The Latest: Global coronavirus case total tops 50 million

BOSTON — The coronavirus has hit another sobering milestone: more than 50 million positive cases worldwide since the pandemic began.

Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus tracker reported more than 50.2 million COVID-19 cases globally as of Sunday.

There have been more than 1.2 million deaths from the disease worldwide since the pandemic started.

The U.S., with about 4% of the world’s population, represents almost a fifth of all reported cases.

The country has had more than 9.8 million cases and more than 237,000 deaths from the virus since the pandemic started, according to Johns Hopkins University’s data.

Coronavirus cases and deaths also continue to soar in the U.S., as they are in many countries.

The U.S. reported more than 126,000 positive cases and more than 1,000 deaths from COVID-19 on Saturday, according to the university.

Ski region locks down as Italy virus cases soar

ROME — The governor of an autonomous Italian Alpine province famed for its ski resorts has declared it a “red zone,” shutting down as of Monday most non-essential shops, barring cafes and restaurants from serving meals and forbidding citizens to leave their towns except for essential reasons like work.

Bolzano Province Gov. Arno Kompatscher told Sky TG24 TV Sunday evening he decided to order the crackdown as ICU beds started rapidly filling up with COVID-19 patients.

“We could add 100 ICU beds,” the governor said, but “we can only hold up to a certain point.” He noted that the province needed more doctors and nurses.

Bolzano Province joins the northern regions of Lombardy, Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta, a small Alpine region, in Italy’s “red zone.” Calabria, the southern “toe” of the Italian mainland, is also under strict “red zone” measures in view of its fragile public hospital system.

Italy on Sunday registered some 7,000 fewer new COVID-19 cases compared to the previous day’s increase, but nearly 40,000 fewer swab tests to detect the coronavirus were conducted in the last 24 hours.

With the addition of 32,616 confirmed infections on Sunday, Italy’s known total in the pandemic totals 935,104. There were 331 more deaths since Saturday, raising the nation’s confirmed toll to 41,394.

U.S. sets another record for new coronavirus cases

BOSTON — The U.S. has set another record for daily number of coronavirus cases.

The country reported more than 126,000 positive cases and more than 1,000 deaths from COVID-19 on Saturday, according to the most recent data from Johns Hopkins University.

It marked the fourth day in a row that new cases topped more than 100,000 as the country has broken its own record for daily cases with nearly every passing day this week.

The seven-day rolling average for daily new cases in the U.S. rose over the past two weeks from more than 64,000 on Oct. 24 to nearly 104,000 on Nov. 7, according to the university’s data.

The virus death toll is also rising in the country.

The seven-day rolling average for daily new deaths rose over the past two weeks from 801 on Oct. 24 to 930 on Nov. 7, the university said.

There have been more than 9.8 million cases and more than 237,000 deaths from the virus in the U.S. since the pandemic started.

Globally, there have been nearly 50 million positive cases and more than 1.2 million deaths from COVID-19.

Israel allows retail shops to reopen

JERUSALEM — Israel has allowed most retail shops to reopen for the first time in nearly two months, in the latest phase of its exit from a second coronavirus lockdown.

Under the new rules, shops can accept up to four customers at a time, and indoor shopping malls remain closed.

Israel moved quickly last spring to contain the coronavirus, quickly sealing its borders and shutting down much of the economy. But it mismanaged the reopening of the economy, and the coronavirus quickly returned. A second lockdown was imposed in mid-September.

The country has moved more cautiously this time– gradually opening preschools and elementary schools and some offices in recent weeks. The dual lockdowns have hit small businesses especially hard.

Rina Shapira, a shopper in a Jerusalem bookshop, said the plight of businesses is heartbreaking. “Without an economy, there is also no health,” she said.

Church heads back to Supreme Court over Nevada’s 50-person attendance cap

RENO, Nev. — A rural Nevada church is headed back to the U.S. Supreme Court in a second attempt to overturn the state’s 50-person cap on attendance at religious gatherings.

The high court denied Calvary Chapel Dayton Valleys’ request for an emergency injunction in July.

A new petition filed Thursday asks the justices to consider the challenge of Nevada’s COVID-19 restrictions as a test case for others brought by churches across the country arguing their religious freedoms are being violated.

Calvary Chapel argues the 50-person cap is an unconstitutional violation of religious freedoms, partly because casinos and other businesses are allowed to operate at 50% of capacity.

Other secular businesses allowed to operate at half capacity include restaurants, gyms, hair salons and bowling alleys.

A federal appeals court has scheduled oral arguments next month on the Nevada church’s appeal of a U.S. judge’s ruling in Reno upholding the state policy.

New York college requiring students to quarantine for week

NEW YORK — Students attending college at one of New York’s public universities in the spring will have to quarantine at home for a week first and be tested for COVID-19, at home or on campus.

The rules are part of new guidance for the spring semester issued by the State University of New York on Sunday.

Classes will start later than usual, on Feb. 1, and there will be no spring break. And with big gatherings still not allowed, graduation plans for the Class of 2021 are shaping up once again to be scaled-back or virtual ceremonies.

India reports more than 45,000 new cases

NEW DELHI — India has reported 45,674 new coronavirus infections, with the capital coping with a sharp surge of nearly 7,000 cases a day this past week.

India’s tally of confirmed cases — currently the second largest in the world behind the United States — has exceeded 8.5 million. The Health Ministry on Sunday also reported 559 deaths in the past 24 hours, raising total fatalities to 126,121.

India has seen an overall steady dip in new cases after touching nearly 100,000 a day in mid-September.

However, the tally in New Delhi continues to hover at around 7,000 a day after dropping to nearly 1,000 in September. The capital also reported 79 deaths in the past 24 hours, the most since June.

Delhi state Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that apart from aggressive contact tracing, targeted testing in shopping areas and other busy locations also has started. And authorities are reaching out to people through mobile testing vans.

The government has warned that the situation could worsen due to festival shopping crowds, coupled with the onset of winter and high air pollution levels.

Alaska reports new record for infections in 24-hour period

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska on Saturday reported hitting a daily record in new coronavirus cases.

The state reported 604 cases, the highest in a single day since Oct. 25, when 526 cases were tallied, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

The Department of Health and Social Services says there were no new deaths from the virus. The state has had 19,306 cases and 79 deaths since the coronavirus hit.

The Daily News reports that 95 people were currently hospitalized with the virus in Alaska as of Saturday, slightly down from Friday’s record of 97 hospitalizations. Another 10 hospital patients were suspected of having COVID-19, according to state data.

Nevada hits record number of new cases

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Nevada has reported a record number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases for the second day in row. State officials on Saturday reported 1,846 additional cases with five additional deaths.

The state reported 1,562 new cases on Friday. The state’s totals increased to 108,746 cases and 1,850 deaths. State COVID-19 response Director Caleb Cage said Friday the case increase in Nevada is a surge in cases.

According to Johns Hopkins University data analyzed by The Associated Press, seven-day rolling averages for daily new cases and daily new deaths in Nevada increased over the last two weeks as the average for COVID-19 testing positivity dropped.

Oregon health officials investigate judge’s floating of mask mandate

HILLSBORO, Ore. — The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating reports that a circuit court judge is endangering the health of workers and jurors by ignoring a statewide mask mandate in his courtroom.

The Oregonian/OregonianLive reports in a story on Saturday that Washington County Circuit Judge Charles Bailey describes the mask mandate as a “nanny state” requirement. He doesn’t wear a face covering and isn’t requiring others to do so in his Hillsboro courtroom. Bailey told attorneys and jurors in the Oct. 29 recording of the proceedings that it was up to them whether they wanted to wear a mask. The incident occurred as coronavirus infections surge in the state.

Oklahoma’s daily cases more than doubles its previous record

OKLAHOMA CITY — The number of newly reported coronavirus cases in Oklahoma on Saturday more than doubled the previous one-day record, but the state Department of Health said a bureaucratic backlog and duplicate reporting partially account for the steep increase.

There were 4,741 new cases, bringing the total to 136,492 since the pandemic began, the department said. The previous one-day record of 2,101 new cases was recorded Thursday as cases in the state have surged in recent weeks.

“We have reason to believe that our normal case count would have continued on an upward trajectory without the backlog and duplication,” which is due to a transition from a manual to electronic reporting system, according to a health department statement. Officials said they were not sure how many cases were recorded twice but were investigating.

In a statement, Gov. Kevin Stitt, called on residents to wash hands often, socially distance and voluntarily wear masks at indoor public places.

“Oklahomans pulled together back in April so we could safely reopen our economy, and I am asking for that same unified effort once again to slow the spread of this virus and keep Oklahomans safe,” Stitt said.

Italy reports nearly 40,000 new cases

MILAN – Italy registered a record 39,811 daily confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday.

That tops the 37,809 cases on Friday. In Lombardy, one quarter of the coronavirus tests came back positive for a daily total of nearly 11,500.

Lombardy is one of four regions designated a “red zone,” with a partial lockdown in effect since Friday.

Hospitalizations continue to rise, with 1,104 more people hospitalized on Saturday and 119 more in intensive care.

There are more than 862,000 total confirmed cases in Italy. Deaths nationwide rose by 425 for a confirmed total of 41,063, sixth highest in the world.