Workers began processing shipments of the second U.S. Covid-19 vaccine on Sunday, but nationwide the situation remained dire.
Asked if the U.S. would see “up to 5,000 deaths a day,” Trump administration’s vaccine adviser Dr. Moncef Slaoui told CNN’s Union State: “I think, unfortunately, that worse, because we are still experiencing the outcome of the Thanksgiving Holiday and the gatherings and unfortunately there may be more over the Christmas holidays, there will be a steady increase. “
The Transportation Security Administration aptly reported that about 1.07 million people went through security checkpoints at U.S. airports on Friday and Saturday.
“I don’t know exactly what the numbers might be,” Slaoui said, “but unfortunately they are probably going to be higher than they are today. ”
There were more cautious words from Dr. Vivek Murthy, Joe Biden’s new chief surgeon. He told NBC that the general public may not have access to vaccines until autumn 2021.
Covid’s new cases went down from the highs on Saturday, with hospitals down for a second day. According to Johns Hopkins University, 196,295 new cases were registered Saturday, down from a record high of 249,709 on Friday. The same source recorded 2,571 deaths, down from 2,814 after highs above 3,000 earlier in the week. Reporting usually weakens at weekends. The total U.S. death tax was 315,921, from more than 17.6m cases. Some models predict more than 500,000 deaths by mid-January.
According to the Covid Management Project, 113,929 people were hospitalized with Covid-19 on Saturday, with 21,688 in intensive care.
In Washington, lawmakers closed a much-needed package of economic stimulus and relief, with a vote on the $ 900bn deal on Sunday.
Near Memphis, Tennessee, factory workers put up the first batch of the vaccine developed by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health. Shoes were expected to be delivered Monday, just three days after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized emergency release.
The Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine was introduced a week ago and began use the next day, embarking on the largest vaccine campaign in U.S. history. President Joe Biden is expected to receive his drawing on Monday. On Saturday, public health expert Dr. Anthony Fauci gave American children peace of mind, saying he himself vaccinated Santa Claus.
The Pfizer and Moderna views almost all go to health care workers and care home residents, based on the advisory committee’s advice on vaccine practices. There will be no scenes for the general public until spring – at best.
“When it comes to the vaccination timeline, ”Murthy told NBC’s Meet the Press,” we all want the vaccine to be delivered as quickly, fairly as possible. And you can be sure that I and others on the Biden team every day and night work towards that. But we also want to be honest, you know, about the timeline.
“If all goes well, we may see a situation where at the end of the spring you get, you know, people who are in lower risk areas to get this vaccine. But that really had to be on time. I think it is more reasonable to assume that it could be closer to mid – summer or early fall when this vaccine will make its way to the general public. So we want to be optimistic, but we also want to be careful. “
On Sunday the advisory committee recommended that adult states over 75 should re-employ “essential workers”, as bus drivers, grocery clerks and others are mostly infected. Other experts have said that people 65 and older should be next, with people with certain medical conditions, as they die at the highest rates.
Both the Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech pill require two doses several weeks apart. In inconclusive studies, both safety and protection appeared to be strong. The Moderna vaccine is easier to store and transport.
On Saturday, Gen Gustave Perna, who was in charge of federal vaccination circulation, said the government was on track to get about 20m doses by the first week of January but apologized for deficiencies in early shipments to states .
“It was my fault,” he said. “I gave directions. I am the one who agreed the preview pages. I am the one who approved the rations, it was a design error, and I am concerned. ”
Slaoui praised Perna for taking charge. Adm Brett Giroir, a member of Covid’s White House action group, said ABC’s third vaccine was on the way.
“The next vaccine is to come [Johnson & Johnson] or Janssen, ”he said. “We would expect that permission to be granted in January. Again, we do not know the results of that. That has to be unconnected, go through all the processes. It will be very obvious, just like the first two.
“It’s a one-dose vaccine. We don’t know the results. But we are very optimistic, by January we will have at least three vaccines, with more to come. ”
Americans need their help. On Saturday, nearly 17,400 people were admitted to the California hospital, more than double the number in July. A state model showed the number could reach 75,000 by mid-January.
More than 3,600 were in intensive care. Southern California and the 12-county San Joaquin Valley to the north had lost the capacity for intensive care and some hospitals used surge space. The state ICU capacity was only 2%. A further 272 deaths were reported. In the past week, nearly 1,600 have died.
In Los Angeles, public health director Barbara Ferrer forced people to stay at home, not to moan outside their home and wear a mask and social distance.
“Places where people from different homes congregate and do not follow safety guidelines contribute to unnecessary release of Covid-19 leading to hospitalization and avoidable death, ”She said. “Following the safety measures will save lives and is the only way to protect our vital staff and hospitals. ”