Coronavirus latest: Ohio reports highest number of cases since July
The governor urged residents to be vigilant as Labor Day approaches.
A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 852,000 people worldwide.
Over 25.5 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 criteria for diagnosis -- through clinical means or a lab test -- has varied from country-to-country. Still, 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.
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 country, with more than 6 million diagnosed cases and at least 184,270 deaths.
California has the most cases of any U.S. state, with more than 713,000 people diagnosed, according to Johns Hopkins data. California is followed by Texas and Florida, with over 633,000 cases and over 631,000 cases respectively.
Nearly 170 vaccine candidates for COVID-19 are being tracked by the World Health Organization, six of which are in crucial phase three trials.
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Start of in-person school delayed in NYC
The start of in-person learning in New York City public schools has been delayed to Sept. 21, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday.
The district's blended-learning plan was scheduled to begin on Sept. 10.
"Teachers who usually get two days of professional development at the beginning of the school year will now get nine," schools Chancellor Richard Carranza said. "We've heard from everyone in our schools that have said we need some more time."
In averting a strike authorization vote by the United Federation of Teachers later Tuesday, de Blasio agreed to delay the start of school to Sept. 16 for all-remote instruction. In-person learning, which is limited to a few days per week, will begin Sept. 21.
The mayor also announced expanded testing for teachers, a significant concession to the United Federation of Teachers.
ABC News' Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.
Alaska, Montana added to New York's travel advisory list
Alaska and Montana have been added to New York's travel advisory list, which requires people traveling to the Empire State from a high-coronavirus area to quarantine for two weeks, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday.
The states and territories currently on New York's list are: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Wisconsin.
The list applies to areas with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a one-week rolling average or areas with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a one-week rolling average.
New York was the U.S. epicenter of the pandemic in March and April, but of those tested across New York state on Monday, less than 1% were positive, Cuomo said.
New York currently has 109 coronavirus patients in ICUs -- the lowest number since March 15.
White House reinstating public tours
White House public tours will resume on Sept. 12, though the number of visitors will be limited to 18% of the usual capacity, according to a Tuesday statement from the first lady's office.
Tours will also be cut down to two days per week instead of five days per week.
Everyone ages 2 and older must wear a face covering and practice social distancing.
Bureau of Prisons resumes in-person visits
The Bureau of Prisons said Monday that it's resuming in-person visits at all 122 of its facilities, according to an internal memo obtained by ABC News.
"Social visiting will resume no later than Saturday, October 3, 2020," the memo said, adding that visiting will be non-contact only.
"Use of Plexiglas or a similar barrier between inmate and visitors will prevent any contact. In the alternative, if a barrier is not present, social distancing (i.e., 6 feet apart) between visitors and inmates must be enforced," the memo said.
Inmates and visitors must wear face coverings at all times.
Every inmate will be permitted two visits per month. Inmates in isolation or quarantine will not be allowed visits.
ABC News' Luke Barr contributed to this report.
Fauci warns governors to not let Labor Day gatherings ruin the nation's progress
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is warning state leaders to not let Labor Day gatherings ruin the nation’s progress in the fight against coronavirus.
"You remember following the 4th of July, following Memorial Day, when people understandably get out and congregate, we’ve had surges," Fauci said during Vice President Mike Pence’s weekly call with governors, according to audio obtained by ABC News.
"If we can get by the Labor Day weekend with the cases, the hospitalizations and the deaths going down in general throughout the country, we can get a running start as we go into the fall," Fauci said. "The one thing you don't want is to play whack-a-mole as you go into the fall, where you've gotten everything down and then one comes up."
"You can have a lot of fun without necessarily congregating in crowds with no masks, the situations where you can spread the infection," Fauci said. "We can do it … I have a great deal of faith in the American people that they will do that."
Both Pence and the White House's coronavirus response coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, asked governors to tell university presidents to isolate COVID-positive students rather than send them out to spread the virus at home or in an off-campus community.
"The majority of students -- even in online campuses -- are staying in their off-campus housing that they have rented," Birx said. "And so it's really important that these students are continuously tested, isolated and cared for, and don't return to their multi-generational households where they could dramatically increase spread, particularly over the Labor Day weekend."
ABC News' Katherine Faulders contributed to this report.