New York's positivity rate in "red zones" is at 6.2%, governor says
From CNN's Julian Cummings
New York State reported a positivity rate of 6.2% in red zones where testing is being oversampled, and .95% excluding clusters, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on a phone call with reporters.
When the cluster areas and the state data is combined New York state reported a 1.1% positivity rate.
“That number is lower than many states positivity rates right now. We call 6.2% a red zone,” Cuomo said.
Cuomo said that he expects clusters of Covid-19 to continue to flare up for at least a year.
“This could go on for multiple years unless you assume 100% of the population is vaccinated”, Cuomo said.
New York reported 7 new deaths related to Covid-19, and 15 people were admitted to hospitals because of coronavirus.
NOTE: These numbers were released by the Governor of New York and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.
12:17 p.m. ET, October 14, 2020
Pelosi and Mnuchin had a "productive" stimulus call, her spokesperson tweets
From CNN's Phil Mattingly and Manu Raju
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin Getty Images
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin reconnected for the first time in several days this morning for a “productive” call, according to Pelosi’s spokesperson.
The two still have a major outstanding disagreement on the Democratic push for a detailed national testing strategy, among several other issues.
The call comes as prospects for an agreement before the election have shrunk to near zero in recent days. The two are scheduled to speak again tomorrow and staff will continue to work on negotiations in the meantime.
Read the tweet:
11:43 a.m. ET, October 14, 2020
Italian powerhouse soccer team Juventus goes into self-isolation after positive Covid-19 test
From CNN’s Dan Wright in London and Nicola Ruotolo in Rome
Weston McKennie warms up prior to a match between Juventus and UC Sampdoria on September 20 in Turin, Italy. Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images
Juventus FC, one of Italy’s top soccer teams, is going into self-isolation after player Weston McKennie tested positive for Covid-19, the club announced Wednesday.
"Juventus Football Club announces that, during the tests provided by the Serie A protocol, player Weston McKennie tested positive for Covid-19. In compliance with the regulations and the protocol, the team will go into preventive isolation this evening,” the club said in a statement.
“This procedure will allow all subjects who test negative to carry on training regularly and play matches among themselves, but they will not be allowed any contact outside of the team group. The Company is in constant contact with the competent health authorities," the statement added.
11:15 a.m. ET, October 14, 2020
Wales to ban travelers from coronavirus hotspots in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland
From CNN’s Zahid Mahmood in London
Wales will ban travelers from high coronavirus hotspots in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland from entering Wales starting Friday, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford announced on Wednesday.
In a tweet, Drakeford said he was introducing the ban as there had been “no formal response” from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson after sending him two letters to restrict travel into Wales.
“I am preparing new regulations to protect the health of people in Wales that will come into force on Friday,” he said.
Read the tweet:
11:02 a.m. ET, October 14, 2020
New York City continues to see “leveling off” of Covid-19 cases in hot spots, mayor says
From CNN's Kristina Sgueglia
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city continues to see a “leveling off” of Covid-19 cases in the communities most effected.
“So far the overall picture is steady,” he said, adding he would still like to see more progress in cluster areas.
“What we’re seeing overall in terms of the city indicators suggests that we are making some progress.”
The mayor said this is a decisive week, adding “we have to stop a second wave from hitting new York city and we have the power to do it.”
The percent of people who tested positive for Covid-19 city wide is at 1.13%, under the 5% threshold, de Blasio said. The seven-day rolling average is 1.46%.
The daily number of people admitted to hospitals for Covid-19 is at 76, under the 200 threshold. The confirmed positivity rate for Covid-19 for those patients is 25.3%
One thing to note: These numbers were released by the citys 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
10:06 a.m. ET, October 14, 2020
Northern Ireland reports record high daily Covid-19 cases
From Amy Cassidy in Glasgow and Peter Taggart in Belfast
Northern Ireland has reported 1,217 new positive Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, a record-high for the nation.
This takes the total number of reported cases to 23,115.
The previous record for daily cases was 1,080 last Friday.
10:03 a.m. ET, October 14, 2020
Soccer superstar Ronaldo flies to Italy after testing positive for Covid-19
From CNN’s Vasco Cotovio in London
Cristiano Ronaldo warms up before a match between Portugal and Spain at the Jose Alvalade stadium on October 7 in Lisbon, Portugal. Carlos Costa/AFP/Getty Images
Portugal and Juventus soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is on his way to Turin, Italy, aboard a private air ambulance, after testing positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.
Reports on Portuguese media showed pictures of Ronaldo boarding the plane at the Cascais Municipal Airport. State news agency Lusa reported that Ronaldo left aboard the jet toward Turin around 1:30 p.m. local time.
9:41 a.m. ET, October 14, 2020
Bangladesh will reopen movie theaters on Friday
From CNN’s Brittany Vickers
Bangladesh will be begin reopening movie theaters on Friday, according to state news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).
New Covid-19 restrictions for the reopening include keeping at least half of the number of seats in the theaters vacant, ensuring proper hygiene and social distancing.
9:28 a.m. ET, October 14, 2020
Portugal prime minister declares "state of calamity" because of Covid-19
From CNN’s Vasco Cotovio in London
Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa talks to the media prior to a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on October 1. Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa announced the country will enter a "state of calamity" midnight on Wednesday, saying the Covid-19 situation in the country was “serious.”
“We can classify the evolution of the pandemic in Portugal as a serious one,” Costa told journalists as he announced the state of calamity at a press conference, following a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. The declaration gives the government exceptional powers to adopt additional measures to try to curb the spread of the virus.
Costa said additional restrictions would be imposed immediately, namely limiting the number of gatherings in public, commercial spaces or restaurants to no more than five people. In schools and universities, celebrations and non-academic activities will be forbidden and family events, such as weddings and baptisms, will be limited to a maximum of 50 guests.
Costa went on to say that authorities would be called upon to increase surveillance and enforcement of these rules in public places, namely restaurants and shops, increasing fines for up to 10,000 euros for businesses who do not enforce the rules.
“It is necessary to revive the memory that it is really necessary to follow these rules,” Costa said, adding that there had been some relaxation, as time passed.
Costa also said the government would put forward a bill to make the use of masks in certain outdoor spaces mandatory. The bill would also make it mandatory for the Portuguese to sign up for the Portuguese National Health Service’s track and trace app.
The Portuguese Prime minister made a point of differentiating the newly declared “state of calamity” from the “state of emergency” the country declared in March, before going into lockdown. He said Government advice on working from home would remain the same, and borders would be kept open.
