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The United States surpassed 11 million recorded cases of the coronavirus, adding one million new cases last week as the country faces an alarming acceleration in the spread.
According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the United States hit the 11 million mark on Sunday afternoon after surpassing 10 million on Monday, November 9. Since then, there have been an average of 150,000 new cases per day.
There are an estimated 70,000 people in US hospitals being treated for severe cases of COVID-19 – more than ever. In the coming days, the country is also expected to officially register a quarter of a million deaths.
Healthcare providers and experts have sounded the alarm bells over third wave of pandemic as cases overvoltage in each state in the USA. Some 38 states reported more than 1,000 new cases on Saturday, according to the Atlantic COVID-19 follow-up project. Cases are usually lower over the weekend and are expected to increase over the week.
Governors across the country, with differing politicians, took further action this week in response to the outbreak, hoping to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed as Thanksgiving approaches.
In Washington state, Governor Jay Inslee on Sunday announced new general restrictions for the next four weeks, including the closure of domestic service at restaurants and bars, gyms, cinemas and museums. The state also bans gatherings inside people from separate households, unless they have quarantined themselves for at least a week and received a negative COVID-19 test.
“Today, Sunday, November 15, 2020, is the most dangerous public health day in the past 100 years in our state’s history,” Inslee said at a press conference on Sunday. “A pandemic is raging in our state. Left unchecked, seriously overcrowded hospitals and morgues will result; and preventing people from getting routine but necessary medical treatment for illnesses unrelated to COVID. “
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer also ordered three weeks of new restrictions during a press conference on Sunday, including stopping in-person classes at high schools and colleges, banning indoor service in bars and restaurants, and shutting down entertainment venues, including theaters, stadiums and tracks. bowling. The ordinance also limits indoor gatherings to 10 people from no more than two households.
Washington, Oregon and California all issued travel advisories on Friday, recommending those traveling out of the state to quarantine for 14 days after their return. The Republican governor of North Dakota also issued a mask warrant for the first time in his state.
As cases have risen sharply, hospitalizations and deaths have also risen: cities in states such as Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Mississippi and Texas have announced that they no longer have intensive care beds.
Still, there is typically a 12-day lag between the increase in cases and the increase in hospitalizations, meaning that the full effects of the million new cases recorded this week will not be felt in hospitals for several days. .
Cases have increased throughout the fall as colder weather pushes more people indoors, where the risk of inhaling the virus is higher via tiny water droplets called aerosols that linger in the room. ‘air. Social distancing measures that many Americans have adhered to in the spring and summer have been left aside for some as the pandemic continues into its eighth month.
The likely prospect of people gathering in groups for Thanksgiving and Christmas also worries experts.
“We know we’re going to have cases after Thanksgiving,” Amesh Adalja, infectious disease physician and senior researcher at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told BuzzFeed News. “It’s just about trying to keep them as minimal as possible.”
While it far dominates the world when it comes to the number of people who have had or died from COVID-19, the United States is far from the only country struggling to control the virus.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed Sunday that he would follow protocols and isolate himself after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Johnson had previously tested positive for the coronavirus in March and was hospitalized in the intensive care unit.
European countries, including France and Germany, have also gone into lockdown in recent weeks as cases multiply.
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