DHS: No new COVID-19 deaths reported Sunday, confirms another 464 new cases - WBAY

MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) – The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) says for the third time this month, there are no new COVID-19 deaths reported in the state during the past 24 hours, leaving the state’s death toll at 6,412.

In addition, the state’s 7-day average held steady at 18 from Saturday. Our records show that all three dates when the state reported no new deaths were within the past eight days.

The state received 3,762 results for people tested, or testing for the coronavirus, for the first time Sunday. Out of those results, state officials say 464 more people were found to be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, which is 12.33% of all results. That figure is in line with, as well as below, the seven-day average of positive test results, which stands at 12.86%. That figure has been below 20% since February 9.

However, the state now measures the positivity rate by the results of all testing -- including people tested multiple times -- and by that measure, the 7-day average positivity rate decreased slightly from 2.3% to 2.2% Sunday. That percentage has been in decline during the past two months. The state is averaging 626 new coronavirus cases each day over the last 7 days.

Keep in mind the state typically has low figures on Sundays and Mondays due to the weekend.

County by county case and death figures are listed below. The DHS revised case numbers in Dodge, Shawano, Walworth and Waushara Counties. 51 out of 72 counties reported an increase of cases.

According to the DHS, Wisconsin saw an increase of 29,056 “shots in the arm” since Saturday’s report. As Action 2 News reported Friday, more than half of adults 65 and older (53.7%) have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. So far, 22.1% of that population has completed their vaccine regimen. It’s been a little over a month since vaccination efforts for that age population started.

The state also says that as of Sunday, more than 15% (15.5%) of all eligible residents have received at least one shot – a total of 901,237 people. More than half of them have received their second and final dose -- or 486,028 people (8.3%). These numbers are preliminary for a few days as vaccinators’ reports continue to come in.

Health officials are encouraging people in minority groups to get vaccinated because of the disparity in the vaccination numbers and because minority groups are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 virus. For more information about racial and ethnic disparities in the pandemic, CLICK HERE.

Last week, state health officials said Wisconsin is on target to expand eligibility for the vaccine starting Monday, March 1. The emphasis in that expanded group is educators and childcare workers. However, the state’s first priority is continuing to vaccinate those who are 65 and older.

Deputy Health Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk said Thursday, “We couldn’t take our whole vaccine supply and give it to educators, because we need to keep vaccine available for people who are 65 plus. So the plan is that we continue in that 70- to 80,000 dose level going out to our vaccinators to continue to vaccinate people 65 plus, and as they finish those groups move on to other eligible groups.”

• Education and childcare: Includes preschool to grade 12, higher education, community learning programs, and Boys & Girls Club and YMCA staff members
• People enrolled in Medicaid long-term care programs, such as Family Care and IRIS
• Some public-facing frontline workers, including public transit and people responsible for utility and communications infrastructure
• 911 operators
• Workers in the food supply chain: Farms; production plants; food retail, which includes supermarkets and convenience stores selling groceries; and hunger relief distribution
• Congregate living: Residents and staff of domestic abuse and homeless shelters; housing for the elderly or people with disabilities; prisons and jails; mental health facilities; some employer-based housing
• Non-frontline essential health care: Emergency management; cyber security; critical support roles such as cleaning, HVAC and refrigeration; critical supply chain, such as production and distribution of vaccine

This is not an all-inclusive list, and vaccinations will be dependent on local vaccine supply. Even with the increased allocation coming from the federal government next week, the DHS says 700,000 people fall into these groups and it will take about two months to vaccinate everyone who qualifies.

The Oconto County Health Department, for one, says it won’t vaccinate the expanded group until the week of March 15 or when 50% of older adults in the county are vaccinated, whichever comes later, because it doesn’t have an adequate supply of vaccines.

Action 2 News continues updating its guide to vaccination clinics and health agencies distributing the COVID-19 vaccine. CLICK HERE for locations and phone numbers and websites to register.

HOSPITALIZATIONS

The DHS says 39 people were hospitalized for COVID-19 in the past 24-hour period, which is below the 7-day average of 55 hospitalizations. More than 26,000 people in the state (26,127) were hospitalized for COVID-19 treatment at some point, or 4.6% of all cases.

The Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) says 290 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 across the state, the lowest number of patients since September 8. In addition, the WHA says 73 of those patients are in intensive care units, which is the lowest number recorded since Action 2 News began tracking hospitalization numbers.

The overall total number of patients dropped by 14 from Saturday, and the number of those in the ICU decreased by 7. Sunday marks the fifth time this month that ICU’s had fewer than 90 COVID-19 patients.

Locally, there are 15 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the Fox Valley region, including 2 in ICU. That’s one less in ICU from Saturday but four more patients overall.

The Northeast region’s 10 hospitals were treating 32 patients, one more than Saturday, with 12 in ICU, which is two fewer patients than 24 hours earlier.

HOSPITAL READINESS

In terms of hospital readiness, the WHA reported 357 ICU beds (24.35%) and 2,497 of all medical beds (22.345%) -- ICU, intermediate care, medical surgical and negative flow isolation beds -- are open in the state’s 134 hospitals.

The Fox Valley’s 13 hospitals had 20 open ICU beds (19.23%) among them and 101 of all medical beds (11.84%) open for the eight counties they serve.

In the Northeast region, the hospitals have 42 ICU beds (20.28%) and 262 of all medical beds (27.41%) available.

These are beds for all patients, not just COVID-19, and because a bed is open or available doesn’t mean a hospital can put a patient in it if there isn’t enough staffing, including doctors, nurses and food services.

Here's today's daily snapshot of #COVID19 cases The virus is still active in Wisconsin, so it's important for all of us to continue to follow the steps to prevent catching and spreading it. #YouStopTheSpread! Learn how at https://t.co/kCJRYeu8Sf #COVID19_WI pic.twitter.com/HfNLjybIuU

— WIDeptHealthServices (@DHSWI) February 28, 2021

Since February 5, 2020

• 3,190,756 people in Wisconsin have tested for the virus at least once
• 549,668 people who tested positive for infection have recovered (97.5%)
• 7,721 people tested positive for the virus within the past 30 days and are considered active cases (1.4%)
• 6,412 people in the state have died from COVID-19 (1.14% of all confirmed cases)

SUNDAY’S COUNTY CASE AND DEATH TOTALS (Counties with new cases or deaths are indicated in bold) *

Wisconsin

• Adams – 1,578 cases (10 deaths)
• Ashland – 1,175 cases (16 deaths)
• Barron – 5,362 cases (+9) (76 deaths)
• Bayfield - 1,065 cases (+1) (19 deaths)
• Brown – 30,188 cases (+12) (223 deaths)
• Buffalo – 1,319 cases (+1) (7 deaths)
• Burnett – 1,205 cases (+5) (23 deaths)
• Calumet – 5,470 cases (+3) (43 deaths)
• Chippewa – 7,043 cases (+4) (92 deaths)
• Clark – 3,155 cases (57 deaths)
• Columbia – 5,031 cases (+7) (51 deaths)
• Crawford – 1,668 cases (+1) (17 deaths)
• Dane – 40,517 (+89) (273 deaths)
• Dodge – 11,411 cases (State revised, decrease of 4) (155 deaths)
• Door – 2,418 cases (+1) (20 deaths)
• Douglas – 3,674 cases (26 deaths)
• Dunn – 4,262 cases (+7) (28 deaths)
• Eau Claire – 11,009 cases (+7) (104 deaths)
• Florence - 434 cases (12 deaths)
• Fond du Lac – 11,982 cases (+9) (93 deaths)
• Forest - 925 cases (23 deaths)
• Grant – 4,648 cases (+5) (80 deaths)
• Green – 3,147 cases (+1) (16 deaths)
• Green Lake - 1,525 cases (18 deaths)
• Iowa - 1,853 cases (9 deaths)
• Iron - 541 cases (+1) (20 deaths)
• Jackson - 2,575 cases (23 deaths)
• Jefferson – 7,870 cases (+7) (111 deaths)
• Juneau - 2,9822 cases (+1) (19 deaths)
• Kenosha – 14,823 cases (+6) (300 deaths)
• Kewaunee – 2,414 cases (27 deaths)
• La Crosse – 12,230 cases (+19) (78 deaths)
• Lafayette - 1,463 cases (+4) (7 deaths)
• Langlade - 1,934 cases (32 deaths)
• Lincoln – 2,909 cases (+2) (58 deaths)
• Manitowoc – 7,239 cases (64 deaths)
• Marathon – 13,681 cases (+11) (176 deaths)
• Marinette - 3,981 cases (63 deaths)
• Marquette – 1,307 cases (+1) (21 deaths)
• Menominee - 795 cases (11 deaths)
• Milwaukee – 98,216 (+73) (1,237 deaths)
• Monroe – 4,318 cases (+4) (31 deaths)
• Oconto – 4,263 cases (+2) (48 deaths)
• Oneida - 3,378 cases (+4) (67 deaths)
• Outagamie – 19,271 cases (+35) (195 deaths)
• Ozaukee – 7,629 cases (+3) (77 deaths)
• Pepin – 807 cases (+1) (7 deaths)
• Pierce – 3,476 cases (+6) (33 deaths)
• Polk – 3,923 cases (+14) (44 deaths)
• Portage – 6,477 cases (+5) (64 deaths)
• Price – 1,157 cases (+1) (7 deaths)
• Racine – 20,347 cases (+16) (320 deaths)
• Richland - 1,287 cases (14 deaths)
• Rock – 14,402 cases (+6) (159 deaths)
• Rusk - 1,253 cases (16 deaths)
• Sauk – 5,285 cases (+9) (41 deaths)
• Sawyer - 1,514 cases (+3) (21 deaths)
• Shawano – 4,593 cases (State revised, decrease of 1) (70 deaths)
• Sheboygan – 12,896 cases (+12) (128 deaths)
• St. Croix – 6,381 cases (+2) (43 deaths)
• Taylor - 1,799 cases (21 deaths)
• Trempealeau – 3,386 cases (36 deaths)
• Vernon – 1,831 cases (+1) (36 deaths)
• Vilas - 2,136 cases (+6) (36 deaths)
• Walworth – 8,837 cases (State revised, decrease of 1) (127 deaths)
• Washburn – 1,295 cases (+2) (18 deaths)
• Washington – 13,746 cases (+5) (134 deaths)
• Waukesha – 40,625 cases (+37) (482 deaths)
• Waupaca – 4,782 cases (+1) (112 deaths)
• Waushara – 2,098 cases (State revised, decrease of 1) (31 deaths)
• Winnebago – 17,046 cases (+2) (183 deaths)
• Wood – 6,698 cases (+7) (73 deaths)

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula **

• Alger - 277 cases (1 death)
• Baraga - 507 cases (32 deaths)
• Chippewa - 722 cases (23 deaths)
• Delta – 2,654 cases (65 deaths)
• Dickinson - 2,131 cases (55 deaths)
• Gogebic - 928 cases (19 deaths)
• Houghton – 2,127 cases (33 deaths)
• Iron – 866 cases (40 deaths)
• Keweenaw – 115 cases (1 death)
• Luce – 132 cases
• Mackinac - 290 cases (3 deaths)
• Marquette - 3,456 cases (54 deaths)
• Menominee - 1,616 cases (35 deaths)
• Ontonagon – 358 cases (19 deaths)
• Schoolcraft - 229 cases (4 deaths)

* Cases and deaths are from the daily DHS COVID-19 reports, which may differ from local health department numbers. The DHS reports cases from all health departments within a county’s boundaries, including tribal, municipal and county health departments; county websites may not. Also, public health departments update their data at various times, whereas the DHS freezes the numbers it receives by the same time every day to compile the afternoon report.

The DHS reports deaths attributed to COVID-19 or in which COVID-19 contributed to their death. Most of the people severely affected by the coronavirus have underlying illnesses or conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease or obesity, which raises a person’s risk of dying from COVID-19. They would’ve lived longer if not for their infection. The state may revise case and death numbers after further review, such as the victim’s residence, duplicated records, or a correction in lab results. Details can be found on the DHS website and Frequently Asked Questions.

**The state of Michigan does not update numbers on Sundays. Monday’s numbers include updates since Saturday’s reporting deadline.

COVID-19 Tracing App

Wisconsin’s COVID-19 tracing app, “Wisconsin Exposure Notification,” is available for iOS and Android smartphones. No download is required for iPhones. The Android app is available on Google Play. When two phones with the app (and presumably their owners) are close enough, for long enough, they’ll anonymously share a random string of numbers via Bluetooth. If someone tests positive for the coronavirus, they’ll receive a code to type into the app. If your phones “pinged” each other in the last 14 days, you’ll receive a push notification that you are at risk of exposure. The app doesn’t collect personal information or location information, so you won’t know from whom or where, but you will be told what day the exposure might have occurred so that you can quarantine for the appropriate amount of time.

Symptoms

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified these as possible symptoms of COVID-19:

• Fever of 100.4 or higher
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Chills
• Repeated shaking with chills
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Sore throat
• New loss of taste or smell

Prevention

• The coronavirus is a new, or “novel,” virus. Nobody has a natural immunity to it.
• Children and teens seem to recover best from the virus. Older people and those with underlying health conditions (heart disease, diabetes, lung disease) are considered at high risk, according to the CDC. Precautions are also needed around people with developing or weakened immune systems.
• To help prevent the spread of the virus:
• Stay at least six feet away from other people
• Avoid close contact with people who are or appear sick
• Stay at home as much as possible
• Cancel events and avoid groups, gatherings, play dates and nonessential appointments

Copyright 2021 WBAY. All rights reserved.

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Oregon reports 292 new coronavirus cases, no new deaths - KATU

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1. Oregon reports 292 new coronavirus cases, no new deaths  KATU
2. Coronavirus in Oregon: State reports 292 new cases on anniversary of Oregon’s 1st  OregonLive
3. Oregon reports no new COVID-19 deaths, 292 new cases  KTVZ
4. 1 Year of COVID-19 in Oregon  KPTV FOX 12 Oregon
5. COVID-19′s disparate toll on Oregon, one year later  OregonLive
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Health Utah coronavirus cases continue to fall, but deaths on the rise - Salt Lake Tribune

Editor’s note • The Salt Lake Tribune is providing free access to critical stories about the coronavirus. Sign up for our Top Stories newsletter, sent to your inbox every morning. To support journalism like this, please donate or become a subscriber.

While the number of daily coronavirus infections continues its downward trajectory, there is one trend that is moving in the opposite direction.

Deaths due to COVID-19 are up. There have been 83 new deaths over the past week compared to just 59 the week before.

Vaccinations administered in past day/total vaccinations • 14,243 / 716,536.

As vaccinations continue to ramp up across the country, Utah announced this week that it will receive the newly authorized Johnson & Johnson version Wednesday. That particular vaccine requires only one dose and can be stored more easily compared to the Pfizer and Moderna iterations, which require two doses.

“This is a testament to modern research, science, public health and medicine. We are in a race to save as many lives as possible through vaccines,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said in a statement Friday. “This vaccine will do that. Remember, all three vaccines are safe and effective. You can have confidence that any of them will protect you and those around you from COVID-19.”

And with vaccinations already open to a larger number of people with underlying health conditions, the state will rely on the honor system and not require Utahns to show proof they are eligible. Cox recently acknowledged that it’s possible that people might lie about having an underlying condition.

Number of Utahns who have received two doses • 254,569.

Cases reported in past day • 465.

Cases week over week continue to fall. Over the past seven days, the total number of new cases was 4,500. It stood at 5,441 a week prior. There were no days this past week where the daily number reached above 900.

Deaths reported in past day • Six — four men, two women.

Three of the men were from Summit County, Salt Lake County and Tooele County, respectively, and were all between ages 45 and 64; the fourth man was from Utah County and over age 85.

Both women were between ages 65 and 84. One was from Weber County, and the other was from Salt Lake County.

Hospitalizations reported in past day • 203. That’s down 20 from Saturday. Of those currently hospitalized, 84 are in intensive care units — five fewer than Saturday.

Tests reported in past day • 4,365 people were tested for the first time. A total of 8,422 people were tested.

Percentage of positive tests • Under the state’s original method, the rate is 10.7%. That’s lower than the seven-day average of 11.6%.

Utah’s new method counts all test results, including repeated tests of the same individual. Sunday’s rate is now at 5.5%, slightly higher than the seven-day average of 5.2%.

[Read more: Utah is changing how it measures the rate of positive COVID-19 tests. Here’s what that means.]

Totals to date • 371,235 cases; 1,935 deaths; 14,695 hospitalizations; 2,205,791 people tested.

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Oregon reports no new COVID-19 deaths, 292 new cases - KTVZ

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- There are no newly reported COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, and the state’s death toll remains at 2,208, the Oregon Health Authority reported Sunday.

OHA also reported 292 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. Sunday, bringing the state total to 155,597.

Vaccinations in Oregon

OHA reported that 29,330 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added Sunday to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 19,513 doses were administered on Saturday and 9,817 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Saturday.

Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize because providers have 72 hours to report doses administered and technical challenges have caused many providers to lag in their reporting. OHA has been providing technical support to vaccination sites to improve the timeliness of their data entry into the state’s ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS).

Oregon has now administered a cumulative total of 973,022 first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines. To date, 1,194,495 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change. OHA's dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data, and Oregon’s dashboard has been updated Sunday.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 134, which is 14 fewer than Saturday. There are 26 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is five fewer than Saturday.

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported Sunday are in the following counties: Baker (1), Benton (7), Clackamas (26), Columbia (4), Coos (10), Curry (3), Deschutes (6), Douglas (11), Grant (1), Hood River (1), Jackson (21), Jefferson (3), Josephine (3), Klamath (2), Lake (1), Lane (36), Lincoln (1), Linn (4), Malheur (1), Marion (52), Morrow (2), Multnomah (25), Polk (11), Umatilla (8), Washington (42), Yamhill (10).

County	Total Cases 1	Total deaths 2
Baker	656	7
Benton	2,344	16
Clackamas	13,380	175
Clatsop	775	6
Columbia	1,265	21
Coos	1,491	19
Crook	775	18
Curry	429	6
Deschutes	5,952	59
Douglas	2,474	54
Gilliam	53	1
Grant	223	1
Harney	273	6
Hood River	1,069	29
Jackson	8,395	112
Jefferson	1,958	28
Josephine	2,340	50
Klamath	2,791	55
Lake	376	6
Lane	10,258	126
Lincoln	1,132	20
Linn	3,590	56
Malheur	3,351	58
Marion	18,468	285
Morrow	1,049	14
Multnomah	31,877	528
Polk	3,064	42
Sherman	53	0
Tillamook	414	2
Umatilla	7,659	82
Union	1,284	19
Wallowa	142	4
Wasco	1,221	26
Washington	21,211	212
Wheeler	22	1
Yamhill	3,783	64
Statewide	155,597	2,208

1 This includes cases confirmed by diagnostic testing and presumptive cases. Presumptive cases are those without a positive diagnostic test who present COVID-19-like symptoms and had close contact with a confirmed case. County of residence for cases may change as new information becomes available. If changes occur, we will update our counts accordingly.

2 For additional details on individuals who have died from COVID-19 in Oregon, please refer to OHA's press releases

ELRs received 2/27/2021

County	Negative Els	Positive ELRs	Total ELRs	Percent Positivity
Baker	106	6	112	5.4%
Benton	141	7	148	4.7%
Clackamas	857	34	891	3.8%
Clatsop	141	2	143	1.4%
Columbia	79	7	86	8.1%
Coos	263	42	305	13.8%
Crook	33	0	33	0.0%
Curry	15	1	16	6.3%
Deschutes	430	8	438	1.8%
Douglas	186	10	196	5.1%
Grant	2	0	2	0.0%
Gilliam	2	0	2	0.0%
Harney	7	0	7	0.0%
Hood River	93	0	93	0.0%
Jackson	565	39	604	6.5%
Jefferson	41	4	45	8.9%
Josephine	136	5	141	3.5%
Klamath	68	2	70	2.9%
Lake	10	0	10	0.0%
Lane	773	31	804	3.9%
Lincoln	39	3	42	7.1%
Linn	152	3	155	1.9%
Malheur	43	1	44	2.3%
Marion	812	38	850	4.5%
Morrow	8	1	9	11.1%
Multnomah	2,714	27	2,741	1.0%
Polk	236	11	247	4.5%
Sherman	3	0	3	0.0%
Tillamook	36	2	38	5.3%
Umatilla	129	7	136	5.1%
Union	23	1	24	4.2%
Wallowa	11	0	11	0.0%
Wasco	46	0	46	0.0%
Washington	1,504	48	1,552	3.1%
Wheeler	1	0	1	0.0%
Yamhill	281	10	291	3.4%
Statewide	9,986	350	10,336	3.4%

Cumulative ELRs

County	Negative ELR	Positive ELR	Total ELR	Percent Positivity
Baker	8,167	1,552	9,719	16.0%
Benton	105,877	3,416	109,293	3.1%
Clackamas	344,997	18,680	363,677	5.1%
Clatsop	26,709	1,265	27,974	4.5%
Columbia	32,441	1,591	34,032	4.7%
Coos	31,551	1,599	33,150	4.8%
Crook	12,173	1,015	13,188	7.7%
Curry	8,235	353	8,588	4.1%
Deschutes	130,378	7,604	137,982	5.5%
Douglas	52,746	2,055	54,801	3.7%
Gilliam	902	28	930	3.0%
Grant	3,362	178	3,540	5.0%
Harney	2,655	213	2,868	7.4%
Hood River	25,453	1,324	26,777	4.9%
Jackson	165,307	10,569	175,876	6.0%
Jefferson	15,168	1,653	16,821	9.8%
Josephine	44,771	2,205	46,976	4.7%
Klamath	37,911	2,821	40,732	6.9%
Lake	2,480	361	2,841	12.7%
Lane	356,119	11,444	367,563	3.1%
Lincoln	34,855	2,156	37,011	5.8%
Linn	105,478	6,532	112,010	5.8%
Malheur	17,989	4,565	22,554	20.2%
Marion	261,760	25,865	287,625	9.0%
Morrow	5,565	1,207	6,772	17.8%
Multnomah	797,010	43,920	840,930	5.2%
Polk	54,341	3,736	58,077	6.4%
Sherman	1,103	47	1,150	4.1%
Tillamook	11,302	373	11,675	3.2%
Umatilla	51,622	7,951	59,573	13.3%
Union	10,139	957	11,096	8.6%
Wallowa	2,100	73	2,173	3.4%
Wasco	26,875	1,281	28,156	4.5%
Washington	497,643	29,610	527,253	5.6%
Wheeler	337	20	357	5.6%
Yamhill	101,527	5,164	106,691	4.8%
Statewide	3,387,048	203,383	3,590,431	5.7%

Stay informed about COVID-19:

Oregon response: The Oregon Health Authority leads the state response.

United States response: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads the U.S. response.

Global response: The World Health Organization guides the global response.

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Covid-19: More than 20 million in UK have had first jab - BBC News

EPA

More than 20 million people in the UK have now had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson called it a "huge national achievement" and said "every jab makes a difference in our battle against Covid".

The latest government figures show 20,089,551 people in the UK have now had a first dose, while 796,132 have had a second.

The government is aiming to offer all adults a first jab by the end of July.

But the head of NHS Providers - which represents hospital trusts in England - warned there was "a long way to go".

"We're not even close to half way through this programme," said Chris Hopson. "And there's a further challenge: to design a workforce model to enable us to do this year in year out."

While he welcomed the milestone, he added: "As we set out in our recent briefing, we need to see more progress on vaccines, lower Covid-19 case numbers, much less pressure on the NHS and plans in place to contain future outbreaks before easing restrictions.

"Now is not the time to let down our guard."

• When will it be my turn to be vaccinated?
• Brazil 'variant of concern' found in UK

The government's next target is to offer a first dose to all over-50s by 15 April, as well as people aged 16-64 with certain underlying health conditions and unpaid carers for disabled and elderly people.

After that, people will be prioritised by age group.

There are no plans yet to vaccinate children, although trials have been announced to test the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab on children.

From Monday, nearly two million people aged 60 to 63 in England will start receiving letters inviting them to book their vaccine.

Mr Johnson said on Twitter that the 20 million milestone was "a testament to the tireless work of NHS staff, volunteers, the armed forces and many more".

"I urge everyone to get the jab when called," he added.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock also said it was "a magnificent achievement for the country" and the vaccine was "our route out".

According to the figures published on Sunday, the 20 million milestone was reached after a further 407,503 jabs were administered in one day.

The figures include: 17.1 million first doses given in England, 1.6 million first doses in Scotland, 923,615 first doses in Wales and 520,996 first doses in Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile, NHS England said people in the 60-63 age bracket would start receiving letters on Monday explaining how to book a jab through the national booking service, with those aged 50 to 60 set to be invited "shortly".

It said the vaccine rollout was gaining "fresh momentum", with medical director Prof Stephen Powis urging anyone who had been invited to take up the offer.

"It doesn't matter when you were invited you can still come forward and protect yourself and others," he said.

NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said vaccine supplies are expected to increase in March, adding: "We're planning for further acceleration as we head towards Easter."

• LOOK-UP TOOL: How many cases in your area?
• LOCKDOWN RULES: What are they and when will they end?
• YOUR QUESTIONS: We answer your queries
• GLOBAL SPREAD: How many worldwide cases are there?
• TREATMENTS: What progress are we making to help people?

• ZARA MCDERMOTT WANTS ANSWERS: Revenge porn is raging in the UK and Zara wants to know, can anyone safely share intimate images again?
• BINGE-WATCH BATES MOTEL THIS WEEKEND: The Psycho prequel exploring the dark backstory of how a teenage boy becomes a killer

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R. Kelly reportedly got COVID-19 vaccine while awaiting child sex charges - Page Six

R. Kelly has reportedly received both shots of a COVID-19 vaccine while being held in an Illinois lockup on serious child sex charges.

The “I Believe I Can Fly” singer — who repeatedly tried to get released from custody because of the dangers of the pandemic — is one of more than 60 inmates at Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Center to be fully inoculated, according to TMZ.

The 47-year-old got his first shot in January and the second this month, the outlet said. It was not clear which vaccine he received.

The singer — real name Robert Kelly — is awaiting trials in Illinois and New York on charges including sexually abusing underage girls, producing child pornography, and destroying evidence.

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U.S. administers 72.8 mln doses of COVID-19 vaccines -CDC - Financial Post

Article content

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 72,806,180 doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered in the country as of Saturday morning and it had distributed 96,402,290 doses.

The tally is for both the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines as of 6 a.m. ET Saturday, the agency said. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines involve two doses.

The CDC on Friday had reported a tally 70,454,064 vaccines doses administered and 94,300,910 doses distributed.

The agency said that as of Saturday, 48,435,536 people had received at least one vaccine dose while 23,698,627 had received the two doses.

A total of 7,043,540 vaccine doses have been administered in long-term care facilities, the agency said. (Reporting by Maria Ponnezhath in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler)

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DeSantis slammed in Florida editorial for hiding COVID vaccine info as state reels - Raw Story

In a commentary that was both scorching and sarcastic, the editorial board of the Tampa Bay Times took Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to task on Sunday morning for hiding information on when Floridians can expect to have access to the COVID-19 vaccines.

DeSantis, who has been resistant to taking the advice from the CDC to help stop the spread of the COVID-19, has recently hinted the age for those getting the vaccine might drop in March, but that wasn't enough the local newspaper's editorial board.

Under a pointed, 'Hey Gov. DeSantis, why so cagey with Covid vaccine details?" headline, the editors pointed out that the governor is already taking heat from his opponents for "not having a detailed plan for rolling out more COVID-19 vaccinations. Your 'no-plan is a good plan' mantra isn't playing well in some circles."

That said, the editors pressed the governor to be more transparent with his longterm plans -- if he has any.

"This isn't spycraft," they wrote. "Giving Floridians a basic understanding of who comes next in the vaccination queue won't somehow give the virus a leg up, like spilling the details of the D-Day invasion. This isn't poker where deception is paramount. Show Floridians a few of your cards. They can handle it."

The editorial pointedly jabbed the Republican governor for "selecting two wealthy and predominantly white Manatee County ZIP codes to distribute an 'extra' 3,000 vaccinations," before applauding him for moving frontline health care workers and seniors to the front of the vaccination line -- but said beyond that, the public is being left in the dark.

"The main bottleneck has been the supply of vaccines, something largely outside of a governor's control," the editors admitted before adding, "All the more reason for you to dole out a few more details. Lately, you have indicated that teachers and law enforcement over the age of 50 could be next, but even then you couched it with 'probably' and 'I think.' On Thursday, you said the state will lower the age of eligibility for shots 'sometime in March.' You didn't say what the new age might be — 60? 55? Again, we don't need a 100-page treatise on where and how the state plans to distribute the vaccine over the next few months. But give us more than just dribs and drabs."

"A little more communication will allay fears and quell anxiety by helping Floridians determine where they fall on the schedule. Most residents are willing to wait their turn. They understand there isn't enough vaccine to go around yet, and they don't blame you for that. But you can help them by being more forthcoming, by treating your plan as less of a secret," they wrote before concluding, "We'd like to know a few more details about the rest of us."

You can read the whole piece here.

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These Side Effects Are Much More Likely After Your Second Shot, CDC Says - Best Life

If you’ve been concerned about COVID vaccine side effects, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has some reassuring news for you: after tracking the first several million doses, they’ve determined that “Health care providers and vaccine recipients can be reassured about the safety of Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.” However, they also found that there are some minor side effects and two of these are much more likely to occur after your second shot: fever and chills. Read on for more on the CDC's insights, and to learn which rare vaccine side effects mean you shouldn't get shot two, If You Have These Vaccine Side Effects, Don't Get Another Shot, CDC Says.

In just a few short months, the CDC has collected a tremendous amount of data on the COVID vaccines’ safety. In fact, they say that safety monitoring for these vaccines has been “the most intense and comprehensive in U.S. history.” Using the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a spontaneous reporting system, and v-safe, an active surveillance system in which patients can self-report side effects via an app, they’ve reviewed the administration of nearly 14 million doses over the course of a single month.

While the vast majority of vaccine recipients reported no side effects at all (the CDC’s systems recorded a total of 6,994 adverse effects), they determined that those found in the wild mirrored data from clinical trials. “Injection site pain, fatigue, headache, and myalgia were most frequently reported, with a higher frequency after the second dose in comparable age groups,” the report concludes.

While fever and chills were not among the most commonly reported symptoms, they were notable in that they appeared far more frequently after the second dose of the vaccine. “Enrollees reported more reactions on the day after vaccination than on any other day. For the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, reactions were more frequent after the second dose than the first; the reported rate of fever and chills was more than four times higher after the second dose than after the first,” the CDC reports.

Doctors have explained that certain symptoms are more common after a second vaccine dose because the immune system already recognizes the supposed “threat” from the first dose of the vaccine. "When the body's immune system sees [the vaccine] a second time, there are more cells and there's a more intense immune response, resulting in those side effects,” Bill Moss, MD, a pediatrician and professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health recently told NBC News. For this reason, side effects from the COVID vaccine are considered a sign that the vaccine is working. Still on the fence about getting vaccinated? Read on for expert insights on the benefits of the vaccine, and for more on vaccine side effects, Dr. Fauci Says These 2 Side Effects Mean Your COVID Vaccine Is Working.

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According to White House COVID advisor Anthony Fauci, MD, fears surrounding the speed of the vaccines’ development are fair but unfounded. “The speed is really a reflection of the scientific advances that have allowed us to do things in a matter of months that would have formerly taken years. And that's the reason why we have a vaccine now in less than one year from the time the virus was identified. That isn't reckless speed; that's sufficient speed based on scientific advances,” he recently told NPR. And for the latest COVID news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.

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In the same interview, Fauci said that he views the vaccine rollout as “the endgame of this pandemic,” a tool uniquely poised to bring the virus to its knees. But he also expressed concern over vaccine hesitancy, which he suggested was a major hurdle in our return to safety.

“It would be terrible to have a vaccine, which is extraordinarily efficacious—ratio is 94 percent to 95 percent efficacious in preventing clinical disease—it would be terrible, with a tool as good as that, if people don't utilize that tool,” he said. And for more essential vaccine news, check out The Pfizer CEO Says This Is How Often You'll Need a COVID Vaccine.

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According to Aaron Richterman, MD, MPH, an Infectious Disease Fellow at Penn Medicine, scientists and doctors may be underselling the benefits of the vaccines out of an abundance of caution, but the data supporting their efficacy speak volumes.

"I think the first important thing to know is that we have gold standard, A-plus evidence, our best kind of evidence that the vaccines, the mRNA vaccines Moderna and Pfizer that are becoming available are among the very best vaccines we've ever tested," Richterman told ABC News. "Getting this vaccine is going to be the ticket to gather with your loved ones, to work safely, to get out and get life back to normal again," he added.

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Eugenia South, MD, MS, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, shared her own complex path from vaccine hesitancy to endorsement with NBC News. As a Black doctor, she weighed the “centuries of structural racism” that contributed to her own medical mistrust against the hard evidence of the vaccines’ efficacy. She ultimately made her decision to get the vaccine after combing through Pfizer’s trial data.

“The graph from that study showing the continued rise of COVID-19 infection in the placebo group compared to the near complete drop-off in those who received the vaccine will forever be imprinted on my mind. In addition to being a physician, I am a scientist. And while the historical examples of experimentation on Black bodies in the name of science are too numerous to count, and concerns about racism and bias in research persist, I still trust rigorous science,” wrote South. And when you're ready to start planning your vaccination, You'll Be Able to Get Vaccinated at Any Walgreens by This Date.

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Maine CDC reports 142 new cases of COVID-19, 1 new death - WMTW Portland

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1. Maine CDC reports 142 new cases of COVID-19, 1 new death  WMTW Portland
2. New fears of next coronavirus wave as case declines slow and variants grow  Yahoo News
3. VaccineFinder tool aims to help Americans locate available COVID-19 vaccines  ABC15 Arizona
4. CDC warns that gyms are more dangerous than we thought  Salon
5. Maine CDC reports additional COVID-19 death, 142 new cases wabi.tv - 1h  WABI
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Alabama could reach herd immunity as early as May, UAB researcher estimates - AL.com

An epidemiologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham projected that the country, and Alabama, could reach herd immunity to COVID-19 as early as May or June.

“We’re getting closer to herd immunity, thanks to the vaccine, and also new scientific data that shows us that more people had COVID than were tested,” said Suzanne Judd, a PhD epidemiologist at UAB.

Judd said her calculations are based on the current pace of delivering COVID-19 vaccines, coupled with a recent study from Columbia University that estimated that more than a third of the U.S. population may have already been infected with the virus by the end of January.

Herd immunity occurs when the virus cannot spread through a population uncontrolled because enough members of the population have some kind of immunity, either from a vaccine or from antibodies if they had the disease and recovered.

Scientists already know how many people have been vaccinated against COVID and how many people have tested positive for the disease. But there’s a huge, and unknown, number of people who got the virus and were never tested.

If that number is large enough, spread of the disease could drop dramatically in the coming months.

“Current estimates are that we’ll see [herd immunity] sometime late spring, early summer in Alabama,” Judd said. “Somewhere between May and June is likely, but this depends on many factors.”

Judd said new studies at Columbia, Johns Hopkins University and UAB suggest that many more people may have already had the disease than we thought. In New York City, she said, one study showed a nearly 10-to-1 ratio of people who currently have antibodies to people who tested positive for the virus.

Judd said that’s less surprising because New York was hit hard by the virus early in the pandemic, when it was much harder to get a COVID test. She said at UAB, the ratio is closer to 5-to-1. Her forecast, in an attempt be conservative and not over-estimate, assumes there are three people who actually had COVID in Alabama for every positive test reported.

“The more people that have immunity, the less the virus will spread, the safer it will be for us to interact with one another again,” Judd said.

Estimates vary on how much of the population needs to be immune to truly disrupt the virus’s spread, but Judd said her calculations were based on a threshold of getting immunity in 72% of the population.

“There’s no magical number that is herd immunity,” Judd said. “Each virus, each bacteria is different, and they mutate at regular intervals, so this number can move. But at the moment, scientists are shooting for about 72% of the population with immunity, so hopefully we’ll see that soon.”

For Alabama, Judd said that would mean 3.5 million people need to be either vaccinated or infected. Current statistics show that 12.5% of Alabama’s population had received at least one COVID dose of vaccine and another 10% had tested positive for the virus.

As of Friday, Alabama had reported 491,849 positive tests. Assuming a 3-to-1 ratio, that would indicate that almost 1.5 million Alabamians have had COVID already. If the 5-to-1 ratio turns out to be true, that would equal more than 2.4 million people have already been infected, bringing the state closer to that herd immunity threshold.

Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said he was familiar with Judd’s work and said she did a “tremendous job” forecasting herd immunity for Alabama.

“Dr. Judd is a great researcher, and so I think that what she put together was very intriguing and makes a lot of sense,” Harris said Thursday.

Still, Harris said there were many unknowns about herd immunity, including how many Alabamians may have already gotten COVID but never got tested.

“A little over 10% or so of our state we know has tested positive, and has been infected,” Harris said. “But certainly the percentage that has antibodies on board is a lot higher than that.”

Mutations also could be key to whether herd immunity holds up, she said, or if booster vaccines are needed.

“It really depends on how the virus mutates,” she said. “There are some mutations that we’ll be completely covered by the immune response the body has already developed. There are other mutations that could escape the immune system and require a vaccine booster or actually lead to reinfection.

“So the variants are something we have to watch very carefully.”

Judd said Alabamians should not let their guard down, or begin leaving their masks at home just yet.

“We’re not going to know that we’re at herd immunity, there’s no magical, all of a sudden we’re at 72% and we’re safe,” Judd said. “The things we’re going to monitor are the number of cases per week, we’re going to continue to watch that very carefully. And as long as it trends down and stays below about 10 or 5 [cases] per 100,000, and we have decent testing in the state, then we’ll know that it’s safe to get people back together.”

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'Things are tenuous,' U.S. CDC says as downward trend in COVID-19 cases stalls - Reuters

By Jeff Mason, Carl O’Donnell

4 Min Read

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday that a recent decline in COVID-19 cases may be stalling, a development she described as concerning while urging that safeguards to fight the virus remain in place.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters the number of cases had been increasing for the past three days compared to the prior week and that declines in hospitalizations and deaths were also “potentially leveling off at still a very high number.”

Walensky painted a critical picture of the current state of the pandemic.

“Things are tenuous. Now is not the time to relax restrictions. Cases, hospital admissions, and deaths all remain very high and the recent shift in the pandemic must be taken extremely seriously.”

States and cities have been gradually lifting restrictions in recent weeks. New York City reopened indoor dining earlier this month and Massachusetts plans to remove limits on restaurant capacity starting in March. Montana and Iowa lifted statewide mask requirements earlier this month, while North Dakota’s mask mandate expired in January.

The White House urged companies on Friday to join efforts to help fight the pandemic by requiring mask-wearing by employees and educating customers.

Andy Slavitt, a senior adviser on the White House’s COVID-19 response team, listed a number of companies that were taking measures to help with the pandemic fight and urged more to join.

He announced what he described as a new partnership between the Biden administration and leading business organizations to spur the private sector to encourage companies to require masks and social distancing to protect employees and customers, make it easier for employees to get vaccinated with incentives, and educate the public about the benefits of masks and vaccines.

“We are asking businesses to amplify CDC messages about masking and vaccinations on their products, properties and web sites,” Slavitt said.

Ford and the Gap were producing and donating millions of masks, he said, while Best Buy, Target and Dollar General were giving workers paid time off or compensating them to get vaccines.

Uber, PayPal and Walgreens were teaming up to provide $10 million in free rides to vaccination sites, he said, while Lyft had partnered with CVS and the YMCA to provide $60 million free or discounted rides to vaccination sites.

The White House is working on a broad campaign to educate Americans about the vaccine as it seeks to bring the pandemic that has killed more than 500,000 people in the United States under control.

President Joe Biden on Thursday noted concerns that later this spring supply of the vaccines would outstrip demand because of vaccine hesitancy.

Moderna Inc said on Wednesday it is working with U.S. government scientists to study an experimental booster shot that targets a concerning new variant of the coronavirus. [L1N2KU3A9]

Infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said the study, which will be run by the National Institutes of Health, will start in mid-March and that there was no plan yet to begin manufacturing the experimental booster at scale as it is unclear whether the new B1351 variant first found in South Africa will become a dominant variant in the United States.

Reporting by Jeff Mason in Washington and Carl O’Donnell in New York; additional reporting by Lisa Lambert; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Mark Heinrich

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Covid-19 Vaccine Is a Struggle for Those With No Hospital Connection - The Wall Street Journal

People in medically underserved communities often find it difficult to get a Covid-19 vaccine; cars lined up at a drive-through vaccination site in Dallas on Feb. 10.

Photo: Tom Fox/Associated Press

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Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties report 71 new COVID-19 cases - WWNY

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Maine hospitals brace for new surge of vaccine seekers after state expands eligibility - Bangor Daily News

AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine hospitals anticipate another surge in demand for COVID-19 vaccines after state officials announced residents aged 60 and older would be next in line for shots, an extension to a greater population than previously anticipated.

Friday’s announcement that Maine would switch to an age-based vaccination system comes as three out of five Mainers aged 70 and up have received at least one vaccine dose while the state’s vaccine allocation is expected to increase and the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine is likely to be approved by the federal government this weekend.

Appointments have been easier to come by for many Maine seniors over the past few weeks as supply has increased. But the roughly 75,000 people age 70 and up who have not yet been vaccinated — coupled with about 180,000 newly eligible Mainers — are likely to lead to a surge of demand that exceeds even an increased supply of vaccines.

The rush of appointment seekers could look similar to when Maine first expanded eligibility, said Dr. James Jarvis, who leads Northern Light Health’s COVID-19 response. But he said the Bangor-based hospital system has been preparing for a possible expansion since last week, when public officials said approaching the 70 percent mark of those over 70 receiving their first dose would likely trigger a change in the eligibility.

There have been signs that certain areas of the state may have reached saturation for Mainers over 70 willing to get vaccinated, Jarvis said. He pointed to Aroostook County — where getting the vaccine is easier than most of the state because of the low population’s geographic density around sites — as an example.

“We reached out to the Maine CDC to say we were certainly ready in certain parts of the state [to expand], that we’ve already eclipsed where our supply was actually greater than our demand,” he said.

Preparations have mostly centered on making sure the system’s website was prepared to accommodate new age ranges and able to handle a rush of appointments, Jarvis said. He did not anticipate needing more staff at this point and said the system would not create a wait list for future eligible Mainers, saying it could give people a false sense of security and cause frustration if they do not get contacted immediately.

Northern Light’s website — which briefly crashed amid high traffic when Maine first opened vaccines to residents aged 70 and up — began allowing people in their 60s to set up appointments Friday afternoon, minutes after Mills announced the change in prioritization.

Depending on where they live, Mainers in their 60 may not be able to book appointments right away, as several providers indicated they would continue giving vaccines to those 70 and up first. Hospitals can prioritize based on pre-existing health conditions or other factors, Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew said Friday.

MaineHealth, the state’s largest hospital system, will prioritize people 70 and older who have pre-registered in its system, according to spokesperson John Porter. But the hospital system still expects to begin scheduling appointments for Mainers in their 60s next week. MaineHealth is prepared to administer up to 25,000 vaccines per week, Porter said, though it has received only 8,500 the past few weeks as supply remains limited.

Maine is set to receive more than 30,000 doses next week, up 8 percent from this week, as well as nearly 9,000 vaccines through the federal retail pharmacy program. Walmart, which is offering vaccines in Maine under that program, was not yet allowing Mainers under age 70 to book appointments Friday evening.

The state’s allocation of vaccines could further increase with the approval of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which was endorsed by federal advisers Friday afternoon. If approved by the Food and Drug Administration, Johnson & Johnson has suggested it could distribute 20 million vaccines before March’s end, which could translate into more than 80,000 vaccines here.

For now, the new prioritization categories came as a “relief” for Stephen Patriquen of Portland, who turns 65 in April. Patriquen knew he would be vaccinated eventually, but having a timeframe brought him peace of mind he had been waiting for since the pandemic began.

Like many, Patriquen said he has been limiting contact with those outside his immediate household, including his sister, a nurse at Maine Medical Center. She has been vaccinated, but he is still wary of interacting with her because of her work with the public.

But that relief was almost tempered by uncertainty for Patriquen on the next steps for getting vaccinated, something he said he had not begun to research. Being eligible, he said, was not the same as knowing definitively when he would be vaccinated.

“[The vaccine] has been a sort of carrot on a stick for a while now,” he said.

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