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A2 UP FRONT
Friday 20 November 2020

CDC pleads with Americans to not travel for Thanksgiving

Pritzker said.
SICK HOSPITAL WORKERS
The Mayo Clinic Health Sys-
tem, a Midwest network of
hospitals and clinics run by
the world-renowned Mayo
Clinic, reported that 905
staff members have been
diagnosed with COVID-19
in the past two weeks.
Dr. Amy Williams, executive
dean of Mayo Clinic Prac-
tice, said the vast majority
were exposed in the com-
munity and not at work.
“It shows how widely
spread this is in our commu-
nities and how easy it is to
get COVID-19 in the com-
munities here in the Mid-
west,” she said.
In Kansas, 150 employees
and doctors at a Topeka
hospital had active coro-
navirus cases or were isolat-
ed and on leave because
of contact with someone
who had coronavirus. And
the University of Kansas
Hospital in Kansas City had
In this Nov. 12, 2020, file photo, travelers make their way through the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport during the coronavirus 187 employees, including
pandemic.
Associated Press physicians, nurses and sup-
port staff, out as of Tuesday
after testing positive. An
additional 200 were not at
By MIKE STOBBE and HEATH- ance. “The safest way to around 40% of people who In Kansas, rural hospitals work while they awaited
ER HOLLINGSWORTH Asso- celebrate Thanksgiving this are infected do not have are running into difficulty test results.
ciated Press year is at home with the obvious symptoms but can trying to transfer patients POSITIVITY RATE
NEW YORK (AP) — With people in your household,” still spread the virus. to larger hospitals for more The positivity rate — the
the coronavirus surging she said. Also on Thursday, Rhode Is- advanced care. percentage of tests com-
out of control, the nation’s If families do decide to in- land Gov. Gina Raimondo “Whether it is regular pneu- ing back positive for the vi-
top public health agency clude returning college announced what she monia or appendicitis or rus — has taken on a more
pleaded with Americans students, military members called a “two-week pause” fractures that need surgery, prominent role in the na-
on Thursday not to travel or others for turkey and with some businesses clo- they have a limited amount tion’s response to the crisis
for Thanksgiving and not stuffing, the CDC is rec- sures and capacity re- of beds in their facilities in recent days.
to spend the holiday with ommending that the hosts duced for restaurants and and they are not taking a New York City shut down
people from outside their take added precautions: houses of worship starting lot of these routine cases,” in-person classes in the na-
household. Gatherings should be out- Nov. 30. She said officials said Perry Desbien, a nurse tion’s largest school system
It was some of the firmest doors if possible, with peo- will reevaluate COVID-19 practitioner who works in this week after the positivity
guidance yet from the gov- ple keeping 6 feet apart caseloads on Dec. 13. If Smith Center and other ru- rate surpassed 3%. That an-
ernment on curtailing tradi- and wearing masks and they haven’t eased by ral communities. “They are gered families who believe
tional gatherings to fight just one person serving the then, she said “a full state saying, ‘Send them home. it is too stringent a standard
the outbreak. food. lockdown” will follow. Have them follow up in the and question why bars and
The Centers for Disease Whether Americans heed And New Hampshire’s Re- office. Unless it is life-threat- restaurants can remain
Control and Prevention is- the warning is another publican Gov. Chris Su- ening, we don’t want to open.
sued the recommenda- matter. The deadly come- nunu, who previously re- see them either.’” The positivity rate has
tions just one week before back by the virus has been sisted calls for a statewide Earlier this month, the Mayo soared to record levels all
Thanksgiving, at a time blamed in part on pan- mask mandate, issued an Clinic Health System in Wis- around the nation. South
when diagnosed infections, demic fatigue, or people order requiring face cov- consin announced it was Dakota, Iowa and Wyo-
hospitalizations and deaths getting tired of masks and erings to be worn in public suspending elective medi- ming’s rate are all averag-
are skyrocketing across the other precautions. And spaces indoors and out- cal procedures. ing above 50%, and the na-
country. In many areas, the surges were seen last sum- doors. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker not- tional average is now 10%.
health care system is being mer after Memorial Day ___ ed that with COVID-19 pa- Health experts caution
squeezed by a combina- and July Fourth, despite KEEPING UP WITH NON- tients claiming a quarter of that there are weaknesses
tion of sick patients filling up blunt warnings from health COVID-19 CASES the state’s hospital beds, in the positivity data be-
beds and medical workers authorities. Hospitals are struggling to there are fewer resources cause states calculate the
falling ill themselves. The United States has seen keep up with non-corona- for heart attack patients, rate differently. But they
The CDC’s Dr. Erin Sauber- more than 11 million diag- virus cases ranging from expectant mothers or can- say the overall trend is
Schatz cited more than 1 nosed infections and over broken bones to heart at- cer patients. not in dispute, and it indi-
million new cases in the U.S. 250,000 deaths from the tacks in states where COV- “When we let our hospitals cates severe spread and,
over the past week as the coronavirus. CDC scientists ID-19 cases are tying up re- get overrun or even close in many places, insufficient
reason for the new guid- believe that somewhere sources. to it, it is all of us suffering,” testing.q