Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
More Americans Than Ever Are Sick Enough With COVID To Be Hospitalized
CNN: 3 Million New Covid-19 Infections Were Reported In November, As Hospitalizations Reach A Record High
November isn't even over, and the US has already seen more new Covid-19 cases than any other month of this entire pandemic. More than 3 million new cases were reported between November 1 and 22, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That's about a quarter of all US cases since the beginning of this pandemic. Yes, testing has increased. But it hasn't kept pace with the rate of new infections. (Yan and Holcombe, 11/22)
The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Hospitalization Count Sets 13th Straight Daily Record
The U.S. reported 142,732 new cases of coronavirus and registered a record number of hospitalizations for the 13th straight day. The tally of Sunday’s new infections, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, was down from Friday’s record 196,004—but counts are generally lower over the weekend before rising midweek. The latest daily figure is the highest yet for a Sunday, and total cumulative cases now exceed 12.2 million. (Wen, 11/23)
The Hill: US Coronavirus Cases Top 12M
The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. topped 12 million Saturday amid a third wave of infections that is anticipated to be exacerbated in the coming winter months. A database run by The New York Times showed the case total surpassing 12 million less than a week after the total number of cases hit 11 million, underscoring the rapidity with which the highly infectious virus is spreading. (Axelrod, 11/21)
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AP: Nevada Governor Tightens Restrictions As Virus Cases Rise
Gov. Steve Sisolak announced plans Sunday to tighten restrictions on casinos, restaurants and private gatherings such as Thanksgiving dinner in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The new restrictions, which are scheduled to go into effect on Tuesday, come amid an unprecedented surge that has broken records in the state in terms of cases, deaths and infection rates throughout November. (Metz, 11/23)
Bloomberg: Most Infected U.S. County To Shut Down Restaurants, Again
America’s most infected metropolitan area will be shutting down outdoor dining again. The Greater Los Angeles area added 2,718 new coronavirus cases Sunday, with the five-day average exceeding the 4,000 threshold that triggered additional measures where restaurants, breweries and bars will once again limit their businesses to just pick-up and delivery. The new curbs will start at 10 p.m. Wednesday, right before the Thanksgiving holiday. (Chua, 11/22)
The Hill: More GOP Governors Embrace Mask Mandates, But Holdouts Remain
A growing number of red state governors are finally embracing mask mandates as COVID-19 spreads uncontrolled across the entire country. The scientific community reached the consensus long ago that wearing masks can save lives and dramatically decrease the spread of the coronavirus. (Weixel, 11/21)
