October 8 coronavirus news

Utah ranchers have lost at least 8,000 mink to an outbreak of Covid-19 among the animals known for their silky, luxurious pelts.

The virus first appeared in the creatures in August, shortly after farmworkers fell ill in July, according to Dr. Dean Taylor, state veterinarian of Utah. Initial research shows the virus was transmitted from humans to animals, and so far has not seen any cases of the opposite.

“It feels like a unidirectional path,” he said, adding that testing is still underway.

Some context: This is the first outbreak among mink in the United States, though other cases have been detected in the Netherlands, Spain and Denmark, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

Mink, which are closely related to weasels, otter and ferrets, appear to suffer similar symptoms to humans. Difficulty breathing and crusting around the eyes are usually seen, but the virus progresses rapidly, and most infected mink are dead by the next day, according to Taylor. It’s unclear what makes mink such a susceptible species, while others appear to be unaffected.

Mink join only cats, dogs, a tiger and a lion to be the only confirmed animals with Covid-19 in the US, according to the USDA data.

The cluster of cases in Utah has spread to nine farms, but Taylor warns that “we’re still in the middle of the outbreak.” Each farm is under quarantine with only essential workers permitted on site. Farmworkers are being directed to use proper protective equipment at all times.

The pelts from most of the mink that have died from the virus have been either contained and buried or incinerated. No pelts have left the state, according to Taylor.

Baylor University, in Waco, Texas, has announced it is halting all football-related activities following positive results from recent coronavirus testing. The school did not reveal how many players and/or staff tested positive for Covid-19.

Last month, the team was forced to postpone a game versus the Houston Cougars due to Covid-19 cases on the Baylor team.

It is “irresponsible” for President Trump to suggest a Covid-19 vaccine will be developed by Election Day, according to Rick Bright, the ousted director of the office involved in developing a coronavirus vaccine. 

Bright said that “scientists are working at breakneck speeds” on a vaccine. 

“It is unprecedented to see how fast they are moving through a lot the steps. The one step you cannot rush is the safety evaluation of that vaccine after it's put into people. It takes time,” Bright said. 

The US Food and Drug Administration said it will want to see two months of follow-up data after volunteers get their second vaccine doses for clinical trials. That would make it nearly impossible for any vaccine maker to apply for emergency use authorization by Nov. 3.

Rick Bright, the ousted director of the office involved in developing a coronavirus vaccine, said President Trump’s message to not be afraid of coronavirus is “reckless and deadly.”

Bright resigned from his post at the National Institutes of Health this week. He was ousted from his role leading the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and reassigned to a narrower role at NIH. He filed a whistleblower complaint this spring alleging that his early warnings about coronavirus were ignored and that his caution at hydroxychloroquine led to his removal. 

“[Trump] has never told us the truth about the risk or the seriousness of this outbreak. He has not told the truth about his status, when he was infected. … By lying to the American public and not telling us the full truth, you’re actually prolonging the duration and impact of this pandemic. You’re actually allowing more people to die,” he said.

Bright said he is speaking out because he thinks scientists are being pushed to the sidelines. 

“More people are going to die because scientists are being pushed back. … The world needs to know the truth. And if we continue to hide the truth, then we're going to see many more deaths that don't need to occur,” Bright said. 

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In a dire new warning, Amtrak says without $5 billion in pandemic stimulus funds from Congress, it will shed 2,400 workers, cut the frequency of trains on some routes, and stop major improvement projects.

Some context: On Tuesday, President Trump shut the door on House Democrats’ updated Heroes Act, which included $2.4 billion for Amtrak.

“While we were grateful for this sign of support, at this time, there is no clear path to finalize such supplemental funding in Congress and the Administration,” said Flynn. “Amtrak is in a very precarious position as we await final decisions on our funding levels.”

Amtrak’s president said if current funding levels are carried over into the rail system’s next fiscal year, “we will be unable to avoid more drastic impacts that could have long lasting effects on our Northeast Corridor infrastructure and the national rail system.”

Ford, one of the nation’s largest automakers, told office workers Thursday that the company will extend work-from-home in North America until June 2021, according to a statement.

The company, which is headquartered in southeastern Michigan, has about 32,000 office-based employees throughout North America that have been working from home since March, according to spokesperson Daniel Barbossa.

About 26,000 employees work in Michigan, said Barbossa.

The Czech Republic on Thursday announced a slew of new restrictions in an effort to curb the rapid spread of coronavirus in the country and ease the strain on health care services.

All the restrictions, announced at a government news conference Thursday, will remain in effect for two weeks. 

From Friday and for two weeks, all restaurants and bars will close at 8 p.m. local time and tables can seat no more than four people.

Starting Monday, all universities and higher education institutions will close but primary and secondary schools will rotate classes.

Pools, gyms and fitness centers must close effectively immediately. All indoor professional and leisure sports are banned and outdoor sports will be limited to 20 people.

Shopping malls will remain open but will shut Wi-Fi services to deter teens, with tables inside the food court limited to two people maximum.

Cultural and leisure facilities like theaters and cinemas will close from Monday. Weddings will be limited to 30 people.

All nonessential visits to hospitals and social institutions like care homes are also banned.

By the numbers: The Czech Republic reported at least 5,335 new Covid-19 cases Wednesday, the country's highest daily case count since the pandemic began. With that, the country has now overtaken Spain as the European Union's country with the highest number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 of the population. 

There has now been a total of 95,360 cases, and 829 coronavirus deaths in the central European country, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The state of New Jersey reported 1,301 new cases of Covid-19, the highest number since May 29, Gov. Phil Murphy said at a news conference.

New Jersey now has 211,148 total cases of coronavirus.

There were 11 deaths reported, bringing the New Jersey statewide total to at least 14,373.

The positivity rate for the state is now at 3.69%, according to Murphy.

New Jersey also reported 652 people were hospitalized due to Covid-19, the highest reported number since Aug. 6.

There were 148 people in the intensive care unit and 52 of them are on ventilators.

NOTE: These numbers were released by the New Jersey Governor’s office and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.

The UK has recorded 17,540 new coronavirus cases – a rise of more than 3,000 on Wednesday’s update.

According to government data, the total number of infections has reached 561,815 since the pandemic began.

A further 77 people died within 28 days of a positive test and there are now 3,412 people being treated in hospital.