By Julia Hollingsworth, Adam Renton, Nick Thompson, Amy Woodyatt, Mike Hayes, Melissa Macaya and Meg Wagner, CNN
There are at least 7,464,372 cases of coronavirus in the US, and at least 210,313 people have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
So far today, Johns Hopkins has recorded 6,970 new cases and 132 reported deaths.
The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.
From CNN’s Konstantin Toropin
Alaska reported a new record-high daily case count of 197 Covid-19 cases Monday, the state health department said.
This is the highest daily new case count since July and it comes almost two weeks into a streak of days where daily totals were regularly over 100 cases.
Specifically, this record comes on the 12th consecutive day Alaska has seen 100-plus new Covid-19 cases, according to the state's Covid-19 dashboard.
Alaska’s test positivity rate is also at a record high of 4.19%, the state dashboard showed.
To date, the state health agency has reported 8,613 Covid-19 cases and 58 deaths.
Remember: These numbers were released by Alaska’s public health agency, and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project
From CNN's Jacqueline Howard and Maggie Fox
The US Food and Drug Administration made clear Tuesday it will want to see two months of follow-up data after volunteers get their second dose of a vaccine as part of clinical trials testing potential coronavirus vaccines.
That would make it difficult, if not impossible, for any vaccine maker to apply for emergency use authorization by Election Day, as President Trump has tried to promise, or by the end of October, as the CEO of Pfizer has hinted.
The agency posted documents for an Oct. 22 meeting that has long been scheduled for vaccine advisers to meet and discuss requirements for either emergency use authorization or a full biologics license application for any potential coronavirus vaccine.
The document also outlines other advice for companies seeking FDA consideration for emergency use. It is the first detailed document describing what should be included in applications in order to issue an emergency use authorization for a vaccine.
The agency said it wants to make sure any vaccine is safe before giving authorization to deliver it to millions of people.
That would include “data from Phase 3 studies that includes a median follow-up duration of at least two months after completion of the full vaccination regimen to help provide adequate information to assess a vaccine’s benefit-risk profile, including: adverse events; cases of severe COVID-19 disease among study subjects; and cases of COVID-19 occurring during the timeframe when adaptive (rather than innate) and memory immune responses to the vaccine would be responsible for a protective effect,” it reads.
"In general, FDA’s guidance documents, including this guidance, do not establish legally enforceable responsibilities. Instead, guidances describe the Agency’s current thinking on a topic and should be viewed only as recommendations, unless specific regulatory or statutory requirements are cited. The use of the word should in Agency guidance means that something is suggested or recommended, but not required," the documents read.
FDA officials have been clear in saying they want to have conversations with vaccine makers, rather than laying down strict rules that must be followed, for providing emergency use authorization for any vaccine.
From CNN's Kristina Sgueglia
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio added another zip code to the city’s “watchlist,” which is a compilation of zip codes that are on the radar but have not met the criteria of being above 3% positivity for 7 days.
The city’s hot spot points, tier 1, remains at 9 zip codes.
Tier 2 has an added zip code, 11206, bringing the “watchlist” total to 13. This list of zip codes would not face the same restrictions as the nine that have been a priority for the city to address.
Earlier this week, the mayor called for indoor dining, gyms, and pools to be halted in these areas, as part of his proposal to the state.
De Blasio called this time a “crucial” moment in the city’s effort to contain Covid-19 in hot spot communities.
“We have to get ahead of this,” he said.
“We have to be tough about it” he said adding the “tough restrictions” are nothing the city wants, but effectively what it needs.
From CNN's Kristina Sgueglia
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that no decision has been made on his proposal to close non-essential businesses and revert restaurants to takeout only in the 9 hot spot zip codes by Wednesday.
Conversations continue he said, adding “we need obviously a clear decision in the course of today so we can move forward.”
It is the state’s ultimate decision, he noted, but he is “prepared to implement as soon as tomorrow morning in those 9 zip codes once we have the signoff from the state.”
The closures would not affect religious institutions per his proposal.
De Blasio’s initial proposal also called for school closures by Wednesday. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo approved that portion but moved up the day, acting to close schools Tuesday in those hot spot areas
From CNN's Amanda Watts
As the United States continues to battle coronavirus and cases surpass 7 million, Johns Hopkins University data shows only 4 states are showing downward trends in new Covid-19 cases compared to the previous week.
The 4 states are: Hawaii, Kansas, Missouri and South Carolina.
Meanwhile, at least 22 states are showing upward trends and 24 states are showing steady trends.
Here's a look at where cases are rising across the country:
From CNN's Adrienne Vogt
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, families like Rose Rodriguez’s struggle to keep food on the table.
“The struggle is sometimes we eat, sometimes we don’t,” she said.
Rodriguez said she used to work at the Qantas Airlines cargo department at Los Angeles International airport. She told CNN’s Kyung Lah that since losing her job, she has applied for 50 jobs, has had 30 interviews, her unemployment has stalled, her car and furniture were repossessed, and she is months behind on rent.
“When we go to the laundromat, we see homeless washing themselves. And one day, if I don't go back to work, I’m going to be one of them,” she said.
She gets a weekly box of food from the Salvation Army and the Los Angeles Food Bank that she needs to stretch out seven days for her and her three daughters.
She said her children shouldn’t have to worry about eating.
“I should be working and they should be just worried about school and their futures. It just hurts,” Rodriguez said.
The Salvation Army said that on the days when they can give out fresh produce, the line wraps around the block, Lah reports.
“Even though we're trying our best to help, we know that we're barely scratching the surface because we can only do so much with the limited resources that we have,” the Salvation Army Siemon Center’s Mortimer Jones said.
Watch:
From CNN's Melissa Mahtani
Five former CDC directors will join Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta for a special coronavirus town hall event this weekend. Leave your questions for them below.
From CNN's Wayne Sterling
For the second straight day, no Tennessee Titans player or staff member has tested positive for Covid-19, National Football League spokesperson Brian McCarthy told CNN on Tuesday.
At least 20 Titans — ten players and ten staff members — have previously tested positive for the virus.
Last Tuesday, the NFL closed the Titans' facility due to the outbreak. McCarthy said Wednesday is the earliest day the team could possibly reopen the facility.
The Titans are scheduled to play the Buffalo Bills in Nashville this Sunday.
