US States Race to Contain Coronavirus as Cases Exceed 1,000

March 11, 2020by MARINA VILLENEUVE and OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ, Associated Press
US States Race to Contain Coronavirus as Cases Exceed 1,000
Virus Outbreak US

As coronavirus cases crop up across the United States, some governors and other leaders are scrambling to slow its spread, banning large public gatherings, enforcing quarantines and calling National Guard troops.

With new deaths reported and the number of confirmed U.S. cases exceeding 1,000, lawmakers and health officials set up containment zones and quarantine areas and sought to limit contact with those who might be infected.

In Washington state, the governor was expected to ban gatherings of more than 250 people in virtually the entire Seattle metro area, home to some 4 million people. Schools and houses of worship were shuttered in a New York City suburb where a cluster of cases could be the largest in the nation, and the governor sent National Guard troops to help clean public spaces and deliver food.

The moves came as the battle to stop the virus from spreading intensified. More schools and universities, including UCLA, Yale and Stanford, have announced plans to send students home and move classes online.

The virus has infected more than 800 people in the U.S. and killed at least 30, with one state after another recording its first infections in quick succession.

For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms such as fever and cough. For some, especially the elderly and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. Most people recover in a matter of weeks, as has happened with three-quarters of those infected in China.

For those in the middle of a quarantine, it’s an anxious time waiting for the threat to pass.

Judy Aqua, who’s in her 60s, is quarantining herself at home in New Rochelle, outside New York city, after possibly being exposed to someone with the virus.

“People are really afraid to go to the supermarket. They’re afraid to go to the cleaner,” she said. When her husband made a recent run to a post office, she told him to wear gloves.

Life in many places went on as usual, but many major events were canceled or postponed, including the Coachella music festival that draws tens of thousands to the California desert near Palm Springs every April.

The United Nations announced it would close its New York headquarters to the public and suspend all tours, and one of the biggest resort operators in Las Vegas, MGM Resorts International, said it would close buffets at all of its Las Vegas Strip casinos as a precaution, although the casinos were staying open.

The ban on gatherings in Washington state would apply to sporting events such as Seattle Mariners baseball and Seattle Sounders soccer games, a person familiar with the decision told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly. It could be just the beginning of disruptions to sports: Already, some college sports games will be played without fans in Ohio and California, and the NCAA said it would “make decisions in the coming days” about its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments after two conferences banned fans from their championships and the Ivy League cancelled its basketball tournaments altogether.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency as cases statewide jumped from 51 to 92. Of that number, 70 are now connected to a meeting held last month by biotech company Biogen at a hotel in downtown Boston.

Baker said the state of emergency will give him greater authority to take such actions as shutting down large events, gaining access to buildings or stockpiling protective gear. Santa Clara County in California, home to San Jose and Silicon Valley, has banned on all gatherings of 1,000 people or more.

Presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden abruptly canceled rallies in Cleveland because of worries about the virus.

As many people considered whether it’s prudent to travel, the news that everyone on a flight from Italy may have been exposed had health officials urging those passengers to self-isolate. A woman from suburban Houston flew home after testing positive to consult her own doctor, and now everyone on the two flights she took could be at risk.

Some airport workers are also dealing with the outbreak, with several Transportation Security Administration officers at Mineta San Jose International Airport testing positive. They were receiving medical care and all TSA employees who had contact with them over the past 14 days are being quarantined at home, the agency said.

In Oakland, California, restless passengers on a coronavirus-struck cruise ship awaited their turn to disembark. After being forced to idle for days off the California coast, the ship docked Monday with about 3,500 passengers and crew, including at least 21 who tested positive for the virus. Passengers from Canada and other countries were to be flown home, while Americans were being sent to military bases in California, Texas and Georgia for testing and 14-day quarantines, and others were still waiting to get off.

“We’re trying to stay calm and were trying to stay positive, but it’s getting harder and harder. They can’t make up their minds how to keep us safe,” said passenger Beryl Ward, 77, of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

By Tuesday night, Princess Cruises said about 1,400 people had gotten off the ship. About 1,100 crew members were to remain aboard.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom urged the state’s nearly 40 million residents to avoid sporting events, concerts and large gatherings and adamantly warned the elderly to stay away from cruise ships.

___

Rodriguez reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writers Rachel La Corte in Olympia, Washington; Jake Seiner in Surprise, Arizona; Steve LeBlanc in Boston; Mike Stobbe and Adam Geller in New York; Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations; Janie Har, Jocelyn Gecker and Juliet Williams in San Francisco; Robert Jablon in Los Angeles; and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.

A+
a-
  • Coronavirus
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Health

    April 24, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    First Lady Jill Biden Salutes ‘The Power of Research’ at DC Symposium

    WASHINGTON — Even years after the fact, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden recalled the moment with a sense of astonished... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Even years after the fact, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden recalled the moment with a sense of astonished disbelief. Biden was second lady, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, at the time, and Maria Shriver was the first lady of California.  Both were... Read More

    April 24, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    FDA Approves New Treatment for Urinary Tract Infections

    WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration approved Pivya (pivmecillinam) tablets for the treatment of female adults with uncomplicated urinary... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration approved Pivya (pivmecillinam) tablets for the treatment of female adults with uncomplicated urinary tract infections.  “Uncomplicated UTIs are a very common condition impacting women and one of the most frequent reasons for antibiotic use,” said Dr. Peter Kim, M.S.,... Read More

    When Red-Hot Isn't Enough: New Heat Risk Tool Sets Magenta as Most Dangerous Level

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Forget about red hot. A new color-coded heat warning system relies on magenta to alert Americans to... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Forget about red hot. A new color-coded heat warning system relies on magenta to alert Americans to the most dangerous conditions they may see this summer. The National Weather Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday — Earth Day... Read More

    April 23, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    President Lays Out New Steps for Protecting Nation’s Waters

    WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Tuesday set out a new national goal for conserving and restoring the United States’... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Tuesday set out a new national goal for conserving and restoring the United States’ freshwater resources, including 8 million acres of wetlands and 100,000 miles of rivers and streams. Officials unveiled the plan as state, tribal and local leaders from... Read More

    April 23, 2024
    by Beth McCue
    Study Finds Next-Gen Antibiotics Underutilized

    WASHINGTON — A new study conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health found clinicians frequently continue to treat... Read More

    WASHINGTON — A new study conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health found clinicians frequently continue to treat antibiotic-resistant infections with older generic antibiotics considered to be less effective and less safe than newer ones. Researchers examined the factors influencing doctors’ preference for older... Read More

    Idaho Group Says It Is Exploring a Ballot Initiative for Abortion Rights and Reproductive Care

    BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A new Idaho organization says it will ask voters to restore abortion access and other reproductive health care... Read More

    BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A new Idaho organization says it will ask voters to restore abortion access and other reproductive health care rights in the state after lawmakers let a second legislative session end without modifying strict abortion bans that have been blamed for a recent exodus of health... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top