Skip to main content

Coronavirus Watch: Two-thirds of voters say they won't try to get a vaccine

Grace Hauck   | Paste BN

This Labor Day weekend, health experts worry that gatherings — of all sizes — could push another coronavirus surge.

With temperatures forecast to reach triple digits in California, the beaches are expected to be crowded. Families and friends will gather for cookouts across the country. And, in South Dakota, the annual state fair will bring together thousands for cotton candy and amusement rides.

"Please enjoy a safe and healthy #LaborDay weekend and remember to follow CDC guidance when planning small gatherings and while sharing time with friends and family," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield said on Twitter.

It's Friday, and this is the Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here is the most significant news of the day, as of 1:45 p.m. ET:

  • Two-thirds of U.S. voters say they won't try to get a coronavirus vaccine as soon as it becomes available and one in four say they don't want to get it ever, according to a new Paste BN/Suffolk poll.
  • The U.S may see more than 410,000 deaths by January if mask usage stays at current rates, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington's School of Medicine is predicting. If governments continue relaxing social distancing requirements, that number could increase. 
  • At least 7,000 health workers worldwide have died after contracting COVID-19, according to human rights organization Amnesty International.
  • More law enforcement officials could die of COVID-19 than those who died during 9/11, according to a nonprofit honoring fallen officers. 
  • More than 100 schools in Iowa — one of the nation's latest hot spot — have reported COVID-19 cases, according to the teachers' union.
  • President Donald Trump mocked his Democratic opponent for wearing a mask in a rally Thursday in Pennsylvania.
  • The U.S. economy added 1.4 million jobs in August as businesses shuttered by the COVID-19 pandemic continued to reopen and bring back workers.

Today's numbers: New case records were set in Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia, and record numbers of deaths were reported in Arkansas, according to a Paste BN analysis of Johns Hopkins data late Thursday. The U.S. has 6.1 million confirmed cases and over 186,000 deaths. Globally, there are 26 million cases and more than 869,000 people have died. See the numbers in your area here, and check out where cases are rising here.

What do you want to know about the coronavirus? Submit your questions through this form.

As always, thank you for subscribing! We appreciate you trusting the Paste BN Network with this important information. Know someone who could benefit from these daily updates? Forward them this email so they can sign up here.

– Grace Hauck, Paste BN breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck

Facebook Twitter Email