Virus Outbreak, ADVISORY

The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment aid rose slightly last week to 870,000, a historically high figure that shows that the viral pandemic is still squeezing restaurants, airlines, hotels and many other businesses six months after it first erupted. The figure coincides with evidence that some newly laid-off Americans are facing delays in receiving unemployment benefits as state agencies intensify efforts to combat fraudulent applications and clear their pipelines of a backlog of jobless claims.

The AP plans the following coverage today of the virus outbreak. For up-to-the minute information, visit AP Newsroom’s coverage hub Find AP Virus Alerts here

UPCOMING:

VIRUS OUTBREAK-EARLY EDUCATION: Children who had preschool cut short in the spring are now being held out of kindergarten at higher than normal rates as many school districts begin the year online. That’s raising concerns that the pandemic could have an outsize effect on the nation’s youngest learners. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos, by 11 a.m.

SENT/DEVELOPING:

VIRUS OUTBREAK: The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment aid rose slightly last week to 870,000, a historically high figure that shows that the viral pandemic is still squeezing restaurants, airlines, hotels and many other businesses six months after it first erupted. SENT; developing. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST.

UN-GENERAL ASSEMBLY-VACCINE PLEAS: Many world leaders at this week’s virtual U.N. summit are pleading for a COVID-19 vaccine to be made available and affordable to all. SENT: 860 words, photos.

UN-GENERAL ASSEMBLY-CHINA-US-RUSSIA: China, Russia and the United States have clashed at the United Nations over responsibility for the coronavirus pandemic. They traded allegations about who mishandled and politicized the virus in one of the few real-time exchanges among top officials at this year’s COVID-distanced U.N. General Assembly meeting. SENT: 690 words, photos. With UN-GENERAL ASSEMBLY: African nations came out swinging on the third day of the United Nations annual gathering of world leaders. They’re calling for dramatic fiscal measures to help economies survive the coronavirus pandemic, which one leader called the “fifth horseman of the apocalypse.”

GENERAL ASSEMBLY-STRANDED SEAFARERS: The U.N. is trying to help more than 300,000 merchant mariners who are trapped at sea because of coronavirus restrictions. SENT: 530 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS: Democrats are going back to the drawing board on a huge virus relief bill. House Democrats say they are paring back their proposal in an attempt to jump-start negotiations with the Trump administration. SENT; developing.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-BRITAIN'S BUNGLES: Britain bungled its response to the coronavirus the first time around. Now many scientists fear it’s about to do it again. SENT: 1160 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW YORK NURSING HOMES: Health inspectors found safety shortcomings at 77 New York nursing homes during the coronavirus pandemic, including basic infection-control violations like failing to have staff wear masks or wash their hands. SENT: 730 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-IOWA BEEF PLANT: Iowa regulators have issued their first citation to a meatpacking plant with a large coronavirus outbreak that sickened its workforce. The $957 fine was for a minor record-keeping violation. SENT: 600 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-BRITAIN-VACCINES: Top officials of two firms developing COVID-19 vaccines say pharmaceutical companies are working together to see how much information they can release to the public about their testing regimes as drugmakers and public health officials try to boost confidence that any vaccine approved by regulators will be safe to use. SENT: 630 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHINA VACCINE: A Chinese pharmaceutical company says its coronavirus vaccine candidate will be ready for the world by early next year.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-BRITAIN: Britain’s treasury chief has announced a new income support program to help workers hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ISRAEL: Israel has moved to further tighten its second countrywide lockdown as coronavirus cases continue to soar. SENT: 620 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MISS VENEZUELA: For the first time in decades of Miss Venezuela competitions, the pageant powerhouse’s so-called “most beautiful night” will not be live as organizers try to put on a compelling contest virtually amid a pandemic lockdown. SENT: 630 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIA: Foreigners holding certain types of visas and residence permits will be permitted to return to China starting next week as the threat of coronavirus continues to recede. SENT; developing.

FINANCIAL MARKETS: U.S. stocks are shedding early gains in Thursday afternoon trading, as volatility continues to be the dominant force in Wall Street’s tumultuous September. SENT: 730 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE GOOD THING-COFEE & CONVERSATION: Australian acrobat Rick Everett lost his job during the coronavirus pandemic. But the crisis gave him time to fulfill a longtime desire to help others in need. SENT: 560 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRAL QUESTIONS-FLU: The flu and COVID-19 have such similar symptoms, you may need to get tested to know which type of virus is making you miserable. SENT: 450 words, photos.

TOKYO-VACCINE: IOC President Thomas Bach has delivered a pep talk to Japanese government officials and local organizers that included suggestions that “hundreds of millions” of doses COVID-19 vaccines would be available before the postponed Olympics open in July. SENT: 600 words, photos.

ALSO:

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NO DANCING: With bars and nightclubs limiting capacity and closing early in the St. Louis area due to the coronavirus pandemic, neighboring establishments in St. Charles are seeing large and unruly crowds. So the city is taking a cue from the 1984 movie “Footloose” and banning dancing. SENT: 330 words.

LUFTHANSA-VIRUS GETS: Lufthansa says it’s going to test the practice of offering coronavirus tests before flying on intercontinental routes. SENT: 260 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPAIN: Health authorities are asking Madrid residents to brace for tough weeks ahead as a sustained coronavirus spread that is hitting the Spanish capital hard brought the country’s total infections over the 700,000 mark. SENT: 260 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-SWITZERLAND UNIVERSITY: Swiss health authorities have ordered a quarantine for 2,500 students at a prestigious hospitality school after “significant outbreaks” of COVID-19 that are suspected to be the byproduct of off-campus partying. SENT: 460 words.

GERMANY-ECONOMY: Germany’s economy is rebounding from the virus shutdowns but there’s still a long road ahead. SENT: 210 words.

INTERACTIVES/GRAPHICS:

-US cases county-by-county. Embed code can be found in Coverage Plan. A static graphic also will be available in AP Newsroom.

-State trends (table): Trends in new cases and positivity rates for each U.S. state over the past 14 days.

-Case count (table): Searchable table of confirmed cases, including recoveries and deaths, by country, updated each hour.

-Interactive breakdown of unemployment filings by state with time scale for each (going back as far as 2000)

-Virus Europe Spread (map): An auto updating European map tracking the total confirmed cases, recoveries and deaths from coronavirus.

Additional graphics and interactives include:

- Flattening the Coronavirus Curve (Chart): Chart compares the cumulative cases over time in some of the hardest hit countries by coronavirus.

-Virus Global Spread (table): Table of countries which have confirmed cases of the virus. Table also includes when the virus was initially reported and the number of deaths by country.

-Virus Global Spread (Map): Map of countries which have confirmed cases of the virus. Map also includes when the virus was initially reported and the number of deaths by country.

-Virus US State Map: State by state count of confirmed cases in the U.S.

-Virus US State Table: Table tracks the number of cases, recoveries and deaths for the US including its territories.

-Status of Cases Worldwide: Auto-updating once a day, this chart tracks the levels of active cases and deaths from COVID-19 around the world over time.

PHOTOS:

AP photos have moved from Britain, Greece, Germany, Austria, France, Israel, Japan, South Korea, various US, Latin America locations.

VIDEO:

AP video has moved from Britain, Austria, Finland, Israel, Yemen, Japan, various US, Latin America locations.