COVID-19 Update

World

• New Cases:   504,412 (⬆︎ 1.14%)
• New Deaths:      7,122 (⬆︎   .61%)

USA

• New Cases:   81,581 (⬆︎ .90%) 🎉 NEW RECORD! 🥳
• New Deaths:    1,030 (⬆︎ .44%)

WaPo:

Fauci expresses support for national mask mandate for the first time amid record-setting coronavirus infections

Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, said for the first time Wednesday that the United States needs a nationwide mask mandate to combat the rising tide of coronavirus infections. In interviews with CNBC and the Journal of the American Medical Association, Fauci expressed regret that masks haven’t been adopted more widely and suggested that doing so would be key to avoiding another round of shutdowns.

Other Stuff:

• With five days to go before Election Day on Nov. 3, President Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden have crystallized opposing messages on a pandemic that has affected most aspects of American life, including voting.
• Germany and France announced month-long lockdowns on Wednesday, saying that the resurgence of infections had spiraled out of control.
• Taiwan celebrated its 200th day with no locally transmitted coronavirus infections, a milestone no other nation has reached. The country never went into lockdown, which experts say was due to its swift response, widespread mask use and close tracking of cases.
• Health officials say the White House called off an investigation into its coronavirus outbreak, while failing to notify people who may have been exposed.
• The United States has seen a steady increase in coronavirus infections and hospitalizations for almost the entire month of October, with record-high numbers of cases reported in the past week, according to data tracked by The Washington Post. More than 80,000 new cases were recorded on Wednesday, pushing the total number of infections past 8.8 million. At least 227,000 fatalities have been linked to the virus since February.
• A federal government briefing document obtained by The Washington Post suggests that a traveler could theoretically drive all the way from the Canadian border to northern Mississippi without ever leaving a “hot-spot” county.