Coronavirus updates: 23-year-old college student dies from COVID-19

There were 161,934 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the United States on Tuesday, according to a real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University.

It's the fifth day in a row that the country has reported over 150,000 newly diagnosed infections. Tuesday's count is slightly less than the all-time high of 177,224 on Nov. 13.

An additional 1,707 fatalities from COVID-19 were also registered nationwide on Tuesday, the highest since mid-May but still under a peak of 2,609 new deaths on April 15.

A total of 11,359,804 people in the United States have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the pandemic began, and at least 248,687 of them have died, according to Johns Hopkins. The cases include people from all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C. and other U.S. territories as well as repatriated citizens.

Much of the country was under lockdown by the end of March as the first wave of pandemic hit. By May 20, all U.S. states had begun lifting stay-at-home orders and other restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The day-to-day increase in the country's cases then hovered around 20,000 for a couple of weeks before shooting back up and crossing 100,000 for the first time on Nov. 4.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued an executive order that authorized a statewide freeze to combat rising COVID-19 cases.

The order will close businesses such as gyms, museums, zoos and indoor recreational facilities, restrict dining to takeout only and limit social gatherings to six people.

Religious gatherings will be limited to a maximum of 25 people indoors and 50 people outdoors, according to the executive order.

The state has 58,570 total coronavirus cases and 778 deaths, according to the Oregon Health Department. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations jumped from 180 on Nov. 2 to 378 on Nov. 17, according to the health data.

"We are at a breaking point," Brown said in a statement. "If we don't take further action, we risk continued alarming spikes in infections and hospitalizations, and we risk the lives of our neighbors and loved ones."

The executive order goes into effect on Wednesday and will last for at least two weeks.

In the meantime, Brown said $55 million in federal financial assistance will be committed to businesses that are impacted by COVID-19.

Each Oregon county will get a baseline of $500,000 plus a per capita allocation of the remainder of the funds.

"I know that this is not enough. I remain committed to fighting for additional resources at the federal level, including a reauthorization of the important features of the CARES Act, like the Payroll Protection Program and an extension of unemployment insurance benefits," Brown said in a statement.

The Food and Drug Administration has issued an emergency use authorization for the first at-home rapid test for the SARS-CoV2 virus. The Lucira COVID-19 All-In-One Test Kit is authorized for use at home or point of care in a doctor's office, but only with a prescription.

"While COVID-19 diagnostic tests have been authorized for at-home collection, this is the first that can be fully self-administered and provide results at home. This new testing option is an important diagnostic advancement to address the pandemic and reduce the public burden of disease transmission,” FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn said in a statement. 

FDA says the molecular test "works by swirling the self-collected sample swab in a vial that is then placed in the test unit. In 30 minutes or less, the results can be read directly from the test unit’s light-up display that shows whether a person is positive or negative for the SARS-CoV-2 virus."

Some experts have pushed for more development of at-home rapid tests, saying that if they were affordable and accessible -- like a pregnancy test -- people could test themselves daily before going to work, school or traveling. Since this test is prescription-only, it likely won't be that widely available yet, but other companies have submitted applications for similar technology and the FDA says that will be a priority. 

"A test that can be fully administered entirely outside of a lab or healthcare setting has always been a major priority for the FDA to address the pandemic. Now, more Americans who may have COVID-19 will be able to take immediate action, based on their results, to protect themselves and those around them," said Dr. Jeff Shuren, director of FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, in a statement. "We look forward to proactively working with test developers to support the availability of more at-home test options."

ABC News' Stephanie Ebbs contributed to this report.

Los Angeles County will issue new limits on business and gatherings as the number of COVID-19 cases have doubled since the beginning of the month and hospitalizations are averaging 1,000 a day, according to health officials.

And if the trend continues, officials warn they will have to issue another stay-at-home order and curfew.

Starting Friday, nonessential businesses, including stores and offices, will be reduced to a maximum 25% occupancy.

Restaurants, breweries, wineries, bars and all other nonessential retail establishments will have to close from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m, according to the health department.

Currently, LA County is reporting a five-day average of 2,884 cases and 1,126 hospitalized patients, according to officials.

If the five-day average rises to 4,000 cases or hospitalizations are more than 1,750 per day, the city will prohibit in-person dining, according to health officials.

If the five-day average rises to 4,500 or hospitalizations are more than 2,000 per day, the county will issue a stay-at-home order and general curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m, health officials said.