WaPo Editorial Board: The coronavirus is racing out of control. Here's what we need to do now.
Source: Washington Post
The coronavirus is racing out of control. Here’s what we need to do now.
Opinion by Editorial Board
7/18/2020, 7:30:00 a.m.
THE UNITED STATES is plunging ever deeper into a public health catastrophe. The coronavirus pandemic is out of control in much of the country. It is time to declare “emergency,” hit the reset button and try once more to get this right. Unfortunately, President Trump has walked away, and the nation is divided and fractious. But the virus cares not. It is relentless and advancing. Either strong action is taken now, or the crisis will become much worse.
Warnings are flashing red almost everywhere. Nearly half the states and territories are likely to report more deaths in the next four weeks than in the past four, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. On Thursday, record numbers of coronavirus deaths were reported in Florida, Texas and South Carolina, and officials throughout the Sun Belt fear hospitals could soon reach a breaking point. The governor of Ohio, Mike DeWine (R), announced that virus spread is “getting much worse” and 19 counties have a “very high risk of exposure and spread.” A White House coronavirus task force document, dated July 14, says that 18 states are in a “red zone” with more than 100 new cases per 100,000 population, while 11 states are in the “red zone” for test positivity, meaning more than 10 percent of diagnostic test results came back positive. The pandemic is spreading, and broadening.
As painful as it may be, without a vaccine or drug therapy, the only way to break viral transmission is to shut down where people congregate in enclosed spaces: bars, restaurants, gyms and elsewhere. We must resolutely protect the vulnerable, enforce social distancing, practice hand-washing and mandate wearing of face masks. Other nations, such as Italy and Spain, have shown that major outbreaks can be contained. In light of Mr. Trump’s epic leadership failure, governors must take the lead. They should convene an emergency summit — this week is not too soon — to plan a true national strategy, still desperately needed. As Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the Atlantic, “We’ve got to almost reset this and say, ‘Okay, let’s stop this nonsense.’ We’ve got to figure out, how can we get control over this now, and, looking forward, how can we make sure that next month, we don’t have another example of California, Texas, Florida and Arizona?”
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