Hospitalizations in US start to decline after persistent climb; WHO blasts vaccine profits, inequalities
Despite a steady growth in coronavirus deaths, a medical expert says the United States now has an opportunity to “get a hold of the pandemic.”
“We’re going to see a lot of deaths in the next two months but there is a ray of sunshine,” Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a George Washington University medical professor and CNN medical analyst, said Monday morning on “New Day.”
“Over the last four days for the first time in months, we’ve seen a steady decline … a thousand per day fewer hospitalizations in the United States,” he said. “We’ve seen the same trend in new cases.”
Nationally, hospitalizations are now around 124,000 per day, down from 132,000 a few weeks ago. Reiner also said testing has increased in recent weeks, but test positivity has dropped to around 11% from a peak of 14% a few weeks ago.
Here’s an update on all developments. Scroll or swipe further for in-depth coverage.
- The World Health Organization chief on Monday lambasted drugmakers’ profits and vaccine inequalities, saying it’s “not right” that younger, healthier adults in wealthy countries get vaccinated against COVID-19 before older people or health care workers in poorer countries and charging that most vaccine makers have targeted locations where “profits are highest.”
- The former Florida data analyst who has accused state officials of covering up the extent of the pandemic has turned herself in to authorities in Leon County days after a warrant was issued for her arrest, according to a news release from Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
- After sprinting ahead in the race to inoculate its population against the coronavirus, Israel has struck a deal with Pfizer, promising to share vast troves of medical data with the international drug giant in exchange for the continued flow of its hard-to-get vaccine.
- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga vowed Monday to get the pandemic under control and hold the already postponed Olympics this summer with ample coronavirus protection.
- The number of tennis players in hard quarantine swelled to 72 ahead of the Australian Open after a fifth positive coronavirus test was returned from the charter flights bringing players, coaches, officials and media to Melbourne for the season-opening tennis major.
For more summaries and full reports, please select from the articles below. Scroll further for the latest virus numbers.
—
