The most recent forecast from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention projected that there will be between 405,000 and 438,000 deaths by the end of the month. The previous forecast, published on December 30, projected up to 424,000 deaths by January 23.
United States surgeon general Jerome Adams said on Thursday that states capable of vaccinating beyond phase 1a recommendations – which include health care professionals and residents of long-term care facilities – should do so.
Adams’ comments were echoed by Kentucky Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack, who said on Thursday that following the guidelines of who should be prioritized for the vaccine “should not hinder” facilities that use all the doses they receive .
“Sometimes, more than 30% of eligible people refuse to receive the vaccine when offered,” said Stack. “It is necessary to be flexible, otherwise we will not administer the vaccine.”
“A shot in a voluntary arm is ultimately a higher priority than a shot in just a few arms,” he added. “We are prioritizing, but focusing on not leaving vaccines in the freezer, where they do not help anyone, for long periods of time.”
US ‘overpromised’ vaccine expectations, health official said
Nearly 6 million people received their first dose of coronavirus vaccines, the CDC said, and another 21.4 million doses were distributed.
This is far below what was promised: officials from the federal government’s Operation Speed Warp had previously promised that 40 million doses would be distributed by the end of December and 20 million would be vaccinated.
“We over-promised and under-delivered as a nation,” Stack said in a statement, adding that his state received only a third of what they expected.
“If we had only projected realistic quantities, the public would not have seen this as a deficiency – we would have recognized the incredible achievement it was to have even so much vaccine so quickly.”
Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine described the discovery “a week or two in advance” of how many doses of vaccine the state would receive.
“But then the actual amount that is going to be transported often ends up being a little bit different, depending on the variables that the bending speed of operation has to deal with in terms of manufacturing and how much they receive.”
“I think it is important not to set unrealistic expectations that will later disappoint the public,” she added. “It can make (the audience) disillusioned with the program.”
States see ‘a health crisis of epic proportions’
At the epicenter of the virus is California, a state that has been among the many reporting record hospitalizations, increased deaths and health systems struggling to meet demand.
There were 459 new deaths from coronavirus on Wednesday and a record 22,820 patients being treated in hospitals for the virus, the California Department of Public Health reported.
More than 8,000 of them are hospitalized in Los Angeles County, where the emergency medical system is under great pressure, the health department said.
“This is a health crisis of epic proportions. I am more concerned than ever and, in part, my concern is rooted in the reality that it will take much more to slow the spread, given the high rate of spread in the community,” Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Barbara Ferrer, said in a statement.
On Thursday, one person died from Covid-19 in the county every 8 minutes.
In an interview with Wolf Blitzer of CNN, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said more vaccines and funding are needed to help keep the virus under control. But it also “depends on us as individuals,” he said.
“We have to keep doing everything in our downward behavior to squeeze our bubble, to make the right decisions and to make sure … we are doing everything we can to stop this now.”
Kentucky had two hikes on Wednesday: 5,743 new cases reported in one day and a positivity rate of 11.7%, the highest rate in the state since May.
“Today’s figures show the critical importance of an effort and a centralized response to defeat this virus,” said Governor Andy Beshear.
In Louisiana, the increase in cases and hospitalizations has led to stricter restrictions on coronavirus in New Orleans. As of Friday morning, meetings and special events are not allowed, except for people living together in the same house, and outdoor tables in bars and restaurants will be limited to six people in the same house, according to a statement from the city hall.
“The coming weeks will be a turning point in the history of our response to this pandemic,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “These restrictions are short-term, but they exist for a reason.”
The ‘very dangerous game’ of the variant
The patient identified in Harris County, Texas, which includes Houston, was a 30- to 40-year-old man with no travel history, officials said – the implication is that the variant is circulating locally.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said health officials in his state have identified two cases in people aged 15 to 25 who live in New Haven County. Both traveled recently – one to Ireland and the other to New York State.
Cases of the variant have been found in other states, including California, Florida, Colorado, Georgia, New York and Pennsylvania. And health experts warn that this could become a problem if the United States fails to control the spread of the coronavirus.
“We are playing a very dangerous game with this virus now,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO technical leader for the coronavirus response, to CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. “What concerns us is that the longer it spreads, the more opportunities it has to change.”
Van Kerkhove pointed out that many mutations will not have much impact on the virus, but if a virus changes its genetics in the right way, tests may not be able to detect it so easily and vaccines may not work as well against it.
The virus is more likely to mutate in countries like the United States, which is experiencing unprecedented and uncontrolled spread.
She pointed out that some countries, like Australia and New Zealand, did a better job of controlling the pandemic.
“It is totally up to us to be able to control the virus,” she said. “The virus is controllable, including these variants.”
CNN’s Jen Christensen, Alta Spells, Virginia Langmaid, Elizabeth Cohen and Maggie Fox Ben Tinker, Sarah Moon, Cheri Mossburg, Rebekah Riess, Jamiel Lynch, Keith Allen, Naomi Thomas, Anna Sturla, Taylor Romine, Melissa Alonso and Elizabeth Cohen contributed to that report.