Page 35 - Florida Sentinel 12-4-20

Coronavirus News
Florida Becomes 3rd State To Hit 1 Million Coronavirus Cases
Black Friday Crowds Thin Amid Surging Pandemic As Retailers Push Online Sales
SHOPPERS DURING BLACK FRIDAY
Florida on Tuesday be- came the third U. S. state to surpass 1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases. This came just one day after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference where he denounced mask mandates and insisted that schools stay open for in-per- son instruction.
The Sunshine State hit the dark milestone after 8,800 new cases were reported Tuesday, according to data from Johns Hopkins Univer- sity and the Florida Depart- ment of Health. Florida has recorded more than 18,600 total deaths, the fourth-high- est toll in the nation. Hills- borough County has 58,749 cases and 933 deaths.
Texas and California were the first two states to reach 1 million cases. Both states now have more than 1.2 mil- lion confirmed cases.
DeSantis, a Republican, has been opposed to mask mandates and business shut- downs throughout the pan- demic, even as the state's COVID-19 numbers soared. Florida was one of the first states to start reopening most businesses in the first wave of the pandemic, and DeSantis refused to roll back when cases rose.
Last week, DeSantis ex- tended an order that pre- vents local governments
COVID-19 — even more so than an eventual vaccine.
GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS
from fining people who re- fuse to wear masks, and re- stricts their ability to limit capacity in bars and restau- rants.
The governor on Monday held his first press confer- ence in nearly a month. He said school closures because of coronavirus were "the biggest public health blunder in modern American his- tory," and that he still would not support mask mandates.
"I'm opposed to man- dates, period," said DeSan- tis. "I don't think they work." He said any further fines or shutdowns are "totally off the table."
The CDC and leading pub- lic health experts have said masks may be the most effec- tive way to stop the spread of
People of all ages can be infected by the new coron- avirus (2019-nCoV). Older people, and people with pre- existing medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease) appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus.
WHO advises people of all ages to take steps to pro- tect themselves from the virus, for example by follow- ing good hand hygiene and good respiratory hygiene
Self care
If you have possible or confirmed COVID-19:
Stay home except to get medical care.
Monitor your symptoms carefully. If your symptoms get worse, call your health- care provider immediately.
Get rest and stay hy- drated. Take over-the- counter medicines, such as acetaminophen, to help you feel better.
If you have a medical ap- pointment, notify your healthcare provider ahead of time that you have or may have COVID-19.
Stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home. If possible, use a separate bathroom. If you must be around others, wear a mask.
The raging coronavirus pandemic kept crowds thin at malls and stores across the country on Black Friday, but a surge in online shopping of- fered a beacon of hope for struggling retailers after months of slumping sales and businesses toppling into bankruptcy.
In normal times, Black Fri- day is the busiest shopping day of the year, drawing mil- lions of people eager to get started on their holiday spending.
But these are not normal times: A spike in coronavirus cases is threatening the economy's fitful recovery from the sudden plunge in the spring. Crowds at stores were dramatically dimin- ished as shoppers shift on- line.
Many retailers closed their doors on Thanksgiving Day but beefed up their safety
protocols to reassure wary customers about coming in on Black Friday. Stores have also moved their doorbuster deals online and ramped up curbside pickup options as a last grasp at sales before the year ends and they head into the dark days of winter with the pandemic still raging.
“Black Friday is still criti- cal," said Neil Saunders, managing director of Global- Data Retail. “No retailer wants it to be tarnished. It's still vital to get their con- sumers spending and get consumers into the holiday mood."
Macy’s Herald Square in New York offered 50% off handbags and 60% off women’s and men’s coats, but there was just a trickle of shoppers at an hour after the store opened. Workers sani- tized door knobs and win- dows.
Who is most at risk
U. K. Becomes First Nation In The World To Officially Approve Pfizer COVID Vaccine
The United Kingdom has become the first country in the world to approve the coronavirus vaccine devel- oped by Pfizer and its Ger- man partner, with an initial wave of inoculations sched- uled to begin next week.
The British regulatory agency, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regula- tory Authority, or MHRA, announced Wednesday it ap- proved the treatment from the New York-based drug- maker and German company BioNTech for emergency use.
“It’s the protection of vac- cines that will ultimately
PFIZER
allow us to reclaim our lives and get the economy moving again,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted.
Pfizer CEO Albert
Bourla similarly praised the vaccine’s emergency author- ization, calling it “a historic moment in the fight against COVID-19.”
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 15-A