More than 205,000 new cases were reported on Friday – with some cases reported both Thursday and Friday, as at least 20 states did not report Covid-19 numbers on Thanksgiving.
And while there is better news on the vaccine front, Americans now need to “hanger down” and prepare for the difficult winter ahead, says emergency therapist and visiting professor at the George Washington University Milken Institute School, Dr. Public health.
“We can’t get our guard down,” he told CNN on Friday night. “These vaccines will make a big difference in spring and summer; they won’t make a difference right now.”
U.S. Based on the current Covid-1 on number in, the country is not moving the corner.
“If anything, we’re turning corners in disaster,” Wayne said. “We will soon surpass the more than 2,000,000 deaths here in the U.S. every day, perhaps, 1,000,000,000,000.”
The projection has also been echoed by other experts, including George and Washington Jonathan Rainer, a professor of medicine at Washington University, who predicted that the country’s daily mortality rate would double in the next 10 days.
Busy travel weekend expected
Thanksgiving travel and gatherings that took place this past week are likely to only push forward, with experts warning of another boom soon.
Rainer had previously described the holiday as “possibly the mother of all superspader events”, with Americans leaving every airport in the country and possibly carrying the virus with them, often unknowingly.
To prevent further spread of the virus, everyone who traveled and was associating with people outside their home, Wayne said.
“That’s because those gatherings, especially indoor gatherings with a lot of people who don’t wear masks for a long time, are at the highest risk of contracting coronavirus,” he said on Friday. “Quarantine for at least seven days and then test.”
“If you are unable to get the test because the test is so limited, you should be quarantined for 14 days. And I mean complete quarantine, not going to work, not going to school, being safe.”
Los Angeles County under lockdown order
As more local and state leaders imposed tougher restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus, Los Angeles County health officials on Friday issued a new living order instead of banning all public and private gatherings with people outside the same home.
“Residents are advised to stay home as much as possible and always wear a face over their nose and mouth when they are out of the house and around others.”
The order will take effect from Monday and run until December 20.
Essential industries will run 35% of the business while irregular retail operations, personal care services and libraries will operate 20% of the business.
“We know we have a lot to ask from a lot of people who have been sacrificing for months and we hope LA County residents follow public health safety measures that we know can slow the spread,” Barbara Ferrer said. The health director of the county’s public health department said in a statement.
Ferrer added, “If we want to stop this boom, we need to work with collective urgency right now. Please stay home as much as possible and don’t be with anyone in your family for the next three weeks.”
Meanwhile, New Mexico’s statewide two-week “reset” order will be turned into a county-by-county reopening framework next week, the governor’s office announced Friday.
Counties where the virus is more prevalent will operate under further restrictions, the governor’s office said.
The first mass air shipment of the vaccine
“As a result of the historic historical momentum of vaccine development through the pace of operation and precautionary logistics planning, the FAA is today endorsing the first batch of vaccines,” the FAA said in a statement.
The agency said it set up the Covid-19 vaccine air transport team last month to ensure “safe, fast and efficient transport of vaccines”.
It says it is working with manufacturers, carrier ships and airports to provide guidelines for the safe transport of large amounts of dry ice in air cargo.
Meanwhile, the CDC’s advisory committee on immunization practice has called an emergency meeting on Tuesday, where it will vote on which groups it recommends that the Covid-19 vaccine be given first, once it is authorized.
“It’s a significant step forward in the development and progress toward making the vaccine available,” said Rick Bright, a member of Biden’s coronavirus advisory council, who was elected president on Friday.
The committee usually meets after a vaccine has been authorized to make their recommendations.
“What we’re seeing now is that the CDC is moving forward and becoming very active and holding some of the initial discussions before the vaccine is authorized in the FDA, so when it comes to that they’re ready for that data. Will be done, “Bright said.
CNN’s Pete Munten, Andy Rose and Sarah Moon contribute to this report.
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