Page 13 - HOH

A12 HEALTH
Monday 26 october 2020
US sets coronavirus infection record; deaths near 224,000

By REBECCA BOONE and week.
DAVID CRARY Associated El Paso County reported
Press 3,750 new coronavirus in-
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The fections this week, includ-
U.S. coronavirus caseload ing 1,161 on Thursday. That
has reached record heights number accounts for 17.5%
with more than 83,000 in- of the 21,321 cases report-
fections reported in a sin- ed this week by the state's
gle day, the latest ominous 254 counties.
sign of the disease's grip on ___
the nation, as states from IDAHO
Connecticut to the Rocky Even as the health-care
Mountain West reel under situation worsened in north-
the surge. ern Idaho, a regional health
The U.S. death toll, mean- board voted to repeal a lo-
while, has grown to 223,995, cal mask mandate. It act-
according to the COVID-19 ed moments after hearing
Dashboard published by how the Kootenai Health
Johns Hopkins University. hospital in Coeur d'Alene
The total U.S. caseload re- had reached 99% capac-
ported on the site Friday ity.
was 83,757, topping the Kootenai is the third-most
77,362 cases reported on populous county in conser-
July 16. In this Oct. 18, 2020, file photo, people walk by outdoor plastic dining bubbles on Fulton Market vative Idaho.
The impact is being felt in in Chicago. The state is experienc-
every section of the coun- Associated Press. ing its largest coronavirus
try — a lockdown starting Utah's Gov. Gary Herbert of the pandemic. French 9,000 active coronavirus spike since the pandemic
Friday at the Oglala Sioux proclaimed Friday to be "a authorities said the country cases on Thursday and re- began, with new cases
Tribe's reservation in South record day for Utah — but had recorded over 1 mil- ported an all-time high of increasing statewide by
Dakota, a plea by a Florida not a good one" as COV- lion confirmed coronavirus 973 new cases in one day. 46.5% percent over the past
health official for a halt to ID-19 cases reached an all- cases since the start of the ___ two weeks. Gov. Brad Little,
children's birthday parties, time high for the state. pandemic, becoming the FLORIDA a Republican, has declined
dire warnings from Utah's "Up until now, our hospitals second country in Western The top health official in to take steps such as requir-
governor, and an increas- have been able to provide Europe after Spain to reach one of Florida's most popu- ing masks statewide to slow
ingly desperate situation good care to all COVID that number. lous counties discouraged the virus' spread.
at a hospital in northern and non-COVID patients The head of the World parents from hosting birth- Dr. Joshua Kern, vice presi-
Idaho, which is running out who need it," he said. "But Health Organization day parties for their chil- dent of St. Luke's in the
of space for patients and today we stand on the warned that countries in dren, no matter the size. Magic Valley region that
considering airlifts to Seat- brink. If Utahans do not the Northern Hemisphere Dr. Raul Pino, a state health includes Twin Falls and Je-
tle or Portland, Oregon. take serious steps to limit are at a "critical juncture" officer in Orange County, rome, said Thursday during
"We've essentially shut group gatherings and wear as cases and deaths con- said half of the 30 attend- a virtual press conference
down an entire floor of our masks, our healthcare pro- tinue to rise. ees at a recent Sweet 16 that he and other medical
hospital. We've had to dou- viders will not have the abil- "The next few months are party in the Orlando area professionals are scared.
ble rooms. We've bought ity to provide quality care going to be very tough came down with the virus. "The purpose of any inter-
more hospital beds," said for everyone who needs it." and some countries are Last month, an Orange vention around coronavi-
Dr. Robert Scoggins, a pul- By public health order, on a dangerous track," County high school closed rus has been to prevent the
monologist at the Kootenai masks are required in 21 said WHO director-general for two weeks after stu- hospitals from being over-
Health hospital in Coeur counties, said Herbert, urg- Tedros Adhanom Ghe- dents who had attended a whelmed, and here I am
d'Alene. "Our hospital is not ing Utah residents to wear breyesus at a press briefing birthday party tested posi- today saying the hospital
built for a pandemic." one whenever they are on Friday. tive. is being overwhelmed," he
In the southern Idaho city around someone outside Some of the latest develop- "Those parties will not only said.
of Twin Falls, St. Luke's Mag- their immediate household. ments in the United States: affect those people par- A day later on Friday, his
ic Valley Medical Center The seven-day rolling av- SOUTH DAKOTA ticipating in that activity, hospital announced the
said it would no longer ac- erage for new daily CO- In South Dakota, the Ogla- but also everyone else they move to send younger pa-
cept children because it is VID-19 cases in the U.S. la Sioux Tribe ordered a come into contact with tients to Boise.
overwhelmed with coro- surpassed 61,140 Thursday, one-week lockdown of the when they leave," said Pino. __
navirus patients. Except for compared with 44,647 two Pine Ridge Indian Reserva- "We will continue to see NEW JERSEY and CON-
newborns, all under age 18 weeks ago. The record was tion in response to a surging consequences if we don't NECTICUT
will be sent 128 miles (206 ki- reached July 22 when the number of COVID-19 cases act super-responsibly." For a while, as new CO-
lometers) away in Boise. rolling average was 67,293 in the state. Through the ___ VID-19 cases surged in the
Among those in northern in the midst of a summer morning of Oct. 30, all non- TEXAS Midwest and elsewhere,
Idaho joining Scoggins at outbreak driven largely by essential travel is banned In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott the level of new cases re-
a meeting of Idaho's Pan- surges of the virus in Florida, and non-essential business- is sending more medical re- mained low in the North-
handle Health District was Texas, Arizona and Califor- es must close. inforcements to the El Paso east, which had been hit
board member Walk Kirby. nia.The U.S. surge mirrors a The tribe posted on its Twit- area in response to a surge hard earlier in the pandem-
"People are dying, they're similarly widespread spike ter page that there were of coronavirus infections. ic. Several states, includ-
going to keep dying and in Europe, where Rome, 391 active COVID-19 cases The Texas Department of ing New Jersey and Con-
catching this stuff," Kirby Paris and other major cit- as of Thursday on the res- State Health Services and necticut, imposed 14-day
said. "How many people ies are reining in nightlife ervation, which has about the Texas Division of Emer- quarantine requirements
won't wear a mask? The as part of the increasingly 20,000 residents. gency Management will for travelers arriving from
same people that won't drastic measures under- The lockdown comes as provide more medical per- dozens of states with higher
get vaccinated for it." taken to slow the spread South Dakota surpassed sonnel and equipment this rates of positive tests.q