Covid-19 cases recently reported in the United States have surpassed 200,000 again, putting the total number of infections reported in the country above 21 million, as hospitalizations have reached another record.
The country reported 229,055 new cases on Tuesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, compared with 180,477 recorded on Monday. Tuesday’s number also increased from 202,145 reported a week earlier. Johns Hopkins revised down Tuesday’s case count from an earlier number of more than 230,000.
More than 21.07 million cases have been reported in the United States, according to data from Johns Hopkins, and more than 358,000 people have died.
The seven-day moving average of new reported cases, which smooths out data irregularities, was 219,253 on Tuesday, according to an analysis by the Wall Street Journal of Johns Hopkins data. The 14-day average was 200,460. When the seven-day average is greater than the 14-day average, it suggests that cases are increasing.
Hospitalizations have increased again, to a record high of 131,215, according to the Covid Tracking Project. It was the first time that the number went over 130,000 and, on the tenth consecutive day, it went over 120,000. There were 23,509 people in intensive care, according to the project, also a record.
Health officials in Georgia said on Tuesday that a highly contagious strain of Covid-19 found for the first time in the UK was detected in the state. The new strain, which is believed to spread 70% faster than previous forms of the virus, was found in an 18-year-old man who had no travel history.
A new blockade took effect in England and Scotland to combat the spread of the new strain. Colorado was the first state in the United States to discover the variant in one of its residents last week. Additional cases were later found in California, Florida and New York.
Also on Tuesday, the Recording Academy said the Grammy Awards would be delayed for two months because of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, a vaccine official at the National Institutes of Health said the agency is studying whether half a dose of Moderna Inc.’s Covid-19 inoculation could protect people from the disease by effectively doubling the supply of the vaccine. A day earlier, the Food and Drug Administration rejected suggestions to cut recommended doses of vaccines.
Worldwide, more than 86.7 million infections have been reported, according to data from Johns Hopkins, and more than 1.87 million people have died.