Hawaii is just the state left with an indoor mask mandate: COVID Updates
Forty-nine states have announced plans to waive home mask regulations as COVID-19 cases and hospital admissions decline steadily across the country. The only place to keep it is still Hawaii.
The island state has taken strong precautions against the coronavirus at the outset of the pandemic and is still requiring US travelers living out of state to present proof of vaccinations or a negative COVID test to avoid screening. Compulsory translation.
More than 75% of Hawaii residents have received two doses of the COVID vaccine – 10% higher than the national rate – according to the Hawaii Department of Healthand coronavirus cases fell 64% from February 5 to February 18.
Rapid decline in COVID cases in Hawaii reflects nationwide statistics: The number of US cases reported on Saturday just exceeded 100,000, a sharp decline, according to Johns Hopkins University figures. compared with about 800,850 cases five weeks ago, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Governor David Ige told the broadcaster ABC 4 on Thursday that he was working with the state’s health department to “determine when is the right time” for Hawaii to lift its indoor mask-wearing rule.
“Hawaii ranks second (to last) nationally in terms of COVID deaths, partly due to the requirement for indoor face masks and other measures that have proven successful in protecting communities. us from this potentially deadly virus,” Ige said in a statement. news station. “We make science-based decisions, putting the health and safety of the community first.”
Also in the news:
►Iran, where hardliners against US-made COVID vaccines even as daily deaths broke records, returned 820,000 doses donated by Poland because they were made in the US , state TV reported on Monday.
► Justin Bieber has postponed his Sunday show in Las Vegas and Tuesday’s show in the Phoenix area after testing positive for coronavirus.
►International tourists and business travelers began arriving in Australia on Monday, bringing tearful family reunions after a two-year separation or longer forced by some pandemic measures strictest in the world.
► New York’s enforcement of New York’s COVID-19 enhanced shooting order for healthcare workers, scheduled to take effect Monday, will be delayed by at least three months over fears it will cause shortages personnel, state officials said.
►A group of American truck drivers protesting against the mandate of the COVID-19 vaccine, named the People’s Convoy, said it would start a cross-country protest on February 23 begins in California and ends in Washington, DC
📈Today’s Number: The United States has recorded more than 78.5 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 935,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Global total: More than 425.4 million cases and more than 5.8 million deaths. More than 214 million Americans – 64.7% – are fully immunized, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
📘 What we are reading: How bad is it to be in the ICU with COVID-19? Experts told USA TODAY. Read full story.
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson lifts all COVID restrictions
At a time when many in the UK are worried after 95-year-old Queen Elizabeth contracted the coronavirus, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is scrapping domestic COVID-19 restrictions for the last time, saying it’s time to switch to a Another approach to the pandemic.
Johnson told lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Monday that the country was “moving from government restrictions to personal accountability” as part of a plan to treat COVID-19 like other communicable diseases. like flu.
“We now have enough immunity to complete the transition from protecting people with government interventions to relying on vaccines and treatments,” Johnson said. as our first line of defense.
There are some surprising aspects of the new approach: People with COVID-19 will no longer have to self-isolate and routine contact tracing will be stopped. Those who are sick will still be advised to stay home, but they will not receive the additional financial assistance introduced during the pandemic for those on leave. And the government will no longer provide free rapid COVID tests.
The break with the previous pandemic strategy comes a day later Buckingham Palace announced that the queen has tested positive for the virus and is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms.
Relatives of patients with severe COVID are more likely to have PTSD, study finds
The impact of a severe case of COVID goes beyond the sick person. The disease also left a big mark on the family.
Relatives of patients admitted to the intensive care unit with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) because of COVID are nearly twice as likely to develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder 90 days after discharge. compared with family members of people entering the ICU with ARDS caused by another illness, a new French study finds.
Study, published on JAMA Networklooked at 517 family members of ARDS patients at 23 ICUs in France for much of 2020 and found PTSD in 35% of those related to people with COVID, compared with 19% for any cause. Others cause breathing problems.
“There are many potential explanations for these findings, including the need to adhere to strict isolation measures to prevent transmission of the virus…” the researchers wrote.
Canada is expected to maintain temporary emergency powers
Canada’s parliament is expected to vote Monday night in favor of maintaining emergency powers that would allow police to relieve blockades by truckers who are protesting against Canada’s COVID-19 restrictions. country.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said retaining those temporary powers was necessary. “The situation is still fragile, the state of emergency is still there,” he said.
Although the remaining protesters who had surrounded parts of Ottawa were cleared over the weekend, Mr. Trudeau said some truckers just outside the capital city may be planning a blockade. more. Additionally, his public safety minister noted that there was an attempt to block a border in British Columbia over the weekend.
Opposition New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh said his party would support maintaining emergency powers, which would give Trudeau enough votes.
Experts say it’s right to delay children’s COVID vaccinations
Many parents with young children were disappointed when the Food and Drug Administration this month decided to postpone consideration of the COVID-19 vaccine for children under the age of 5. decision is the right one. The FDA won’t have enough data until spring to assess whether a vaccine is safe and effective for young children, half a dozen public health experts, infectious disease and epidemiologists said. told USA TODAY.
But parent activists say the move causes them to question the agency’s sincerity in providing the shots to the youngest children, wondering if the unpublished data is covering up. hide nothing and look forward even more to the day when they can stop worrying about the health of their children and families.
“I think people are really forgetting the kids here,” said Fatima Khan, co-founder of Protect Their Future, an advocacy group promoting COVID-19 vaccinations for children. “This is affecting our children and the way people can live their daily lives.”
– Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY
Contribution: Associated Press