US could vaccinate 1.5 million daily; Brazil variant found in Minnesota — 5 COVID-19 updates

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the U.S. continue to trend downward, according to data from The COVID Tracking Project. 

Both have been decreasing for at least the past week.  

Four more updates: 

1. The U.S. could eventually vaccinate up to 1.5 million people a day, President Joe Biden said during a Jan. 25 speech at the White House. "I'm quite confident that we will be in a position within the next three weeks or so to be vaccinating people at the range of a million a day or in excess of that," President Biden said. "I hope we'll be able to increase as we go along until we get to 1.5 million a day." On Jan. 26, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki clarified that the president's original goal to administer 1 million shots a day in his first 100 days in office is still in effect, though the administration hopes to surpass this goal, according to CNN.

2. The first U.S. case of the coronavirus variant initially identified in Brazil has been detected in Minnesota, reports The Washington Post. The variant, known as P.1, is thought to be highly transmissible and was found in a Minnesota resident who had recently traveled to Brazil. President Biden extended a ban Jan. 25 for travelers coming from Brazil, among other countries, that was set to expire Jan. 26. 

3. California lifted regional COVID-19 restrictions Jan. 25, reports CBS News. Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state's hospitalization rate has fallen 20 percent in the past two weeks. 

4. Vice President Kamala Harris is slated to receive her second COVID-19 vaccine dose today at the National Institutes of Health, according to C-SPAN. President Biden received his second dose Jan. 11. Ms. Harris and President Biden staggered their vaccinations at the recommendation of medical experts. 

Snapshot of COVID-19 in the U.S.

Cases: 25,298,554

Deaths: 421,239

Counts reflect data available as of 8:40 a.m. CST Jan. 26.

Editor's note: This article was updated Jan. 26 at 1:00 p.m. CST to provide additinoal clarity about the federal vaccine goal.

More articles on public health:
Assume UK variant is deadlier, Fauci says; social distancing, masks needed until late July, model predicts — 9 COVID-19 updates
COVID-19 death rates by state: Jan. 26
21 states where COVID-19 is spreading fastest, slowest: Jan. 26

 

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars