More than 205,000 new cases were reported on Friday – probably in some cases consisting of Thursday and Friday reports, as at least 20 states did not report their Covid-19 number on Thanksgiving Day. More than 127,000 new cases and 1,039 deaths were reported by Saturday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The United States has now reported more than 100,000 infections for 26 consecutive days. The daily average from Friday to Friday exceeded 166,000 – almost 2.5 times higher than the summer July peak.
“We can’t let our guard down,” he told CNN Friday night. “Vaccinations will make a big difference in the spring and summer; now they won’t change.”
In the U.S., based on current Covid-19 numbers, the country is far from around the corner, he said.
“If there’s something, we turn the corner into one blow,” Wen said. “We will soon exceed well over 2,000, perhaps 3,000 and 4,000 deaths every day here in the United States.”
Researchers have warned that the total amount is likely to be underestimated, in part due to the limited availability of tests, especially in the early stages of a pandemic.
A busy travel weekend is expected
Thanksgiving trips and gatherings over the past week are likely to only increase the number of cases, experts say.
“This is because these gatherings, especially indoor gatherings with many people who don’t wear a mask for a long time, pose the greatest risk of transmitting the coronavirus,” he said on Friday. “We quarantine it for at least seven days and then test it.”
“If you can’t get a test because the tests are still limited, you have to be quarantined for 14 days. And I mean full quarantine, don’t go to work, don’t go to school, keep yourself safe.”
Los Angeles County under closure order
More local and state leaders are responding to the growing cases by announcing stricter restrictions. This includes Los Angeles County, which on Friday announced a new home-staying order that prohibits all public and private assembly with people outside a single household.
“Residents are advised to stay at home as much as possible and always wear face shields over their noses and mouths when they are outside their household and around others,” the county’s public health department said in a statement.
Basic retail businesses will be limited to 35% occupancy, while non-core retail operations, personal care services and libraries will have 20% occupancy limits, the county said.
“We know we ask a lot from so many who have been sacrificing for months, and we hope LA County residents will continue to follow public health safety measures that we know can slow the spread,” said Barbara Ferrer, county director. public health department.
“Acting with collective urgency is essential if we are to stop this wave. Please stay home as much as possible and do not gather with others who are not in your household for the next three weeks,” Ferrer added.
At an online briefing on Saturday, Ferrer said 1951 people were hospitalized with Covid-19 in LA County, 25% of them in the intensive care unit.
“We’re on about 75% of the hospital beds. Obviously [we] I’ve seen quite a dramatic increase, I think, by more than 100% in two weeks. “- He told.” The county last saw such a number in our hospitals in August. “
Ferrer warned that the number of health workers infected with the coronavirus has also increased, contributing to labor stress.
“You may have a bed, but the beds should all be staffed,” he said.
Meanwhile, New Mexico’s two-week public finance “restoration” ordinance will move to a county-reopening framework next week, the governor announced on Friday.
Counties where the virus is more common will operate under several restrictions, according to the governor’s office.
The first mass vaccine delivery by air
“As a result of the historic pace of vaccine development through Operation Warp Speed and careful logistics planning, the FAA is today supporting the first mass airlift of vaccines,” the FAA said in a statement.
The agency said it set up a Covid-19 vaccine aviation team last month to ensure “safe, fast and effective delivery of vaccines.”
It claims to work with manufacturers, air carriers and airports to provide guidance for the safe transport of large quantities of dry ice in air freight.
Meanwhile, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices convened an emergency meeting on Tuesday to vote on which groups of people they recommend should receive Covid-19 vaccine first if they get it.
“Significant progress has been made in improving and advancing vaccine availability,” Rick Bright, a member of President-elect Joe Biden’s Coronavir Advisory Board, said Friday.
The committee usually meets after a vaccination has been authorized to make their recommendations.
“Now we see the CDC moving forward, very proactive and having some such early discussions before the vaccine is even approved by the FDA, so they are ready for that data when it comes to them,” Bright said.
Board member Dr. Celine Gounder told CNN that “people who do things we can’t really do without must be vaccinated first.”
“Doctors, nurses who care for patients in hospital, including those with coronavirus, should be very important among those who get vaccinated for the first time,” Gounder told CNN Boris Sanchez on Saturday. “Beyond that, there are other front-line workers, basic workers, be it people who deal with food and meat processing, who are at the grocery store checkout.”
People at higher risk for serious coronavirus disease should also be considered for early vaccination, he said.
Gounder said vaccinations could start before 2021, which is in line with predictions from other health experts.
CNN’s Jason Hanna, Pete Muntean, Chuck Johnston, Sarah Moon, Andy Rose and Amanda Watts contributed to the report.
