California, slamming ‘emergency brake’ on reopening, is latest state to ramp up restrictions

Sweden on Monday announced new restrictions to stem the spread of the coronavirus, the country’s latest move to implement harsher measures after an initially lax response that relied on the public’s decision-making to stem the spread. Like much of Europe, Sweden has seen increasing hospitalizations and deaths, pushing the government to impose new rules. On Monday, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven announced a ban on public gatherings of more than eight people.

“It is a clear and sharp signal to every person in our country as to what applies in the future,” Lofven said during a news conference. “Don’t go to the gym, don’t go the library, don’t have dinner out, don’t have parties — cancel!”

Tens of thousands of international students have paused their plans to enroll in U.S. colleges and universities this fall amid the novel coronaviruspandemic, threatening a key source of revenue for higher education, a new survey shows.

The Institute of International Education reported Monday that international enrollment fell 16 percent this fall at more than 700 schools it surveyed. The flow of new international students into U.S. institutions plummeted 43 percent from the previous year.

Nearly 40,000 international students have deferred enrollment, the institute reported, as the pandemic continues to wreak worldwide havoc on plans for travel and education.

Most summers, visitors to Lake Tahoe respect its beauty and its bears. This summer, however was different, resulting in an increase in trash and bear activity, and protests from some of the locals.

Many tourism officials and business owners had feared Tahoe would take a major hit because of the coronavirus pandemic, not to mention the poor air quality from the California wildfires. Instead, the famously blue lake that straddles the state line between California and Nevada saw a boost in visitors.

But the vacationers who arrived in droves were not Tahoe’s typical tourists, observers say. Some seemed unfamiliar with wilderness protocols, which include packing out trash, protecting pristine natural elements such as trees and boulders, and not feeding the bears.

California has to slam the “emergency brake” on reopening, Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Monday, making it the latest state to reestablish restrictions as it experiences its sharpest increase in coronavirus infections yet.

The state’s daily case count doubled in the past week, a rise that is “without precedent,” Newsom (D) said during a news briefing Monday, as California tallied 9,890 new cases.

To slow the surge of infections, Newsom said 41 of the state’s 58 counties — including Orange, Santa Clara and Santa Barbara counties — will be on the most restrictive “purple” level, which requires many nonessential indoor businesses to close. Purple counties are ones reporting more than seven cases per day per 100,000 people and where the positivity rate for testing is above 8 percent. Last week, 13 counties were in that category.

As President-elect Joe Biden took the stage Monday for his first big address on U.S. economy, coronavirus cases were hitting all-time highs, numerous states and cities were issuing fresh stay-at-home orders, and Americans were noticeably pulling back on spending again.

Biden made it clear his first priority is getting the virus under control. He walked out on stage wearing a mask, and proclaimed, “There’s nothing macho about not wearing a mask.” He urged unity -- and common sense, saying his own family would limit Thanksgiving celebrations to no more than 10 people.

Iowa has become the latest state to implement a mask mandate after Gov. Kim Reynolds resisted calls to order one amid a surging coronavirus outbreak.

Iowans age 2 or older must wear a mask starting Tuesday in indoor public spaces and if they are within six feet of people who are not members of their households, Reynolds (R) announced Monday night in a recorded video message. The order also limits indoor and outdoor gatherings to 15 and 30 attendees, respectively, requires restaurants and bars to close at 10 p.m. and encourages those who are high-risk to stay home.

In Bismarck, N.D., where Leslie McKamey is a nurse in the emergency department at CHI St. Alexius Health, caregivers have been so overwhelmed by covid-19 patients in the past few weeks that ambulances are sometimes diverted to the other major hospital in town.

Until that hospital, Sanford Medical Center, fills up as well. Then, there is no choice but to treat the flood of sick people who have made the state the worst coronavirus hot spot in this unprecedented surge of the pandemic.

“Our nurses are working longer shifts, a majority are picking up extra shifts, and we’re still short-staffed,” McKamey said, attributing the crisis in part to a hospital policy of reducing personnel in recent years. “We are taking on more patients than what we can really handle and what our patients deserve.”

More than 1 million children in the United States have fallen ill with the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association announced Monday.

In total, nearly 1.04 million kids under 18 have tested positive, which likely does not account for all cases as children are less likely to show symptoms or get tested, according to the associations for pediatricians. Almost 112,000 cases among children were reported during the week of Nov. 12, the largest increase since the start of the pandemic.