[ad_1]
HONG KONG — Hong Kong is limiting most gatherings to simply two individuals and ordering obligatory testing of employees at retirement houses and amenities for individuals with disabilities, amongst tightening measures to comprise a brand new wave of coronavirus instances.
The semi-autonomous southern Chinese language metropolis reported 82 information instances on Wednesday, all however 10 of them listed as having been transmitted amongst native residets. Since Nov. 17, greater than 1,000 instances have been reported, only some of which have been introduced from exterior the town.
That’s prompting the federal government to lift penalties for failing to comply with orders on masks sporting in public and for obligatory assessments.
Exceptions have been made for some group gatherings, together with a restrict of 20 individuals for weddings and shareholder conferences, however non secular actions and group journey would not be exempt.
Hong Kong and Singapore, in the meantime, have referred to as off a deliberate journey bubble till subsequent yr in response to the surge in Hong Kong instances.
———
THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:
— U.S. panel to resolve who ought to get the first COVID-19 pictures
— BioNTech and Pfizer ask European regulator for expedited approval of coronavirus vaccine
— Americans face new COVID-19 restrictions after Thanksgiving
— At tiny rural hospitals, exhausted medical workers t reat family and friends
— Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton assessments optimistic for coronavirus
— A pop-up college has blossomed to show studying, writing, math and artwork to Central American kids living in a camp of asylum seekers caught at America’s doorstep
———
Observe AP’s protection at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
———
HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
TUCSON, Ariz. — On the urging of Mayor Regina Romero, the Tucson Metropolis Council voted Tuesday night time to ascertain a compulsory nightly curfew for 3 weeks in an try and gradual the unfold of COVID-19.
The 10 p.m.-to-5 a.m. curfew will take impact Friday and run by Dec. 23. Romero says she sought the curfew “for the protection and welfare and well being of the residents of Tucson.”
It prohibits residents from being on public streets or areas except touring to work or different important actions. Romero says Pima County reported had a record-high 944 new coronavirus instances Tuesday, and hospitals in southern Arizona are on the verge of a disaster.
Earlier Tuesday, state well being officers reported 10,322 new recognized coronavirus instances and 48 extra deaths round Arizona.
———
DENVER — The ACLU of Colorado and the Weld County Sheriff’s workplace have reached an settlement to implement measures on the county’s jail to higher defend inmates from the coronavirus pandemic.
Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams and the ACLU requested a federal decide Tuesday to enter a consent decree between the 2 sides to hold out the modifications and supply federal oversight.
The ACLU had filed a lawsuit in April alleging that the sheriff’s workplace had failed to fulfill public well being orders associated to the pandemic and didn’t sufficiently defend inmates, jail workers and the general public.
Joe Moylan, a spokesperson for the Weld County Sheriff’s Workplace, declined additional remark.
———
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan introduced measures on Tuesday to spice up the variety of out there well being care employees and plan for extra hospital beds.
In a partnership with the Maryland Hospital Affiliation, the governor introduced the launch of an initiative referred to as MarylandMedNow to recruit individuals with medical backgrounds to work at state hospitals, nursing houses, testing websites and vaccination clinics.
The state has requested faculties and universities to develop emergency insurance policies and procedures to award educational credit score to college students who’re prepared to get hands-on work expertise throughout the pandemic.
The governor additionally introduced steps to extend hospital beds. Hospitals throughout the state might be required to submit a affected person surge plan, together with methods to increase mattress and staffing capability changes. They are going to be due on the well being division Dec. 8.
Additionally, if hospitalizations attain a complete of 8,000 hospitalizations or extra, hospitals might be required to increase their staffed mattress capability by 10% of every hospital’s bodily mattress capability inside seven calendar days. Of the 6,816 individuals in hospitals, 1,583 had confirmed instances of the coronavirus as of Tuesday.
———
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco Mayor London Breed dined at a complicated Napa Valley restaurant the day after California’s governor was there. San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo went to his mother and father’ home for Thanksgiving. And a Los Angeles County supervisor dined outdoor simply hours after voting to ban out of doors eating there.
All three native officers have been on the recent seat Tuesday after numerous reviews that they violated guidelines aimed toward controlling the unfold of the coronavirus — or at a minimal, violating the spirit of the principles as they repeatedly urged others to remain house.
Breed joined seven others on the three Michelin-starred French Laundry on Nov. 7 to rejoice the 60th birthday of socialite Gorretti Lo Lui, the mayor’s spokesman confirmed to the San Francisco Chronicle. She dined in the identical sort of partially enclosed indoor/out of doors room Gov. Gavin Newsom celebrated in a day earlier.
Newsom, who has appealed to Californians to “do your half” and keep house, apologized when the 12-person dinner was reported, then once more when images emerged exhibiting him, his spouse and others sitting shut collectively on the identical desk with out masks.
Breed’s spokesman, Jeff Cretan, referred to as the mayor’s French Laundry dinner a “small household birthday dinner.” He didn’t instantly reply to a phone message Tuesday inquiring whether or not the dinner concerned greater than three completely different households, that are prohibited below the state’s guidelines.
———
DENVER — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis joined the nation’s prime infectious illness professional Tuesday and urged individuals to put on masks and socially distance to assist stop stay-at-home orders and overwhelmed hospitals as instances of the coronavirus surge throughout the holidays.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the Nationwide Institute of Allergy and Infectious Ailments and a member of the White Home’s coronavirus activity power, warned throughout a digital information convention that Colorado will not be alone in seeing a spike in instances and pleaded with individuals to not journey or collect in massive teams.
“In the event you look throughout the US, we’re actually in a public well being disaster proper now as a result of we’re having a surge the likes of which is worse than the surges that all of us noticed within the late winter, early spring,” Fauci mentioned.
He added that “we’re probably going to see a surge upon a surge” of instances, primarily based on the quantity of people that traveled and gathered for Thanksgiving and on those that are anticipated to buy and attend vacation events earlier than celebrating Christmas and New Yr’s in massive teams.
Colorado has been hit with a considerable spike in COVID-19 instances, with one in 41 residents believed to be contagious.
———
UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Normal Meeting is making an attempt to handle the issue of 400,000 seafarers stranded at sea because of COVID-19 by adopting a decision urging all nations to designate these engaged on ships as “key employees.”
The decision adopted by consensus Tuesday by the 193-member world physique stresses the very troublesome situations seafarers face at sea which have been exacerbated by the response to the pandemic that has impeded crew modifications and repatriation of sailors to their house international locations.
Indonesia’s U.N. Ambassador DianTriansyah Djani, who sponsored the decision, mentioned the work of two million seafarers “who’ve proven their dedication and professionalism throughout this disaster, making certain that world commerce and logistics proceed to maneuver correctly” largely goes unnoticed.
The decision acknowledged that “delivery has continued to move greater than 80 % of world commerce important to the conventional functioning of society, together with very important medical provides, meals and different fundamental items which can be vital for the COVID-19 response and restoration.”
Djani mentioned journey restrictions imposed by international locations because of the pandemic “have generated difficulties for crew modifications, and stop the seafarers from embarkation and disembarkation,” leading to lots of of 1000’s stranded at sea. Designating seafarers and different marine personnel as “key employees” would ease their plight, he mentioned.
The Worldwide Chamber of Delivery, which represents 80 % of the world’s service provider fleet, estimated that just about 400,000 sailors are stranded at sea due to the pandemic, many for greater than a yr and a few for as much as 17 months which is way past their contracts.
———
SALEM, Ore. – Oregon reported 24 extra deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, a file excessive for a single day within the state.
The Oregon Well being Authority mentioned the “grim milestone” underscores that individuals ought to put on masks, maintain bodily distance and maintain gatherings small. The rise raises the state’s recognized dying toll to 936.
Officers in Silverton, a city east of Salem, are attempting to watch a possible outbreak amongst firefighters. The scenario has underscored a weak spot in Oregon’s response to the pandemic: a scarcity of a system for getting first responders examined quickly, mentioned Assistant Chief Ed Grambusch of the Silverton Fireplace District.
A member of the fireplace district who was participating in coaching on Nov. 21 has been recognized with COVID-19. Twenty individuals who have been trainees or instructors might have had a excessive danger publicity.
All have been suggested to self-quarantine and get examined. When Grambusch, who coordinates native responses to infectious illness outbreaks, referred to as the Oregon Well being Authority, the company confirmed he wanted to speak to Marion County well being officers about speedy testing. The county officers advised him they don’t know of any such system, Grambusch mentioned.
“The issue is — this can be a large frustration of mine — is that we don’t have a system for speedy testing of our first responders,” Grambusch mentioned. “And I’m simply undecided why that’s the case. I’d hope that we may ship an e mail or make a cellphone name — one cellphone name — and ship somebody in to get a speedy check.”
———
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky reported record-high numbers of recent coronavirus instances and deaths Tuesday because the governor warned that the COVID-19 outbreak is “spreading like wildfire.”
Gov. Andy Beshear introduced 4,151 extra virus instances statewide and 35 extra virus-related deaths. He referred to as it “the very worst day” since he began reporting each day virus numbers in March.
“COVID is spreading like wildfire, taking file numbers of individuals from us, infecting file numbers of individuals on the market,” the Democratic governor mentioned at a information convention.
Almost 1,780 virus sufferers are hospitalized in Kentucky, together with greater than 440 in intensive care — each file numbers within the state, he mentioned. Almost 250 virus sufferers are on ventilators.
The statewide charge for optimistic assessments reached 9.59%. Beshear warned that “an enormous quantity of virus” is spreading quickly in each Kentucky county.
“Right this moment is a horrible day that reveals us how rapidly this factor is spreading,” he mentioned.
———
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI — Gov. Tate Reeves instituted masks mandates in 13 extra Mississippi counties Tuesday however selected to not implement the measure statewide, every week after a number of outstanding well being care leaders referred to as on him to take action.
Throughout a press briefing, the Republican governor mentioned he believes issuing masks necessities in counties with the very best variety of new instances will encourage individuals to take the rules extra critically than a blanket strategy would. A complete of 54 out of the state’s 82 counties now have a masks mandate.
“I nearly really feel like there are these on the market who actually, really consider if I have been to put in writing an government order, a statewide prohibition towards hurricanes in 2021, that we received’t have any hurricanes,” Reeves mentioned. “It simply doesn’t work that approach.”
Reeves instituted a statewide masks mandate in early August, however revoked the measure on the finish of September when new coronavirus instances have been declining in Mississippi. As instances have risen once more in current weeks, he has begun implementing masks mandates in particular person counties.
4 well being care leaders have mentioned it’s time for Reeves to go a step additional. They wrote a letter to Reeves on Nov. 24 calling for one more statewide masks mandate.
“The statewide masks mandate, which was extremely efficient, must be reinstituted,” mentioned a letter signed by Dr. LouAnn Woodward of the College of Mississippi Medical Heart; Dr. Anita Henderson, president-elect of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Dr. Claude Brunson, government director of the Mississippi State Medical Affiliation; and Dr. James Griffin Jr., president of the Mississippi Academy of Household Physicians.
Reeves mentioned Tuesday that he wouldn’t touch upon the letter, however mentioned he believes a county-by-county strategy is greatest for Mississippi presently.
———
DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Tuesday referred to as for Congress to approve cash for companies and households struggling due to the coronavirus pandemic, however she mentioned there aren’t any plans to make use of out there state funds as officers elsewhere have performed.
Some legislatures together with Colorado and New Mexico are contemplating allocating state funds as a stopgap measure till Congress agrees to extra federal reduction.
Requested Tuesday whether or not she was contemplating calling lawmakers again into session to approve such a transfer, she mentioned no.
“Sadly, there’s simply not sufficient state funding to make everyone complete and that’s only a actuality of what we’re coping with,” Reynolds mentioned. “That is one thing Congress must do. They should step up and do their job.”
Iowa ended the fiscal yr in September with a stability of $305.5 million within the basic fund and money reserves of greater than $770 million.
The Iowa coronavirus an infection charge confirmed indicators of slowing Tuesday however the variety of individuals hospitalized with sickness and dying with COVID-19 remained excessive, in accordance with public well being knowledge.
[ad_2]
Source link