As the world welcomes the New Year, the coronavirus pandemic continues to escalate, with officials announcing that a variant of the virus first discovered in the UK has appeared in various areas of the United States.
On the last day of 2020, the U.S. surpassed 20 million confirmed cases of coronavirus. The country has also seen more than 345,000 virus-related deaths since the pandemic began, according to a NBC News count.
Here are the latest coronavirus updates from the United States and elsewhere:
California reaches record 585 virus deaths in 1 day
California began the new year by reporting a record 585 deaths from coronavirus in a single day.
The state Department of Public Health said on Friday that there were more than 47,000 new confirmed cases reported, bringing the total to more than 2.29 million.
State hospitals ended the year “on the brink of catastrophe,” said a health official as the pandemic took deaths and illnesses to surprising levels and some medical centers were struggling to provide oxygen to critically ill patients.
Getty Images A sign with COVID-19 safety guidelines is displayed at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort in Newport Beach, CA on Thursday, December 17, 2020. (Photo by Paul Bersebach / MediaNews Group / Orange County Register via Getty Images)
Governor Gavin Newsom’s office announced on Friday that California would begin collaborating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to evaluate and update outdated oxygen delivery systems at six Los Angeles area hospitals.
The collaboration comes at a time when older hospitals are having a hard time maintaining oxygen pressure in aging infrastructure and some were struggling to locate additional oxygen tanks for discharged patients to take home.
California this week became the third state to exceed 25,000 COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic began.
December was the deadliest and most infectious month since the pandemic began in the U.S.
The United States ended 2020 with the most lethal and infectious month since the coronavirus pandemic began, in addition to exceeding 20 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, NBC News reported.
More than 77,000 people lost their lives in December due to COVID-19, while 6.4 million contracted the virus amid the emergence of a new variant of the virus and delays in efforts to vaccinate people. The second most lethal month was April 2020, with more than 58,000 deaths.
Funeral set for elected US congressman who hired COVID-19
Funeral services will be performed on Saturday for an elected Louisiana congressman who died of complications from COVID-19. Republican Luke Letlow died on Tuesday. He was 41 and his inauguration was scheduled for Sunday.
His funeral will be at North Monroe Baptist Church, The News-Star reported.
The family said that all COVID-19 restrictions will be followed and masks will be required. North Monroe Baptist will broadcast the 2 pm service live on its social media platforms.
Letlow leaves his wife, Julia Letlow, and their children, Jeremiah, 3, and Jacqueline, 1.
Governor John Bel Edwards said he would order the flags to be raised at half the mast on Saturday.
Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, R-La., Died of complications from the coronavirus at age 41.
West Virginia health officials accidentally administered COVID treatment with Regeneron IV to 42 people instead of vaccine injection
Dozens of people in West Virginia mistakenly received Regeneron’s COVID-19 antibody treatment instead of the Modern vaccine, the West Virginia National Guard announced on Thursday.
The state National Guard said 42 people received the treatment, which is administered intravenously, at a vaccination clinic staffed by the Boone County Health Department, reports CNBC. The National Guard said it learned of the mistake on Wednesday.
Everyone who received the antibody treatment instead of the vaccine, which is given through an injection in the arm, was contacted, Julie Miller, administrator of the Boone County Health Department, told CNBC via email. She added that “we do not believe there is any risk of harm”.
Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody treatment, which needs to be administered intravenously, is seen as a promising treatment for COVID-19 – especially when administered early in the course of the infection. But the confusion in West Virginia is just one example of confusion in the race to distribute the vaccine to tens of millions of people. The launch was slower than expected and marked by logistical challenges.
“It was determined that this was an isolated incident,” said Miller. “All affected individuals will receive the COVID-19 vaccine today.”
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More cases of virus variant reported in Southern California
San Diego County has reported three more cases of a new, more infectious coronavirus strain, the county announced on Thursday. The news comes a day after the county reported its first case, and the second in the US, of the variant, reports to NBC San Diego.
New cases of the UK strain have been found in men, two in their 40s and one in their 50s. The contact tracking shows that two men have not traveled outside the county, while the third case has not yet been fully interviewed. None of the men had any known interactions with each other.
The four individuals who tested positive for B.1.1.7. live bloodline in La Mesa, Mission Beach, Otay Mesa and the Carmel Mountain / Rancho Bernardo area, the county said.
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