U.S. sees 20 straight days of 100,000 COVID-19 infections
Thanksgiving and colder weather has many worried indoor socializing will cause more coronavirus cases.
As the United States prepares for this week’s Thanksgiving holiday, two million people passed through TSA checkpoints between Thursday, Nov. 19 and Saturday, Nov 21.
The holiday travel is happening as the United States has hit a record 20 straight days of 100,000 new coronavirus infections.
According to CNN, more than three million new cases of COVID-19 have been reported during November, says data from Johns Hopkins University.
That total represents a quarter of all U.S. cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
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At least 83,221 coronavirus patients were hospitalized on Sunday. Reports are that number represents the 12th straight day that the U.S. has broken hospitalization records.
The Thanksgiving holiday and colder weather has noted health professionals worried that indoor socializing will cause cases to continue to rise.
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“Think about where spread of this virus happens. It is indoors, without masks, over long periods of time. And that’s exactly what Thanksgiving is,” emergency medicine physician Dr. Megan Ranney told CNN.
“If even 1 percent of the 50 million people who are traveling for Thanksgiving transmit or catch this virus, we’re looking at an extra 500,000 cases across the country,” Ranney said.
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“This is the year to stay home,” she told the network. “If you must see people, do so only outdoors and at that safe distance. Because you just don’t know who’s infected.”
Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned people to quarantine for at least 14 days before gathering with family. Some states have guidance limiting gatherings to less than 10, and no more than two separate households.
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Texas Sen. Ted Cruz posted an inflammatory picture on Twitter of a turkey and the words, “Come and Take It.”
The image was heavily criticized as the state of Texas surpassed over 1 million cases of the deadly virus. El Paso, Texas had National Guard members deployed to help “provide mortuary affairs support” in the border city, where over 55 percent of COVID-19 deaths are among Hispanics.
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