It's Labor Day in the US, and people celebrated with large events all weekend long
From CNN's Madeline Holcombe
People gather on the beach on September 6 in Santa Monica, California. Apu Gomes/AFP/Getty Images
Labor Day celebrations were in full swing this weekend — and many included the large crowds of people health experts feared would form.
Many gathered in large groups on Saturday. In San Francisco, city officials announced on Sunday morning they would be closing the parking lot at Ocean Beach after a gathering celebrating Burning Man culture attracted a big crowd. More than 1,000 people flocked to the event at the beach, according to San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who called the gathering "reckless and selfish."
Throngs of people were expected at Tybee Island beaches in Georgia over the weekend, CNN affiliate WTOC reported. And images from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, showed umbrellas lined up side-by-side down the beach.
And in Atlanta, many weekend Labor Day parties were on the schedule, including "The Biggest Labor Day Weekend Party in the City" hosted by rapper Gucci Mane and a "Sunday Funday" rooftop party advertised with an image of people standing close together, some without masks.
In the days leading up to the holiday weekend, experts including Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, urged people should continue to keep distance, wear masks and avoid groups as they enjoy the weekend.
7:25 a.m. ET, September 7, 2020
A 1,000-person gathering to celebrate Burning Man culture put people's lives at risk, San Francisco mayor says
From CNN's Madeline Holcombe
More than 1,000 people gathered at San Francisco's Ocean Beach on Saturday to celebrate Burning Man culture, according to the mayor, who shut down the beach's parking lot in response.
"This was absolutely reckless and selfish," Mayor London Breed tweeted on Sunday. "You are not celebrating. You are putting people's lives at risk. You are putting our progress at risk. No one is immune from spreading the virus."
The gathering on the beach was one of many large congregations over Labor Day weekend that went against recommendations.
Though it was specifically celebrating Burning Man, the event's organizers -- who held a livestream of the annual tradition of burning a wooden effigy Saturday -- said they were neither aware of it nor involved in its planning.
Burning Man is a nine-day festival that usually brings in crowds of 80,000 for eclectic costumes, art installations and musical performances. It was scheduled to begin August 30 this year, but organizers canceled the event in April due to the coronavirus.
But people gathered on Saturday anyway in San Francisco, and video from Craig Fowler showed a large group dancing in front of a stage with a DJ and another showed fire dancers on the beach.
Two Manchester City players test positive for Covid-19
From CNN’s Richard Parr in London
Manchester City players Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte Getty Images
Manchester City footballers Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte have tested positive for Covid-19, the club announced on Monday.
"Manchester City FC can confirm that Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte have tested positive for Covid-19," the club announced in a statement on their website.
"Both players are currently observing a period of self-isolation in accordance with Premier League and UK Government protocol on quarantine," the club said.
Neither is said to be displaying symptoms of the virus.
Last season, Manchester City finished second in the English Premier League.
The new season starts in five days' time, on Saturday 12 September, but City’s involvement in the UEFA Champions League means they aren't due to begin their 2020-21 campaign until September 21, with an away match at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
6:06 a.m. ET, September 7, 2020
It's just after 11 a.m. in London and 3.30 p.m. in New Delhi. Here's the latest on the pandemic.
A medical worker takes a swab from a resident of Mumbai, India, for a coronavirus test on September 7. Punit Paranjpe/AFP/Getty Images
Globally, more than 27 million cases of coronavirus have been recorded, and more than 889,000 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. Here's the latest on the pandemic.
India reaches a grim milestone: India has surpassed Brazil as the country with the second-highest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases, after reporting a daily high of 90,802 new infections on Monday.
India's total number of cases stands at 4,204,613, according to the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. By comparison, Brazil has confirmed 4,137,521 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.
India is the world's second most populous nation, home to more than 1.3 billion people -- more than six times the population of Brazil.
The United States remains the country with the highest number of recorded cases -- more than 6.27 million cases -- according to figures from JHU.
Harris criticizes Trump administration's coronavirus response: Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris attacked the Trump administration for "minimizing the seriousness" of the coronavirus outbreak and failing to do enough for millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet.
"There is no question that Donald Trump has been an abject failure and incompetent when it comes to addressing the severe job loss that has happened as a result of the pandemic, because he has failed to address the pandemic itself," Harris told CNN's Dana Bash in an exclusive "State of the Union" interview on Sunday.
"We need to talk about how the economy is doing based on how working people are doing," she said. "And right now, working people are suffering."
South Korea wants one test for coronavirus and flu: South Korea is developing a testing kit that can detect seasonal flu and Covid-19 at the same time, according to the country's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
As symptoms of Covid-19 and seasonal flu are similar it's important to detect the difference for the coming fall flu season, KCDC director Jung Eun-kyeong said Monday.
The country’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is currently going through the permit process to approve the test.
Australia signs $1.2 billion agreement for coronavirus vaccine: Australians will have access to a free Covid-19 vaccine at some point in 2021 if trials prove successful, after the government signed a supply and production deal worth $1.7 billion Australian dollars ($1.2 billion) for tens of millions of doses.
Under the agreement, the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca and the University of Queensland/CSL will provide at least 84.8 million doses of their potential vaccines, according to an Australian government statement today.
UK looking at options to reduce 14 day quarantine period: The UK Government is looking at options for reducing the 14-day quarantine period for travelers to around one week, the country's Health Secretary Matt Hancock said.
Visitors arriving in the UK from certain countries are required to self-isolate for 14 days -- though the exact restrictions differ in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
5:53 a.m. ET, September 7, 2020
UK looking at options to reduce 14 day quarantine period
From CNN's Simon Cullen in London
The UK Government is looking at options to reduce the 14-day quarantine period for travelers entering the country to around one week, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Monday.
"It's one of the things we’d like to bring in as soon as it's practical to do it," he told LBC Radio on Monday.
Visitors arriving in the UK from certain countries are required to self-isolate for 14 days -- though the exact restrictions differ in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
"I think everybody understands how important the quarantine policy is. When we brought it in, there was a lot of noise, a lot of people saying this wasn’t necessary," Hancock said.
"But sadly if you look at the number of cases in India, Brazil, and now closer to home – in Spain and in France – people can see why we’ve had to bring that policy in."
Asked about the importance of reducing quarantine to help tourism, he said his focus was on working out a way to do so "safely, and that works, and that protects people in this country."
5:49 a.m. ET, September 7, 2020
UK Health Secretary "concerned" by rise in Covid-19 cases, particularly among "affluent" young people
From CNN's Simon Cullen in London
Britain's Health Secretary Matt Hancock leaves Downing street on May 27 in London. Isabel Infantes/AFP/Getty Images
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock says he's concerned by a recent rise is Covid-19 cases in the country, adding that it has been most noticeable among "more affluent, younger people."
Hancock said the rise was "concerning because we've seen a rise in cases in France, in Spain, in some other countries across Europe. And nobody wants to see a second wave here," he told LBC radio.
"It just reinforces the point that people must follow the social distancing rules – they're so important."
The United Kingdom recorded 2,988 new Covid-19 cases in a 24-hour period -- the highest daily number since May -- according to government figures published on Sunday.
"The rise in the number of cases we've seen over the last few days is largely amongst younger people … under 25's – especially between 17 and 21 (years old)," Hancock said.
He said even though younger people are at lower risk of dying from Covid-19, there is a risk that they could infect other people.
Asked whether the latest increase is following earlier trends of being worse in economically deprived and Black and ethnic minority communities, Hancock said it was more "broadly spread."
"Actually, it's amongst more affluent, younger people especially that we've seen the rise," he said.
The UK has recorded 349,500 cases of coronavirus, with at least 41,640 deaths, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.
5:09 a.m. ET, September 7, 2020
Australia signs $1.2 billion agreement for nearly 85 million coronavirus vaccine doses
Australians will have access to a free Covid-19 vaccine at some point in 2021, if trials prove successful, after the government signed a supply and production deal worth $1.7 billion Australian dollars ($1.2 billion) for tens of millions of doses.
Under the agreement, the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca and the University of Queensland/CSL will provide at least 84.8 million doses of their potential vaccines, according to an Australian government statement today.
Up to 3.8 million doses of the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine will arrive as early as January 2021, the statement added.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that the vaccines would be free for Australian citizens.
“There are no guarantees that these vaccines will prove successful, however the agreement puts Australia at the top of the queue, if our medical experts give the vaccines the green light," he said in the statement.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said that while vaccinations helped save lives, a coronavirus vaccine would not be mandatory.
“While the Government supports immunisation, it is not mandatory and individuals maintain the option to choose not to vaccinate," he said in the statement.
The vaccines: According to the statement, the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has entered Phase 3 trials, the final stage of testing. "To date it has generated strong immune responses, with no significant safety concerns," the release said.
Developed in Australia, the University of Queensland vaccine is already effective in animal models, the statement said, citing the university.
4:10 a.m. ET, September 7, 2020
South Korea wants to check citizens for coronavirus and seasonal flu in one test
From CNN's Jake Kwon in Seoul
A medical worker takes samples from a woman during Covid-19 testing at a temporary test facility on August 26, in Seoul. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
South Korea is developing a testing kit that can detect seasonal flu and Covid-19 at the same time, according to the country's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC)
As symptoms of Covid-19 and seasonal flu are similar it's important to detect the difference for the coming fall flu season, KCDC director Jung Eun-kyeong said at a news conference on Monday.
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is currently going through the permit process to approve the test. The kit will allow detection of either virus from a single sample, Jung said.
Epidemic eases: South Korea reported 108 new locally transmitted cases and 11 imported cases Monday, bringing the total to 21,296.
The total death toll is now 336, after two new fatalities on Sunday. Most of the new cases were reported in the Seoul metropolitan area.
South Korea is currently battling a second wave of infections, which rose as high as 441 daily cases in late August.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Monday that coronavirus restrictions were helping to curb the spread of the virus.
"The rapid and strong response, like social distancing measures from the government is starting to show its effect," Moon said. He also praised the public for changing the trend.
However, despite the drop in new cases, the Ministry of Health said it was considering continuing social distancing measures during the upcoming Chuseok holiday in late September. The three-day holiday, known as "Korea's Thanksgiving," traditionally sees people travel across the country to gather with their families.
3:39 a.m. ET, September 7, 2020
New York governor urges the public to be cautious over Labor Day to keep infections from spiking
From CNN's Madeline Holcombe
New York state, once the epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic in the US, has maintained a positive infection rate of below 1% for 30 straight days.
In another hopeful development, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday that the state's hospitalizations from the virus have dropped to a new low since March 16.
But that's no reason to think the fight against the virus is over, officials say.
"As this virus continues to be a national crisis, it's clear that caution is a virtue, not a vice," Cuomo said.
After a summer resurgence, the virus has now infected more than 6.2 million people in the US and resulted in 188,941 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Some states, like New York, are seeing promising trends. As of early Monday, 18 states were reporting fewer new cases over the past seven days compared with the week prior. Another 16 were holding steady. Still, officials and experts have warned that the public must continue practicing preventative measures or risk a resurgence in the fall and winter.
"New Yorkers can help us keep that streak going by wearing masks, socially distancing and washing their hands," Cuomo said. "Our actions today determine the rate of infection tomorrow, so as the Labor Day weekend continues, I urge everyone to be smart so we don't see a spike in the weeks ahead."
The best way to avoid the outbreaks that followed Memorial Day and Fourth of July weekends is to wear masks, avoid crowds and keep a safe distance from others, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said leading up to Labor Day weekend.
