Hospitals and testing labs are once again under intense pressure amid rising coronavirus cases, even as positive vaccine news offers hope for an end to the pandemic.

The U.S. remains a global hotspot, though health systems now have many more tools at their disposal as well as a better understanding of which treatment protocols to use for COVID-19 patients.

Positivity cases in South Dakota and Wyoming remain above 50%, indicating that much more testing is required to help identify where and how transmission continues to occur and what strategies to implement as a result. Some states and cities have unveiled a series of restrictions, curfews and limited capacities, but there remains no uniform national strategy.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Thursday it has updated its guidance for Thanksgiving, including to avoid travel. It also highlighted the importance of social distancing and masking.

“Travel may increase your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others this year,” the CDC said.

The move is a significant shift from previous pronouncements from the public health entity, which simultaneously removed recommendations that schools stay open — just as New York City, the nation’s largest school district, reverted to remote learning.

Meanwhile, indoor dining and gyms are allowed to stay open in the city, a point that some health experts find concerning.

Dr. Barbara Pahud, a pediatrician at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Missouri, told Yahoo Finance Thursday that the fear of shutting down “things that make money” doesn’t help curb the spread.

“If the kids and the schools are not driving the pandemic up, why are we starting there?” Pahud said, noting it’s the easiest move politically.

Mayor Bill DeBlasio said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was poised to close those very establishments once again, according to reports Thursday.

Concerns about rising cases have been exacerbated by political gridlock in Congress that is holding up a stimulus package that could help fund a number of health care initiatives, as well as by the blocking of efforts for a smooth transition for President-elect Joe Biden’s team.

The latter is especially alarming, according to former U.S. Health and Human Services Sec. Kathleen Sebelius.

“Nine weeks from today is the inauguration. That’s not a long period of time for this massive, two-dose vaccine, vaccination of 300 million people,” Sebelius told Yahoo Finance Wednesday.

“This is not about a petulant president who can’t admit that he lost an election; this is about people’s lives every day,” she said, adding that she hopes current health officials change course.

“I continue to be optimistic, I’m not quite sure why. I continue to hope the health officials in place right now will step up and tell the truth to the American public, will step up and deliver the kinds of services and support that they need,” Sebelius said.

She noted that the block of the Biden team from task force information is unprecedented and that the U.S. Senate’s support of President Trump pose a threat to national security.

“(Sen. Mitch) McConnell has the keys to the castle,” Sebelius said.

Vaccines distribution concerns linger

Meanwhile, waiting on a vaccine continues to be a focus, as well as what happens after an authorization occurs.

The first set of vaccines is set to be distributed for health care workers in December, pending regulatory approval, with some states expecting the first shipment by mid-December.

How states and cities will get their allotment of a COVID-19 vaccine, and whether or not they are equipped to store the vaccines — some of which require storage at -70 degrees Celsius — has been a burning question. On Wednesday, Operation Warp Speed attempted to shed more light on the plans to distribute vaccines, and how the ultra-cold storage will be addressed.

U.S. Health and Human Services Sec. Alex Azar, Operation Warp Speed (OWS) head Moncef Slaoui and Gen. Gustave Perna told reporters Wednesday that the country’s 64 health jurisdictions have been tasked with finding where ultra-cold storage refrigerators already exist, as they will be used as distribution hubs.

Perna said he told states, “Don’t be afraid of the refrigeration requirements,” as OWS intends to supply backup dry ice and deliver refrigerators where there are gaps.

But some questions still remain. They include how many doses each jurisdiction will receive and how the federal government will track which jurisdictions need replenishments, as well as how it will be tracked and coordinated at the state and local levels.

Some experts have suggested mass testing sites to deliver vaccines to the public, an effort which is already under way in the U.K.

“The ultimate goal here is to make getting a COVID-19 vaccine as convenient as getting a flu shot,” Azar said, noting that he government’s partnership with CVS and Walgreens to administer the vaccine at nursing homes has been successful.

Azar said 99% of skilled nursing facilities across the country and 100% of facilities in 20 states have signed up.

More from Anjalee:

• Fauci: Vaccines will only prevent symptoms, not block the virus

• A Biden win could lead to a mask mandate, more testing: Expert

• Trump admin rules for health insurer price transparency has potential to curb costs

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