The COVID-19 outbreak across the Midwest appears to have hit its peak, while new cases and hospitalizations in coastal states have steadily increased since early November.
The average number of cases reported daily across Midwestern states fell from about 63,000 on Nov. 20 to about 53,000 during the week ending Sunday, according to the COVID Tracking Project. Meanwhile, daily case increases have crept up on the western and eastern coasts for about four weeks.
The worsening outbreaks along the coasts have proven as severe or more severe than those recorded in the spring, when the pandemic was in its first wave. Health officials in New York, the first coronavirus epicenter in the United States, have reported increasing test positivity hospitalization rates. Nearly 4,200 new hospitalizations were reported over the past seven days, compared to an average of 1,248 the week ending Nov. 8. New daily case counts in New York have hit first-wave levels, although testing in the state has improved considerably since the early days of the pandemic when tests were scarce.
Average new cases in California, meanwhile, have far exceeded the highest rates reported in mid-July, when about 10,000 new cases were confirmed each day. Hospitalizations at that time hit a peak of slightly less than 9,000 new patients each day. The average number of new hospitalizations has risen to about 9,700 each day.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned that indoor dining in New York City could be shut down as soon as Monday if coronavirus hospitalization rates across the state don’t show signs of stabilizing. More than 4,800 COVID-19 patients are now hospitalized statewide, double the amount reported Nov. 18 and the highest total since May 22.
The U.S. saw the deadliest week of the pandemic so far, with an average of 2,171 new deaths reported daily over the past seven days, the highest rate since the week ending April 21, with an average of 2,116 new daily deaths. To date, the U.S. has confirmed more than 285,000 deaths due to COVID-19.
President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday aimed at prioritizing shipment of the coronavirus vaccine to people in the U.S. over other countries as the U.S. inches closer to authorizing the first shots. Trump said the order is meant “to ensure that American citizens have first priority to receive American vaccines.”
He signed the order, which will not expand the vaccine supply in the U.S., at an event to promote the accomplishments of Operation Warp Speed, his administration’s vaccine development initiative.
The move comes amid reports that the administration turned down an offer from Pfizer, the drug giant behind the leading vaccine candidate, to purchase millions of additional doses for the public. Now, Pfizer is unsure whether it will be able to provide supplies beyond the agreed-upon 100 million.
The Food and Drug Administration has already concluded that it could find “no specific safety concerns identified that would preclude issuance of an” emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s vaccine.
Connecticut had the highest per capita COVID-19 case count in a single day on Monday, with 2,280 cases per 1 million, according to the COVID Tracking Project. Behind Connecticut are Kansas, Tennessee, and Wyoming.
Cases in the U.S. are still rising, with an average of 196,882 new cases confirmed each day over the past week. Nearly 180,200 new cases were confirmed on Monday alone, bringing the total number of cases to at least 15 million. The true number of cases is likely much higher than reported because more go undetected.
Britain’s National Health Service administered the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech shot Tuesday, making it the first Western country to administer a COVID-19 vaccine. U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock got choked up during an appearance on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, shortly after Margaret Keenan, 90, and William Shakespeare, 81, were the first to receive the vaccine.
“It’s been such a tough year for so many people, and there’s William Shakespeare putting it simply for everybody — we can get on with our lives,” he said, wiping away tears. “There are still a few months to go. I’ve still got this worry that we can’t blow it now, Piers. We’ve still got to get the vaccine to millions of people, and so, we’ve got to keep sticking by the rules.”
American Airlines introduced at-home coronavirus testing for all flights to U.S. destinations with COVID-19 restrictions in a bid to help travelers avoid quarantines. The program, part of a partnership with LetsGetChecked, will begin on Wednesday for any customer traveling to one of the select locations on or after Saturday. But the tests don’t come cheap. The Arizona Republic reports that the test kits will cost $129.
Passengers will receive the test kit at home and can expect test results within 48 hours of the test’s arrival at the lab. As of now, the service will be provided for the following destinations: Alaska, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Chicago, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced a modified stay-at-home order to take effect Friday that will extend into the new year on Jan. 8. The order includes limits on operating hours and capacity for nonessential businesses, such as retail stores and gyms. North Carolinians are encouraged to stay home as much as possible.
