You can expect a new round of closures of bars and restaurants. That’s because the U.S. recorded more than 100,000 new coronavirus cases for the first time yesterday. And hospitalizations have topped 50,000 for the first time since August.
The surge is “the completely foreseeable consequence of not taking pandemic management seriously,” Dr. Bill Honage, associate professor of epidemiology at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told The New York Times.
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reports this morning that despite increased production of protective gear, supplies of N95 face masks remain well below recommended level at many health care facilities.
“This is desperately concerning,” Hanage said, “because uncontrolled transmission will end up compromising health care, and in order to preserve it, we will almost certainly end up needing to take stronger action to prevent the worst outcomes.”
“Look to Europe to see the consequences of leaving it too late,” he said. “The longer you leave it, the harder it will be to control.”
Comment: As we have noted, a number of countries in Asia as well as Australia and New Zealand have almost no cases, as is true at some colleges in New England, Indiana University Bloomington. The secret is extensive testing, which enables authorities to find and isolate people who are infected — even those who are asymptomatic.
In those countries with aggressive testing regimes, bars, retaurants, sporting events are all open.