New Jersey borough pulls all lifeguards for the season after staff member contracts Covid-19
From CNN’s Alec Snyder
An aerial view of Mantoloking, New Jersey, in 2019. Thomas P. Costello/Asbury Park Press/USA Today Network
The borough of Mantoloking, New Jersey, has pulled all lifeguards for the remainder of its beach season after one of them tested positive for Covid-19.
The borough has warned beachgoers who may have come in contact with the lifeguard to get tested.
In a message on its official website, Mantoloking said the lifeguard worked on the stand on Aug. 22 and 23. As a precaution, it suspended lifeguards on its beaches on Aug. 27, but the beaches remain open for patrons to swim at their own risk.
Beach badges will remain available for sale, the website said. Social distancing is required and cleaning staff will continue to patrol the beaches through Labor Day.
11:35 a.m. ET, September 5, 2020
New York state's Covid-19 infection rate continues to remain low
From CNN's Sheena Jones
The state of New York continued to have a Covid-19 infection rate below 1% for the 29th straight day, a release from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office said.
There were two additional deaths associated with the virus across the state yesterday, according to the release.
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. 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.
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. 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.
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.
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. 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.
