US Coronavirus: Some states are seeing more Covid-19 cases while others are easing restrictions

He acknowledged that there will be stumbles and that the measures may take some time, even many months, before the nation is in the place it needs to be. But as Biden’s team and state governments plan and manage their vaccine launches, the number of Covid-19 cases continues to increase each day.

The North Dakota mask’s term is due to expire on Monday. In a statement on Friday, Governor Doug Burgum cited an 80% drop in active cases from a mid-November outbreak.

“Our case numbers and hospital capacity have improved dramatically in North Dakota in the past two months, and with three new tools we didn’t have last fall – vaccines, rapid tests and effective therapies – we can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. Burgum.

“However, this fight is not over, and we need all Northern Dakotans to continue to exercise personal responsibility, follow protocols and continue to wear masks where physical distance is not possible. The day will come when we will be able to remove our masks and discard with confidence, but only if we do what is necessary now to keep ourselves, our families and our communities safe. “

In Illinois, three regions of the state are adopting less restrictive blocking measures.

“I am happy to report today that most regions of Illinois are making good progress,” said Governor JB Pritzker on Friday.

The state will soon see the return of group gym classes, “recreational and youth sports at lower risk” and the reopening of museums, the governor said.

LA County exceeds 1 million infections

The recent optimism seen in places like North Dakota, which at one point had the worst outbreak in the country, has not yet been matched everywhere.

At least 13,741 residents have died in Covid-19 since the pandemic began, according to the county health department.

“It’s surreal. It feels like you’re waking up to a nightmare every day,” said David Ortiz of the LA Fire Department, speaking with CNN’s Paul Vercammen on Saturday about the county’s prevention efforts, which include a new center. vaccination at Dodger Stadium.

“It is hard to imagine that so many people die, each one is a story, it is a family,” he said.

Los Angeles medical emergency technician Michael Diaz told CNN Brianna Keilar, “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Diaz said the pandemic has stretched the limits of first aid, health professionals and the system.

The decision to transport a seriously ill patient is not an easy one, “but now it got to the point, if someone has coronavirus specifically, we are just giving them 20 minutes and if they are not viable after 20 minutes, we” are making a decision difficult, “he said.

After Los Angeles, Cook County of Illinois and Maricopa County of Arizona have the second and third highest county infection totals, respectively. Both counties had more than 400,000 cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Federal official blames ‘restrictive’ governors for slow vaccine release

These numbers fall short of previous distribution targets set by Operation Warp Speed. The blame game between state governors and the federal government continued this week as it was revealed that there is no federal vaccine stockpile.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar cited the timing of the vaccine’s approval and the approach of some governors to distribute it for delays.

“We had some governors who were overly prescriptive and restrictive in the groups of people to whom they are trying to distribute the vaccines,” he added.

In the meantime, states are increasing vaccinations with the supplies they have.

New York announced on Saturday that while 7 million New Yorkers are now eligible for the coronavirus vaccine, the state is expected to receive only 250,000 doses next week.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy asked the federal government on Friday to provide more vaccines to his state. “It is increasingly evident that we are ready, but the feds are not,” said Murphy.