Coronavirus Updates: Fauci says 300-400K could die in US before pandemic ends

COVID-19 Live Updates, News and Information

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Thursday, October 8, 2020

Fauci says 300,000-400,000 U.S. deaths possible

Dr. Anthony Fauci offered a grim image of the coronavirus pandemic. George Stephanopoulos reports on ABC's Good Morning America.

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Dr. Anthony Fauci offered a grim image of the coronavirus pandemic, telling students Tuesday that between 300,000 and 400,000 people could die from the disease in the United States.

Speaking at a virtual event hosted by American University, the White House coronavirus specialist said: "If we don't do what we need to in the fall and winter, we could have 300,000-400,000 Covid-19 deaths," according to excerpts tweeted by the school.

Dr. Anthony Fauci offered a grim image of the coronavirus pandemic. George Stephanopoulos reports on ABC's Good Morning America.

What to know about coronavirus:

Back to school information

How coronavirus changed the New York region

Do you have coronavirus symptoms?

What's Open, What's Closed in the Tri-State area

Here are more of today's headlines:

34 people connected to White House infected by COVID-19

ABC News reports the coronavirus outbreak has infected "34 White House staffers and other contacts" in recent days, according to an internal government memo, an indication that the disease has spread among more people than previous known in the seat of American government. Dated Wednesday and obtained by ABC News, the memo was distributed among senior leadership at FEMA, a branch of the Department of Homeland Security and the agency responsible for managing the continuing national response to the public health disaster.

No 'red zone,' but cluster forces Long Island officials to act

Health officials announced a spike in coronavirus cases on Long Island. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran unveiled a hot spot map of the impacted area during her press conference Wednesday.

Restrictions begin Thursday in NYC cluster zones

Mayor de Blasio said restrictions including shutting down some nonessential businesses will begin on Thursday in areas identified as "red zones" with COVID-19 outbreaks. Those restrictions will remain in effect for 14 days when the state will then reevaluate. Fines for mass gatherings in violation of state rules will be up to $15,000, a day. Fines for not wearing face coverings and not maintaining social distancing can be as high as $1,000 a day.

Dr. Birx travels to Stony Brook University

White House Coronavirus Task Force Member Dr. Deborah Birx will participate in a roundtable discussion at Stony Brook University Wednesday. She will speak with university leadership, state and local officials, and health care professionals. Dr. Birx participated in similar roundtable discussions Tuesday at Rutgers University and Rowan University in southern New Jersey. Rowan has dealt with coronavirus spikes since the start of classes.

She will participate in a roundtable discussion at Stony Brook University.

Howell closes town parks

Howell, in Monmouth County, announced it is closing its 16 town parks citing an uptick in coronavirus case. Victor Cook, the Officer of Emergency Management Coordinator, said in a memo, "This is due to the recent uptick in COVID cases combined with the large number of complaints being received that the parks are filled to capacity, with users not social distancing and with most individuals not adhering to the Executive Order 107 and not wearing mask."

Fiery demonstration against NYC COVID cluster restrictions

Hundreds of Orthodox Jews took to the streets overnight to protest the state's restrictions on schools, synagogues and non-essential businesses, marching through Borough Park in large groups and setting a fire in protest. The protests started at 50th Street and 15th Avenue at around 9 p.m. Another popped up at 13th Avenue and 46th Street, where the crowd set a rubbish fire in the street just before 1:30 a.m. that was put out by firefighters.

COVID-19 nurse donates her kidney to 18-month-old boy

A nurse's selfless decision to donate her kidney to an 18-month-old boy could have saved his life, and their story is capturing hearts across the country. Bodie Hall, the 18-month-old from St. Michael, Minnesota, was born with a condition called "congenital nephrotic syndrome," a rare kidney disorder. His parents knew early on he'd need a kidney transplant, but neither one of them could donate. Bodie's dad, Brandon Hall, wasn't a blood-type match, and Gloria had already donated a kidney to Bodie's older sister who had the same condition.

Stay informed with ABC7's NYC COVID-19 positivity rate tracker

As New York City public schools inch closer to reopening in-person learning, much of the success will rely heavily on schools keeping the COVID rate of infection in check. According to the city, public schools can only stay open if the COVID positivity rate stays below 3%. To stay informed, you can follow ABC7's NYC COVID-19 positivity rate tracker.

MORE NEWS: Watch Eyewitness to a Pandemic

The sense of doom grew, especially after March 1, when the first confirmed case arrived in Manhattan. Soon, there was a hotspot in New Rochelle, and small curfews and containment zones across the area offered a hint of a frightening future we still thought we could avoid.