COVID-19 Update, November 24, 2020: Make or Break Vaccines are coming, maybe sooner than we think, but the holiday season kicks off this week; will millions of travelers worsen an already dire pandemic? Are we looking at a decisive moment, for better or worse? Fasten those seatbelts and pray that people wear their masks. The latest: The number of people in the US hospitalized with COVID-19 hits 85,700, a new high: tinyurl.com/y359acsl. With pandemic fatigue and the desire for holiday gatherings in direct conflict with experts' pleas for cautions, Thanksgiving looms as a make-or-break moment in the pandemic: tinyurl.com/y4ykrpgr. Cities and states across the country scramble to control the spread of the coronavirus: tinyurl.com/y3arf8k5. Crowded airports reveal that millions of Americans are bent on traveling for the holiday: tinyurl.com/yx9vwzjb. Food for thought: How an early mutation in the coronavirus made the pandemic harder to stop: tinyurl.com/y24geerb. China and Russia advance their national causes through vaccine diplomacy: tinyurl.com/yyf5whpp. Surveys show an alarmingly low level of trust in vaccines in the Black and Latino communities: tinyurl.com/y6ct9o26. Contrary to what many think, a new study from the University of Utah finds that mask mandates boost the economy, largely because they make shoppers feel safer: tinyurl.com/y3btj9op. Around the country: In the District of Columbia: New restrictions are imposed on gatherings and restaurants: tinyurl.com/yyylstjl. In Florida: The states adds 6,331 confirmed cases of COVID-19; the death toll hits 18,000: tinyurl.com/y6cmjn24. In Maryland: The state records 1,667 new cases, the most since mid-June: tinyurl.com/yyt5gsds. Multiple members of the Baltimore Ravens test positive; the team's facility is closed and its Thanksgiving Day game against the Philadelphia Steelers is up in the air: tinyurl.com/y4zjrelh. In Massachusetts: The Massachusetts High Technology Council urges federal, state, and local governments to expand COVID-19 testing capacity: tinyurl.com/y5a3euus. Public school enrollment plummets in the state, thanks to the pandemic: tinyurl.com/y63qf89l. In Missouri: KU Hospital now has 100 COVID-19 patients. "Right now, we're on fire," said Steve Stites, chief medical officer. "There's only one way to put out that fire, and that's to follow the rules." tinyurl.com/y6fh42ue. In Nevada: The state adds another 2,300 COVID-19 cases: tinyurl.com/y4mqkkee. Most Clark County public buildings will close during the state's pandemic pause: tinyurl.com/y429gk4y. In New York: The city slaps a $15,000 fine on the Hasidic synagogue that held a wedding attended by thousands: tinyurl.com/y5msdjna. A Queens sex club is shut down for breaking coronavirus restrictions: tinyurl.com/y2qnh6nn. In Ohio: The state records 11,885 new cases, a pandemic high that may be due in part to a backlog issue: tinyurl.com/y2uu47d2. Several members of the NHL team the Columbus Blue Jackets test positive for COVID-19: tinyurl.com/yy3dnav7. In Virginia: The state records, 3,242 new COVID-19 cases, the highest number since the pandemic started; it is due in part to a backlog being accounted for: tinyurl.com/y2bvj4yk. In Australia: A revival of the musical Pippin signals the return of live theatre to Sydney: tinyurl.com/y2y7pedq. The forthcoming Sydney production of the musical Frozen gets authorization to play to an 85% capacity audience: tinyurl.com/y3tc8o66. In Italy: The Pope has some sharp words for anti-maskers: tinyurl.com/y3ggbt49. In Mexico: The country adds 9,000 COVID-19 cases on Sunday: tinyurl.com/yxmdjv7s. For your entertainment: The Metropolitan Opera streaming service focuses on family dramas this week: tinyurl.com/yxvshnky. For your pleasure: Cast members for the long-run hit musical Avenue Q, repurpose the show's closer "For Now," with an inspiring message for our time: tinyurl.com/y3265ofy. To receive your LSA copies at home (no charge), please email LSA@plasa.org or go to www.ezsubscription.com/lsa/mysubscription. Previous LSA COVID-19 Updates: plasa.me/lsacovid19resources. 
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