[NFA] As total U.S. infections crossed the 11 million mark - just over a week after hitting 10 million - states and cities across the nation reimposed restrictions to stem the resurgent virus that is straining many healthcare systems. This report produced by Chris Dignam.
NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY: "It's not pretty today.
It's going to get a lot worse." Governors and local leaders across the country made impassioned pleas for Americans to follow health guidelines on Monday.
MINNESOTA GOVERNOR TIM WALZ: "We need to fight the virus, not each other." Many of them reimposing restrictions to slow the latest coronavirus surge... CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM: "More guidelines." ...as hospitals nationwide showed signs of strain.
MURPHY: "These are the cold facts: More and more people are fighting for their lives against COVID-19 as we sit here." In New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy announced stricter capacity restrictions for both indoor and outdoor gatherings.
PHILADELPHIA MAYOR JIM KENNEY: "We're in the very dangerous stage of the pandemic." While the city of Philadelphia will ban indoor gatherings altogether.
KENNEY: "The average number of reported positive cases of COVID-19 per day in Philadelphia has jumped at least 700 percent in less than two months.
Let me repeat that.
That's 700 percent in less than two months." Moving from the East to the Midwest, in Missouri, officials said hospitals in the state could run out of capacity in two weeks.
WALZ: "That we're fighting against proven mitigation efforts in public health against one another and letting the virus win is simply unacceptable." And in Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz urged residents to put politics aside and listen to health experts.
WALZ: "Wear your mask and stay healthy if for no other reason that'll keep you healthy to vote against me in two years, if that's what it takes.
Just keep yourself healthy." Farther west in California, Governor Gavin Newsom said he was pulling the emergency brake... NEWSOM: "We are now moving backwards, not forwards." ...ordering many non-essential businesses to close in 41 of the state's 58 counties.
NEWSOM: "The daily cases, though, in the state of California have doubled just in the last 10 days.
This is simply the fastest increase California has seen since the beginning of this pandemic." According to a Reuters tally of public health data, 40 U.S. states have reported record increases in virus cases in November, while 20 have seen a record rise in deaths.
MICHIGAN GOVERNOR GRETCHEN WHITMER: "As hard as those first months were for our state, these next few are going to be even harder." Several states, including Michigan, North Dakota and Washington, have already imposed new restrictions on public gatherings and indoor dining in recent days.
Meanwhile, talks on federal pandemic relief legislation have been stalled for months and show no signs of budging in Congress.