The measures were driven by surging numbers of daily infections, rising hospitalizations and ominous spikes in the rate of COVID-19 diagnostic tests coming back positive. While hopeful a vaccine might soon become available for front-line medical professionals and the most vulnerable, public health experts worry a wintertime surge will overwhelm hospitals in much of the country. The third-largest city in the United States could see 1,000 more COVID-19 deaths by the end of 2020 unless residents modify their behavior, Lightfoot said. "We are in the worst part of this pandemic to date," Whitmer told a briefing. "Now we need to double down on the public health measures as we're waiting for the vaccine," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease specialist, told a forum hosted by the National Cathedral in Washington.
