Dr. Cyrus Shahpar, Director of Data for Covid-19 at the White House, celebrated with a tweet early on Saturday afternoon.
“Wow, a record-breaking day !! + 4.08 million doses administered over yesterday’s total,” wrote Shahpar.
“First day with 4 million or more. Also the first time, averaging more than 3 million a day last week. Millions coming together to accelerate our progress in controlling the pandemic!”
It has been almost 109 days since the first Covid-19 vaccine was administered in the United States, and 104 million people have already received at least one dose, the agency said. More than 59 million of them are fully vaccinated.
More than 161 million doses have been administered in the United States, according to agency data published on Saturday.
There are 4,081,959 doses administered since Friday – an average of seven days of 3,072,527 doses per day. Data published by the CDC may be delayed and doses may not have been administered on the reported day.
Caution is recommended, as the CDC states that vaccinated people are at low risk during travel
The CDC considers someone to be fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last necessary dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
And while there is progress with President Joe Biden saying on Friday that a record 20 million doses of vaccine were administered this week, health experts warn that more progress is needed before all Americans can consider ending the fight against the pandemic.
The CDC also advises anyone who has not received the vaccine to avoid travel. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said she is still concerned about the pandemic and advises against unnecessary travel.
“I still continue to worry about the fact that, with 80% of the population not vaccinated, we still have a lot of work to do to control this pandemic,” said Walensky.
On Friday, the Transportation Security Administration screened 1,580,785 people at airports, surpassing last Sunday’s record during the pandemic of 1.57 million travelers, according to the agency.
Friday was the 23rd consecutive day with more than one million air passengers, mainly during spring break.
CDC update guidance as science evolves
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will continue to monitor Covid-19 data and update its travel guidelines as science evolves, Walensky said during a virtual meeting at the White House on Friday.
“Science at Covid-19 is constantly evolving. We will continue to monitor the evidence and provide updates as we learn more. With so many people still unvaccinated, it is important that everyone – regardless of the status of vaccination – continues to take preventive measures in public. and adhere to our guidelines on ways to reduce the spread of Covid-19, “said Walensky. “Wear a mask, distance yourself socially, avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces and wash your hands frequently.”
New guidelines were also released on Friday to cruise ship operators. The ships, which were the first sites of the virus outbreaks, will have to operate practice cruises with volunteers before accepting paying customers, the CDC said.
Cruise ship operators will have to report coronavirus cases every day instead of weekly, says the CDC in the new guidance. They also have to include the vaccination of the crew and port staff in their plans.
States increase eligibility, fearing an increase
CNN medical analyst Leana Wen said she feared a fourth outbreak of the virus in the United States as states lift precautions and variants continue to spread. And some state leaders share their concern.
“It is clear that in Oregon and across the country, the fourth wave of this virus is at our doorstep,” said Oregon Governor Kate Brown. “Although the case numbers in Oregon, fortunately, did not match those in other states with large peaks, our numbers are increasing.”
“I know we are all fed up with a pandemic, physical distance and wearing masks, but we are in the last miles of the marathon,” said Brown.
And with the increase in cases in Vermont, the state’s health commissioner, Dr. Mark Levine, said he was “very concerned” about hospitalizations and deaths.
With the increase in the number of cases in West Virginia, the state has expanded the eligibility of the Covid-19 vaccine to all residents aged 16 and over, Governor Jim Justice said on Friday.
Alabama will also expand access to the vaccine to all residents age 16 and older starting April 5, Governor Kay Ivey said on Friday.
“In fact, this vaccine is our ticket back to normal life. We are very close to putting Covid-19 in the rearview mirror and, until then, we should all continue to wear our masks, get vaccinated and use the common sense that the good Lord has given us, “said the governor in a press release.
In fact, Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Saturday that people need to keep wearing masks – even if more Americans are being vaccinated – until science shows otherwise.
“It is likely that, if you are vaccinated, you will not spread the infection, if you are infected without any symptoms. There is no doubt about it, ”said Fauci in an interview with Fox News. “There are studies that are going on the air now, that will definitely prove it.”
He added: “This is why we say that when that happens, we will back off on the recommendation to say that vaccinated people should continue to wear masks. You want to be conservative in saying, wait until we get the data, where we can definitely prove it. “
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said there are variables at play that make it difficult to say if and when Americans will be able to relax wearing masks.
“If we have a big increase and the number of cases continues, it is conceivable that we will have to wear masks in 2022,” he said. “But if we continue to vaccinate people, put the overwhelming majority of people together with those who have been infected and the level of infection drops, it is very likely that it will not be necessary.”
The spread of Michigan may foreshadow what is to come elsewhere
Michigan reported 8,413 new cases of Covid-19 on Saturday, bringing the total to 692,206, according to the state health department. The count of reported cases is the highest that the state reported since December 7, 2020.
The current increase in coronavirus cases in Michigan and parts of Canada may foreshadow what is to come elsewhere in the U.S., as people move more and a contagious viral variant spreads, said an expert who modeled the pandemic. on Saturday.
Michigan reported 8,413 new cases of Covid-19 on Saturday, bringing the total to 692,206, according to the state health department. The count of reported cases is the highest that the state reported since December 7, 2020.
Population health professor Ali Mokdad of the Institute of Health Metrics and Assessment at the University of Washington (IHME) said that the easiest transmission variant B.1.1.7 seen for the first time in Britain is fueling the spread, but so is people’s behavior.
“The increase in B.1.1.7 is taking place in the northern states of the US and Canada. The rapid increase in cases seen in Michigan could be a marker of what can occur in other parts of the US and Canada,” said Mokdad via Twitter.
“Cases and deaths are increasing in Europe, despite extensive orders of social distance, a slow increase in vaccination rates and reduced mobility,” tweeted Mokdad.
On Thursday, the HMI increased its estimate of how many people are likely to die of coronavirus in the U.S. by July 1 to 609,000 deaths, compared to 600,000 in last week’s forecast.
The spread of new variants may be partly to blame, but so is the relaxation of social detachment and masking mandates, said the IHME.
“The excessively rapid reopening, well documented in the rapid increase in mobility in the United States, increases the risk of a sudden increase in April / May, despite the rapid increase in vaccination,” tweeted Mokdad.
“The path of the pandemic requires stronger preventive measures and depends on the behavioral response in terms of confidence in the vaccine, wearing a mask and preventing situations that represent a high risk of transmission”.
2,600 cases of a rare condition in young children
The serious illness caused by Covid-19 is still extremely rare among children, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Of these 2,617 cases, 33 children with MIS-C died.
Symptoms usually include breathing problems, stomach problems, heart problems, lesions in the mucous membranes (such as inside the mouth), skin problems and extreme inflammation.
The number of cases increased in December, but started to drop in March. Another 557 more cases have been reported since February 8.
Scientists still have many doubts about why some children develop MIS-C after they have been or been exposed to Covid-19. MIS-C cases are tracked in 48 states, Puerto Rico and Washington DC. Additional cases are under investigation.
CNN Maggie Fox, Chuck Johnston, Lauren Mascarenhas, Deidre McPhillips, Maegan Vazquez, Jacqueline Howard, Chris Boyette, Anjali Huynh, Jen Christensen, Heather Law and Gregory Lemos contributed to this report.