Category: Corona Virus

Juan Williams, a veteran Fox News personality who co-hosts the popular afternoon talk show The Five, tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday and is isolating himself, two people who were briefed on his condition said.

Mr. Williams taped a live episode of The Five on Wednesday afternoon at Fox Newss Midtown Manhattan headquarters, appearing on the set with several of his co-hosts, including the popular conservative commentators Jesse Watters and Greg Gutfeld. The hosts, like guests on some other cable talk shows during the pandemic, sat about seven feet apart.

Mr. Williams left for vacation on Nov. 18 and returned to the Fox News studios on Monday; he was tested for the coronavirus shortly thereafter. The people familiar with his condition, who requested anonymity to share private discussions, said he received a positive result on Thursday afternoon.

He was absent from Thursdays 5 p.m. episode of The Five, in which the other hosts appeared remotely.

Fox News declined to comment about Mr. Williamss condition, citing employee privacy. But the network said in a statement that the hosts of The Five would broadcast from home studios for the foreseeable future.

We will continue to take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our staff, the statement said. It noted that the network regularly tested its on-air personalities and had mask mandates and daily health checks for all employees who entered its headquarters.

On a talk show where the opinions skew Trumpward, Mr. Williams is the liberal-leaning outlier who has often criticized President Trumps handling of, among other matters, the coronavirus pandemic. On Wednesdays program, Mr. Williams called Mr. Watters shameful for advancing Mr. Trumps debunked theories about election fraud. (Juan sounds nervous, Mr. Watters riposted.)

In September, The Five was one of the most prominent television panel shows to return to in-studio broadcasts after an extended period when the hosts worked from home. (The shows usual large desk was replaced with separate stools for the hosts.) Several stars of The View on ABC, for instance, continue to work remotely. The Talk, a panel show on CBS, also returned to the studio in September.

Mr. Williams was among a group of Fox News stars and executives who were potentially exposed to the virus at the first presidential debate in September in Cleveland, where Mr. Trump appeared onstage days before announcing he had contracted the virus.

Mr. Williams was exposed again in October after traveling back from the second presidential debate, in Nashville, with a Fox News employee who later tested positive for the virus.

At the time, the chief executive of Fox News Media, Suzanne Scott, told employees in a memo that the network would limit the number of staff members working in its Manhattan office.

Since returning from his vacation on Monday, Mr. Williams had also appeared on-set with his regular Five co-host Dana Perino and several guest panelists, including the anchors Sandra Smith and Dagen McDowell and the conservative pundit Katie Pavlich.

Other television news personalities who have tested positive for the virus include Brooke Baldwin and Chris Cuomo of CNN, Lesley Stahl of CBS, and George Stephanopoulos of ABC News. They have since recovered.

Ben Smith contributed reporting.

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Fox News Host Juan Williams is Said to Test Positive for Coronavirus - The New York Times

PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) South Dakota surpassed 1,000 deaths due to the coronavirus as 38 new COVID-19 deaths were reported in Thursdays update from the South Dakota Department of Health.

The death toll is now at 1,033. There have been 87 deaths reported in December. The new deaths were 19 men and 19 women with one listed in the 20-29 age range, one in the 40-49 age range, five in the 60-69 age range, six in the 70-79 age range and 25 people listed in the 80+ age range.

New deaths were reported in the following counties: Beadle (2), Brown (2), Bon Homme (1), Brookings (2), Buffalo (1), Butte (1), Codington (2), Douglas (1), Gregory (1), Hamlin (8), Hutchinson (1), Kingsbury (1), Lake (1), Meade (1), Minnehaha (4), Oglala Lakota (1), Potter (1), Sanborn (1), Spink (1), Todd (1), Tripp (1), Turner (2) and Yankton (1).

On Thursday, 1,145 new coronavirus cases were announced bringing the states total case count to 83,348, up from Wednesday (82,203). Total recovered cases are now at 66,841, up from Wednesday (66,351).

Active cases went up to 15,474 from Wednesday (14,857).

Current hospitalizations are at 538, up from Wednesday (531). Total hospitalizations are at 4,696, up from Wednesday (4,626).

Total persons tested negative is now at 251,349, up from Wednesday (250,337).

There were 2,157 new persons tested reported on Thursday. Thursdays new person tested positivity rate is 53%.

The latest 7-day all test positivity rate, reported by the DOH, is 13.8%. The DOH calculates that based on the results of the PCR test results but doesnt release total numbers for how many PCR tests are done daily.

Only six of South Dakotas 66 counties are not listed as having substantial community spread.

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COVID-19 in South Dakota: 1,145 total new cases; Death toll rises to 1,033; Active cases at 15,474 - KELOLAND.com

Avid snowboarder Jenny Leveilledoesn't plan to rely on ski resorts' indoor facilities this season. This decision, she believes, will giveher a possible advantage when it comes to coronavirus and swirling concerns over indoor exposure.

Leveille, who'll be heading to the mountains out West after Thanksgiving in Michigan, plans to return to her van -- which includes a bathroom -- when she needs a break for fuel or relief.

Ski season is underway, and changes are afoot.In Europe, Germany, hard hit by Covid-19, is aiming for a coordinated European Union approach to keeping ski resorts shut inAlpine countriesfor the holiday season in order tolimit the spread of coronavirus. However, reaching an agreement with neighboring Austria is proving challenging, German Chancellor Angela Merkel indicated last Thursday.

Meanwhile, some slopes have opened in Switzerland, which is not an EU member. The "future for the upcoming winter season looks bright," Mayor of Zermatt Romy Biner-Hauser told CNN on Thursday.

With its wide-open spaces, stashes of powder and even covering up to brave the elements, skiing might seem like the perfect pandemic sport -- if the proper precautions are taken.

A face mask, a standard part of the skier's uniform, is a requirement this year. Resorts are implementing mask mandates except while guests areactively eating and drinking. Ski destinations are also limiting indoor capacity, adding outdoor capacity, adding hand-sanitizing stations on chair lift lines and reconfiguring how chair lifts are filled.

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Coronavirus update: Latest news from around the world - CNN

Another three Mainers have died as health officials on Monday reported 250 new coronavirus cases across the state.

Mondays report brings the total number of coronavirus cases in Maine to 11,757. Of those, 10,487 have been confirmed positive, while 1,270 were classified as probable cases, the Maine CDC reported.

The agency revised Sundays cumulative total to 11,507, down from 11,508, meaning there was a net increase of 249 over the previous days report, state data show. As the Maine CDC continues to investigate previously reported cases, some are determined to have not been the coronavirus, or coronavirus cases not involving Mainers. Those are removed from the states cumulative total. The Bangor Daily News reports on the number of new cases reported to the Maine CDC in the previous 24 hours, rather than the increase of daily cumulative cases.

New cases were reported in Androscoggin (64), Aroostook (1), Cumberland (57), Franklin (3), Hancock (5), Kennebec (29), Knox (3), Lincoln (1), Oxford (9), Penobscot (10), Sagadahoc (4), Somerset (6), Waldo (1) and York (54) counties, state data show. Information about where three additional cases were reported wasnt immediately available.

Only two counties Piscataquis and Washington reported no new cases.

The seven-day average for new coronavirus cases is 174.1, up from 165.1 a day ago, down from 207.3 a week ago and up from 73.6 a month ago.

Two women in their 80s from Penobscot County and a woman in her 80s from Somerset County have succumbed to the virus, bringing the statewide death toll to 194. Nearly all deaths have been in Mainers over age 60.

Mondays report marked the sixth time in the past 10 days when new coronavirus cases surpassed 200. That comes as Maine has seen coronavirus cases surge to unprecedented levels over the past month, hitting highs not seen in the earliest weeks of the pandemic.

Health officials have warned Mainers that forceful and widespread community transmission is being seen throughout the state. Every county is seeing high community transmission, which the Maine CDC defines as a case rate of 16 or more cases per 10,000 people.

There are two criteria for establishing community transmission: at least 10 confirmed cases and that at least 25 percent of those are not connected to either known cases or travel.

There are now 121 known cases of coronavirus among more than 30,000 University of Maine System students, faculty and staff, according to UMS spokesperson Dan Demeritt.

There are 110 cases at the University of Maine six new cases involve non-residential students; Two cases at University of Maine at Augusta; Four cases at University of Maine Farmington; One case at University of Maine at Presque Isle one new case involving a non-residential student; and four cases at University of Southern Maine one new case involving a non-residential student.

The only schools in the UMS with no active cases of coronavirus are University of Maine at Fort Kent, University of Maine at Machias, University of Maine Law School.

So far, 699 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point with COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. Of those, 139 people are currently hospitalized, with 48 in critical care and 22 on ventilators.

Meanwhile, 146 more people have recovered from the coronavirus, bringing total recoveries to 9,098. That means there are 2,465 active confirmed and probable cases in the state, which is up from 2,365 on Sunday.

A majority of the cases 7,012 have been in Mainers under age 50, while more cases have been reported in women than men, according to the Maine CDC.

As of Monday, there have been 847,706 negative test results out of 908,538 overall. Nearly 1.7 percent of all tests have come back positive, Maine CDC data show.

The coronavirus has hit hardest in Cumberland County, where 3,824 cases have been reported and where the bulk of virus deaths 71 have been concentrated. Other cases have been reported in Androscoggin (1,560), Aroostook (138), Franklin (215), Hancock (248), Kennebec (796), Knox (205), Lincoln (156), Oxford (340), Penobscot (866), Piscataquis (42), Sagadahoc (153), Somerset (451), Waldo (229), Washington (191) and York (2,338) counties. Information about where an additional five cases were reported wasnt immediately available.

As of Monday morning, the coronavirus had sickened 13,393,166 people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as caused 266,932 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.

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3 more Mainers die as another 250 coronavirus cases are reported across the state - Bangor Daily News

CHICAGO Coronavirus killed at least 165 people over the weekend, the state reported.

Among the most recent victims were 108 people in Cook County, including a woman in her 30s and a man in his 40s. At least 12,193 people have died from COVID-19 in Illinois, and another 689 deaths are considered to be probably related to coronavirus.

The state also reported 15,051 confirmed cases since Friday. That brings the total number of confirmed cases in Illinois up to 720,114.

To prevent more deaths and to slow down the virus and hopefully avert a full stay at home order the entire state is under Tier 3 restrictions. The rules close museums, casinos and theaters; cut capacity at stores; stop indoor sports and put stricter rules in place at gyms and salons, among other things.

RELATED:Chicago-Area Health Care Workers Completely Burned Out As Hospitalizations Soar With No End In Sight

Chicago is under a stay at home advisory. People are being asked to stay home as much as possible, leaving only for essential things like grocery shopping; to work from home if possible; to stop gathering with anyone outside their household; and to stop traveling.

People should also wear masks and wash their hands regularly, officials have said.

The surge in new cases in Chicago and across Illinois can only partially be explained by increased testing; in reality, there are more cases because coronavirus is spreading so much, officials have said. Theres evidence of that in the way positivity rates and COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations have rapidly risen in recent weeks.

Illinois seven-day positivity rate was at 10.1 percent Sunday with 62,740 tests reported. It was at 10.1 percent Friday. The figure represents total confirmed cases divided by total tests.

Illinois seven-day test positivity, which measures how many tests were positive out of total tests, was at 12.1 percent Sunday. It was at 12.2 percent Friday.

As of Saturday night, 5,858 people were hospitalized with coronavirus in Illinois, including 1,185 people in the ICU and 723 people using ventilators.

In Chicago, 41 deaths and 2,398 confirmed cases were reported since Friday. There have been at least 3,413 deaths from COVID-19 in Chicago and 160,802 confirmed cases, according to state data.

An average of 1,803 confirmed cases are being reported per day, a 15 percent decrease from the prior week. The citys seven-day positivity rate is at 11.7 percent, down from 13.8 percent the week before.

The city is seeing an average of 15 deaths per day, unchanged from the average number of people per day who were dying a week prior.

Block Club Chicagos coronavirus coverage is free for all readers. Block Club is an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom.

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Coronavirus Kills 165 Illinoisans Over Weekend And 15051 Cases Reported - Block Club Chicago

That's the top percentage for any issue, and it follows months of polling from Gallup showing that Americans think the coronavirus is the most important problem facing the country. What's the point: President Donald Trump claimed that the media would stop noticing the coronavirus once the election was over. That simply hasn't been the case. While we have made strides on the development of a vaccine, the coronavirus situation is growing worse, as cases surge and the total death toll rises to more than 260,000 Americans.

The ongoing pandemic means that Biden will have a tough job ahead of him as he begins his presidency in less than two months. Biden's difficult task isn't just about the coronavirus cases, but about everything that is connected to it, including the economy and the mental health of Americans.

All of these statistics are terrible, and they may get considerably worse.

Furthermore, Biden will have to help ensure that Americans actually take the vaccine. While I have argued that the numbers are encouraging on that front, there's still work that needs to be done for people to trust the vaccine.

Indeed, the economy remains a top problem for Americans. In the Monmouth poll, nearly as many Americans said the economy was either first or second biggest issue facing Biden at 36% as said the coronavirus was the first or second most important issue at 42%.

No other issue when combining first and second gets above 20% for the biggest issue facing Biden.

Now, almost everybody agrees that a coronavirus pandemic relief package must be passed by Congress and signed into law by Biden to help the economy. Yet it's not as easy as it might seem.

No doubt the financial troubles and worries have played a role in the mental health of Americans.

Likewise, the emotional well-being of Americans has slid. In every week since March, more Americans have indicated that their emotional well-being has gotten than have said it has gotten better.

The potentially good news is that implementing plans to fight the coronavirus pandemic will help with all of these issues. And with a new administration and a vaccine coming to the forefront, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It'll take a lot of hard work to get there, though.

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How the coronavirus is really the only issue that matters - CNN

The US continued to report more than 100,000 new coronavirus cases a day over the holiday weekend, as experts warned that widespread Thanksgiving travel could fuel a surge in coming weeks.

In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo warned of a problem in the hospitals a serious situation, and appealed for retired physicians to return to the frontlines.

The number of new cases reported in the US topped 200,000 for the first time on Friday, according to Johns Hopkins University. Since January, when the first US infections were reported, more than 13m cases have been recorded and more than 265,000 people have died.

There was some good news on Monday, as Moderna said it would apply for US authorisation to use its coronavirus vaccine. The company announced final results from its trial, which it said confirmed 94% efficacy.

Modernas data will be weighed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 17 December. The company said it expected to have doses for 10 million people ready for the US by the end of December. Pfizer and BioNTech submitted an application for emergency use on 20 November.

The news came as the number of hospitalisations in the US reached a record high. According to the Covid Tracking Project, 93,238 patients were in hospital on Sunday, a steady climb from 47,531 at the start of November, straining workers and resources as winter approaches.

Hospital capacity is the top concern, Cuomo told reporters on Monday, after ordering all elective surgeries to cease in one county and urging hospitals statewide to ready plans to increase capacity by 50% or set up field hospitals.

In Rhode Island, hospitals reached Covid-19 capacity on Monday, the same day a two-week pause meant to control the rise in new cases took effect. A state alert to phones read: Hospitals at capacity due to Covid. Help the front line by staying home as much as possible for the next two weeks.

Under restrictions announced earlier in November by the Democratic governor, Gina Raimondo, some businesses will be required to shut down for two weeks while others are restricted.

Recreational businesses including bowling alleys, theaters and casinos, as well as indoor sporting facilities and gyms, must close. Bars and bar areas in restaurants are also required to close, while restaurants are limited to 33% indoor capacity. Residents are also asked to close their social circles to only people in their own household.

This will not be easy but I am pleading with you to take it seriously, Raimondo said. Choosing to gather with those outside your household will have ripple effects that will increase the strain on our hospitals and put lives at risk.

Raimondo did not rule out another shutdown.

In New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy said he was re-tightening the limit on outdoor gatherings to 25 people, effective 7 December, with exceptions for funerals, memorials, weddings, religious and political activities such as protests. Murphy also said all indoor youth and adult sports will be put on hold from 5 December to 2 January, also with exemptions.

As you start to make your holiday plans, please recognise that the gathering limits are back to what they were in May and June when we all came together and crushed the curve as much as any state in the nation, the Democrat wrote on Twitter, looking ahead to Christmas. Keep gatherings as small as possible.

In South Dakota, a Republican-run state which has seen surging case numbers, the Rapid City council was set to consider a mask mandate. One ordinance would require face coverings in certain situations but would have no penalties for violators. It also includes exemptions, including young children, law enforcement and religious services.

The Republican governor, Kristi Noem, opposes mask mandates or other interventions. Cities across the state have passed their own mask requirements. State health officials on Sunday reported 700 new cases with 544 hospitalised.

Counties across California have enacted stricter restrictions after the state broke a record with more than 7,700 hospitalisations. With 59% of all hospital beds in use within the states healthcare system, total hospitalisations have increased by 89%, said Gavin Newsom, Californias governor, who is in quarantine after three of his children came in contact with a California highway patrol officer who tested positive for coronavirus. Public health officials project that without any intervention, hospitalisations could increase to 78% by Christmas Eve.

The state is averaging 14,657 cases a day. During the peak of the pandemic in July, California reported a seven-day average of just 9,881 cases a day.

Los Angeles county, the most populous in the US, has asked its 10 million residents to stay home as much as possible. San Francisco and San Mateo counties moved to the most restrictive tier in the states pandemic blueprint, forcing most indoor activities to close and putting residents under curfew from Monday.

Despite dire warnings from authorities including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), millions traveled over the weekend, as Thanksgiving drew to a close. Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that could cause a spike in cases and warned that the level of infection in the US would not all of a sudden turn around.

What we expect, unfortunately, as we go for the next couple of weeks into December, is that we might see a surge superimposed on the surge we are already in, Fauci told NBC on Sunday.

Fauci said it was not too late for people to help curb the virus by wearing masks, staying distant from others and avoiding large groups.

Between 800,000 and more than a million travelers made their way through US airport checkpoints each day in the past week, according to the Transportation Security Administration, as airports recorded their highest travel numbers since the pandemic began.

Wednesday was the busiest such day since mid-March, with 1,070,967 clearing airport security, the Washington Post reported. In the early days of the pandemic, daily totals fell below 100,000.

The impact of mass travel and Thanksgiving gatherings could mean a flood of new cases just before Christmas.

When you look at people who are hospitalised today, they were infected two weeks ago, maybe more, Dr Jonathan Reiner, a professor of medicine at George Washington University, told CNN. And then it takes usually another week for folks to succumb to the illness.

Vivian Ho contributed reporting

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Experts warn of coronavirus surge after widespread Thanksgiving travel - The Guardian

1. How COVID-19 is affecting the globe

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have now passed 62.7 million globally, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. The number of confirmed deaths stands at more than 1.45 million.

Germans must do more to reduce their contacts to help slow the spread of the disease, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told Deutschlandfunk.

Doctors in Singapore are studying the impact of COVID-19 on unborn babies. An infant delivered by an infected mother earlier this month had antibodies against the virus but did not carry the disease.

Factory activity in China expanded at the fastest pace in more than three years in November. Growth in the services sector also hit a multi-year high, as the economy's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic continued.

Turkey's COVID-19 death toll hit a record high for a seventh straight day yesterday, with 185 deaths reported.

Restaurants and non-essential shops will reopen on Thursday in the Czech Republic. Customers will be limited to allow for social distancing.

Indonesia has reported a record daily rise in COVID-19 infections, with 6,267 cases reported yesterday.

Indonesia has reported more than 500,000 cases overall.

Image: Our World in Data

South Korea has announced new restrictions as coronavirus infections spread at their fastest rate in nearly 9 months. Year-end parties are banned, as are some music lessons. Public saunas and some cafes have also been told to close.

A local association in Naples is offering residents the opportunity to take a rapid test for COVID-19, while paying for another test for an anonymous fellow citizen. It mimics a tradition where residents pay for two coffees, so someone in need can enjoy theirs for free.

2. WHO warning on malaria

Malaria deaths will far exceed those killed by COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa, the World Health Organization has warned.

More than 409,000 people globally were killed by malaria last year - the majority babies in the poorest parts of Africa. That figure is set to rise as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts services designed to tackle the mosquito-borne disease.

Cases and deaths are highest in Africa.

Image: WHO

Our estimates are that depending on the level of service disruption (due to COVID-19) ... there could be an excess of malaria deaths of somewhere between 20,000 and 100,000 in sub-Saharan Africa, most of them in young children, said Pedro Alsonso, director of the WHOs malaria programme.

Its very likely that excess malaria mortality is larger than the direct COVID mortality.

The COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship is a coalition of 82 global leaders, hosted by the World Economic Forum and supported by GHR Foundation and Porticus. Its mission: Join hands in support of social entrepreneurs everywhere as vital first responders to the pandemic and as pioneers of a green, inclusive economic reality.

Its COVID Social Enterprise Action Agenda, outlines 25 concrete recommendations for key stakeholder groups, including funders and philanthropists, investors, government institutions, support organizations, and corporations. These corporations are called on to stand with social entrepreneurs within their supply chains and the broader ecosystem, fulfil their agreements and extend their support to build a more inclusive & resilient economy and to:

For more information see the full action agenda here.

3. New York public schools to reopen

New York's public schools will begin to reopen for in-person learning next week. The reopening will start with elementary schools for students whose parents agree to a weekly testing regimen for COVID-19, Mayor Bill de Blasio said yesterday.

New York has the United States' largest school system, but schools were closed less than two weeks ago after the citywide rate of positive tests exceeded 3% - a benchmark agreed between the mayor and the teachers' union.

Its a new approach because we have so much proof now of how safe schools can be, de Blasio told reporters, saying the 3% benchmark was being scrapped and pointing to research that shows young children appear to be less vulnerable to COVID-19.

The city's rolling seven-day average of positive tests stood at 3.9% yesterday.

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COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 30 November - World Economic Forum

People wait in line at a TSA security checkpoint at Orlando International Airport the day before Thanksgiving. Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images hide caption

People wait in line at a TSA security checkpoint at Orlando International Airport the day before Thanksgiving.

Millions of Americans traveled for Thanksgiving despite pleas not to do so from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House Coronavirus Task Force says if you're one of them, assume you're infected, get tested and do not go near your friends or family members without a mask on.

Because COVID-19 is a largely invisible threat, our brains struggle to comprehend it as dangerous. Dr. Gaurav Suri, a neuroscientist at San Francisco State University, explains how habits can help make the risks of the virus less abstract.

Emergency room doctor Leane Wen discusses why it's tempting to make unsafe tradeoffs in day-to-day activities and how to better "budget" our risks.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

This episode was produced by Brianna Scott, Art Silverman and Lee Hale. It was edited by Connor Donevan with help from Christopher Intagliata and Wynne Davis. Our executive producer is Cara Tallo.

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How We Assess Risks With An Invisible Threat Like The Coronavirus : Consider This from NPR - NPR

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) With Thanksgiving now in the rearview mirror, medical experts are warning another coronavirus surge could be on the horizon.

The warning comes as a record number of travelers hit the road for the holiday at the time infection rates were already skyrocketing

Despite warnings from the CDC, millions of Americans still traveled this Thanksgiving holiday. More than 1.1 million people passed through TSA on Sunday, the highest daily number since the pandemic began in March.

(Photo Credit: KDKA)

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told Meet the Press, What we expect, unfortunately, as we go for the next couple of weeks into December, that we might see a surge superimposed upon that surge we are already in.

Dr. Deborah Birx emphasized the importance of testing, telling Face the Nation on Sunday, Were really asking governors and mayors to make testing more available, so we can prevent people having to be hospitalized. But obviously, were deeply worried. Were over 90,000 inpatients right now.

In Pennsylvania, anyone who leaves the state is required to quarantine for 14 days unless they test negative for COVID-19. But local doctors say when you get the test matters, too.

Dr. Richard Zimmerman, a professor of family medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, said, A serial interval is the time one person gives it to another. In the context of households, that has typically been about a week. And I give that information to help people realize when theyre most at risk.

In regards to testing, Allegheny Health Networks Dr. Nathan Shively said, That should not be over-reassurance that they couldnt develop symptoms or they couldnt develop a positive test.

Medical experts also encourage holiday travelers to tell their employers immediately before returning to work. And with the holiday season just beginning, some doctors fear that travel and gatherings could have a sobering impact, not only on hospitalizations, but staffing to care for those patients.

Its certainly a concern that the strain on our health care system will only increase as time moves on, said Shively.

Medical experts say they will not know for two weeks just how big the impact of Thanksgiving travel was on our case numbers.

Allegheny County Health Department Director Dr. Debra Bogen released the following statement on Monday:

Thank you to everyone who changed their plans this weekend and celebrated safely.

I know many people decided to travel over Thanksgiving weekend or spent time with people who dont live with them, in the face of stern advisories from myself and Dr. Levine. I hope you took precautions to stay as safe as possible like wearing masks, keeping at least 6 feet apart and staying outside despite making the risky decision to gather with others. Please monitor yourself for symptoms of COVID-19 over the coming days. Seek testing if you start to feel ill and avoid all others while you recover.

I expect to see a rise in new cases of COVID-19 from Thanksgiving and remained concerned that if our cases continue to rise at this rate, it will strain the capacity and staff of our regions hospitals.

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Medical Experts Warn Of Possible Post-Thanksgiving Coronavirus Surge After Record Number Of Traveling - CBS Pittsburgh