Daily Death Toll Likely To Exceed 9/11 Fatalities For Many Weeks, CDC Says
The messaging has been wrong, CDC director Robert Redfield said: "It's very disappointing when I have governors who basically feel that masks don't work." His agency predicts a death toll of 362,000 in the U.S. by Jan. 2.
The Hill:
CDC Director: US COVID-19 Deaths Likely To Exceed 9/11 Toll For 60 Days
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield issued a stark warning about the worsening death toll from the coronavirus on Thursday, saying that in a coming brutal stretch of time the country is likely to see more deaths from the virus each day than from the Sept. 11 attacks or Pearl Harbor. “We are in the timeframe now that probably for the next 60 to 90 days we're going to have more deaths per day than we had at 9/11 or we had at Pearl Harbor,” Redfield said during an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations. (Sullivan, 12/10)
The Hill:
New CDC Coronavirus Forecast: 362,000 Dead By Jan. 2
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday predicted that the number of newly reported coronavirus-related deaths will likely increase over the next month, with the potential for a total death count of up to 362,000 by Jan. 2. The CDC made the prediction in its weekly “ensemble forecast,” which combines national and stave-level forecasts into an aggregate prediction on the state of COVID-19 over the next four weeks. (Castronuovo, 12/10)
In updates from the states —
The Hill:
Pennsylvania Governor Bans Indoor Dining, Gyms Under New Virus Order
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) unveiled a new set of coronavirus restrictions Thursday in an attempt to mitigate the spread of the disease. Under the restrictions, all indoor dining will be closed, while outdoor dining and take-out services can continue. (Williams, 12/10)
The Washington Post:
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam Imposes Coronavirus Curfew While Toughening Restrictions
A new wave of coronavirus-related restrictions was introduced in the Washington region Thursday, with more Maryland jurisdictions eliminating indoor dining and Virginia imposing a statewide curfew to keep residents home late at night. The executive order from Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) also includes an expanded mask mandate and lowers the number of people allowed in social gatherings. The measures, which will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday, do not change rules for restaurants, stores or houses of worship. (Vozzella, Chason, Cox and Brice-Saddler, 12/10)
New Orleans Times-Picayune:
Coronavirus Cases In Louisiana Nursing Homes Have Leaders 'Very Concerned' Despite Vaccine Near
Coronavirus infections among Louisiana’s nursing home residents are hitting levels not seen since the peak of the second wave over the summer, a worrying trend even with the prospect of the first doses of a vaccine being administered by the end of the month. Nursing homes reported more than 400 new COVID-19 cases among residents in the past week, the most since mid-August. Similarly, there were 365 new infections among nursing home staff -- considered the most likely way for the virus to gain a foothold in those buildings -- also the highest since August. (Roberts III and Rddad, 12/10)
AP:
California's Health Order Falling On Many Deaf Ears
In the Southern California oceanside city of Manhattan Beach, one arm of government is urging residents to stay home except for essential needs while another is encouraging them to get out and shop and even providing places where they can sit down to relax, eat takeout and watch the sun set on the Pacific. It’s one example of confusing messages from governments as most of California is under a broad shutdown order that includes an overnight curfew to try to stem record-breaking coronavirus cases that threaten to overwhelm the hospital system. (Taxin, Dovarganes and Rodriguez, 12/11)
