October 21 coronavirus news

New York’s test positivity rate including the oversampling of hotspot areas is 1.62%, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. 

The positivity rate in the red zone is 6.61%, the governor said. 

These numbers are from Tuesday and at least 124,789 test results were reported, the governor said. 

The test positivity rate without the hotspot zones stands around 1.42% 

One thing to note: These numbers were released by the state’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.

Greece recorded 865 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday — its highest daily case count since the pandemic began. 

Wednesday's number marked an increase of nearly 200 more cases than the day before. 

Greece announced six more deaths on Wednesday, and at least 86 individuals are in ICU.

The Greek government announced a local lockdown for the region of Kastoria in Northern Greece. This is the second town placed under lockdown after Kozani, also in Northern Greece,

According to Greece’s National Public Health Organization, Greece has recorded 27,334 cases and 534 deaths in total. 

The Pennsylvania department of health reported 1,425 new cases of Covid-19, the 16th consecutive day the state has reported over 1,000 new infections of coronavirus. 

The statewide number of total cases now stands at 186,297.

Additionally, Pennsylvania reported 29 new due to Covid-19 bringing the statewide death total to 8,533.

The state reported 114 cases in Allegheny county and an increase of 100 new cases in Philadelphia County. 

One thing to note: These numbers were released by the state’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

In Michigan, there are now 445 cases of Covid-19 in 84 schools. At least 80 of those cases are from new outbreaks at 24 different schools. These cases include staff and student numbers, according to the state's official tracker.

The remainder of cases are from schools that have seen ongoing outbreaks. Most K-12 schools have fewer than 10 cases. The K-12 school with the largest number of cases is a preschool through elementary school in Alma, Michigan, with 31 cases, which include both staff and students.

Among colleges and universities in Michigan, there are 5,358 coronavirus cases. Only two colleges were listed as a part of the new outbreak group. Michigan State University had the largest number of cases with 1,622 students and staff.

According to the government tracker, new outbreaks are defined as those that are first identified during the current reporting week.

Schools are classified as having ongoing cases if there is at least one new case in the 28 days after being first identified. If 28 days pass since a school first had an outbreak, and no new cases were found, the school will be removed from the list.

All public school instruction in Boston will be remote starting Thursday, following a rise in Covid-19 cases, according to a statement released Wednesday by Boston Public Schools.

The statement cited a 5.7% seven-day Covid-19 positivity rate for the city of Boston, up from last week's rate of 4.5%.

“We have said all along that we will only provide in-person learning for students if the data and public health guidance supports it, and this new data shows that we are trending in the wrong direction,” said Mayor Marty Walsh in a statement

The decision comes less than a week after the district announced that it was delaying in-person instruction.

On Twitter Wednesday morning, Cassellius said she was "disheartened."

"It is the adults who create the conditions in which children succeed," she wrote. "We must do better. Please wear a mask, avoid large gatherings & stay home if sick so we can bring our children back to school."

In-person instruction will resume when infection rates fall for two straight weeks, according to the district.

It is growing increasingly likely that passing any stimulus deal through Congress will have to wait until after the Nov. 3 elections, according to multiple sources in both parties.

While it's possible a deal in principle between the White House and House Democrats can be reached before Nov. 3, passing a bill through both chambers is highly unlikely before then.

That's because of the sharp disagreements within the GOP, the logistical hurdles of passing legislation quickly of this magnitude through both chambers and the fact that Speaker Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin still have many outstanding details to sort through.

Pelosi has not yet told her colleagues if she'll bring the House back to session next week to vote on the stimulus, sources said. So it's still possible the House could return next week just days before the election.

But the Senate is likely to adjourn after Monday when Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed to the Supreme Court, though the final schedule has not yet been announced.

After Pelosi and Mnuchin blew past the speaker’s self-imposed Tuesday deadline, which she said was essential to getting a bill passed by the elections, she also subtly adjusted her language.

What could come next: Reaching an agreement, of course, is different than passing a bill. Plus Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has no appetite to put a major stimulus bill on the floor that will divide his party just days before the election, something he reiterated to his colleagues at lunch on Tuesday. The Senate GOP is largely opposed to a bill around $2 trillion, which Pelosi and Mnuchin are discussing, as Republicans try to advance their $500 billion bill this afternoon after Senate Democrats blocked it last month.

What Pelosi really wants is to clear the decks and pass a major bill to help Joe Biden if he wins the presidency, sources familiar with her thinking said, meaning that final passage could wait until after the November elections and before January during the lame-duck session.

Still, it's anyone's guess how the outcome of the elections could scramble the political calculations of the White House, Senate Republicans and Democrats as well -- adding uncertainty to how action in a lame-duck session would play out.

Speaking on CNN's "Newsroom" this morning, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn suggested that lame-duck action is more likely at this point.

"The election is less than two weeks away, and I believe we will be back in Washington a week or two after the elections and we could something then," Clyburn said. "At least the elections will be behind us, people will know what their futures are and maybe they will be more apt to sit down and get serious about things after their electoral prospects have been settled."

“Halloween is happening in New York City, and Halloween will be safe in New York City,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday.

He laid out some safety guidelines for the holiday:

The mayor also stressed a mask in a costume “is not the same as the kind of mask we use to protect ourselves and each other.”

Here are the latest numbers on coronavirus in New York City: 1.56% of people tested positive citywide, keeping the number under the 5% threshold, de Blasio said. The seven-day rolling average is 1.68%. 

In addition, 77 people were hospitalized. New York City is also reporting a seven-day average of 493 new reported cases, with a threshold of 550 cases.

Five schools are on a 14-day shut down, though one is coming out of the shutdown Thursday.

One note: These numbers were released by the city'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.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio focused on vaccines Wednesday morning, outlining how that the city will prioritize frontline workers and vulnerable populations when a vaccine is approved for use.

“The vaccine will be a crucial part of our rebirth” and economic recovery, de Blasio said.

“We don’t have the exact data, no one has the exact date,” he said. “What we do know…it will be sooner rather than later.” 

It's important to have a “fair” plan and for it to be free for those who need it, de Blasio said.

He said it's paramount to make sure the vaccine is first “safe” and “effective.”

The city will prioritize frontline workers in the first phase: Health care personnel, frontline and essential workers, “the folks that are making this city run no matter what," he said. “And of course the most vulnerable New Yorkers, the folks that are in the most danger from this disease.”

The second phase is the general public and wide distribution.

He said the city’s health infrastructure is “battle tested” adding the city will continue to recruit and prepare community providers, pharmacies, urgent care, private and public hospitals and Covid-19 testing sites.

Spanish football giants FC Barcelona on Wednesday began the process of introducing new salary reductions for players and staff as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to have a crippling effect on the club’s finances.

It comes after Barca had imposed a temporary pay cut of 70% on the playing squad earlier this year to support the club’s non-playing employees during Spain’s State of Emergency. 

It added that the club is anticipating a drop in revenue of more than 30% for the coming year and is therefore “obliged to find immediate solutions to reduce expenditure.”

The club announced on Tuesday that goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, defenders Clement Lenglet and Gerard Pique and midfielder Frenkie de Jong have already agreed to a “temporary salary adjustment” as part of their respective contract extensions.