Tuesday live coronavirus updates: Fauci hopeful for a vaccine by late 2020, early 2021
Fauci hopeful for a vaccine by late 2020, early 2021
WASHINGTON (AP) — The government’s top infectious disease expert said Tuesday he is cautiously optimistic that there will be a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year or early 2021, but warned that the next few weeks will be critical to tamping down coronavirus hot spots around the country.
Dr. Anthony Fauci and other top health officials also said they have not been asked to slow down testing for coronavirus, an issue that became controversial after President Donald Trump said last weekend that he had asked them to do just that because it was uncovering too many infections. Trump said Wednesday that he wasn’t kidding when he said that.
“We will be doing more testing,” Fauci told a House committee.
The U.S. has tested more than 27 million people, with about 2.3 million – or 8.4% -- testing positive.
The health officials returned to Capitol Hill at a fraught moment in the nation’s pandemic response, with coronavirus cases rising in about half the states and political polarization competing for attention with public health recommendations.
“We’ve been hit badly,” said Fauci, infectious diseases chief at the National Institutes of Health. He said he was “really quite concerned” about rising community spread in some states.
“The next couple of weeks are going to be critical in our ability to address those surges,” he said.
Fauci, who heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was testifying along with Centers for Disease Control director Dr. Robert Redfield, Federal Drug Administration chief Dr. Stephen Hahn and the head of the U.S. Public Health Service, Adm. Brett Giroir.
Since Fauci’s last appearance at a high-profile hearing more than a month ago, the U.S. has begun emerging from weeks of stay-at-home orders and business shutdowns. But it’s being done in an uneven way, with some states far less cautious than others. A trio of states with Republican governors who are bullish on reopening — Arizona, Florida and Texas — are among those seeing worrisome increases in cases.
Officials call on Illinoisans to host blood drives, donate blood as supply dwindles
Officials with the Illinois Coalition of Community Blood Centers are warning the public that Illinois’ blood supply is “dwindling” and in dire need for organizers to host blood drives in their communities now that Phase 4 of Restore Illinois has started.
In a statement, the coalition said in Illinois blood centers are running on two day or less supplies of blood, leaving them at “critically” low levels” that follow a national trend of blood shortage.
“Since COVID restrictions were lifted for elective procedures and patients returned in mass for medical treatments, surgeries have spiked and blood centers across the state are struggling to keep up with the demand for blood. Making the situation worse is nearly 60% of the collections blood centers rely on come from offsite blood drives (not from actual donor centers), many of which are not being held due to many sites still being closed, including businesses who have employees working remotely and churches/school/community locations being restricted for external activities. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize that blood only has a 42 day shelf life, needs to constantly be replenished, and that there is no substitute” said Emily Alanis, Regional Manager of Donor Recruitment for Vertsiti Blood Center of Illinois.
For more information on donating blood or hosting a blood drive, visit www.americanblood.org.
National Great Rivers Museum to Reopen in July
East Alton’s National Great Rivers Museum will reopen Wednesday, July 1, after being closed due to COVID-19 for months.
The museum will open up with new guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and regional and state public health officials.
In a statement, museum officials said tours will be limited to the back promenade of the museum and will start at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Visitors are expected to maintain physical spacing, following signage and floor marker directions. A maximum of 50 people will be allowed to occupy the museum under Phase 4 rules of Restore Illinois.
For more information visit www.mtrf.org.
Surging US virus cases raise fear progress is slipping
AP) — Alarming surges in coronavirus cases across the U.S. South and West raised fears Monday that the outbreak is spiraling out of control and that hard-won progress against the scourge is slipping away because of resistance among many Americans to wearing masks and keeping their distance from others.
Confirming predictions that the easing of state lockdowns over the past month and a half would lead to a comeback by the virus, cases surpassed 100,000 in Florida, hospitalizations are rising dramatically in Houston and Georgia, and a startling 1 in 5 of those tested in Arizona are proving to be infected.
Over the weekend, the virus seemed to be everywhere at once: Several campaign staff members who helped set up President Donald Trump’s rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, tested positive, as did 23 Clemson University football players in South Carolina. At least 30 members of the Louisiana State University team were isolated after becoming infected or coming into contact with someone who was. Meatpacking plants were also hit with outbreaks.
“It is snowballing. We will most certainly see more people die as a result of this spike,” said Dr. Marc Boom, CEO and president of Houston Methodist Hospital, noting that the number of COVID-19 hospital admissions has tripled since Memorial Day to more than 1,400 across eight hospital systems in the Houston metropolitan area.
He warned that hospitals could be overwhelmed in three weeks, and he pleaded with people to cover their faces and practice social distancing.
“It is possible to open up at a judicious pace and coexist with the virus, but it requires millions and millions of people to do the right thing,” Boom said.
Mobile testings offered in Alton, Fairmont City today
Free COVID-19 testing is being offered in both Alton and Fairmont City Tuesday.
Testing will be offered at 5300 Collinsville Rd in Fairmont City from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and in Alton from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Club of Alton at 2512 Amelia Street. Testing will be offered in Fairmont City Thursday as well for residents of the village from 10 am to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the city’s community center, located at 4001 Cookson Road.
Madison County’s Mobile Testing United asks people to bring a photo ID and health insurance card if they have one. Both testing sites are free and require no appointment.
St. Clair County’s Health Department will hold mobile COVID-19 testing next week, Tuesday, June 30, at O’Fallon Family Sports Park at 301 Obernuefemann Road from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Southwestern Illinois coronavirus cases
Here are the latest available statistics from southwestern Illinois health departments as of Tuesday afternoon:
- St. Clair: 1,816 positives, 135 deaths, 13,650 tests administered, 12 pending results, 1,319 recoveries
- Madison: 816 positives, 67 deaths, 13,102 tests administered, 496 recoveries, 107 hospitalizations
- Randolph: 279 positives, seven deaths, 2,742 tests administered, no hospitalizations, 270 recoveries
- Clinton: 224 positives, 17 deaths, 2 hospitalizations, 160 recoveries
- Monroe: 109 positives, 12 deaths
- Macoupin: 47 positives, four deaths, 3,804 tests administered, 42 recoveries, no hospitalizations, no tests pending
- Perry: 44 positives, 40 recoveries
- Jersey: 33 positives, 1 death, 28 recoveries
- Washington: 19 positives, 19 recoveries
- Bond: 19 positives, one death, one hospitalization, six recoveries, 214 tests administered, one test pending
- Calhoun: One positive, one recovery
State, nation, world statistics
Here are the latest available statistics from the Illinois Department of Public Health and Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus map as of Monday afternoon:
- Illinois: 136,762 cases, 6,647 deaths
- U.S.: 2,281,069 cases, 119,977 deaths, 622,133 recoveries
- World: 8,979539 cases, 468,813 deaths, 4,448,964 recoveries
Want to help? Here are some ideas
The BND has compiled a list of ways you can help during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Go to BND. com to learn about the opportunities to volunteer your time or donate to help communities in the metro-east without putting yourself or others at risk.
You can sew face masks, read stories for people with vision loss and deliver meals to seniors.
If you know of a recognized charitable organization looking for help that isn’t listed, please tell us about it. Send an email to newsroom@bnd.com or fill out the BND’s Southwest Illinois Coronavirus Service and Assistance Guide online at BND.com.
Get the latest news on coronavirus
BND.com will keep you updated throughout the day with information about the spread of the coronavirus in southwestern Illinois.
You can also find the most complete and up-to-date information from government sites including:
State of Illinois’ COVID-19 page: coronavirus.illinois.gov
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/summary.html
Federal government’s coronavirus page: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Who to call about mental health
Here are some resources from mental health professionals for anyone struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Touchette Regional Hospital’s Mental Health Support and Resource Line: Call 618-482-7158 to talk to trained therapy staff.
- Illinois Human Services Mental Health Division’s Call4Calm: Text the word “talk” to 552020 to text with a mental health care professional for free.
- Centerstone of Illinois, Inc.: Call 618-462-2331 for virtual mental health services.
- Chestnut Health Systems: Call 618-877-4420 for virtual mental health services.
- Narcotics and Alcoholics Anonymous: Call 618-398-9409 or email metroeastnapr@gmail.com to learn about virtual meetings.
- Regional Disaster Mental Health Volunteer Response Team: Call a support line for health care professionals at 618-381-5173.
Contact BND with tips, concerns, suggestions
If you have suggestions about something for the BND to cover regarding the COVID-19 pandemic or if you see a report that sounds suspicious on social media or anywhere else, please drop us a note at newsroom@bnd.com and include a link. We’ll check it out.
We’d like to hear from health-care workers
The BND would like to speak with nurses, doctors and other health care professionals who are on the front lines caring for patients in doctor’s offices, clinics and hospitals during this difficult time. We’re interested in hearing about your challenges and rewards, frustrations and accomplishments. How is this affecting you? Send us an email at newsroom@bnd.com.
Willing to share your COVID-19 story?
Have you recovered from coronavirus or are you in the process of recovering from COVID-19? We would like to hear from you on how you dealt with the respiratory disease. Send us an email at newsroom@bnd.com.
This story was originally published June 23, 2020 at 8:19 AM with the headline "Tuesday live coronavirus updates: Fauci hopeful for a vaccine by late 2020, early 2021."