SU has lost more than 529,000 people to the virus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That is more than the number of Americans killed in World War I and II. And the death toll rises to thousands every week.
The case numbers, after high levels, can start to decrease again, said dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDC director, said during an information session in the White House on Wednesday. The average hospital admissions and deaths in Covid-19 have also declined over the past week, she added.
“Although these trends are starting to move in the right direction, the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths is still too high, and these are bleak reminders that we need to remain vigilant as we work to increase our vaccination efforts across the country,” Walensky said. said. .
“We must continue to use proven precautionary measures to slow down the spread of Covid-19,” Walensky added. “They are bringing us closer to the end of this pandemic.”
Guidance for people who are fully vaccinated will develop with more information
“As vaccine supply increases, and distribution and administration systems expand and improve, more and more people will be fully vaccinated and eager to resume their prepandemic lives,” Walensky and CDC officials said. Sarah Mbaeyi and Athalia Christie wrote.
“Giving vaccinated people the ability to visit their family and friends safely is an important step towards improved well-being and a significant benefit of vaccination,” they added.
The guidance will evolve as vaccinations increase and more data emerges, officials said, but although many Americans are still unvaccinated, public health precautions are still very important.
“With the high levels of community transmission and the threat of SARS-CoV-2 varieties being of concern, the CDC continues to recommend a number of preventative measures for all people, regardless of vaccination status,” they write.
In its new leadership, the agency has not updated its travel recommendations: the CDC still says people should delay travel and stay home.
“What we saw was that we got increases after people started traveling. We saw it after July 4, we saw it after Labor Day, we saw it after the Christmas holidays,” Walensky said in the briefing. “Currently, 90% of the people are still unprotected and not vaccinated yet. So we are very much looking forward to updating this guidance because we have more protection in the communities and in the whole population.”
More than 2 million shots are fired daily
And for more than a week, the country’s seven-day average doses were above two million a day.
As vaccination rates rise, more state leaders are accelerating the requirements for who can get a chance.
In Indiana, teachers and child care workers can be vaccinated from Monday, according to dr. Lindsay Weaver, Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health.
The state also added several high-risk conditions to the list of associated comorbidities, including conditions for early childhood carried into adulthood, and Weaver added that state plans are increasingly increasing vaccination allowances in addition to those 40-49 years old.
“Provided that admission of the vaccine is expected to open to all adults in April,” the government of Brian Kemp said in a statement.
Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine is the only one available for people 16 years or older, while the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are limited to 18 years or older.
New guidance on nursing homes
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued the guidance in collaboration with the CDC, reporting that more than three million doses of vaccines have been administered in nursing homes to date.
The guidelines provide for indoor visits, regardless of the vaccination status of the resident or visitor, with a few exceptions.
For example, visits may be restricted to residents with Covid-19 or who are in quarantine or to residents who have not been vaccinated and who live in facilities where less than 70% of the residents are fully vaccinated, in a country with a Covid- 19-positivity rate of more than 10%.
The guidelines state that visits to “compassionate care” – including visits to residents whose health may have declined sharply – should be allowed at all times.
Facilities, residents and families are still advised to maintain physical distance and try to visit outside if possible.
“CMS recognizes the psychological, emotional, and physical toll that long-term isolation and separation of family has taken on nursing home residents and their families,” said Dr. Lee Fleisher, chief medical officer of CMS, said in a statement.
“This is why millions of vaccines have been administered to residents and staff of nursing homes and the number of COVID cases in nursing homes has dropped significantly, the CMS is updating its visitation guidelines to bring more families together safely.”
CNN’s Lauren Mascarenhas, Elizabeth Stuart, Gisela Crespo and Deidre McPhillips contributed to this report.