US COVID Hospitalizations Lowest Since November 17
As US COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to decline, the lowest number since November 17 was reported Tuesday. A total of 79,179 COVID patients are currently admitted in hospitals across the country, according to COVID Tracking Project. Out of this, 16,129 patients are admitted in Intensive Care Units.
For the third straight day, the number of new cases reported are below 100000. With more than 92,000 additional people diagnosed with the viral infection on Tuesday, the total U.S. cases rose to 27,189,761, as per latest data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
With 3031 new deaths, the national total rose to 468,103. The trend in reported COVID-19 deaths is improving in every major U.S. region. The 7-day average for new deaths has decreased by more than 15 percent since mid-January.
The national average positivity rate fell further on Tuesday. Out of nearly 1.60 million people who were tested for coronavirus on Monday, only 6.59 percent were diagnosed with the disease.
As of Tuesday, more than 62 million vaccine doses have been distributed in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 43.2 million shots have been administered.
White House COVID coordinator Jeff Zients announced the launch of the Federally Qualified Community Health Centers (FQHCs) vaccination program. To ensure that the nation’s hardest hit populations are receiving the vaccine, these community health centers will begin directly receiving vaccine supply from February 15. The initial phase will include at least one Community Health Center in each state, expanding to 250 centers in the coming weeks.
He also announced another increase in weekly vaccine allocations to states, tribes, and territories to 11 million doses nationwide beginning this week. This marks a total of 28 percent increase under the Biden administration. When President Joe Biden came into office three weeks ago, the weekly delivery was 8.6 million doses.
About one in 10 Americans has so far received at least a first dose of the two-part Covid-19 vaccines, CDC data shows.
Johnson & Johnson’s CEO Alex Gorsky said he believes people will need an annual Covid-19 vaccine for many years to come.
The US Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization for new Eli Lilly monoclonal antibody duo for the treatment of COVID.
The World Health Organization said that the U.K. variant of the coronavirus has now been reported in 86 countries.
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