Pelosi calls Trump's FDA attack 'very dangerous'
The coronavirus death toll in the U.S. has surpassed 176,000.
The global coronavirus pandemic has now killed more than 803,000 people worldwide, nearly a quarter of those in the U.S.
More 23.1 million people worldwide 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, unreported cases and suspicions that some national governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their outbreaks.
The United States is the worst-affected country, with more than 5.6 million diagnosed cases and at least 176,345 deaths.
Saturday's headlines:
Here's how the news developed on Saturday. All times Eastern.
10:37 p.m.: Northeastern threatens to rescind acceptance for partygoers
Boston is known for its college scene -- and the party scene that goes along with it. But anyone who expects to attend Northeastern University this fall better think twice.
Anyone caught partying in large numbers during the ongoing pandemic is at risk for being kicked out of school, or having their admission rescinded if they are incoming freshmen, Northeastern said in a letter to students.
"Earlier this week, Northeastern University learned of several students expressing on social media their intent to gather in large groups and to engage in parties," the school wrote in the letter. "These plans disregard numerous government and university restrictions regarding safe distancing and social gatherings. They are not acceptable and will not be tolerated by the university."
"Enrolling students may have their offer of admission rescinded," the letter added. "Current students can expect removal from the community, including the immediate loss of university housing. Disciplinary processes will be expedited so that Northeastern can move swiftly to protect the health and wellbeing of everyone."
A similar letter was sent on Friday to more than 100 incoming students who responded to a social media post encouraging partying on campus, according to Boston.com.
The first day of classes for undergraduates is Sept. 8.
7:21 p.m.: UNC identifies 2 new 'clusters' on campus
The University of North Carolina's main campus at Chapel Hill continues to deal with a coronavirus problem.
The university announced two new "clusters" -- defined as at least five cases in one location -- at Craige residence hall and the Alpha Delta Pi sorority house. The cases are the eighth and ninth on campus this month.
"The individuals in these clusters have been identified and are isolating and receiving medical monitoring," the school said in a letter. "We have also notified the Orange County Health Department and are working with them to identify additional potential exposures."
"All residents in this residence hall and sorority house will be provided access to additional information about the clusters and next steps," it continued.
The school said contact tracing had already begun.
UNC announced on Thursday it will be halting undergraduate classes on Aug. 24 and 25 as it transitions to remote learning, a move that was announced earlier in the week.
Classes will resume online on Aug. 26.
6:39 p.m.: Global death toll passes 800,000; cases cross 23 million
The worldwide death toll from COVID-19 crossed 800,000 people on Saturday afternoon, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
At the same time, there have now been more than 23 million cases globally. Cases crossed 22 million on Tuesday.
There have now been 801,629 deaths from the pandemic.
4:40 p.m.: Pennsylvania congressman tests positive
Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., announced Saturday that he tested positive for COVID-19.
"I have been following all CDC health and safety guidelines, and will be taking all necessary actions, including postponing upcoming public events and working from home in quarantine until I receive a negative test result," Meuser wrote in a statement. "I am thankful to God that my grown children were not at home and that my wife Shelley has tested negative."
Meuser will miss the vote on U.S. Postal Service funding set to happen later on Saturday.
However, he said he wanted it known that he would have voted nay.
"I will always support a strong, effective post office. They should be provided the resources they need to perform at a high level of excellence. In response to pandemic-related challenges, Congress provided the agency with a $10 billion loan through the CARES Act. To date, the USPS has not yet seen the need to access this lending authority to fund its operations," Meuser said in a statement. "In spite of COVID-19 related setbacks affecting all private and public sector operations, the Postmaster General has assured the American public that the USPS is fully capable of delivering the nation's election mail on time and that any changes in operations at the agency have been suspended until after the election. Calls from Democrats to direct $25 billion to the USPS are not reflective of the data or the reality of the situation."
2:10 p.m.: Pelosi slams Trump's baseless claim about FDA
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Saturday slammed President Donald Trump for his baseless suggestion that the Food and Drug Administration is delaying vaccine development until after the election.
Trump tweeted the unfounded claim early Saturday, saying, "The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics."
Pelosi called the statement "very dangerous ... even for him."
"It went beyond the pale in terms of how he would jeopardize the health and well-being of the American people, accuse the FDA of politics, when he is the one who has tried to inject himself in the scientific decisions of the administration," Pelosi said.
The FDA did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.
1:14 p.m.: Longer wait times expected at U.S. border
The U.S. will slow traffic at select ports of entry on the southern border to limit the spread of novel coronavirus by travelers from or moving through Mexico, a Customs and Border Protection official confirmed on Saturday.
The new measures, first reported by Reuters, may increase wait times at ports of entry in San Diego, in Tucson, Arizona, and in El Paso and Laredo, Texas.
"We're committed to continuing to facilitate cross border movement of essential travelers," CBP spokesperson Nate Peeters said. "These measures are only intended to address non-essential travel with the ultimate goal of the further inhibiting the cross-border spread of COVID-19." He said it's still highly recommended that people only travel for essential purposes.
The restrictions on non-essential travel, set to continue through Sept. 21, do not apply to anyone crossing the border for work, school or medical treatment. U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents are still legally allowed to enter.
Non-essential travel has been limited at the border since March.
12:11 p.m.: University of Notre Dame sees more cases
Confirmed cases at Notre Dame increased once again, with the university now reporting 372.
That is up from the 336 reported Friday since Aug. 3, when testing began. There have been 2,235 tests conducted.
University President Rev. John Jenkins has decided against sending students home and instead is advising off-campus students not to visit the campus, on-campus students not to venture off campus and restricting gatherings to 10 people or fewer, according to The Associated Press.
Since Aug. 3, 1,780 tests have been conducted at the Indiana university.
10:51 a.m.: New lows in NY
The rate of positive tests, hospitalizations and ICU patients reached new lows in New York compared with mid-March, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The rate of positive tests was .69%, while hospitalizations and ICU patients fell to 483 and 116, respectively, Cuomo said.
"This shows that protecting public health and reopening our economy aren't mutually exclusive if done the right way, and record-high testing doesn't equal more positive tests," he said in a statement.
There were four deaths in the last 24 hours.
8:51 a.m.: 51 students quarantined after positive tests at University of Miami
Four students have tested positive for COVID-19 at the University of Miami, the school said, prompting 51 students to be placed in quarantine.
The students who tested positive live in Hecht Residential College, however they were "immediately removed" and placed in another location to isolate, the university said in a statement.
Those quarantined lived on the seventh and eighth floors of the building.
"The University of Miami has taken unprecedented steps to reengineer the campus to ensure physical distancing and create a safe environment," the school's statement read. "Facial coverings are required at all times, except when students are in their residence hall rooms."
8:22 a.m.: 15 Minnesota infections linked to Sturgis
At least 15 cases in Minnesota have been linked to the massive annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota, according to state health officials who expect those numbers to rise.
"I think that we're expecting to see many more cases associated with Sturgis. Thousands of people attend that event," Kris Ehresmann, director of infection diseases for the Minnesota Department of Health, said at a press conference Friday. "It's very likely that we will see more transmission."
At least one of those 15 individuals has been hospitalized after a positive test.
In all cases, officials said those 15 people were at multiple bars and campgrounds. All those who went to Sturgis were advised to self-isolate for 14 days upon returning home.
The city of Sturgis began testing all city employees along with some first responders on Friday, according to ABC News affiliate KOTA.
6:10 a.m.: 32 cases, 1 death linked to Maine wedding
At least 32 positive coronavirus cases and now a woman's death have been linked to an Aug. 7 wedding reception at the Big Moose Inn in Millinocket, Maine, according to local health officials.
The woman died Friday, 14 days since the outbreak event.
Millinocket Regional Hospital reported that it has tested 366 people linked to the wedding reception. The hospital is still waiting on 103 of those tests, it said in a statement Friday.
"All positive patients have been contacted directly, given care instructions, and further instructed to quarantine," Robert Peterson, Millinocket Regional Hospital CEO, said in a statement. "The CDC has initiated contact tracing on all positive patients to ascertain the full extent of the outbreak."
Due to the outbreak, the health care facility said it has a no-visitation policy and is limiting its services to essential medical care only through Aug. 30.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said 65 people attended the reception and that all confirmed cases, as of Aug. 17, are tied to Maine residents.
Maine Gov. Janet T. Mills issued an executive order limiting indoor capacity to 50 and outdoor to 100. The state said it's been in contact with the event space about adhering to those requirements in relation to the outbreak.
Maine is one of the least-affected states in the U.S., with only 4,286 cases and 129 confirmed deaths.
What to know about coronavirus:
- How it started and how to protect yourself: Coronavirus explained
- What to do if you have symptoms: Coronavirus symptoms
- Tracking the spread in the U.S. and worldwide: Coronavirus map
ABC News' Quinn Owen, Tom Shine and Benjamin Siegel contributed to this report.
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