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The United States topped 12 million cases of Covid-19 on Saturday, as the third wave's uncontrolled spread prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to urge Americans not to travel for Thanksgiving.
The country recorded more than 200,000 coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 12,002,863, according to NBC News' tally. The total number of deaths is 255,567.
The latest Covid-19 data and coverage:
- Map of U.S. hot spots and worldwide Covid-19 cases.
- Tracking surges in states across the country this winter.
- Map of travel restrictions and which states have a mask mandate.
- Click here for more of NBC News' Covid-19 coverage.
Trump hits golf course as Covid surges
As the coronavirus surges and new case records are broken daily, President Donald Trump is at his golf course for the third straight weekend at his Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.
Trump, who has visited his club each weekend since the election, has not answered reporter's questions about the virus in weeks and he has not attended a White House coronavirus task force meeting since April or May and has no plans to attend any in the coming weeks, according to an administration official.
Chocolate Santas don marzipan masks in Hungary
Online orders have surged for confectioner Laszlo Rimoczi's chocolate Santas wearing marzipan masks, made in his small workshop in rural Hungary.
Rimoczi said he intended the sweet treats as a light-hearted joke to raise people's spirits, amid a worsening coronavirus pandemic. Now, he can hardly keep pace with demand.
He has had to simplify the design, to keep up with orders, and now produces about 100 Santas a day, using gluten-free Italian chocolate. He paints the hat red, and makes the masks from tiny white marzipan strips, adding the ribbons with icing.
Putin says Russia ready to provide other countries with Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine
Russia's President Vladimir Putin told G20 leaders on Saturday that Russia was ready to provide its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine to other countries who need it.
Russia is also preparing its second and third vaccine, Putin said, adding that creation of vaccine portfolio was "our common goal."
Donald Trump Jr.: 'Apparently I got the ‘Rona'
Donald Trump Jr. gave a casual assessment of his condition on social media Friday night in first comments since his Covid-19 diagnosis was reported.
"Apparently I got the ‘Rona," he said in a video posted on Instagram, adding that he feels no symptoms, "so it's a little bit odd. Maybe it's a false positive, maybe not."
"But you know, I'll follow the protocols take a little bit more time, maybe get another couple tests. And hopefully I can test a couple times in a row negative before the holidays, just again, out of an abundance of precaution," he said.
Trump Jr., 42, was among the more than a hundred people who attended an election night party at the White House, where many were seen not wearing masks. He has also been traveling around the country as a campaign surrogate to defend his father's election loss in various states.
President Donald Trump tweeted Saturday morning, "My son Donald is doing very well. Thank you."
U.S. sets another new single-day record: 196,100 cases
A record 196,100 in the United States were reported to have Covid-19 Friday, another record was set in a month marked by new records.
There were 1,904 reported dead due to the coronavirus, according to NBC News' count of state and county health department figures.
An average 1,419 have been reported dead per day this week, up from an average 801 deaths per day four weeks ago, an increase of 77 percent.
Ten states counted new single-day records Friday:
- Delaware with a record 663 cases
- Idaho with 1,786 cases
- 53 reported deaths in Iowa
- 84 dead in Kansas
- 3,816 new cases in Kentucky
- 4,743 in Louisiana
- 43 dead in Nebraska
- Ohio had 8,808 new cases
- Utah reported 17 dead
- Vermont tied its previous record high set the day before with 149 cases
Track all state-level Covid-19 surges.
Iran shutters businesses and limits travel as cases spike
Iran on Saturday shuttered businesses and curtailed travel between its major cities including the capital, Tehran, as it grapples with the worst outbreak of the coronavirus in the Middle East.
Top Iranian officials initially downplayed the risks posed by the virus, before recently urging the public to wear masks and avoid unessential travel.
The country has recorded daily death tolls of above 430 over the past five days and the Iranian Health Ministry said on Saturday that the total number of confirmed cases has risen to above 840,000.
The new lockdown measures, which include shuttering most businesses, shops, malls, and restaurants, include Iran's largest cities of Mashhad, Isfahan, and Shiraz.
Some Americans are still traveling for Thanksgiving
Wisconsin governor renews mask mandate despite court challenge
Wisconsin's governor on Friday extended a statewide mask mandate despite a legal challenge from conservatives, renewing an emergency health order requiring face coverings in public spaces to curb an alarming surge in COVID-19 infections.
The new decree from Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, came six months after a coronavirus stay-at-home order issued last spring was invalidated by the state Supreme Court in a lawsuit that Republican lawmakers brought against the lockdown.
The same court heard oral arguments on Monday in a similar lawsuit brought by a prominent Wisconsin conservative donor contesting Evers' authority to impose an earlier face-covering mandate, which is due to expire Saturday.
Cuomo to get Emmy for virus briefings
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is set to soon receive an International Emmy award for his once-daily televised briefings on the coronavirus pandemic that killed tens of thousands of New Yorkers this spring.
The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, whose members include media and entertainment figures from over 60 countries and 500 companies, announced Friday it plans to present the award to the Democratic governor in a live-streamed show Monday.
International Academy President & CEO Bruce L. Paisner said Cuomo is being honored with the academy’s Founders Award for using his briefings to inform and calm the public. Previous recipients include former Vice President Al Gore, Oprah Winfrey, and director Steven Spielberg.
“The governor’s 111 daily briefings worked so well because he effectively created television shows, with characters, plot lines, and stories of success and failure,” he said. “People around the world tuned in to find out what was going on, and New York tough became a symbol of the determination to fight back.”