More than 300,000 people have now died of the corona virus in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University data. This milestone comes as the first Americans receive Pfizer’s newly approved corona virus vaccine, which the country hopes will turn the table in the fight against the virus.
The arrival of the vaccine comes at a critical time. The United States has registered eight consecutive days of COVID-19 hospitalization, and the number of patients in need of intensive care has increased by 80% since a month ago.
In Los Angeles County, California, new COVID-19 cases have increased by 370% in a month – and there are no ICU beds in the state’s Central Valley. In New Jersey, which currently has the highest COVID-19 mortality rate in the country, Governor Bill Murphy warned The coming weeks will be “hell.”
Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr Scott Godlip warned on Sunday that the corona virus infection would increase, causing Americans to travel on holidays ignoring warnings from health officials.
“The health care system is going to be under pressure, and the health care system needs to be maximized,” Godlip said in an interview.Face the nation. “They are not going to see much load on hospital resources until mid – January to late January. “
Local leaders have implemented tough new regulations in recent weeks to prevent the spread of the virus. New York City Close the indoor dish As of Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio warned that the city could face a full shutdown in the coming weeks. Leaders California, Philadelphia, Virginia and many more Other states Curfew order, closed indoor food and other essential businesses closed.
Since the FDA approved Pfizer vaccine for emergency use on Friday night, the company has been racing to distribute nearly 3 million doses to more than 600 locations across the country. In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday TV provided the update Complex care nurse Sandra Lindsay received one of the first doses of the vaccine.
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“I believe this is the weapon that will end the war. This is the beginning of the last chapter of the book,” Cuomo said Monday.
In Louisville, Kentucky, nurse Lawson Scott also received a dose. “Now I can feel at ease, I know we still have a long way to go, but I can now see that light at the end of the tunnel,” Scott said.
The companies responsible for distributing the vaccine, FedEx and UPS, told CBS News on Monday that all of the vaccine deliveries were scheduled or ahead of schedule. Pfizer told CBS News that all shipments on Monday were delivered “in a timely manner and within acceptable temperature conditions”, adding that scheduled shipments on Tuesdays and Wednesdays were “already packed and in supply.”
Pfizer will release 2.9 million doses of the vaccine this week, and another 2.9 million next week. In total, 20 million doses of the vaccine are expected to be delivered by the end of the year. Every person who has been vaccinated will need it Two scenes, Three weeks apart.
Pfizer has promised to deliver up to 100 million doses of the vaccine by the end of the first quarter of 2021, as previously announced by CBS News. Second Vaccine from Moderna It also seeks emergency approval from the FDA, and could begin next week.
The panel of bipartisan legislators released on Monday A pair of corona virus relief bills It is designed to help American workers and small businesses escape the remnants of epidemics. The $ 748 billion bill is expected to include check protection program funding, unemployment insurance and more money for vaccine development and distribution. The $ 160 billion bill, which is expected to face more opposition in the Republican-controlled Senate, will provide state and local funding.
Mola Lengi, Jonathan Vigliotti and Chris Van Cleve contributed to the reporting.