President Donald Trump suggested limiting social interactions and gatherings to 10 people or less. The number of municipalities is also calling for people to engage in social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic is rising. On Tuesday, health officials have issued an important message for all Americans to limit social interactions to help healthcare systems prevent a rise of patients. As of Tuesday, 87 Americans have died with 4,490 infections, a rise of 1,000 confirmed infections from Sunday.
Here is a list of recently issued Coronavirus measures:
- San Francisco has ordered “shelter in place” guidance, requiring Bay Area residents to stay inside and leave their homes for only essential needs.
“We know these measures will significantly disrupt people’s day to day lives, but they are absolutely necessary,” the San Francisco, Mayor London Breed said in a Monday statement. “This is going to be a defining moment for our city and we all have a responsibility to do our part to protect our neighbors and slow the spread of this virus by staying at home unless it is absolutely essential to go outside.”
- Ohio has delayed the presidential primary hours before polls were set to open on Tuesday.
- New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin banned gatherings of 50 people or more.
- Miami-Dade County is closing restaurants, while some eating venues are allowing drive-through service.
Coronavirus outbreak could get worse
Public health officials say the United States has reached a tipping point claiming if residents do not take these mandates seriously, the country may have a situation similar to Italy, which went into a complete lockdown and hospitals have been overwhelmed by thousands of cases.
Trump administration officials are pressing Senators to approve a House-passed bill to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic including aid to small businesses and airlines.
The mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio said he will limit all bars, restaurants, and cafes to take out or delivery. “You have to think of this in a wartime world view,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday. “You have to think of this as something where you’re going to see a massive mobilization to save lives, to help people through their suffering with this disease.”
“Every state doing their own thing, different cities doing their own thing, it’s confusing, it’s chaos,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday night. “The federal government should come up, step in, and say this is what we’re going to do. This is what we do in schools, this is what we do in businesses, here are the rules and then the states can adjust the rules to their particular circumstances.”
Colorado public health officials ordered restaurants, bars, gyms, theaters, and casinos to shut down for 30 days. Facilities can still sell food and through a drive-through and delivery services.
“Based on the experience of other countries, the state of Washington, and modeling data, the sooner we begin social distancing measures on a large enough scale, the more quickly we can slow transmission of the virus,” Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Executive Director Jill Hunsaker Ryan said.
New York and Colorado are not alone. States like New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Michigan and Wisconsin with bans of social gatherings of 50 people or more.