Mask mandates will soon be nationwide, as will testing & vaccination requirements

[The Biden Administration]

Dr. Anthony Fauci recommends ‘uniform wearing of masks’

Dr. Anthony Fauci is recommending “uniform wearing of masks” to help curb the surge of coronavirus cases in the United States.

The nation’s top infectious disease expert told CNN on Tuesday that “we need to intensify public health strategies,” which include wearing masks, washing hands and avoiding places where people gather.

The U.S hit a record daily high of more than 184,000 coronavirus cases on Friday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

On Monday, Moderna announced early data suggests its vaccine candidate, developed in partnership with Dr. Fauci, provides strong protection against the coronavirus.

Vaccines candidates must go through independent data and safety monitoring before approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Dr. Fauci says in the meantime, it’s important for people “to be motivated to hang in there a bit longer and double down on the public health measures. I just can’t understand why there’s push-back against that. They’re not that difficult to do. And they save lives.”

The U.S. leads the world with 11.2 million coronavirus cases and more than 247,000 deaths.


https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/11...ring-of-masks/

[The Biden Administration]

300-person wedding in Washington state leads to at least 17 coronavirus cases

Two outbreaks have also been linked to the Nov. 7 event, the Grant County Health District said.

A 300-person wedding in Washington state has been linked to more than a dozen coronavirus cases and "two subsequent outbreaks," health officials said.

The wedding ceremony was held on Nov. 7 in a private location near Ritzville about 59 miles southwest of Spokane.

The Grant County Health District did not release details about the wedding but said in a Facebook post on Monday that 17 people associated with the wedding tested positive for Covid-19 and that more cases are being added daily. There have also been two subsequent outbreaks linked to guests at the wedding who tested positive for Covid-19.

Officials urged all wedding attendees to get tested and to quarantine.

“We are very thankful to those attendees who have gone in for testing and are staying home. This helps protect their friends, coworkers, and communities from this illness," district administrator Theresa Adkinson said in a statement.

Health officials said it is very unlikely they will be able to reach every guest because people from many communities attended the ceremony.

"Due to the multi-jurisdictional impact of this large event, GCHD felt it was necessary to notify the public," the agency said.

On Sunday, Gov. Jay Inslee announced tighter restrictions as coronavirus cases in the state continued to rise. As of Monday, the Washington state health department reported 131,532 confirmed cases, according to a Covid-19 dashboard.

Under the governor's restrictions, wedding ceremonies are limited to no more than 30 people and indoor receptions or similar gatherings are prohibited.

The health department said in its Facebook post that wedding organizers should keep a record of attendees and keep that log for at least two weeks.

"Superspreader" wedding ceremonies and receptions have been linked to several outbreaks in other states. At least eight people have died and more than 100 were infected following an August wedding in Millinocket, Maine.

And in New York, a wedding and birthday party led to more than 50 infections and nearly 300 people in quarantine.

Suffolk County Executive Steven Bellone said the birthday party in Bellport had about 50 attendees and did not violate emergency state health codes, but showed how quickly the virus can spread when social distancing rules aren't followed.

The wedding held on Oct. 17 at North Folk Country Club in Cutchogue, Long Island, was in violation of the state’s rule allowing no more than 50 people in a room.

The venue was issued a $17,000 fine, according to officials.

“This kind of blatant disregard for the well being of others is not only extremely disappointing, it will not be tolerated,” Bellone said at a news conference about the wedding.









https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...cases-n1247985

[CFM]

Dr. Anthony Fauci recommends ‘uniform wearing of masks’

Dr. Anthony Fauci is recommending “uniform wearing of masks” to help curb the surge of coronavirus cases in the United States.

The nation’s top infectious disease expert told CNN on Tuesday that “we need to intensify public health strategies,” which include wearing masks, washing hands and avoiding places where people gather.

The U.S hit a record daily high of more than 184,000 coronavirus cases on Friday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

On Monday, Moderna announced early data suggests its vaccine candidate, developed in partnership with Dr. Fauci, provides strong protection against the coronavirus.

Vaccines candidates must go through independent data and safety monitoring before approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Dr. Fauci says in the meantime, it’s important for people “to be motivated to hang in there a bit longer and double down on the public health measures. I just can’t understand why there’s push-back against that. They’re not that difficult to do. And they save lives.”

The U.S. leads the world with 11.2 million coronavirus cases and more than 247,000 deaths.


https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/11...ring-of-masks/

Do you think Fauci is man enough to personally place masks on people, test them against their will, and force them to take a vaccination? I don't.

[The Biden Administration]

With more shutdowns looming and a vaccine months away from wide distribution, governors across the U.S. are pleading for more help from Washington ahead of what is shaping up to be a bleak winter.

Renewed restrictions on indoor businesses, overloaded hospitals and the coming end of unemployment benefits for millions of Americans have led governors to paint a dire picture of the months ahead unless the federal government steps in with more money and leadership to help them shore up their damaged budgets and beat back the resurgence of the coronavirus.

Between now and June 2022, state and local governments could be facing a shortfall of $400 billion or more by some estimates.

On a conference call Tuesday of Democratic governors from the Midwest, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers called for a sequel to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act adopted by Congress in March.

“There are workers and families and farmers and small businesses that are going to need our help, and frankly, we can’t do it alone,” he said. “We’re going to need a robust federal support system to help our states and economies recover beyond the federal CARES funds that expire at the end of the year.”

Casey Katims, federal liaison for Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, said the situation there is too dire for the state to wait until President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in Jan. 20.

“We need help by the end of this year,” Katims said.

Last spring, Congress and President Donald Trump agreed to a series of measures worth nearly $3 trillion to deal with the outbreak.

States have used the money for testing and contact tracing, assisting businesses, helping residents with utility bills and rent and expanding broadband access for students attending school remotely. But they have not generally been allowed to use it for one of their major needs: replacing declining tax revenue to keep regular government services running.

The virus is blamed for almost a quarter-million deaths and over 11 million confirmed infections in the U.S.


https://apnews.com/article/states-pl...f90ca2c2e903b8

[The Biden Administration]

Coronavirus cases have increased in all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam over the past 14 days, the latest NBC News data showed Tuesday.

And in a dozen of those states — Vermont, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Iowa, Ohio, Colorado, Michigan, Nebraska, Kansas, Pennsylvania and New York — infections have spiked in the last two weeks, meaning there has been a 100 percent or more increase in confirmed cases over 14 days.

With so many new cases, hospitals across the country — and the doctors treating the deluge of new patients — were reaching the breaking point.

With Donald Trump still refusing to concede his apparent election loss to President-elect Joe Biden, the CEOs of the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association and the American Nurses Association wrote a letter to the president urging his administration to “work closely with the Biden transition team to share all critical information related to Covid-19.”

Their letter came a day after President-elect Biden told NBC’s Geoff Bennett that “more people may die” if the Trump administration continues to obstruct the smooth transfer of power.

In Cleveland, there were so many new infections reported over the weekend that city workers could not count them all in time for the Monday briefing.

“The City of Cleveland is experiencing an unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases, unlike anything yet reported during this pandemic,” the city said in a statement.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said with the pandemic accelerating he has no choice but to impose new restrictions.

“We are serious about it, we have been serious," Kenney, a Democrat, told MSNBC. "We have slipped back a little bit, we got people not wearing masks as much as they should. We are in the 70 percent, but we should be in the 90s, so we really have to bear down now and get through this long dark corner.”


https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...-news-n1248006

[Into the Night]

Fear mongering. Fake News.

[Into the Night]

Do you think Fauci is man enough to personally place masks on people, test them against their will, and force them to take a vaccination? I don't.

He won't respond. You are talking to a bot.

[The Biden Administration]

Colorado moving Denver, 14 other counties to Level Red in latest bid to avoid COVID-19 lock-down

New restrictions, including prohibition on personal gatherings and indoor dining at restaurants, go into effect Friday

Colorado will impose tighter restrictions on 15 counties, including Denver and much of the metro area, by the end of the week in the state’s latest effort to curb the accelerating transmission of COVID-19 without ordering a lockdown, officials announced Tuesday.

Gov. Jared Polis announced at a news conference that “a number of counties” would be moving to Level Red on the state’s revamped, color-coded coronavirus dial — but then declined to identify which counties would be subjected to the more aggressive restrictions.

Level Red used to be the highest level on Colorado’s dial and would have triggered a stay-at-home order, but state officials have pushed back the threshold that counties need to qualify for a lockdown by adding an even higher status — Level Purple — that Polis said won’t be invoked unless hospitals are overflowing.

“We must act now to save lives,” the governor said. “We must act now to avoid a shutdown or lockdown.”

By evening, the state health department had released the list of counties moving to Level Red on Friday. They are: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, La Plata, Logan, Mesa, Morgan, Routt, Summit and Washington.

Additionally, Costilla, Custer, Lake, Montezuma, Pitkin and San Juan counties are moving to Level Orange — now the third-highest level of restrictions — on Friday, while Las Animas and Gunnison counties will move to Level Yellow.

The changes for counties moved to Level Red include:

• Personal gatherings, which had been allowed for up to 10 people from no more than two households, are no longer allowed in any size
• Restaurants can no longer offer indoor dining, but can remain open for outdoor service, take-out and curbside options
• Elementary schools are still able to hold in-person classes and middle schools can do either in-person, a hybrid program or remote learning. But it’s suggested that high schools go to hybrid or virtual learning, if they haven’t already. For colleges and universities, it’s recommended they go to remote classes.
• Business capacity is capped at 10% and companies are encouraged to have employees work remotely
• Last call for alcohol is moved from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m. and bars remain closed
• Places of worship have to keep capacity to 25% or 50 people for indoor services
• Gyms have to limit capacity to 10% or 10 people per room when inside. Outside groups have to have less than 10 people.
• Indoor events, which were capped at 25% capacity, are not allowed
• Outdoor events are still allowed at 25% capacity or 75 people, but individuals can only come with members of their own households

https://www.denverpost.com/2020/11/1...ies-level-red/

[signalmankenneth]

[T. A. Gardner]

So, what happens if none of this works to slow the spread?

[CFM]

He won't respond. You are talking to a bot.

When it comes to my question, I don't really need him to answer as I already know what it is.

[The Biden Administration]

President-elect Biden calls for national mask mandate to fight COVID-19

President-elect Joe Biden has said he and a group of leading US governors have agreed to a national mask mandate after he takes office in January, as the country is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 infections.

Speaking with a group of leading US state governors on Thursday, Biden said wearing masks to prevent the potential spread of the novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 250,000 Americans to date, is “not a political statement”.

“It is a patriotic duty,” said Biden, who won the US presidential election on November 3.

Biden said his advisory board would be following up with COVID-19 teams in the governors’ offices to further develop a national response to the pandemic.

He also said that, as president, he would work to help states battle the pandemic.

“Now, getting into the holidays you’re facing another surge … including huge pressure on your hospitals,” Biden told the governors, according to a pool report. “You need help. I want you to know I will be your partner in the White House.”

Several states have enacted new restrictions in recent weeks to try to stem the spread of the virus.


https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/...fight-covid-19

[The Biden Administration]

Public Health Agency of Canada now recommends three-layer masks

During a press conference on November 3, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam updated recommendations surrounding the wearing of non-medical masks and recommended that the public use three-layer masks.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), two of these masks’ layers should be a tightly-woven material (like cotton) and the extra layer should act as a filter, using a “non-woven polypropylene fabric.”

If you have a mask with a pocket, you can insert a removable filter into it and that can serve as the third layer.

The PHAC recommends craft fabric, a piece of a reusable shopping bag, or a folded paper towel as options for a filter. Depending on the material, the filter can be washed and re-used or will have to be disposed of and replaced frequently.

Additionally, the PHAC provided step-by-step tutorials on its website on how to create your own three-layer mask, with choices between “sew method,” “no-sew method using a T-shirt,” and “no-sew method using a fabric square.”

According to Dr. Jing Wang, a clinical instructor in UBC’s faculty of medicine, the PHAC’s changes in mask recommendations are a result of the rise in COVID-19 cases across the country. On November 12, CTV News stated that “Canada reported 4,981 new cases of COVID-19,” which broke the country’s record for the largest single-day total of COVID-19 cases.

At the time of writing, this remains Canada’s highest daily record.

Dr. Tam spoke at another press conference, in which she warned the public that case numbers will continue to increase by the thousands if people do not do their part to stop the spread.

Global News quoted Dr. Tam on how “an important driver continues to be informal social gatherings, and activities both inside and outside our homes” in regards to rising COVID-19 cases.

Another reason for the three-layer mask recommendation is because COVID-19 can be transmitted by aerosols as well as droplets.

The difference between the two is that aerosols are smaller and can linger in the air for some time.

Additionally, with winter approaching and many activities moving indoors, it is imperative to maximize ventilation in order to decrease concentrations of aerosols, as noted by the PHAC. Wearing face masks while indoors (excluding your own household) is advised.

A number of Canadian news outlets have pointed out that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended three layer masks back in June, causing reporters to question why the PHAC waited months before following suit.

Regardless of the type of mask, Dr. Tam emphasized that in order to be of any protection, masks need to fit properly. Quoted first by CTV News, Dr. Tam stressed that “it has to cover your mouth and nose. that’s really important.”

As of November 19, masks have been made mandatory in BC “for all customers and workers in all indoor public and retail spaces, including hallways, elevators, break rooms, kitchens, and customer counters. The only exception is while eating or drinking.”

For more information on COVID-19, visit the BC Centre for Disease Control’s website.



https://the-peak.ca/2020/11/public-h...e-layer-masks/

[Micawber]

We will smush a mask on your face. We won.

[SmarterthanYou]

we the people refuse your unconstitutional edicts.................what will you do now?