September 3 coronavirus news

As the US continues to battle Covid-19, CNN's Jim Sciutto asked Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to share the best news he has seen in recent weeks that should give the American people hope.

Fauci noted that there is good news in two areas.

Fauci continued by saying that vaccine development is another piece of good news.

"We now have three vaccines in phase three trial, we are on the right track, things look like they are really going in the right direction," Fauci says.

Following concerns that a coronavirus vaccine could be authorized before late-stage trials are finished, CNN's Jim Sciutto asked Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, if he or his family would be hesitant to take a vaccine once it is approved.

There are currently three vaccines in phase three trials in the US. British drugmaker AstraZeneca said Monday it has started phase three trials of its experimental coronavirus vaccine in the United States, becoming the third company to start late-stage trials of a vaccine to prevent Covid-19.

The vaccine, developed in partnership with Oxford University, has the backing of the US federal government. Rivals Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTec already have phase three trials under way, also with federal government funding.

The University of Dayton in Ohio has at least 770 coronavirus cases among nearly 9,000 enrolled students. However, Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley says the university did a good job on testing and the key lies in getting students to "sit in place."

University of Dayton is a private institution and students come from multiple states and authorities don’t think it would be a “smart move” to send them back to other places with coronavirus cases, she pointed.

“They’re doing all their classes online virtually now. And so really the enforcement of making sure they stay in their spot for these next few weeks is going to be really, really important.”

“Do not party like it's 2019,” she said in a message to university students.

Dr. Anthony Fauci said it's "conceivable" but not likely that there will be a coronavirus vaccine ready by October.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has told public health officials around the US to prepare to distribute a potential coronavirus vaccine as soon as late October. But today, asked about that timeline, Fauci said November or December is more likely.

"These are all guesstimates," he told CNN's Jim Sciutto.

"It is conceivable that you could have it by October, though I don't think that that's likely," Fauci added.

Pfizer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Albert Bourla said the ongoing clinical trial for a Covid-19 vaccine has enrolled about 23,000 participants, and some are already getting the second dose of the vaccine. 

Pfizer “should be able to have enough events to say, if the product works or not” by the end of October, Bourla said, speaking on Thursday to the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations.

“We have already worked on the rest of the file,” he said, meaning if the vaccine is effective, “we are going to start submitting to the FDA, on a rolling base.”

Bourla said if they are able to determine the vaccine is safe and effective “in the October time frame,” the company could “submit immediately for approval.” 

Pfizer is in the “very advanced stage” of the clinical trial, Bourla said, confirming that as of yesterday, 23,000 patients were enrolled into the study. Pfizer is aiming to enroll 30,000 patients in the Phase 3 trial.

Bolivia recorded its highest number of new Covid-19 deaths in a day on Wednesday with 102 deaths, according to Bolivian Health Ministry data.

This is the first time that Bolivia has had more than 100 deaths in a single day from the virus. Previously, the highest number of deaths in a day was 92 on Aug. 4 and Aug. 29.

The country’s total death toll from the virus is at least 5,203. There have been a total of 117,928 reported cases, according to the health ministry.

US stocks kicked off the day lower on Thursday, pulling back after a record-breaking session on Wednesday when both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite closed at all-time highs. 

The dip in stocks comes on the heels of a better-than-expected jobless claims report, showing fewer initial and continued claims for unemployment benefits.

That said, claims under the government’s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program have been on the rise.

 Here is where things stood at the opening:

French prime minister Jean Castex says country's recovery plan, worth 100 billion euro (about $118 billion USD), is the “biggest stimulus package of all European countries."

Speaking after a cabinet meeting, he said the value is the equivalent of 4% of France’s GDP and four times larger than the stimulus package put in place after the 2008 financial crisis. 

The plan — which was announced today and is called "Restart France" — includes 70 measures centered around three major themes: ecological transition (30 billion euros), business competitiveness (35 billion euros) and social and territorial cohesion (35 billion euros).

The plan has a clear emphasis on a green transition of the economy with 11 billion euros for the transport sector including 4.7 billion for improvements of the rail network and 6 billion earmarked for energy-efficient building renovations including 2 billion for peoples’ homes. The hydrogen industry — seen as a key in the transition away from fossil fuels - is set to get two billion euro as part of the two-year stimulus plan.

Castex said the stimulus package would generate 160,000 new jobs by the end of next year. 

The prime minister said no extra household or corporate tax would be levied to pay for this plan but that 40% or 40 billion euros would come from the 750 billion euro EU recovery fund. 

Scotland’s coronavirus "R-number" – which represents how quickly the virus is spreading – could be as high as 1.4, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says.

A number at that level means that one infected person is transmitting the virus to an average of 1.4 people.

“I said recently that the R number is of a slightly less concern when overall prevalence of the virus is low. And overall prevalence of the virus is still low in Scotland right now. But nevertheless, this is a further reminder that the virus is spreading again here just as it is elsewhere in the UK, across Europe and indeed in the wider world.”