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Coronavirus updates: US will soon have 'half a million' deaths, incoming CDC chief says

PHOTO: Mayor Eric Garcetti disinfects podium for next speaker at news conference held at the launch of mass COVID-19 vaccination site at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Jan. 15, 2021.
3:06
Irfan Khan/Pool via Reuters
COVID-19 vaccine access proves difficult in multiple states
By Morgan Winsor, Erin Schumaker, Emily Shapiro, Julia Jacobo
Last Updated: January 18, 2021, 2:39 AM

A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now infected more than 94.2 million people worldwide and killed over 2 million of them, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Latest headlines:

  • New patient admitted every 30 seconds in UK
  • US will soon have 'half a million' deaths, incoming CDC chief says
  • Faster-spreading variant could become dominant by March: CDC
  • COVID-19 deaths top 2 million worldwide
Here's how the news developed this week. All times Eastern.

Jan 18, 2021 2:39 AM

US sees decrease in 7-day averages in cases, hospitalizations, deaths

There has been a nationwide decrease in the seven-day averages for tests, cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

Many states are reporting a decrease in the number of new cases per million people, though California, Virginia and South Caroline reported more than 1,000 new cases per million Sunday.

Along with the states that do not regularly report on Sunday, Washington reported data system issues over the weekend. There will be some disruptions to reporting expected on Monday due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

States reported 1.8 million tests, 186,000 cases, 124,387 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19, and 2,044 deaths on Sunday, according to the COVID tracking project.

-ABC News Darren Reynolds


Jan 17, 2021 10:54 PM

New patient admitted every 30 seconds in UK

The number of patients entering hospitals in the U.K. every day is showcasing the dire situation as the new variant of the COVID-19 virus that originated there continues to spread.

Sir Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of England’s NHS, announced Sunday that "every thirty seconds across England another patient is being admitted to hospital with coronavirus."

Hospitals and staff are under “extreme pressure,” Stevens said.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson also announced Sunday that the vaccine was being administered at a rate of "140 jabs a minute."

-ABC News’ Zoe Magee


Jan 17, 2021 9:31 PM

California nearing 3 million positive cases

The state of California is poised to surpass 3 million positive COVID-19 cases within two days, according to data from the California Department of Public Health.

On Sunday, the state health department reported 42,229 new cases and 432 new deaths.

Los Angeles County, the hardest hit in the state, surpassed 1 million cases on Saturday. Dodger Stadium, the largest vaccination site in the country, reopened on Friday, but officials told ABC News they only have enough doses to last until Wednesday.

ABC News’ Matthew Fuhrman and Zohreen Shah contributed to this report.



Jan 17, 2021 9:33 PM

New York governor calls on feds for more vaccines

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is urging the federal government to send more COVID-19 vaccines to the state as the variant that originated in the U.K. continues to spread.

Nearly 14,000 positive tests were reported Sunday, with 18 known cases of the variant and an infection rate of 5.6%, Cuomo announced.

While 7 million New York residents are currently eligible to receive the vaccine, the federal government sent less vaccines than what was expected, he added.

"We have the weapon that will win this war and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but how fast we get there depends upon two things-our own individual actions and the federal supply, which is where we are facing the greatest challenge," Cuomo said in a statement.


Jan 14, 2021 12:49 AM

Mississippi runs out of COVID-19 vaccine supply

Mississippi has allotted its entire supply of COVID-19 vaccines and doesn't expect more doses until mid-February, the state health department announced Wednesday.

"Neither the county health department drive-through sites, nor the [University of Mississippi Medical Center] vaccine scheduling website was designed to accommodate the monumental surge we are currently experiencing," the Mississippi State Department of Health said in a statement. "At this time, we have no additional vaccine, and every appointment is tied to an actual vaccination."

The recent upsurge in COVID-19 vaccination appointments has now committed Mississippi's entire supply of vaccine. Appointment scheduling will resume after vaccine re-supply expected in mid-February: https://t.co/ODlGL35PxP

— MS Dept of Health (@msdh) January 13, 2021

New appointments are expected to resume after an anticipated vaccine resupply in mid-February, the department said.

On Tuesday, the state opened vaccine eligibility to people ages 65 and older and those with certain chronic health conditions, which led to an influx of calls to the state's COVID-19 hotline, officials said. Previously, vaccinations were prioritized for health care workers, long-term care residents and those over the age of 75.

"We decided to open vaccines to many more people. We knew it would cause a rush, but believe it is more fair than having government arbitrarily limit access," Gov. Tate Reeves said on Twitter Wednesday evening.

We decided to open vaccines to many more people. We knew it would cause a rush, but believe it is more fair than having government arbitrarily limit access. Moving fast—tens of thousands this week. Great explainer of what's happening and where we're going: https://t.co/BYT8iuyAf7

— Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) January 13, 2021

As of Tuesday, the state had administered 62,744 vaccinations over the last four weeks, Reeves said during a press briefing.

ABC News' Will Gretsky contributed to this report.


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