Victoria Pickering / Flickr cc
With a newly authorized COVID-19 vaccine being distributed in hospitals and nursing homes and a second vaccine on the horizon, the United States has entered a hopeful new phase in the coronavirus pandemic.
But that hope is being tempered by the severity of the pandemic in the country, which reported new single-day highs in COVID-19 cases (247,403), hospitalizations (113,090), and deaths (3,656) yesterday, according to data from Johns Hopkins and the COVID Tracking Project.
Though the virus has been spreading throughout the country and cases have been rising exponentially for months, the spike in new cases in recent weeks may be linked to travel and gatherings over the Thanksgiving holiday. And with more holiday travel and gatherings expected in the coming weeks, there are fears about a surge upon a surge that could overwhelm hospitals just as the mass vaccination campaign gets under way.
South Korea reports nearly 900 new Covid-19 cases as government considers tightening restrictions
From CNN s Gawon Bae in Seoul and Akanksha Sharma in Hong Kong
A medical worker takes samples from a man during a Covid-19 test at a makeshift clinic in Seoul, South Korea, on Monday, Dec. 14. Ahn Young-joon/AP
South Korea recorded 880 new coronavirus cases on Monday, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Of the new cases, 32 were imported. The country also recorded 13 additional virus-related deaths.
The new figures raise the country s total to 44,364 confirmed cases and 600 fatalities.
South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said the government was now weighing up whether to introduce the highest level of coronavirus restrictions.
CDC Gives Final Signoff on U.S. Vaccination Start: Virus Update Bloomberg 12/13/2020
(Bloomberg)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally signed off on U.S. vaccinations against Covid-19 to begin as early as Monday, saying the goal is to “help restore some normalcy to our lives and our country.”
New York City, where indoor dining at restaurants and bars is halting on Monday, said its positive-test rate remains above the 5% threshold that influences virus-related restrictions. New Jersey plans to being vaccinations on Tuesday.
While the virus is raging in much of the U.S., the head of the government’s vaccine drive said as much as 80% of the U.S. population could be vaccinated by next summer, putting “herd immunity” within reach.
Iran Infections Fall; Italy, Israel Vaccine Plans: Virus Update msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
CDC Gives Final Signoff on U.S. Vaccination Start: Virus Update
Bloomberg 12/13/2020
(Bloomberg)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally signed off on U.S. vaccinations against Covid-19 to begin as early as Monday, saying the goal is to “help restore some normalcy to our lives and our country.”
New York City, where indoor dining at restaurants and bars is halting on Monday, said its positive-test rate remains above the 5% threshold that influences virus-related restrictions. New Jersey plans to being vaccinations on Tuesday.
While the virus is raging in much of the U.S., the head of the government’s vaccine drive said as much as 80% of the U.S. population could be vaccinated by next summer, putting “herd immunity” within reach.