US coronavirus cases top 12 million. An expert says spread is now ‘faster’ and ‘broader’ than ever
CNNCNN — The number of US coronavirus cases surpassed 12 million Saturday – an increase of more than 1 million cases in less than a week. Many are traveling for Thanksgiving despite CDC’s recommendation against it The virus is still running unabated in the US and the rate of rising cases is now “dramatically” different from what it was before, White House Coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx told CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. “So many states have test positivity rates above 20%, which means that we are vastly lagging behind in our confirmed cases,” she told CNN’s Erica Hill. “I would say to those who are homesick…just hold the line,” Dr. Chris Pernell, a public health physician at New Jersey’s Newark University Hospital, told CNN on Saturday. We’re not talking about a lot of ICU capacity,” Morris said during the National Institutes of Health rural health seminar.” In a lot of these hospitals, they’re able to offer an ICU of one of two beds.” Responding to the crisis, multiple governors this week announced new measures to combat the surging infections and relieve strained hospital systems.