Dakotas Lead U.S. In Cases While Still Rejecting Masks

ACROSS AMERICA — Coronavirus infections in the Dakotas are growing faster than anywhere else in the nation, yet both states continue to pass on mask mandates.

Health experts warn that infections in both states must be contained before care systems are overwhelmed, according to an Associated Press report. North Dakota and South Dakota led the country in new cases per capita over the last two weeks, ranking first and second respectively, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers.

The states have also posted some of the country's highest positivity rates for COVID-19 tests in the last week — nearly 22 percent in North Dakota — an indication that there are more infections than tests are catching.

Infections have been spurred by schools and universities reopening and mass gatherings like the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which drew hundreds of thousands of people from across the country.

READ: Dakotas Lead In Virus Growth As Both Reject Mask Rules

Meanwhile, despite claims from the White House that the country has "turned the final corner" of the coronavirus pandemic, the nation's top infectious disease expert this week said Americans should not expect a return to regular life until well into 2021.

In an interview with “Andrea Mitchell Reports” on MSNBC, Dr. Anthony Fauci addressed a possible timeline for when indoor activities might be able to resume.

While a vaccine may be available by the end of the year, he said, “by the time you mobilize the distribution of the vaccinations, and you get the majority or more of the population vaccinated and protected, that’s likely not going to happen till the mid or end of 2021.”

Fauci's comments contradict those of President Donald Trump, who recently said the country had “rounded the final turn” on the virus.

Also, the pandemic has taken a harsh toll on the mental health of young Americans, according to a new poll that finds adults under 35 especially likely to report negative feelings or experience physical or emotional symptoms associated with stress and anxiety.

A majority of Americans ages 18 through 34 — 56 percent — say they have at least sometimes felt isolated in the past month, compared with about 4 in 10 older Americans, according to the latest COVID Response Tracking Study conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago.

Twenty-five percent of young adults rate their mental health as fair or poor, compared with 13 percent of older adults, while 56 percent of older adults say their mental health is excellent or very good, compared with just 39 percent of young adults.

As the pandemic presses on, young adults are navigating life transitions such as starting college and finding jobs, all without being able to experience normal social activities that are essential for people who are less likely to have already married and started their own families.

READ: Pandemic Takes Toll On Mental Health Of Young Adults: Poll

The number of daily U.S. deaths from the coronavirus is declining again after peaking in early August, but scientists warn that a new bout with the disease this fall could claim more lives.

About 700 Americans currently are dying of the virus each day. That’s down about 25 percent from two weeks ago but still not low enough to match the early July low of about 500 daily deaths, according to an AP analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Deaths first peaked on April 24 at an average of 2,240 each day as the disease romped through the dense cities of the Northeast. Then, over the summer, outbreaks in Texas, California and Florida drove daily deaths to a second surge, peaking at 1,138 on Aug. 1.

The arrival of cooler weather and the likelihood of more indoor gatherings will add to the importance of everyday safety precautions, experts told the Associated Press.

“We have to change the way we live until we have a vaccine,” said Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle.

In other words: Social distance. Wear a mask. Stay home. Wash your hands.

READ MORE: Daily U.S. Virus Deaths Decline, But Trend May Reverse In Fall

At least 1,224 new coronavirus deaths and 47,646 new cases were reported in the United States on Friday, according to a New York Times database. Over the past week, there have been an average of 35,028 cases per day, a decrease of 17 percent from the average two weeks earlier.

As of Saturday, 28 states and Puerto Rico remained above the positive testing rate recommended by the World Health Organization to safely reopen, down two from Friday. To safely reopen, the WHO recommends states remain at 5 percent or lower for at least 14 days.

More than 6.44 million people in the United States had tested positive for the coronavirus as of Saturday morning, and at least 193,000 have died, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Stay up to date on current coronavirus news via The New York Times or Washington Post.

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