US Presses On With Reopening, But Virus First Wave Lingers
Sumaira FH Published June 12, 2020 | 10:50 PM
Washington, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Jun, 2020 ) :More than a dozen US states are reporting their highest daily tolls of coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, but President Donald Trump and many local officials are showing no signs of worry and have ruled out new lockdown measures.
The US chapter of the global health crisis has shifted from New York and the northeast to the south and west, with a particular focus now on hospitals in Arizona, Texas and Florida.
The latter will host the most visible parts of the Republican presidential nominating convention in August, after Trump's spat with the Democratic governor of North Carolina over the needs for masks and a scaled-back event prompted a switch.
While some states like Virginia and New York move ahead with reopening businesses, others like Nashville and the Pacific state of Oregon are slowing down.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown has announced a one-week pause in the easing of lockdown restrictions that began a month ago, after a rise in cases in both urban and rural areas.
A map of the United States on the website Covidexitstrategy.org tells the tale: a majority of states do not meet the criteria set by the White House for reopening their economies, and have rising numbers of coronavirus cases, dwindling hospital capacity and insufficient testing.
While the US hit 100,000 COVID-19 deaths on May 28, it will probably reach 130,000 by the July 4 Independence Day holiday, according to an average of several epidemiological models.
Youyang Gu, an independent data scientist whose forecasts have turned out to be quite accurate, predicts 200,000 deaths by October 1.
The Trump administration allows that there are new flare-ups in coronavirus caseloads in some states but insists there will no shutdown of the economy if a second full blown wave arises.
Larry Kudlow, director of the National Economic Council, told Fox news on Friday, "There is no emergency.
There is no second wave." - Hot spots - In some places, more widespread testing has contributed to a higher number of reported cases each day. Many of these are mild and do not lead to hospitalization.
In Florida, where Trump is now technically a resident, the Republican governor says there has been a "modest" increase in cases but that the hospitalization rate is stable -- far from the spikes that New York saw.
In Arizona, case numbers have shot up, ICU beds are now 78 percent occupied and Phoenix has emerged as a hot spot.
"We opened too much too early and so our hospitals are really struggling," Mayor Kate Gallego said at a panel discussion with other US mayors.
This is also the case in Texas, where the number of people hospitalized has risen steadily since the long Memorial Day weekend in late May, which marks the unofficial start of summer and saw a rush of people headed to the beach.
While the number of deaths in the Lone Star State has not shot up, the hospitalization figures show the virus is spreading.
"People are driving the reopening because they're tired of the shutdown," Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the food and Drug Administration, told CNBC last week.
"Most states didn't really achieve the criteria set up by public health officials for reopening, or the White House, yet they reopened, because the people demanded it," Gottlieb said.
These long weeks of sheltering in place have been trying for Americans and their public officials. Many of the latter, particularly Republicans, seem to think that people cannot take life under lockdown any more.
The Republican governor of South Carolina, Henry McMaster, said that even if the virus makes a strong comeback, he would not make mask-wearing mandatory or shut down businesses.
"At this point, the answer is individual responsibility, not mandates from the government," McMaster said.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
SC orders end of encroachments in Karachi
Nazish Jahangir denies viral screenshots, calls them fake
Govt likely to hike electricity price once again
Bismah Maroof announces immediate retirement from international cricket
Malala expresses unwavering support for Gaza people
Selection committee dissolved over Pakistan women cricket team's poor performanc ..
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz in police uniform at Chung police center
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 25 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 25 April 2024
Mired in crisis, Boeing reports another loss
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
More Stories From Miscellaneous
-
PDMA predicts gusty wind, rain with thunder, hails
2 days ago -
Iranian president Raisi given guard of honour at PM House
3 days ago -
Intellectuals, writers accolades Naseer Mirza on his literary contribution
4 days ago -
Bahawalpur Adabi Sangat hosts memorable mushaira
4 days ago -
Cattle farming vital to alleviate poverty in rural areas
4 days ago -
Pakistan: A land of tourism, archeological wonders
4 days ago
-
Transforming education sector: from job hunters to job creators
6 days ago -
Amjad Bobby remembered on 19th death anniversary for timeless contributions to music
10 days ago -
Legendary actor Nadeem’s 26 films released on Eid-ul-Fitr days in 50 years
11 days ago -
Besant Hall Cultural Centre to celebrate evening with Sanam Marvi on 26 April
11 days ago -
Radio Bahawalpur presents program “Eidi Shidi”
14 days ago -
Radio Bahawalpur to broadcast Eid programs
16 days ago