Coronavirus news, updates, hotspots and information for 5-05-2021

This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots… Just the facts… for May 5th, 2021.

The U.S. administration announced a new goal to administer at least one dose of a vaccine to 70% of American adults by the Fourth of July. They also want 160 million adults fully vaccinated by then so more restrictions can be lifted. The July Fourth goal would mean about 100 million shots in the next 60 days — a slowdown in pace as it’s assumed those eager to get the shot have already done so.

And it won’t be hard to find those vaccines. Mobile vaccination pop-ups are showing up at sporting event, community centers, museums, public transit stations, airports, churches, businesses and neighborhood events. The aim is "to proactively bring the vaccine to where people already are."

Keeping an eye on India, it looks like infections and deaths continue to mount with alarming speed. One expert warned the next few weeks will be “horrible.” Many are dying because of shortages of bottled oxygen and hospital beds or because they couldn’t get a COVID-19 test.

Singapore is tightening curbs on social gatherings and enacting stricter border measures after recording locally acquired cases of variants, including a more contagious strain first detected in India. After reporting very few local infections for months, numbers have increased in the last week. The are not ruling out a return to a partial lockdown.

The CDC issued new guidelines for cruise ships, saying they could start sailing again by mid-July if they adhere to regulations. Cruise lines can skip testing passengers and staff if they can attest 98% of the crew and 95% of passengers are fully vaccinated. Ships have been docked and the industry frozen since March 14, 2020. 

In the United States cases were down 26%, deaths are down 2%, and hospitalizations are down 11% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending down since April 14.  

There are now 6,715,861 active cases in the United States. The current top 5 states by number of active cases: California, Virginia, New York, Maryland, and Florida. 

The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Dimmit, TX. Fluvana, VA. Gilmer, WV. Grand, UT. Baraga, MI. Luce, MI. Powell, KY. White Pine, NV. Otsego, MI. And Klamath, OR. 

The five states with the highest risk levels and most daily new cases per capita over 7 days are Rhode Island, Michigan, Colorado, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania.

There have been 578,407 deaths in the US reported as Covid-related, with a current national fatality rate of 1.79%.

The states with the most new deaths reported as COVID-related: Michigan 133. Florida 92. New York 86. California 66. Texas 53. Pennsylvania 52. New Jersey 42. Maryland 27. Illinois 21. And Virginia and New Mexico 16. 

The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s had at least one dose, New Hampshire at 60.8%, Massachusetts at 57.5%, and Vermont at 57.4%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Mississippi at 31.1%, Louisiana at 32.4%, and Alabama at 32.7%.

Globally, cases were down 4% and deaths up 3% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending down since April 23. 

There are 19,304,738 active cases around the world.

The five countries with the most new cases: India 382,691. Brazil 69,378. The United States 42,354. Turkey 28,997. And Argentina 26,238. 

 

There have now been 3,223,436 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide. 

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