Here’s what’s happening Friday with the pandemic in the US:
THREE CONVERSATIONS TO BE INFORMED TODAY
– After months of serving as a role model in the fight against COVID-19, California has seen diseases run out of control for weeks. It now has the worst coronavirus diagnosis rate in the U.S. Experts say several factors have been combined to reverse California’s past efforts, which for much of the year reduced pressure and keeps the virus at manageable levels. Housing, travel and Thanksgiving rallies contributed to dispersal, along with public obesity among rules that closed many schools and businesses and encouraged – or needed – a remote lifestyle.
– Health officials say they have found evidence in a Florida man of the latest U.S. outbreak of the new and apparently more contagious coronavirus variant that was first seen in England. The Florida Department of Health tweeted a statement late Thursday that the variant was found in a man in his 20s with no recent travel history. It follows recent reports of confirmed cases elsewhere in Colorado and California. The cases have raised questions about how the COVID-19 variant circulating in England reached the U.S., where experts say it appears to be already spreading.
– Ten months into quarantine and working from home due to the pandemics, the lives of domestic pets and relationships with humans have changed. For many dogs, a pandemic is a life as it should be: People around 24/7, walking and handling as requested, and going to their bed at night. Cats are more lovable than ever, some even needing attention. Long term effects are unknown.
NUMBERS: The seven-day follow-up average for new daily deaths in the U.S. fell in the past two weeks from 2,646 on Dec. 17 to 2,387.7 on Dec. 31, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
DEFAULT: The number of COVID-19-related deaths in the U.S. stands at more than 346,000.
QUESTIONNAIRE: “I think January is going to be worse at this point than we thought,” said Dr Don Williamson, president of the Alabama Hospital Association after watching online Christmas events that showed not many people wore a mask. “”
ICYMI: Authorities have arrested a suburban Milwaukee pharmacist deliberately destroying hundreds of doses of coronavirus vaccine by removing them from cooling for two nights. The Grafton Police Department said the former Aurora Health pharmacist was arrested on suspicion of reckless endangerment, damaging prescription drugs and criminal damage to property. Aurora Healthcare Group Chief Executive Jeff Bahr says the pharmacist deliberately took out 57 vials containing hundreds of doses of the Moderna vaccine from overnight cooling on Dec. 24, back. them, and then left out again the night of December 25th.
ON THE HORIZON: Congress ends chaotic session with rare retaliation by Republican President Donald Trump. GOP senators are defying the outgoing president’s request to increase the $ 600 COVID-19 aid reviews to $ 2,000. They are about to go over his veto of a major defense bill. Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina says Congress could try again to agree on larger COVID-19 aid deals after the new session opens Sunday. Senate Visiting Leader Mitch McConnell says Congress has provided enough pandemic support, for now. The stalemate is expected to drag into the weekend.
Find the full AP coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
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