Key to virus rebound as world tries to reopen
WASHINGTON — Nearly 26,000 nursing home residents in the United States have died from COVID-19, according to a report prepared for the nation’s governors, a number that is partial and likely to go higher.
The disclosure came as coronavirus restrictions were eased from Asia to Europe to the United States on Monday, even as U.S. protests against police brutality sparked fears of new outbreaks.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 60,000 cases of coronavirus illness among nursing home residents, according to a copy of a letter addressed to governors and an accompanying chart. The data are based on reports received from about 80% of the nation’s 15,400 nursing homes.
Although the first wave of the pandemic may be easing in much of the United States, that doesn’t mean nursing homes are in any less danger: Experts say in a virus rebound they can again become the stage for tragic scenes of death and despair, as well as a risk for the broader community.
“What is going on in a nursing home can be a barometer for where the virus is,” said Tamara Konetzka, a research professor at the University of Chicago, who specializes in long-term care issues. “You’ve got to be watching out and expecting a lot of cases in that community as well.”
As tourist destinations worldwide reopened for business, new rules were in place to guard against the virus’ spread. The Florida Keys welcomed visitors for the first time in two months, the Colosseum opened its ancient doors in Rome and ferries restarted in Bangladesh.
But even as the touristdependent Keys took down barriers to allow visitors, Miami-Dade County kept its beaches closed because of protests and unrest in South Florida and across the country over the May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man pinned at the neck by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
Roadblocks were taken down shortly after midnight near Key Largo, the northernmost island in the Florida chain, where almost half of all workers are employed by hotels, bars and other hospitality industries, and many of the rest involved in commercial and sport fishing.
Yet the carefree, party atmosphere that surrounds the Keys and was popularized by singer Jimmy Buffett in songs like “Margaritaville” may not return for some time. The Monroe County Tourist Development Council made clear on its website that visitors must adhere to health guidelines.
“Bring facial coverings, gloves, hand sanitizer, reefsafe sunscreen and personal essential medicines. If you’re feeling unwell, please stay home,” it said.
Countries around the Mediterranean Sea also tentatively kicked off a summer season where tourists could bask on beaches with distancing measures in place.
“We are reopening a symbol. A symbol of Rome, a symbol for Italy,” said Alfonsina Russo, director of the Colosseum’s archaeological park. “(We are) restarting in a positive way, with a different pace, with a more sustainable tourism.”
Greece lifted lockdown measures for hotels, campsites, open-air cinemas, golf courses and public swimming pools, while beaches and museums reopened in Turkey and bars, restaurants, cinemas and museums came back to life in the Netherlands.
“Today, we opened two rooms and tomorrow three. It’s like building an anthill,” Athens hotel owner Panos Betis said.
A long line of masked visitors snaked outside the Vatican Museums, which include the Sistine Chapel, as they reopened for the first time in three months.
The Vatican Museums’ famous keyholder — the “clavigero” who holds the keys to all the galleries on a big ring on his wrist — opened the gate in a sign both symbolic and literal that the Museums were back in business. Still, strict crowd control measures were in place: Visitors needed reservations to visit, their temperatures were taken before entering and masks were mandatory.
The Dutch relaxation of coronavirus rules took place on a major holiday with the sun blazing, raising fears of overcrowding in popular beach resorts. The new rules let bars and restaurants serve up to 30 people inside if they keep social distancing, but there’s no standing at bars and reservations are necessary.
Britain, which with over 38,500 dead has the world’s second-worst death toll behind the United States, eased restrictions despite warnings from health officials that the risk of spreading COVID-19 was still too great. Some elementary classes reopened in England and people could now have limited contact with family and friends, but only outdoors and with social distancing.
Around 6.2 million infections have been reported worldwide, with over 373,000 people dying, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The true death toll is believed to be significantly higher, since many died without ever being tested.
The U.S. has seen nearly 1.8 million infections and over 104,000 deaths in the pandemic, which has disproportionately affected racial minorities.