Page 17 - HOH_Neat

A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 4 november 2020
Virus hospitalizations surge as pandemic shadows U.S. election

cord 380 on Monday.
Trump's insistence that the
U.S. is "rounding the turn"
on the virus angered many
voters confronting figures
that tell a different story.
The virus has killed more
than 232,000 people in
the country and total con-
firmed coronavirus cases
have surpassed 9 million.
As hospitalizations have
climbed, so have deaths.
The seven-day rolling aver-
age for deaths from CO-
VID-19 has risen over the
past two weeks from about
58,424 on Oct. 19 to 83,805
on Monday, according to
Johns Hopkins University re-
searchers.
"The fact that he (Trump)
acts like this is a fake virus
that the entire world is out
Clemintine Banks, front right, changes gloves after handing a ballot to a person who tested positive for COVID-19 during curbside
voting at the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners on Locust Street, around the corner from board offices in downtown St. Louis, to get him out of office
Monday, Nov. 2, 2020. shows just how convoluted
Associated Press his thinking is," said Carrie
Rogers, 44, a software de-
By ALEXANDRA OLSON ers chose at the ballot box Hall said some voters' hands doubled in recent weeks, velopment manager from
Associated Press and how they did it. While were moist when they han- reaching a record 613 on Mount Laurel, N.J., who
Americans went to the polls many Americans took ad- dled the ballots and the Sunday. "No doubt if this dropped off her ballot for
Tuesday under the shadow vantage of expanded ac- buildup of sanitizer eventu- trend continues — not just former Vice President Joe
of a resurging pandemic, cess to mail-in voting, lines ally caused the scanner to at our hospitals — but every Biden in one of hundreds of
with an alarming increase were long in many polling stop working. The machine hospital in the state could locked boxes set up around
in cases nationwide and places, with record turnout was fixed in about an hour. be at capacity in a very the state.
the number of people hos- expected and reminders of Meanwhile, Iowa hospital short period of time," Dr. Of equal concern is the
pitalized with COVID-19 the pandemic were every- officials warned their fa- Cary Ward, chief medical fear of more economic
reaching record highs in a where. "It's very serious that cilities and staff could be officer for CHI Health's net- pain if the country heads
growing number of states. we have 400 people gath- overwhelmed without se- work of 14 hospitals across into another round of lock-
While daily infections were ered in one space at the rious efforts to curtail the eastern Nebraska and downs to contain the virus.
rising in all but three states, height of the pandemic virus spread. The state's western Iowa said during a While the U.S. economy
the surge was most pro- here in Wisconsin. So, we've seven-day rolling average video call with reporters. grew at a record 33.1%
nounced in the Midwest tried to take every mea- of positive cases reached In Missouri, leaders of sev- annual rate in the July-
and Southwest. sure to limit the movement 36.4% over the weekend, eral rural hospitals raised September quarter, it has
Missouri, Oklahoma, Iowa, throughout the room," said the third-highest in the na- alarms about bed capac- yet to fully rebound from
Indiana, Nebraska, North Claire Woodall-Vogg, the tion behind South Dakota ity during a conference the plunge in the spring.
Dakota, and New Mexico election commission direc- and Wyoming, according call last week with Republi- "I don't trust Biden to get it
all reported record high tor of the city of Milwaukee, to researchers at Johns can Gov. Mike Parson, who open," Schanta said of the
hospitalizations this week. where poll workers were Hopkins University. Hospital- drew renewed fire from economy.
Nebraska's largest hospitals spread out into 12 different izations reached a record his Democratic election But there were signs of the
started limiting elective sur- pods to limit contact. 730 on Monday. challenger for his refusal virus' resurgence hamper-
geries and looked to bring Wisconsin health officials Suresh Gunasekaran, CEO to issue a statewide mask ing economic reopening
in nurses from other states reported 5,771 new coro- of University of Iowa Hospi- mandate. The state health even without government
to cope with the surge. navirus cases Tuesday, a tals and Clinics, said Iowa is department reported 1,659 shutdown orders, as a fear-
Hospital officials in Iowa new record. entering its third peak, one hospitalizations statewide ful public stays away from
and Missouri warned bed In Indiana, the Republican that is higher than previous Monday, surpassing by 10 riskier activities.
capacity could soon be candidate for attorney ones in May and July. He the previous record set a Cruise Lines International
overwhelmed. general tested positive for said his biggest concern day earlier. Among the Association, which repre-
The resurgence loomed COVID-19 after developing is that this peak comes at five additional deaths was sents the bulk of the cruise
over candidates and vot- "some symptoms," his cam- the beginning of the cold a 13-year-old boy, the first industry, said its members
ers, fearful of both the virus paign announced Tues- weather season, when child under 14 to die from are extending the suspen-
itself and the economic day. Former U.S. Rep. Todd the flu and other respira- the virus in Missouri. sion of U.S. sailing opera-
toll of any new shutdowns Rokita had been quaran- tory conditions typically in- In Colorado, officials said tions through the end of
to control its spread. The tining with this family after crease hospitalizations. more residents have been the year, just days after the
debate over how far to learning he was exposed "The infection rate is defi- hospitalized with the coro- U.S. government effectively
take economically costly to the virus, it said. nitely a leading indicator navirus than at any time lifted its no-sail order. The
measures has divided a Hand sanitizer on voters' for hospitalizations, and since a peak in April. Flags cruise industry group esti-
country already sharply po- hands caused a ballot the hospitalization rate is a were flying at half-staff in mates that the suspension
larized over President Don- scanner to jam at a polling leading indicator of mor- New Mexico, where death of cruises snuffed out more

ald Trump's turbulent four place in Des Moines, Iowa, tality," Gunasekaran said. from COVID-19 surpassed than $25 billion in eco-
years in office. The pan- secretary of state spokes- Health officials in Nebraska 1,000 last week and hos- nomic activity and 164,000
demic colored who vot- man Kevin Hall said. said hospitalizations have pitalizations reached a re- American jobs.q