Coronavirus updates: Barron Trump also tested positive for COVID, Melania says
Melania Trump said she and her son have now tested negative.
A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 1 million people worldwide.
Over 38.4 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 7.9 million diagnosed cases and at least 216,639 deaths.
California has the most cases of any U.S. state, with more than 865,000 people diagnosed, according to Johns Hopkins data. California is followed by Texas and Florida, with over 830,000 cases and over 741,000 cases, respectively.
More than 190 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:
France to impose 'state of health emergency' as infections rise
France presented a decree on Wednesday announcing a nationwide "state of health emergency" in an effort to contain rising COVID-19 infections.
The new decree will enable the government to impose measures to restrict certain civil liberties. It goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. local time on Saturday.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the difference between this declaration and the state of the country in March and April is they "have not lost control." However, infections are rising, and the pressure on hospitals is increasing, he said.
A curfew between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. will go into effect Saturday and will be in effect for at least four weeks, Macron said. Home gatherings will be limited to a maximum of six people, but schools will not close and travel between regions will not be restricted.
ABC News’ Ibtissem Guenfoud and Christine Theodorou contributed to this report
EPA moving to approve more long-lasting surface disinfectants
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving to focus its efforts to approve disinfectants during the COVID-19 pandemic on a new kind of product that's able to keep a surface virus-free between cleanings or even deactivate viruses days later.
“We do know the primary source of transmission is airborne but we also know that between wearing a mask, washing hands, and social distancing it's also important to clean and disinfect surfaces," Alex Dunn, EPA assistant administrator for chemicals, said on a call with reporters on Wednesday.
The EPA has approved one long-lasting disinfectant called SurfaceWise2, which is currently approved only for use in the state of Texas by American Airlines and Texas Methodist Health Total Orthopedics Sports & Spine Clinics. Dunn said the new process won't require states to submit emergency applications and will make it easier for similar products to be widely available.
ABC News’ Stephanie Ebbs contributed to this report.
The NCAA football game between the University of Florida and Louisiana State University scheduled for Saturday has been postponed following a COVID-19 outbreak on UF’s team, the Southeastern Conference announced today.
Pfizer to expand vaccine trial to include children
Pharmaceutical company Pfizer will begin expanding its vaccine trial to include children, Dr. Robert Frenck, director of the Vaccine Research Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, announced in a Zoom interview Wednesday.
Teens ages 16 and 17 could be tested as early as this week, and children as young as 12 could eventually enter the trial. There is no timeline yet for when they will start being enrolled.
ABC News’ Eric Strauss contributed to this report.
New cases in US rise by double digits in week-over-week comparisons
The number of new COVID-19 cases recorded in the United States increased by double digits in week-over-week comparisons, while the number of new deaths from the disease continued to tick downward slightly, according to an internal memo from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that was obtained by ABC News on Tuesday night.
The memo, which is circulated to the highest levels of the federal government and is used to determine daily priorities for the agencies working on COVID-19 response, said 34 U.S. states and territories are in an upward trajectory of new infections, while 10 jurisdictions are at a plateau and 12 others are in a downward trend.
There were 351,270 new cases confirmed during the period of Oct. 6-Oct. 12, a 14.4% increase from the previous week. There were also 4,886 fatalities from COVID-19 recorded during the same period, a 1.5% decrease compared with the week prior. The national positivity rate for COVID-19 tests increased from 4.7% to 6.1% in week-to-week comparisons, according to the memo.
Meanwhile, 22% of hospitals nationwide have more than 80% of beds full in their intensive care units. That figure was 17-18% during the summertime peak, the memo said.
California's Sonoma County saw a 129.7% relative increase in new cases of COVID-19 between Sept. 29 and Oct. 6. The county confirmed 62 cases on Oct. 7 linked to outbreaks at schools and childcare facilities, according to the memo.
Kentucky reported on Oct. 7 its highest number of COVID-19 patients in ICUs since May. As of Oct. 6, the state's seven-day average for ICU bed occupancy was 80.6%, with 43.7% of adult ICU beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, the memo said.
Montana hit a peak of 504 new COVID-19 cases confirmed on Oct. 6. Daily hospital admissions in the state have increased from 40 in mid-September to more than 60 per day, with greater than 80 on Oct. 5 and Oct. 6. Montana's seven-day hospitalization rate continues to rise from 15.7 per 100,000 population on sept. 29 to a four-month high of 20 per 100,000 population on Oct. 6. Local officials report that hospitals are closed to or at capacity and have started redirecting patients, according to the memo.
New Jersey's seven-day COVID-19 case rate increased 20.6% to 539.5 cases per 1 million population between Sept. 29 and Oct. 6. The state has 71.7% of inpatient hospital beds occupied, with 56.4% of ICU beds full. At least 100 schools in New Jersey have teachers or students who have tested positive for COVID-19, the memo said.
New York recorded on Oct. 6 its highest number of total hospitalizations since July 22. The state has 79.5% of inpatient hospital beds occupied, with 62.4% of ICU beds full.
Utah reported more than 1,000 COVID-19 cases per day for six of the seven days last week. At the same time, week-to-week testing in the state has decreased slightly by 1.2%. Utah's positivity rate for COVID-19 tests, however, has remained stable at 14%.
ABC News' Josh Margolin contributed to this report.