The US Could See an Explosion of Covid-19 Cases, Experts Warned

Experts warned about an explosion of Covid-19 cases as fall and winter are setting in. 

Health officials in the US cautioned everyone about the possible explosion of COVID-19 cases in the coming months. According to Dr. Chris Murray of the University of Washington, there are two things that could trigger the winter surge. 

For one thing, the case counts are going down in some states. But this is a negative thing because people will become less careful. It means that they might not follow those strict rules, like social distancing and hand washing. They will have more contact with people. 

Then, there’s the seasonality of the virus. 

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the US has over 200,000 deaths from the virus. Johns Hopkins University recorded over 7 million COVID-19 infections in the US. Furthermore, 24 states reported more new cases this week compared to last week. 

In recent months, health officials warned that COVID-19 cases will go higher and higher in the fall and winter times. Dr. Anthony Fauci said that American cities and counties must be ready for the challenges associated with the weather. 

Fall and winter are especially challenging. Across the US, there are over 40,000 cases recorded every day. If the cases would increase every week, it will be a difficult situation for public health. 

Dr. Murray said that the surge would start in October and it would multiply faster in November and December. He believed that the winter surge just started in Europe because the number of COVID-19 cases is already exploding. He said that the US will be hit soon. 

No More Coronavirus Restrictions on Businesses in Florida 

Meanwhile, Governor Ron DeSantis released an executive order that would now allow businesses to operate at full capacity. These would include restaurants and bars. 

Amid the ongoing pandemic, the governor chooses to move to Phase 3. In a press conference, the governor admitted that the pandemic isn’t over yet. However, he acknowledged that the threat is decreasing while the need to reopen businesses is rising. 

The executive order would enable businesses to open and operate at 100% capacity. Before this executive order, businesses could only serve their customers indoors at 50% capacity. 

The said EO will also lift health restrictions on businesses. It means that people will no longer be fined if they don’t wear face masks or failed to adhere to the social distancing guidelines. 

DeSantis said in the press conference that he wants the state of Florida to reopen fully with only limited protocols. Every business can now operate fully. 

He also noted that reopening businesses would help businesses and the state’s recovery efforts. He doesn’t see any signs of a possible second wave. Furthermore, he said that if there’s an increase in COVID-19 cases, he’s not going to close businesses going forward. 

However, DeSantis’ new order was met with a lot of criticisms. For many experts, the pandemic is far from over and the virus is not yet contained. It is a wrong decision and it won’t bring the pandemic under control.

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