The number of diagnosed cases just reached 500,000 on Thursday.
3 min read
The amount of novel coronavirus cases around the world and in the U.S. continues to skyrocket. By Saturday morning, the number of diagnosed COVID-19 cases around the world surpassed 600,000.
It was just Thursday that the globe reached 500,000 cases, which was double the number of coronavirus cases from the week before.
The U.S. surpassed 100,000 diagnosed coronavirus cases Friday night, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. There are at least 1,711 deaths in the country.
At least 131,000 people have recovered from the virus during this pandemic.
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Today’s biggest developments:
- Global cases near 600,000
- US cases cross 100,000
- Rhode Island targets New York
- How it started and how to protect yourself: coronavirus explained
- What to do if you have symptoms: coronavirus symptoms
- Tracking the spread in the US and worldwide: coronavirus map
Here’s how the news is developing today. All times Eastern. Please refresh this page for updates.
4:43 a.m.: Rhode Island targeting New York travelers
A day after announcing all vehicles with New York license plates will be pulled over by state police and travelers informed they must quarantine if they are staying in the state, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo announced that the National Guard would go door-to-door to make sure New Yorkers are following orders.
“We have a pinpointed a risk that we need to address, and that risk is New York City,” Raimondo said Friday during her daily coronavirus media briefing. She said the 14-day quarantine for New York travelers is a law and will be enforced, “it’s not a suggestion.”
Members of the National Guard will be stationed at bus and train stops, as well as airports to collect personal information form travelers when they arrive. State police officers are doing the same for vehicles they pull over. With that information, Raimondo said authorities would go hotels, vacation homes and any type of residence to keep track of New York travelers.
All these measures, she said, are designed to let the state have time to get ready for the spread of COVID-19. If Rhode Island were to have an outbreak right now, she said the state and its healthcare system would be overwhelmed.
“We are not ready for a surge of cases,” Raimondo said.
New York City currently has at least 26,000 diagnosed cases of COVID-19, with 450 deaths. There are more than 44,000 cases in New York state. As of Friday, only 28 of the 203 diagnosed coronavirus cases in Rhode Island have required hospitalization. The state has no reported COVID-19 deaths.
