US Coronavirus: The US has just seen its lowest number of cases since October. But this is why experts are still concerned

US Coronavirus: The US has just seen its lowest number of cases since October. But this is why experts are still concerned

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While more than 64,900 new infections were reported on Sunday, it was the country’s lowest number since October. Just last month, the estimated infections were 200,000 a day.

And California, one of the states worst hit by the pandemic, reported its lowest daily increase since early November. It comes amid a steady decline, not only in new infections but also in hospitalizations and deaths.

In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo reported a decline in infection rates and hospitalization rates, saying the state is now past a ‘boom after the holidays’.

‘If we can keep the momentum in a positive direction by practicing safe behavior on an individual level, as well as vaccinating New Yorkers as quickly and fairly as possible, we will be able to reach the light end of the tunnel faster than previously thought. is and is finally getting some normalcy in our lives again, ‘Cuomo said in a statement on Monday.

It’s good news to see the Covid-19 numbers heading in the right direction. But the numbers are still high.

And experts are worried that if Americans let their guards down – especially now with variants in circulation, there could be a resurgence.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends Americans avoid travel if they can, this past weekend was one of the busiest air travel in more than a month, with more than four million people since Thursday.

“The only thing I’m worried about right now is that we do have the British variant … and it seems to be accelerating in the United States,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School for Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN on Monday.

CDC data show more than 1100 cases of the highly contagious B.1.1.7 variant – first detected in the UK – have been reported in the US. The agency had earlier warned that tensions would grow rapidly in early 2021 and are likely to be the predominant variant by March.

“New cases are going down now, under 100,000 confirmed new cases a day, that’s good news,” Hotez added. “But I’m worried we’ll see an addition again.”

Weather adds another challenge for vaccine plans

And while officials are getting more Americans vaccinated, the winter storms are now slowing down the process in parts of the country.

In Texas, Dallas County officials announced they would close the Fair Park vaccination site until Wednesday due to severe weather.

“We understand the urgency of administering second doses of the vaccine, but we must also balance the safety of humans,” officials said in a news release. “Once we can reopen safely, we will do so.”

Missouri Governor Mike Parson said the mass vaccination events scheduled for Friday have been canceled due to severe weather, which makes management dangerous and threatens the health and safety of anyone exposed to the cold.

In Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear said that although the weather will delay our vaccinations, he hopes the state will be able to make up for the delays next week.

The storms have caused disruptions as states continue to grapple with other vaccine challenges, including a shortage of supplies and distribution.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said Monday that progress on vaccine hesitation and equity among members of the Latino community was “encouraging” but that the state still made a “big difference in vaccine administration between Spanish and non-Spanish communities’ see.

He added that the state increasingly needs more supplies from the federal government to meet the growing demand.

“If we get to the point where we can expand the supply and have the stock, we need to be comfortable taking the vaccine,” the governor said.

Most children are in the red areas under the CDC guidelines for reopening the school

While vaccines are catching up, many parts of the country are still seeing the high levels of Covid-19 transmission.

In fact, about 89% of children live in a province that is considered a red zone under the CDC’s new school reopening guidelines.

Red, or ‘high transmission’ communities are defined by the CDC as provinces where there have been at least 100 new Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days, or a test positivity rate of at least 10%.

But even in communities where there is a high prevalence, the agency says the new guidelines provide strategies for schools to learn in person.

“At all levels of community transfer, the strategy offers options for personal education,” a CDC spokesman said in an email to CNN on Monday. “It is not the case that we are saying that schools that are currently open should close because they are in provinces in the ‘red’. Our recommendation is that schools in red areas can in fact provide personal tuition, as long as they only provide mitigation and implement monitoring issues in the school community. ‘

The agency’s guidelines, released Friday, focus on five key strategies for mitigating Covid-19: the universal and correct wearing of masks; physical distance; wash hands; cleaning facilities and improving ventilation; and contact detection, isolation and quarantine. It also offers different strategies based on how much transfer there is in the surrounding community.

Some experts also said that vaccinations by teachers should be essential for returning to class. CDC director, dr. Rochelle Walensky, recently told CNN that although she advocates for teachers to receive their shots, “we do not believe it is a prerequisite for schools to reopen.”

As of Monday, two more states – Alaska and North Dakota – have begun allowing all or some teachers and school staff to receive their shots, bringing the total to 28 states plus Washington, DC.

CNN’s Cheri Mossburg, Deidre McPhillips, Jacqueline Howard, Maria Cartaya, Amanda Watts, Rebekah Riess, Keith Allen, Pete Muntean, Yon Pomrenze, Evan Simko-Bednarski, Elizabeth Stuart, Michael Nedelman and Lauren Mascarenhas contributed to this report.

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