The findings from Australia's national science agency suggest SARS-Cov-2 can survive for far longer on surfaces than previously thought.
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Previous laboratory studies have found that SARS-Cov-2 can survive for two to three days on bank notes and glass, and up to six days on plastic and stainless steel.

But the latest research from Australian agency CSIRO found the virus was "extremely robust," surviving for 28 days on smooth surfaces - such as glass found on mobile phone screens and both plastic and paper banknotes - at 20C (68F), which is about room temperature. In comparison, the flu virus can survive in the same circumstances for 17 days.
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The study's authors said the ability of SARS-Cov-2 to persist on stainless steal at cooler temperatures could explain outbreaks of Covid-19 at meat processing and cold storage facilities. Thousands of workers have tested positive at meat processing factories and abattoirs around the world.

Vice President Mike Pence echoed some of President Donald Trump's most common falsehoods and misleading statements during the lone vice presidential debate with Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) -- though in a more restrained, neatly packaged way.

The Salt Lake City debate was a less chaotic affair when compared to September's first meeting between Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. But there were traces of that event in Pence's delivery of some of the same lines that the President often repeats.

Harris, too, made some claims that were misleading or lacked context, but those paled in comparison to the litany of statements from Pence that were either untrue or needed additional context.

Coronavirus and the Trump administration's response dominated the start of the debate and was referenced throughout, and the threat of the virus -- due to the plexiglass barriers separating each desk -- was apparent before either candidate spoke a word. The rivals also argued over economic recovery, the future of health care in America and the importance of tackling the climate crisis.

The 13 work for Murray's Restaurant in downtown Minneapolis, which catered the fundraiser on Wednesday at the Lake Minnetonka home of Marty Davis, CEO of the quartz countertop manufacturer Cambria Co. LLC. About 40 contributors paid $200,000 a couple or $100,000 per person for the chance to meet the president and hear him speak.

"Our staff was there to work the party only and at no point did any staff come in close proximity to the president," the restaurant said in a statement. "Upon learning of the president's positive COVID-19 test, we immediately enacted a 14-day quarantine for all staff who worked the party. Additionally, each staff member who worked the party will be tested for COVID-19."

Chris Marquette @ChrisMarquette_

This is a running total since the pandemic started. Our last story that ran in August had the total at 103. It is now 123 total workers.

Washington, D.C., reported 105 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, the highest daily total for the city since early June.

The spike comes amid an outbreak at the White House, raising questions about whether cases there are seeding the spread of the virus in the surrounding city. D.C. has been averaging about 40 new cases per day, according to the Covid Tracking Project.

A D.C. official said Tuesday that it is not clear whether the outbreak at the White House is the cause of the increase in cases.

The White House conducts its tests in a separate system that is not reported as part of D.C.’s results.

It takes five days on average from the moment a person is infected for symptoms to start showing, but it can be much longer, so the World Health Organization advises a 14-day isolation period.

The peak infectious period for the virus is the day before symptoms appear and the two days after, although a large proportion of people never show any symptoms at all.

The White House says it has begun contact-tracing. Here is a look at some of the people we know Mr Trump has crossed paths with in the last week, starting with an event that is being investigated as a possible "super-spreader":