America's top medic warned his country yesterday that the coronavirus will take a devastating toll in the coming days.
Dr Jerome Adams, the US Surgeon General, said the next two weeks will be the “hardest and saddest” of most Americans’ lives.
As the number of Covid-19 cases soared to 331,519 with 9,484 fatalities, he said: “This is going to be our Pearl Harbour moment, our 9/11 moment – only it’s not going to be localised, it’s going to be happening all over the country.”
Dr Adams was responding to governors, mainly Republicans, who have not ordered a lockdown.
So far Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota have no known lockdown orders in place, while Utah, Wyoming, Oklahoma and North Carolina do not have state-wide orders.
Eight of the nine states are run by Republican governors with North Carolina the only exception.
Dr Adams added: “If we want to flatten that curve and get through to the other side, everyone needs to do their part.
“If you can’t give us 30 days, governors, give us a week, give us what you can, so we don’t overwhelm our healthcare systems.”
As the death toll continues to soar tens of thousands of desperate women have been banned from having abortions, with several states classing the procedure as non-essential.
Furious abortion-rights groups say officials are exploiting the crisis in healthcare resources to advance their agenda to restrict terminations.
And they fear thousands of women, including young teenagers, will be forced to use “underground” clinics or travel hundreds of miles for care. The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology says abortions are “an essential component of comprehensive health care” that, by definition, cannot be delayed.
However, Mississippi and Ohio have put a stop to nearly all terminations – apart from those for a life-threatening medical condition.
Mississippi governor Tate Reeves threatened legal action if the state’s sole clinic, Jackson Women’s Health Organisation, defied his ban.
In Texas, a similar ruling makes clear any of its 35 or so facilities found in violation face maximum fines of $1,000, while staff could be jailed for up to 180 days.
Amy Hagstrom Miller, of Whole Woman’s Health, which runs three Texan clinics, blasted the order. She said: “[It is] forcing people to delay much-needed care and exacerbate health situations.
“Patients cannot wait until this pandemic is over to receive safe abortion care.”
All three states have long histories of trying to restrict abortion.
One desperate teen, who we are not naming, was driven by her mum and boyfriend to Alabama for an abortion. The college student told the Mirror: “I was 13 weeks gone. Another seven and I would be past the cut-off in Texas. We want to have a family when we have money to do so.”
The busiest of the state’s three clinics, West Alabama Women’s Center in Tuscaloosa, says it has seen a 35% surge in women wanting terminations since bans in other parts of the country.
Alabama lawmakers had planned to bring in one of the most restrictive laws in US history, criminalising the procedure in most cases, even where the woman is a victim of rape or incest.
The law, which had been scheduled for November 19 last year, was temporarily blocked by a federal judge.
Chad Jackson, from the West Alabama clinic, hit out at abortion bans for putting women’s health at risk.
He told the Mirror: “This move will force women into using underground abortion clinics.
“Women will resort to buying something offline. We have seen women try to throw themselves down stairs to try and terminate the pregnancy.”
Anti-abortion group Pro-life Tuscaloosa regularly targets the clinic, shouting religious sermons outside.
Protester Amanda Dealuz, a mum-of-two, insisted: “Abortion is murder.”
When asked about women made pregnant through rape or incest she said: “Why should an innocent child be killed through the sins of others.”
Mr Jackson said there had been an “uptick” in protesters but he would resist their attempts to force closure.
He said: “We want to provide a safe and legal abortion for women seeking one. That’s why we are fighting every day to keep our doors open.”
