10 things you need to know today: September 29, 2020

The global coronavirus death toll rises over 1 million, Pelosi says Trump's debts raise a "national security question," and more

A coronavirus victim's casket
(Image credit: CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN/AFP via Getty Images)

1. Worldwide coronavirus death toll surpasses 1 million

The global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic reached 1 million on Monday, with more than 33 million confirmed infections. About 205,000 people have died in the United States. The World Health organization said it would make 120 million rapid COVID-19 diagnostic tests available to low- and middle-income countries to help them spot new cases. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the tests, manufactured by Abbott and SD Biosensor in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, would cost less than $5 each. Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, repeated his call for everyone to wear a mask, saying face coverings are as effective as a vaccine will be in curbing the spread of the virus. "If every one of us did it, this pandemic would be over in eight to 12 weeks," Redfield said.

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.