Cases rise and states are locked
The fall coronavirus surge in the United States is at a dangerous tipping point and cases are increasing across much of the country.
“What separates this moment is both the breadth of the struggle across the country and the suddenness with which the number of cases is rising,” said our colleague Mitch Smith, who is tracking the coronavirus for The Times.
Last Wednesday, the US exceeded 100,000 cases a day for the first time. Eight days later there were more than 163,000. Thirty-seven states have kept weekly case records for the past few days, and 32 states – from Alaska to New Hampshire – hit that mark again yesterday.
“If you look at the bar graphs of cases in different states, a lot of them look like straight up lines right now,” Mitch said. “And we don’t know where this is going.”
Mitch told us he was terrified of the Midwest, from Nebraska north to Canada and east to Chicago. The near future looks incredibly dark for cities like Chicago, Milwaukee, Omaha, Des Moines, and Minneapolis, where hospital beds are filling and cases continue to rise.
As for the bright spots, there really aren’t any, said Mitch. The only positive development, if you could call it that, is that populous states like Florida, California, and New York are not deteriorating as quickly as other places – although the situation in those states is also deteriorating.
In his first public address since losing his re-election bid, President Trump failed to acknowledge the staggering increase in coronavirus cases that gripped the nation. Due to the federal leadership vacuum, elected officials across the country are asking residents to change their behavior, introduce new restrictions and warn of further changes on the horizon.
Governor Kate Brown put Oregon on a partial lockdown for two weeks by closing gyms and restaurants and holding social gatherings with six people. In New Mexico, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued a “stay at home” order asking people to seek refuge except for important trips that begin Monday and last two weeks.
California and Washington governors today urged residents to avoid all non-essential interstate travel, while New York City’s mayor warned public schools could close as early as Monday.
Elsewhere in the country, states, counties and cities are considering economically devastating lockdowns to keep hospitals from becoming overwhelmed as case numbers soar.
The health system in particular is – as Ed Wong from the Atlantic reported today – heavily burdened.
“The country has seen consistent transmission, infection, suffering and death for many months,” Mitch said. “What we haven’t seen widespread, however, is that we cannot fully help people. And, given what we hear from doctors and governors, I’m afraid we might go there. “
How rules change in your state
When cases exploded in the US, governors took a number of measures to slow the spread of the virus. Just this week, Utah and Ohio, both states run by Republican governors, made masks mandatory nationwide. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has long opposed a mask mandate, but this week she ordered that masks be worn at large gatherings.
The New York Times is tracking down coronavirus restrictions at the state level, including which businesses are open or closed – and whether officials need masks or recommend or order staying home. Here are the latest rule changes in your state.
I sure thank you
Health officials fear Thanksgiving this year as the growing virus threatens to get worse due to interstate travel and large family gatherings.
The Times has compiled guides on how to navigate this year’s holiday season if you are planning on traveling, from the coronavirus tests available for travelers to choosing the safest seat on an airplane. When visiting relatives, expect to be quarantined under strict statewide requirements. (As a reminder, experts generally recommend two weeks of safe quarantine, so you should have started yesterday for Thanksgiving.)
It is important for college students who may not have the option to stay on campus to self-isolate, even if they test negative for the virus before traveling. “Arriving Wednesday with a plan to see Grandma Thursday could be a huge risk,” said David Rubin, pediatrician and public health expert at the University of Pennsylvania, our colleagues.
The actual Thanksgiving meal should look significantly different this year, experts advised, with plenty of fresh air (through open windows or by arranging the food outside), a small guest list and the shortest possible celebration. The Times’ Tara Parker-Pope writes that all guests should wear masks when not eating and use separate utensils.
You may be wondering whether to skip the family reunion and how to get this news across to a disappointed relative. That conversation should take place as soon as possible, experts at Christina Caron told the Times. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, told Tara that his three grown daughters had decided to skip the holidays this year so as not to put him and his wife in danger. “You don’t want to be the Grinch who stole Thanksgiving,” he said. “But this may not be the time for a big family reunion.”
Resurgences
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in the Illinois, where more than 75,000 cases have occurred in the past week, suggested Governor JB Pritzker could soon issue a stay at home order, scolding local officials for failing to enforce masking rules and restrictions on businesses.
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Sweden, Where a second wave is beginning to take shape, 4,658 cases were recorded yesterday, just below the daily record it set last week, Reuters reports.
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in the South KoreaThe government reported 191 cases, the largest daily jump in 70 days, and began punishing people for not wearing masks in public, reports The Associated Press.
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Puerto Rico will activate the National Guard to enforce a curfew to contain the virus, reports The AP.
Here is a summary of the restrictions in all 50 states.
What else are we pursuing
What you are doing
What a fabulous 14 days here in Melbourne! No new Covid-19 cases and no deaths. We are all close to tears for joy. After a terrible mistake with quarantine issues for local residents who returned from other virus-infested countries a few months ago and caused a huge Covid-19 outbreak, We are in a wonderful position now. It took 115 days of lockdown, mandatory mask wear (still mandatory for the foreseeable future), and social distancing. The figurative steel band around Melbourne has now been lifted and we can all dance around the state in the sunshine.
– Deborah McMillan, Melbourne, Australia
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