US death toll from coronavirus approaching 90,000

The novel coronavirus pandemic has now killed more than 311,000 people worldwide.

More than 4.6 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 actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some governments are hiding the scope of their nations' outbreaks.

The United States is the worst-affected country, with more than 1.4 million diagnosed cases and at least 88,754 deaths.

Today's biggest developments:

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Here's how the news developed on Saturday. All times Eastern.

7:45 p.m.: 'Pharma Bro' denied release from prison

Martin Shkreli, the former pharmaceutical executive imprisoned for fraud and most infamous for hiking the price of a lifesaving drug, was rejected for release due to COVID-19.

Shkreli, 37, had argued for release in part because of his work in bio pharmaceuticals, which he said could benefit the public. If allowed to research coronavirus, Shkreli said he could bring a cure to market.

The judge flatly rejected the claim.

"The court does not find that releasing Mr. Shkreli will protect the public, even though Mr. Shkreli seeks to leverage his experience with pharmaceuticals to help develop a cure for COVID-19 that he would purportedly provide at no cost," U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of New York Kiyo A. Matsumoto wrote.

6:31 p.m.: Preakness Stakes announces rescheduled date

The Preakness Stakes, the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown, will take place on Oct. 3, the race announced in a video on Twitter.

The race, located in Baltimore, was supposed to be held today before being delayed due to COVID-19.

In March, Churchill Downs announced that the Kentucky Derby, the traditional first leg of the Triple Crown, will take place on Sept. 5. Churchill Downs hosted a race today without fans in the stands.

The organizers of the Belmont Stakes, in Belmont, Long Island, released a statement today saying a date for the race would be determined soon following New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announcement that horse racing will resume on June 1 without spectators.

"With this safety plan in place, NYRA will announce race dates and a corresponding stakes schedule for the 2020 spring/summer meet at Belmont Park in the very near future," New York Racing Association President and CEO Dave O'Rourke said in the statement.

"The Governor has reiterated during these challenging times that sports provide much needed entertainment for New Yorkers," he added. "Thanks to Governor Cuomo and his team, fans across New York and around the country can look forward to the return of horse racing from beautiful Belmont Park."

5 p.m.: Texas governor sending task force to hard-hit region

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced additions to a task force being sent to Amarillo, Texas, where the governor announced 700 people have tested positive for COVID-19.

The cases appear to be tied to several meat-packing plants in the region.

Abbott announced that several plants have been shut down.

Members of the Texas Emergency Medical Task Force and Texas National Guard were sent to the area on May 5 to gather information on the booming number of cases with the results announced Saturday.

"As Texas continues ramping up its testing capabilities, there will be an increase in positive cases as the state targets the most high-risk areas: nursing homes, meat packing plants and jails," Abbott said in a statement. "That is exactly why I established Surge Response Teams. By immediately deploying resources and supplies to these high risk areas, we will identify the positive cases, isolate the individuals and ensure any outbreak is quickly contained, which is the strategy being deployed in Amarillo."

Members of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Texas Department of State Health Services and BCFS Health and Human Services are now also responding to the area, the governor announced.

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2:48 p.m.: California reports 98 new deaths

In California, 98 more deaths have pushed that state's total to 3,204.

Daily death tolls have plateaued over the last five weeks as the total number of confirmed cases in the state has reached 76,793, the state's health department reported.

Testing in California has ramped up, with 1,179,126 tests conducted and reported to the California Department of Public Health. This represents an increase of 45,220 tests over the prior 24-hour reporting period, according to the health department.

2:12 p.m.: Chartered boat services can resume in New Jersey

Fishing and watercraft rentals are set to resume in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy announced.

The announcement comes a day after Murphy said Jersey Shore beaches would reopen.

Chartered boat services are permitted to reopen at 6 a.m. Sunday, with mandatory social distancing and sanitizing measures in place. Murphy also said that people will pay either online or over the phone to reduce in-person interactions.

Murphy said the metrics of COVID-19, including patients in hospitals, patients on ventilators and patients in the ICU, all were down in a way that showed "we can move forward."

The governor added that the declines were not just from peaks but "meaningful," even over the past couple of weeks.

While deaths also declined, Murphy urged the public to remember that the lives lost are not just statistics. An additional 115 people died in the last 24 hours in New Jersey, putting the total at 10,249.

12:25 p.m.: New red zone set up in Italy

A red zone has been established in a rural town near Naples, Italy, to stop a small outbreak.

Residents in Letino have been ordered to quarantine until May 20, according to a decree from the regional government of Campania.

The small town of about 600 has seen 10 positive COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, in addition to three reported earlier this week, according to the local newspaper Il Mattino. All patients were asymptomatic.

The decree states that residents cannot leave the municipal area, and all non-essential activities, including commercial and restaurant activity, will be prohibited.

The temporary quarantine comes two days before the country's next phase of lifting restrictions begins. Non-essential businesses, such as restaurants and hairdressers, will be allowed to reopen.

12:08 p.m.: Horse racing tracks to open with no fans in New York

Horse racing tracks in New York will open on June 1, but fans will not be allowed to enter, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced.

The three largest horse racing tracks in the state are Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga. Aqueduct, in Queens, is the only facility within New York City's limits. Belmont Park is on Long Island, and Saratoga is upstate.

The Watkins Glen International automobile racetrack, in Schuyler County in the western part of the state, also will be allowed to reopen, Cuomo said. The governor did not provide details on what events would be held there, but like the horse racing tracks, fans will not be permitted yet.

Cuomo said he's looking to increase economic activity, including events that can operate without crowds.

Elective surgeries and ambulatory care also will be allowed to resume in Westchester County and Suffolk County. The hospitalization rate, intubations and number of new cases all continue to decline, even with 400 new hospitalizations in the state, Cuomo said.

An additional 157 people died in the last 24 hours.

11:47 a.m.: FDA authorizes 1st standalone at-home sample collection kit

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the first at-home sample collection kit for COVID-19, which can be used to send samples to specified laboratories for diagnostic testing.

The Everlywell COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit allows a person to self-collect a nasal sample at home. It can be used by people who have been screened using on online questionnaire that is reviewed by a health care provider, the FDA said.

Additionally, the FDA authorized two COVID-19 diagnostic tests that can be used with the at-home collected samples.

Jeffrey Shuren, director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said the development provides "increased patient access to tests" and "protects others from potential exposure."

"Today's action is also another great example of public-private partnerships in which data from a privately funded study was used by industry to support an EUA request, saving precious time as we continue our fight against this pandemic," Shuren said in a statement.

9:40 a.m.: CDC updates guidance for pediatricians

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its guidance on treating children during the pandemic to include information on a new illness associated with COVID-19.

The agency said it was working with domestic and international partners to better understand multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, aka MIS-C, including how common it is and its risk factors.

There are 220 possible and confirmed cases in 20 states and Washington, D.C., of the illness in children, according to an ABC News analysis. There have also been three reported deaths.

Some of the cases have tested positive for either COVID-19 or antibodies, while some others have tested negative. Many of the cases are still under investigation.

Children with MIS-C have presented to hospitals with a persistent fever and a variety of symptoms, including multi-organ (e.g., cardiac, gastrointestinal, renal, hematologic, dermatologic, neurologic) involvement and elevated inflammatory markers, according to the CDC.

However, the CDC warned pediatricians that some children may exhibit symptoms not listed

It is possible that a child will begin exhibiting symptoms of MIS-C weeks after they were infected with COVID-19, according to the CDC. However, a child may not have displayed symptoms for COVID-19 and both the child and parents may not have even known they were infected.

The CDC said that evaluating a child for MIS-C could include a chest X-ray, echocardiography or blood testing to determine if there is inflammation.

For questions on the illness, the CDC's 24-hour Emergency Operations Center at 770-488-7100 is open.