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The governor of the state of Utah in the US declared a new state of emergency to address overcrowding in hospitals in response to weeks of stress in its hospital networks due to an increase in cases of new coronavirus.
“Due to the alarming rate of Covid infections in our state, I issued a new state of emergency tonight with several critical changes to our response,” Governor Gary Herbert said on Twitter.
“These changes are not shutting down our economy, but they are absolutely necessary to save lives and hospital capacity,” he said.
The Republican governor said the entire state was under a mask mandate until further notice and that informal social gatherings would be limited to homes for the next two weeks.
All extracurricular activities were suspended, he said.
Utah has had a total of 132,621 confirmed cases and 659 deaths from Covid-19 since the pandemic began.
The total number of coronavirus infections in the United States surpassed 10 million late yesterday, according to a Reuters tally.
The United States has reported about one million cases in the past ten days, the highest rate of infections since the nation reported its first new coronavirus case in Washington state 293 days ago.
The country reported a record 131,420 Covid-19 cases on Saturday and has reported more than 100,000 infections five times in the past seven days, according to a Reuters tally.
The latest reported US seven-day average of 105,600 daily cases, increased by at least 29%, is more than the combined average of India and France, two of the worst-affected countries in Asia and Europe.
More than 237,000 Americans have died from Covid-19 since the illness caused by the coronavirus first appeared in China late last year.
The daily average of new deaths reported in the United States represents one in 11 deaths reported worldwide each day, according to a Reuters analysis.
The number of reported deaths nationwide rose by more than 1,000 for the fifth day in a row on Saturday, a trend last seen in mid-August.
Health experts say that deaths tend to increase four to six weeks after an increase in infections.
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Sydney restricts New Year’s Eve fireworks to limit virus spread
The New Year’s Eve fireworks over Sydney Harbor will continue this year, but will be shortened to just a few minutes and the city precinct will be restricted to those with restaurant, cafe and hotel reservations to limit the spread of Covid-19.
The best harborside spots, normally coveted by thousands of revelers to watch the traditional 12-minute pyrotechnic display, will be reserved for healthcare workers who have been treating Covid-19 patients and firefighters.
Although Australia has registered only new single-digit Covid-19 daily cases for weeks, New South Wales state premier Gladys Berejiklian said the number of spectators will be limited for the event in areas that generally draw thousands. of spectators.
“The New Year’s Eve celebrations will be a symbol of hope and optimism for the coming year,” Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.
“But unless you have a reservation at a restaurant or cafe, don’t expect to go.”
Those without a reservation will not be able to enter the city, Berejiklian said.
Australia has recorded just over 27,600 new coronavirus infections and 907 deaths, far fewer than many other developed countries.
The state of Victoria, the epicenter of Australia’s Covid-19 outbreak, said it has now spent ten days detecting any infections.
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