A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 1.3 million people worldwide.
Over 58.7 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 national governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their outbreaks. The criteria for diagnosis -- through clinical means or a lab test -- has also varied from country to country.
The United States is the worst-affected nation, with more than 12.2 million diagnosed cases and at least 256,783 deaths.
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.
Labor Department issues $2.8 million in fines to companies that didn't protect workers
The U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued more than $2.8 million in fines for failing to properly protect employees from COVID-19.
The violations compiled by OSHA include failure to implement plans to protect workers from respiratory viruses; failure to provide workers with PPE or train them to wear it properly; failure to report illness or death; and failure to to provide a safe workplace.
ABC News' Stephanie Ebbs contributed to this report.
Nov 16, 2020, 11:50 AM EST
Nearly 70,000 Americans currently hospitalized
Nearly 70,000 people are currently hospitalized due to complications with COVID-19 as intensive care units around the country run out of space and supplies.
The number of hospitalization shows no signs of slowing down after the seven-day average of patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 increased by 23%, according to an ABC News analysis of the trends across 50 states, Guam, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., using data from the COVID Tracking Project.
The virus also continues to disproportionally impact Americans of color. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the week ending on Nov. 7, hospitalization rates for Hispanic or Latino individuals are 4.2 times higher than that of non-Hispanic White individuals. American Indian or Alaska Native individuals have been hospitalized at 4.1 times the rate of non-Hispanic White individuals, and Black individuals have been hospitalized at 3.9 times the rate of non-Hispanic White individuals.
The U.S. is now averaging almost 145,000 new cases a day -- nearly four times the daily average from just two months ago. In the last seven days, the average number of new COVID-19 cases has increased by 35%.
The 1 million Americans diagnosed with the virus in the last seven days equates to 101 every minute.
ABC News’ Arielle Mitropolous contributed to this report.
Nov 16, 2020, 11:45 AM EST
COVID-19 outbreak reported at World Health Organization headquarters
The World Health Organization has recorded 65 cases of COVID-19 among staff, The Associated Press has reported.
There are now 32 employees at WHO’s headquarters in Geneva who have contracted the virus, while the remaining cases are staff who have been working from home, according to an internal email obtained by the AP.
WHO has stated publicly that there has been no transmission of COVID-19 onsite in Geneva, but an email sent to staff by Raul Thomas, head of WHO business operations, on Friday states that 49 of the overall cases had occurred in the last eight weeks and that five people who contracted the virus were receiving necessary medical attention.
A WHO spokeswoman confirmed the accuracy of the information to the AP.
ABC News’ Kirit Radia contributed to this report.
Nov 16, 2020, 7:41 AM EST
Moderna announces initial Phase 3 data showing its COVID-19 vaccine is up to 94.5% effective
In another promising medical development, the biotechnology company Moderna has announced its COVID-19 vaccine could be up to 94.5% effective.
The news comes a week after Pfizer announced its vaccine could be up to 90% effective based on a similar, early analysis from its Phase 3 trial.
In a release Monday, Moderna said its Phase 3 trial "met statistical criteria with a vaccine efficacy of 94.5%," according to an early analysis of the data that included 95 participants with confirmed cases of COVID-19.
However, vaccine specialists caution that these numbers are not set in stone -- both estimates could increase or decrease as the respective trials continue, and the vaccines may ultimately prove to work better in some groups than in others.
Despite the promising data, Moderna isn't ready to roll out its vaccine in a mass immunization campaign just yet. The company will first need to ask the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization (EUA), a limited green-light for higher-risk groups.
(FILES) In this file photo taken on August 13, 2020 Biotechnology company Moderna protocol files for COVID-19 vaccinations are kept at the Research Centers of America in Hollywood, Florida. - US biotech firm Moderna won't seek an emergency use authorization for its coronavirus vaccine before November 25, its CEO told the Financial Times on September 30.
Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images
The company said it plans to seek EUA "in the coming weeks." That application will include at least two months of safety data after the last injection in half the volunteers. Moderna has said it expects the FDA application will include the "final analysis" of 151 cases of COVID-19 in its trial, rather than just the initial 95 cases.
This puts them roughly on track along with Pfizer for possible limited authorization by the FDA as soon as December. Moderna is expected to have 20 million doses to go along with Pfizer's 50 million for global distribution before more can be made in 2021.
Moderna also announced promising data Monday about how the vaccine can be shipped and stored. According to the company, the vaccine can safely be stored for up to six months in a normal freezer, and up to 30 days in a normal refrigerator.
Pfizer's vaccine must be kept at around -94 degrees Fahrenheit -- far colder than a typical freezer can accommodate. Because of these temperature requirements, the company will ship vaccine doses in special temperature-controlled thermal boxes packed with dry ice.
With the new data published this week, Moderna could be the second company to seek authorization in the United States, after Pfizer.
ABC News' Sony Salzman contributed to this report.
