Coronavirus update: U.S. death toll climbs to 155,000, as COVID-19 enters ‘dangerous new phase’ - MarketWatch

tally for new confirmed cases of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 continued its march toward 5 million, with the death toll topping 155,000, as White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr.

Deborah Birx warned that the pandemic has entered a “new phase.”.

New COVID-19 cases reached 4.69 million in the U.S., with the death toll rising to 155,124, according to data aggregated by Johns Hopkins University.

Nearly 1.5 million people have recovered.

New daily cases have increased in the past week in 13 states, the data show, and 13 states have seen more than a double-digit percentage of tests turn out positive for COVID-19.

In an interview Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” program, Birx said that COVID-19 is now “different” from what was seen in March and April, as it is now “extraordinarily widespread,” into both rural and urban areas.

Her dire outlook came hours after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on ABC’s “This Week,” said as a Trump appointee she had no confidence in Birx, who Pelosi believed should be doing more to refute the misinformation Trump was spreading about the pandemic.

continued to see the pandemic spread rapidly in the U.S.

Meanwhile, the White House, Senate Republicans and House Democrats have reportedly made progress on a new coronavirus relief bill, but have yet to reach an agreement on restoring the $600-per-week supplemental unemployment benefit although that benefit expired on Friday.

Admiral Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services, was asked on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday whether the U.S.

“Obviously, we want to increase testing, and we’ve done that,” Giroir said.

He emphasized that what was “incredibly important” to controlling the coronavirus was to wear masks, but that 85% to 90% of people had to wear masks and avoid crowds.

should implement a national mask mandate, Giroir said it “really has to be voluntary by the American people,” whether it’s mandated by cities or states.

Regarding Trump’s continued touting of antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19, despite trials showing it didn’t provide a benefit, Giroir said: “Right now, hydroxychloroquine, I can’t recommend that.”.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization warned Monday that there might never be a “silver bullet” for the coronavirus, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota who predicted in January that the coronavirus would become the next pandemic, told MarketWatch that he believed Americans will be living with the coronavirus for decades.

There are now 18.15 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 world-wide, the Johns Hopkins data show, and at least 690,624 people have died.

More than 10.7 million people have recovered.

with 2.7 million cases and 94,104 deaths, but is first with nearly 2.1 million recovered.

India is third measured by cases at 1.8 million, followed by Russia with 854,641, South Africa with 511,485 and Mexico with 439,046.

said Monday that it has started a Phase 3 trial for a treatment that aims to prevent COVID-19 infections in residents and workers in nursing homes.

The trial, expected to enroll 2,400 people by September, will be conducted with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, with plans to release the late-stage data sometime in the fourth quarter.

to see if it can prevent infections in people who live or work in a facility that has recently reported a case of the coronavirus.

The antibody was identified in the blood sample of one of the first people in the U.S.

said they have started enrolling patients in a clinical trial testing three of their drugs as treatments for severely ill and hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

said Monday that they are in advanced discussions with the European Union to supply up to 300 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

plans to offer $350 million in senior notes due 2027, joining the many companies issuing record amounts of debt during the pandemic.

The rental car company expects to use the proceeds from the notes offering to redeem $100 million of 5.50% senior notes due 2023, with the rest to be used for general corporate purposes.

The company has said last week that it has $1.5 billion in liquidity at the end of the second quarter, and estimated that cash burn would be approximately $900 million, including $100 million in debt retirement.

in a $100 million deal.

reported Monday adjusted funds from operations that missed expectations as revenue surprisingly fell, as the real-estate investment trust has experienced challenges as a result of the pandemic.

Office collections averaged 96% during the quarter and 98% in July, while residential collections averaged 98% in the quarter and 99% in July.

The company didn’t provide financial guidance given the uncertainties associated with the pandemic.

Interim Chief Executive MaryAnne Gilmartin said the company has begun its search for a permanent CEO.

Despite seeing some recovery during the quarter, demand for our products and services continues to be significantly depressed, particularly across the West Coast and Midwest.” The company is indefinitely idling its Gallup and Martinez refineries and evaluating a strategic repositioning of Martinez to a renewable diesel facility.

1, and employed more than 1,900 people

Lower food-service demand hurt chicken sales, the company said

Tyson incurred COVID-19-related incremental expenses of $340 million during the quarter, including worker bonuses, testing and personal protective equipment

said Monday that its Beyond Burgers will be sold at Walmart Inc.’s