American coronavirus: Thousands of cases of a disturbing variant have been reported in the United States. These states have the highest numbers

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported more than 11,500 cases of the variant – but the agency said the number was likely higher.

“We have a high proportion of variants, which means the coronavirus is spreading faster,” Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer told CNN on Wednesday. “These are a lot more contagious and we’re seeing that whether it’s in youth sports or whether it’s the re-engagement of some of our restaurants.”

Whitmer said the variants, combined with continued pandemic fatigue and more travel, are behind the worrying trends in the state.
People gather in the South Beach neighborhood of Florida on Saturday March 27, 2021.

New Jersey officials also noted the B.1.1.7 variant as they reported an increase in cases and hospitalizations and warned the numbers could remain high during the summer.

“The rise in cases is believed to be mainly due to more contagious variants, for example B.117, the UK variant, coupled with less cautious behavior,” Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said on Wednesday.

New hospitalizations have increased 28% in the past two weeks to more than 2,300 residents, Persichilli said. And between the first and the last week of March, there was a 31% and 48% increase in the number of hospitalizations among the 20-29 and 40-49 age groups, respectively. Meanwhile, older residents have only seen single-digit percentages of increase, she added.

In Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh is implementing a shelter-in-place period in response to an increase in cases among students and concerns about the presence of the B.1.1.7 variant on and around campus.

“The increase in positive cases since the end of last week is now among our students in residence,” says an official email from the university.

Fauci: ‘Hang on a little longer’

The good news is that vaccines given in the United States appear to protect people well against the B.1.1.7 variant.

But only 16.4% of Americans have been fully vaccinated and a large portion of the population remains vulnerable to the virus.

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What could help defeat another wave as that number grows are known safety measures: masquerading, avoiding crowds, staying socially distant, and washing your hands regularly. That’s why experts urged states and local leaders not to reopen too quickly during this critical time.

“We are vaccinating around 3 million people a day. With each passing day, we are getting closer and closer to a greater degree of protection. So now is not the time to step aside and declare an untimely victory.” said Dr Anthony Fauci. CNN Wednesday.

“Hang in there a little longer,” he said. “Hang on, keep taking public health action, and then we can pull out later when we have a greater degree of vaccine protection.”

But governors and local officials continued to announce an easing of restrictions, with several mask mandates lifted.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced on Tuesday he was lifting a statewide mask mandate and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey will move forward with his plan to put the state’s mask tenure ends next week, a spokesperson for the governor told CNN.

New Orleans leaders said on Wednesday they were easing restrictions on capacity limits, adding that while the city saw improvements in several categories of Covid-19, “concerns remain, especially given the reversal of trend in several states, as well as the spread of stronger variants, which are detected in several cities in Louisiana. “

Millions more Americans become vaccine eligible

In an effort to get more gunshots faster, every state in the United States has now expanded or announced plans to extend vaccine eligibility to all ages 16 and up.

Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine is the only one available for people 16 years of age and older, while Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are restricted to people 18 and older.

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Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced on Wednesday that all people aged 16 and over would be eligible for a vaccine starting Monday.

“We are seeing an increase in cases and hospitalizations in a number of states, and this is happening among young people,” the governor said in a statement. “We want to get ahead of the more aggressive variants of COVID-19 and make sure we meet all available appointments.”
In Indiana, which has now expanded eligibility to anyone 16 years and older, state officials have said they are dropping the proof of residency requirement for vaccines.

The change was made to comply with FEMA vaccination site rules, as well as to accommodate students who do not live in the state and people who live with multiple other people who may not have proof of residency. said state health commissioner Dr Kristina Box.

“We prefer that the people who live in Indiana, work in Indiana, are the ones who come to get vaccinated here because we get vaccines based on our population, but what we want to do is eliminate all obstacles, ”Box said. .

Nursing homes see 96% drop in new cases

So far, more than 97 million people – about 29.4% of Americans – have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to CDC data. And more than 54 million – about 16.4% – are fully vaccinated.
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But already, vaccines are making the difference.

According to an analysis by the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA / NCAL), nursing homes have seen a 96% drop in new cases of Covid-19 since the vaccines launched in December.

On March 7, nursing homes across the country recorded the lowest number of weekly Covid-19 cases and deaths since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services began tracking them, according to the report.

And on the same day, deaths from the virus in nursing homes were down 91% since December.

“We’re not out of the woods yet, but these numbers are incredibly encouraging and greatly boost the morale of frontline caregivers who have worked tirelessly for over a year to protect our residents,” Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of AHCA / NCAL said in a press release.

“This trend shows that when long-term care is a priority, as with the national vaccine rollout, we can protect our vulnerable elderly population,” Parkinson added.

CNN’s Naomi Thomas, Jen Christensen, Anjali Huynh, Alec Snyder, Rebekah Riess, Ganesh Setty and Jacqueline Howard contributed to this report.

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