Here’s what happens Wednesday with the coronavirus pandemic in the US:
THREE THINGS TO KNOW TODAY
– Several states report that vaccines are running out, and tens of thousands of people who managed to get appointments for a first dose see them canceled. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said so far about half of the 31 million doses distributed to states by the federal government have been administered. Only about 2 million people have received the two doses needed for maximum protection against the virus.
– President Joe Biden is signing a series of executive actions which reverse its predecessor’s orders on immigration, climate change, and the coronavirus pandemic. Biden requires the use of masks and social distancing on all federal buildings, on federal land, and by federal employees and contractors. Biden is also leading the government to rejoin the World Health Organization.
– The new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention arrives at an agency that has been relegated to the sidelines during the pandemic. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, 51, a specialist in infectious diseases at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, arrives at the CDC this week, as the number of deaths in the United States from coronavirus exceeded 400,000 and the campaign to Greatest vaccination in the history of the nation is met with confusion and delays.
THE NUMBERS: The U.S. averages about 201,000 new cases and about 3,000 deaths each day. The number of deaths in the nation since the beginning of the pandemic now stands at about 403,000.
QUOTE: “It’s so incredibly unimaginably sad that so many people have died that it could have been avoided.” – Cliff Daniels, head of strategy at Southern California Methodist Hospital near Los Angeles, after the death toll in the United States exceeded 400,000.
ICYMI: California officials entrust their hopes to President Joe Biden as they fight for coronavirus vaccines and to curb an increase in infections that has packed hospitals and morgues. The San Francisco Department of Public Health says the vaccine is likely to run out Thursday. Los Angeles County is beginning to inoculate people 65 and older despite the shortage.
ON THE HORIZON: Biden has taken office as the 46th President of the United States. Its ambitious 100-day close-up includes a push to accelerate the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to Americans and approve a $ 1.9 trillion pandemic relief package.
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Find full AP coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic