The United States is preparing to suffer the consequences of a Thanksgiving marked by the displacement of millions of Americans across the country, which is expected to lead to a surge in Covid-19 cases, as the country is already experiencing a peak hospitalizations.
After a weekend of family celebrations in the United States,
"we could see a new outbreak in addition to the
current
outbreak"
of new coronavirus contaminations, the director of the American Institute of Infectious Diseases warned Sunday, November 30, Anthony Fauci.
Read also: Covid-19: the logistics in place in the United States to vaccinate 6 million people in the first week
At least 1.1 million people flew in the single day before Thanksgiving Day last Thursday, a record number since the pandemic began in the country in March, according to TSA, responsible for security checks at airports.
"I want to be clear with the Americans, the situation will worsen in the coming weeks,"
added the chief medical officer of the United States, Jerome Adams.
Several states had already seen a rise in new infections after the long Memorial Day weekend in late May, which pays tribute to the US armed forces.
"We are getting ready to experience this
post-Thanksgiving
(case)
surge
, with three, four, ten times more sick across the country,"
than in May warned Dr Deborah Birx, coordinator of the crisis unit on the White House coronavirus.
"A light at the end of the tunnel"
Hospitalizations due to Covid-19 are at a peak in the country with more than 90,000 people currently hospitalized, the official recalled.
As of Sunday evening, 140,651 cases and 822 deaths have been recorded over the past 24 hours, according to the Johns-Hopkins University count which refers to it.
The most bereaved country in the world by the pandemic, the United States has a total of more than 266,000 dead and 13.3 million cases.
In this context, Dr Fauci explained that he was not considering relaxing the recommendations not to travel or health restrictions before Christmas.
In some states such as California, new restrictions have even been put in place to deal with the rise in cases: a curfew has been declared in San Francisco and Los Angeles has banned most public and private gatherings from Monday 1st. December.
Read also: How does the vaccine developed by Pfizer against Covid-19 work?
"Close bars and keep schools open,"
urged Anthony Fauci.
A advice that seemed to follow the mayor of New York announcing the reopening from Monday of schools, which had closed on November 18, triggering a heated controversy.
The immunologist, however, sought to reassure his fellow citizens by recalling that a vaccine would be available in December for people most at risk of developing a serious form of the disease.
“There really is a light at the end of the tunnel,”
he said.
A gigantic logistical operation was put in place to transport the vaccines and doses of that of the companies Pfizer and BioNTech were transported from Belgium to the United States, several American media reported on Sunday.
The Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine is claimed to be 95% effective against the virus and could be cleared by the United States Drugs Agency (FDA) shortly after December 10.