Coronavirus Watch: Some hospitals overwhelmed going into Thanksgiving

As millions of people across the U.S. prepare to gather for Thanksgiving, some hospitals across the country are being overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases and staffing shortages.

A potentially weekslong closure of a New York emergency department Monday was sparked by a staffing shortage after unvaccinated health care workers were not allowed to continue work due to a state rule.

Officials in Denver said hospitals are filling up, with about 80% of those hospitalized for COVID-19 being unvaccinated, 9News reported. Hospitals in the cold Upper Midwest, especially Michigan and Minnesota, are also filled with COVID-19 patients who are mostly unvaccinated.

Ahead of the holiday, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, urged Americans to get vaccinated and receive booster shots, noting that infections among the unvaccinated continue to drive the pandemic. But she also shared a message of hope.

"I want to take a moment to reflect on where we were a year ago. I can remember waiting in great anticipation for the lifesaving vaccines we currently have at our fingertips," she said, adding, "I have heard from many families who are now able to reunite because of the protection from COVID-19 vaccines. There is certainly much to be thankful for this year."

It's Wednesday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's more news to know:

• Maryland announced it will distribute 500,000 at-home testing kits to local health departments across the state. Gov. Larry Hogan said the kits will give "Marylanders more options and more peace of mind as we head into the holiday season." While these quick tests are hailed as a major convenience and a smart way to protect loved ones, they’ve also raised a big challenge for public health officials.
• Dozens of Tennessee health care, higher education and consulting entities applied for an official exemption last week from the state’s new law that strictly curtails businesses from enacting COVID-19 restrictions.
• As cases continue to rise countries across in Europe, social distancing became mandatory again across the Netherlands on Wednesday.

Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 47.9 million COVID-19 cases and 773,900 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide, there have been more than 259 million cases and more than 5.1 million deaths. About 70% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 59% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Among U.S. adults, 82% have received at least one shot, and about 71% are fully vaccinated.

Tracking the pandemic: See the numbers in your area here. See where cases are rising here. See vaccination rates here. And here, compare vaccinations rates worldwide and see which countries are using which vaccines.

– Grace Hauck, Paste BN breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck