US Strangled by Sweeping Restrictions Placed to Fight Covid-19
United States now has over 3,000 Covid-19 cases registered over a week prompting sweeping restrictions across the country as health officials warn the nation is at a tipping point. The suggestions tabled two weeks ago have now turned into public safety orders and authorities are urging people to take the call to action in serious manner lest the country may dive into the crisis similar to the one faced by Italy which went on total lockdown last week and has its health system near collapse. Hit harder than any other country in European Union, it at present has near 25,000 confirmed corona cases and 1,809 deaths.
“We have the same number of cases that Italy had two weeks ago. We have a choice to make,” US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said. “Do we want to really lean into social distancing and mitigation strategies and flatten the curve or do we just want to keep going on with business as usual and end up being Italy?”
This week has already witnessed a surge in both cases and deaths in United States. There were 3,349 ceases of virus in the States on Sunday evening however, the number rose to 1,000 in 24 hours with 20 new deaths of the disease. New measures were announced on Monday as the patient count reached 4,466 and 87 people lost their lives.
Closure of Restaurants, Gyms, Theaters and Bars
The mayor of NYC, Bill de Blasio revealed that he will restrict all bars, cafes and restaurants to delivery services.
“You have to think of this in a wartime world view,” the mayor said on Monday. “You have to think of this as something where you are going to see a massive mobilization to save lives, to help people through their suffering with this disease.”
Public health officials in Colorado have sealed gyms, bars, theaters, restaurants and casinos for a month. However, the owners will still have the option to run their businesses through take out and home delivery in a bid to reduce the socialization of the masses.
“Based on the experience of other countries, the state of Washington, and modeling data, the sooner we begin social distancing measures on a large enough scale, the more quickly we can slow transmission of the virus,” Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Executive Director Jill Hunsaker Ryan said.
Similar measures were adopted by administrations in Indiana, Maryland, Louisiana and Kentucky. Meanwhile Michigan, New Jersey, Wisconsin and New York have slapped a ban on gathering of 50 or more people in their areas.
London Breed, the Mayor of San Francisco has through his office issued “shelter in place” guidance, requiring the residents to stay at their homes and leave the shelter only when necessary.
“We know these measures will significantly disrupt people’s day to day lives, but they are absolutely necessary,” said Mr. Breed in a statement issued by him on Monday. “This is going to be a defining moment for our city and we all have a responsibility to do our part to protect our neighbors and slow the spread of this virus by staying at home unless it is absolutely essential to go outside.”
Guidelines Issued by Federal Administration
The orders are in line with the federal government guidelines for the next 15 days and came the same day. The federal administration barred gathering of more than 10 people at a place as President Donald Trump revealed the recommendations form the WH. Following the announcement, Dow crashed after seeing its worst point as interest rates was slashed to zero as part of nationwide emergency. Trump said that the country may plunge into recession but they would fight the novel outbreak come what may.
The new set of guidelines also appealed the public to adopt take out pickup their food from restaurants and bars instead of practicing enter to eat.
“We’d much rather be ahead of the curve than behind it, and that’s what we are,” Trump said Monday evening.
The sweeping advisory came largely after governors across the US issued new order and directives in a bid to prevent the outbreak and requested the help from federal administration.
“Every state doing their own thing, different cities doing their own thing, it’s confusing, it is chaos,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday night. “The federal government should come up, step in, and say this what we are going to do. This is what we do in schools, this is what we do in business, here are the rules and then the states can adjust the rules to their particular circumstances.”
Maryland Governor, Larry Hogan talking to Cable News Network called on Federal government to step in to support state senators who are leading eh response to the epidemic.
“We are taking actions that we believe are necessary in our state,” he revealed.
Shortage of Medical Equipment
Shortly after New Jersey, Connecticut and New York placed the ban on gatherings, the governors of three states through a conference revealed the shortages of medical aid.
“We need hospital beds over the next couple of weeks,” New Jersey Governor, Phil Murphy said. “We are woefully short as a region, as a country, in terms of being able to take care of folks – especially if this surge comes in the way we expect it. We are badly outgunned in that front and that is where we need the federal government to help step up.”
A president of a hospital in Georgia revealed to CNN that the clinic has ran out of medical supplies stocked for months. Scott Steiner who serves as president and CEO of Phoebe Putney health systems told CNN that despite being well equipped in terms of protective gear, the hospital lost 6 months’ worth of stock over just six days. Health and Human Services authorities have admitted they have not enough stockpiled equipment to cope with the demands of states and are working in that direction.
“We have been transparent that more supplies are needed – hence the request to Congress for additional funding so we could procure more and scale up production” as HHS spokesperson said in a statement to Cable News Network. “The role at the Federal level is to appropriately implement regulatory relief, provide alternative sources and support manufacturing and adjust allocation to appropriately target areas in need.”
