The latest on the coronavirus pandemic

Japan has reported over a thousand Covid-19 infections in a single day for the first time since August 21, according to Japan’s Health Ministry. 

Japan gained 1,054 new cases on Thursday with 12 new deaths. 

The total number of the infections throughout Japan now stands at 105,494 (this figure includes 712 on the Diamond Princess cruise ship) and the death toll has now reached 1,819 (including 13 on the cruise ship). 

Patients in critical condition raised to 183, this is up 18 from Wednesday.

Tokyo announced 269 news cases of virus on Thursday. The total number of infections in Tokyo has reached 31,893 and 38 patients are in serious condition as of Thursday.

Italy is under a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. nationwide curfew, with bars and restaurants closing at 6 p.m., while certain areas face harsher restrictions.

Residents in "red zone" regions -- Lombardy, Piedmont, Valle d'Aosta and Calabria -- may only leave home for necessities, health or work. Those in "orange zones" are banned from leaving their towns except for work or health reasons -- and bars and restaurants are closed except for delivery and takeout.

Italy reported 35,505 new cases and 445 deaths Thursday, taking its case total to 824,879 and fatalities to 40,192, according to health ministry data.

From Friday, food delivery, takeout and alcohol sales are banned in Paris between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., police said.

"The second wave is already upon us, and it is brutal," French health minister Olivier Véran told a news conference Thursday. If the virus keeps spreading at this rate, he said "the second wave could be worse and longer" than the first, and could take "until mid-December" to stabilize.

Véran urged people to respect the national lockdown, or face "a high risk of saturation" of hospitals by mid-November.

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum said in a news conference, "today, statistically, marks the worst day yet for North Dakota during the pandemic."

"We've got a record number of cases, in terms of record number of daily cases, record number of total active cases, and record number of daily reported hospitalizations, and a record number of deaths, and our second highest positivity rate," he added. 

Thursday's 9,224 active cases record is the first time the US state surpassed a daily count of 9,000, he said. The 16.4 positivity over the last seven days and hospitalization of 231 people are also record highs, he added.

The Covid-19 risk level was raised in a number of North Dakota counties, according to Burgum. 

"At the point we are right now," he said, "no county in the state will have a designation lower than yellow," which approaches the lower end of the Covid-19 risk level. 

At the same press conference, the Department of Human Services Executive Director Chris Jones said that due to an increase in hospitalizations across the country, there is no additional staff to bring in. 

"The level of surge is constrained by the number of available health care workers," Jones said. 

Some hospital capacity constraints in the state are because of transfers in from Minnesota, South Dakota and Montana, according to Jones. 

Visibly emotional, Jones also discussed the strain being put on health systems, physicians, nurses and other hospital staff.

"For those of you who do not believe, go and talk to them. Ask them what it is like. Ask them about the impact it has on their family. Ask them about the impact it has on them as they treat patients with Covid and other citizens seeking care," Jones said. 

The North Dakota Department of Health reported Thursday 1,540 new COVID-19 cases and 29 coronavirus related deaths, bringing the total number of deaths to 596 in the state. 

According to the government, the mutated form of the virus has been passed back to humans.

Under the new restrictions, restaurants, cafes and pubs are to close from Saturday -- with an exception for food outlets selling takeaways. Indoor sporting venues -- including gyms --are also being shut, as well as cultural centers, including theaters, cinemas, museums, music venues and libraries.

The government has also announced it is shutting down public transport in the affected municipalities, with the exception of school buses.

The municipalities are Hjorring, Frederikshavn, Bronderslev, Jammerbugt, Thisted, Vesthimmerland and laeso.

The Danish Government is encouraging people in these regions to avoid travel outside their area, and to limit contact with others.

Under the new rules, public gatherings will be further restricted with gatherings of 500 people at seated events now cancelled. Gatherings of 50 people at sporting events or at children's activities is also cancelled.

Everyone living in the affected municipalities is encouraged to get tested while the new measures are in force. People with links to mink farm operations are being encouraged to be tested every 3-4 days.

New cases are still being reported and the total tally for Thursday will continue to climb up through the night.

Ohio reported a record 4,961 Covid-19 cases Thursday and Governor Mike DeWine warned that community spread was possible statewide.

"It is everywhere, we can't hide from it, we can't run from it," DeWine said in a Thursday press briefing. "We've got to face it."

DeWine said that every county in the state is seeing significant community spread.

Ohio also reached record hospitalization and ICU numbers, with 2,075 Ohio residents hospitalized with the virus, 541 of those in intensive care. Additionally there were 33 additional Covid-19 deaths reported Thursday.

DeWine attributed the rise in community spread of Covid-19 in the midwestern state to social gatherings like weddings, funerals and private parties. He said in-person education did not appear to be contributing to spread, which he attributed to mandated mask use in schools.

Minnesota also reported its highest daily total with 3,956 new cases, bringing the state's overall total to 164,865. It's the third day in a row the state has reached a daily high of new cases, according to the US state's dashboard. 

The Minnesota Department of Health also reported 25 new deaths, with 2,555 total deaths since the pandemic began, and 9 days in a row of over 100 hospitalizations per day. The latest charts released by the state's health department shows a steady rise of hospitalizations. 

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy outlined what possible new Covid-19 restrictions could look like while not ruling out another shutdown in the northeastern US state, during an on-camera interview with the Washington Post.

Murphy said that the restrictions he is evaluating include sports-related tournaments in other US states, bars, and the possibility of closing non-essential businesses at a certain time.

“We got a number of bartenders who have showed up as of late testing positive so we're looking at our bar policy,” Murphy said. Some communities have put a stoppage time on non-essential businesses, which he said the state was looking into.

When asked during the interview if a shutdown similar to some European countries could be coming, Murphy said he wouldn't rule it out. 

"We have to leave everything on the table. There's just no other responsible way to answer that. Again, I hope it can be a combination of palatable but effective steps. On the one hand, with surgical strikes, on the other hand, such that we can contain any second wave, but also keep our businesses even if at modest capacities open," he said.

This comes as New Jersey reported 2,104 new positive cases of Covid-19 and a positivity rating of 7.74% from tests done Sunday November 1. Murphy called the uptick in positivity rating “unacceptable.”

There are 1,224 people currently hospitalized due to Covid-19 in New Jersey. The number of hospitalizations has nearly tripled since seven weeks ago when the rolling average was 420 people. There were 12 new lab reported deaths due to the virus in the state, according to the New Jersey Covid-19 dashboard.

Murphy also announced that New Jersey has traced 36 total Covid-19 cases to in-school transmission since schools opened roughly two months ago.

Ahead of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, Murphy urged New Jersey residents not to travel out of the state unless it is for work, school, worship or essential travel.

Four National Football League (NFL) teams closed their facilities Thursday after learning of a positive Covid-19 test related to each.

The following are statements form the Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans and Chicago Bears:

“The club was notified this morning that a staff member has tested positive for COVID-19. The individual is self-quarantining, under the team's medical care, and contact tracing is taking place. The team is now in the NFL's Intensive Protocol and working closely with the league and medical experts.

“The health and safety of our players, coaches and staff members remains our number one priority.

“The Chiefs will hold practice this morning and then out of precaution, the facilities will be closed this afternoon and meetings will be held virtually.

“We'll continue to monitor the situation and take any appropriate action necessary to protect the team and those around us.

“The team will continue its preparation to play the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.”

“This morning, we were informed that a member of the Colts staff has tested positive for COVID-19. The team is in the process of contact tracing and has entered the NFL's intensive protocol. The individual has self-quarantined and is under the care of team doctors. The Colts will conduct today's scheduled practice at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, but all meetings will be held virtually and away from the practice facility. We are working closely with the NFL, its medical staff and our team doctors.”

“We were informed last night that a Texans player has tested positive for COVID-19. In consultation with the NFL and medical experts, we have made the decision to close the facility and conduct all operations virtually today. The player immediately self-isolated and contact tracing has begun. We will follow the NFL’s intensive protocols and guidance regarding the team’s operations. The health and safety of our team, as well as our entire staff, are of highest priority.”

After learning Thursday that another player tested positive for the coronavirus, the Bears closed Halas Hall and released the following statement: 

"This morning we were notified that another Bears player has tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, the club has decided to pause all in-person football activities and close Halas Hall. Today's practice has been canceled and all meetings will be conducted virtually. The player who tested positive and all close contacts have been contacted and have already begun self-isolation. We will continue to work closely with the NFL medical experts and follow the league's intensive protocol. The health and safety of our team, players and staff are the highest priority."

The Bears are scheduled to play the Titans Sunday in Tennessee. It's unclear how Thursday's events will affect that game.

The committee said it had reviewed the records for 15,545 total patients in what is known as the RECOVERY trial, one of the world’s largest efforts to determine what treatments may help hospitalized patients with Covid-19.

That review included 325 patients in the part of the trial evaluating whether Regeneron’s antibody therapy helps patients more than placebo.

In October, a separate Regeneron trial in the US put a hold on enrolling patients who needed mechanical ventilation or high-flow oxygen. Regeneron said that trial’s data-monitoring committee made the recommendation "based on a potential safety signal and an unfavorable risk/benefit profile at this time." That trial is still enrolling patients that don’t need extra oxygen or need only low-flow oxygen. 

Regeneron has multiple trials underway. 

The company has a trial testing if its therapy could prevent new infections. Another trial is looking at the impact the treatment has on mild to moderate cases. That trial is the basis for the company’s submission to the US Food and Drug Administration for an emergency use authorization, which it submitted in October. 

There are at least 79 monoclonal antibody treatments for Covid-19 under investigation.