November 8 coronavirus news

This week saw a record number of Covid-19 cases in countries across the world as the number of people infected approached 50 million.

On Saturday the United States hit the higest daily number since the pandemic began, with 126,742 new cases. It was the fourth day this week that new infections totaled more than 100,000, according to data from John Hopkins University.

Across the Atlantic, the UK government said some 24,957 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the country on Saturday and 413 died of the virus, a toll that continues to rise. On the same day Liverpool began mass testing the city's population of 500,000 people in a bid to control the virus.

France passed the grim milestone of 40,000 coronvirus deaths after 306 were registered in a 24-hour period were registered, said the French Public Health Agency on Saturday. This comes after France had two consecutive days of record new daily coronavirus cases, with more than 60,000 announced on Friday alone.

Austria reported a new daily record of 8,241 infections on Saturday, according to data on the country's interior ministry website. The landlocked European country entered its second national lockdown this week.

A number of countries banned travelers arriving from Denmark after a mutated strain of the coronavirus -- connected to the country's mink farms -- was detected. According to the Danish government, the mutated form of the virus has been passed back to humans.

Greece, Latvia and Germany all implemented lockdowns this week.

In Japan, the health ministry said 1,329 new cases were reported on Saturday, their highest daily infection toll since August 14 and the third consecutive day in four figures. At least three people died, bringing the nationwide death toll to 1,825.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has worn a mask for the first time while appearing in public during the pandemic.

The 94-year-old monarch wore the mask during a commemorative ceremony in London earlier this week.

The event was held at Westminster Abbey ahead of Remembrance Sunday on November 11, the day the UK pays tribute to those who lost their lives in war.

"The Queen marked the centenary of the burial of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey this week, in a personal tribute ahead of Remembrance Sunday," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

The black mask, which was edged with white, is believed to have been made by Angela Kelly, the Queen's personal adviser and curator, who designs many of the monarch's outfits according to PA Media news agency.

Last week it emerged that Prince William, second-in-line to the throne, also tested positive for Covid-19 earlier in 2020, according to the BBC, citing palace sources.

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The United States reported 126,742 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University -- the highest number of cases identified in a single day since the pandemic began.

Saturday was the fourth day this week that more than 100,000 new patients were diagnosed with the novel coronavirus -- and the third day in a row cases topped 120,000.

At least 1,040 people died on Saturday from the virus, bringing the nationwide death toll to 237,113.

Since the pandemic began, at least 9,860,558 Covid-19 cases have been identified in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University,  

The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other U.S. territories, as well as repatriated cases. 

Track cases in the US here:

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Tracking Covid-19 cases in the US

The Japanese Health Ministry said 1,329 new Covid-19 cases were reported on Saturday -- the highest daily infection toll since August 14, and the third consecutive day authorities have identified more than 1,000 new cases.

Japan has reported 107,798 cases, according to the ministry. At least three people died Saturday, bringing the nationwide Covid-19 death toll to 1,825.

Cases are rising in Tokyo, too: Authorities said 294 cases were reported in the Japanese capital on Saturday, the highest single-day increase there since August 20. It was also the third day in a row the case count was north of 200.

Some 32,429 cases have been identified in Tokyo since the pandemic began.

South Korea recorded 143 new cases of Covid-19 on Saturday, authorities said today. Of those, 25 were imported and 118 were locally transmitted, according to the Korea Disease Control Prevention Agency (KDCA).

Since the pandemic began, 27,427 people in South Korea have been diagnosed with the virus. At least 478 have died.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States government's top infectious disease expert, said lingering Covid-19 symptoms last much longer than those from other viral syndromes like influenza.

Between 25% and 35% of Covid-19 patients have lingering symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle aches, sleep disturbances and “brain fog.”

It's unclear exactly how long symptoms can last, as the virus was discovered less than a year ago, but Fauci said symptoms have been observed for months after an initial infection.

"A proud moment for the medical profession:" Fauci also said medical professionals should be proud of the work they've done in the past several months, as they have been “really putting their lives and their safety at risk” by continually taking care of people who have a disease that is highly transmissible and has the potential to kill.

Why the death rate is going down: Fauci said the United States' Covid-19 death rate has been declining in recent months because due to three factors: “age, experience and better drugs.”

There are also now treatments that can help people, like dexamethasone and remdesivir, Fauci said.

The fact that younger people are now getting infected -- but not dying -- is also a factor bringing the death rate down, he said. However, Fauci noted that college kids are going back to school, getting infected and then "infecting people in the community"

"They’re the ones that are sort of driving the infection,” he said.

The Australian state of Victoria will lift even more Covid-19 restrictions as the virus there appears to be under control.

Starting at 11:59 p.m. Sunday:

Australia's former epicenter: In early August, Victoria was recording hundreds of cases per day, leading state authorities to implement the type of strict anti-epidemic measures that governments in Western Europe and the United States have been hesitant to enact out of fear of damaging the economy. This included placing Melbourne residents under a strict seven-week lockdown and barring nearly all trips outdoors.

Though the decision to lockdown Melbourne was unpopular with some people, by late September, cases had declined to low double-digits, allowing the government to begin lifting restrictions.

Some 24,957 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours in the UK, the government said Saturday, and 413 died of the virus, a toll which continues to rise.

10,274 patients have been admitted to hospital in the last 7 days, and 2,333 have died.

England entered a second national lockdown on Thursday, and passed the grim milestone of one million coronavirus cases on October 31.

The strict lockdown has shut pubs, restaurants and non-essential businesses, including hair salons and gyms. Schools, universities and playgrounds will stay open.

Earlier today, the UK banned travelers arriving from Denmark because after the country reported a widespread outbreak of a new variant of the virus which causes Covid-19 in mink farms.

Joe Biden plans to announce a 12-person coronavirus task force on Monday, two sources with knowledge told CNN.

The task force will be headed by three co-chairs: Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler and Yale University’s Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith.

The announcement, which will come just days after Biden was declared the winner in the presidential election, signals how seriously he plans to focus on the pandemic from the outset of his transition.

Biden is not expected to announce cabinet nominations for weeks and may wait until control of the Senate is clear, the sources said. Biden has potential people in mind for most every top position, but the announcement of the task force underscores the priority he intends to place on that challenge.