September 5 coronavirus news

By Jessie Yeung, Brett McKeehan and Zamira Rahim, CNN

Updated 12:01 a.m. ET, September 6, 2020
17 Posts
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11:28 a.m. ET, September 5, 2020

Maine reports more than 140 new Covid-19 cases

From CNN's Sheena Jones

There are now 147 Covid-19 cases in Maine and three deaths associated with an outbreak from an August wedding in Millinocket, the state’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokesperson Robert Long told CNN.

Those numbers include an outbreak at a building that houses York County Jail and cases associated with the Maplecrest Rehabilitation Center, Long said.

The state has a total of 4,667 cases of Covid-19 and 134 deaths associated with the virus, according to the state’s Covid-19 website.

8:03 a.m. ET, September 5, 2020

It's just past 1 p.m. in London and 8 a.m. in New York. Here's the latest on the pandemic

The novel coronavirus has infected more than 26.6 million worldwide and killed more than 875,000. Here's what you need to know.

  • South Korea reports lowest daily tally in three weeks: The country reported 168 new cases, its lowest number since August 15.
  • US records more than 50,000 new cases: The country reported 50,502 new cases and 965 virus-related deaths on Friday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
  • India cases surge: Officials recorded 86,432 new coronavirus cases on Friday, marking the country's highest single-day jump in infections since the pandemic began.
  • Students quarantine at US university: Nine fraternities and sororities at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have been placed under quarantine for at least 14 days due to confirmed cases of Covid-19.
7:17 a.m. ET, September 5, 2020

US surgeon general tells states to be ready for Covid-19 vaccine by November "just in case"

From CNN's Susannah Cullinane and Lauren Mascarenhas

US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams attends an event in the East Room of the White House on Thursday, September 3.
US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams attends an event in the East Room of the White House on Thursday, September 3. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

US states should be prepared to distribute a coronavirus vaccine by November 1 "just in case" one is ready, US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said.

"We've always said that we are hopeful for a vaccine by the end of this year or beginning of next year," Adams said in an ABC News interview Friday.
"That said, it's not just about having a vaccine that is safe and effective -- it's about being ready to distribute it."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has asked public health officials in the states to prepare to distribute a coronavirus vaccine by late October or early November.

More than 6.2 million people have been infected in the US since the pandemic began, and 187,768 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Adams said the guidance is "just in case" a vaccine is approved by that time, reiterating comments by public health officials that such an event is possible but not probable.

Read more:

6:01 a.m. ET, September 5, 2020

South Korea reports lowest daily total in three weeks

From CNN’s Yoonjung Seo in Seoul 

A medical worker takes samples from a woman at a Covid-19 test facility on August 26, in Seoul, South Korea.
A medical worker takes samples from a woman at a Covid-19 test facility on August 26, in Seoul, South Korea. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

South Korea reported 168 new cases Saturday, its lowest number since August 15, according to the country's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

The country recorded a surge in cases last month, partly driven by a cluster from Seoul’s Sarang-jeil Church, which was linked to 1,156 confirmed cases. Another 510 cases were linked to Seoul’s anti-government rallies, which were held on August 15.

The spike in new cases was especially high in the greater Seoul area. Last week South Korea reported a peak of over 400 daily cases.

On August 28 the government announced stricter social distancing measures for the greater Seoul area, which took effect from August 30. 

The measures include permitting only takeout services from franchise cafes, banning eat-in services between 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. local time at all restaurants and bakeries, and shuttering gyms and indoor sporting facilities. 

On Friday, the strict social distancing measures for the greater Seoul area were extended until September 13.

South Korea's national tally of confirmed cases stands at 21,010, and the death toll increased to 333 as two new deaths were added, according to a press release by the KCDC Saturday.

5:25 a.m. ET, September 5, 2020

An out-of-work chef turned his garage into a food pantry to help those affected by Covid-19

From CNN's Marika Gerken

After the pandemic left him jobless, catering chef Barney Corrigan quickly recognized the effect Covid-19 was having in his community in Westville, New Jersey — so he transformed his home's garage into a food pantry.

People are being forced to choose between paying their bills or feeding their kids. No one should have to make that decision. It's sickening," the 42-year-old said.

Corrigan says he's lucky to have a strong support system at home and that his wife's job has remained secure, keeping the family afloat.

However, as unemployment numbers continued to skyrocket, Corrigan decided he could not just sit back knowing that so many would be struggling with food insecurity. New Jersey, which saw some of the earliest tragedies from the virus, has reported nearly 200,000 total confirmed Covid-19 cases.

Corrigan started in April by building a small cabinet, filling it with dried goods and leaving it on his front lawn for people who needed help but were too embarrassed to ask for it.

Read more:

4:39 a.m. ET, September 5, 2020

Travel shaming -- another 2020 plague

From CNN's Terry Ward

For many people, travel these days is fraught with second-guessing, extra research and plenty of confusion by way of logistics, travel restrictions and safety -- and that's before you add in what everyone else has to say about your decisions.

Travelers who choose to share what they're getting up to on vacation right now may find themselves beset with a case of 2020's latest plague -- travel shaming, where friends and followers on social media question the wisdom of taking a trip during the pandemic.

For Sarah Archer, a 27-year-old from the Boston area who works as a content marketing manager, travel shaming gave her "a pit in my stomach" during recent travels in Europe -- and even served to shape some of her behaviors.

I have a boyfriend in Switzerland, so I was trying to figure out a way into Europe. It was difficult with a US passport," she said in a phone call with CNN.

Serbia, not yet part of the European Union, had reopened to travelers, including Americans, in late May. So Archer decided to fly there on July 10 to meet her boyfriend, who flew in from Switzerland.

Read more:

3:58 a.m. ET, September 5, 2020

510 cases in South Korea have been linked to last month's anti-government protests

From CNN's Yoonjung Seo

Police prevent protesters from marching to the Presidential palace (Cheong Wa Dae) during a rally against the government on August 15, in Seoul, South Korea.
Police prevent protesters from marching to the Presidential palace (Cheong Wa Dae) during a rally against the government on August 15, in Seoul, South Korea. Chris Jung/NurPhoto via Getty Images

South Korea recorded 168 new confirmed cases of coronavirus on Friday, of which 10 were imported, said the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) on Saturday.

That brings the national total to 21,010 cases, said KCDC Vice Director Kwon Joon-wook in a briefing. There are 159 patients still in critical or serious condition.

The country's coronavirus death toll stands at 333.

Clusters in Seoul: So far, 1,156 confirmed cases have been linked to Seoul’s Sarang-jeil Church, and 510 cases are linked to Seoul’s anti-government rallies on August 15, Kwon said. 

Kwon added that Level 3 social distancing restriction measures, the highest national restriction level, must be a last resort, and urged the citizens to continue taking precautions like avoiding social gatherings.

3:40 a.m. ET, September 5, 2020

Adrian Mannarino says his US Open match was delayed after concerns from health officials

From CNN's Jill Martin

Adrian Mannarino of France was set to play in his third-round US Open match against Alex Zverev of Germany on Friday at 2:30 p.m.

But as time went by, there was no sign of the players on the court at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the New York borough of Queens.

Mannarino -- who previously had been in contact with another player who had tested positive for coronavirus -- said he was told as he was warming up that the New York State Department of Health had said that he would not be allowed to play Friday and that he should be quarantined in his hotel room and unable to go on a tennis court.

Ultimately, Friday's match was pushed back by a couple of hours, and Mannarino said he found out around 4:30 p.m. that he would be allowed to play. The match started after 5 p.m., with Mannarino going on to lose to Zverev in four sets.

Zverev told ESPN after his win: "I was told there was very little chance that we were going to play."

Read more here:

2:52 a.m. ET, September 5, 2020

The US recorded more than 50,000 new coronavirus cases on Friday

The United States reported 50,502 new Covid-19 cases and 965 virus-related deaths on Friday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

That raises the national total to at least 6,200,518 cases and 187,755 deaths.

The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases. 

Follow CNN's live tracker of US cases and deaths here: