Covid-19: United States faces worrying new surge in cases

Caregivers care for a patient with Covid-19 at a Los Angeles hospital on November 19, 2020. AP - Jae C. Hong

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The United States is experiencing a new surge in Covid-19 cases, more than a week after the Thanksgiving reunion.

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While some countries such as the United Kingdom are preparing to launch vaccination campaigns and several other vaccines are in the process of being approved, the Covid-19 epidemic is still progressing.

The United States recorded Friday, December 4, for the second consecutive day, a record of contaminations in 24 hours with 225,201 new cases, and 2,500 deaths.

The United States has been facing a dramatic rebound in the epidemic for several weeks, and health officials expected the new outbreak after many Americans traveled for Thanksgiving last week despite the calls to stay at home.

Neighboring Canada crossed the threshold of 400,000 cases on Friday, just over two weeks after reaching 300,000, marking an abrupt acceleration of the pandemic.

In California, the governor has ordered new lockdowns in areas where hospitals are reaching capacity in an attempt to relieve the emergency services, reports our correspondent in New York,

.

And if cases continue to rise, Gavin Newsom has announced it will impose a new regional lockdown with the closure of restaurants, museums and other non-essential stores.

In South Florida, on the east coast, authorities are also calling for caution after another rise in contamination this week.

US companies prepare for vaccine arrival

With the imminent arrival of these vaccines,

sometimes having to be stored at freezing temperatures, American companies are preparing the ground: the logistics giant UPS has developed portable freezers allowing storage between -20 and -80 ° C.

The automaker Ford has ordered its own freezers to vaccinate its employees, and the American meat giant Smithfield is ready to provide the cold rooms of its slaughterhouses.

It remains to convince a population that is sometimes suspicious of the inoculation of vaccines designed in record time.

Several prominent personalities have promised to be vaccinated in public to set an example, such as Joe Biden, and former US presidents

, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

In the meantime, population mixes for the Christmas and New Year celebrations risk accelerating the spread of the epidemic, such as the rush to stores for Christmas shopping. 

(With AFP)

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• Coronavirus

• United States

• Health and medicine