Residents are instructed to stay home except for essential trips, including emergency medical care or getting food.
“This situation is dangerous, and our hospitals have been sounding the alarms,” Brown said. “I know this is hard, and we are weary. But we are trying to stop this ferocious virus from quickly spreading far and wide.”
Wisconsin hit another record, recording 100,000 new Covid-19 cases in just 18 days, the Department of Health Services reported Friday. The state had 58 deaths and 7,777 new cases on Friday.
A ‘grim day’ for the US
“This is a grim day for the country, because we’re seeing cases skyrocketing, we’re seeing hospitals fill up and we’re also seeing the death toll march up,” Murthy, co-chair of President-elect Joe Biden’s Transition Covid-19 Advisory Board, said.
“We’re at a point now, even pre-Thanksgiving, where we are surging beyond any level that we have seen over the last eight months,” he added.
As the holiday season starts, it’s important to wear masks, keep a safe distance, and wash hands regularly, Murthy said.
“If you’re thinking about going home for Thanksgiving, ask yourself if you can observe these kinds of precautionary practices, because if you can’t, then you may be putting yourself and others at risk,” he said.
Another expert said the best way forward for the country right now includes a national mask mandate.
“A vaccine will take a couple of months to really make an impact,” Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a professor of medicine at George Washington University said Friday. “If you’re having a heart attack and you call 911 and I tell you that the ambulance is coming two months from now, that should offer you no comfort.”
Less than 9% of North Dakota staffed hospital beds are available
The rampant spread has put a massive strain on the country’s health care system that’s now hosting the highest number of Covid-19 patients ever.
Data from North Dakota’s health department shows only about 8.5% of staffed hospital beds remain available, with at least 421 people currently hospitalized who tested positive for the virus. About 50 patients are in the ICU.
In Oklahoma, health officials reported a 7% ICU bed capacity Friday, up from 5% a day earlier — with now 64 ICU beds available.
In Massachusetts, where reported infections have increased “by seven times” since Labor Day and hospitalizations have increased “by two times,” the governor announced a field hospital with 240 beds will be reestablished at the DCU Center — an indoor arena and convention center complex in downtown Worcester.
“Today, we have about 661 individuals in the hospital, compared to about 178 on Labor Day,” Gov. Charlie Baker said, adding the state’s hospitals are operating at about 73% capacity and overall ICU capacity is at about 50%.
The DCU field hospital is expected to be available for patients by the first week of December, he said.
Vaccines will be distributed by population, official says
“Vaccines will be allocated pro rata by population,” Perna added.
Pfizer has said it will distribute its vaccine outside the federal framework. State health officials have said they have not heard many details from the federal government about how the vaccine distribution will be organized, and they have not received the funding they need to get infrastructure in place.
Meanwhile, retail drug chain Walgreens says it’s “rapidly expanding” its ultra-cold storage capabilities to accommodate a potential Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine — which will need to be stored at temperatures below freezing. That comes after an announcement from the US Department of Health and Human Services that it’s partnering with large chain pharmacies and networks representing independent pharmacies to help distribute a vaccine once it’s authorized.