By Jessie Yeung, Steve George, Melissa Macaya, Meg Wagner and Fernando Alfonso III, CNN
From CNN’s Dianne Gallagher
The Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH) reported 3,908 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the state on Friday.
The GDPH also reported 28 new coronavirus-related deaths today, as well as 301 additional hospitalizations.
Georgia has reported a total of 135,183 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 3,132 Covid-19-related deaths.
From CNN's Shelby Lin Erdman
Dr. Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health, told CNN that the US is "certainly not winning the battle against coronavirus" but could get it under control.
“What happened was we had the terrible outbreaks in March and April, particularly in New York. And a lot of hard work got done, a lot of people were sent home to shelter in place and people learned about social distancing and wearing masks,” Collins said. “There were these phases that were supposed to be followed with various benchmarks along the way and unfortunately some of those just got skipped."
The United States is setting records with daily new cases of coronavirus and inching closer to Dr. Anthony Fauci’s prediction of 100,000 Covid-19 cases a day.
“We shouldn't feel hopeless here and we know what works,” Collins said. “We know that if we could, as Americans, agree to take those recommendations to heart, that we would keep our masks on when we're outside, we'd stay more than six feet apart from each other and we would avoid indoor gatherings where there's a big chance of spread, we wash our hands and all that, then we could implement what we know has worked."
From CNN's Andrea Kane
The nation’s leading infectious disease expert is “cautiously optimistic” that the country could have a vaccine against the new coronavirus by the end of 2020 or the start of 2021.
“When you're dealing with vaccines, you can't guarantee things,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told PBS Newshour today. “But you can say, based on the science and the way things are going, that I'm cautiously optimistic that we can meet that projection that we made — that I made — months ago. And that is, I���ll repeat it, that by the end of this calendar year and the beginning of 2021."
Fauci told PBS that the vaccine won’t be available to hundreds of millions of people "on day one,” but it will be available quickly because production of doses will have started for the major vaccine candidates before the trials show they work.
From CNN's Shelby Lin Erdman
Dr. Anthony Fauci is a “national treasure” and more knowledgeable about infectious diseases than anybody on the planet, Dr. Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health and Fauci’s boss, told CNN on Friday.
Collins’ comments come as members of the Trump administration have spent the past week trying to discredit Fauci, who is director of the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
“There is nobody I know on this planet who is more knowledgeable about infectious disease and has had more experience, over 50 years of his career and for 35 of which leading infectious disease for NIH, nobody comes close,” Collins said. “He’s a national treasure.”
Collins said he has no idea why the administration has tried to discredit Fauci.
“I'm not sure I can answer that question, given how important the information he is sharing,” Collins added.
Collins said he’s glad the President said this week that he has a good relationship with the scientist and hopes “we can continue to get things back on an even keel.”
Some context: Trump recently retweeted a comment with the hashtag “Fire Fauci,” causing worry and concern that the administration might attempt to terminate Fauci, who, as a federal civil servant, cannot be fired by the President.
Collins had said before he would not fire Fauci if ordered to do so and he reiterated that sentiment again today on CNN.
“I could not imagine doing something of that sort, no,” Collins said. “I really hope that this kind of circumstance never comes to pass and I'm not sure that it’s a helpful conversation to have, but I certainly would defend the contributions and the remarkable character of Tony Fauci.”
Watch here:
From Márcia Reverdosa and Taylor Barnes
Brazil’s health ministry reported 34,177 new coronavirus cases on Friday, bringing the country’s total to 2,046,328.
The health ministry also reported 1,163 new Covid-19 deaths, raising the country’s death toll to 77,851.
The new cases come as the virus migrates to regions in Brazil, particularly its south and interior, which had avoided the worst of the pandemic earlier in the outbreak.
From CNN’s Andy Rose
Nighttime partying at many Miami Beach hot spots is being suspended due to coronavirus.
The city has announced a curfew beginning Saturday for most of its entertainment district, running each night from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. ET.
Businesses in the district will be required to close to all in-person customers by 8 p.m. each night, although restaurants can continue to offer delivery services. Curfew in the rest of the city begins at 10 p.m.
The order will be in effect for at least a week. In addition to the curfew, a large portion of Miami Beach’s Ocean Drive is being closed to vehicle traffic throughout the day, with only pedestrians allowed.
From CNN’s Taylor Barnes
Peru’s health ministry reported 3,951 new cases of coronavirus on Friday, bringing the country’s total to 345,537.
The ministry also reported 184 new Covid-19 deaths, raising the country’s death toll to 12,799.
Peru’s outbreak is the second-worst in Latin America and the Caribbean, following that of Brazil.
From CNN's Hollie Silverman
There are 36 coronavirus cases linked to a Kentucky football team's practice in a weight room, Gov. Andy Beshear said during a news conference Friday.
Beshear said 18 players, three coaches and 15 family members have tested positive following the practice.
The governor would not say where the cases occurred.
"I want to give you one example of community impact that occurred in one of our counties in just one football team, just one football team related to a weight room where masks were not being worn," Beshear said. "And remember, if you're inside, you're six feet apart. You're not six feet apart, it can be a real problem. And I'm sure that this team tried their best but one football team out of the weight room 18 players, three coaches and then that infected 15 extra family members."
The state reported the third highest single-day coronavirus case increase on Friday, with 531, Beshear added.
There are now a total 21,605 cases statewide, the governor said.
Eight new deaths were reported Friday for a total of 653 coronavirus deaths statewide, the governor said.
From CNN’s Andy Rose
People in Miami, Florida, will no longer get a warning when they fail to wear a mask in public starting Monday.
Mayor Francis Suarez said the new order will require a fine for the first offense of the city’s mask order. The fine starts at $50 and increases with every additional offense.
At the same time, Suarez said the city does not intend to return to a full stay-at-home order – at least not yet.
"We are consulting with Miami-Dade County and with all the cities,” Suarez said.
