FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky’s governor mentioned Thursday that the most recent wave of grim COVID-19 statistics would have triggered a statewide masks mandate indoors if he nonetheless wielded the authority to take such motion.
However the Kentucky Supreme Court docket lately shifted pandemic-related selections on masking and different points to the Republican-dominated legislature, Gov. Andy Beshear mentioned. So the Democratic governor used his bully pulpit to proceed urging folks to masks up when indoors, away from dwelling.
The Bluegrass State has reached “uncharted territory” with the extended escalation of virus infections, hospitalizations and sufferers in intensive care, he mentioned at a information convention.
On Wednesday, Kentucky reported 65 virus-related deaths. It additionally notched its third-highest every day variety of new COVID-19 instances because the extremely contagious delta variant overwhelms many hospitals.
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On Thursday, Beshear reported new document highs in Kentucky, with 2,115 virus sufferers hospitalized, together with 590 in intensive care and 345 on ventilators. The state suffered 27 extra virus-related deaths and had 5,401 new COVID-19 instances, its second-highest every day complete of the pandemic.
The escalation induced greater than 10,000 COVID-19 infections reported statewide prior to now two days, and 4,600 kids examined constructive for the virus within the final three days, he mentioned.
— U.S. might attain 100,000 extra COVID-19 deaths by Dec. 1.
— AP-NORC ballot: Half of US staff favor vaccine, masks mandate in workplaces
— Illinois Gov. Pritzker requires educators, well being staff to get vaccine
— U.S. virus surge breaks hospital data amid rising toll on children
— Discover extra AP protection at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine
HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska’s hospitals are much more crowded now than they had been on the peak of the coronavirus pandemic in November, Gov. Pete Ricketts mentioned Thursday as he introduced a “staffing emergency” to attempt to tackle a extreme scarcity of well being care staff.
The state’s hospitals had been treating a 3,162 sufferers as of Wednesday, up from 3,074 on Nov. 20, when the variety of recognized instances was at its all-time excessive.
A lot of the current hospitalizations aren’t virus-related, nevertheless, and Ricketts mentioned the rise was pushed by sufferers in search of remedy for different medical issues. Based on state knowledge, hospitals are presently treating 337 virus sufferers — about 11% of complete hospitalizations. In November, the hospitals counted 987 virus sufferers, accounting for 32% of hospitalizations.
Ricketts mentioned he declared the emergency after consulting with the state’s hospital directors. However he stopped wanting calling it a “COVID-19” emergency, which might permit the state to as soon as once more disclose every day case info.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The president of CEO of the Memphis-based St. Jude Kids’s Analysis Hospital mentioned in a letter Thursday that folks ought to shield their kids by insisting that they put on masks within the classroom.
In his letter, Dr. James Downing talked about Tennessee Gov. Invoice Lee’s current govt order permitting dad and mom to decide out of masks mandates issued by faculty districts. Many faculty techniques are complying with the Republican governor’s order, however Shelby County Faculties in Memphis and the varsity district in Nashville are defying it and nonetheless requiring college students and employees to put on masks in class buildings.
Some dad and mom have protested masks mandates outdoors faculties and at board conferences, arguing that mask-wearing by their kids needs to be their alternative. Downing wrote that masks are protected to put on they usually assist stop the unfold of COVID-19.
“Protesting masks mandates places an agenda earlier than kids’s well being,” Downing wrote. “This stance just isn’t rational. Cease the arguments and the protests. Get up as a group and do what is correct to guard kids.”
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — A federal prosecutor is accusing Argentine President Alberto Fernández of apparently violating his personal pandemic restrictions decree by becoming a member of a dozen different folks at his spouse’s birthday celebration.
The motion by prosecutor Ramiro González means Fernández might face a legal investigation.
The celebration was held final yr on the presidential residence at a time when the federal government had banned social gatherings to impede the unfold of COVID-19.
Investigators started wanting into the case when a photograph circulated this month displaying Fernández collectively together with his spouse Fabiola Yáñez and different unmasked folks standing round a desk with with remnants of a celebration.
The federal government acknowledged that the {photograph} was taken on July 14, 2020, at a second when restrictions had been in place. The president publicly apologized.
Whereas the president is in no danger of going to jail for such an offense, it has dented his picture forward of November’s legislative elections.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama is seeing a pointy enhance in COVID-19 instances in school-age kids, with greater than 5,000 instances reported final week — a rise officers say is probably going fueled by the extremely contagious delta variant and is inflicting some faculties to quickly swap to distant studying.
The Alabama Division of Public Well being mentioned final week, 5,571 kids ages 5 to 17 had been reported to have COVID-19. That compares to 702 instances in school-aged kids throughout the identical week final yr, a time when greater than half of scholars had been learning remotely and a much less contagious variant was circulating.
State Well being Officer Scott Harris pointed to delta variant as “the almost certainly rationalization.”
“The numbers are staggering,” Harris mentioned of the rise “We need to remind folks that everybody must be vaccinated who’s eligible, that’s everybody 12 and up. We strongly suggest common masking in faculties.”
Hospitalizations and deaths in kids stay comparatively uncommon, in keeping with state numbers. Of the almost 2,900 sufferers in state hospitals with COVID-19 on Thursday, fewer than 50 had been kids, in keeping with the Alabama Hospital Affiliation.
O’FALLON, Mo. — Missouri is opening antibody remedy facilities in a number of counties within the hopes that they’ll maintain some high-risk sufferers with COVID-19 from dying or turning into critically ailing.
Monoclonal antibody infusion remedy can be accessible for 30 days at websites in Jackson, Pettis, Scott, Butler and Jefferson counties. Two extra websites can be added later within the St. Louis space. The state is spending $15 million on the facilities and believes they might deal with as much as 4,000 folks over the subsequent month.
The preliminary website was arrange final month in southwestern Missouri, a area hit onerous by the delta variant surge. Well being officers mentioned 588 folks have been handled at an infusion heart in Springfield. Katie Cities, the well being director for Springfield and Greene County, mentioned in a information launch that the remedy “has undoubtedly saved lives in our group.”
The medicine are lab-made variations of virus-blocking antibodies that assist combat off infections. Antibody therapies are among the many few therapies that may reduce the consequences of COVID-19, and they’re seen as an possibility for these with mild-to-moderate instances who aren’t but in hospitals.
On Thursday, the state’s COVID-19 dashboard confirmed that hospitalizations rose by 84, to 2,352. The state cited 2,161 newly confirmed instances, bringing its pandemic complete to 622,081. The state additionally has reported 10,409 COVID-19 deaths for the reason that onset of the pandemic.
DETROIT — The top of the 397,000-member United Auto Staff union says it’s towards requiring members to be vaccinated towards the virus that causes COVID-19.
New President Ray Curry says if any of the 700 firms that make use of union members needs to impose such a requirement, it could be topic to bargaining with union officers.
Curry instructed reporters Thursday that the union encourages members to get vaccinations and think about boosters when they’re accessible. However the union respects members’ needs in the event that they don’t need to be vaccinated for non secular, medical or private causes, he mentioned.
The UAW could be towards mandates even when contaminated staff might endanger fellow workers, Curry mentioned. “We additionally consider that the employers and the workers that we signify in these areas nonetheless have a voice, and we should take these issues into consideration,” he mentioned.
No employers have contacted the union about requiring vaccines or imposing extra well being care prices on workers who aren’t vaccinated, Curry mentioned.
MOSCOW — Russia reported a one-day document of 820 coronavirus deaths.
The nationwide coronavirus taskforce says the variety of new every day infections reached 19,630. That follows a constant ebb for the reason that starting of the month when 22,800 instances had been reported.
The earlier document for deaths was 819 on Aug. 14.
Russia has reported greater than 6.8 million confirmed instances and 179,243 confirmed deaths.
NEW ORLEANS — A Louisiana teenager has died of COVID-19.
The coroner in East Baton Rouge Parish on Thursday confirmed the demise of 14-year-old Patrick Sanders III from the town of Baker. Baton Rouge media report that Sanders, who died Wednesday, was a soccer participant at Baker Excessive College. Sanders’ demise got here days after the state reported the demise of an toddler.
Kids beneath 18 made up about 30% of instances reported Thursday in Louisiana. The state reported greater than 5,100 new possible and confirmed coronavirus instances Thursday and 72 confirmed deaths.
Hospitalizations statewide stand at 2,729, down from greater than 3,000 earlier this month. Vaccinations in Louisiana are growing, with almost 60,000 doses administered since Monday. First pictures have been given to about 49% of the state’s inhabitants.
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky and Texas have joined a rising record of states which have surpassed their document for hospitalized coronavirus sufferers.
The 2 states on Wednesday reported essentially the most COVID-19 sufferers of their hospitals for the reason that begin of the pandemic. No less than six different states — Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Hawaii, Mississippi and Oregon — have already surpassed their data amid a nationwide surge within the virus.
The most recent spike is fueled by the extremely contagious delta variant of the virus amongst those that are unvaccinated. In areas with low vaccination charges, docs have pleaded with their communities to get inoculated to spare overburdened hospitals. They’ve additionally sounded the alarm concerning the rising toll of the delta pressure on kids and younger adults.
Nationwide, COVID-19 deaths are averaging greater than 1,100 a day, the very best degree since mid-March. New instances per day are averaging over 152,000, turning the clock again to the top of January.
As of this week, the variety of folks within the hospital with the coronavirus was round 85,000, a degree not seen since early February.
NEW YORK — The U.S. is projected to achieve almost 100,000 extra COVID-19 deaths by Dec. 1.
That’s the prediction from the nation’s most carefully watched forecasting mannequin. However well being consultants say that toll could possibly be lower in half if almost everybody wore a masks in public areas.
Some conduct adjustments already could also be flattening the curve in just a few locations within the South the place the coronavirus has raged this summer season. An Related Press evaluation reveals the speed of recent instances is slowing in Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana and Arkansas.
The projection from fashions on the College of Washington signifies deaths will rise to almost 1,400 a day by mid-September, then decline slowly.
Deaths are presently averaging 1,100 a day within the U.S., turning the clock again to mid-March. The projection is a further 98,000 People will die by the beginning of December, for an total U.S. demise toll of almost 730,000.
CHICAGO — Illinois would require all educators from kindergarten by means of faculty and well being care staff to get COVID-19 vaccines or undergo weekly testing.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker additionally introduced Thursday a brand new statewide mandate on sporting masks indoors in response to a spike in instances. Pritzker says hospital techniques have gotten overwhelmed in areas with low vaccinations charges and the place there are fewer hospitals.
The foundations overlap in some locations, with masks already required in faculties and Chicago faculties requiring trainer vaccines. The masks order begins Monday and applies to these over age 2, no matter vaccination standing.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Tennessee’s most populous county has reached the very best variety of hospitalized COVID-19 sufferers for the reason that begin of the pandemic.
Hospitals in Shelby County, which incorporates Memphis, had been treating 701 coronavirus sufferers, with 515 in acute care and 186 in intensive care, county well being division director Michelle Taylor mentioned throughout a information convention. Most of these sufferers weren’t vaccinated, officers say. The earlier excessive was 661 sufferers on Jan. 6.
The seven-day rolling common of instances has elevated in current weeks in Shelby County to 744 instances on Wednesday. Taylor says a masks requirement for indoor public areas set to run out Aug. 31 can be renewed.
Due to a scarcity of employees, greater than 30 Nationwide Guard medics had been serving to deal with hospital sufferers within the Memphis space, officers say.
LONDON — Journey measures for England and Scotland had been tweaked on Thursday, with eased restrictions for passengers from Canada, Denmark and Switzerland.
The three international locations had been moved to the so-called “inexperienced record,” together with Finland, Liechtenstein, Lithuania and the Portuguese Azores.
Individuals arriving from green-listed areas solely want to supply a unfavorable COVID-19 check earlier than and after their entry. The adjustments take impact Monday.
Montenegro and Thailand had been every added to the “purple record” for the heaviest restrictions. Vacationers coming in from red-list international locations should isolate in government-managed quarantine inns and canopy the price.
WASHINGTON — Black lawmakers are urging President Joe Biden to donate 100 million extra COVID-19 vaccines to Africa, the place solely 2% of the inhabitants is totally vaccinated and the demise price is the very best on the planet.
“The longer it takes to vaccinate the world, the extra variants we’ll see and the longer this pandemic will proceed,” Reps. Barbara Lee and Karen Bass, California Democrats, wrote Biden on behalf of members of the influential Congressional Black Caucus.
The Biden administration’s current name for already vaccinated People to get booster pictures met with disapproval from many international well being advocates.
In June, administration officers mentioned the U.S. will purchase 500 million extra doses of the Pfizer vaccine for donation to 92 lower-income international locations and the African Union over the subsequent yr. The U.S. has delivered about 20 million doses to African nations up to now, the lawmakers say.
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