The coronavirus death toll in the U.S. has surpassed 175,000.
A novel coronavirus pandemic has now killed more than 795,000 people worldwide.
Over 22.9 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 United States is the worst-affected country in the world, with more than 5.6 million diagnosed cases and at least 175,409 deaths.
Latest headlines:
- US surpasses 175,000 deaths
- 32 cases, 1 death linked to Maine wedding
- How it started and how to protect yourself: Coronavirus explained
- What to do if you have symptoms: Coronavirus symptoms
- Tracking the spread in the U.S. and worldwide: Coronavirus map
Here’s how the news is developing today. All times Eastern. Please refresh this page for updates.
6:10 a.m.: 32 COVID-19 cases, 1 death linked to Maine wedding
At least 32 positive coronavirus cases and now a woman’s death are linked to an Aug. 7 wedding reception at the Big Moose Inn in Millinocket, Maine, according to local health officials.
The woman died Friday, 14-days since the outbreak event.
Millinocket Regional Hospital reported that it has tested 366 people linked to the wedding reception. The hospital is still waiting on 103 of those tests, it said in a statement Friday.
“All positive patients have been contacted directly, given care instructions, and further instructed to quarantine,” Robert Peterson, Millinocket Regional Hospital CEO, said in a statement. “The CDC has initiated contact tracing on all positive patients to ascertain the full extent of the outbreak.”
Due to the outbreak, the health care facility said it has a no visitation policy and is limiting its services to essential medical care only through Aug. 30.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said 65 people attended the reception and that all confirmed cases, as of Aug. 17, are tied to Maine residents.
Maine Gov. Janet T. Mills’ executive order says that indoor capacity is 50 and outdoors is 100 in the state. The state says it’s in contact with the event space about adhered to those requirements in relation to the outbreak.
Maine is one of the least-affected states in the U.S., with only 4,286 cases and 129 confirmed deaths since the pandemic began.
