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Press Release

Virus Continues Unrelenting Assault on United States as Trump Administration Waves White Flag, McConnell Blocks Relief

By December 9, 2020No Comments

US Averaging 2000+ Deaths, 200,000+ Cases a Day

15 Million+ Cases in United States

104K+ Hospitalizations in United States

286K+ Deaths in United States

Donald Trump continues to falsely claim that the United States is “rounding the turn” on the pandemic — but nothing could be farther from the truth. Thanks to the Trump administration’s failure of leadership, the United States is instead entering the deadliest phase of this crisis: the national death toll and caseload are accelerating, as historic numbers of Americans require hospitalization. 

And while the nation should be optimistically looking forward to the new vaccine, Donald Trump allowed millions of doses to be shipped to other countries overseas — effectively curbing the domestic supply so severely that not even all first responders will be inoculated this year. 

The pandemic is only getting worse as President-elect Biden prepares to take office. Americans desperately need leadership and relief — but thanks to Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell, they have neither.

The Virus Continues to Break Records as It Ravages the United States

  • The US Is Averaging More Than 200,000 Cases A Day For The First Time Since The Beginning Of The Pandemic. “Deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. have soared to more than 2,200 a day on average, matching the frightening peak reached last April, and cases per day have eclipsed 200,000 on average for the first time on record, with the crisis all but certain to get worse because of the fallout from Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.” [Associated Press, 12/8/20]
  • The United States Has Recorded Its Deadliest Week Since The Pandemic Began, Reporting An Average Of 2,249 Deaths Per Day. “The United States has recorded its most coronavirus-related deaths over a weeklong period, as a brutal surge gathers speed across the country. With a seven-day average of 2,249 deaths, the country broke the previous mark of 2,232 set on April 17 in the early weeks of the pandemic. Seven-day averages can provide a more accurate picture of the virus’s progression than daily death counts, which can fluctuate and disguise the broader trend line.” [New York Times, 12/9/20]
  • Hospitalizations Have Doubled In The US Since The Beginning Of November. “Hospitalization figures collected by the Covid Tracking Project show that the number of people hospitalized with the virus nationwide has doubled since the beginning of November. But existing state-level figures have obscured vast differences within states, making it difficult to recognize local hot spots. The new data shows that some areas — like Amarillo, Texas, Coral Gables, Fla., and Troy, Mich. — are seeing rates of serious illness from Covid-19 that approach the levels seen in New York City during the worst weeks of the spring.” [New York Times, 12/8/20]
  • More Than 100,000 People In The United States Have Been Hospitalized With The Virus Every Day Since December 2, Far Greater Than The Spring And Summer Peaks Of Roughly 60,000 People Hospitalized. “The latest wave to hit the United States has hospitalized record numbers. Each day since Dec. 2, more than 100,000 Covid-19 patients were in hospitals. That far surpasses the number of people hospitalized during the peaks spring and summer, which at their worst had nearly 60,000 Americans in the hospital daily.” [New York Times, 12/9/20]
  • Dr. Anthony Fauci: “We’re Going To Be In For Some Significant, I Would Say, Pain and Suffering.” “Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, warned Monday that the brunt of cases linked to Thanksgiving festivities would likely not be felt until some time next week. ‘We’re going to be in for some significant, I would say, pain and suffering,’ Dr. Fauci said during an online appearance at the Milken Institute’s Future of Health Summit.” [Wall Street Journal, 12/8/20]

Protective Equipment, New Vaccine in Short Supply as Hospitals Are Overwhelmed

  • The Trump Administration Has Failed To Increase The National Strategic Stockpile Of Protective Equipment By The Numbers Promised.  “The federal government has fallen well short of its goal to shore up an emergency stockpile of respirator masks and some other personal protective equipment for health workers amid the current surge in Covid-19 cases. The Trump administration said in May it was aiming to increase its emergency supply of N95 respirator masks to 300 million in the coming 90 days. It never met the goal; by mid-November, the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile and the Federal Emergency Management Agency held 142 million N95 masks, which filter out at least 95% of small particles and fit snugly to the face.” [Wall Street Journal, 12/9/20]
  • The United States Is Barreling Towards A Vaccine Cliff — As Global Competition For Limited Resources Stresses The Domestic Supply Of Doses. “The United States could be heading for a vaccine cliff this spring, with shortages forcing hundreds of millions of Americans to wait for shots amid intense global competition for limited doses. The Trump administration has bought 100 million doses each of vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, but the U.S. is unlikely to get additional doses anytime soon because of strong international demand. And both vaccines require two doses per person, effectively halving the already scarce supply.” [Politico, 12/8/20]