Month: January 2021

It turns out the first two weeks have been abysmal. The United States just shattered its all-time records for the most Covid-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths reported in one day: -- On January 2, a record-high 302,506 new infections were reported in one day, according to Johns Hopkins University. That's an average of 3.5 people getting infected every second. -- On January 6, a record-high 132,447 patients were hospitalized with Covid-19, according to the Covid Tracking Project. Many hospitals are now filled beyond capacity, meaning even those without Covid-19 -- say, car accident victims -- might not get immediate care. -- On January 12, a record-high 4,462 Covid-19 deaths were reported in just one day, according to Johns Hopkins. A Boeing 747 can carry about 400 passengers...

A healthcare worker administers a Covid-19 vaccine at Clalit Health Services, in the ultra-Orthodox Israeli city of Bnei Brak, on January 6, 2021. JACK GUEZ | AFP | Getty Images Israel has been lauded for deploying what is currently the fastest Covid-19 vaccination campaign in the world.  Less than a month after receiving its first shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech jab, the country of 9 million has vaccinated around 20% of its population, and more than 72% of people over the age of 60 have already gotten their first dose of the shot. Israel's health ministry aims to have 5.2 million of its citizens vaccinated by March. The vaccinations, officials say, will help the country gradually exit its strict lockdown, and soon with the help of a new document: a Covid-1...

“As of today, 1 in 3 people in Los Angeles County have been infected with the virus,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti on Thursday. The county estimates that one-third of the county’s 10 million residents have been infected with the virus at some point since the pandemic began. That equates to more than triple the number of infections that have been confirmed through testing in the county thus far. Given that, said the mayor, local officials were watching any spike in case numbers closely. “The county Supervisors are…trying to figure out whether there should be further closures,” said Garcetti. “I think it’s the obvious categories: Whether schools stay open or not, indoor gyms, public youth leagues.” Related Story Los Angeles Covid-19 Update: Workplace Outbreaks S...

Staff at Kaiser Permanente Lakewood Medical Offices threw out 165 doses of COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday after they were ruined following a power outage at the facility. The power outage, which Kaiser said was brief and caused by high winds, caused a refrigerator storing doses of Moderna’s vaccine to stop working, resulting in the vaccines exceeding the required storage temperature. Staff at the facility worked throughout the day to administer as many doses of the vaccine as possible and were able to give 135 people shots before the vaccine expired, Kaiser said in a statement. “Power to the facility and the refrigerator has since been restored and the refrigerator at this location used to store the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines is again working properly,” the statement said. “No other Ka...

Press release from the Humboldt County Joint Information Center: A total of 2,220 county residents have tested positive for COVID-19, after 49 new cases were reported today. In vaccine news, today the county moved into Phase 1B-tier 1, starting with people age 75 and older.   Public Health Director Michele Stephens said, “We continue to work through the tiers in our plan and are now opening up to people 75 and older since there is sufficient vaccine to do so. As we receive additional vaccine, we’ll open up additional tiers.”  Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Ian Hoffman said as Public Health wraps up one phase, it’s preparing for the next. “We’re vaccinating groups in tandem,” he said. “We will continue to work with our health care partners to message when and where people ...