United States - COVID-19 situation apparently worsening in some areas - check your local news for updates in your area - October 28, 2020

[sharon sanders]

Updated
Oct. 28, 2020, 11:09 a.m. ET30 minutes ago
30 minutes ago

In El Paso, where the number of people hospitalized with Covid-19 has more than tripled over the past three weeks, doctors at University Medical Center have started airlifting some patients to hospitals as far away as San Antonio while treating others in a field hospital in a nearby parking lot.

Dr. German Hernandez, a nephrologist who has been caring for patients at several hospitals in El Paso, said the situation was so acute that patients on oxygen were being kept in rooms in the trauma area of University Medical Center. He said that could be devastating in the event of a disaster such as the August 2019 mass shooting at a Walmart in the city that left 23 people dead.

“God forbid we have another Aug. 3 shooting because we can’t handle it right now,” Dr. Hernandez said. “We have no buffer.”

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/10...g-the-pandemic


Here’s what you need to know:

• A 46 percent spike in Covid-19 patients strains the capacities of hospitals in the U.S.
• ‘I can never do enough’: I.C.U. workers record their anguish as the coronavirus surges.
• U.S. reports a record 500,000 new cases in the past week, as the Trump administration says it is ending the pandemic.
• Some college towns that were virus hot spots are cooling down.
• New Jersey’s largest city shuts down again as virus cases surge.

more....

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/10...ad5f-2fa9e9611

 

[sharon sanders]

Mayor Bill de Blasio urges New Yorkers not to travel out of state for the holidays. Here’s how to safely visit family this season

Published: Oct. 28, 2020 at 10:26 a.m. ET
By
Meera Jagannathan


Realize that by doing that, unfortunately, you could be putting yourself and your family in danger,’ the New York City mayor said

While it might be ideal to forgo holiday travel and gatherings, the decision is also a risk-benefit calculation that people have to make for themselves, one expert says.

It may be safest to skip this year’s family holiday gathering if possible, public-health experts say — but the decision is a personal one, and there are ways to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission if you choose to forge ahead.

Amid rising coronavirus case rates across the country, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio warned in a briefing Tuesday that the coming season wouldn’t be “business as usual,” urging New Yorkers to avoid traveling to see family and friends for the holidays. He also acknowledged that “everyone’s going to make their own decision,” and reminded those who do travel to get tested and observe the state’s quarantine rules.

more..

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/ca...?mod=home-page

 

[Mary Wilson]

El Paso police refuse to enforce county judge’s order limiting business due to virus outbreak

Published October 30, 2020 12:32 pm
By Jim Parker

EL PASO, Texas -- A police spokesman said Friday that the El Paso Police Department would not be enforcing an order issued by County Judge Ricardo Samaniego restricting business operations to essential services only.

Samaniego said he issued Thursday evening's order in the hopes of containing the spread of Covid-19 throughout El Paso ...

https://kvia.com/news/2020/10/30/el...rder-limiting-business-due-to-virus-outbreak/