Tag: COVID-19

Posted on

COVID: Seven-Day Average Of New Cases Drops Below 90K

New York state is about to drop its face mask mandate as COVID-19 cases continue to drop in the Empire State.

A man wearing a face mask during the pandemic The seven-day average of new coronavirus cases has (finally) dropped below 90,000 for the first time since early November. From the Washington Post:

Newly reported coronavirus infections in the United States continued their steep drop, with about 56,000 new cases reported Monday, though the figure may be artificially low due to the holiday. However, the seven-day average, considered a more reliable measure, has dipped below 90,000 a day for the first time since early November.

Scientists have been split about the reasons for the drop, citing increased vaccinations, decreased testing, improved social distancing habits and the seasonal patterns of these kinds of viruses.

Meanwhile, cases of the more contagious variant first identified in Britain are rising: Only 293 cases were reported in late January.By Feb. 4, there were 611, and the number now is 1,168.

Posted on

Polls: 40 Point Gap Between Those Who Will Or Won’t Get Vaccinated

The FDA has approved updated versions of COVID-19 vaccines

At this point, the most powerful weapons in science’s arsenal to contain the COVID-19 pandemic are the vaccines approved to combat the virus. But will Americans take it when it becomes available to them? From CNN:

In an average of Axios/Ipsos polls taken in January and February, 74% of Democrats said they’d either been vaccinated, or were extremely or very likely to get vaccinated as soon it’s available to them. Just 51% of Republicans said the same thing. Independents were in the middle of these two groups at 61%.

When Gallup asked respondents whether they would agree to get vaccinated if the vaccine were available to them right now, the partisan gap stood at 40 points (91% for Democrats and 51% for Republicans) in their most recent poll.

CNN goes on to report that those partisan differences could be dangerous for Republicans since friendships have become filtered by political leanings more than ever. A 2020 Pew Research Center poll showed 59 percent of Trump supporters said a lot of their close friends voted for Trump, 30 percent said some of their close friends did, and only 10 percent of Trump backers said few or none did. If Democrats get vaccinated but Republicans choose not to, it could lead to breakouts in those communities that lean conservative. Read the full report here. At this writing, there have been 27,428,733 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S. and 475,786 COVID-19 related deaths. There are currently 67,023 people hospitalized due to the virus. In related news, Politico reports that doctors, nurses, and public health groups are trying to build confidence in Covid-19 vaccines on social media using coordinated campaigns to combat anti-vaccination disinformation.

Posted on

Nevada Eases COVID Restrictions (Slightly) As New Cases Decline

Step by step, inch by inch… Nevada’s Gov. Steve Sisolak has announced slightly loosened restrictions in the Silver State (my state) regarding coronavirus guidelines as confirmed cases have slowly trended downward. In November, the governor ordered a “statewide pause” as COVID-19 statistics were climbing dramatically. At their peak, the test positivity rate in the state was 21.6 percent and the state reported 3,402 new confirmed cases in a single day. On Thursday, health officials reported the test positivity rate had declined to a 14.3 percent and 529 new confirmed cases for the day. Beginning Monday, February 15: • Capacity caps on bars and restaurants increase from 25% to 35% for indoor dining and lifting all capacity limits for outdoor dining. • Churches, mosques, casino floors and gyms will be able to accept up to 35% of fire code capacity, with the exception of locker rooms, which will be allowed to accommodate 50% of fire code capacity. • Libraries, museums and art galleries may accept up to 50% capacity. • The current 10-person cap on private gatherings for outdoor gatherings specifically, may increase to 25 people or less. • The cap for public events (concerts, shows, entertainment) currently at 50 people or 25% of venue capacity may increase to 100 people or 35% of venue capacity, whichever is less. Strip clubs, karaoke bars and brothels will remain closed at least until May 1, when the state gives some control to local authorities. On March 15, the businesses under 35% capacity will be allowed to return to 50% capacity; limits on public events will be loosened to 50% of venue capacity or 250 people; and recreational sports will be allowed to resume.

Posted on

US Purchases Additional 200 Million Vaccine Doses

President Biden told reporters on Thursday the federal government has now purchased an additional 200 million doses of vaccine to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Biden said the U.S. is on track to have enough supply of the vaccine for 300 million Americans by the end of July which works out to approximately 600 million doses. “We need more people to get vaccinated to beat this pandemic,” Biden said Thursday. “We’ve now purchased enough vaccine supply to vaccinate all Americans, and now we’re working to get those vaccines into the arms of people.”

Posted on

Fauci: Vaccines Should Be Available To All By April

Vials of vaccine

Vials of vaccine
(image via Depositphotos)
Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s highest-ranking infectious-disease expert, told viewers of NBC’s The Today Show that he believes the availability of coronavirus vaccines should reach what he referred to as ‘open season’ by April. “By the time we get to April, that will be what I would call, for better wording, ‘open season,’ namely, virtually everybody and anybody in any category could start to get vaccinated,” said Fauci. This past Sunday, Fauci told NBC’s Meet The Press that he felt “things are going to get better as we get from February into March, into April, because the number of vaccine doses that will be available will increase substantially.”

Posted on

South Dakota Governor Hosts 25-Person Super-Spreader Event

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem hosts a super-spreader dinner party of 25 people

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem hosts a super-spreader dinner party of 25 people
(image via Twitter/govkristinoem)
Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) has long been criticized for taking little-to-no steps to slow the coronavirus pandemic in her state. South Dakota has had 109,580 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 1,815 deaths. With current testing positivity at nearly 27% the state is one of the hardest hit by the virus per capita. So few were surprised (but still horrified) when the governor (a huge Trump supporter) shared a photo from a 25-person dinner party she recently held with practically no face masks in sight. Only one brave young woman had the temerity to still wear a face mask.

Posted on

Axios: States Where COVID Has Been Deadliest

A map of where COVID-19 has been the deadliest

A map of where COVID-19 has been the deadliest
(Map: Michelle McGhee and Andrew Witherspoon/Axios)
Axios has created an interactive map showing where the pandemic has been deadliest in the US. Via Axios:

In New Jersey, which has the highest death rate in the nation, 1 out of every 406 residents has died from the virus. In neighboring New York, 1 out of every 437 people has died.

In Mississippi, 1 out of every 477 people has died. And in South Dakota, which was slammed in the fall, 1 of every 489 people has died. States in the middle of the pack have seen a death rate of around 1 in 800 dead.

California, which has generally suffered severe regional outbreaks that don’t span the entire state, has a death rate of 1 in 899. Vermont had the lowest death rate, at 1 of every 3,436 residents.

Click here for interactive version showing total deaths and ratio.

Posted on

Biden: Trump Administration Left COVID Situation ‘Even More Dire Than We Thought’

President Joe Biden speaks with Norah O'Donnell of CBS News

President Joe Biden speaks with Norah O'Donnell of CBS News
President Joe Biden speaks with Norah O’Donnell of CBS News
In a his first sit-down interview since taking office, President Biden shared with Norah O’Donnell of CBS News that his administration was disappointed to learn that the Trump administration had far fewer doses of COVID-19 vaccine available than previously thought. “One of the disappointments was, when we came office, is the circumstance relating to how the [previous] administration was handling COVID – it was even more dire than we thought,” said the president. “They indicated there was a lot more vaccine available and it didn’t turn out to be the case.” The president went on to say he has ordered vaccine makers to ramp up production, and he’s received the ok from National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell to use all NFL stadiums as mass vaccination sites.

Posted on

Rep. Ron Wright Is 1st Member Of Congress To Die After COVID Diagnosis

Rep. Ron Wright (R-TX)

Rep. Ron Wright (R-TX)
Rep. Ron Wright (R-TX)
Rep. Ron Wright (R-TX) became the first member of Congress to die from COVID-19. He died Sunday night at the age of 67. His family and spokesperson confirmed Wright’s death Monday morning. Wright had been battling cancer. From the Dallas Morning News:

According to the statement, Wright had been keeping a vigorous work scheduled before contracting the virus. Two weeks ago Wright and his wife, Susan, were admitted to Baylor hospital in Dallas because of COVID-19 side effects.

Wright announced on Jan. 21 that he had tested positive “after coming in contact with an individual with the virus last week.” He had been in quarantine since Jan. 15 and said he would remain in quarantine until doctors cleared him to return to work.

While Wright is the first member of Congress to die from coronavirus-related causes, Rep.-elect Luke Letlow (R-LA) died last December while battling the virus, before he could be sworn into office. Letlow was 41 years old.

Posted on

Super Bowl Wrap Up: Tom Brady, Face Masks , And Amanda Gorman

Poet Amanda Gorman at Super Bowl LV

Poet Amanda Gorman at Super Bowl LV
Poet Amanda Gorman at Super Bowl LV
Three quick Super Bowl bites as we move on from the terribly lop-sided event into this Monday morning: • While I’m no fan, there’s no denying Tom Brady is pretty much the best quarterback in the history of the NFL. That said, why did he have to choose to make a statement about not wearing a face mask as he entered the stadium yesterday – even as everyone around him did?  

• And speaking of ‘no face mask’…  

• But I’ll close this from the luminous Amanda Gorman who helped open the Super Bowl with “Chorus of the Captains.” https://twitter.com/latimessports/status/1358564722434580481