney had myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart, which was connected to COVID-19.

Sweeney was placed on the team's reserve/COVID-19 on Oct. 24.

Nov 23, 2020, 3:39 PM EST

Feds begin Regeneron shipment to states

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced they have begun to ship the the first batch of Regeneron’s antibody treatment to hospitals across the country.

President Donald Trump was treated with Regeneron when he was hospitalized with the coronavirus in the beginning of October.

The treatment is authorized for use for patients 12 and older with mild to moderate COVID-19 but are at higher risk of getting very sick. Health care providers will decide who gets access to the drug based on need, according to HHS officials.

The federal government provided around 30,000 doses to the hospitals so far and will ship tens of thousands more in the weeks to come, according to officials.

-ABC News' Anne Flaherty

Nov 23, 2020, 3:20 PM EST

North Carolina strengthens mask mandate after reporting new daily case record

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced new statewide measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus, after the state passed 5,000 deaths Monday.

The state recorded 2,419 new cases and 1,601 new hospitalizations Monday, both of which were record numbers, Cooper tweeted.

The governor announced he was bolstering the state's mask mandate, which has been in effect since June, by requiring that all residents wear a face covering anytime they interact with someone outside their household.

"That means wearing a mask at home when you have friends or family over to visit. It means a mask at work, at the gym, at the store, at school," he tweeted.

The order will remain in effect until Dec. 11 at the earliest, according to the governor.

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