Local governments and health authorities are expecting an influx of new cases in the U.S. as residents return home from Thanksgiving.
Several states have imposed new coronavirus measures in preparation after Americans refused to heed warnings of avoiding crowds and gatherings during the long weekend.
Los Angeles County said that it will be imposing a stay-at-home order starting this week. Neighboring counties have also announced similar precautions with Santa Clara County imposing mandatory quarantine for those who had traveled more than 150 miles.
Hawaii is also imposing mandatory 14-day quarantines for trans-Pacific travelers that cannot present a negative COVID-19 test. Even those with negative tests will be randomly tested upon arrival. Several states have also temporarily closed down schools and banned sports activity as a precautionary measure to avoid the spread of new clusters.
"The red flags are flying in terms of the trajectory in our projections of growth. If these trends continue, we're going to have to take much more dramatic, arguably drastic, action," California Governor Gavin Newsom said.
The decision to reimpose strict coronavirus measures comes as 1.2 million Americans returned from their trips over the weekend. The number of people arriving at U.S. airports was the most recorded since the pandemic began in March.
Health officials have warned travelers to watch out for any signs of illness and to get tested immediately if they experience any coronavirus symptoms. Some families who have returned from Thanksgiving gatherings have already tested positive.
Dr. Anthony Fauci mentioned in an interview that the country could experience another surge in infections as a result of Thanksgiving gatherings. He said that everyone that had traveled should automatically assume that they were exposed and immediately self-isolate.
More than 274,000 people have so far died in the U.S. because of the virus. The country also now has close to 14 million confirmed cases with an average of 160,000 new cases and 1,400 deaths per day. As of Sunday, health officials said that a record 90,000 people positive for the disease are being confined inside hospitals around the country.
