Coronavirus News Update – Nov. 30: Dr. Fauci Warns of a Surge on Top of a Surge After Thanksgiving Holiday
Millions of Americans travelled home on Sunday, having visited friends and family for the Thanksgiving holiday despite warnings from the Centers for Disease Control to the contrary.
November is ending with over four million new cases this month, doubling the record set in October.
Health officials across the country are warning of an almost certain increase in cases following the holidays. FBT Editorial Director Jonathan Spira, who has studied the pandemic since its start, said that many Americans who celebrated Thanksgiving with extended family over Thanksgiving may find themselves in hospitals and intensive-care units over Christmas.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease specialist, said that clusters of new infections could emerge well before Christmas. “We might see a surge superimposed upon that surge that we’re already in,” he said on the NBC news program “Meet The Press” on Sunday.
Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus coordinator, told Americans to “protect yourself and your family” on an appearance on the CBS news program “Face the Nation.” Dr. Birx addressed “incredibly independent and fabulous Americans” who may be skeptical of the measures in place to limit the spread of Covid-19, telling them you “have to assume that you were exposed and you became infected and you really need to get tested” in the coming week.
The Transportation Safety Administration again screened over one million people Sunday as the holiday weekend came to a close. While the figure of 1.17 million people is less than half of the 2.87 million who flew on the Sunday after Thanksgiving last year, it was nonetheless the highest figure since the start of the pandemic.
In Los Angeles, people are returning to work with heightened restrictions going into effect. The county’s order prohibits all forms of gathering, in public and at private residences, as well as the intermingling of households. Religious services and protests are exempted from the order, which will remain in effect for three weeks.
New rules also go into effect in San Francisco. The city has closed restaurants, fitness centers, aquariums, movie theaters, and other indoor attractions. Shops will be restricted to 25% of capacity except for grocery stores, which will remain at 50%.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that pupils in the city’s school system, the largest in the country, would begin to offer in-person instruction starting December 7. The city will open schools in a phased approach to ensure that new coronavirus testing will be in place for students.
Meanwhile, many employers are requiring employees to obtain a coronavirus test before returning to work after the holiday weekend, especially if the employee traveled over Thanksgiving.
Finally, New York City reminded people taking to the city’s highways to wear masks in a playful manner. “Don’t Be a Turkey, Wear a Mask” the electronic signs said.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)
