US Coronavirus: It is too risky for states to ease Covid-19 restrictions now, experts warn

US Coronavirus: It is too risky for states to ease Covid-19 restrictions now, experts warn

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“We are … seeing what happens in other countries when these variants take over,” emergency doctor Dr. Leana Wen told CNN on Monday night. “There is (an) explosive wave, even when countries are basically paralyzed.”

Wen, who is a former health commissioner for the city of Baltimore, added that the United States faces “something really potentially catastrophic and we should double the measures that we know work.”

More than 690 cases of Covid-19 variants first detected in the UK, South Africa and Brazil have been reported in the US, according to CDC data updated on Sunday.

Wen’s comments follow the announcements by several state leaders about easing security measures at Covid-19.

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum announced last month that the mask’s statewide mandate could expire, telling CNN last week that he was not concerned about the increase in Covid-19 numbers. In Iowa, Governor Kim Reynolds recently signed an executive order terminating all mask requirements, gathering restrictions and other public health emergency mandates, while encouraging residents to follow recommended safety guidelines.
And New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday that New York City’s indoor restaurants could reopen at 25% capacity on February 12.
Even amid a drop in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations across the country, easing restrictions is now “incredibly risky,” said Dr. Richard Besser, former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“It is absolutely essential that we continue to take steps beyond vaccination to keep this under control,” said Besser. “The reason for this is that the more this virus can spread in our communities, the more we will see these variants spread.”

“And if vaccines are not as effective against some of these variants, we can see the gains we are so excited about now, we can see those gains reversed in a very short period of time.”

Vaccine challenges remain

So far, more than 32 million Americans have received at least their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, according to CDC data. More than 9.5 million people received both doses, the data show.

And while officials have expressed optimism that vaccines will continue to increase in the coming weeks, local and state leaders continue to face challenges, including the number of doses available and ensuring equitable access to vaccines.

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Los Angeles County health officials announced that, as of Tuesday, the county will only offer consultations for second doses of the vaccine due to a shortage of supplies.

“Scheduling an appointment now is a challenge due to the limited supply of vaccines the county is receiving weekly,” county health officials said in a press release. This will last the rest of the week.

The move comes to “ensure that we have enough doses to guarantee a second dose for people who have already received the first,” said Los Angeles County public health director Barbara Ferrer during a news conference on Monday.

In Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear said in a statement on Monday that the state would produce demographic data every week on where doses of the vaccine go, so that they are “accountable” for equitable access.

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“Black and African American Kentucky residents have so far received about 4.3% of the vaccines in which we know the person’s race. This is unacceptable, ”said the governor.

“About 1.1% of vaccines, where ethnicity is known, were for our Hispanic population – also very low,” he added in a statement.

For Americans who are fully vaccinated, more guidance on what they should and should not do may be on the way, said Dr. Anthony Fauci during a meeting on Monday.

“Under the existing guidelines, you still need to wear a mask, you still need to do the social distance, but I believe that this will change,” said Fauci. “We are talking about this at the CDC level.”

How can a trip be

Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg told CNN on Monday that the CDC is also “reviewing all of its options” after he was asked if a measure requiring Covid-19 testing could be introduced soon before domestic flights.
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“What we do know is that it is the appropriate measure for international travel, people traveling to the United States due to some of these considerations. You know that I would say that the domestic scenario is very different, but you know that the CDC is always evaluating the that can best be done to keep Americans safe, “said Buttigieg.

When asked whether he supported the idea of ​​requiring proof of vaccination against Covid-19 before air travel, Buttigieg said that this depends on the CDC.

“This is not a step that has been taken and, again, the CDC is really in the lead in deciding what the right measures will be,” said Buttigieg. “At the moment, the focus, especially at a time when most Americans did not have a vaccine, did not have access to a vaccine, is to ensure that while we are distributing these vaccines to everyone we can, we” are also maintaining those measures that we know are available and that work, like wearing a mask. “

More than 2.9 million children had Covid-19

Meanwhile, a new report by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association said that more than 2.9 million children had tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began.
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Covid-19 cases in children represent almost 13% of all cases in the United States, the report added.

In the week between January 28 and February 4, more than 117,000 new childhood infections were reported, the report added, while in the two weeks ending February 4, there was a 10% increase in cases of Covid-19 in children.

Serious illness caused by the virus remains rare among children, the report said.

“However, there is an urgent need to collect more data on the long-term impacts of the pandemic on children, including the ways in which the virus can harm the long-term physical health of infected children, as well as its emotional and mental effects.” added.

CNN’s Jamiel Lynch, Jen Christensen, Andrea Diaz, Lauren Mascarenhas, Rebekah Riess, Sarah Moon, Steve Almasy, Brian Vitagliano, Hollie Silverman and Haley Brink contributed to this report.

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