August 27 coronavirus news

By Jessie Yeung, Adam Renton, Ed Upright and Amy Woodyatt, CNN

Updated 12:01 a.m. ET, August 28, 2020
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4:49 p.m. ET, August 27, 2020

Germany expects to have Covid-19 vaccine ready by early 2021

From CNN's Fred Pleitgen

German health authorities expect one or more vaccines against the novel coronavirus will be ready by early 2021, said the German center for disease prevention on Thursday. 

“Current data suggests that one or several COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be certified, first production quantities started and doses delivered by the beginning or 2021,” said the Robert-Koch-Institute (RKI) in its latest epidemiological bulletin. 

However, the institute also warns that there could be shortages of new Covid-19 vaccines. 

“It is expected that at the beginning there will not be enough vaccine available for the entire population so that prioritizing will be necessary," the RKI added. 

Germany currently has several Covid-19 vaccine candidates in various phases of testing. Among the most advanced are efforts by Biontech/Pfizer and CureVac, both of which have received special grants from the German government to speed up testing and expand production capacities.

5:16 p.m. ET, August 27, 2020

Lebanon records highest daily Covid-19 case increase since pandemic began

From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq

Health workers handle a coronavirus test at Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut, Lebanon, on August 11.
Health workers handle a coronavirus test at Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut, Lebanon, on August 11. Stringer/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Lebanon reported 689 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest daily number of infections recorded since the beginning of the pandemic, the country's Ministry of Public Health said.

The latest recorded cases bring the country's total case count to 14,935. There were also seven new fatalities recorded in the last 24 hours, raising the national death toll to 146, the ministry said.

This comes as the country decided on Thursday to reduce lockdown hours starting Friday, according to a statement released by the country Interior Ministery.

Lebanon is currently under a curfew that went into effect last Friday. It takes place from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. (local time). All but essential businesses must remain closed during this curfew.

On Friday, the daily lockdown hours will be reduced by four hours. It will be from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. (local time).

Lebanon's new Covid-19 cases have been more than doubled since the Beirut port blast on Aug. 4, which killed at least 180 people, wounded around 6,000 people and displaced about 300,000 people.

4:42 p.m. ET, August 27, 2020

Stocks finish higher

From CNN's Anneken Tappe

Stocks finished higher on Thursday, and the S&P 500 again closed at an all-time high, up 0.2%. It was its fifth-straight record.

It was also a big day for the Dow, which briefly turned positive for the year for the first time since the pandemic hit. The index closed 0.6%, or 161 points, higher.

The Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.3%.

Earlier in the day, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell updated the public on changes to the central bank’s monetary policy framework.

The bottom line: interest rates will be lower for longer. That’s good for stocks and boosted the market.

4:13 p.m. ET, August 27, 2020

Kamala Harris: The reality of Covid-19 "absent" from Republican National Convention

From CNN's Maureen Chowdhury

Carolyn Kaster/AP
Carolyn Kaster/AP

Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris slammed President Trump for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic during an address on Thursday.

Harris highlighted the lack of attention the pandemic has received during the Republican National Convention.

"The numbers that define this crisis are staggering," Harris said.

"We need to see and we need to hear what is happening in our country. The quiet desperation that has taken over so many lives in America. The family, packing in at five 'o clock in the morning, hoping the local food bank still has something left when they get to the front of the line. The 50-year-old store manager, who's been laid off and knows he can't pay the rent on the first of the month. ... The alarming and disproportionate rate at which Black, Latino and indigenous families are contracting and dying of Covid-19. That is the reality of America right now. A reality completely absent from this week's Republican National Convention."

Harris also drew a sharp contrast between the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention.

"Unlike the Democratic convention, which was very clear-eyed about the challenges we are facing and how we will tackle them, the Republican convention is designed for one purpose: to soothe Donald Trump's ego," she said.

3:49 p.m. ET, August 27, 2020

United Airlines could furlough 20% of its pilots this fall

From CNN's Pete Muntean

Workers load cargo onto a United Airlines plane at San Francisco International Airport on July 8.
Workers load cargo onto a United Airlines plane at San Francisco International Airport on July 8. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

United Airlines says roughly 20% of its pilots could be furloughed after restrictions attached to a federal bailout expire this fall.

In a new memo to pilots, United's head of flight operations said new furlough WARN notices will be sent to an additional 600 pilots, meaning a total 2,850 United pilots could be furloughed as a result of the pandemic. 

"With travel demand dramatically reduced, our airline will need to become much smaller," United senior vice president of flight operations Bryan Quigley said.

Some context: Major airlines have been barred from shedding any jobs until the CARES Act expires Oct. 1. In the memo, United said while it remains “hopeful that Congress will make head-way on an extension of the Payroll Support Program, we need to prepare and plan for the future should an extension not be granted.”

3:20 p.m. ET, August 27, 2020

Iowa governor closes bars in 6 counties due to uptick in Covid-19 cases

From CNN's Melissa Alonso

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Thursday that she is closing all bars, taverns, breweries and nightclubs in six counties because of an uptick in Covid-19 cases.

Starting Thursday afternoon, bars in six counties will close until further notice; the counties include Blackhawk, Dallas Johnson, Linn, Polk, and Story, Reynolds said.  

Restaurants in those counties can stay open, but must stop serving alcohol at 10 p.m., she said.   

"I am again calling on all police officers in the state to assist in the enforcement of these measures," Reynolds said.

The latest numbers: The state reported 921 new Covid-19 cases and 59,688 total cases. Iowa currently has a 9.7% positivity rate, according to the state health website.  

4:43 p.m. ET, August 27, 2020

North Carolina State orders majority of students living on campus to move out following Covid-19 spike

From CNN's Elizabeth Hartfield

Students and parents begin to move belongings out of Bragaw Hall at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, on August 27.
Students and parents begin to move belongings out of Bragaw Hall at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, on August 27. Gerry Broome/AP

North Carolina State University is asking students who live on campus to move out of their housing by Sept. 6, following what the University Chancellor referred to as a “rapid spread” of coronavirus cases.

“Over the past few days, our campus community has experienced a quickly rising number of positive cases of COVID-19 in both on- and off-campus housing,” NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson wrote in a letter. “We hoped and strived to keep residence halls open and safe to best serve our students. However, the rapid spread and increasing rate of positive cases have made our current situation untenable.”

The university reported 325 positive cases of Covid-19 during the period between August 20 and Aug. 26 out of a total of 3,105 tests performed — a positivity rate of a little over 10% — according to their coronavirus dashboard.

Students can apply for waivers to stay in their housing if circumstances require, but the school says their “goal is to reduce the on-campus population significantly.” 

“Students will receive prorated refunds for unused portions of housing and dining for the fall semester,” the letter adds.

3:17 p.m. ET, August 27, 2020

Biden to Trump on Covid-19: "Get us out of this mess, Mr. President"

From CNN's Josiah Ryan

Getty Images
Getty Images

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden hammered President Trump's handling of Covid-19 in an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper this afternoon, saying that if the President truly cared about the safety of Americans he'd work harder to solve the pandemic still roiling much of the nation. 

"You want to talk about safety?" asked Biden, responding to Trump's rhetoric about protests and violence on the streets of some American cities.

 "Look at the biggest safety issue in the nation, Covid," said Biden, before citing the latest death tolls.

"[Trump] has been incompetent in the way in which he has dealt with this," Biden continued. "...Get us out of this mess, Mr. President."

3:34 p.m. ET, August 27, 2020

France reports highest number of new Covid-19 cases since March 31

From CNN's Pierre Buet

French Health authorities have reported 6,111 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the highest since March 31, at the height of the pandemic.

Prime Minister Jean Castex warned, however, that "these figures must be interpreted with caution since compared to this period, the month of May, we are testing many, many more people."

Yet the percentage of positive tests is increasing slightly as well, from 3.7% to 3.8% in a floating seven-day period. It was around 1% at the end of the lockdown in May according to Castex.

Currently, 4,535 patients are in hospital for coronavirus symptoms in France including 381 in intensive care units.

There have been 30,576 deaths in France since beginning of the pandemic.