- With the coronavirus on the rise across many U.S. states, the prospect of new lockdown measures has become a reality.
- According to one health expert, the next three months could prove to be the “darkest of the entire pandemic.”
- Coronavirus infections in the U.S. over the last two weeks have increased by 32%.
When the coronavirus pandemic started to spread across the country in early-mid March, a majority of states were quick to implement quarantine measures designed to prevent the coronavirus from spreading far and wide. The temporary lockdown, which lasted for about 3-4 months in most states, was undoubtedly a challenging time for many Americans. Aside from the emotional toll that came along with being stuck at home for months on end, the lockdown eliminated innumerable jobs and left millions unemployed.
Unfortunately, nearly eight months into the pandemic, the U.S. is no closer to moving past the coronavirus pandemic than it was back in April and May. The latest coronavirus data is jarring, to say the least. Over the past two weeks alone, the number of new coronavirus cases has jumped by 32%. The number of coronavirus related deaths, meanwhile, has jumped by 9%. What’s more, the U.S. is now experiencing around 60,000 new coronavirus cases per day, a figure we haven’t seen since July.
Looking ahead, the situation is likely to get even worse now that colder weather is setting in and people will be spending more time indoors where the coronavirus is more prone to spreading. Coupled with flu season — which typically begins in late November or early December — many health experts are anticipating a massive rise in coronavirus cases. To this point, Dr. Osterholm of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota recently said that the next 6 to 12 weeks “are going to be the darkest of the entire pandemic.”
In light of that, the grim reality is that we may see some states institute new lockdown measures to combat growing coronavirus infection rates. In fact, some states have already started instituting more stringent restrictions as it pertains to public gatherings.
According to BestLife, the four states which may be on a path towards another lockdown include New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. It’s worth noting that these states aren’t necessarily areas where the coronavirus is rising the fastest. On the contrary, the potential for lockdown measures in these aforementioned states would be implemented as a preventative measure.
Incidentally, the states where the coronavirus is rising at an alarming rate hasn’t changed much at all over the past few weeks. Specifically, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Montana, Nebraska, and Idaho are still trying to keep the coronavirus at bay. Wisconsin has been hit especially hard by the coronavirus, with the state seeing a 44% increase in new cases over the last two weeks and a 78% increase in deaths.
As a final point, it’s worth noting that some countries in Europe are also implementing tighter restrictions in order to fend off a second wave. Ireland, for example, instituted a nationwide lockdown today, with residents being advised that they can’t leave the 3-mile radius around their home.
