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Coronavirus in USA

New Jersey to adopt 'millionaire tax' amid virus hit to economy

The US state of New Jersey has agreed to raise taxes on millionaires, while also approving a rebate for lower and middle-class families.

The state's governor, Phil Murphy, announced on Thursday that the state tax rate on earnings over $1m (£770,000) would increase from 8.97% to 10.75%. Around 800,000 families who earn more modest sums will also receive a tax rebate of up to $500.

While Governor Murphy had tried to raise taxes on the wealthy before, he said the spread of coronavirus had made the changes more urgent.

"In this unprecedented time, when so many middle-class families and others have sacrificed a great deal, now is the time to ensure that the wealthiest among us are also called to make a modest sacrifice," he said.

New Jersey's Senate President Steve Sweeney said he had previously opposed Gov Murphy's plans to increase taxes on the wealthy, but added: "The pandemic hit and things have changed, and we have to face the reality that a lot of families are hurting here.”
 
Coronavirus: US health chiefs reverse advice on Covid-19 testing

US health officials have rowed back on controversial advice issued last month that said people without Covid-19 symptoms should not get tested.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now says anyone in close contact with a known infected person should take a test.

Friday's "clarification" returns the CDC's stance on testing to its previous guidance, before the August alteration.

Reports said the controversial advice had not been given by scientists.

Sources quoted by the New York Times said it had been posted on the CDC website despite experts' objections.

Most US states had then rejected the guidance, Reuters reported, in a stinging rebuke to the nation's top disease prevention agency.

US health officials have rowed back on controversial advice issued last month that said people without Covid-19 symptoms should not get tested.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now says anyone in close contact with a known infected person should take a test.

Friday's "clarification" returns the CDC's stance on testing to its previous guidance, before the August alteration.

Reports said the controversial advice had not been given by scientists.

Sources quoted by the New York Times said it had been posted on the CDC website despite experts' objections.

Most US states had then rejected the guidance, Reuters reported, in a stinging rebuke to the nation's top disease prevention agency.

However, administration officials denied any political motive, telling Reuters that the change reflected "current evidence and best public health practices".

Experts welcomed the change of tack on Friday.

"The return to a science-based approach to testing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is good news for public health and for our united fight against this pandemic," said Thomas File, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

In its "overview of testing" for healthcare workers the CDC now says: "Due to the significance of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission, this guidance further reinforces the need to test asymptomatic persons, including close contacts of a person with documented SARS-CoV-2 infection."

It advises people to take a test "if you have been in close contact, such as within 6ft of a person with documented SARS-CoV-2 infection for at least 15 minutes and do not have symptoms".

The US has recorded nearly seven million cases of coronavirus, more than a fifth of the world's total. It has the world's highest death toll, with nearly 200,000 fatalities.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54214420.
 
Trump claims Canada wants U.S. border reopened

OTTAWA -- U.S. President Donald Trump says that Canada wants to see the Canada-U.S. border reopened, but the federal government says it’ll make the decision based on public health advice.

“We're looking at the border with Canada. Canada would like it open, and you know we want to get back to normal business,” Trump said outside the White House on Friday.

“We’re going to be reopening the borders pretty soon,” Trump said, adding that he thinks the U.S. is “rounding the turn” in that country’s still massive COVID-19 outbreak.

To date there have been more than six million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and more than 198,000 Americans have died. Over the course of the crisis there have been 141,565 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada, and more than 9,000 deaths.

On Friday federal officials on both sides of the border announced that the Canada-U.S. border closure would be extended for at least another month, until Oct. 21.

The land border between the two countries has been closed to all non-essential travel since March 21, a move first made to limit the spread of the virus.

The agreement, as it stands, exempts the flow of trade and commerce, as well as temporary foreign workers and vital health-care workers such as nurses who live and work on opposite sides of the border.

Tourists and cross-border visits remain prohibited, though some restrictions on close family members have been eased allowing families to reunite, while others continue to call for further compassion for non-married couples and others who are still not permitted to cross.

Pandemic tensions have flared in Canada over prospective American visitors, some of whom have used loopholes in the rules to enter the country.

CTVNews.ca reached out to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office for comment, and spokesperson Chantal Gagnon pointed to Public Safety Minister Bill Blair’s comments earlier on Friday about the continuation of the border restrictions.

“We will continue to base our decisions on the best public health advice available to keep Canadians safe,” Blair said in a tweet.

In the latest episode of CTV News’ podcast Trend Line, Chair of Nanos Research Nik Nanos said that “people in Canada see what's happening in the United States, and they have significant concerns about the risks to Canadians because of the pandemic.”

Source: https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/trump-claims-canada-wants-u-s-border-reopened-1.5111112.
 
US sets one-day record with over a million tests

With the UK struggling to keep up with demand for virus tests, America reportedly performed 1,061,411 tests on Saturday - according to data from the COVID Tracking Project, a volunteer-run effort to track the outbreak.

However, the US needs 6 million to 10 million tests a day to bring outbreaks under control, according to various experts.

The record comes after testing fell recently to an average of 650,000 people a day in the week ending 13 September, down from a peak in late July of over 800,000 a day.

Latest UK testing figures (Friday) show just over 233,000 tests to see if people have the virus were processed, out of a capacity for over 253,000.

Boris Johnson recently said he had a "moonshot" goal of millions a day, though in the near term the government is targeting half a million by the end of October.

It comes after reports of people having to travel many miles from home in order to secure a test.
 
Bill Gates says it’s ‘outrageous’ that Americans still can’t get coronavirus test results in 24 hours

Microsoft co-founder and global health philanthropist Bill Gates criticized the current state of the United States’ response to the Covid-19 pandemic on Sunday, including slow turnaround times for tests.

Gates told “Fox News Sunday” that the access to fast testing is still inadequate more than six months into the pandemic and that the U.S. was set up for a rough fall of virus cases.

“Even today, people don’t get their results in 24 hours. It’s outrageous that we still have that,” Gates said.

The United States has suffered more than 6.7 million confirmed cases of Covid-19, resulting in nearly 200,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. That puts the country with a much higher rate of infection and death per capita than many other developed countries, including South Korea, Australia, Germany and Canada.

The early stages of the pandemic were marked by a severe shortage of tests, though the amount of daily testing has improved significantly over time. Gates said that political and health leaders need to publicly admit that the current testing situation is inadequate and find ways to make the system more efficient, saying that “we can’t pretend that we get a good grade even today.”

“I do think we need to own up to the fact that we didn’t do a good job. Part of the reluctance I think to fix the testing system now is that nobody wants to admit that it’s still outrageous ... The U.S. has more of these machines, more of this capacity than other countries by a huge amount. And so partly the reimbursement system is creating a perverse incentive,” Gates said.

On CNN’s “State of the Union,” Adm. Brett Giroir from the Department of Health and Human Services said that part of the reason testing had not reached 1 million per day as he has had predicted was because the rate of new cases had slowed, lowering the number of contact tracing tests required. He also said that the administration would soon distribute $150 million of 15-minute tests.

Cases and hospitalizations have spiked in several European countries in recent weeks, which some experts have linked to “pandemic fatigue” as adherence to social distancing measures slips. Daily cases in Spain and France have surpassed the United States when adjusted for population.

The U.S. saw an initial outbreaks on the West Coast and in northeastern states during the spring, with rolling outbreaks spreading across the country in the months since. Gates attributed that in part to the travel restrictions imposed by the Trump administration, which created a “rush” of American citizens and residents to return home at a time when the U.S. did not have proper testing or quarantine protocols.

“That’s led to us not just having a bad spring — we’ve had a pretty tough summer. And sadly, because of the seasonality, until we get these new tools the fall is looking to shape up as pretty tough as well,” he said.

In a statement to CNBC, a White House spokesperson said President Trump has always put the well-being of the American people first and highlighted the administration’s efforts to help develop a vaccine.

Gates had for years warned about the dangers of a global health emergency like a pandemic, and the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation has spent billions on health and anti-poverty initiatives around the world.

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/20/bil...get-coronavirus-test-results-in-24-hours.html.
 
The death toll in the US is nearing 200,000, according to the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. The US still has the highest death toll and total number of infections in the world

President Donald Trump gave his pandemic response "an A+" in a conversation with veteran journalist Bob Woodward, according to recordings obtained by US broadcaster CNN. "We’ve done a phenomenal job - not just a good job, a phenomenal job," he said

Black Americans are being encouraged to take part in vaccine trials, by a group called the Covid-19 Prevention Network, set up by a US public health body. The event, which will be held virtually, is expected to be repeated every month. Vaccine trials have struggled to recruit ethnic minorities

At the same time, a group of black doctors has created a panel to independently vet regulators' decisions about Covid-19 drugs and vaccines, as well as guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Public health body the CDC has updated its guidance to say the virus is airborne, and that it can spread "through respiratory droplets or small particles, such as those in aerosols". These are produced even when people breathe

Other research from the CDC shows that coronavirus can spread easily among passengers on long-haul flights. A report from the body looks at the case of a woman who flew business class from London to Vietnam in March, and passed the virus on to 15 other people
 
The US coronavirus death toll has passed 200,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

More than 6.8 million people are known to have been infected in the US, more than in any other country.

The milestone comes amid an increase in cases in a number of states, including North Dakota and Utah.

In March, President Donald Trump said if deaths were between 100,000 and 200,000, the country would have done a "very good job".

The previous month, when 15 cases had been reported in the country, he predicted that the number was going to be "close to zero" within a couple of days.

JHU reported the new death toll of 200,005 on Tuesday. The university has been collecting US and global coronavirus data since the outbreak began late last year in China. The first case in the US was confirmed in January.
 
COVID-19 has killed more Americans than the 5 most recent wars combined

What happened today seemed impossible to many Americans six months ago.

When Dr. Anthony Fauci predicted in March that COVID-19 could kill 200,000 people in the U.S., skeptics lambasted him and accused him of fearmongering.

But Fauci was right. And the U.S. reached that bleak milestone much earlier than some experts predicted.

Since the first known U.S. COVID-19 death on February 6, an average of more than 858 people have died from the disease every day.

Many of those victims died without loved ones in hospital rooms. Countless others never had a proper funeral, with mourners grieving remotely online.

COVID-19 is now the second-leading cause of death in the U.S., just after heart disease, according to the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).

What happens next with the pandemic largely depends on personal responsibility and how much Americans are willing to fight this battle together.

Already, COVID-19 has killed more people in the U.S. than Americans killed in battle during the five most recent wars combined: the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Iraq War, the War in Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf War.

The loss of life is like suffering the effects of 109 Hurricane Katrinas. Or enduring the 9/11 attacks every day for 66 days.

And researchers project almost 180,000 additional COVID-19 deaths by January 1.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

"Increasing mask use to 95% can save nearly 115,000 lives, reducing that expected number of deaths by 62.7%," the IHME said.

And the same mask wearing, physical distancing and hand washing that protect against COVID-19 can also help avert a flu-and-coronavirus "twin-demic" that could overwhelm the health care system.

"We have to stay strong and do the things that could decrease the spread," said pediatrician Dr. Brett Giroir, the White House coronavirus task force's testing czar.

"Number 1: Wearing a mask when we can't physically distance. Number 2: Avoiding crowds. Number 3: Hygiene. And with smart testing, we can flatten the curve and slow the spread," Giroir said.

"We do have a formula to reduce the deaths, reduce the cases. But we all have to be disciplined and diligent to make sure we obey that every single day."

Source: https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/covid-...han-the-5-most-recent-wars-combined-1.5115916.
 
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U.S. records over seven million COVID-19 cases as Midwest outbreak surges

(Reuters) - The number of novel coronavirus cases in the United States topped 7 million - more than 20% of the world’s total - as Midwest states reported spikes in COVID-19 infections in September, according to a Reuters tally.

The latest milestone on Thursday comes just days after the nation surpassed over 200,000 COVID-19 deaths, the world’s highest death toll from the virus. Each day, over 700 people die in the United States from COVID-19.

California leads the country with over 800,000 total cases, followed by Texas, Florida and New York. (Graphic: tmsnrt.rs/363tab5)

All Midwest states except Ohio reported more cases in the past four weeks as compared with the prior four weeks, led by South Dakota and North Dakota. South Dakota had the biggest percentage increase at 166% with 8,129 new cases, while North Dakota’s new cases doubled to 8,752 as compared to 4,243 during the same time in August.

Many cases in those two states have been linked to the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, that annually attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors.

According to a Reuters analysis, positive cases rose in half of the 50 U.S. states this month. Ten states have reported a record one-day increase in COVID-19 cases in September, including Montana, South Dakota and Utah on Thursday.

New cases rose last week after falling for eight consecutive weeks. Health experts believe this spike was due to reopening schools and universities as well as parties over the recent Labor Day holiday.

A study by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Indiana University, the University of Washington and Davidson College said recent reopening of college and university campuses for in-person instruction during late summer this year could be associated with more than 3,000 additional cases of COVID-19 per day in the United States in recent weeks.

U.S. confirmed cases are the highest in the world followed by India with 5.7 million cases and Brazil with 4.6 million.

The United states is currently averaging 40,000 new infections per day. Top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci has said he would like to see the number to fall below 10,000 per day before flu season starts in October.

Health officials and President Donald Trump have presented different views about the nation’s health crisis. Trump, who is seeking re-election to a second term on Nov. 3, early this month had claimed that the United States was “rounding the corner” on the crisis. Fauci contradicted the claim the next day, saying the statistics were disturbing.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ases-as-midwest-outbreak-surges-idUSKCN26G053
 
US still in first wave of infections, expert says
The US remains in the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, because infections have not decreased sufficiently since the initial outbreak, the country's leading infectious diseases expert has said.

Dr Anthony Fauci said the second wave of a pandemic happens when infections of a disease subside significantly before a marked resurgence at a later date.

During the flu pandemic of 1918, for example, infections spiked in the spring then "literally disappeared", before an “explosion” of cases in autumn, Dr Fauci said.

"Rather than say, 'a second wave,' why don't we say, 'are we prepared for the challenge of the fall and the winter?'," Dr Fauci told CNN.

World Health Organization (WHO) data shows the US has recorded more than 13,000 new infections of coronavirus a day since late March.

New cases dipped slightly after hitting a peak of 74,354 on 19 July, but have continued to increase by at least 40,000 a day since then, according to the data.

At least 202,000 people have died with Covid-19 so far in the US, the highest number of fatalities in the world.
 
U.S. CDC reports 204,598 coronavirus deaths

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday reported 7,129,313 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 33,891 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 270 to 204,598.

The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on Sept. 28, compared with its previous report a day earlier. (bit.ly/33XxDcR)

The CDC figures do not necessarily reflect cases reported by individual states.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-h...-204598-coronavirus-deaths-idUKKBN26K38L?il=0
 
New York City to fine people who refuse to wear mask as virus positive rate rises

New York City will impose fines on people who refuse to wear a face covering as the rate of positive tests for the novel coronavirus climbed above 3% for the first time in months, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Tuesday.

Officials will first offer free masks to those caught not wearing one. If the person refuses, they will face an unspecified fine, de Blasio told reporters.

“Our goal, of course, is to give everyone a free face mask,” de Blasio said. “We don’t want to fine people, but if we have to we will.”

The new rule extends across the city a similar policy imposed earlier this month by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, controlled by New York state governor Andrew Cuomo, in which commuters who refuse to wear a mask on public transit face a $50 fine. De Blasio’s office did not respond to questions about who would enforce the new fines and how much they would be.

The city-wide daily positive test rate was 3.25%. The mayor attributed the rise in part to nine zip codes out of 146 that city health officials say have seen a worrying uptick in cases, including several tight-knit Hasidic Jewish communities. The seven-day rolling average for positive coronavirus tests was 1.38%.

De Blasio’s announcement came as many elementary school students returned to public schools for the first time on Tuesday, an effort to provide a mix of in-person and virtual learning that had twice been pushed back as teachers and principals raised concerns about the city’s pandemic preparedness. [nL1N2GQ0Q0]

The city has said it will shut schools again if the seven-day average reaches 3% or more.

Plans to allow restaurants to begin seating customers indoors at 25% capacity were still underway for Wednesday, de Blasio said.

Beyond New York, 28 other states were seeing upticks in new coronavirus infections over the past two weeks.

In the past seven days, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin reported record numbers of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. On Monday, North Dakota reported 105 hospitalizations and Wisconsin 640.

After playing a National Football League game on Sunday, the Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings have suspended team activities after some members of the Titans tested positive for COVID-19, according to statements from the NFL and the teams.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-h...-virus-positive-rate-rises-idUKKBN26K357?il=0
 
Newly Reported Texas Virus Cases Top 5,300; COVID-19 Hospitalizations Also Up

The Texas Department of State Health Services reports 5,335 new coronavirus cases Wednesday and an additional 107 deaths due to COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. The state health department is also reporting another increase in hospitalizations.

That new cases brought the total number of Texas cases since tracking of the pandemic began in March to 748,697, with a death toll of 15,711, the DHS reported. However, the true number of cases is likely higher though because many people haven't been tested and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.

The health department also estimated 69,767 active cases of the virus, including 3,344 current hospital patients. The number of patients had been on the decline through much of September before beginning to climb again over the last few days.

On Monday, the state reported 3,201 hospitalizations. That number climbed to 3,251 on Tuesday and jumped again to 3,344 on Wednesday.

DFW has the most hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the state with 898, according to state health data, a high not seen since late August and an increase of nearly 100 patients since Monday.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and a cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.

In Tarrant County, public health officials are hoping that three new programs will help curb the spread of the virus. The first is mailing at-home COVID-19 test kits to those who are not able to schedule an appointment at a county drive-thru testing site.

The county is also dealing with case count delays, so they launched a self-reporting tool for people to upload their COVID-19 results directly.

"The contact tracing efforts is best within the first 14 days, so to overcome that challenge, we've come up with this self-reporting tool that if you know that you've tested positive, then report it by yourself," Vinny Taneja, Tarrant County Public Health Director, said.

The county is also rolling out a campaign called, "Answer the Call," in hopes of getting more people to answer the phone when contact tracers call.

In Dallas County, County Judge Clay Jenkins says the number of cases and hospitalizations are on the rise and that the time to take precautions to prevent further spread of the disease is now by continuing to wear masks, wash hands and avoiding unnecessary trips.

Source: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/coronav...s-cases-top-5300-hospitalizations-up/2452951/.
 
Hope Hicks: Top aide to Trump 'tests positive for coronavirus'

One of US President Donald Trump's closet aides, Hope Hicks, has reportedly tested positive for coronavirus.

The adviser to the president travelled with Mr Trump on Air Force One to a TV debate in Ohio on Tuesday.

She was in even closer quarters with him aboard the helicopter Marine One on Wednesday, White House reporters noted.

The 31-year-old would be the closest aide to Mr Trump to test positive so far.

But there was no indication the president himself has contracted the disease, which has infected more than 7.2 million Americans, killing over 200,000 of them.

According to the Associated Press news agency, Mr Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are now awaiting their own test results.

Ms Hicks was pictured getting off Air Force One on Tuesday in Cleveland without a mask. She travelled with the president a day later to a rally in Minnesota.

The White House tests aides and anyone else who comes into contact with the president daily.

Mr Trump mostly spurns mask-wearing and is often pictured not socially distanced with aides or others during official engagements.

According to Bloomberg News, Ms Hicks is experiencing symptoms of the disease, and was quarantined on Air Force One on the trip back from Minnesota.

White House spokesman Judd Deere did not confirm Ms Hicks' medical condition.

But he said in a statement to US media: "The president takes the health and safety of himself and everyone who works in support of him and the American people very seriously."

Ms Hicks would be the latest White House aide to contract Covid-19. Vice-President Mike Pence's press secretary Katie Miller tested positive in May and recovered.

That same month, a member of the US Navy who was serving as one of Mr Trump's personal valets tested positive for coronavirus.

But the White House said neither the president nor vice-president were affected.

National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien, a number of Secret Service agents, a Marine One pilot and a White House cafeteria worker have also tested positive, US media report.

Ms Hicks was a campaign spokeswoman during Mr Trump's candidacy before becoming communications director in his White House.

She stepped down in March 2018 to become chief communications officer at Rupert Murdoch's Fox, before returning to the White House in February.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54381848.
 
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/01/politics/hope-hicks-positive-coronavirus/index.html

Trump and first lady take coronavirus tests after top aide Hope Hicks tests positive for Covid-19


President Donald Trump confirmed on Thursday night that top aide Hope Hicks has tested positive for coronavirus and said he and first lady Melania Trump were tested Thursday evening.

"She did test positive, I just heard about this. She tested positive. She's a hard worker. Lot of masks, she wears masks a lot but she tested positive. Then I just went out with a test. I'll see -- you know, because we spent a lot of time -- and the first lady just went out with a test also. So whether we quarantine or whether we have it, I don't know," Trump said during a call-in appearance on Fox News' "Hannity."
He added, "I just went for a test and we'll see what happens, I mean, who knows. ... I spent a lot of time with Hope and so does the first lady, and she's tremendous."
Hick has traveled with the President multiple times recently, including to the debate in Cleveland on Tuesday, and was seen boarding Marine One, along with several other of the President's closest aides -- Jared Kushner, Dan Scavino and Nicholas Luna -- none of whom wore masks, on Wednesday as Trump was heading to a campaign rally in Minnesota.
News of Hicks' positive test comes amid continued efforts by the Trump administration to blatantly disregard science and best public health practices during the pandemic, with West Wing staff actively eschewing masks and the President defying recommendations from his own coronavirus task force, proceeding with a busy schedule of packed campaign ralies. Trump and his key aides have shown little interest in changing practices of his staff to meet the needs of the moment.
The President's public schedule, released just after his appearance on "Hannity," suggests he will not be observing a quarantine. Trump will attend a fundraiser at his Washington hotel and travel to Sanford, Florida, for a campaign rally on Friday.
Trump speculated that Hicks could have contracted the virus from an interaction with a supporter.
"She's a very warm person. She has a hard time, when soldiers and law enforcement comes up to her, you know, she wants to treat them great, not say, 'Stay away, I can't get near you.' It's a very, very tough disease," he said.
A source close to Hicks told CNN that she is experiencing symptoms and is back in Washington. It is unclear how severe her symptoms are at this point. CNN has reached out to Hicks for comment.
"The President takes the health and safety of himself and everyone who works in support of him and the American people very seriously," White House spokesman Judd Deere told CNN in a statement when asked about the level of contact between Hicks and Trump.
The White House made no mention of Hicks by name, nor did it confirm she had tested positive.
"White House Operations collaborates with the Physician to the President and the White House Military Office to ensure all plans and procedures incorporate current CDC guidance and best practices for limiting COVID-19 exposure to the greatest extent possible both on complex and when the President is traveling," Deere added.
Some White House staffers who were in close proximity were notified of the positive test result today, one official said.
This development was first reported by Bloomberg News.
Long seen as a stabilizing force on a boss who likes chaos, Hicks joined the Trump Organization working in public relations with Ivanka Trump and moved to Trump's 2016 presidential campaign early in the race. She was one of the few aides to follow him from his political beginnings to the White House.
Hicks maintained a close relationship not just with the President but also with members of his family, including White House advisers Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner. She previously served as the White House communications director.
Hicks' positive test underscores the unique challenge White House staffers face as they try to keep the pandemic out of the West Wing while the President pushes to reopen the country.
In May, two White House staffers, including a member of the Navy who serves as one of Trump's personal valets, tested positive for the virus, and in July a cafeteria employee on the White House grounds tested positive as well. The President confirmed a fourth positive case on White House grounds last month.
Trump has previously expressed concern that aides contracting coronavirus would undercut his message that the outbreak is waning and states should accelerate reopening, according to a person who had spoken with him.
The White House has since gone to great lengths to shield Trump and Vice President Mike Pence from the outbreak, even as they travel to states where cases are surging.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany previously described Trump as the "most tested man in America," who doesn't risk spreading the virus to others. But Trump contradicted that claim hours later, saying he doesn't know of a time he's taken more than one coronavirus test in a day.
"I don't know about more than one," Trump responded to a reporter who asked why he was tested more than once a day. "I do probably on average a test every two days, three days, and I don't know of any time I've taken two in one day, but I could see that happening."
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
CNN's Paul LeBlanc contributed to this report.
 
So Michigan supreme court ruled that majority of governors decision after April 15 were unconstitutional

Wonder if this changes something on how governments should operate and what they can and can't do
 
Nine US states reported record case increases in last seven days

Nine US states have reported record increases in coronavirus cases over the last week, mostly in the upper Midwest and West where cold weather is forcing more activities indoors.

On Saturday, four states – Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana and Wisconsin – saw record increases in new cases and nationally nearly 49,000 new infections were reported, the highest for a Saturday in seven weeks, according to a Reuters analysis.

Kansas, Nebraska, New Hampshire, South Dakota and Wyoming also set new records for cases last week.

Daytime highs in many of these states are now in the 50s Fahrenheit (10 Celsius). Health experts have long warned that colder temperatures driving people inside could promote the spread of the virus.

Montana has reported record numbers of new cases for three out of the last four days and also has a record number of Covid-19 patients in its hospitals.

Wisconsin has set records for new cases two out of the last three days and also reported record hospitalisations on Saturday. On average 22% of tests are coming back positive, one of the highest rates in the country.
 
CDC reports 703 new deaths in US
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released the latest figures for number of cases and deaths in the US.

It said there had been 49,327 new infections, bringing the total number to 7,359,952, while fatalities had risen by 703 to 208,821.
 
CDC updates guidelines (again) to note risk of airborne transmission, says coronavirus can infect people more than 6 feet away

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its website to warn that the coronavirus can spread through the air, something public health experts have been warning about for months but went unacknowledged by the agency until Monday.

The CDC says people can be exposed to the virus in small droplets and particles that can linger in the air for minutes to hours, potentially infecting people who are farther than 6 feet away and even people who come into the area after an infected person has left.

“There is evidence that under certain conditions, people with COVID-19 seem to have infected others who were more than 6 feet away,” the CDC says on its website.

The CDC's previous guidance said the virus spreads primarily among people who are in close contact with one another – within about 6 feet – through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. The current guidance says that's still the greatest risk.

Scientists have warned for months that the virus could be spread through tiny aerosols that spread farther and hang in the air longer than previously known. The World Health Organization, lobbied by hundreds of scientists, noted that risk in July.

In September, the CDC attempted to address airborne transmission, revising its guidelines to say, “There is growing evidence that droplets and airborne particles can remain suspended and be breathed in by others, and travel distances beyond 6 feet (for example, during choir practice, in restaurants, or in fitness classes).”

However, a few days later the language on the CDC's website was switched back to the previous information, without mention of airborne transmission. A note was added to say the agency was still working on its recommendations regarding the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The CDC has not responded to USA TODAY's request for comment on the latest revision.

The CDC’s update on airborne transmission follows a string of confusing changes to its guidelines on testing of people who don't show symptoms of COVID-19.

The agency once said testing was recommended "for all close contacts of persons with SARS-CoV-2 infection." In August, that was updated to say people do not "necessarily need a test" if they don't show symptoms, even if they've been in close contact with an individual with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19.

That change spurred widespread criticism because people often don't develop symptoms for a couple of days, but they can still transmit the disease to others during that time.

In September the CDC changed course again, saying if you've been in close contact with an infected person and don't have symptoms, "you need a test."

"Inconsistent messaging is always a drawback in public health interventions, including in our response to COVID-19," Ogbonnaya Omenka, an assistant professor who specializes in public health at Butler University's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, told USA TODAY. "It can breed suspicion and distrust from the public."

Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...nes-include-airborne-transmission/3627932001/.
 
Yes, its back, we are now seeing more patients admitted in hospital with covid 19 infection. In our hospital in NJ, majority are coming from a nearby orthodox Jewish community.
 
Trump ends Covid budget stimulus relief talks

US President Donald Trump has said he is ending negotiations over a Covid-19 relief bill, and will only resume talks after the election.

He predicted he would win next month's election and pass a bill afterwards. US stocks fell after the announcement.

Budget talks between Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin began in July.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said Mr Trump had "turned his back" on the American people.

"Make no mistake: if you are out of work, if your business is closed, if your child's school is shut down, if you are seeing layoffs in your community, Donald Trump decided today that none of that - none of it - matters to him," Mr Biden said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Republican president - who is himself currently being treated for Covid-19 - countered: "Crazy Nancy Pelosi and the Radical Left Democrats were just playing 'games' with the desperately needed Workers Stimulus Payments.

"They just wanted to take care of Democrat failed, high crime, Cities and States. They were never in it to help the workers, and they never will be!"

He said he had instructed Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to focus efforts on confirming his Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.

Mr McConnell later told reporters he supported the president's move because he believed a deal with the Democrats was looking too difficult. "We need to concentrate on the achievable," he said.

Lawmakers from both parties had hoped for another round of Covid-19 relief spending to pass ahead of the 3 November election, but Mr Trump's tweet appears to have abruptly suspended that prospect.

It comes as coronavirus cases rise in several parts of the country, the outbreak widens among White House staff and Republican senators, and hits Pentagon top brass.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54443057.
 
The U.S. is reporting an average of 45,000 positive COVID-19 tests every day

The United States is averaging more than 45,000 new COVID-19 positive tests each day -- up 8 per cent from the previous week and more than double what the country was seeing in June, as lockdown restrictions were easing.

It's a case count experts warn is far too high ahead of what's forecast to be a challenging -- and deadly -- winter season. The latest U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ensemble forecast says U.S. COVID-19 deaths could reach 233,000 by the end of this month.

And projections from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation show more than 2,900 Americans could be dying daily by January.

Earlier this week, Dr. Anthony Fauci said he was "disturbed and concerned" by the country's average case count.

"That's no place to be when you're trying to get your arms around an epidemic," he said.

And as the weather gets colder, things will get tougher.

Gatherings will likely begin to move indoors, where the virus is more prone to spread. And as colleges battle outbreaks on campus, students soon returning to visit their families for the holidays could unknowingly bring the virus with them.

On top of that, it'll be coupled with flu season to create what experts say could turn into a "twin-demic." What could help, health officials have said, are flu shots and strong safety measures like masks and social distancing.

The high average case count comes alongside more worrying trends: only Alabama and Hawaii are reporting a decline of new cases over the past week, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. And nationwide, hospitalizations have begun to rise, with more than 34,000 hospitalized patients, according to the COVID Tracking Project.



Field hospital prepares to open in Wisconsin
Hospitalization trends are growing across the Midwest and in states of every other U.S. region, with "especially worrisome signs" in Wisconsin, the project said. At least 41 states saw increased numbers of people requiring hospitalization this week, the project said Thursday.

Wisconsin announced it would open a field hospital next week to address the surge of patients.

"We obviously hoped this day wouldn't come, but unfortunately, Wisconsin is in a much different and more dire place today, and our healthcare systems are being overwhelmed," Gov. Tony Evers said in a news conference.

The state has seen some of the country's most alarming trends recently: reporting record-high cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the past days.

But it's not alone. Utah leaders said the state isn't trailing far behind. And Iowa's hospitalizations set a record this week with more than 460 COVID-19 patients across the state. Missouri's health department also broke a record Wednesday, with more than 1,300 COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Arkansas, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming also saw record-high hospitalization numbers this week, according to the project's data.



New York, New Jersey on alert
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday the state reported more than 1,300 new COVID-19 cases, the highest number since late May.

"This is a sobering number," the governor said, and later lashed out at the President, who recently told Americans not to let the virus "dominate."

"To say this virus isn't still with us, to say that it isn't virulent, to say that it could not take your life is completely false. Every speck of that." Murphy added.

Meanwhile, in neighboring New York, local officials are trying to get a hold of clusters that have broken out in several communities including in Brooklyn, Queens and Rockland and Orange counties.

In New York City, transmission is happening through close contacts and household members, the city's Test and Trace Corps head Ted Long said this week.

To help curb the spread of the virus, the state recently imposed strict restrictions on areas where COVID-19 clusters are occurring, many of which have large Orthodox Jewish populations. Those restrictions included shutting down schools and most non-essential businesses and limiting crowds at houses of worship.

The new measures were met with protests by members of the Orthodox Jewish community and items were set on fire in Borough Park.

New York state Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein said that he was "outraged" with Gov. Andrew Cuomo's "draconian measures."

"Let's continue to use our voices in demanding what no one can take away from us -- our ability to gather in prayer," he said in a statement. "But we must do this peacefully because that's what makes us who we are."

Source: https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/the-u-...0-positive-covid-19-tests-every-day-1.5139172.
 
US passes 8m coronavirus cases as death toll approaches 220,000

The US passed 8m recorded coronavirus cases on Friday, another unwelcome mark for the country with the most cases and the worst death toll from the global pandemic, approaching 220,000.

Despite there being no sign that the pandemic is under control in the US, on Thursday Donald Trump said that the virus would “peter out”.

Cases are increasing in 32 states, holding steady in 15 and decreasing in just three: Louisiana, Kentucky and Vermont.

According to Johns Hopkins University, by mid-afternoon on Friday the US had confirmed 8,008,402 cases since March. On Thursday, 63,610 new cases were reported, the highest single-day total since mid-August. The US is seeing an average increase of 50,000 cases a day.

At an event in Florida earlier on Friday, Trump insisted: “We are rounding the turn. I say that all the time.”

But experts have warned of increased spread of the virus in the midwest, as the weather gets colder and more Americans gather inside.

Wisconsin has set up emergency overflow hospital facilities and the national guard is helping out at extra testing sites.

“We are in crisis here in Wisconsin,” said Julie Willems Van Dijk, deputy secretary of state health services. “The trajectory does not look good. We need to be prepared for that.”

In Utah, Gary Herbert, the Republican governor, said: “Our hospitals are getting overwhelmed. The dramatic increase in infections has put the integrity of our healthcare system at risk.”

Herbert said the national guard was on standby to build a field hospital in a convention center outside Salt Lake City. On Tuesday, he ordered that masks be worn at all outdoor events.

Hotspots are also springing up in Oklahoma, Wyoming, Missouri, Mississippi and North Dakota.

Missouri reported limited intensive care capacity “in several regions”.

Indiana is facing “critical ICU bed shortages along with personnel shortages”, the state’s chief medical officer, Lindsay Weaver, said. In late September, the Republican governor, Eric Holcomb, lifted most coronavirus restrictions. Now officials are calling for volunteers to plug staffing gaps at some hospitals.

Further south, parts of Texas and New Mexico are in trouble. The border city of El Paso, in west Texas, reported that it was running out of intensive care beds.

New Mexico’s Democratic governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, announced early closing for restaurants and bars, restricted gatherings to no more than five and said: “This is the most serious emergency New Mexico has ever faced.”

In a Friday online conversation between Dr Anthony Fauci and Johns Hopkins University experts, the nation’s top infectious disease public health expert warned Americans eschewing public health advice: “By not wearing a mask and not socially distancing, you’re becoming part of the problem when you should be part of the solution.”

Trump has belatedly recommended wearing masks, after months of dismissing and discouraging them and avoiding wearing one himself.

The president caught coronavirus earlier this month and was hospitalised for several days.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/16/coronavirus-covid-19-cases-us-8-million
 
Coronavirus: US cases reach record high amid new wave of infections

US coronavirus cases have hit a record daily high as states grapple with a renewed wave of infections.

Citing data from local state health authorities, the Covid Tracking Project reported 83,010 new cases on Friday.

US Surgeon General Jerome Adams has warned that hospital admission numbers are growing, but mortality rates are falling due to better patient care.

It comes as pharma giants AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson resume US vaccine trials after approval from regulators.

The World Health Organization has also warned that countries in the Northern Hemisphere are at a "critical juncture".

"The next few months are going to be very tough and some countries are on a dangerous track," said director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking with reporters.

What are the latest US figures?
According to the Covid Tracking Project, nearly 8.5 million cases of coronavirus have been reported in America since the pandemic began.

The daily increase on Friday surpassed the tracking project's previous record on 17 July, when 76,842 cases were reported, by more than 6,000 cases.

Over the last week, US has tallied the 441,541 new infections - its largest seven-day increase since the end of July.

The number of people who've died after contracting coronavirus has also steadily increased during the last six days, but is still significantly below the peak of over 2,000 daily deaths reported in April.

Hospital admission numbers are rising, too. As of Friday, 41,485 people were being treated in hospital, according to Covid Tracking Project data. This was the highest figure since the end of August, but it was also lower than figures reported in April and July.

Data for Friday has not yet been released by the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC). But on Thursday the CDC reported 74,380 new cases, its third-highest number on record.

Which states are worst affected?
America's Midwest continues to be the hardest-hit region of the country, with cases soaring in states like North Dakota, Montana and Wisconsin.

In Ohio, a key battleground state for the upcoming presidential election, authorities recorded their worst daily case increase for a third day running.

Others in the region, including Illinois and Indiana, also saw daily rises near or at record highs on Friday.

Meanwhile, in the south-west cases reached an all-time high in Utah, where new mandatory mask rules have been introduced in 21 counties.

Governor Gary Herbert warned that the virus's impact had seriously impacted local hospital capacity.

"Up until now, our hospitals have been able to provide good care to all Covid and non-Covid patients who need it. But today we stand on the brink," said Mr Herbert.

"If Utahans do not take serious steps to limit group gatherings and wear masks, our healthcare providers will not have the ability to provide quality care for everyone who needs it."

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54670386.
 
Coronavirus: US sees record-high daily Covid numbers as election nears

The US saw a record high of 91,000 new Covid-19 cases reported on Thursday, with spikes in dozens of states just days before the presidential election.

The same day, over 1,000 Americans died with the virus, as the national death toll and number of patients in hospital continue to trend upward.

Over nine million total cases have been reported in the US, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.

The contest between Donald Trump and Joe Biden comes to a head on Tuesday.

This is the third time this month that the US daily death toll has surpassed 1,000, according to Reuters.

Twenty-one states are experiencing outbreaks, with some of the most severe in the states that will be key in deciding the 2020 election.

In the battleground state of Wisconsin, hospitals in Green Bay warned that President Trump's Friday rally there could make the outbreak worse.

"It is more important now than ever to avoid large crowds, especially here in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where we are seeing some of the most rapid spread of Covid-19 in the United States," a joint statement from several hospitals said.

On Friday, ahead of his scheduled rallies, Mr Trump tweeted: "More Testing equals more Cases. We have best testing. Deaths WAY DOWN."

At recent Trump rallies, attendees have been screened and given masks. The events have also been held outdoors due to the pandemic. But there has not been social distancing, and some supporters continue to avoid masks.

Mr Biden has also continued to campaign, though the Democrat's rallies have enforced social distancing practices, opting to have people attend inside their cars, for example.

Mr Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, made an appearance on Fox News on Thursday where he repeated his father's line that the pandemic is under control.

"I went through the [Centers for Disease Control] data, because I kept hearing about new infections," the younger Mr Trump said.

"But I was like, 'Well, why aren't they talking about deaths?' Oh, because the number is almost nothing. Because we've gotten control of this and we understand how it works."

CDC data on 29 October reported an additional 1,060 deaths due to Covid-19. The total US death toll is over 228,000 people.

US health experts are warning the case load and death toll will continue to rise as the flu season coincides with the outbreaks.

Infectious disease expert and White House coronavirus task force member Dr Anthony Fauci told CNBC on Wednesday that the nation was "going in the wrong direction".

"If things do not change, if they continue on the course we're on, there's going to be a whole lot of pain in this country with regard to additional cases and hospitalisations and deaths."

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54751759.
 
Covid: White House accuses top scientist Fauci of 'playing politics'

The White House has accused leading infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci of playing politics days before the election in an interview about the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr Fauci told the Washington Post the US was in for a "whole lot of hurt".

He also offered an assessment of how both President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, are approaching the pandemic.

The US has recorded more deaths and cases than any other country.

According to data collated by Johns Hopkins University, deaths in the US have now passed 230,000, while more than nine million cases have been registered.

In his interview with the Post published on Saturday night, Dr Fauci warned that "all the stars are aligned in the wrong place as you go into the fall and winter season, with people congregating at home indoors."

"You could not possibly be positioned more poorly," he said.

When asked about the approaches of the two presidential candidates, Dr Fauci said Mr Biden was "taking it seriously from a public health perspective", while Mr Trump was "looking at it from a different perspective… the economy and reopening the country".

He said the US needed to make an "abrupt change" in public health practices and behaviours.

The comments drew a sharp rebuke from the White House, which accused Dr Fauci of attempting to bolster Mr Biden's bid for the presidency.

Spokesman Judd Deere said the comments were "unacceptable and breaking with all norms".

"As a member of the [US Coronavirus] Task Force, Dr Fauci has a duty to express concerns or push for a change in strategy, but he's not done that, instead choosing to criticise the president in the media and make his political leanings known by praising the president's opponent," he added in a statement.

Coronavirus has been a central issue in the run-up to Tuesday's presidential election.

Mr Biden has called the president's handling of the coronavirus pandemic an "insult" to its victims.

The Democratic candidate - who has not ruled out further lockdowns - pledged to "let science drive our decisions" if he is elected.

"Even if I win, it's going to take a lot of hard work to end this pandemic," he told voters this week. "I do promise this: We will start on day one doing the right things."

At a rally in Goodyear, Arizona, Mr Trump warned that a Biden presidency would lead to more lockdowns and economic misery for Americans.

"If you vote for Joe Biden it means no kids in school, no graduations, no weddings, no thanksgivings, no Christmas, and no Fourth of July together.

"Other than that you'll have a wonderful life. Can't see anybody, but that's alright," he said.

He cast the election as "a choice between a Trump super-recovery and a Biden depression".

Mr Biden has been observing Covid protocols at events ahead of the vote, while Mr Trump has been staging large campaign rallies without social distancing measures.

Mr Biden has a solid national lead over the Republican president, but his advantage is narrower in the handful of US states that could vote either way and ultimately decide who wins the White House.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54774137.
 
US hits record Covid-19 daily case rise three days running

The US reported a third straight daily record for new coronavirus cases on Friday, according to Johns Hopkins University.

More than 127,000 infections were reported in 24 hours, as well as 1,149 deaths.

The news comes as officials announced that White House chief of staff Mark Meadows had also tested positive for the virus.

He is the latest Trump administration official to contract the disease.

The US is the worst affected nation in the world by Covid-19, with more than 9.7 million confirmed cases and a death toll of more than 230,000.

It was not immediately clear how Mr Meadows - who has often appeared at public events without a face mask - was infected.

According to the New York Times he first tested positive on Wednesday. Trump election campaign adviser Nick Trainer also has the virus, the paper said.

Mr Meadows travelled with the president on the final days of campaigning and was at an election night party attended by dozens of Trump supporters at the White House.

The country's coronavirus outbreak was a key policy battleground in the run-up to the 3 November election, and contributed to a surge in postal and early in-person voting.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54851759
 
New York imposes coronavirus measures in 'last chance' against new wave

New York has introduced new restrictions aimed at curbing coronavirus, with Mayor Bill de Blasio warning it was the city's "last chance" to stop a second wave.

Bars, restaurants and gyms must close by 22:00 and people can only meet in groups of 10 or less.

The US is seeing a surge in coronavirus - a record 65,368 Americans were in hospital on Wednesday.

The Covid Tracking Project also reported a record 144,270 new cases.

An average of over 900 people a day are now dying with the disease.

More than a million new cases in November pushed the total confirmed cases to over 10 million nationally, with 233,080 deaths so far.

The US has been seeing more than 100,000 new cases per day over the last eight days in what experts say may be a worse outbreak than those seen in the spring and summer.

Experts warn hospitals across the country could soon be overwhelmed.

On Wednesday a member of President-elect Joe Biden's Covid-19 advisory panel said a four to six week lockdown could bring the pandemic under control.

Dr Michael Osterholm said that the government could borrow enough money to cover lost income for businesses during a shutdown.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54906483
 
Over 920k US kids test Covid-19 positive

(MENAFN - IANS)

Washington, Nov 13 (IANS) Over 920,000 children in the US have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus since the onset of the pandemic in the country, according to the latest data.

The data published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Children's Hospital Association on Thursday said that a total of 73,883 new child cases were reported from October 29 to November 5, the highest-ever weekly increase, reports Xinhua news agency.

Over two weeks, from October 22 to November 5, there was a 17 per cent increase in child Covid-19 cases.

Altogether 927,518 child cases were reported in the US, and children represented 11.3 per cent of all those infected.

The overall rate was 1,232 cases per 100,000 children in the population, according to the report.

Children accounted for 1 per cent to 3.4 per cent of total reported hospitalizations, and 0 to 0.18 per cent of all Covid-19 deaths, said the report.

"At this time, it appears that severe illness due to Covid-19 is rare among children. However, there is an urgent need to collect more data on longer-term impacts on children, including ways the virus may harm the long-term physical health of infected children, as well as its emotional and mental health effects," the AAP said.

The US, currently the worst-hit country in the world by the pandemic, has so far registered a total of 10,535,828 coronavirus cases and 242,654 deaths.

Source: https://menafn.com/1101119991/Over-920k-US-kids-test-Covid-19-positive.
 
Coronavirus: Oregon and New Mexico impose restrictions

The US states of Oregon and New Mexico have announced strict measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 as the country faces growing outbreaks of the disease.

Officials have ordered most non-essential businesses to close and urged people to limit their social interactions.

On Friday, California became the second state to hit one million Covid cases, after Texas.

On average, more than 900 people a day are dying with the disease in the US.

Daily cases have topped 100,000 for the last 11 days and more than 67,000 people are currently in hospital.

The US has seen over 10.7 million cases and 244,000 deaths thus far, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The Trump administration struck an optimistic tone on Friday, saying they hope to have two vaccines and two therapeutic treatments for Covid-19 approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the coming weeks.

Dr Moncef Slaoui, head of the administration's vaccine initiative, said 20 million doses could be ready to be distributed in December, and then at least 20 million doses each month after that.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said he would not put the US into lockdown. "Lockdowns cost lives and they cost a lot of problems. The cure cannot be.... worse than the problem itself and I've said it many times," he said.

Data shows that the majority of the country has rising "community spread" of the virus - situations where people get the virus without any known contact with a sick person.

In recent weeks, the Midwestern US has been the centre of the outbreaks, with cases rising in states like Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54935700
 
Michigan and Washington State clamp down as US cases pass 11 million mark

Michigan and Washington are the latest US states to bring in strict measures to try and curb the spread of Covid-19.

High schools and colleges are to halt on-site teaching and restaurants are prohibited from offering indoor dining in Michigan from Wednesday.

Indoor restaurant dining is also banned in Washington State, and gyms, cinemas, theatres and museums will close.

Covid cases have now topped 11 million in the US, with hospital admissions at record levels.

On average, more than 1,000 people a day are dying with the virus, and the overall death toll is close to 250,000.

The Trump administration struck an optimistic note on Friday, saying it hoped to distribute 20 million doses of an approved vaccine in December, and for each month after that - although vaccines have yet to get official approval.

But aides to President-elect Joe Biden say the White House's refusal to facilitate a presidential transition means his team is being excluded from planning around a vaccination campaign that will be a priority for Mr Biden when he takes office in January.

"Our experts need to talk to those people as soon as possible so nothing drops in this change of power we're going to have on January 20th," the president-elect's chief of staff Ron Klain was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.

Mr Klain said the Biden team would nonetheless start talking to vaccine manufacturers.

On Monday, in a major new development, US drug company Moderna said its Covid-19 vaccine was nearly 95% effective according to early results.

A similar announcement earlier this month about another vaccine - from the companies Pfizer and BioNTech - sent stock markets soaring amid hopes that life could return to normal next year.

_115484622_us_cases_deaths13nov-nc-2.png


https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54955093
 
Covid: US records quarter of a million deaths from coronavirus

The US has recorded more than 250,000 deaths from Covid-19, a bleak marker as cases soar once again across the country.

According to Johns Hopkins University, the country has now reported 250,029 deaths and nearly 11.5 million cases.

It has more infections and a higher death toll than any other country worldwide.

And cases have once again started to soar throughout the US, hitting new daily highs in the last week.

Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday, top US infectious diseases Dr Anthony Fauci said the country was "going in the wrong direction at a very precarious time", with people more likely to gather inside as the weather gets colder.

New York City - the epicentre of the US outbreak in the spring - has ordered the closure of its schools from Thursday, amid a spike in cases.

The decision to close the US's largest public school system came as positive test rates for the virus surpassed the 3% threshold, officials say. It will affect some 300,000 children.

What did Dr Fauci say?
In an interview on the BBC News channel, Dr Fauci warned about the new surge in cases leading to more deaths.

"It's a very serious situation because there are lagging indicators," he said. "So when you see the massive increase in cases as we're seeing now particularly as more and more people are doing things inside, we're in a very difficult situation."

He repeated his call for people to "double down" on public health measures, such as wearing face coverings, physical distancing and avoiding crowds.

"They sound so simple and we know they can work. But there's a degree of Covid fatigue - people just are worn out with these restrictions," Dr Fauci said.

He urged people to "hold out for just a little longer because help is on the way" in the form of vaccines.

At the end of March - when the US had recorded 2,200 deaths - Dr Fauci predicted the pandemic could kill up to 200,000 Americans and infect millions more.

On Wednesday data released by Pfizer and BioNTech said the vaccine they had developed to tackle the virus appeared to protect 94% of adults over 65 years old.

Last week, Pfizer and BioNTech published preliminary data suggesting the vaccine offered 90% protection against Covid-19 and said there were no safety concerns.

This was followed by data on a vaccine made by US company Moderna suggesting nearly 95% protection and similarly promising results from trials of another developed in Russia called Sputnik.

What's happening in New York?
A letter from New York City Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza released on Wednesday informed parents that all schools would close and classrooms would immediately shift to online learning "until further notice".

"You will hear from your principal shortly about next steps for you and your student. Please note that this is a temporary closure, and school buildings will reopen as soon as it is safe to do so."

The move comes only eight weeks after the school system reopened to students. It is the latest city to close school and shift to online learning after Boston and Detroit, with Las Vegas and Philadelphia delaying plans to return pupils to classrooms.

Bill de Blasio, the New York mayor, said: "No one is happy about this decision. We all in fact are feeling very sad about this decision because so much good work has been put into keeping the schools open, opening them up to begin with."

However, he said that officials had "set a very clear standard" on safety metrics that needed to be met in order for schools to take pupils, "and we need to stick to that standard".

"I want to emphasise to parents, to educators, to staff, to kids that we will intend to come back and come back as quickly as possible," he said.

The school closure is the latest measure amid attempts to curb a fresh outbreak of cases.

Last week further restrictions were put into place - including bars and restaurants moving to takeaway-only after 22:00 and parties at private residences being limited to 10 people.

Officials in other states are taking similar measures. On Wednesday Minnesota Governor Tim Walz told all restaurants and bars to halt inside eating and all gyms to close for four weeks.

The decision to close the schools is in contrast to measures in Europe, where businesses have closed but schools largely remain open.

The move, which represents a major backslide for the city's coronavirus recovery, has also left parents scrambling for last-minute childcare options.

How are hospitals coping?
As infections rise throughout the country, the healthcare system is struggling to cope.

In the Texan city of El Paso the convention centre was recently converted into a makeshift hospital. Some patients are being airlifted elsewhere in the state due to the overcrowded facilities, and authorities have requested ten refrigerated trailers to use as mobile morgues.

But the problems are spreading across the US. Johnson City Medical Center in Tennessee's director of critical care, Alison Johnson, has told the Associated Press that she drives to and from work some days in tears.

"We are depressed, disheartened and tired to the bone," she said. The agency reports that doctors in Idaho say they are almost at the point where they need to ration care, while the Renown Regional Medical Center in Nevada has started putting some coronavirus patients in its parking garage.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54995655.
 
Coronavirus: CDC urges Americans not to travel for Thanksgiving

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has told Americans to avoid travel for the Thanksgiving holiday amid soaring Covid-19 cases.

"In the last week, we've seen over a million new cases," said the CDC's Erin Sauber-Schatz to reporters on Thursday. "Thanksgiving is a week away."

But the agency stopped short of issuing a travel ban for Americans.

The US has so far recorded more than 11.6 million coronavirus infections and more than 250,000 deaths.

Thanksgiving typically heralds the busiest week for travel in the US. Last year, an estimated 26 million travellers passed through the country's airports in the week surrounding the holiday.

"It's not a requirement. It's a recommendation for the American public to consider," Dr Henry Walke, the CDC's Covid-19 incident manager, said during Thursday's press briefing.

"Right now, especially as we're seeing this sort of exponential growth in cases, and the opportunity to translocate disease or infection from one part of the country to another, it leads to our recommendation to avoid travel at this time."

Also on Thursday, the White House coronavirus task force had its first public briefing in months. Members of the task force, including Vice-President Mike Pence, noted the rise in coronavirus cases and positivity rates - meaning the percentage of coronavirus tests that come back positive - across the country.

"This is really a call to action for every American to increase their vigilance," said task force coordinator Dr Deborah Birx. "This is more cases, more rapidly, than what we had seen before."

Though Dr Birx urged Americans to limit indoor interactions - like the type of group gatherings characteristic of Thanksgiving - the task force did not comment specifically on holiday travel. And Mr Pence in particular maintained an upbeat tone, emphasising the recent progress in vaccine development and touting the country's improved preparedness.

"American has never been more prepared to combat this virus than we have been today," the vice-president said.

The White House has so far declined to engage with President-elect Joe Biden and his incoming administration on coronavirus policy, as President Donald Trump refuses to concede the presidential contest.

Mr Biden on Thursday called Mr Trump's failure to concede an "incredibly damaging message" for the rest of the world. The Democrat has said that co-ordination is necessary to combat the coronavirus outbreak.

Asked on Thursday if he would close down the economy in an effort to curb the outbreak, Mr Biden dismissed the notion of a nationwide shutdown.

"I'm going to shut down the virus. That's what I'm going to shut down," he said. "There's no circumstance which I can see that would require total national shutdown."

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55011155.
 
Senior Pentagon official tests Covid-19 positive

(MENAFN - IANS)

Washington, Nov 20 (IANS) Acting US Undersecretary of Defence for Policy Anthony Tata has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the Pentagon said in a statement.

Tata was one of the several senior US defence officials who on November 13 met Lithuanian Defence Minister Raimundas Karoblis, who had later tested positive for the virus, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying on Thursday night

During his visit, Karoblis also met Acting Defence Secretary Chris Miller and the secretaries of the army, navy and air force.

"We have and are continuing to conduct further contact tracing of DoD personnel who have had close contact with the Lithuanian delegation or Tata," the Pentagon statement said, adding that it will report additional positive cases as appropriate.

There was also an outbreak at the Pentagon last month when Vice Commandant of the US Coast Guard Adam. Charles Ray had contracted the disease.

The assistant commandant of the Marine Corps later also tested positive for the virus.

Source: https://menafn.com/1101156933/Senior-Pentagon-official-tests-Covid-19-positive.
 
Donald Trump Jr tests positive for coronavirus

US President Donald Trump's oldest son has tested positive for coronavirus, according to his spokesman.

Donald Trump Jr, 42, was diagnosed at the start of this week and has been quarantining at his cabin since the result, according to the spokesman.

"He's been completely asymptomatic so far and is following all medically recommended Covid-19 guidelines," said the statement.

Don Jr is the second of the president's children to test positive.

Barron Trump, 14, was also diagnosed last month, but made a swift recovery, the president told rally-goers during the election campaign.

Don Jr's partner, Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former Fox News host, tested positive for the disease in July, and also recovered. He apparently did not contract the infection at the time.

Earlier on Friday, Andrew Giuliani, a special assistant to President Trump, announced he had tested positive for coronavirus.

Mr Giuliani, the son of the president's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, tweeted that he was experiencing mild symptoms after receiving his positive test on Friday morning.

CBS News, the BBC's US partner, confirmed on Friday that at least four other White House aides have tested positive for Covid-19 in a new outbreak there.

Earlier this month, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows was among several aides who tested positive for the infection.

The president himself spent three nights in hospital at the beginning of October after being hit by Covid-19. First Lady Melania Trump also had a bout of the infection.

It is not known where Don Jr is quarantining, but the Trumps own a 171-acre hunting preserve with a lodge in rural upstate New York.

Last month, the president's son was criticised for downplaying the US coronavirus death toll.

In an interview with Fox News, he argued that the media was focusing on the caseload, while ignoring the mortality rate.

He said: "I was like, 'Well, why aren't they talking about deaths?' Oh, oh, because the number is almost nothing. Because we've gotten control of this, and we understand how it works."

The virus has infected 11.8 million Americans and killed more than 253,000.

On Friday alone, 192,000 people in the US tested positive for coronavirus, according to the Covid Tracking Project.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-55024888.
 
California's Covid curfew to begin, as US cases hit 12-million mark

California is to begin a night-time curfew on Saturday, in an attempt to curb a surge in coronavirus cases.

The western state's latest figures are now worse than the previous peak in August, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Across the US, the daily death toll linked to Covid-19 has passed 2,000 for the first time since May.

The country has now more than 12 million confirmed infections, with more than 255,000 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

This is by far the highest death toll in the world.

About 187,000 new infections were recorded nationwide in the latest figures - released on Friday for the previous day - which is an all-time high.

Several states have imposed new mask mandates and restrictions to try to combat the rise, and in Texas the National Guard is being deployed to the city of El Paso to help with morgue operations there.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also urged Americans to avoid travelling for the Thanksgiving holiday on 26 November to prevent increased transmissions.

Thanksgiving typically heralds the busiest week for travel in the US. Last year, an estimated 26 million people passed through the country's airports in the week surrounding the holiday.

On Friday, it was revealed that President Donald Trump's oldest son, Donald Trump Jr, had tested positive for coronavirus. "Apparently I got the 'rona," he said in a video on social media, adding that he was asymptomatic so far and quarantining.

Much of California faces stay-at-home order
California reported a total of one million cases last week, making it the second state to do so after Texas.

The new daily curfew, from 22:00 local time on Saturday (06:00 GMT Sunday) until 05:00, will carry on until 21 December, with a possible extension if needed, according to authorities.

Restaurants will be able to offer takeout and delivery outside these hours.

The stay-at-home order affects 41 out of California's 58 counties, covering more than 94% of the state's population. Some 40m people live in California, the most populous state in the US.

Some counties have also warned that a more severe lockdown could follow. The latest measures are not as strict as restrictions imposed between March and May, when all nonessential business and travel was prohibited.

Other places, including New York City, are also operating a night-time curfew. Bars, restaurants and gyms are allowed to open until 22:00, but schools have been closed.

The Californian curfew was announced by Governor Gavin Newsom.

"The virus is spreading at a pace we haven't seen since the start of this pandemic, and the next several days and weeks will be critical to stop the surge," he wrote in a statement.

Hospital admissions are up 61% statewide in the last two weeks, according to the Los Angeles Times newspaper.

"The data looks really bad right now," said Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer on Friday.

Americans urged to avoid Thanksgiving travel
The CDC has recommended that Americans "consider" avoiding Thanksgiving travel and gatherings.

"It's not a requirement. It's a recommendation," said Dr Henry Walke, the CDC's Covid-19 incident manager, on Thursday.

The following day, President Donald Trump re-tweeted the words of Republican Congressman Jim Jordan: "Don't lockdown the country. Don't impose curfews. Don't close schools. Let Americans decide for themselves. And celebrate Thanksgiving."

The president and President-elect Joe Biden have both said they are against imposing a national lockdown, and favour letting states come up with their own rules.

On Thursday, the White House coronavirus task force had its first public briefing in months. Members, including Vice-President Mike Pence, noted the rise in coronavirus cases.

The task force said indoor gatherings should be limited over the next couple of weeks.

However on Saturday, US media noted that Mr Pence's wife, Karen, had sent out an invitation for a "Christmas craft" get-together at their home on 9 December for Congressional Club members.

The White House has also so far declined to engage with Joe Biden and his incoming administration on policy, as Mr Trump refuses to concede the presidential contest.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55030611.
 
Covid: First Americans 'could get vaccine in December'

The first Americans to receive a Covid-19 vaccine could get it as soon as 11 December, according to the head of the US coronavirus vaccine programme.

Dr Moncef Slaoui told US network CNN the plan was to "ship vaccines to the immunisation sites within 24 hours" of a vaccine being approved.

The comments come amid a surge in coronavirus cases across the country.

The US has recorded more than 12m cases and 255,000 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

These are the highest tolls registered anywhere in the world.

American pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its partner BioNTech submitted an application on Friday for emergency authorisation in the US of their Covid-19 vaccine.

The vaccine, which requires two doses, has been shown by tests to be 95% effective. Pfizer hopes to produce up to 50 million doses by the end of the year.

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) vaccine advisory committee is set to meet on 10 December to discuss whether to authorise the vaccine.

Dr Slaoui told CNN it could be rolled out "maybe on day two after approval".

The vaccine is set to be distributed based on each state's population. Dr Slaoui said individual states will be responsible for deciding who gets the vaccine first, with the recommendation that priority be given to those most at risk, like healthcare workers and the elderly.

Pharmaceutical company Moderna has also reported that its vaccine is nearly 95% effective, according to test data. The company is expected to seek approval for the vaccine in the coming weeks.

Dr Slaoui said that with the level of efficacy shown in the vaccines, the US could achieve "true herd immunity" in May, with 70% of the population vaccinated.

But he added: "I really hope and look forward to seeing that the level of negative perception of the vaccine decreases and people's acceptance increases. That is going to be critical to help us. Most people need to be immunised before we can go back to a normal life."

Dr Anthony Fauci, the US's top infectious disease expert, told BBC partner CBS News that the US could reach herd immunity against Covid-19 "reasonably quickly" next year if enough Americans are vaccinated.

Although the full trial data has yet to be published, the companies involved say there have been no serious safety concerns.

It's still unclear how long protection from the vaccine lasts and if it stops people transmitting the virus.

What else is happening with Covid in the US?
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned that coronavirus cases are "rapidly rising" across the country.

The daily death toll has reached its highest level since May.

Several states have imposed new mask mandates and restrictions to try to combat the rise, and in Texas the National Guard has been deployed in the city of El Paso to help with morgue operations amid a surge in coronavirus deaths.

California has begun a night-time curfew, in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus. It reported a total of one million cases last week, making it the second state to do so after Texas.

The new daily curfew, from 22:00 local time on Saturday (06:00 GMT Sunday) until 05:00, will carry on until 21 December, with a possible extension if needed, according to authorities.

Restaurants are able to offer takeout and delivery outside these hours.

Other places, including New York City, are also operating a night-time curfew. Bars, restaurants and gyms are allowed to open until 22:00, but schools have been closed.

The CDC has urged Americans to avoid travelling for the Thanksgiving holiday on 26 November to prevent increased transmissions.

Thanksgiving typically heralds the busiest week for travel in the US. Last year, an estimated 26 million people passed through the country's airports in the week surrounding the holiday.

President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden have both said they are against imposing a national lockdown, and favour letting states come up with their own rules.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55036381.
 
US President Donald Trump's controversial special adviser on the coronavirus, Scott Atlas, has resigned.

Thanking Mr Trump for the honour of serving the American people, Dr Atlas said he had "always relied on the latest science and evidence without any political consideration or influence".

During his four months in the role, Dr Atlas questioned the need for masks and other measures to control the pandemic.

He also repeatedly clashed with other members of the coronavirus task force.

The radiologist and senior fellow at Stanford University's conservative Hoover Institution joined the task force in August. As well as questioning the usefulness of masks he was against lockdowns and promoted the idea of herd immunity.
 
First ‘mass air shipment’ of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine arrives as airlines prepare for more


The Federal Aviation Administration said it supported the “first mass air shipment” of Covid-19 vaccines, as pharmaceutical companies and airlines prepare networks for broad distribution.

United Airlines carried Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine from Brussels to Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Friday, according to people familiar with the matter.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/30/fir...ine-arrives-as-airlines-prepare-for-more.html
 
The number of people who have died due to the coronavirus in a single day in the United States has reached a new record as the country reported more than 2,700 deaths in the past 24 hours, the highest number since April.
 
Coronavirus: US hits record Covid cases and hospitalisations

Record-high Covid infections and hospitalisations have been reported in the US, with fears they will not slow in the run-up to Christmas.

The number of people in hospital passed 100,000 for the first time, a figure that has doubled since early November.

New cases rose by a record 195,695 on Wednesday, and the daily death toll of 2,733 was close to a new high.

The city of Los Angeles has reacted to an unprecedented surge there by ordering residents to stay at home.

Nationwide, infections are now closing in on 14 million, with more than 264,000 deaths, according to data from the Covid Tracking Project.

Figures have continued to soar in recent weeks, with around a million new infections reported every week in November. - equivalent to 99 every minute.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55170329
 
Biden to ask Americans to wear masks for 100 days

US President-elect Joe Biden has said he will ask Americans to wear masks for his first 100 days in office to curtail the spread of coronavirus.

He told CNN he believed there would be a "significant reduction" in Covid-19 cases if every American wore a face covering.

Mr Biden also said he would order masks to be worn in all US government buildings.

The US has recorded 14 million cases and 275,000 deaths from Covid-19.

In the interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, Mr Biden said: "The first day I'm inaugurated to say I'm going to ask the public for 100 days to mask. Just 100 days to mask, not forever. One hundred days.

"And I think we'll see a significant reduction if we occur that, if that occurs with vaccinations and masking to drive down the numbers considerably."

Constitutional experts say a US president has no legal authority to order Americans to wear masks, but Mr Biden said during the interview he and his Vice-President Kamala Harris would set an example by donning face coverings.

The president's executive authority does cover US government property, and Mr Biden told CNN he intended to exercise such power.

"I'm going to issue a standing order that in federal buildings you have to be masked," he said.

He added: "Transportation, interstate transportation, you must be masked airplanes and busses, et cetera."

US airlines, airports and most public transit systems already require all passengers and workers to wear face coverings.

The Trump White House has rejected calls from American health experts to mandate masks in transportation as "overly restrictive".

In the CNN interview, Mr Biden also said he would retain Dr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert, as chief medical adviser to the new administration's Covid-19 team.

The Democratic president-elect said he would be "happy" to take a vaccine in public to allay any concerns about its safety.

Three former presidents - Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton - have said they are also prepared to be inoculated publicly to show that it is safe.

"People have lost faith in the ability of the vaccine to work," Mr Biden said, adding that "it matters what a president and the vice-president do."

Mr Biden's Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris, who joined him at the CNN interview, received some criticism from Republicans in September after she said she would not trust any vaccine approved by US public health officials during the Trump presidency.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55182309.
 
US reports record-high daily Covid-19 cases, tally tops 14mn

(MENAFN - IANS)

Washington, Dec 4 (IANS) The US has set a new world record for the number of coronavirus cases and hospitalisations reported in a single day, as the country's overall infection tally has surpassed the 14 million mark.

It took only six days for the country to add another 1 million new cases, Xinhua news agency.

In its latest update, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday said that there were 196,227 new cases and 2,762 deaths reported in the last 24 hours.

With this, the overall caseload and death toll has now increased to 14,124,678 and 276,148, respectively.

The new daily case count set a new world record, bringing 7-day average daily increase to over 163,000.

Wednesday also marked the 25th consecutive day that daily case increase in the US surpassed 100,000.

The daily death count also marked a new high since late April.

The latest figure from The Covid Tracking Project showed there were 100,226 infected patients hospitalised across the US, the first time the number exceeded 100,000.

Long-term care facilities in the US were hit hard by the pandemic with over 100,000 known Covid-19 deaths as of last week, according to the tracking project.

Residents of long-term care facilities make up about 40 per cent of the nation's coronavirus deaths and only 6 per cent of cases.

The Midwest remains the epicentre of the pandemic in long-term care facilities.

The region has seen the highest number of reported cases and deaths every week since mid-November, according to the tracking project.

According to the CDC, the overall weekly hospitalisation rate in the US is at its highest point in the pandemic, with additional steep increases in individuals aged 65 years and older.

Many states are grappling with the surge of hospitalizations.

More than 1,000 hospitals across the country are experiencing critical staffing shortages, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

"The reality is, December, January and February are going to be rough times, I actually believe they're going to be the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation -- largely because of the stress that's going to put on our healthcare system," CDC Director Robert Redfield warned on Wednesday.

He urged Americans to continue mitigation efforts such as social distancing, wearing masks, limiting crowds and to not let their guards down during family gatherings.

Some states have imposed new restrictions in the wake of the of worsening situation.

California issued new stay-home order which will go into effect within 48 hours in regions with less than 15 per cent intensive care availability.

The new order prohibits "private gatherings of any size" and requires 100 per cent masking and physical distancing in all others.

The order will remain in effect for at least three weeks, and then can be lifted for regions whose projected ICU capacity meets or exceeds 15 per cent.

Source: https://menafn.com/1101231500/US-reports-record-high-daily-Covid-19-cases-tally-tops-14mn&source=27.
 
Trump says lawyer Rudy Giuliani has Covid-19

President Donald Trump says his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani has tested positive for Covid-19.

The president wrote in a tweet: "Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!"

Mr Giuliani, who has been leading the Trump campaign's legal challenges to the 2020 election results, is the latest person in the president's inner circle to be infected.

The president and his team have been criticised for shunning safety guidance. Mr Trump was ill in October.

Mr Giuliani, 76, has been taken to a Georgetown University hospital in Washington DC, according to the New York Times and ABC News.

The former New York mayor has not commented publicly on his own diagnosis, but, via his Twitter account, he has shared the president's announcement and thanked another well-wisher.

It is not clear if he is experiencing symptoms or when he caught the virus.

Nearly 14.6 million people have been infected with Covid-19 in the US, according to Johns Hopkins University, and 281,234 people have died - the highest figures of any country in the world.

On Sunday, Dr Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force co-ordinator, criticised the Trump administration for flouting guidelines and peddling "myths" about the pandemic.

"I hear community members parroting back those situations, parroting back that masks don't work, parroting back that we should work towards herd immunity," Dr Birx told NBC.

"This is the worst event that this country will face," she said.

Since the 3 November election, the lawyer has travelled the country as part of unsuccessful efforts to overturn Mr Trump's election defeat. During many of his events, he was seen without a face mask and ignoring social distancing.

Last Thursday he travelled to Georgia where he repeated unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud at a Senate committee hearing about election security.

Dozens of people in Trump's orbit are said to have tested positive for Covid-19 since October. Mr Giuliani's son Andrew, a White House aide, had the virus last month.

Boris Epshteyn, another Trump adviser, tested positive shortly after appearing alongside Rudy Giuliani at a news conference on 25 November.

Others include the president's chief of staff Mark Meadows and press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, along with his wife Melania and sons Donald Jnr and Baron.

Mr Trump's own diagnosis and hospital stay upended his campaign for a second term in office, less than a month before he faced Joe Biden in the presidential election.

Mr Trump has refused to concede defeat, insisting without evidence that it was stolen or rigged. Attorney General Bill Barr said last week his department has not seen any evidence of widespread voter fraud that would change the result.

Mr Biden will be sworn in as president on 20 January.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55210243.
 
US Covid rules objector 'hits policeman with car' while fleeing arrest

A US bar owner opposed to coronavirus restrictions has been charged after allegedly hitting a policeman with his car while fleeing arrest.

Daniel Presti, 34, was arrested during a raid on Mac's Public House, in New York City, which was allegedly serving patrons despite closure orders.

He has been released without a bond, according to the Washington Post, but faces 10 charges including assault.

The incident comes amid record-high coronavirus cases and hospitalisations.

The police officer allegedly struck by Mr Presti was released from hospital on Sunday with two fractured shinbones.

In a statement, Mr Presti's lawyers said police did not identify themselves during the raid, which took place in the city's Staten Island neighbourhood. They added that Mr Presti fled out of fear for his life, having had "numerous death threats", according to CBS News.

Mr Presti was arrested earlier this month and his bar was ordered to close after it was found to be serving customers, in violation of lockdown rules introduced in November.

But authorities said the bar was still serving patrons through a backdoor in a neighbouring building.

Mr Presti allegedly hit the deputy and drove for around 100 yards as the deputy was left hanging on the car bonnet.

"Whether it's flouting public health laws or ramming a car into a deputy, this guy clearly has no regard for the lives of others," tweeted Bill Neidhardt, press secretary for New York Mayor Bill de Blasio.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55173608
 
California compelled much of the state to shut down and for residents to stay at home on Monday, when some of the harshest coronavirus restrictions in the United States came into effect one day after the state set a record with more than 30,000 new COVID-19 cases.

In the most populated state of the United States, confirmed infections have surged past 1.3 million, bringing dire new records in hospitalisations and deaths.
 
Americans get stern holiday COVID warning: 'No Christmas parties'

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) -A top coronavirus adviser to President-elect Joe Biden delivered a stern holiday message to Americans on Thursday - “no Christmas parties” - and warned they face a COVID-19 siege for weeks to come despite the latest moves toward U.S. government approval of a vaccine.

“The next three to six weeks at minimum ... are our COVID weeks,” Dr. Michael Osterholm, a member of Biden’s coronavirus advisory board, told CNN. “It won’t end after that, but that is the period right now where we could have a surge upon a surge upon a surge.”

Osterholm stressed that it would be several months before the nation sees widespread availability of vaccines, the first of which cleared a key U.S. regulatory hurdle on Thursday.

A panel of outside advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration voted overwhelmingly to recommend emergency-use authorization of a vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and its German partner, BioNTech SE.

FDA approval is expected within days, paving the way for a mass inoculation campaign unparalleled in U.S. history to be launched as early as next week. The advisory panel is due to review a second vaccine from Moderna Inc next week.

Preparations for the vaccine rollout were in full swing.

Delivery giants United Parcel Service and FedEx Corp stood by to ship millions of doses to distribution staging areas under contract with the federal government, giving top priority to the vaccines.

The Pfizer vaccines require storage in ulta-cold freezer units and must be prepared for injection and given quickly once thawed, posing special challenges to medical authorities.

“We only have six hours to actually use the vaccine,” Dr. Stephen Dohi, chief pharmacist at the Los Angeles County USC Medical Center, said as he stood beside the hospital’s newly purchased ultralow freezer.

Nevertheless, Osterholm said sizeable quantities of vaccines would not be available to the public at large before March or April. Healthcare workers and nursing home residents are likely to be designated as first in line for the shots.

Osterholm’s blunt admonition came as COVID-19 caseloads soared higher, straining healthcare systems in cities and small towns across the country and leaving intensive care units in hundreds of hospitals at or near capacity.

He urged Americans to do their utmost to slow the contagion by limiting social interactions to members of their immediate households, and above all, “No Christmas parties.”

“There is not a safe Christmas party in this country right now,” he said. Health officials have voiced frustration that millions of Americans disregarded urgent appeals to limit travel and social gatherings over the recent Thanksgiving holiday, even as the pandemic was already raging unchecked.

DAILY DEATH TOLL EXCEEDS 9/11
On Wednesday the daily toll of COVID-19 deaths in the United States surpassed 3,000 for the first time, climbing to 3,253 fatalities. That exceeded the loss of life from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and pushed the total number of Americans killed by the virus since the start of the pandemic to more than 290,000.

A record 106,878 people were hospitalized with the highly contagious respiratory virus as of Thursday night, up at least 18% over the past two weeks, according to a Reuters tally of state-by-state data.

Pandemic hot zones abounded in rural areas and cities alike.

In California’s San Joaquin Valley agricultural region, less than 2% of intensive care unit (ICU) beds remain unoccupied, the California Department of Public Health reported on Thursday. Available ICU capacity throughout the most populous U.S. state has fallen to just 7.7%.

Besides the staggering human cost, the pandemic has shattered the U.S. economy, forcing millions out of work as state and local authorities imposed sweeping restrictions on social and economic activities to curb the virus. Many Americans, however, have resisted public health directives to wear face coverings in public and avoid large crowds.

On Thursday, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, a medical doctor, imposed a midnight-to-5 a.m. curfew among other measures that will kick in on Monday and last through at least Jan. 31.

Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio said he was extending his state’s 10 p.m.-to-5 a.m. curfew until Jan. 2, and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, who tested positive for COVID-19 this week, announced new mitigation measures to take effect on Saturday.

Biden, who takes office on Jan. 20 after defeating President Donald Trump in last month’s election, has set a goal of vaccinating 100 million people - about a third of the U.S. population - within the first 100 days of his administration.

Although the vaccine is seen as a pivotal weapon in ultimately vanquishing the pandemic, experts caution that its impact will be gradual due to initial supply limitations.

“It’s not going to be like a light switch on and off,” said Dr. Mark Mulligan, director of the NYU Langone Health Vaccine Center and a lead investigator for the Pfizer trials. “It’s going to be more like a dimmer switch.”

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/hea...id-warning-no-christmas-parties-idUSKBN28K1LN.
 
Texas Nears 24,000 Reported Deaths from COVID-19

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas is nearing 24,000 reported deaths from the coronavirus as the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 stays above 9,000.

The Texas Department of State Health Services said Friday that 9,109 people were hospitalized across the state.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University say Texas has had 23,913 COVID-19 related deaths since the pandemic began. The state’s death count is the second highest in the country overall and the 25th highest per capita at about 83 deaths per 100,000 people.

The seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in Texas has risen over the past two weeks from 149 deaths per day on Nov. 26 to about 189 deaths per day on Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins.

Johns Hopkins says that over the past two weeks, the rolling average number of daily new cases has increased by 675, an increase of almost 6%.

The true number of infections in Texas is likely higher because many haven’t been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe symptoms and be fatal.

Source: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/sa...as-nears-24-000-reported-deaths-from-covid-19.
 
Texas reports more than 8,000 coronavirus cases, 111 deaths

DALLAS – Texas reported more than 8,000 new cases of COVID-19 Sunday and another 111 deaths linked to the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, as the pandemic continued to strain hospitals across the state.

State health officials reported 6,479 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1,671 probable cases Sunday. That brings the official totals to more than 1.3 million confirmed cases of the disease caused by the virus and 23,911 deaths.

The actual number of cases is believed to be far higher because many people haven’t been tested and some who get the disease don’t show symptoms.

More than 9,200 Texans were hospitalized with COVID-19 Sunday and hospital systems are at to close to their full intensive care unit capacity in several parts of the state, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

The first doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine are expected at Texas hospitals this week following emergency approval of the vaccine by the Federal Drug Administration on Friday.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe symptoms and be fatal.

Source: https://www.ksat.com/news/texas/202...-more-than-8000-coronavirus-cases-111-deaths/.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: America has passed 300,000 coronavirus deaths. More people are now dying every day in the US from the covid-19 pandemic than died on 9/11. A staggering, horrifying toll & a shocking, shameful indictment of President Trump’s abject failure to handle the crisis.</p>— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) <a href="https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/1338567749363265536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
North Carolina reports 5,236 new COVID-19 cases, 26 additional deaths since Monday

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released their daily update involving COVID-19 cases within the state.

As of Tuesday, there are now 415,080 PCR positive cases and 31,521 antigen positive cases, 2,735 people hospitalized and 5,881 COVID-19 related deaths.

That is 5,236 new total cases and 26 additional deaths from Monday.

A total of 6,066,204 total COVID-19 tests have been completed in North Carolina.

Source: https://www.wtkr.com/news/coronavir...id-19-cases-26-additional-deaths-since-monday.
 
New York Gov. Cuomo warns a January economic shutdown is possible as Covid cases soar to springtime records

New York’s nonessential businesses may be forced to close again in January if the state doesn’t clamp down on escalating coronavirus cases, which have soared in recent weeks to record levels not seen since the spring, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.

“Of course a shutdown in January is possible,” Cuomo said at a news conference in Albany. “But there’s a big but,” he said, spelling the word out one letter at a time “B-U-T.”

Whether the state imposes an economic lockdown again depends on what New Yorkers do over the remaining holidays and whether new Covid-19 infections decline or grow, he said.

New York is grappling with a surge of Covid-19 cases, averaging roughly 10,294 new infections every day over the last week, a more than 7% increase compared with a week ago, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. That’s more new cases every day than the state saw in the spring when hospital systems in New York City and elsewhere were overwhelmed with patients.

Cuomo didn’t say what a second shutdown would look like. He imposed another ban on indoor dining in New York City on Monday, but said he wants to keep public schools open and he hasn’t yet decided on whether to shut down nonessential businesses.

“It is up to us. What will happen in three weeks? What will happen in four weeks? You tell me what you’re going to do over the next three weeks or four weeks, and I’ll tell you what’s going to happen,” he said.

At the current rate the virus is spreading, New Yorkers should be prepared for a second shutdown similar to the one that Cuomo issued in the spring where nonessential businesses and schools were shuttered and people were told to stay home to halt Covid-19′s spread, Mayor Bill de Blasio warned.

He said it was “increasingly necessary just to break the back of the second wave, to stop this second wave from growing, to stop it from taking lives, to stop it from threatening our hospitals,” de Blasio said during a news briefing Monday.

Cuomo urged New Yorkers to take “personal responsibility” to slow the spread of the virus, especially amid the holiday season. The state is now concerned about what the governor calls “living room spread.” That’s because statewide contact tracing data has shown that nearly 74% of new Covid-19 cases are coming from households and social gatherings.

“Nobody knows what New Yorkers will do between now and Christmas, and how they will act on Christmas week,” Cuomo said. “The numbers are not predestined. The numbers a reflection of what we do.”

The governor also pushed for the state’s hospitals to shift to “crisis management mode,” meaning that health-care systems need work with neighboring hospital systems to “share the burden” of patients and transfer resources to hospitals in areas with high Covid-19 rates.

There are more than 5,400 people hospitalized in New York based on a weekly average, a more than 25% increase compared with a week ago, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project, which is run by journalists at The Atlantic.

“Balance the load so you don’t have hospitals getting overwhelmed, which is what we saw in the past,” Cuomo said.

The state has started administering its initial allotment of Covid-19 vaccines to front-line health-care workers. The state has so far received 87,750 doses of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine, and it plans on getting an additional 80,000 doses in the next few days, Cuomo said.

“That will go for residents at nursing homes,” Cuomo said. New York could get another 346,000 doses of vaccine from Moderna if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration clears it for emergency use this week.

“Slow the spread, manage the hospitals, administer the vaccine,” Cuomo said.

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/16/new...ary-covid-shutdown-is-possible-but-mayb-.html.
 
California Activates 'Mass Fatality' Program As State Sets New Virus Records

Updated at 9:12 p.m. ET

Confirmed coronavirus infections and virus-related deaths are soaring in California, the nation's most populous state, setting new records as hospitals struggle to keep up with the onslaught of cases.

It has prompted the state to activate its "mass fatality" program, which coordinates mutual aid across several governmental agencies.

On Thursday, California reported 52,281 new daily confirmed coronavirus cases and 379 new virus-related deaths, according to state data. This brings the state's total number of cases to more than 1.7 million, with 21,860 deaths since the pandemic began.

The impact on hospitals is particularly grave in Southern California, where no intensive care unit beds are available.

According to The Los Angeles Times, which is compiling its own coronavirus tally for the state, the number of Californians hospitalized due to the disease has broken records for 18 consecutive days.

The number of people in ICUs because of COVID-19 continues to set records as well, the newspaper said, with 14 straight days of increases.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Thursday that his 9-year-old daughter has tested positive and is "doing fine." Because of his daughter's test result, he said, he and his wife, who have tested negative, will quarantine.

On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom struck an optimistic tone after the first tranche of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines began arriving in the state.

The governor said that in addition to the 327,600 doses that arrived this week, Pfizer will distribute another 393,900 doses next week.

"I've said often there is light at the tunnel, but we're still in the tunnel," Newsom said, adding that the state is in the midst of the most challenging surge since the beginning of the pandemic.

"We will come out of it stronger than ever. I just want to come out of it healthier than ever. I want you to be there to experience the resurgence, this recovery, California's comeback," he said.


Hospital beds are set up in the practice facility at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, Calif. The facility is ready to receive patients as needed as new coronavirus infections and deaths rise in the state.


According to the California Office of Emergency Services, or OES, a mass fatality is an incident in which more deaths take place in a period of time than can be handled by local coroner or medical emergency personnel.

Newsom said the state has 60 refrigerated units, each 53 feet long, available if needed. He also said that 5,000 body bags were distributed to some of the hardest-hit counties, including Los Angeles, San Diego and Inyo counties.

The spike in new infections, which began in October, is being largely blamed on Californians ignoring safety protocols and socializing with others, according to The Associated Press.

Mark Pazin, the state's OES chief, told Sacramento-based NBC affiliate KCRA that the purpose of the program is to ensure the spiking death tolls don't overwhelm localities.

"I know it sounds morbid, but it's got to be said, that we have the body bags, that we have the proper refrigeration units, that the capacity has not outstripped the local morgue or funeral home," Pazin said.

"Words sometimes can't explain what we're facing, but suffice it to say, everyone is stepping up to the plate here in the state of California," he added.

Much of California remains under stay-at-home orders triggered by regions in the state that have less than 15% ICU availability.

The orders, which went into effect on Dec. 5, will continue for at least three weeks. Afterward, counties will be eligible to sunset the stay-at-home order if "ICU capacity projected four weeks out reaches 15 percent," according to the governor's office.

The coronavirus is putting a strain on Americans and the nation's hospital systems across the county. On Wednesday, the U.S. reported its highest number of single-day fatalities since the pandemic began, with more than 3,600 succumbing to virus-related complications.

Source: https://www.npr.org/sections/corona...ality-program-as-state-sets-new-virus-records.
 
US vice-president takes vaccine live on TV

Mike Pence, the US vice-president, and his wife Karen have both just received a COVID-19 vaccination on live television.

In remarks made immediately after, he seemed to echo the US president's sentiment about the Moderna vaccine nearing approval - saying the country could have two vaccines approved within a matter of hours.

Along with Mr Pence, Surgeon General Jerome Adams also got the jab.

It was administered in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House in Washington DC, by three medics from Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre.
 
California sees record 379 coronavirus deaths as ICU capacity plummets

State has 1.7m cases, nearly as many as Spain, with ICU capacity in southern California at 0%

The coronavirus toll in California reached another frightening milestone on Thursday, with health officials announcing a one-day record of 379 deaths and a two-day total of nearly 106,000 newly confirmed cases.

The most populous US state has recorded more than 1,000 deaths in the last five days. Its overall case total now tops 1.7m, a figure nearly equal to Spain’s and only surpassed by eight countries. The state’s overall death toll has reached 21,860.

Many of California’s hospitals are running out of capacity to treat the severest cases, and the situation is complicating care for non-Covid patients. ICU capacity in southern California hit 0% on Thursday.

“It’s pretty much all Covid,” said Arlene Brion, a respiratory therapist at Fountain Valley regional hospital in Orange county, where she is assigned six or seven patients rather than the usual one to three. “There’s probably two areas that are clean but we’re all thinking eventually it’s all going to be Covid.”

The Los Angeles mayor, Eric Garcetti, who is quarantining after his daughter was exposed, gave a stark briefing to city residents, warning that within days LA county may declare a systemwide crisis, with all hospitals out of usual space and staffing. The hospitals are planning by identifying areas such as parking lots and conference rooms that can be used for patient care.


California psychiatric hospital's Covid-19 outbreak has sickened almost 700
Read more
He also reminded residents that the governor earlier announced the state had ordered 5,000 additional body bags and has dozens of refrigerated trucks ready to use as temporary morgues to handle bodies too numerous for existing morgues. “That frightens me, and it should frighten you,” Garcetti said.

On Friday, Dr Brad Spellberg, the chief medical officer at the Los Angeles county-University of Southern California medical center, said the LA region was “moving towards becoming the epicenter of the pandemic” and that he feared his hospital could soon be so overwhelmed, that it could be unable to accept patients facing life-threatening emergencies.

“We’re getting crushed. I’m not going to sugarcoat this,” said Spellberg, who teared up during the news conference.

California for months maintained a very low per capita number of infections while other states were slammed. The massive rise in infections began in October and is being blamed largely on people ignoring safety measures and socializing with others. More recently, health officials said they had seen cases stemming from gatherings during Halloween and Thanksgiving. They have pleaded with residents to avoid getting together with people from other households over Christmas and New Year’s.

Based on the science of transmission of Covid-19, the “devastation we are experiencing now” is due to infected people being in close or direct contact with another person or group long enough to infect them, said Dr Muntu Davis, the Los Angeles county health officer.

Officials fear the state may not be seeing its worst days yet. Models posted online by the California department of public health predict that California’s hospitals over the next four weeks could be overflowing with 75,000 patients, about five times the current level. An average of 400 people could die every day.

The hospitalization projection is based on cases continuing to increase at the current rate of infection without people taking additional precautions to prevent spreading the virus.

Amy Arlund, a nurse at the Covid-19 unit at the Kaiser Permanente Fresno medical center, said it took counseling for her to be able to show up for work every day, and she was frustrated that her community was again going through a surge of infections. “We’re treated like we’re expendable,” she said. “We’re supposed to be the most trusted profession in the United States, and if we are so well trusted, why aren’t people listening to us?”

Amid the surge, San Diego county suspended enforcement of Covid-19 restrictions on restaurants and live adult entertainment establishments. The move came after a judge extended his order protecting two strip clubs from a state shutdown order and surprisingly said the ruling applied more broadly to restaurants.

The San Diego superior court judge Joel Wohlfeil said the government presented “no evidence“ the establishments that had implemented safety requirements were contributing to the surge.

California has opened five alternative care facilities, including a former NBA arena in Sacramento and two state-run developmental centers, to try to ease the burden on hospitals. Another 1,555 beds were in what state officials are calling “warm status”, meaning they can be ramped up within days to receive patients. State officials also are continuing to talk with the defense department about using the staff from the USNS Mercy hospital ship, even if they don’t use the ship itself.

San Francisco on Thursday issued a 10-day travel quarantine for anyone traveling to the region from elsewhere because of the high number of cases in other parts of the state and country. The city is averaging a record high of 242 new cases a day, although the rate of increase has “slowed just a bit”, meaning there’s still time to turn the “dire situation” around, said the public health director, Dr Grant Colfax.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/18/california-coronavirus-hospital-icu-cases-deaths.
 
N.J. reports another 4,240 COVID-19 cases, 49 deaths. Hospitalizations decline for third day.

New Jersey on Saturday reported another 4,240 cases of the coronavirus and 49 additional confirmed deaths in the state, while both hospitalizations and the transmission rate dropped.

Statewide hospitalizations declined for the third straight day, to 3,570 patients being treated for confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases as of Friday night. That’s much lower than the more than 8,000 patients at the peak of the first wave in April, though still the most since May 14.


The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care also declined to 687, with the number on ventilators dropping to 471.

The seven-day average for new positive tests declined Saturday to 4,489, down 12% from a week ago, but up 16% from a month ago. The seven-day average has been above 4,000 since Nov. 23. New Jersey has had 1,071 confirmed deaths in December, the most of any month since June.

In a radio interview Saturday morning with Howard Gutman on WRVA 1140-AM, Gov. Phil Murphy said that New Jersey was deep in the midst of the second wave, warning that the worst was yet to come.

“We’re in the throes of it,” said Murphy. “I think it’ll get worse ... before it gets better. Not just in New Jersey, but in the country.”

New Jersey’s statewide rate of transmission declined for the sixth straight day, from 1.03 to 1.01. Any number over 1 indicates the outbreak is expanding, though recent drops suggest the state has reached a possible plateau in new cases after a post-Thanksgiving surge.


The transmission rate of 1.01 is the lowest since Sept. 3, when it was .99.

The statewide positivity rate for Tuesday, the most recent day available, was 10.65% based on 42,781 tests. That’s higher than previous days.

Newly confirmed deaths have been rising in recent weeks. Murphy previously said 21 of the 44 newly confirmed deaths reported Friday occurred in the previous three days. The state has announced 1,071 confirmed COVID-19 deaths in December so far. That’s higher than any month since June.

Healthcare workers at various hospitals throughout New Jersey have started receiving the state’s first batch of coronavirus vaccines this week.

Officials also said Friday longterm care residents in New Jersey are also expected to receive doses starting Dec. 28 — a week later than other states because the state missed a federal deadline. The state also announced plans to open six “mega” sites to distribute the vaccine.

Meanwhile, the state’s allocation of vaccine doses have been reduced by about 20% through the end of this year, officials said. Governors in more than a dozen states says the federal government has told them next week’s shipment of the Pfizer vaccine will be less than originally projected.


On Saturday, an Army general in charge of COVID-19 vaccines apologized for “miscommunication” with states on the number of early doses delivered.

New Jersey has now reported 427,417 cases out of more than 7 million tests administered in the more than nine months since the outbreak started March 4, though those totals do not include rapid tests.

The state of 9 million residents has reported 18,173 deaths — 16,265 confirmed and 1,908 probable fatalities from complications related to the virus.

Murphy has said all options remain on the table to fight the second wave, though he said last week he does not plan for New Jersey to close indoor dining, which is currently limited to 25% capacity and a requirement that indoor service end at 10 p.m. each day. The state also allows counties and municipalities the ability to order bars and restaurants to close as early as 8 p.m. daily.


The governor also reiterated Monday that he hopes the state can avoid another shutdown and succeed with “surgical” restrictions instead.

COUNTY-BY-COUNTY NUMBERS (sorted by most new cases):

· Middlesex County: 39,647 positive tests (430 new), 1,3780 confirmed deaths (212 probable)

· Monmouth County: 27,563 positive tests (390 new), 868 confirmed deaths (96 probable)

· Bergen County: 42,751 positive tests (372 new), 1,988 confirmed deaths (256 probable)

· Essex County: 43,375 positive tests (362 new), 2,092 confirmed deaths (239 probable)

· Hudson County: 39,390 positive tests (315 new), 1,499 confirmed deaths (161 probable)

· Ocean County: 28,168 positive tests (305 new), 1,179 confirmed deaths (71 probable)

· Camden County: 25,404 positive tests (271 new), 698 confirmed deaths (58 probable)


· Passaic County: 37,236 positive tests (267 new), 1,245 confirmed deaths (146 probable)

· Burlington County: 18,184 positive tests (236 new), 542 confirmed deaths (45 probable)

· Union County: 33,978 positive tests (233 new), 1,330 confirmed deaths (173 probable)

· Atlantic County: 10,464 positive tests (179 new), 316 confirmed deaths (15 probable)

· Morris County: 17,882 positive tests (163 new), 758 confirmed deaths (170 probable)

· Gloucester County: 12,327 positive tests (154 new), 338 confirmed deaths (8 probable)

· Mercer County: 17,138 positive tests (133 new), 663 confirmed deaths (37 probable)

· Cumberland County: 6,735 positive tests (102 new), 192 confirmed deaths (9 probable)


· Somerset County: 11,379 positive tests (83 new), 558 confirmed deaths (84 probable)

· Sussex County: 3,669 positive tests (54 new), 164 confirmed deaths (42 probable)

· Hunterdon County: 3,269 positive tests (42 new), 80 confirmed deaths (54 probable)

· Salem County: 2,369 positive tests (39 new), 99 confirmed deaths (5 probable)

· Warren County: 3,361 positive tests (35 new), 164 confirmed deaths (13 probable)

· Cape May County: 2,104 positive tests (18 new), 112 confirmed deaths (14 probable)

HOSPITALIZATIONS

The 3,570 patients hospitalized in New Jersey with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases as of Friday night was 12 fewer than the previous night.

It includes 687 in critical or intensive care (28 fewer than the previous night), with 471 on ventilators (nine fewer than the night before).

There were 337 patients discharged from hospitals Friday, according to the state’s coronavirus dashboard.

SCHOOL CASES

Although hundreds of school districts have announced coronavirus cases and dozens of New Jersey schools have temporarily switched to all-remote classes since the start of the school year, state health officials have said 98 schools have had confirmed COVID-19 outbreaks.

There have now been 428 total cases of in-school transmission in those 98 schools since the start of the school year.

Those numbers do not include students or staff believed to have been infected outside school, or cases that can’t be confirmed as in-school outbreaks.

Though the numbers keep rising every week, Murphy has said the school outbreak statistics remain below what state officials were expecting when schools reopened for in-person classes. The extensive rules for schools, which include social distancing guidelines for classrooms and strict mask requirements, have made schools among the safest places in the state, he said.


AGE BREAKDOWN

Broken down by age, those 30 to 49 years old make up the largest percentage of New Jersey residents who have caught the virus (31.5%), followed by those 50-64 (24%), 18-29 (19%), 65-79 (11.2%), 80 and older (5.9%), 5-17 (6.7%), and 0-4 (1.4%).

On average, the virus has been more deadly for older residents, especially those with pre-existing conditions. Nearly half the state’s COVID-19 deaths have been among residents 80 and older (47.69%), followed by those 65-79 (31.78%), 50-64 (15.84%), 30-49 (4.31%), 18-29 (0.37%), 5-17 (0%) and 0-4 (0.02%).

At least 7,430 of the state’s COVID-19 deaths have been among residents and staff members at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. That number has been rising again at a steeper rate in recent weeks.

GLOBAL NUMBERS


As of Saturday morning, there were more than 75.7 million positive COVID-19 tests across the world, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. More than 1.67 million people have died from coronavirus-related complications.

The U.S. has reported the most cases, with more than 17.4 million, and the most deaths, at more than 313,000.

Source: https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020...s-hospitalizations-decline-for-third-day.html.
 
Covid: US reaches long awaited deal for coronavirus aid

After months of wrangling, US lawmakers have agreed to a roughly $900bn package of pandemic aid, including money for businesses and unemployment programmes.

The money is set to accompany a bigger $1.4tn spending bill to fund government operations over the next nine months.

It comes as many Covid-19 economic relief programmes were set to expire at the end of the month.

About 12 million Americans were at risk of losing access to unemployment benefits.

The House of Representatives and the Senate are expected to vote on the package on Monday. Officials say it should have enough support to quickly pass both chambers.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-55324489.
 
Gov. Mike DeWine says getting the COVID-19 vaccine is ‘one small act’ to save lives

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WJW) — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine gave a coronavirus update today regarding new cases and the vaccine rollout throughout the state.

The governor announced that the Ohio National Guard received a waiver tto help in the administration of the vaccine.

DeWine also said that according to initial data, a huge Thanksgiving holiday spike of coronavirus spread did not occur in the state.

“Some did hold traditional Thanksgiving gatherings, which resulted in some COVID-19 spread, but those appear to be exceptions. Most Ohioans did well limiting gatherings,” he said.

However, as hospitalization rates continue to remain high, he said we cannot remain complacent during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

“As far as people being mandated to get the vaccine, we’ve not made that decision,” DeWine said. “We’ve made the decision not to do that. I would just hope that anybody who works in a nursing home, who is working with our most venerable citizens, would seriously consider being vaccinated. It’s a time in your life when you have the ability to save people’s lives by one small act, I would really ask you to do that.”

The Ohio Department of Health also released the state’s latest coronavirus numbers Monday afternoon.

There have been 629,354 total confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in the state since the pandemic began, which includes an addition of 6,548 cases reported today, along with a total of 8,122 deaths (including 75 additional fatalities reported today).

The total number of hospitalizations due to the virus is now 35,048 people. The median age of those Ohioans getting coronavirus is now 43 years old.

New hospitalization numbers are now at 301 inpatients, and 37 in the ICU in the last 24 hours. About 454,354 people are presumed to have recovered from the illness.

Here are the Ohio counties with the most coronavirus cases:

Franklin: 76,188
Cuyahoga: 63,047
Hamilton: 47,264
Montgomery: 32,212
Summit: 24,859

And here are the Ohio counties with the most coronavirus deaths:

Cuyahoga: 863
Franklin: 695
Lucas: 505
Summit: 491
Hamilton: 305

Today, Gov. DeWine reminded Ohioans on Twitter to stay safe and stay home.

Source: https://fox8.com/news/coronavirus/watch-live-gov-mike-dewine-gives-coronavirus-update/.
 
SC Gov. Henry McMaster tests positive for COVID-19

COLUMBIA, S.C.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has tested positive for COVID-19, and despite mild symptoms will undergo an antibody treatment to keep those symptoms from worsening, his office said Tuesday.

The governor, who is 73, was notified of his diagnosis late Monday after he took a routine test earlier that day. His positive diagnosis comes after his wife, Peggy, tested positive for COVID-19 last Friday. Both tested the Thursday before, but McMaster’s test results then were negative.

Though the first lady has remained asymptomatic, the Governor’s Office said that McMaster is experiencing mild symptoms, such as a cough and slight fatigue. The governor underwent outpatient Monoclonal antibody treatment Tuesday to prevent his symptoms from worsening based on advice from his personal doctor.

McMaster’s office noted the antibody treatment is available to the general public.

Because of his age, the McMaster’s positive diagnosis puts him at a higher risk for experiencing more serious effects of COVID-19. People in their early 70s are five times as likely to be hospitalized than those in their 20s, according to health officials.

The governor will quarantine and continue to work from home for 10 days as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Peggy and I urge everyone to be extra careful during the Christmas holiday season,” McMaster said in a statement. “This virus spreads very easily.”

It is not clear where the governor and his wife may have contracted the virus.

The Governor’s Office said doctors with the state’s Department of Health and Environmental Control say there is no way to pinpoint exactly the location. But his office said that McMaster quarantined when he became aware that he was in close contact with someone who had the virus and sent all the Governor’s Residence staff home to quarantine and get tested.

“Because the governor followed the guidelines and recommendations as a close contact, SCDHEC has determined there are no ‘close contacts’ to the governor,” the Governor’s Office said.

However, while the state’s public health agency may be unaware of where the governor got COVID-19, McMaster had kept a full schedule over the past few weeks, attending multiple events that included a White House Christmas party on Dec. 14 with Peggy.

South Carolina’s first couple tested negative for the virus the Monday before the White House party that evening. The White House has been criticized repeatedly for holding multiple indoor holiday parties where photos show attendees inside without masks.

The governor’s spokesperson Brian Symmes told The State last week that McMaster wore a face mask when necessary and when social distancing was not possible. But the governor also has been seen at other indoor events without wearing a mask.

McMaster sparked some social media outcry last Sunday when he tweeted a photo of himself without a mask on while presenting former state Sen. Mike Fair the state’s highest honor, the Order of the Palmetto, at Faith Baptist Church in Taylors. A receptionist who answered the phone for the church Tuesday told The State that they were not aware of any positive cases since that service.

McMaster was, however, seen wearing a mask in a separate photo tweeted Thursday, when he met with Frank Rainwater, head of the state’s Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office, and Edward Grimball, chairman of the Board of Economic Advisors and other staff.

The governor has been the target of criticism, both for refusing to enact a statewide mask order and instead relying on local governments to implement measures, and for tightening restrictions on business activity in the early stages of the virus’ outbreak in South Carolina.

After the Thanksgiving holiday when South Carolina underwent yet another surge, McMaster called for “redoubling efforts” to stop further spread from happening. But that spread hasn’t stopped, with the state’s health agency reporting more than 2,000 new cases a day for more than a week. Since March, more than 4,600 people have died, according to state health officials.

And hospital officials have urged South Carolinians to heed health protocols as hospitalizations statewide for COVID-19 have climbed.

“It appears many people have let their guard down,” McMaster said earlier this month at a press conference. “I know we have fatigue from all of the things that we need to do, but now is not the time for us to let up.”

The governor and the first lady have not been the only notable South Carolinians to test positive.

South Carolina’s outgoing U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham was among the first public officials to test positive. His challenger and U.S. Rep.-elect Nancy Mace tested positive for the virus soon after. So did U.S. Rep. Tom Rice of Myrtle Beach and U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson last week.

The state’s Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette also tested positive for the virus in September.

McMaster received wishes to get well Tuesday from across the political spectrum.

“Our hopes and prayers for a speedy recovery and only mild symptoms as our Governor and our First Lady work through COVID-19,” tweeted Trav Robertson, chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party. “SC Strong!”

Source: https://www.thestate.com/news/coronavirus/article247957050.html.
 
Gov. Greg Abbott allows only limited COVID-19 restrictions for Texas' worst hot spots. Local leaders say it's not enough.

A Texas Tribune analysis of state data shows that in regions with the worst outbreaks, including El Paso, Amarillo and Lubbock, the restrictions have done little to ease an overburdened health care system.

By mid-November, hospitals in Lubbock were stretched thin as cases of COVID-19 spread quickly and widely throughout the West Texas community. A large number of new cases had erupted among young people who continued to flock to bars and restaurants in the college town.

“There are several steps that can be taken now that, as an enforceable mandate, would slow the avalanche descending on our local hospitals,” area doctors, nurses and other health care workers wrote in a petition to Gov. Greg Abbott, in which they pleaded for harsher restrictions.

That same day, at a press conference on Texas Tech University’s campus in Lubbock, Abbott declared that “statewide, there will not be another shutdown.”

Abbott blamed local officials for failing to enforce existing restrictions, including a statewide mask mandate he put in place in July, and occupancy reductions for businesses and mandated bar closures that are triggered when the proportion of a region’s COVID-19 patients exceeds 15% of hospital capacity for seven days.

“Just getting more tools won’t mean anything,” he said. “They need to be enforcing the protocols in place right now.”

But three months after Abbott announced the 15% rule, a Texas Tribune analysis of state data shows that in regions with the worst outbreaks, including El Paso, Amarillo and Lubbock, the restrictions have done little to ease an overburdened health care system.

A number of local leaders — almost all Democrats — say that even with rigorous enforcement, the protocols have done little to curb the spread of the coronavirus, which is continuing to surge across the state. More than 10,000 people in Texas were hospitalized with the virus as of Monday for the first time since July, and there were fewer than 800 available intensive care beds, a near record low.

Though the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine in Texas last week marked a historic milestone in the battle against the virus, it will be months before vaccine doses are widely available.

And many local elected officials say they’re handicapped by an executive order that blocks them from using more restrictive measures than those in place statewide.

“It’s an unfortunate reality because the virus doesn’t respond to politics,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said. “It only responds to following the best medical advice from the medical experts.”

Jenkins, like other local officials including Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, said he wants more latitude to set his own guidelines, such as closing indoor dining and limiting in-person gatherings. Without aggressive action, he said, the virus will continue to spread.

“I’m confident that those [state] restrictions alone will not bring the virus under control,” Jenkins said.

Abbott spokesperson Renae Eze disagreed. “The proven course of action is to enforce the existing protocols,” she said in a written statement. “That strategy was effective in slowing the spread over the summer and containing COVID-19, while allowing businesses to safely operate. The protocols work, but only if they are enforced.”

Restrictions show little effect
Texas’ 254 counties are divided among 22 regional bodies known as trauma service areas. Once one of them exceeds the 15% benchmark for seven consecutive days, according to an October executive order, area bars must close in counties where officials had allowed them to reopen, restaurants must scale back capacity from 75% to 50% and hospitals must halt non-emergency surgical procedures.

Abbott had ordered businesses to close during the first wave of infections in the spring. The shutdown eased overloaded hospitals and new cases of COVID-19 plummeted. But Abbott quickly lifted the order amid fierce blowback from Republicans who felt he had overstepped his authority. Cases spiked again in the summer, then plateaued.

Abbott announced the 15% threshold as part of a September order that allowed restaurants to open at 75% capacity, and he explained that it would be triggered if COVID-19 patients made up 15% of “all hospitalized patients'' in a region. But in October he changed the metric to 15% of “total hospital capacity” — or total beds. The change effectively moved the goalposts, requiring more COVID-19 patients to trigger the restrictions in a given area.

The October order also allowed bars, which had been closed statewide since late June, to reopen in counties where officials opted in. Counties that did so included two that would later become COVID-19 hot spots: Randall, home to part of Amarillo, and Lubbock.

Dr. Brian Weis, chief medical officer at Northwest Texas Healthcare System, told Amarillo city officials in October that many Texas hospitals have additional beds to respond to COVID-19 surges, but often lack the personnel to staff them.

“By using that number, that overestimates our capacity to handle COVID-19 patients,” he said.

Tiffany Radcliff, professor and associate dean for research at the Texas A&M University School of Public Health, said that even a trauma service area that’s below the governor’s 15% threshold “could still be struggling with new admissions for COVID-19 if there are not enough available ICU beds or trained staff to care for patients who need intensive care resources.”

As of Tuesday, 10 TSAs containing more than 100 counties had crossed the 15% threshold, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

The additional restrictions have done little to free up hospital capacity in all but one of them, data shows.

For example, in Trauma Service Area T, which includes the border town of Laredo, the proportion of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 has steadily grown since it first crossed the 15% threshold on Nov. 14. On Monday, the region reported 14 available intensive care beds, and more than a third of available hospital beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients. That number has exceeded 24% for more than a month.

In Trauma Service Area A, home to a number of Panhandle communities including Amarillo, Abbott’s restrictions took effect on Oct. 24. In the two months since, the percentage of COVID-19 patients has largely remained above 30%, though it fell to 25% on Monday. At one point, COVID-19 patients occupied two out of every five beds. Just nine intensive care beds were available on Monday for the 25-county region.

The COVID-19 situation improved in at least one region where the enhanced restrictions took effect: the one that contains the neighboring cities of Odessa and Midland. After crossing the threshold on Nov. 17, the area remained above the 15% threshold for a couple of weeks, but has since consistently remained below the benchmark — meaning businesses can again scale up capacity.

A balancing act
The trauma service area that includes the Dallas-Fort Worth area is the most populous in the state currently subject to the enhanced restrictions. Since the region crossed the 15% threshold on Nov. 25, cases of COVID-19 have continued to grow, stoking fear among health officials that North Texas’ medical infrastructure will be pushed to its limits headed into another potentially catastrophic holiday season.

The Dallas County health department reported 33 available intensive care beds on Sunday for the county’s 2.6 million residents. And Tarrant County on Sunday reported a record 1,078 people in area hospitals with COVID-19.

Dallas County did not allow bars to reopen in October, while neighboring Tarrant County did.

Jenkins, the Dallas County judge, said the enforcement of Abbott’s order is a balancing act between county and city officials and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, which regulates the state’s bars. In practice, county health officials often work in tandem with local governments to educate businesses about occupancy and mask regulations, while city code compliance officers regulate businesses within each of the county’s myriad cities.

City of Dallas officers have found nearly 23,000 infractions since early April and issued more than 6,100 notices of violation. A city spokesperson said businesses with reported violations have been very cooperative. In all, inspectors have issued just 37 citations.

Jenkins said most Dallas County businesses are likewise adhering to Abbott’s restrictions. Those that “are not acting in good faith,” Jenkins said, are mostly bars and nightclubs.

A state loophole allowed these businesses to reopen under the promise that they convert themselves into restaurants. But many county officials, including Jenkins, said bars are openly flouting guidelines and the TABC is not enforcing the rules.

Chris Porter, a TABC spokesperson, said agents have conducted more than 26,000 inspections statewide since June 26 and found about 700 instances of noncompliance. About 200 of those led to a 30-day liquor license suspension, he said.

“TABC has been conducting inspections across the state and our agents are monitoring compliance to ensure bars and restaurants are following the governor’s COVID-19 executive orders,” Porter said in a statement. “What we’ve found is that the majority of businesses — more than 97% — are committed to operating safely and have taken thorough steps to ensure the health of their customers and employees.”

TABC dispatched about 20 additional agents to both the El Paso and Lubbock regions, Porter said, to assist local officials with enforcement.

But even the added personnel isn’t enough to monitor county bars that are operating under the state loophole or are not complying with mandated closures, said El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaneigo, who did not allow bars to reopen in October. The region has remained above the 15% threshold since Oct. 12, and the additional restrictions have done little to ease the burden on a health care system that has been pushed to the brink for months.

In late October, citing a need for more aggressive action, Samaneigo ordered all nonessential businesses to close for 14 days. Local business owners and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued, arguing that Samaneigo was acting outside his authority.

By the time a state appeals court struck down the shutdown order on Nov. 13, it had been in effect for 14 days. New cases and hospitalizations have since fallen from their November peaks, though 490 people were hospitalized and the county reported more than 35,700 active infections on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, Eze, Abbott’s spokesperson, pointed to El Paso as evidence that the governor’s restrictions are effective at curbing the spread of the virus. But Samaniego credits the progress to his stay-at-home order.

“I think we proved that we did help the spread because, whether I was allowed to, I actually did the 14 days,” Samaneigo said. “I really believe that the numbers aren’t going as high as other places because of our curfew and our shutdown.”

"There’s no teeth"
The few tools left for local officials, who are barred from imposing measures more restrictive than those in place at the state level, can be difficult to enforce, Samaneigo said.

A statewide mask mandate remains in effect, but authorities can issue fines for disobeying the mandate only on the second documented offense. Fines for violating reduced capacity restrictions or closure requirements are capped at $1,000 and scofflaws cannot be jailed.

In most cases, local officials said they focus on educating wrongdoers instead of punishing them.

“Our practice is to work with businesses,” said Dillon Meek, the mayor of Waco, where advanced restrictions first took effect on Nov. 29, after McLennan County Judge Scott Felton had allowed bars to reopen in October. “We issue a warning first, before we issue a citation. It’s generally a productive means.”

Since the start of the pandemic in late March, Meek said the city’s enforcement team has issued 316 warnings and 30 citations.

In Lubbock, lines of often maskless people still flow from the city’s bars and restaurants, said Dr. Ron Cook, the city’s health authority. Restrictions under Abbott’s order have been in place since Oct. 25. Meanwhile, the city reported 245 people hospitalized with the virus on Sunday, down from a peak of 360 in late November but still enough to concern local health officials.

“Masking is required — the problem is it isn’t an enforceable mandate,” Cook said. “There’s no teeth behind the mandate.”

In a state as large and diverse as Texas, Cook said local governments need the power to respond to mounting cases as they see fit. Cook and other health experts warned, despite the start of the vaccine rollout, COVID-19 remains a dire threat and large holiday gatherings could prove devastating.

“We’re still pedaling and treading water and doing everything we can to take care of our patients,” Cook said.

Source: https://www.texastribune.org/2020/12/22/texas-coronavirus-restrictions/.
 
Oregon reports 1,000 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours

The Oregon Health Authority has reported 1,000 new and presumptive COVID-19 cases, with 21 new deaths.

The state has now seen a total of 105,970 coronavirus cases, and the death toll has risen to 1,403.

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (5), Benton (16), Clackamas (64), Clatsop (18), Columbia (10), Coos (7), Crook (3), Deschutes (41), Douglas (10), Grant (1), Hood River (5), Jackson (48), Jefferson (8), Josephine (17), Klamath (30), Lane (73), Lincoln (5), Linn (48), Malheur (20), Marion (127), Morrow (1), Multnomah (209), Polk (28), Sherman (1), Tillamook (4), Umatilla (33), Union (2), Wasco (14), Washington (117), Wheeler (3) and Yamhill (32).

Since Tuesday, the number of hospitalizations has increased by three to 527. As of the last count on December 22, 109 people remain in the ICU.

Yesterday, 2,449 doses of vaccine were administered, raising the state’s total number of first vaccine doses to 10,407. All vaccinations occurred at Oregon hospitals and long-term care facilities.

Source: https://dailyhive.com/portland/oregon-coronavirus-cases-december-23.
 
L.A. County records deadliest day for the pandemic as officials fear Christmas spike

Los Angeles County reported its deadliest day yet in the COVID-19 pandemic Wednesday — and officials warn the toll will only continue to climb unless residents take steps to blunt the rampant surge.

The 145 additional deaths, which surpassed the previous daily high of 134 announced a week ago, came the day after the county officially hit another morbid milestone: surpassing 9,000 total coronavirus-related deaths.

Even before Wednesday’s record report, the county had averaged 85 COVID-19 deaths a day over the last week, an all-time high.

In early November, the county was averaging about 12 coronavirus-related deaths per day, according to Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.

“This coronavirus has upended our lives, our daily routines, and it’s required enormous sacrifices as folks cope with the devastating financial losses,” she said during a briefing Wednesday. “However, for too many in L.A. County, COVID-19 has resulted in incalculable disruptions and permanent loss.”

Public health officials are now awaiting the arrival of Christmas and New Year’s with bated breath. Many seeds of the current surge, they say, were planted by people defying public health guidance against traveling and gathering with those outside their households for Thanksgiving.

If large numbers of Californians do the same this time around, officials warn, it’s almost certain to trigger yet another surge.

“We are experiencing, we have experienced, the surge on top of the surge from Thanksgiving,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday. “And, obviously, the most important message that we can communicate today is to do everything in our power to mitigate the spread and the transfer of this virus during this very vulnerable period of time, because this virus loves social events. This virus thrives in that atmosphere.”

More than 23,000 Californians have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began, a milestone crossed Tuesday. Over the last 14 days, more than 3,000 have died — a staggering number that accounts for 13% of the state’s 23,303 total fatalities.

Those numbers serve as a “sober, sober reminder of how deadly this disease is, and how tragic the loss of every life is,” according to Newsom.

“This disease remains deadly,” he said Wednesday. “This pandemic remains deadly.”

On Tuesday, 375 deaths were reported statewide, according to a county-by-county tally conducted by The Times, marking the second worst death toll in a single day, just short of the record recorded Dec. 16, when 394 deaths were recorded.

Fresno County reported 89 deaths Tuesday; previously, the largest number of fatalities it reported in a single day was 28, which happened Dec. 11. Fresno County is now reporting nearly 2,000 new coronavirus cases a day over the last week, nearly seven times worse than the comparable number from Thanksgiving.

Fresno County is now averaging 13 deaths a day from COVID-19 over the last seven days; the comparable number from Thanksgiving was two deaths a day.

The rapidly increasing number of deaths is the grimmest, but not the only, repercussion of COVID-19’s rampage across L.A. County and the state.

Infections have soared in recent weeks, pushing unprecedented numbers of patients into California’s hospitals.

On Tuesday, the most recent day for which complete data are available, there were record-high numbers statewide of COVID-19 hospitalizations — 18,448 — and patients in intensive care — 3,827.

In L.A. County, home to 10 million people, a point-in-time survey found that there were 30 available ICU beds as of 9 a.m. Sunday. A similar tally last week found 69.

“Today, we’re over 100% of our usual patient volume, and of that volume, 52% of our inpatients are patients diagnosed with COVID,” Greg Adams, chairman and chief executive of Kaiser Permanente, said Tuesday. “Sixteen of our 36 hospitals are already above 100% occupancy in our ICUs. We’re struggling to add capacity for COVID patients as we speak.”

Already, hospitals are having to step up measures to ensure that the sickest patients get the highest level of care possible. That includes moving some patients who would typically be in the ICU to other areas of the hospital, such as a recovery area, or keeping them in the emergency room for longer than normal.

Source: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-12-23/covid-19-deaths-los-angeles-county-california.
 
Oregon reports 12 more COVID-19 deaths, 871 new cases

Delay in processing lab results reduces case count, OHA says

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- COVID-19 has claimed 12 more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 1,415, along with 871 new cases, the Oregon Health Authority reported Thursday.

OHA reported 871 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. Thursday bringing the state total to 106,821 cases, along with 2,389,013 negative test results.

Vaccinations in Oregon
OHA is providing weekday updates on administered doses of COVID-19 vaccines in Oregon on its vaccination data dashboard.

As of Wednesday 2,794 doses of vaccine were administered, raising the state’s total number of first vaccine doses to 14,524. All vaccinations occurred at Oregon hospitals and long-term care facilities.

COVID-19 hospitalizations
The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients across Oregon is 495, 32 fewer than Wednesday.

There are 101 COVID-19 patients in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds, eight fewer than Wednesday.

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Cases and deaths
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported Thursday are in the following counties: Baker (8), Benton (9), Clackamas (59), Clatsop (3), Columbia (4), Coos (10), Crook (5), Curry (7), Deschutes (32), Douglas (9), Grant (2), Harney (2), Hood River (12), Jackson (29), Jefferson (11), Josephine (32), Klamath (46), Lane (67), Lincoln (16), Linn (33), Malheur (21), Marion (83), Morrow (5), Multnomah (188), Polk (13), Tillamook (9), Umatilla (32), Union (7), Wasco (11), Washington (79), Yamhill (27).

NOTE: Due to a delay in processing laboratory results, case counts reported Thursday are lower than normal.

Oregon’s 1,404th COVID-19 death is an 89-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 17 and died on Dec. 23 at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,405th COVID-19 death is a 90-year-old in Clackamas County who tested positive on Dec. 16 and died on Dec. 22 at their residence. Gender is being confirmed and presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,406th COVID-19 death is a 55-year-old man in Clatsop County who tested positive on Dec. 17 and died on Dec. 23 at Pacific Seaside Hospital. He had no underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,407th COVID-19 death is a 59-year-old man in Hood River County who tested positive on Dec. 3 and died at his residence. Date of death and presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,408th COVID-19 death is an 85-year-old woman in Jackson County who tested positive on Nov. 10 and died on Dec. 22 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,409th COVID-19 death is a 58-year-old man in Klamath County who tested positive on Nov. 19 and died on Dec. 20 at Sky Lakes Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,410th COVID-19 death is a 66-year-old man in Malheur County who tested positive on Dec. 7 and died on Dec. 21 at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,411th COVID-19 death is an 87-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on Nov. 30 and died on Dec. 20 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,412th COVID-19 death is an 88-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on Dec. 3 and died on Dec. 19 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,413th COVID-19 death is a 92-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 10 and died on Dec. 10. Location of death is being confirmed. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,414th COVID-19 death is a 72-year-old woman in Umatilla County who tested positive on Nov. 28 and died on Dec. 18 at St. Mary Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,415th COVID-19 death is a 62-year-old woman in Yamhill County who tested positive on Dec. 14 and died on Dec. 18 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Mental and emotional resources for difficult times:

Mental and emotional health resources are available on OHA’s Safe + Strong website.
Or call the Safe + Strong Helpline at 800-923-4357 (800-923-HELP). The line offers free, 24-7 emotional support and resource referral to anyone who needs it – not only those experiencing a mental health crisis.

Source: https://ktvz.com/news/coronavirus/2020/12/24/oregon-reports-12-more-covid-19-deaths-871-new-cases/.
 
Texas reports 16,392 new coronavirus cases, 308 deaths

Most North Texas counties did not report COVID-19 data Thursday due to the Christmas holiday.

Across the state, 16,392 more coronavirus cases and 308 COVID-19 deaths were reported Thursday.

Texas has now reported 1,653,522 total cases and 26,208 fatalities.

Of the new cases, 12,783 were confirmed and 3,609 were probable. The state has reported 1,464,556 confirmed cases and 188,966 probable cases.

The state also added 517 older confirmed cases and 155 older probable cases that were recently reported by labs.

There are 10,724 COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals, including 3,276 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

On Thursday, 20.52% of patients in the hospital region covering the D-FW area were COVID-19 patients, according to the state dashboard.

The seven-day average positivity rate statewide for molecular tests, based on the date of test specimen collection, was 14.78% as of Wednesday. State health officials said using data based on when people were tested provides the most accurate positivity rate.

For antigen tests, the positivity rate for the same period was 9.43%.

Dallas County
Because of the holiday, Dallas County won’t resume reporting COVID-19 data until Saturday, officials said.

On Wednesday, the county reported a record 2,512 coronavirus cases and 30 more COVID-19 deaths.

The county has logged 160,189 confirmed cases and 19,229 probable cases. It also has recorded 1,544 COVID-19 deaths.

Dallas County officials do not report recoveries, noting that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention do not use that metric.

In the 24-hour period that ended Tuesday, 972 COVID-19 patients were in acute care in hospitals in the county. During the same period, 562 ER visits were for symptoms of the disease.

Saturday’s numbers will include data processed Wednesday evening, and Sunday’s report will include COVID-19 data from Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Tarrant County
Tarrant County health officials did not post data Thursday and also will not post Friday or Saturday, according to the county’s dashboard.

On Wednesday, the county reported 1,702 coronavirus cases and 11 new deaths.

The county has logged 135,793 cases, including 118,641 that are confirmed cases, 17,152 that are probable and 99,752 recoveries. The death toll stands at 1,389.

As of Wednesday, 1,168 people were hospitalized with the virus.

Collin County
The state added 901 coronavirus cases to Collin County’s total Thursday, bringing the tally to 44,070. Five new COVID-19 fatalities also were reported, bringing the county’s death toll to 345.

No details about the latest victims were available.

Of the new cases, 797 were confirmed and 104 were probable. Collin County has recorded 39,876 confirmed cases and 4,194 probable cases.

According to state data, the county has 4,222 active cases of the virus and has recorded 35,654 recoveries.

The county’s coronavirus dashboard only notes total hospitalizations, which stand at 457.

Denton County
Denton County did not post new data Thursday and will not resume posting new coronavirus data until Saturday.

The county, which reported 751 coronavirus cases and three deaths Wednesday, has had 36,303 COVID-19 cases, including 12,100 that are active and 24,016 that are recoveries. The death toll stands at 187.

There were 158 COVID-19 patients hospitalized Wednesday, according to the county’s data.

Other counties
The Texas Department of State Health Services has taken over reporting for these other North Texas counties. In some counties, new data may not be reported every day.

The latest numbers are:

Rockwall County: 5,658 cases (4,696 confirmed and 962 probable), 48 deaths.
Kaufman County: 8,519 cases (7,427 confirmed and 1,092 probable), 111 deaths.
Ellis County: 11,961 cases (10,537 confirmed and 1,424 probable), 156 deaths.
Johnson County: 10,073 cases (8,908 confirmed and 1,165 probable), 145 deaths.

Source: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/pub...ports-16392-new-coronavirus-cases-308-deaths/.
 
Oregon reports 7 more coronavirus deaths, 908 new cases

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Health Authority reported Friday that seven more people had died of COVID-19 and 908 more people had the disease.

1,422 Oregonians have now died from COVID-19 and 107,718 people have contracted it.

OHA also reported 1,169 people received a COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, bringing the total in the state to 17,130.

There were 472 people hospitalized with COVID-19 on Friday and 103 of them were being cared for in the ICU, the state said.

Here is the latest breakdown on new cases and deaths in the state, as provided by the OHA.

New Cases:
Baker (2), Benton (20), Clackamas (82), Clatsop (5), Columbia (9), Coos (4), Crook (4), Curry (3), Deschutes (31), Douglas (14), Harney (1), Hood River (14), Jackson (65), Jefferson (21), Josephine (3), Lake (2), Lane (57), Lincoln (5), Linn (38), Malheur (9), Marion (123), Morrow (4), Multnomah (215), Polk (17), Tillamook (1), Umatilla (42), Union (2), Wallowa (1) Wasco (9), Washington (84) and Yamhill (21).

New Deaths
Oregon’s 1,416th COVID-19 death is a 63-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on November 6 and died on November 15 at Providence Adventist Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,417th COVID-19 death is an 88-year-old man in Lane County who tested positive on December 16 and died on December 16 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,418th COVID-19 death is an 87-year-old man in Deschutes County who tested positive on December 20 and died on December 24 at St. Charles Medical Center – Bend. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,419th COVID-19 death is a 63-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on November 12 and died on December 23 at Salem Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,420th COVID-19 death is a 65-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on December 16 and died on December 23 at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,421st COVID-19 death is an 83-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on December 11 and died on December 24 at Salem Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,422nd COVID-19 death is an 83-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on December 17 and died on December 23 at Salem Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Source: https://katu.com/news/coronavirus/oregon-reports-7-more-coronavirus-deaths-908-new-cases.
 
COVID-19 in California: 2 million confirmed cases and counting

LOS ANGELES -- California became the first state to record 2 million confirmed coronavirus cases, reaching the milestone on Christmas Eve as nearly the entire state was under a strict stay-at-home order.

Gov. Gavin Newsom warned that hospitalizations could soon double if people don't change their behaviour for the holidays.

A tally by Johns Hopkins University showed the nation's most populous state has recorded 2,010,157 infections since January. At least 23,635 people have died from the virus.

The first COVID-19 case in California was confirmed Jan. 25. It took 292 days to get to 1 million infections on Nov. 11.

Just 44 days later, the number topped 2 million.

The California Department of Public Health separately tallied 2,003,146 cases and a one-day bump of 39,070 infections that was down from the one-day peak of nearly 54,000 cases at mid-month. The state's death toll climbed by 351, also down from the record high set last week. Another 427 people were hospitalized, raising the total to 18,875. The 3,962 in intensive care units was a record high, as is the number of those hospitalized.

"We're projecting that our hospital number will double in just the next 30 days, and our projections have gotten much more solid," Newsom said in a video posted on his social media pages from his home, where he remains in quarantine for the second time after a potential exposure. "I fear that, but we're not victims to that if we change our behaviours."

California's infection rate -- in terms of the number of cases per 100,000 people -- is lower than the U.S. average. But its nearly 40 million residents mean the outbreak outpaces other states in sheer numbers.

The crisis is straining the state's medical system well beyond its normal capacity, prompting hospitals to treat patients in tents, offices and auditoriums.

"In most hospitals about half of all of the beds are filled with COVID patients and half of all the ICU beds are filled with COVID patients, and two-thirds of these patients are suffocating due to the inflammation that's in their lungs that's caused by the virus," said Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.

"They're suffocating to the point that they can no longer breathe on their own, and they have to have someone put a tube down their throat, in order to oxygenate their organs. Many of these people will not live to be in 2021," she said.

The county on Thursday reported new records for deaths -- 148 in a single day -- and hospitalizations, at nearly 6,500 people, 20% of whom were in ICU.

The state has seen its number of cases climb exponentially in recent weeks, fueled largely by people who ignored warnings and held traditional Thanksgiving gatherings, health officials say.

"Our systems are being overwhelmed, and the virus is spreading everywhere," a coalition of 10 neighbouring Southern California local health departments said in what they termed an urgent holiday message. "We cannot continue on our current path without facing serious consequences."

Los Angeles' Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels planned indoor Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses, with Archbishop Jose Gomez set to lead two of the four services despite advising in a letter to priests and pastors Wednesday that it is safer to keep celebrating Masses outdoors.

Dozens of physically spaced worshippers removed their masks only to take communion at arms' length from clergymen, and there was none of the singing that health officials warned could increase the spread.

Father David Gallardo held a copy of the children's book "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" in a midafternoon service as he taught that "darkness doesn't win," likening the coronavirus to the Grinch.

Meanwhile, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to lift lower court orders blocking indoor Christmas services at churches in Pasadena and Chula Vista, though attorneys said they would ask the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene.

Los Angeles County health officials said flatly in a statement that "attending an indoor service will result in transmission of COVID-19 ... that the healthcare system cannot handle at this time."

It was among new warnings that the state's medical system will be overwhelmed and unable to provide proper care if people don't avoid gathering for the holidays or at least take precautions like meeting outside in masks at a safe distance or opening windows and turning on fans if they meet indoors.

California Hospital Association president and CEO Carmela Coyle said the 2 million tally "means that thousands of Californians will spend this holiday season in a hospital. On Christmas Eve, Californians can still make a choice to avoid unnecessary travel and gatherings on Christmas Day."

In a rare ray of hope, a statistical model that state officials have been using to project hospitalizations predicts more than 71,000 patients in one month's time -- still an unsustainable four times the current number of patients but roughly 40,000 fewer than the same model had been projecting just days ago.

The transmission rate -- the number of people that one infected person will in turn infect -- has been slowing for nearly two weeks, and it is nearing the point that would bring fewer infections from each person who contracts the virus.

In addition, the rate of positive cases reached a new high of 12.4% over a two-week period, but it was starting to trend downward over the last seven days from a peak of 13.3% to 12.6%. The seven day rate was 12.1% on Thursday.

"Some encouraging signs, in terms of it seems some stabilization in the rate of growth," Newsom said Thursday. But he said that is counterbalanced by the soaring cases and deaths.

Newsom on Wednesday credited stay-home orders for nearly the entire state that imposed an overnight curfew, shuttered many businesses and restricted most retail to 20% capacity. Restaurants may only serve takeout.

Pleas to avoid social gatherings for the Christmas and New Year's holidays rang with special desperation in Southern California. Los Angeles County is leading the surge, accounting for one-third of the state's COVID-19 cases and nearly 40% of deaths.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti called Wednesday "maybe the darkest day in our city's history," as the county reported its highest single-day death toll and hospitalizations -- 145 deaths and more than 6,000 people in hospitals. More than 9,000 people have died from the coronavirus in the county.

If LA County continues to see the same growth in COVID-19 infections in the next two weeks, hospitals may find themselves having to ration care because of a lack of medical staff, Garcetti said.

"That means the doctors will be forced to determine who lives and who dies," he said.

Source: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coron...illion-confirmed-cases-and-counting-1.5244908.
 
New Mexico reports 9 new deaths, 609 additional COVID-19 cases

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) reported nine additional COVID-19-related deaths in Saturday's report.

The latest deaths include:

A female in her 70s from Bernalillo County. The individual was a resident of the Tercer Cielo facility in Albuquerque.
A female in her 80s from Bernalillo County. The individual was a resident of the Casa Sandia facility in Albuquerque.
A male in his 80s from Bernalillo County. The individual was hospitalized.
A second male in his 80s from Bernalillo County. The individual had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Casa Sandia facility in Albuquerque.
A female in her 90s from Bernalillo County. The individual was a resident of the Care Free Assisted Living facility in Albuquerque.
A second female in her 90s from Bernalillo County. The individual was hospitalized and had underlying conditions. The individual was a resident of the Montebello on Academy facility in Albuquerque.
A male in his 90s from Bernalillo County. The individual had underlying conditions and was a resident of the BeeHive Homes San Pedro facility in Albuquerque.
A female in her 80s from Chaves County. The individual was a resident of the Sunset Villa Care Center in Roswell.
A male in his 90s from Sierra County. The individual was hospitalized and had underlying conditions. The individual was a resident of the New Mexico State Veterans Home in Truth or Consequences.
The number of deaths of New Mexico residents related to COVID-19 is now 2,316.

In addition to the deaths, the state reported 609 additional COVID-19 cases. As of Saturday, New Mexico has reported a total of 137,226 cases.

The latest cases include:

125 new cases in Bernalillo County
34 new cases in Chaves County
3 new cases in Cibola County
8 new cases in Curry County
1 new case in De Baca County
74 new cases in Doña Ana County
49 new cases in Eddy County
5 new cases in Grant County
2 new cases in Hidalgo County
44 new cases in Lea County
4 new cases in Lincoln County
3 new cases in Los Alamos County
8 new cases in Luna County
34 new cases in McKinley County
1 new case in Mora County
13 new cases in Otero County
2 new cases in Quay County
5 new cases in Rio Arriba County
15 new cases in Roosevelt County
30 new cases in Sandoval County
78 new cases in San Juan County
4 new cases in San Miguel County
16 new cases in Santa Fe County
2 new cases in Sierra County
6 new cases in Socorro County
10 new cases in Taos County
2 new cases in Union County
31 new cases in Valencia County
To see the number of positive cases in each county or by zip code, click here.

KOB 4 determined there was a 5.3% positivity result of the tests analyzed in Saturday's report from the state.

The state reports that 749 people are currently being treated for COVID-19 in the hospital. The number may include individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 out of state but are hospitalized in New Mexico.

As of Saturday, there are 59,506 COVID-19 cases designated as having recovered by the New Mexico Department of Health.

Source: https://www.kob.com/new-mexico-news...deaths-609-additional-covid-19-cases/5961265/.
 
Arizona reports 6,106 new coronavirus cases, 15 more deaths

This is a regularly updated story with the latest information about the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond for Dec. 26, 2020.

PHOENIX – Arizona health officials reported 6,106 new coronavirus cases and 15 additional deaths on Saturday.

The state’s documented totals increased to 493,041 COVID-19 infections and 8,424 fatalities, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services dashboard.

Multiple COVID-19 metrics in Arizona have been at or near pandemic highs.

The number of Arizona’s confirmed or suspected COVID-19 hospital inpatients fell to 4,165 on Friday after an all-time high of 4,226 on Thursday.

However, the number of COVID-19 patients in the state’s ICU beds increased to 983, setting a record for the third time in the last four days.

Statewide, suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients took up 49% of all inpatient beds, down from a record 50% in the two previous days, and 55% of all ICU beds.

Overall, inpatient beds were 89% filled and ICU beds were 91% full. The state had 154 unused ICU beds Friday, 23 more than the previous day.

Arizona’s weekly percent positivity for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, an indicator of how much the virus is spreading in the community, was 22% through 76,331 tests for this week. If that holds up, it will break the record of 21% from the week starting June 28.

Official positivity rates are based on when the samples are taken, not when they are reported, so the percentage for recent weeks can fluctuate as labs get caught up on testing and the results are documented by the state.

The rolling seven-day average for the health department’s newly reported cases was 6,323 for Friday, according to tracking by The Associated Press, nearly 150 lower than Thursday.

The seven-day average of newly reported COVID-19 deaths was 84.29 for Friday, declining for the third consecutive day but still the ninth-highest ever.

The daily updates present case, death and testing data after the state receives statistics and confirms them, which can lag by several days or more. They don’t represent the actual activity over the past 24 hours.

The hospitalization data posted each morning is reported electronically the previous evening by 100 hospitals across the state, as required under executive order.

COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has no impact on some people and is seriously debilitating or fatal for others. Infected people without symptoms — which include but are not limited to cough, fever and difficulty breathing — are capable of spreading the virus.

Source: https://ktar.com/story/3772613/arizona-reports-6106-new-coronavirus-cases-15-more-deaths/.
 
Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, wife test positive for COVID-19

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Sunday, Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen announced he and his wife Kim tested positive for COVID-19, saying, “2020 just keeps on giving!”

Bonnen, R-Angleton, says they don’t know where specifically they were exposed, but specified that he and his family chose to spend Christmas with only their household.

“This disease is no joke in its unpredictability and severity, so please continue to keep your guard up and your loved ones protected,” Bonnen wrote on Facebook. “Mask up and social distance, avoid large gatherings, and take care of one another.”

The Speaker says his symptoms have been mild and that his two sons, Jackson and Gregory, are also being tested as the whole family quarantines.

Bonnen’s diagnosis comes just weeks after the first shipments of vaccines made their way into Texas, with Gov. Greg Abbott being vaccinated on Dec. 21.

Source: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-pol...ennis-bonnen-wife-test-positive-for-covid-19/.
 
Coronavirus in Oregon: State reports 865 new cases, 6 more deaths

The Oregon Health Authority on Monday reported 865 new confirmed or presumptive coronavirus cases and six more deaths.

The numbers represent a continuing trend of fewer reported cases and fatalities over the last several days, but the state’s data often lags during weekends and around holidays so may not be reflective of the actual state of the pandemic in Oregon.

Hospitalizations increased with 23 more people requiring hospital care for the virus on Monday than the previous day. The number of patients in intensive care units grew by eight over the same period.

The state also reported that an additional 840 people received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine Sunday, raising the state’s total number of first doses to 20,298.

Source: https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavi...tate-reports-865-new-cases-6-more-deaths.html.
 
Nevada reports 1,856 additional virus cases on Sunday

CARSON CITY, N.V. (AP) — Nevada health officials reported an increase of 1,856 confirmed COVID-19 cases Sunday, bringing the total number of known cases to 217,509 since the pandemic began.

Nine additional deaths were reported Sunday, bringing the total to 2,952.

The state’s testing positivity rate remains high, with around 1 in 5 people taking a COVID-19 test getting a positive result.

The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.

Source: https://www.fox5vegas.com/coronavir...cle_1dd85ff0-48a7-11eb-9e25-5f4510af6069.html.
 
Oregon sees 713 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, 16 more COVID-19 deaths reported

PORTLAND, Ore. – Health officials in Oregon identified 713 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, bringing the state's total number of confirmed and presumptive cases to more than 111,000 since the pandemic began.

The Oregon Health Authority also reported 16 additional deaths from COVID-19 to report, pushing the state’s death toll to 1,449 victims.

The latest coronavirus update comes as Governor Kate Brown released an updated list of county risk categories, which go into effect on Friday, January 1.

Most of the new coronavirus cases were reported in Multnomah County (105), Clackamas County (90), Marion County (88), Washington County (62) and Lane County (60).

As of Tuesday, the OHA said 527 patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 were in the hospital. Of those patients, 119 are in the ICU.

To date, 6,354 people have been hospitalized by the virus, which is roughly 6% of all identified cases.

Of the latest 16 COVID-19 deaths, all but two were confirmed to have had underlying health conditions. One was a 71-year-old man who had no prior health issues. Health officials are still working to confirm the medical history of the other, a 92-year-old man.

Source: https://katu.com/news/coronavirus/o...ases-tuesday-16-more-covid-19-deaths-reported.
 
Oregon mayor tells residents to ignore coronavirus restrictions

Stan Pulliam thinks the economy should open up as usual but with masks and social distancing

A Republican mayor in Oregon is encouraging business owners to defy the state’s coronavirus restrictions.

Stan Pulliam, the mayor of Sandy, Ore., blasted Democratic Gov. Kate Brown’s orders after a state of emergency was declared until March 3, 2021. The previous executive order was set to expire on Jan. 2, 2021.

"I think all Oregonians should take pause, stand up and say ‘this must stop,’" Pulliam told "America’s Newsroom" on Wednesday.

A salon owner also accused the Oregon governor of "retaliating" and "terrorizing" her family as she faces a $100,000 lawsuit for defying the state’s lockdown orders. Lindsey Graham of Glamour Salon argued Brown is acting like "a dictator."

Both the Oregon mayor and salon owner said they continued to receive death threats for resisting the coronavirus restrictions. Pulliam called on businesses to ignore the statewide coronavirus orders and remain open.

"What we’re talking about doing is having the mass movement opening across the state of Oregon throughout all of our local communities on January 1st, New Year’s Day," Pulliam said.

Pulliam went on to say small businesses should open just "one level under" Gov. Brown’s guidelines, which includes wearing proper face masks while social distancing and sanitizing.

"We want to get the storefronts open and get employees back to work," he said.

Pulliam demanded Brown present the "scientific evidence" to prove how small businesses are contributing to the coronavirus spread and argued the community can safely open again.

"We talk about spread coming from our local main street and locally owned businesses, but [pay] very little attention to the big-box stores that are packing and supporting corporate America," Pulliam said. "It’s time we stand with [our local communities]."

Pulliam mentioned he reached out to the governor to release the coronavirus data, nearly a week ago, and has yet to hear back.

Gov. Brown "has to make the case to these local small business owners as to why she shut them down but we can pack into corporate America," he said.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/oregon-mayor-residents-ignore-coronavirus-restrictions.
 
Arizona reports 5,267 new coronavirus cases, 78 more deaths

This is a regularly updated story with the latest information about the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond for Dec. 30, 2020.

PHOENIX – Arizona health officials reported 5,267 new coronavirus cases and 78 additional deaths on Wednesday.

The state’s documented totals increased to 512,489 COVID-19 infections and 8,718 fatalities, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services dashboard.

Multiple COVID-19 metrics in Arizona have been at or near pandemic highs.

The number of Arizona’s confirmed or suspected COVID-19 hospital inpatients climbed to a record 4,526 on Tuesday, a 97% increase since Thanksgiving Day.

The number of COVID-19 patients in the state’s ICU beds increased to 1,076 on Tuesday, the sixth consecutive day with a record high.

Ventilator use and emergency room visits by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients also reached record highs Tuesday.

Statewide, suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients took up 53% of all inpatient beds and 61% of all ICU beds, both records.

Overall, inpatient beds were 91% and ICU beds were 90% full.

The rising tide of COVID-19 patients is squeezing the space left for other patients in Arizona’s hospitals. Only 39% of all inpatients were non-COVID on Tuesday, the second-lowest rate of the pandemic. For ICU beds, 29% were non-COVID, the lowest rate recorded.

Arizona’s weekly percent positivity for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, an indicator of how much the virus is spreading in the community, was 22% through 113,233 tests for last week. If that holds up, it will break the record of 21% from the week starting June 28.

The percent positivity is up to 27% through 15,433 tests this week.

Official positivity rates are based on when the samples are taken, not when they are reported, so the percentage for recent weeks can fluctuate as labs get caught up on testing and the results are documented by the state.

The rolling seven-day average for the health department’s newly reported cases was 5,715.29 for Tuesday, the lowest seen since Dec. 7, according to tracking by The Associated Press.

The seven-day average of newly reported COVID-19 deaths rose to 73.57 for Tuesday, increasing for the second consecutive day following a five-day streak of declines.

The state’s daily updates present case, death and testing data after the state receives statistics and confirms them, which can lag by several days or more. They don’t represent the actual activity over the past 24 hours.

The hospitalization data posted each morning is reported electronically the previous evening by 100 hospitals across the state, as required under executive order.

COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has no impact on some people and is seriously debilitating or fatal for others. Infected people without symptoms — which include but are not limited to cough, fever and difficulty breathing — are capable of spreading the virus.

Information about testing locations can be found on the Arizona Department of Health Services website.

Source: https://ktar.com/story/3778040/arizona-reports-5267-new-coronavirus-cases-78-more-deaths/.
 
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