Coronavirus updates: 23-year-old college student dies from COVID-19

PHOTO: An intubation set up for a COVID-19 patient in Houston, Texas.

4:10

Go Nakamura/Getty Images

1st vaccine nears finish line as COVID-19 numbers continue to rise

A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 1.3 million people worldwide.

Over 58.7 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some national governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their outbreaks. The criteria for diagnosis -- through clinical means or a lab test -- has also varied from country to country.

The United States is the worst-affected nation, with more than 12.2 million diagnosed cases and at least 256,783 deaths.

Nearly 200 vaccine candidates for COVID-19 are being tracked by the World Health Organization, at least 10 of which are in crucial phase three studies. Of those 10 potential vaccines in late-stage trials, there are currently five that will be available in the United States if approved.

Nov 21, 2020 3:34 AM

Toronto moves into lockdown status

Toronto, the largest city in Canada, is moving into lockdown -- its highest alert, what it calls grey status -- as it tries to mitigate an increasing coronavirus emergency.

The Peel Region, just west of Toronto and including Mississauga, will also be placed in the grey status.

As part of the designation, public or social indoor gatherings are not allowed. Weddings, funerals or religious services may have up to 10 people indoors. All outdoor gatherings cannot include more than 10 people.

PHOTO: A Canadian service man places Canadian flags on the eve of Remembrance Day at Sunnybrook Veterans Centre as part of its campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto, Nov. 10, 2020. The town declared a state of emergency regarding the issue.

Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP

A Canadian service man places Canadian flags among the 37,500 flags on the eve of Remembrance Day at Sunnybrook Veterans Centre as part of its annual Remembrance Day campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020. The town declared a state of emergency regarding the issue.

Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP

Also, restaurants and bars may have no indoor or outdoor service though takeout is permitted. Essential retail, like pharmacies and grocery stores, can open, but at 50% capacity. All other retail is closed except for curbside pickup.

Casinos, movie theaters and museums will all be closed. Media production facilities, including Toronto's thriving film industry, can only operate with proper social distancing on set.

Cases in Toronto have gradually increased since maintaining a seven-day average of under 100 per day through most of August. The city reported a one-day high of 1,581 cases on Nov. 14 and the seven-day average reported Friday was 1,373 per day.

ABC News' Matt Foster contributed to this report.

Nov 21, 2020 1:00 AM

Over 1,800 reported COVID-19 deaths for 3rd day in a row in US

States reported more than 1,800 deaths for the third day in a row on Friday, according to The COVID Tracking Project.

There were 1,862 deaths reported.

Daily COVID-19 tests, cases and current hospitalizations broke new records on Friday, the tracker said, surpassing all-time highs reached Thursday.

Our daily update is published. States reported 1.9 million tests, 193k cases, and 82k people currently hospitalized with COVID-19. Reported deaths were 1,862. Test, case, and hospitalization counts broke all-time records today. pic.twitter.com/Wa74KCcOVG
— The COVID Tracking Project (@COVID19Tracking) November 21, 2020

States reported over 1.9 million daily tests and 192,805 new cases, and 82,178 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, according to the tracker.

Three states are reporting over 500 hospitalizations per million people: North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.

Nov 20, 2020 11:11 PM

Donald Trump Jr. has tested positive for COVID-19

Donald Trump. Jr. is the latest person connected to the White House to test positive for the coronavirus, a spokesman confirmed to ABC News.

Nathan Posner/Shutterstock, FILE

Donald Trump Jr. speaks at a press conference in Atlanta, Nov. 5, 2020.

Nathan Posner/Shutterstock, FILE

“Don tested positive at the start of the week and has been quarantining out at his cabin since the result. He’s been completely asymptomatic so far and is following all medically recommended COVID-19 guidelines,” the spokesman said in a statement.

The president's eldest son is the second of his children to test positive for the virus, following Barron Trump's diagnosis last month.

ABC News' John Santucci contributed to this report

Nov 20, 2020 10:52 PM

FDA to review Pfizer vaccine on Dec. 10

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that its vaccine advisory committee will meet Dec. 10 to discuss the request for emergency use authorization of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

MORE: Pfizer, BioNTech submit emergency authorization request to FDA Friday for COVID-19 vaccine

The public meeting will be a chance for both FDA career scientists and members of the independent advisory board to ask Pfizer questions about its product.

After that, the board will make a recommendation, which the FDA will take into account when it decides whether to authorize the vaccine.

Officials said they cannot predict how long the FDA's review will take, but that it will be "as expeditiously as possible, while still doing so in a thorough and science-based manner."

ABC News' Anne Flaherty contributed to this report

Nov 18, 2020 9:01 PM

Florida mayors beg governor to enact statewide mask mandate

The mayors of five Florida cities -- Miami Beach, St. Petersburg, Sunrise, Miami Shores and Hialeah -- are begging Gov. Ron DeSantis to enact a statewide mask mandate. At a Wednesday news conference, they also asked DeSantis to allow local governments to make decisions for their communities in regards to social distancing, contact tracing and testing.

“Since the governor opened up the economy totally in late September and simultaneously prevented local governments from enforcing individual mask mandates, we have seen an enormous surge," Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said. "Our state's primary economic engine is hospitality, and people will not travel here if they believe it's unsafe. In fact, I'm convinced in projecting our state as a place where people are not wearing masks and where the virus is allowed to spread unconstrained will only serve to discourage visitors.”

“We are asking the governor to lead," Gelber said.

Marta Lavandier/AP, FILE

People line up at a COVID-19 rapid test site on Nov. 7, 2020 in Miami Beach, Fla.

Marta Lavandier/AP, FILE

"For whatever reason our governor has decided that he is going to follow the lead of our president and not listen to what the medical experts and what the health care experts are saying," added St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman. "We have got to have a state that follows the same rules and puts in place the same rules as some of the other states around the country."

Florida on Wednesday topped 900,000 total COVID-19 cases.

ABC News' Rachel Katz contributed to this report.