According to data from Johns Hopkins University, the average number of new daily Covid cases has swelled to a level not seen since the highest peak in late July. Over the last seven days, the U.S. has added over 480,000 new cases, the most the nation has added in a single week. Over 225,000 people have died from the coronavirus.
The White House is facing backlash from health experts and concerned citizens after Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said in an interview that the U.S. is “not going to control” the pandemic.
“We are not going to control the pandemic. We are going to control the fact that we get vaccines, therapeutics and other mitigation areas,” Meadows told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”
When asked why the U.S. isn’t going to control the pandemic, Meadows said: “Because it is a contagious virus just like the flu.”
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris responded to Meadows’ statement saying the White House is “admitting defeat” against the pandemic.
“Meadows admitted this morning that the administration has given up on even trying to control this pandemic, that they’ve given up on their basic duty to protect the American people,” Biden said.
MORE ON THE PANDEMIC
In a tweet on his official page, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said that a “herd immunity” approach to stopping Covid-19 could “lead to many complications/deaths.”
Adams included a link to an article from The Journal of the American Medical Association entitled “What is Herd Immunity?” He also encouraged people to continue to “wear masks,” “wash hands” and “watch distances.”
The White House has recently agreed with a declaration by a group of scientists who embrace herd immunity. [READ MORE]
Delta Airlines has added 460 people to its no-fly list for refusing to wear masks during flights. Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement that the airline will utilize the no-fly list, usually reserved for suspected terrorists, to protect passengers and staff and curb the increasing spread of the virus.
Delta and other aircraft carriers have documented several incidents of flight crews experiencing confrontations with people refusing to wear masks.
Retailer Gap Inc. Announced plans to close 350 stores by 2024 due to the pandemic. The San Francisco-based retailer said it will be closing 220 of its namesake Gap stores inside malls. The company will also close 130 of its Banana Republic stores in North America in three years.
Gap joins the ranks of more than two dozen retailers that have filed for bankruptcy since the pandemic. Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor, J. Crew, Hertz, Ruby Tuesday and Gold’s Gym all blamed their financial woes on the pandemic.
