COVID Surges in Major West Coast City as Thanksgiving Looms on Horizon

The next few days are traditionally filled with joy, laughter, thankfulness, and food…lots and lots of food.

It’s Thanksgiving time here in the United States, and we’re preparing to get in one last bit of rest and relaxation before the stress and swiftness of the Christmas season approaches.  Turkey Day, in many ways, is our last chance to truly let ourselves be a bit gluttonous.  It’s the last set-in-stone gathering before the frantic race to the finish line of the year…and what a year it has been.

Americans were looking forward to this moment in a big way, but COVID-19 seems to have had another idea altogether.

Los Angeles recorded its highest number of daily new COVID-19 infections ever on Thursday at 5,031, according to L.A. County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis. That tops the previous high set Wednesday by more than 1,000. Before that, you have to go back to the height of the pandemic in July to find highs that are even close.

To underline the steepness of the rise in new daily cases, Davis pointed out that cases surged 68% from October 28 November 10.

The language being used in the warring was stern.

“At this point, no one should still be questioning this virus,” said the county health officer, “nor should they be questioning the actions the need to be taken.”

Davis said that the average number of cases over the past two days was 4,500. That exceeds the emergency threshold set by L.A. County Director of Public Health, Barbara Ferrer recently. If cases average 4,500 or more for five consecutive days, Ferrer said the county would implement another Safer-at-Home shutdown, as it did in the spring.

The CDC has already recommended that Americans not travel for the holiday, but rather use Zoom or FaceTime to gather virtually with family instead.