Although the coronavirus's spreading around the country continues, some testing centers and communications are closing down on holiday this July 4. However, health experts are concerned about a sudden urge that will even worsen the scenario, Forbes reported.
This Saturday, the United States is celebrating Fourth of July or Independence Day for the first time in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is one of the major holidays to be celebrated amidst the coronavirus, the other one being New Year's Day since the beginning of this health crisis on December 31st, 2019.
Boston Medical Center's infectious disease specialist Dr. Joshua Barocas said, "It's set up a perfect storm-the combination of travel, the combination of reopening, perhaps in some cases too early, and the combination of people not necessarily following some of these preventive guidelines."
The statement was during a Wednesday briefing organized by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
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'Perfect storm'
The cases in the United States are continuous. As of press time, there are now approximately 2.7 million cases, a percentage of more than 10 million confirmed infections worldwide, with 130,000 deaths and 844,000 recoveries in the country.
July Fourth is a holiday that commemorates the Declaration of Independence of the U.S. in 1776. This annual mid-year holiday usually includes public gatherings, mall sales, firework displays, live performances on stage, and more. But with the COVID-19 pandemic, the singing, and the dancing may well be brought via Zoom and other video conferencing platforms.
While many shows will be canceled, here are the celebrations that will push through.
The National Park Service will offer tours to national monuments, including a 360-degree tour of the Statue of Liberty and Philadelphia's Independence Hall, but entirely virtual.
There will be fireworks displays at sports stadiums, but social distancing will strictly be followed. For instance, the SeatGeek stadium in Bridgeview is having their fireworks show a little earlier at 9:15 p.m. on July 3, Friday.
The Great Lawn at Millennium Park is open, and social distancing will be followed.
In Washington D.C., President Donald Trump is promoting a huge celebration with large crowds expected at the National Mall and nearby areas, ABC News reported.
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Big challenges
Health officials are urging the public to limit their participation, and it is best to stay at home during the holiday this weekend.
"I'm very concerned, especially given this coming weekend, that the same types of spikes, the same types of surges could be seen - not just in the places that are currently experiencing surges, but in places that have already experienced surges and in ones that haven't yet," Dr. Barocas added.
Adm. Brett Giroir, the federal coronavirus testing coordinator, meanwhile pointed out that no "flattening of the curve" is happening right now since the infections are continuously rising.
