August 6 coronavirus news

By Jessie Yeung, Adam Renton, Meg Wagner and Melissa Macaya, CNN

Updated 4:28 p.m. ET, November 23, 2020
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8:33 p.m. ET, August 7, 2020

Japan has now identified more than 900 cases of Covid-19 for 10 days in a row

From CNN's Yoko Wakatsuki in Tokyo

A mother and her daughters pray at the Students Peace Monument on the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, on August 6, in Hiroshima, Japan.
A mother and her daughters pray at the Students Peace Monument on the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, on August 6, in Hiroshima, Japan. Carl Court/Getty Images

Japan's Health Ministry recorded 1,490 Covid-19 infections on Thursday, the second-highest number of cases the country has identified in a single day during the pandemic and yet another worrying sign that its latest outbreak shows no signs of abating.

Thursday marks the 10th straight day the country has recorded more than 900 cases of the novel coronavirus. Authorities have now identified at least 44,527 cases of Covid-19, more than half of which have been reported since the beginning of July.

Seven deaths were reported Thursday, bringing the nationwide death toll to 1,046.

Trouble in Tokyo: Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike urged people in the Japanese capital to refrain from traveling during the upcoming Obon summer vacation season to stop the infection spread.

Authorities reported 360 new infections in Tokyo on Thursday, the 10th consecutive day of more than 200 cases in row.

To date, more than 14,500 cases of Covid-19 have been identified in the Japanese capital.

Infections spiking elsewhere: Kanagawa, a prefecture that neighbors Tokyo, crossed the triple digit threshold for the first time Thursday, reporting 119 infections. Osaka also posted its highest number of cases in a single day Thursday, with 225.

3:49 p.m. ET, August 7, 2020

5 former CDC directors call for increased leadership in the coronavirus pandemic

From CNN Health’s Lauren Mascarenhas

Five former directors of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criticized the contradictory messages put out by President Donald Trump's administration Thursday.

Here's what some of them said:

Dr. Thomas Frieden said that the CDC had been sidelined early on in the pandemic and described Trump’s contradictory messages as “chaotic leadership,” which has led to partisanship, confusion and increased spread of the virus.

“It's unbelievable that six months into the pandemic, it's not clear who's in charge, federally,” Frieden said during a roundtable hosted by ABC News Live.
“There's no plan. There's no common data that we're looking at to see what's happening with the virus and what's happening with our response.”

Dr. Jeffrey Koplan said that "every one of those falsehoods" damages the nation's mitigation efforts against the virus.

Frieden added that Americans want information from the CDC. “Americans are voting with their clicks. There have been 1.6 billion clicks on the CDC website,” said Frieden. “The more we learn, the more we know, the better we can control it.”

Dr. Richard Besser said the federal response to the pandemic has been “absolutely unacceptable” considering the US is the wealthiest nation on the planet.

He also criticized politicians for viewing CDC guidelines as an obstacle.

“If you have politicians saying that CDC guidance is a barrier to getting children back into school, instead of the roadmap for doing it safely, the whole system breaks down,” said Besser, who was an acting CDC chief during the H1N1 swine flu pandemic in 2009.

Dr. Julie Gerberding, who headed the CDC under former president George W. Bush, said she hopes that the government can learn from this crisis.

“I really do hope that finally it's gotten so bad that we will reinvent how we think about our health security in the context of our national security," 

Dr. David Satcher, a former US Surgeon General who headed the CDC under former president Bill Clinton, said communities of color that have been hit harder by the pandemic are going to require particular attention during recovery efforts

“It's going to say a lot about us as a nation, whether we step up to this challenge, and remove many of the structural barriers to health that people in this country face," he said.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misattributed Dr. Thomas Frieden's remarks to Dr. Jeffrey Koplan. Frieden said that Americans want information from the CDC, and “Americans are voting with their clicks. There have been 1.6 billion clicks on the CDC website. The more we learn, the more we know, the better we can control it.”

10:25 p.m. ET, August 6, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic is skewing younger, WHO says

From CNN Health’s Maggie Fox

The coronavirus pandemic is starting to move into younger populations, the World Health Organization says.

WHO posted new data on the pandemic that shows the most cases, by far, are among people aged 25 to 64. Since February 24, the proportion of reported cases in very young children and babies has increased seven-fold, WHO said. The share of cases among teens and young adults has gone up six-fold. 

“This trend may be explained by, but is not limited to, the following factors: early detection and testing were initially focused on identifying cases with severe symptoms, which are more frequently observed among older people; detection of milder cases; broader testing; outbreak hotspots shifting to countries with lower age profiles; or a rise in risky behavior after easing of public health and social measures,” WHO said Thursday.

The global coronavirus caseload now looks like this, WHO said:

  • 1.2% of cases in babies and young children aged 0 to 4
  • 2.5% of cases in children 5-14
  • 9.6% of cases in teens and young adults 15-24
  • 64% of cases in adults aged 25-64
  • 19.4% of cases in older adults 65-84
  • 3.4% of cases in people 85 and older

 

9:57 p.m. ET, August 6, 2020

Mexico's coronavirus death toll passes 50,000

From CNN’s Karol Suarez and Matt Rivers in Mexico City

Mexico recorded another 819 fatalities from Covid-19, the Health Ministry said Thursday, bringing the countrywide death toll from the virus to 50,517.

This is the third consecutive day that Mexico has reported more than 800 deaths, the first time it has done so since the outbreak began in the country.

The ministry said it also identified another 6,590 new infections on Thursday, bringing the country’s total number of confirmed coronavirus cases to 462,690.

CNN is tracking worldwide coronavirus cases here:

9:43 p.m. ET, August 6, 2020

Stimulus talks on the brink of collapse as two sides trade blame and are no closer to a deal

From CNN's Manu Raju, Lauren Fox and Kristin Wilson

US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, makes his way to the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, for coronavirus relief talks at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on August 6
US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, makes his way to the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, for coronavirus relief talks at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on August 6 Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

A three-hour meeting between senior administration officials and Democratic leaders yielded little progress tonight as both sides seemed resigned to the likelihood that Congress won’t reach a major stimulus deal amid an economic crisis.

Both sides emerged trading blame for the sputtering talks — and the administration officials warned that President Trump would take executive action if no deal is reached by Friday. 

It’s unclear if the two sides will meet on Friday. 

“We had a consequential meeting that was one way we could see the difference in values that we bring to the table,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

Pelosi said that White House chief of staff Mark Meadows slammed his hand on the table and stormed out of the room at one point, something that Meadows denied.

The differences remain as they have been: Democrats want to do “something big,” in the words of Pelosi, and the Trump administration wants a “skinny bill,” in the words of Meadows.

One of the biggest sticking points: Aid to state and local governments.

“We are very far apart — it’s most unfortunate,” Pelosi said.

Schumer said, “We are very disappointed in the meeting ...They were unwilling to meet in the middle.”

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Meadows indicated they are “very far apart” on some major issues.

“I think there's a lot of issues we are close to a compromise position on and I think there's a handful of very big issues that we are still very far apart,” Mnuchin said.

Trump called the two officials three times during the meeting and urged them to continuing negotiating, Meadows said.

Mnuchin said that if “they could conclude tomorrow without a deal,” Trump will take executive action.

9:02 p.m. ET, August 6, 2020

Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows how effective masks can be in preventing the spread of infection

Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows the correct way to wear a face mask during CNN's global coronavirus town hall on August 6.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows the correct way to wear a face mask during CNN's global coronavirus town hall on August 6. CNN

Masks continue to be one of the most effective ways to prevent Covid-19 transmission and there are many different types that serve this purpose, Dr. Sanjay Gupta explained Thursday during CNN's global coronavirus town hall.

Gupta showed viewers how to wear masks properly while sharing some data on how they help prevent Covid-19 infection.

"There was a great study out of Lancet which basically said the likelihood of me transmitting the virus if I didn't have a mask on was 17% or 18%. If I did have a mask on, it was closer to 3%. You are talking about a sixfold difference, potentially. It is not perfect but it can really help," Gupta said.

Watch:

8:53 p.m. ET, August 6, 2020

Olympian Michael Phelps says keeping a normal routine has helped him cope with the pandemic

Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps speaks with CNN on August 6.
Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps speaks with CNN on August 6. CNN

Michael Phelps, the 23-time Olympic gold medalist, credited his wife with helping him through the coronavirus pandemic.

Keeping a routine and exercising every day while "understanding that it's OK to not be OK" has made all the difference, Phelps told CNN during its global coronavirus town hall tonight.

"If I need help, ask for help. And trust me, at times it's still very difficult. But I feel like for me, through this pandemic and I feel like the relationship with my wife has grown, I mean, tenfold. Like unbelievable amount. And just the things that we've been able to go through together, it's been life changing," Phelps said.

Watch:

8:39 p.m. ET, August 6, 2020

Mississippi doctor says Covid-19 has "really taken a toll" on him and hospital staff

Dr. Andrew Wilhelm, director of the University of Mississippi Medical Center's Intensive Care Unit, speaks with CNN on August 6.
Dr. Andrew Wilhelm, director of the University of Mississippi Medical Center's Intensive Care Unit, speaks with CNN on August 6. CNN

Dr. Andrew Wilhelm is one of the thousands of physicians on the frontlines facing a surge in Covid-19 cases in the US.

As director of the University of Mississippi Medical Center's Intensive Care Unit, Wilhelm lives in a state that has the fifth-highest recorded case count per 100,000 people, behind only Louisiana, Arizona, Florida and New York, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

"It's tough. That's really the only word to describe it. ... it's really taken a toll. The patients that are not on the ventilator who are not sedated, and who are aware of their surroundings, those are the ones that I feel most sorry for, because they can see what's happening around them," Wilhelm told CNN during its global coronavirus town hall Thursday.

More from Mississippi: Gov. Tate Reeves announced a face-covering mandate in all counties for public gatherings and retail settings for the next two weeks.

Also, all adults and kids in schools must wear masks, unless there is a medical reason not to.

"I (had) taken a piecemeal approach (to masks) because I believe firmly that this was the best way to get the most number of people to participate," Reeves told reporters Tuesday.

8:35 p.m. ET, August 6, 2020

Face masks have "an extraordinary impact" in fighting coronavirus in the US, health researcher says

Dr. Chris Murray, Director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington speaks with CNN on August 6.
Dr. Chris Murray, Director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington speaks with CNN on August 6. CNN

A face mask is one of the most simple and "inexpensive" things people can wear to help fight the spread of Covid-19 in the US, said Dr. Chris Murray, a researcher behind an influential coronavirus model from the University of Washington.

Murray's perspective has been shared countless times by health experts since the start of the pandemic who are still baffled over the sight of groups of people refusing to wear face coverings.

"It's rare that you see something so simple, so inexpensive, so easy for everybody to participate and have such an extraordinary impact in the US, but also all over the world actually. It's quite extraordinary," Murray told CNN during its global coronavirus town hall Thursday night.