In The Hills, Morgan Gstalter writes referring to a database from The New York Times that “US on Thursday reported at least 75,049 new coronavirus cases, the second-highest daily total across the country since the onset of the pandemic”.

The CNN’s Betsy Klein wrote in the Oct 22 daily coronavirus updates that “White House coronavirus task force reports warn of ‘deterioration‘ in Sun Belt, Midwest and Northern states”.

“This time series also shows early signs of deterioration in the Sun Belt and continued deterioration in the Midwest and across the Northern States,” reports for multiple states say, recommending “strong mitigation efforts” including “mask wearing, physical distancing, hand hygiene, avoiding crowds in public and social gatherings in private.”

From the CNN

Highest Daily Totals

According a report, on Thursday reported at least 75,049 new coronavirus cases, second-highest since more than 77,000 infections were recorded in one day in July. There has been an increase of 32% from the average two weeks earlier with an average of 62,166 cases per day over the past week.

In the CNN, Holly Yan and Christina Maxouris write: “You know Covid-19 is out of control when health officials are so overwhelmed, they can’t notify close contacts who may be infected. That’s what’s happening in North Dakota, one of 31 states suffering more new Covid-19 cases this past week compared to the previous week”.

Close contacts will no longer be contacted by public health officials; instead, positive individuals will be instructed to self-notify their close contacts and direct them to the NDDoH website, where landing pages will be created … explaining the recommended and required actions for both positive patients and close contacts.

North Dakota Department of Health (source: CNN)

Rising Hospitalizations and Deaths

According to the CNN, It’s not only the rising numbers of new cases but also increasing hospitalization and deaths from COVID-19. The Utah Gov. Gary Herbert told CNN on Thursday “Hospitals are starting to fill up, I would hope that people will take this seriously and do the best they can”.

We’ve seen, in the past couple of weeks, that our health care system is at capacity. I don’t know what to do anymore,” she said. “I’m really not trying to scare anyone. I’m just trying to inform you of what’s going on and give you the facts.

Dr. Angela Dunn, Utah state epidemiologist (source: CNN)

• The US topped 1,000 daily Covid-19 deaths and experts worry the worst of the fall surge is yet to come
• ‘COVID fatigue is real’: 20 more deaths, 1,574 new cases in Minnesota
• Task force warns several US regions show signs of ‘deterioration’ amid Covid-19 surges
• US reaches second-highest daily total of over 75,000 coronavirus cases

COVID Fatigue is Real

In Minnesota COVID fatigue is fueling the new spread of the coronavirus, writes reporter Glenn Howatt in the Star Tribune. “Over the past seven days, 102 deaths from the new corona­virus have been reported to the Minnesota Department of Health, the biggest weekly total since early June”.

COVID fatigue is real here in Minnesota and across the country, and we see it in the outbreak data. It has really become more of a statewide phenomenon driven by different sources of transmission.

Jan Malcolm, Minnesota Health Commissioner (from Star Tribune)

According to the Tribune, “Many rural parts of the state are seeing the highest weekly case rate growth, with the latest data showing 16 rural counties with increases to more than 30 new infections for every 10,000 residents. By comparison, statewide there have been 17 new cases per 10,000, which is up from a rate of seven new cases in mid-September.”

With more of the businesses open … we have seen an increase in people kind of tired of the whole thing and out and about more. [..] Our clinics are in North Dakota, and our largest clinic does not test if people do not have symptoms. It has been difficult for people who are close contacts to get tested.

Debra Jacobs, Wilkin County public health director (from Star Tribune)

It’s reported that the ‘community spread is increasing faster than in long-term care’.