Virus Outbreak, ADVISORY

The number of Americans newly diagnosed with the coronavirus is falling — a development experts credit at least partly to increased wearing of masks — even as the outbreak continues to claim nearly 1,000 lives in the U.S. each day. About 43,000 new cases have been reported daily over the past two weeks across the country, down 21 percent since early August. That’s according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

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

ONLY ON AP:

POLL_VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ECONOMY: A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds 45% of Americans say they are setting aside more money than usual during the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 1000 words, photos.

SENT/DEVELOPING:

VIRUS OUTBREAK: The number of Americans newly diagnosed with the coronavirus is falling — a development experts credit at least partly to increased wearing of masks — even as the outbreak continues to claim nearly 1,000 lives in the U.S. each day. SENT; developing. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST: Latest global developments on the coronavirus pandemic. SENT; developing.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-SCHOOLS: As more schools announce plans to begin the year online, businesses, community groups and governments are coming up with a huge range of alternative places where students can go and attend to distance learning with adult supervision. SENT: 910 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-STURGIS RALLY: The hundreds of thousands of bikers who attended the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally have departed western South Dakota. But public health departments in multiple states are trying to measure how much and how quickly the coronavirus spread in the bars, tattoo shops and gatherings before people traveled home to nearly every state in the country. SENT: 860 words, photos.

AIRLINES-JOBS: American Airlines says it will furlough or lay off 19,000 employees in October as it struggles with a sharp downturn in travel because of the pandemic. SENT: 700 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-TOURISM IMPACT: The United Nations chief says the global tourism industry has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic, with $320 billion lost in exports in the first five months of the year and more than 120 million jobs at risk.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPAIN: Under strain from Europe’s fastest growing wave of coronavirus contagion, the Spanish government has cleared the way for more localized lockdowns and deployed the military to bolster the country’s faltering attempts to trace infections.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-BRITAIN: The British government has come under renewed pressure to change tack and encourage high school students in England to wear face masks when they return to class next week, at least in communal areas such as hallways. SENT: 710 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-COLOMBIA-VENTILATORS: The machine called the Heron looks like many other ventilators used to treat COVID-19 patients. There’s a screen atop a metallic box that displays the amount of oxygen being pumped into a person’s lungs. But this device costs about $4,000 — a fifth of the price of ventilators imported from China. And it’s made in Colombia, where some hospitals have been overwhelmed by a growing number of coronavirus patients. SENT: 840 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-VENEZUELA-WORKING FROM HOME: Some Venezuelans have turned their homes and other spaces into makeshift take-out restaurants or shops as they struggle to get by during the coronavirus lockdown. Strict measures aimed at slowing the virus’ spread have left many without work. SENT: 550 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-GAZA: A 48-hour curfew has taken hold in the Gaza Strip for the first time since the start of the global pandemic, a day after the first cases of community transmission of the coronavirus were detected. SENT: 570 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIA: South Korea is closing schools and returning to remote learning in the Seoul area as the country counted its 12th straight day of triple-digit daily increases in coronavirus cases. SENT: 910 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-SCOTLAND INDEPENDENCE: Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon has won praise for her handling of the coronavirus pandemic, her calm and sober response to the crisis standing in contrast to the sometimes-chaotic approach of U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson. That difference is boosting support for Scottish independence, which now has majority support in opinion polls. SENT: 1000 words, photos.

FINANCIAL MARKETS: Stocks shook off a slow start on Wall Street and pushed gradually higher in the afternoon, leaving the S&P 500 at another record high. SENT: 950 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRAL QUESTIONS-MOSQUITOES: Can mosquitoes spread the coronavirus? While mosquitoes can spread some diseases, experts say COVID-19 is not among them. SENT: 170 words, photos.

ALSO:

VIRUS OUTBREAK-KFC SLOGAN: In light of the coronavirus pandemic, Kentucky Fried Chicken has suspended the use of the “It’s Finger Lickin’ Good” slogan after 64 years. SENT: 150 words, photo.

NEW HOME SALES: Sales of new homes jumped again in July, rising 13.9% as the housing market continues to gain traction following a spring downturn caused by pandemic-related lockdowns. SENT: 440 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-UNEMPLOYMENT FRAUD: Authorities say some 10,000 state prison inmates in Pennsylvania fraudulently applied for unemployment compensation benefits meant for people who are jobless because of the pandemic. SENT: 460 words.

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE: U.S. consumer confidence fell for the second consecutive month, sinking to the lowest levels in more than six years as a resurgence of COVID-19 infections in many parts of the country heightened pessimism. SENT: 230 words.

BRIATORE-VIRUS: Former Formula One team executive Flavio Briatore has reportedly been admitted to the hospital in Milan with coronavirus. SENT: 210 words, photos.

GERMANY-ECONOMY: Germany’s official statistics agency says the country’s economy, Europe’s biggest, shrank slightly less in the second quarter than originally estimated. But the 9.7% drop was still easily the worst on record. SENT: 330 words, photos.

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 Scotland, South Africa, Gaza, Israel, Nepal, Indonesia, India, South Korea, various US, Latin America locations.

VIDEO:

AP video has moved from Spain, Britain, Gaza, India, China, Hong Kong, Australia, various US, Latin America locations.