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.
New York reaches highest hospitalization numbers since June
New York state has 2,124 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, the most since June 9, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office.
Patrick Foye, Chairman and CEO of the MTA, hands out face masks on a New York subway, Nov. 17, 2020. He announced at a news conference a regional 'Mask Force' that encourages universal mask usage on public transit.
Mark Lennihan/AP
"Our micro-cluster strategy and testing capacity will help us through this new season, but ensuring we don't go back to where we were in the spring is going to depend on our behavior," Cuomo warned.
The state’s positivity rate stands at 3.18%, with 5,088 people testing positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.
Nov 17, 2020, 3:03 PM EST
Ohio announces 3-week overnight curfew
In hard-hit Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine announced a three-week curfew that will begin Thursday and run from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night.
Customers enjoy a round of drinks at a bar in the Short North District on July 31, 2020, in Columbus, Ohio.
Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images
"The situation in Ohio is deteriorating," DeWine warned.
Every county has at least twice the high-incidence level set by the CDC, he said.
Ohio has over 312,000 COVID-19 cases and at least 5,772 fatalities.
"I'm also asking each Ohioan every day to do at least one thing that reduces your contact with others," DeWine tweeted. "If we can cut down contacts by 20-25 percent, this will make a difference. Paired with mask-wearing, this will go a long way from stopping our hospitals from being overrun."
Nov 17, 2020, 2:38 PM EST
US surpasses 2 million monthly cases for 1st time
Barely halfway through November, the U.S. has surpassed 2 million monthly cases for the first time, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
Paramedics and firefighters with Anne Arundel County Fire Department prepare to transport a patient to the hospital as first responders respond to a 911 emergency call on Nov. 10, 2020, in Glen Burnie, Md.
Alex Edelman/Getty Images
The U.S. is now averaging more than 150,000 new cases every day, nearly three times the average from just a month ago, the COVID Tracking Project found. Every state in the country is reporting an increasing number of new COVID-19 cases.
The previous record number of cases in a single month was 1,897,631 in July.
ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos, Brian Hartman, Ben Bell and Soorin Kim contributed to this report.
Nov 17, 2020, 1:32 PM EST
All but 3 states in 'red zone,' per White House Coronavirus Task Force report
All states except Vermont, Maine and Hawaii are in the "red zone" as the pandemic intensifies across the U.S., according to the most recent weekly White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing for governors, dated Nov. 15.
Wisconsin is experiencing "an unrelenting rise in cases and test positivity over the last two months," the report said.
Maggie Fuhrman, a physician assistant, watches as a man takes a rapid-result COVID-19 test at the UW-Milwaukee Student Union on Nov. 16, 2020. University of Wisconsin campuses are offering free "surge testing sites" that provide rapid-result COVID-19 tests to off-campus community members, with the aim of alleviating the high demand for testing across the state. MJS-dailycovid17p1
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA Today Network
“Illinois has seen an explosive rise in cases and test positivity over the last six weeks," the report said. Illinois' hospitalizations are at an all-time high and deaths are increasing rapidly.
A man walks past a coffee shop as the store displays information signs in Chicago, Nov. 12, 2020. With the coronavirus coming back with a vengeance across the country and the U.S. facing a long, dark winter, governors and other elected officials are showing little appetite for reimposing the kind of lockdowns and large-scale business closings seen last spring.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
In Oklahoma, hospitalizations are increasing week over week, the report said. An increase in cases in the last "two weeks correlate with Halloween and related activities," and "with Thanksgiving and upcoming holidays, Oklahomans must understand the COVID-19 situation statewide."
Meanwhile, in the West and the South, “Colorado has seen a relentless increase in cases and hospitalization over the past two months," while “Florida is in the midst of a viral resurgence," the report said.
A state qualifies for "red zone" for cases if it has 101 or more new cases per 100,000 population.
ABC News' Josh Margolin contributed to this report.
