Mother’s Day brings fears of COVID-19 flare-ups.
Easing of social distancing guidelines — whether by government edict or individual decision — has led to new coronavirus flare-ups in the United States and abroad, even as pressure builds to loosen restrictions that have kept millions isolated and decimated economies.
Officials in Pasadena, Calif., warned Saturday against Mother’s Day gatherings after a cluster of new COVID-19 cases was identified there among a large group of extended family and friends attending a recent birthday party, despite a stay-at-home order in effect.
Through contact tracing, investigators discovered more than five confirmed cases and “many more ill individuals” linked to the party, the local public health department said.
The controversy over when, and how much, to open up has taken on sharp political overtones, with protests and occasional violence against those trying to keep the rules in place.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Robert Redfield said in a statement that a report by the Associated Press alleging the White House had held back restrictive recommendations from experts on how to safely reopen hinged on a premature “draft” that “had not been vetted through the interagency process.”
Trump administration officials previously said that the recommendations were overly specific and did not take into account regional differences in the threat level.
Trump tweets
In a series of Saturday tweets, President Donald Trump accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, of opening a public polling place to favor Democrats in a special congressional election to be conducted largely by mail-in ballots next week, while Newsom has refused to open “restaurants, beaches and stores.”
South Korean officials, who recently began to loosen social distancing requirements, ordered more than 2,100 nightclubs, discos and bars in Seoul to close Saturday after the country recorded dozens of new cases linked to partygoers in the city last weekend.
In Germany, where the government has outlined a cautious but steady opening, hundreds of workers in at least three meat-processing plants have tested positive for the coronavirus, medical and local officials said. Word of the new infections came as Chancellor Angela Merkel, speaking in her weekly video message to the nation, said that “we are excited to take the first steps toward normal, everyday life.”
As governments try to balance health and economic priorities, medical experts have said that new flare-ups are inevitable, but that widespread testing and contact tracing are key to preventing breakouts. Both South Korea and Germany have been among the countries adopting the strictest shutdown measures and providing the most testing and contact tracing.
Trump, who has pressed to reopen schools and businesses sooner rather than later, said Friday that “testing isn’t necessary.”
As governments try to balance health and economic priorities, medical experts have said that new flare-ups are inevitable, but that widespread testing and contact tracing are key to preventing breakouts. Both South Korea and Germany have been among the countries adopting the strictest shutdown measures and providing the most testing and contact tracing.
Officials to self-quarantine
On Saturday, two senior members of the administration’s coronavirus task force said they would self-quarantine after being exposed at the White House.
Redfield and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn will isolate for two weeks, the CDC and FDA said, after coming into contact with White House staffers who have tested positive for the virus.