US health officials say how Americans will act in the coming weeks may help determine how the Covid-19 pandemic continues to unfold.
US health officials say how Americans will act in the coming weeks may help determine how the Covid-19 pandemic continues to unfold.
Although infection numbers are low, they are still too high to diminish security measures, experts warn. And while current trends in Covid-19 may be encouraging, variants of the virus circulating in the United States may help fuel another outbreak soon, according to some projections.
One of the main concerns of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: travel.
“We are very concerned about the transmissible variants,” CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told CNN at the end of last week. “Many of them have passed through our travel corridors, so we are being extremely cautious about travel now.”
The director said that every time the number of trips increases, an increase in Covid-19 cases tends to occur – as was the case with major holidays like July 4th, Labor Day and the winter holiday season.
“There are almost the same number of trips now that happened during Thanksgiving,” she said.
With the start of spring break, air travel is setting records for the pandemic era. TSA figures show that more than 1.3 million people were screened at airports on Friday – the highest number since March 15, 2020.
Florida – a popular spring break destination – is already seeing crowded beaches.
“We are seeing a lot of spring break activity,” Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber told CNN on Saturday morning. “We have a problem with a lot of people coming here, we have a problem with a lot of people coming here to let go.”
“We are concerned,” said the mayor. “It is very challenging.”
In Orlando, Mayor Buddy Dyer asked visitors to practice Covid-19’s safety precautions.
“We have come a long way as a community to slow the spread of the virus,” Dyer wrote on twitter. “As you enjoy our city and our wonderful weather this weekend, continue your precautions against the pandemic.”
Keep your mask on. Here’s why:
And it’s not just the crowds that make specialists nervous. Covid-19’s eased restrictions are now taking effect in several states across the country.
“I think we are going to let go a little earlier. Because we are talking about the mask lifting orders, ”emergency doctor Dr. Leana Wen told CNN on Saturday. “I understand the reopening of companies, I want our companies and our schools, our churches and other institutions to be reopened. We can do this if we keep the masking mandates in place. “
Texans are no longer under a state mask. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves also announced earlier this month, he withdrew all mask orders from the county. Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon has announced that the state will remove its mask requirement across the state and allow bars, restaurants, theaters and gyms to resume normal operations from Tuesday.
These are the states that do not require face masks
In Oklahoma, Governor Kevin Stitt announced on Thursday that he was removing any restrictions on events or residents and removing the mask requirement on state buildings.
But, citing concerns about variant B.1.1.7, which was first detected in the UK and is now spreading in the US, an expert said that now is the “wrong time” to remove mandates from the masks.
“If there was ever a time to put on the mask, this is it,” said the director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins to MSNBC on Saturday. “Every bit of data proves that wearing a mask reduces infections, reduces deaths, as we are still seeing 50 to 60,000 cases a day now … this is the time.”
Expanded eligibility in some states as of Monday
It will be crucial to continue to practice safety precautions as the United States works to increase its vaccination numbers.
So far, more than 68.8 million Americans have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, while more than 36.9 million are fully vaccinated, according to data from the CDC.
But the United States still faces major challenges when it comes to vaccinating weapons, including “continued hesitation in supplying restricted vaccines and growing myths and misinformation,” according to Walensky.
In efforts to increase vaccination numbers, state leaders across the country are announcing expanded requirements for vaccine eligibility.
In Alaska, people living or working in the state aged 16 or over can get the vaccine. The Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer is the only one available for use by people aged 16 and over, while the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are restricted to people aged 18 and over.
Rhode Island eligibility is open on Friday to residents aged 60 to 64, as well as people aged 16 to 64, with certain underlying health conditions.
In Georgia, residents aged 55 and over and people with disabilities and certain medical conditions will be eligible for the vaccine starting on Monday.
Also as of Monday, Kentuckians aged 16 or older with any medical or behavioral health conditions that the CDC says may be at increased risk for serious Covid-19 disease will also be eligible for the vaccine. Health officials added that smoking will not be in the conditions covered in the state.
Meanwhile, in California, people with certain high-risk medical conditions or disabilities will also become eligible for a vaccine on Monday.
“The national supply of the vaccine remains limited, so consultations for the estimated 4.4 million Californians with these conditions or disabilities will not be immediately available to everyone who is eligible,” said state health officials.
The dangerous side effects of a pandemic
With the help of vaccination, the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel is getting brighter. But it was a devastating year with far-reaching consequences.
On the one hand, there have been “worrying” declines in childhood vaccinations against other infectious diseases, Walensky said during a meeting at the White House on Friday.
“Punctual vaccination during childhood is essential because it helps to provide immunity before children are exposed to potentially fatal diseases,” said Walensky. “During the pandemic, we saw substantial declines in visits to the pediatrician and, because of that, CDC orders for childhood vaccines fell by around 11 million doses – a substantial and historic decline.”
While leaders are working to get students back to school, “we certainly don’t want to find other preventable infectious outbreaks, like measles and mumps,” said Walensky.
“When planning your child’s safe return to daycare or school programs, check with your child’s doctor to make sure he is up to date with the vaccines,” she added.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said he is also concerned about the mental health toll that the pandemic has caused in the country.
“That’s why I want to leave the virological aspect of this pandemic behind as quickly as possible, because the long-term devastations are so multifaceted,” he told CBS on Thursday.
An expert told CNN on Saturday that it would be useful for the United States to prepare for a potential increase in mental health needs by increasing access to mental health services.
“We know that 75% of adults here in America are feeling stressed – they are feeling overwhelmed, anxious and depressed,” said Riana Elyse Anderson, assistant professor of behavior and health education at the University of Michigan.
“We have to be willing to heal.”