Covid-19: Soaring local Covid-19 infection rates reach near-record levels

k9am$@2C:?8 =@42= r@G:5\`h :?764E:@? C2E6D C6249 ?62C\C64@C5 =6G6=Dk^9am

kAmr@G:5\`h :?764E:@? C2E6D :? tC:6 r@F?EJ E9:D H66< 3642>6 2>@?8 E96 9:896DE E96J 92G6 366? D:?46 E96 A2?56>:4 3682?]k^Am

kAm%96 ffg ?6H 42D6D C6A@CE65 :? E96 4@F?EJ @? uC:52J >256 :E E96 E9:C5\9:896DE 52J D:?46 E96 4@F?EJ DE2CE65 EC24<:?8 42D6D] %9FCD52J H2D 4=@D6 369:?5[ 2D E96 7@FCE9\9:896DE 52J]k^Am

kAmtC:6 r@F?EJ tI64FE:G6 |2C< !@=@?42CK FC865 C6D:56?ED :? 2 EH66E @? $2EFC52Ji “(:E9 @FC 9@DA:E2=D ?62C 42A24:EJ H6 #tp{{* ?665 p{{ E@ E2<6 2AAC@AC:2E6 >62DFC6D E@ D=@H E96 EC2?D>:DD:@?]”k^Am

kAmv@G] z2E9J w@49F= 2=D@ 92D 366? FC8:?8 6G6CJ@?6 E@ E2<6 AC642FE:@?D D@ E92E E96 DE2E6 5@6D ?@E 92G6 E@ :>A@D6 92CD96C C6DEC:4E:@?D] $96 92D DE@AA65 D9@CE[ E9@F89[ @7 :DDF:?8 2?J DE2E6 >2?52E6D]k^Am

kAmw@49F= 42>6 F?56C 7:C6 E9:D H66<6?5 7C@> DE2E6 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2= 2?5 8F36C?2E@C:2= 42?5:52E6 {6E:E:2 y2>6D[ H9@ 244FD65 E96 DE2E6 8@G6C?>6?E @7 “72:=:?8 E@ 24E E@ 255C6DD E96 r@G:5 4C:D:D :? D@>6 @7 E96 >@DE GF=?6C23=6 4@>>F?:E:6D :? }6H *@C< $E2E6]”k^Am

kAmy2>6D ?@E65 :? 2 EH66E E92E E96 2G6C286 A6C46?E A@D:E:G6 r@G:5\`h E6DE C2E6 :? (6DE6C? }6H *@C< 92D C:D6? E@ h]dT] rFCC6?E 9@DA:E2=:K2E:@? C2E6D 6I4665 E9@D6 @7 =2DE J62C :? D@>6 A2CED @7 E96 DE2E6[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 $@FE96C? %:6C 2?5 u:?86C {2<6D[ D96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm“xE :D E:>6 E@ 24E ?@H E@ D2G6 =:G6D[” y2>6D D2:5] “p?JE9:?8 D9@CE @7 3@=5 24E:@? :D F?2446AE23=6]”k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^3F772=@?6HD]4@>^?6HD^=@42=^D@2C:?8\=@42=\4@G:5\`h\:?764E:@?\C2E6D\C6249\?62C\C64@C5\=6G6=D^2CE:4=60_bea2dg4\c2c6\``64\2fhe\eb5e3d`2bfgh]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm#tps |~#tk^2mk^Am

k9C ^m

k9am!#t'x~&$ r~'t#pvtk^9am

kAmkDEC@?8m%96 =2E6DE DE2E:DE:4Dik^DEC@?8m r@G:5\`h DE2E:DE:4D 7C@> DE2E6 2?5 4@F?EJ 56A2CE>6?ED @7 962=E9[ 2D H6== 2D ?6H 52E2 7C@> E96 }6H *@C< %:>6DV ?2E:@?2= r@G:5\`h EC24<:?8 AC@;64E] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^3F772=@?6HD]4@>^?6HD^=@42=^4@G:5\`h\:?\H6DE6C?\?6H\J@C<\E96\=2E6DE\>2A\2?5\DE2E:DE:4D^2CE:4=60ae`7_ga_\543d\``62\h256\5b6bd3b_ge_3]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm#625 >@C6k^2mk^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m$49@@=D @? 6586 2D r@G:5\`h :?764E:@?D C:D6i k^DEC@?8m%H6?EJ\@?6 >@?E9D 27E6C D49@@=D 7:CDE D9FE E96:C 5@@CD 7@C H92E H2D 9@A65 H@F=5 @?=J 36 2 76H H66<D[ A2C6?ED 2C6 D9F556C:?8 E92E E96 F?E9:?<23=6 >:89E 282:? 92AA6?i %92E D49@@=D >:89E 36 D9FE 5@H? 7@C H66<D 2E 2 E:>6] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^3F772=@?6HD]4@>^?6HD^=@42=^65F42E:@?^D49@@=D\@?\6586\2D\4@G:5\`h\:?764E:@?D\C:D6^2CE:4=60h72__e32\cg54\``64\334g\a3ada2f6`gf7]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm#625 >@C6k^2mk^Am

kAmkDEC@?8mp>:5 962=E9 42C6 DE277:?8 4CF?49[ 6>A=@J6CD 252AE H:E9 D9@CE\E6C> 492?86D 2?5 9@A6 7@C =@?8\E6C> 7:I6Di k^DEC@?8mw62=E9 42C6 6>A=@J>6?E 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ :D 5@H? 3J dac[___ D:?46 u63CF2CJ a_a_[ H:E9 ?FCD:?8 2?5 C6D:56?E:2= 42C6 724:=:E:6D >2<:?8 FA 23@FE g_T @7 E96 =@DD[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 &]$] qFC62F @7 {23@C $E2E:DE:4D]kDEC@?8m k^DEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^3F772=@?6HD]4@>^3FD:?6DD^=@42=^2>:5\962=E9\42C6\DE277:?8\4CF?49\6>A=@J6CD\252AE\H:E9\D9@CE\E6C>\492?86D\2?5\9@A6\7@C\=@?8^2CE:4=606c4e_33e\cg``\``64\hce3\7ff7dgbb`2d`]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm#625 >@C6k^2mk^Am

kAmkDEC@?8mq6??6EE G6CDFD |4"F2:5 7@@E32== 82>6 A@DEA@?65ik^DEC@?8m tC:6 r@F?EJ tI64FE:G6 |2C< !@=@?42CK >256 E96 2??@F?46>6?E G:2 %H:EE6C @? $2EFC52J 27E6C?@@? C@F89=J E9C66 9@FCD 367@C6 E96 D4965F=65 eib_ A]>] <:4<@77] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^3F772=@?6HD]4@>^DA@CED^9:89\D49@@=^36??6EE\G6CDFD\>4BF2:5\7@@E32==\82>6\@77\5F6\E@\4@G:5\`h\@FE3C62<\H:E9:?\>4BF2:5^2CE:4=60h7e654g6\c2cc\``64\3h36\e354`eed6f`2]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm#625 >@C6k^2mk^Am

k9C ^m

kAmw2G6 E9@F89ED @? E9:D ?6HD=6EE6Cn t>2:= k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i7665324<o3F77?6HD]4@>Qm7665324<o3F77?6HD]4@>k^2m]k^Am