Officials across the U.S. are urging people to forgo their typical large-scale Thanksgiving plans this year and replace them with smaller gatherings or virtual celebrations as coronavirus cases spike nationwide.
The big picture: The U.S. on Thursday set another record, reporting more than 160,000 new COVID-19 cases, the first day over 150,000 since the pandemic began, per the New York Times. Officials worry the numbers will only continue to accelerate due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Many are celebrating a relatively low-key Diwali, the festival of lights, this year as coronavirus cases surge in many parts of the world.
Driving the news: Coronavirus restrictions and social distancing efforts have derailed the plans of many Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists who usually celebrate the festival by attending large gatherings.
Walmart is resuming its monitoring and counting of customers who enter their stores in an effort to promote social distancing, while major grocers including Publix, Wegmans, Giant and Kroger are reinstating purchase limits on some essential items, CNBC reports.
Austria will impose a nationwide lockdown on Tuesday, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Saturday, after a nighttime curfew and partial shutdown failed to control the country's surge in coronavirus cases.
Why it matters: Austria is experiencing an average of 7,000 new COVID-19 cases a day, Kurz tweeted on Saturday. The nation confirmed a record 9,586 new virus cases on Friday, per Reuters.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) issued a statewide mask mandate late Friday evening that will apply when individuals are inside businesses, indoor public spaces or outdoor spaces when social distancing is not sufficient.
Why it matters: North Dakota's coronavirus numbers per capita are soaring, with the state reporting over 1,800 new cases on Thursday and another 1,400 new cases on Friday. The state's hospitals are overloaded, as are its neighbor, South Dakota's. States nationwide are approaching or already in similar conundrums.
The first cruiseliner to return to the Caribbean since the coronavirus pandemic shut the industry down was forced to return to its home port of Barbados after passengers tested positive for COVID-19, the ship's owner, SeaDream Yacht Club, said Thursday.
Why it matters: Cruise ships were the sites of some of the most severe coronavirus outbreaks early in the pandemic, before the industry suspended operations in March.
The governors of Oregon and New Mexico issued two-week, partial lockdowns in their respective states on Friday.
Why it matters: The U.S. has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases over the last few weeks. Though officials have hesitated to reinstate the sweeping measures they enforced during the first wave, states are facing increased pressure as case numbers rise and hospital beds fill.
By the numbers: Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted on Friday that of the roughly 203,000 COVID-19 tests taken, 5,401 produced positive results. "Total hospitalizations are at 1,737," and the state saw 24 coronavirus-related deaths, per Cuomo.
The expansion in telehealth services to address the coronavirus pandemic needs to continue, Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said on Friday at a virtual Axios event.
Why it matters: COVID-19 has increased the need for access to care — as well as the risk of infection from traveling to a doctor's office for treatment. Telehealth has become a popular alternative for people seeking both mental and physical health care amid a shortage of providers across the country.
Ticketmaster's plan to ensure fan safety using a smartphone app could point to the future of air travel, according to SimpliFlying, an aviation consulting company.
Why it matters: People want to know they won't contract the coronavirus traveling on an airplane or attending a big event like a concert.
More than 130 Secret Service officers are quarantining due to positive coronavirus tests or exposure to a co-worker who has tested positive, the Washington Post reports.
Why it matters: Officials told the Post that they believe the cases at least partly stem from President Trump's run of campaign rallies before Election Day. The number of officers forced off-duty — roughly 10% of its core security team — could stress the Secret Service at large, forcing overtime and missed days off to make up for the strain.
Measles is resurgent around the world, and the coronavirus pandemic could make it even worse.
The state of play: More than 200,000 people died from measles last year — an increase of more than 60% since 2000, according to a new report from the CDC and the World Health Organization.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito last night criticized some of the restrictions state and local leaders have imposed during the pandemic, saying they may violate the First Amendment and casting them as part of a long, dark turn toward lawmaking through "executive fiat."
What he's saying: "Think of all the live events that would otherwise be protected by the freedom of speech ... think of worship services ... think about access to the courts or access to a speedy trial," Alito said in a speech to the conservative Federalist Society.
Recovering from the coronavirus does not necessarily mean you'll bounce back to your old, pre-infection self: Most people who survived a severe infection were still dealing with some combination of physical, emotional and financial pain weeks later.
Driving the news: That's the conclusion from researchers who tracked more than 1,600 people who were hospitalized for coronavirus infections in Michigan. Their findings were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
