The White House coronavirus task force warned states that the risk of coronavirus is at "a historic high" as it urged states and counties to "flatten the curve now in order to sustain the health system."
"The COVID risk to all Americans is at a historic high," the task force said in a weekly report to states dated Nov. 29 that was obtained by CNN.
"The national daily COVID incidence after Memorial Day, but before the summer surge, was fewer than 25,000 new cases/day and is now more than 180,000 new cases/day; COVID inpatients then were fewer than 30,000 but are now more than 90,000; fatalities have more than doubled," the task force warned in its report.
In the report, the task force said in many parts of the country, "state mitigation efforts remain inadequate." It said all states and counties must "flatten the curve now in order to sustain the health system for both COVID and non-COVID emergencies."
"We are in a very dangerous place due to the current, extremely high COVID baseline and limited hospital capacity; a further post-Thanksgiving surge will compromise COVID patient care, as well as medical care overall," the task force warned.
The task force urged public health officials to circumvent local and state policies, if necessary, to warn the public.
"If state and local policies do not reflect the seriousness of the current situation, all public health officials must alert the state population directly," the task force said, adding that it must be made clear to people over 65 or those with significant health conditions that they should "not enter any indoor public spaces where anyone is unmasked due to the immediate risk to your health."
The task force also urged people under 40 who gathered for Thanksgiving to assume they are infected and are a threat to the most vulnerable.
"If you are under 40, you need to assume you became infected during the Thanksgiving period if you gathered beyond your immediate household. Most likely, you will not have symptoms; however, you are dangerous to others and you must isolate away from anyone at increased risk for severe disease and get tested immediately," the task force warned.
It said anyone over 65 or with significant medical conditions who gathered outside their immediate household for Thanksgiving is at "a significant risk for serious COVID infection" and should be tested immediately upon developing any symptoms.
