Hospital leaders have pleaded. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has warned.

Health officials have mandated, inspected and threatened fines.

And a statistical model developed by Harvard researchers predicts nearly 1,000 COVID deaths a day in Michigan by year’s end if we can’t change the arc of the virus.

But even as hospitalizations and deaths accelerate, will residents follow state pandemic restrictions — including limits on holiday gatherings — to help curb the spread of COVID-19?

The odds hardly seem promising.

Source: Michigan officials say no to big Thanksgiving gatherings. Who will listen? | Bridge Michigan

On Thanksgiving more than a century ago, many Americans were living under quarantines, and officials warned people to stay home for the holiday.

Source: COVID-19 and Thanksgiving: How we celebrated during 1918 flu pandemic

Eric Kumor’s been a nurse for 10 years.

But the last few weeks he finds himself having to gear up emotionally just to walk in the door to work.

“And within 30 minutes, like two of our nurses are already just in tears,” he says.

Source: Michigan hospital workers weary as public support fades, COVID cases rise | Bridge Michigan

Children now make up at least 1 in 11 of all reported U.S. coronavirus cases.

That’s according to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association. On Monday, the AAP said more than 1 million children have tested positive for the coronavirus in the United States.

“As a pediatrician who has practiced medicine for over three decades, I find this number staggering and tragic. We haven’t seen a virus flash through our communities in this way since before we had vaccines for measles and polio,” AAP President Sally Goza said in a statement.

Source: Over 1 Million Children Tested Positive For Coronavirus In The United States : Coronavirus Updates : NPR

With the coronavirus pandemic raging, schools closed, and our democracy in limbo, a holiday about gratitude may feel a little off.

“What can we possibly be thankful for in 2020?” When I posed that question to my kids, I got crickets.

Source: Reflections on what to be thankful for amid the COVID-19 pandemic: “I’m grateful for still being alive” – CBS News

(CNN)Lockdowns could be avoided if everyone followed health measures such as wearing masks, the World Health Organization’s top Europe official said at a Thursday news briefing.

WHO Europe’s Regional Director Hans Kluge stressed that lockdowns should be a “last resort,” and urged the public to follow guidance to

help to prevent deaths.
He said that if 95% of people wore masks, instead of the current 60%, “lockdowns would not be needed” — although he added that mask use was not a “panacea” and needed to be combined with other measures.

“If we all do our share, lockdowns are avoidable,” Kluge said.

Source: Lockdowns could be avoided if 95% of people wore masks, says WHO – CNN