Coronavirus updates: 84% of California population to go on lockdown Sunday night

Major League Baseball and its teams are suing their insurance providers, citing billions of dollars lost in the 2020 season related to the coronavirus pandemic, The Associated Press reported.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by AP, MLB alleges that "providers AIG, Factory Mutual and Interstate Fire and Casualty Company have refused to pay claims made by MLB despite the league’s 'all-risk' policy purchases."

“Due to COVID-19, the Major League Baseball entities, including those of the 30 major league clubs, have incurred significant financial losses as a result of our inability to play games, host fans and otherwise conduct normal business operations during much of the 2020 season,” the league said in a statement to the AP. “We strongly believe these losses are covered in full by our insurance policies, and are confident that the court and jury will agree.”

The insurance providers have not responded to a request for comment from the AP.

An exploding number of cases in Southern California had Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti pleading with residents Friday to take the pandemic seriously.

"If things don't change by year's end, the lives lost will surpass 11,000 deaths," Garcetti said. "That means 3,000 additional deaths in a single month. To put things in perspective, it's a decade of homicides."

"This is the greatest threat to life in Los Angeles," he added.

The county reported 8,860 cases on Friday, a number Garcetti said he "can hardly believe." The county recorded more cases in the past week than it did in all of October, according to the mayor. It also recorded 60 new deaths on Friday.

Right now, more than 15% of intensive care unit beds remain available, a number that would trigger new closures if crossed. However, the number of beds are quickly filling up. The mayor said the county could cross 85% of ICU beds filled this weekend. A regional stay-at-home order, as has been implemented in the San Francisco Bay area, would be triggered and stay in place for at least three weeks.

Garcetti showed little doubt the percentage would be crossed -- and continue to grow.

"At this rate we will be out of beds in two to four weeks," Garcetti said.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is advising children playing sports to mask up while doing so as part of new COVID-19 recommendations.

"Proper and consistent use of a cloth face mask is especially important right now as so many athletes move indoors for sports during the colder months," Dr. Susannah Briskin, author of the guidance and a pediatric sports medicine specialist, said in a statement. "While regular exercise is important for our kids' mental and physical well-being, we must do everything we can to minimize the risk of COVID-19 spread."

Many schools, still taking place remotely, have canceled or postponed sports seasons. But others have decided to go through with their regular seasons.

The AAP specifically said face coverings were "strongly encouraged" for indoor sports, such as ice hockey.

"The risks and benefits of indoor sports, as well as community prevalence of COVID-19 should be carefully considered when making decisions about continuing or resuming indoor sports," the AAP writes in its guidelines.

The recommendations also specify sports during which masks should not be worn, such as gymnastics due to the risk of them getting caught in apparatus, and wrestling, where they could become a "choking hazard." It also specifies swimmers and divers should not wear them and outdoor socially distanced sports, like golf, may not need them.

The number of COVID-19 deaths has gone up in 48 states and Washington, D.C., from two weeks ago, The COVID Tracking Project said Friday.

There were 2,563 deaths reported on Friday, it said.

There were 224,831 daily new cases reported and 101,276 current hospitalizations -- both new highs -- according to the tracker. 

Hospitalizations are up in 34 states and Washington, D.C., from two weeks ago, it said.