Coronavirus updates: Over 7,000 Americans died in past week
The increase comes less than two weeks after Halloween.
A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 1.3 million people worldwide.
Over 53.2 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.
Since the first cases were detected in China in December, the virus has rapidly spread to every continent except Antarctica. The United States is the worst-affected nation, with more than 10.7 million diagnosed cases and at least 244,283 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.
Latest headlines:
- National test-positivity rate above 10%: HHS
- Emergency Nurses Association asks Biden to include nurses in COVID task force
- Cases reach another high amid record growth
- Disneyland to remain closed at least through end of year
- Corey Lewandowski tests positive
- Fauci tells Americans to 'hang in there,' 'help is really on the way'
Fauci estimates average Americans can get vaccination by April
Dr. Anthony Fauci estimated during a CNN interview that people who are not high priority will be able to get vaccinated "probably by April, by the end of April."
The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said there are concerns that there may be a lot of people who do not want to be vaccinated right away.
"That is why we were talking that it might take well into the second and third quarter to finally get people to be convinced to get vaccinated," Fauci said.
He added that the incentive to get the vaccine will be increased by the treatment's efficacy.
"When you hear something is 90 to 95% effective it makes it more likely someone would want to get vaccinated," Fauci said. "I think you're going to get vaccinated within the first four months. I'd say by April you'll be able to get vaccinated."
South Dakota hardest-hit in US with 53.97% positivity rate
South Dakota is the hardest-hit state in the U.S. with a 53.97% positivity rate, according to Johns Hopkins University.
South Dakota is followed by Iowa with a 48.29% positivity rate and Kansas where there's a 41.27% positivity rate.
The state with the lowest COVID-19 numbers is Vermont, which has a 0.64% positivity rate.
The next safest states are Maine at 2.02% and New York, once the U.S. epicenter of the pandemic, with a 2.07% positivity rate.
Antibody drug can keep patients out of hospital but should be reserved for high-risk: Officials
Eli Lilly's FDA-authorized monoclonal antibody drug takes an hour to infuse via IV and should be reserved for those at high-risk of getting sicker, senior government officials said at a briefing Tuesday.
High-risk includes people with preexisting conditions like obesity, chronic kidney disease, diabetes and those older than 65.
Government officials said they hope the drug will help slow down hospitalizations.
The product’s distribution will begin this week with over 80,000 doses. The government has a contract to purchase 300,000 doses through December, with the option to purchase another 650,000 through June.
ABC News' Sony Salzman contributed to this report
Cases increasing 'exponentially' in Midwest
COVID-19 cases in the Midwest have increased “exponentially over the last four weeks,” according to Dr. Amy Williams, dean of the Mayo Clinic Practice in Minnesota.
The positivity percentage is now hovering around 20% in some Minnesota communities and over 30% in some Wisconsin towns, she said.
When the rate of positivity “is over 10%, which is very, very serious… we start to worry about having the capacity to care for those that are positive," she said.
“Younger and younger patients" are also being hospitalized, she noted.
ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos contributed to this report