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School systems in Detroit, Indianapolis, Philadelphia and suburbs of Minneapolis drop in-person classes, and some governors reimpose restrictions on bars and restaurants or get more serious about masks, as coronavirus resurfaces from an ocean the other causes deaths, hospitalizations and new infections soar.
Crisis deepened in hospitals, with the situation so dire in North Dakota that the governor this week said nurses who tested positive but had no symptoms could still work. Clinics in Idaho have struggled to deal with the deluge of phone calls from patients. And one of Utah’s largest hospital systems is home to nearly 200 traveling nurses, some of whom are from New York.
The virus is responsible for more than 242,000 deaths and more than 10.5 million confirmed infections in the United States, with the country facing what health experts say is a bleak winter due to contempt for wearing mask and other precautions, from the onset of cold weather and overcrowding. holiday gatherings.
“It should scare us all,” Dr. David Peterman, CEO of Idaho Primary Health Medical Group, said of the virus numbers. “It’s easy to watch TV and say, ‘I’m not in the intensive care unit, my grandmother is not in the intensive care unit.’ But what if I tell you that your doctor can’t treat your child with an ear infection because I can’t answer your phone call, or is your doctor in quarantine, or our clinics are full of people with coronavirus?
Daily deaths in the United States have climbed more than 40% in the past two weeks, from an average of around 790 to more than 1,100 on Wednesday, the highest level in three months.
It’s still well below the peak of around 2,200 deaths per day at the end of April, which may reflect the availability of better treatments and the increased share of cases among young people, who are more likely than older ones to survive. to an episode of COVID-19.
But newly confirmed cases per day in the United States have climbed more than 70% over the past two weeks, reaching an average of around 127,000 – the highest on record. And the number of people hospitalized with the virus has reached a record high of over 65,000.
Amid the startling numbers, some state leaders have maintained a hands-off approach, pushing for “personal accountability” rather than government-imposed restrictions such as compulsory mask wear.
Reflecting what has largely been a rift between the Red and Blue states, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma has refused to impose a mask warrant, citing concerns about law enforcement and an approach ” unique size”. Instead, he held a press conference this week with medics who implored residents to wear masks.
In North Dakota, nurses have opposed GOP Governor Doug Burgum’s decision to allow healthcare workers who test positive to stay on the job said scientifically proven measures such as a mask warrant should be tried first. Burgum refused to do so.
In Idaho, Republican Gov. Brad Little also resisted calls for a statewide mask requirement even as health clinics grapple with dozens of staff absences. and thousands of calls from people seeking help.
In other states, authorities have tightened restrictions, but not as much as when the virus first struck in the spring.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called on residents to cancel Thanksgiving gatherings, limit all social gatherings to 10 people, and stay home except for essentials, like work or groceries, from Monday.
Minnesota has joined states, including New York, in ordering bars and restaurants to close at 10 p.m. The governor of Wisconsin this week advised people to stay home. Utah governor has implemented statewide mask mandate, while the governor of Indiana extended his state’s mask rule for one month.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday he would sign an executive order to give cities the ability to limit non-essential business hours after 8 p.m. The mayor of Newark, New Jersey, imposed a 9 p.m. curfew for residents of three hard-hit people. ZIP codes.
Maine Governor Janet Mills joined governors of six other northeastern states in suspending interstate youth hockey games.
Philadelphia abandoned plans to bring students back to school on November 30. Michigan’s largest school district, Detroit, has announced it will suspend in-person classes next week for its roughly 50,000 students, joining other districts that have switched to online-only classes.
“The district relied on science and data to reopen schools for in-person learning this summer and fall and relied on the same to decide it was no longer safe for our students and our employees to work in a face-to-face school environment ”. Said Detroit Superintendent Nikolai Vitti.
In New York City, the looming threat of closure of the 1.1 million student school system has prompted families and teachers to closely monitor the number of cases. Mayor Bill de Blasio said in-person schooling would be halted if the city’s rate of tests coming back positive for the virus reached 3%.
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Associated Press writers Sophia Tareen in Chicago and Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this story.
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