“Cases are rising. Hospitalizations are increasing, Deaths are increasing. We need to try to bend the curve, stop this exponential increase,” says Dr. Henry Walke, the CDC’s COVID-19 Incident Manager.
As COVID-19 cases continue to soar, it took the U.S. more than eight-and-a-half months to reach 8 million cases but less than two months to double that number.
As a result, hospitals across the U.S. are facing dire shortages of beds for critically ill coronavirus patients as the post-Thanksgiving holiday surge shows no sign of relenting, new data shows from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
About 1 in 8 U.S. hospitals had little or no intensive care unit space available last week the data showed. And for the sixth consecutive day, the US reported a record high number of COVOD-19 patients in US hospitals: more than 108,000 nationwide, according to the Covid Tracking Project.
Public health experts say the number of hospitals struggling with intensive care unit capacity to accommodate the nation’s sickest patients likely will increase following another week of record COVID-19 cases.
Within the past month, #COVID19 weekly hospitalization rates in every age group have reached record highs. This includes young, previously healthy adults. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/uvul03isgA
— CDC (@CDCgov) December 11, 2020
As cases continue to soar, it took the U.S. more than eight-and-a-half months to reach 8 million cases but less than two months to double that number.
CDC and many states advise not to travel
As Americans contemplate whether to proceed with their holiday season or New Year’s travel plans, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging citizens not to travel or to get tested before or is urging Americans who go against its advice to get tested for COVID-19 twice in a bid to make travel safer.
The agency says travelers should get a COVID-19 test one to three days before travel and three to five days after travel, regardless of their destination.
Additionally, some states are reimposing stay-at-home orders for their residents and travel restrictions ahead of the winter holidays.
While other states, such as Hawaii for example, require inbound travelers to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival or require those without results before their arrival to quarantine for 14 days.
If you must #travel this holiday season, consider testing for #COVID19:
• 1-3 days pre-travel
• 3–5 days after travel & reduce activities for 7 days, even if you test negative
• If you don’t get tested after travel, reduce activities for 10 dayshttps://t.co/90FmRiPRAo pic.twitter.com/CYoCo019PF— CDC Travel Health (@CDCtravel) December 12, 2020
What to do
This is one time Americans should heed CDC urging to not to travel and stay home as the best way to protect yourself and others this year; or to get tested for COVID-19 twice in a bid to make travel safer.
References:
- https://www.jacksonville.com/story/travel/news/2020/12/11/holiday-travel-check-covid-19-travel-restrictions-by-state/3878341001/?
- https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/coronavirus/2020/12/12/coronavirus-florida-what-you-need-know-saturday-dec-12/6511426002/?
- https://www.jacksonville.com/story/travel/airline-news/2020/12/09/covid-travel-test-things-to-know-coronavirus-testing-pcr-antigen/3800400001/?