Blue States Experience Massive Coronavirus Surge in Last Two Weeks
Blue states, some of which had the most restrictive requirements in the country throughout the Chinese coronavirus pandemic, are experiencing massive surges of the virus as the holiday season arrives, prompting some to reimplement mitigation strategies and keep others in place.
Michigan is reporting one of the biggest surges in the nation, experiencing a daily average of 8,457 cases, or 85 per 100,000, according to the New York Times‘ tracker. That reflects an 88 percent increase in cases in the last 14 days alone. This week, the federal government agreed to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s (D) request to send “two medical teams to local hospitals to relive doctors and nurses as they treat COVID-19 and other patients” amid the surge.
Pennsylvania, under Gov. Tom Wolf’s (D) leadership, is seeing a daily average of 6,251 cases, or 49 per 100,000. That reflects an increase of 40 percent over the last two weeks as well.
Similarly, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) New York is reporting a daily average of 6,666 cases, or 34 per capita. That reflects an increase of 37 percent in the last 14 days.
While neighboring New Jersey is faring slightly better, reporting 25 cases per 100,000, or a daily average of 2,183 cases, that still reflects an increase of 61 percent over the same time period.
Meanwhile, Illinois, one of the few states with a statewide mask mandate in place, is reporting a daily average of 4,661 cases, or 34 per 100,000. That reflects an increase of 86 percent in the last two weeks.
The Sunshine State, whose Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) stood against longterm lockdowns, continues to have the lowest coronavirus rate per capita in the nation, sitting at six. That reflects a two percent decrease in cases over the last two weeks.
Military to Assist Michigan with Coronavirus Surge After Gov. Whitmer Seeks Help
The federal government plans to send 44 military medical workers to Michigan to assist hospitals treating coronavirus patients during a fourth surge that has become the worst in the nation, according to state health officials.
“It also will open beds at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Detroit for transfers. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer sought the assistance at the request of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association,” the Associated Press (AP) reported Wednesday.
The two groups of 22 physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists are scheduled to arrive next week and tend patients for 30 days inside Beaumont Hospital located in Dearborn, and Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, the health department explained.
Over 4,100 individuals had been hospitalized with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases as of Wednesday, the AP report said, adding that the number of hospitalized adults who had confirmed illnesses was 3,900, which is 87 percent more than one month ago and approximately 94 percent of the state’s record high that was reached in April.
“Right now, our doctors and nurses are reporting the vast majority of their patients are unvaccinated or have not yet received a booster dose,” the governor noted in a recent statement.
“We can all do our part to help reduce the strain on our hospital systems by getting vaccinated, making an appointment to get a booster dose and continuing to take precautions to keep ourselves and loved ones safe,” she added.
Last week, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced an indoor mask advisory for residents two years old and up before the holiday season, regardless of their vaccination status.
Brian Peters, who is CEO of the statewide hospital group, described the current situation as “dire” and said the Department of Defense’s help was “desperately needed.”
“Many hospitals throughout the state are operating at capacity, delaying nonemergency medical procedures and placing their emergency departments on diversion,” he explained. “Receiving these teams of federal caregivers can only help those hospitals.”
Meanwhile, Gov. Whitmer (D) was seen maskless at a bar in Washington, DC, according to photos that emerged in late October.
The pictures obtained by the Washington Free Beacon showed Whitmer at the Vue rooftop bar at the Hotel Washington without a mask, “a violation of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) indoor mask mandate,” Breitbart News reported at the time:
“Whitmer gained a reputation last year for her strict coronavirus policies when cases began surging, but her reputation suffered, per polling, as she repeatedly came under fire for violating her own orders,” the Breitbart News report concluded.
No comments:
Post a Comment