As if nothing had happened, the President of the United States Donald Trump launched his invitations to twenty end-of-year receptions at the White House. Its Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, did the same with 900 people invited to parties, indoors, during the month of December. Practices in flagrant contradiction with the worried reminders of health authorities to be vigilant, while the third wave of the pandemic due to Covid-19 continues to grow in the United States and seems out of control.
Initiated at the beginning of the fall, when the rebound observed during the summer had not been controlled, it has amplified over the past month, to the point of panicking all counters.
Thursday, December 3 marked a new level with more than 100,000 hospitalized patients, including 29,000 in intensive care. More than 210,000 new cases have been recorded, a figure unprecedented since the start of the pandemic, and the number of daily deaths has reached a new peak: with some 3,000 deaths, this day surpassed the worst periods of the first wave, in April. And the day of Friday broke new contamination records. In total, the United States has nearly 280,000 victims of Covid-19.
This new outbreak comes a week after Thanksgiving family gatherings: on this occasion, despite recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Public Health Agency (CDC), millions of Americans turned up. displaced across the country, causing airport activity unprecedented since the start of the pandemic. Health officials warn against such behavior during the Christmas holidays, as “90% of hospitals are now in the red zone”, according to Robert Redfield, the director of CDC.
Very dark outlook
Almost ousted from public debate by outgoing President Donald Trump, who from the first months of the pandemic considered him too alarmist, Mr. Redfield on Wednesday delivered very gloomy prospects on the evolution of the disease in the coming months. “December, January and February are going to be very tough. This will be the most difficult period in the history of our country in terms of public health ”. His agency, whose credit has been eroded by presidential critics, on Friday recommended that Americans wear the mask in all places outside their homes.
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