As the U.S. marks a grim milestone in the pandemic, the coronavirus vaccine rollout has been frustratingly slow. USA TODAY
COVID-19 has killed more than 400,000 Americans in less than a year and infections have continued to mount across the country despite the introduction of a pair of vaccines late in 2020. USA TODAY is tracking the news. Keep refreshing this page for the latest updates on the coronavirus, including who is getting the vaccines from Pfizer- BioNTech and Moderna, as well as other top news from across the USA TODAY Network. Sign up for our Coronavirus Watch newsletter for updates directly to your inbox, join our Facebook group or scroll through our in-depth answers to reader questions to learn more about the virus.
In the headlines:
► The U.S. surpassed 400,000 reported coronavirus deaths Tuesday, almost double the total of the next most severely hit nation, Brazil. More than 20,000 people are dying per week. Since March 1, about four Americans have died every five minutes from COVID-19.
► San Francisco’s public health department is likely to run out of vaccine Thursday. The same situation is occurring in New York City, where Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city is vaccinating residents faster every day and will run out of doses on Thursday unless they receive more.
► In a report issued Monday, a panel of experts commissioned by the World Health Organization has criticized China and other countries for not moving to stem the initial outbreak of the coronavirus earlier and questioned whether the U.N. health agency should have labeled it a pandemic sooner.
► U.S. Rep. David Kustoff of Tennessee is under self-quarantine after coming into close contact with someone who tested positive for the new coronavirus.
► The majority of Americans say the coronavirus pandemic is out of control, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds. Only about 1 in 10 Americans say the pandemic is mostly under control, the poll found. “The nationwide survey shows that large majorities of people of all political affiliations say they think the deadly virus, which arrived in the country nearly a year ago, is only somewhat under control or not at all controlled,” the Washington Post said.
► Public health authorities in Maine said Tuesday that thousands of doses of coronavirus vaccine exceeded temperature requirements during their shipment to the state.
📈 Today’s numbers: The U.S. has more than 24.2 million confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 401,500 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: More than 96.1 million cases and 2 million deaths.
📘 What we’re reading: One year ago today, the United States’ first known case of the novel coronavirus was discovered in Snohomish County, Washington. In the year since, COVID-19 has crept into every county in the nation, killing more than 400,000 people, and infecting 1 in every 14 Americans. Read more here.
Americans dying faster of COVID-19 than US soldiers in World War II
In less than a year, more Americans will die of COVID-19 than died during World War II, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
In the 1,347 days from the attack on Pearl Harbor to V-J Day, 405,399 Americans died fighting in World War II, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. In less than a quarter of that time, at least 400,022 Americans have lost their lives to COVID-19.
These historic tragedies are connected solely by the scale of death and injuries – except for a few soldiers who fought in the war but lost their battle against the coronavirus and the few who survived both.
Still, looking at the two moments together perhaps helps us remember the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of young U.S. soldiers and recognize the serious threat the coronavirus pandemic poses.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio: City will run out of vaccine by Friday
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio at a Tuesday press conference the city distributed 220,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine last week, surpassing its own goal of 175,000. After receiving a “small supply” of 53,000 doses Tuesday, the city now has just 116,000 doses for the coming week.
“At the rate we are going we will begin to run out on Thursday,” de Blasio said, adding that with an adequate supply as many as 300,000 people could be vaccinated this week. “We will have literally nothing left to give as of Friday.”
Vaccine sites will have to shutter as early as Friday, according to de Blasio. The city is not scheduled to receive another shipment until next Tuesday, meaning that vaccinations would likely not be able to resume until next Wednesday.
The situation is the same in California. San Francisco’s public health department is likely to run out of vaccine Thursday, in part because the state pulled back on administering a batch of Moderna vaccine. Sacramento County is also running short. Los Angeles County is starting to inoculate those 65 and older despite the scarcity.
But infection indicators are starting to show what the state’s top health official on Tuesday called “rays of hope.”
Fired Florida data scientist arrested on felony computer charge
Rebekah Jones, the fired Florida Department of Health data scientist-turned-whistleblower, turned herself in to police Sunday night to face a felony charge.
Jones, 31, was charged under Florida’s computer related crimes statute “with one count of offenses against users of computers, computer systems, computer networks and electronic devices,” the FDLE said. If convicted the third-degree felony can carry a penalty of up to 5 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Jones was fired from the Department of Health in May for alleged insubordination. She has claimed she was fired for refusing to doctor the state’s COVID-19 numbers on the DOH’s coronavirus dashboard. Since then she has created her own competing dashboard which she says presents the data more honestly, and includes additional public health metrics.
The investigation began November 10 after FDLE received a complaint from the Florida Department of Health that someone illegally accessed a state emergency-alert messaging system, known as ReadyOp. FDLE agents determined the message was sent from a residence on Centerville Court in Tallahassee, the home of Jones, the agency said.
The FDLE executed a search warrant on Jones’ home on December 7. Armed agents raided Jones’ home seizing computer hardware, phones and memory devices. The raid drew criticism from some for its heavy handedness.
– Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon, Florida Today
Contributing: The Associated Press
