WASHINGTON: The USA set a grim double report on Wednesday (Dec 16) notching more than 3,700 deaths and more than 250,000 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, according to figures from Johns Hopkins College.
The nation has seen a spectacular spike in COVID-19 infections for more than a month now, with about 113,000 people at present hospitalized as a result of a virus, also a new report, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services.
The tally marks the third time in the past week that the USA has crossed the 3,000 deaths threshold. The earlier 24-hour report was set in late April on the peak of the nation’s first wave –Â which by no means completely ended.
Over the past two weeks, the variety of new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours has climbed above 200,000 for 11 out of 14 days.
Wednesday’s actual death toll was 3,784 fatalities over the earlier 24 hours leading up to 8.30 pm local time.
Health officers had feared the Thanksgiving vacation in late November would lead to a recent outbreak of the novel coronavirus after tens of millions of People traveled to affix family and friends.
Specialists now worry the state of affairs will change into even more dire following the finish of yr celebrations, together with the Christmas vacation.
The most recent data had been set whilst the USA undergoes its first week of a mass vaccination program aimed at stopping the surging pandemic.
On Monday, the primary Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine injections had been administered in the USA, though authorities warned it will still be months before a large sufficient portion of the population is immunized.
Confronted with the urgency of the situation and fears of vaccine shortages, the US Food and Drug Administration stated Wednesday that six or even seven doses might be squeezed out of vials that had been alleged to contain only 5 doses to avoid unused vaccine being discarded.
“At the moment, given the public health emergency, FDA is advising that it’s acceptable to make use of each full dose obtainable,” it stated in a tweet, including that Pfizer was on board with the advice.
