JOE Biden will tell ALL Americans to wear a face mask for his first 100 days in office, as one American dies of Covid every 30 seconds.
The president-elect revealed to CNN on Thursday that he plans to tell Americans to mask up for just over three months, as the US continues to be crippled by an overwhelming surge in coronavirus cases.
“Just 100 days to mask, not forever. 100 days. And I think we’ll see a significant reduction,” Biden told CNN’s Jake Tapper.
He revealed that he will enforce an order that masks wherever he is able – including places like interstate travel on airplanes and buses, and in federal buildings, CNN reported.
Biden’s mask push comes as one American is dying of Covid-19 every 30 seconds as the US reached its highest ever daily death rate since the start of the pandemic, terrifying figures show.
On Wednesday, there were a record 2,885 coronavirus-related deaths, more than 100,000 patients hospitalized, and 200,000 new cases.
The record-breaking day reveals the grim toll as the US struggles under the weight of the pandemic, with ICU beds across the nation reaching capacity.
According to the New York Times, Wednesday’s record breaking deaths passed the previous single-day high of 2,752 on April 5.
With 2,885 coronavirus deaths in 24, that worked out to one person dying every 30 seconds in the US, a Times reporter pointed out.
Times reporter Mike Baker tweeted, “2,885 deaths reported in one day. That is 1 death every 30 seconds. It’s more than the death toll at the World Trade Center on 9/11.
“It’s more than all the U.S. military casualties in the endless war in Afghanistan.”
As of Wednesday, more than 273,000 Americans have now died from the virus since the start of the pandemic, as the total US Covid-19 cases continues to soar with the total count nearing 14million.
As Covid-19 cases continue to rise in recent months, health officials have warned of a deadly surge to come following the Thanksgiving holiday as millions of Americans ignored CDC warnings and traveled to celebrate with families.
CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield warned that the coming months may be “the most difficult time” for the US in the pandemic.
“The reality is December and January and February are going to be rough times,” Redfield said when speaking to the Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
“I actually believe they’re going to be the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation,” the top health official added.
Redfield projected that daily death tolls will continue to range around 1,500 to 2,500 – with the total possibly reaching 450,000 by February.
Speaking with CNN, Biden also revealed that he will happily get a vaccine when one is available – and do so publicly.
“That’s the moment in which I will stand before the public” and get a shot, he told CNN.
He also revealed that he asked National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci to be a chief medical adviser and be part of his administration’s Covid-19 response team.
“I asked him to stay on the exact same role he’s had for the past several presidents, and I asked him to be a chief medical adviser for me as well, and be part of the Covid team,” Biden told CNN.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles residents have been told to “stay in homes now” as the mayor banned travel and shut non-essential businesses due to Covid.
Mayor Eric Garcetti warned on Wednesday the city was nearing “a devastating tipping point” and ordered residents to stay in their homes and avoid social gatherings in new lockdown measures to rein in a surge in Covid infections.
“It’s time to cancel everything,” Garcetti said during the press briefing.
His order limits nearly all social gatherings of people from more than a single household, mirroring a directive by county health officials last week, but exempts religious services and protests protected by the constitution.
“My message couldn’t be simpler. It’s time to hunker down. It’s time to cancel everything. And if it isn’t essential, don’t do it,” the mayor added.
“Don’t meet up with others outside your household. Don’t host a gathering. Don’t attend a gathering.
“Our city is now close to a devastating tipping point, beyond which the number of hospitalized patients would start to overwhelm our hospital system, in turn risking needless suffering and death,” the mayor said.
Los Angeles is the second-largest city in the US and has a population of over 3.9 million.
Los Angeles county, which is home to the city, has recorded 414,185 infections and a death toll of 7,740, according to LA Public Health.
On Monday, coronavirus was branded a “natural disaster in all 50 states” by a medicine physician Dr. Megan Ranney, while Dr Anthony Fauci warned Thanksgiving may spark a turbo-surge in cases.
“There’s no way that the hospitals can be fully prepared for what we’re currently facing,” Ranney said.
“This is like a natural disaster occurring in all 50 states at the same time. There are not adequate beds. There are no adequate staff. And because of the lack of national preparation, there are still no adequate supplies.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Fauci warned that irresponsible Thanksgiving gatherings could lead to a “surge superimposed upon that surge that we’re already in” after roughly six million Americans passed through US airports for the holidays.
Fauci warned that “it’s not too late to do something about this,” and urged people to be careful as they travel back home and follow the CDC quarantine guidelines.
With Christmas and New Year’s around the corner, Public health experts are warning that the US will keep seeing record-breaking numbers in the final month of 2020.
“Our health care system is literally at the breaking point right now, thanks to Covid-19,” Ranney said.
On Monday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told every hospital in the state to start recruiting retired doctors and nurses now before they become overwhelmed with coronavirus patients.
Cuomo revealed that hospitalizations have gone up from 850 in June to 3,552 now and new infections from Thanksgiving have not yet been announced.
Cuomo also warned of an enter shutdown, which he called New York Pause, will happen if the hospital system becomes overwhelmed.
“We’re in for round two. With any luck, round two will not be round one. I’m just sorry that we have to go through it again.
“We have to settle in… we are now worried about overwhelming the hospital system. You will see serious stress on the hospital system and we are still awaiting the post-Thanksgiving effect,” Cuomo said.
“We don’t know what the effect has been yet. We are seeing the rise all across the state. The first go around it was primarily New York City. We had upstate resources we could share.
“This is not the case this time – it is statewide. Literally every region is dealing with a hospital issue now. Look at those curves they are all going up at an alarming rate,” he added.
With hospitalizations increasing rapidly, millions are hoping vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are approved by the FDA under emergency use authorization later this month.
Both companies have applied for the emergency use approval.
Pfizer is set to have a hearing with the FDA on December 10, with Moderna to follow suit a week later.
If given the green light, the respective companies may start vaccine rollout within just days of the public hearing.
As the US continues to be crippled by the weight of climbing Covid-19 cases, the CDC again urged Americans to stay home for the holidays and not travel.
“As cases continue to increase rapidly across the United States, the safest way to celebrate holidays is to celebrate at home with the people you live with,” the CDC said in updated guidance.
“Gatherings with family and friends who do not live with you can increase the chances of getting or spreading COVID-19 or the flu.”
