Daily Archives: June 27, 2021

Florida officials reported 11,873 coronavirus cases over the seven-day period from June 18 to June 24.

That brings the total number of cases up to 2,321,929 since the pandemics first two cases in Florida were reported on March 1, 2020, nearly 16 months ago.

The state added 217 deaths since the previous weeks report, bringing the total statewide number of deaths since the pandemic began to 37,772. It can take officials up to two weeks to confirm and report a coronavirus-related death.

The Florida Department of Health announced earlier this month ago that it would no longer release daily COVID-19 data. Instead, it is now releasing a weekly report every Friday, but has withheld some information that was publicly available before.

As of June 4, the state no longer reports non-resident vaccinations, coronavirus cases and fatalities. The Florida Department of Health has declined repeated requests to provide non-resident data to the Tampa Bay Times.

Florida is transitioning into the next phase of the COVID-19 response, and has shifted reporting to parallel this, the agency said in an email to the Times. Among reportable diseases monitored by the department, such as HIV and Hepatitis, it is not typical to calculate cases for non-Florida residents.

Florida is the only state that updates its coronavirus caseloads and data once a week. Although weekly reports can be more reliable than daily updates, experts warn that infrequent data updates may delay identification of emerging trends.

Vaccinations: Florida administered 281,042 vaccines in the past week, nearly 100,000 fewer doses than the week before. The number of first doses administered dropped to 116,089, the third consecutive week that first-dose vaccines have fallen.

So far 57 percent of Florida residents age 12 and up have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the state. Thats a slight rise from 56 percent last week.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 63.8 percent of Floridas adults age 18 and up have been vaccinated. President Joe Biden has set a goal of getting 70 percent of U.S. adults at least partially vaccinated by July 4, but the White House says the nation will likely fall short.

More than 83 percent of Floridians over the age of 65 and 73 percent of those ages 60 to 64 have been vaccinated, according to state data. Meanwhile, 33 percent of Floridians between the age of 12 and 30 have been vaccinated.

In Hillsborough County, 52 percent of residents age 12 and up have been vaccinated; in Pinellas, 56 percent; in Pasco, 53 percent; in Manatee, 55 percent; in Polk, 49 percent; in Hernando, 47 percent; and in Citrus, 50 percent.

Variants: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention June 19 estimate suggests the Delta variant accounts for 20 percent of new cases in the U.S., more than double the last projection on June 5.

Experts warn that the highly infectious strain may soon become the dominant variant in the nation. It accounted for 2.3 percent of the states COVID-19 cases as of June 5.

Positivity: Floridas positivity rate rose to 3.8 percent in the past week, up from 3.3 percent the week before.

Before reopening, states should maintain a positivity rate of 5 percent or less for at least two weeks, according to the World Health Organization. A positivity rate of 5 percent or less indicates testing is widespread enough to capture mild, asymptomatic and negative cases.

In the Tampa Bay area, the positivity rate was 4.2 percent in Hillsborough, 3 percent in Pinellas, 4.4 percent in Polk, 3.3 percent in Manatee, 4.2 percent in Pasco, 4.4 percent in Hernando, and 3.9 percent in Citrus.

Hospitalizations: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 246 confirmed COVID-19 patients were admitted to Florida hospitals every day from June 17 to June 23, on average.

The federal agency no longer reports detailed hospitalization data by county and neither does the state.

Local numbers: Tampa Bay added 1,981 cases in the past week, bringing the total number of cases to 406,787.

As of Thursdays count, Hillsborough added 738 new cases, Pinellas had 347 cases, Polk had 402 cases, Manatee had 132 cases, Pasco had 235 cases, Hernando had 84 cases, and Citrus had 43 cases.

The state no longer reports deaths by county. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, Manatee, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties each recorded fewer than 10 confirmed COVID-19 related deaths in the past week. The federal agency does not report exact deaths by county when the count is under 10.

CORONAVIRUS IN FLORIDA: Find the latest numbers for your county, city or zip code.

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Florida added 11,873 coronavirus cases, 217 deaths in the past week - Tampa Bay Times

Here are the latest local COVID-19 statistics.

Dutchess County:54 reported Saturday, down 70 from the previous day.

Ulster County: 17 reported Friday, unchanged from the previous day. (Ulster does not provide case data on Saturdays.)

Ulster County: 0.4%.

Dutchess County: 0.31%.

Ulster County: 15,225 confirmed cases, 14,942 recoveries, 264 deaths. (No new deaths were reported Friday.)

Dutchess County: 29,500 confirmed cases, 446 deaths. (No new deaths were reported Saturday.)

Ulster County: 57.5% fully vaccinated, 62.8% with at least one dose of a two-dose regimen, 72.6% of 18+ population with at least one dose.

Dutchess County: 52.1% fully vaccinated, 57.5% with at least one dose of a two-dose regimen, 67.4% of 18+ population with at least one dose.

Appointments:vaccinateulster.com, bit.ly/dut-vax, bit.ly/ny-vaxme.

New York state on Saturday reported no new cases of COVID-19 in area school districts.

For online local coverage related to the coronavirus, go tobit.ly/COVID19DF.

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Active cases of coronavirus drop sharply in Dutchess County - The Daily Freeman

Nearly all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. now are in people who werent vaccinated, a staggering demonstration of how effective the shots have been and an indication that deaths per day now down to under 300 could be practically zero if everyone eligible got the vaccine.

An Associated Press analysis of available government data from May shows that breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated people accounted for fewer than 1,200 of more than 853,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations. Thats about 0.1%.

And only about 150 of the more than 18,000 COVID-19 deaths in May were in fully vaccinated people. That translates to about 0.8%, or five deaths per day on average.

The AP analyzed figures provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC itself has not estimated what percentage of hospitalizations and deaths are in fully vaccinated people, citing limitations in the data.

Among them: Only about 45 states report breakthrough infections, and some are more aggressive than others in looking for such cases. So the data probably understates such infections, CDC officials said.

Still, the overall trend that emerges from the data echoes what many health care authorities are seeing around the country and what top experts are saying.

Earlier this month, Andy Slavitt, a former adviser to the Biden administration on COVID-19, suggested that 98% to 99% of the Americans dying of the coronavirus are unvaccinated.

And CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on Tuesday that the vaccine is so effective that nearly every death, especially among adults, due to COVID-19, is, at this point, entirely preventable. She called such deaths particularly tragic.

Deaths in the U.S. have plummeted from a peak of more than 3,400 day on average in mid-January, one month into the vaccination drive.

About 63% of all vaccine-eligible Americans those 12 and older have received at least one dose, and 53% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. While vaccine remains scarce in much of the world, the U.S. supply is so abundant and demand has slumped so dramatically that shots sit unused.

Ross Bagne, a 68-year-old small-business owner in Cheyenne, Wyoming, was eligible for the vaccine in early February but didnt get it. He died June 4, infected and unvaccinated, after spending more than three weeks in the hospital, his lungs filling with fluid. He was unable to swallow because of a stroke.

He never went out, so he didnt think he would catch it, said his grieving sister, Karen McKnight. She wondered: Why take the risk of not getting vaccinated?

The preventable deaths will continue, experts predict, with unvaccinated pockets of the nation experiencing outbreaks in the fall and winter. Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle, said modeling suggests the nation will hit 1,000 deaths per day again next year.

In Arkansas, which has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the nation, with only about 33% of the population fully protected, cases, hospitalizations and deaths are rising.

It is sad to see someone go to the hospital or die when it can be prevented, Gov. Asa Hutchinson tweeted as he urged people to get their shots.

In Seattles King County, the public health department found only three deaths during a recent 60-day period in people who were fully vaccinated. The rest, some 95% of 62 deaths, had had no vaccine or just one shot.

Those are all somebodys parents, grandparents, siblings and friends, said Dr. Mark Del Beccaro, who helps lead a vaccination outreach program in King County. Its still a lot of deaths, and theyre preventable deaths.

In the St. Louis area, more than 90% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 have not been vaccinated, said Dr. Alex Garza, a hospital administrator who directs a metropolitan-area task force on the outbreak.

The majority of them express some regret for not being vaccinated, Garza said. Thats a pretty common refrain that were hearing from patients with COVID.

The stories of unvaccinated people dying may convince some people they should get the shots, but young adults the group least likely to be vaccinated may be motivated more by a desire to protect their loved ones, said David Michaels, an epidemiologist at George Washington Universitys school of public health in the nations capital.

Others need paid time off to get the shots and deal with any side effects, Michaels said.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration this month began requiring health care employers, including hospitals and nursing homes, to provide such time off. But Michaels, who headed OSHA under President Barack Obama, said the agency should have gone further and applied the rule to meat and poultry plants and other food operations as well as other places with workers at risk.

Bagne, who lived alone, ran a business helping people incorporate their companies in Wyoming for the tax advantages. He was winding down the business, planning to retire, when he got sick, emailing his sister in April about an illness that had left him dizzy and disoriented.

Whatever it was. That bug took a LOT out of me, he wrote.

As his health deteriorated, a neighbor finally persuaded him to go to the hospital.

Why was the messaging in his state so unclear that he didnt understand the importance of the vaccine? He was a very bright guy, his sister said. I wish hed gotten the vaccine, and Im sad he didnt understand how it could prevent him from getting COVID.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Nearly all COVID deaths in US are now among unvaccinated - The Associated Press

MADRID, June 26 (Reuters) - Authorities in Mallorca are investigating a coronavirus outbreak involving more than 600 students celebrating the end of term in the Spanish island, just as it prepares for British tourists to return following the easing of travel curbs.

Students visiting from the mainland went to a music concert at a bullring in the capital, Palma, as well as parties on boats and in hotels, and officials said on Saturday they wanted to find out if venues had adhered to virus-control measures.

The outbreak comes as the Balearic Islands gear up for an expected influx of tourists after the British government put the islands on its "green travel list" from June 30.

That means holidaymakers will not have to quarantine on return from the islands, long a popular destination for sun-seeking Britons. read more

All of the students who tested positive for coronavirus were Spanish and had travelled from different parts of the country to celebrate the end of university qualification examinations.

At least 1,000 students have had to go into isolation, the Balearic Islands' health authorities said, and some of the teenagers showed mild symptoms of COVID-19.

Spaniards were allowed to stop wearing face masks outdoors on Saturday after more than a year as coronavirus cases fell, but they must continue to wear them inside or when social distancing is impossible. read more

Reporting by Graham KeeleyEditing by Helen Popper

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Mallorca probes COVID-19 outbreak among hundreds of partying students - Reuters

Congress holds moment of silence for 600,000 lives lost to Covid-19

Members of Congress gathered on the front steps of the U.S. Capitol to hold a moment of silence for a grim milestone: 600,000 Americans lives lost to Covid-19 since the pandemic began. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer were joined by a large group of lawmakers to mark the solemn occasion. They also sang "God Bless America."

A 72-year-old man in England is believed to be have had "the longest known PCR confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2 infection" after testing positive for coronavirus some 300 days. Dave Smith, of Bristol, is described in medical papers documenting his case as being immunocompromised and with a history of cancer, which may have put him at an increased risk for prolonged infection.

In a preprint paper, released ahead of the July European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) conference where his case will be presented, doctors noted that the virus did not clear after a 15-day course of Remdesivir. On day 265 of his illness, he was treated with two monoclonal antibodies, casirivimab and imdevimab, and his health improved "dramatically." Forty-five days after the treatment, the virus was not detected in RT-PCR tests.

The drugs were reportedly made available to him through compassionate use and are not yet clinically approved for use in the U.K.

FILE - Hospital staff change bed linens for a COVID-19 patient at Roseland Community Hospital on Dec. 15, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois.

RELATED: US COVID-19 deaths: Most who died recently were unvaccinated, data shows

"It is wonderful that we were able to help this individual," Dr. Ed Moran, consultant in infectious diseases at North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT), which worked in conjunction with University of Bristol researchers, said in a news release. "Whilst such cases are rare there will be a number of people across the country in similar situations. The small numbers make it difficult to perform experimental therapies. However, it is important that we find a way to access and develop treatment regimens for these individuals both for the wellbeing of the individual and to protect public health."

In an interview with The Guardian, Smith revealed that his wife "started to arrange a funeral five times," and that he had been admitted to the hospital seven times during the duration of his illness.

"At one point, I was bedridden for two or three months," he told The Guardian. "My wife had to wash and shave me in bed because I just couldnt stand up. Sometimes I thought, I wish theyd take me in the middle of the night, because I just cant go on anymore. You get to the point where you are more afraid of living than you are of dying."

He said that while hes now clear of the virus, the infection destroyed his lungs and he still suffers from shortness of breath.

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Man believed to have longest coronavirus infection had virus for 300 days - FOX 29 News Philadelphia

The latest:

Canada's chief public health officer received her second COVID-19 vaccine dose on Saturday, this time being jabbed with a Moderna shot.

"Thrilled to receive my 2nd #COVID19Vaccine dose today (Moderna this time)!" Dr. Theresa Tam posted on Twitter, along with a photo of her pointing at her arm at a mass vaccination clinic at the University of Ottawa.

"Big thanks to the staff@OttawaHealth and #frontlineworkers at vaccination clinics across Canada, for their important and tireless work!" she tweeted.

Tam said back in April that her first dose was a Pfizer-BioNTech shot. She now joins the 25 per cent of Canadianswho've been administered two shots.

Her second dose comes after Pfizer announced a delay in shipments to Canada, and theNational Advisory Committee on Immunization said mixing mRNA vaccines whichPfizer andModerna both are is safe, prompting many provinces to shift to rolling out Moderna for those first inoculated with Pfizer.

"This is not a new concept, so having a multi-dose series in terms of vaccines given by manufacturers is something that public health have used over time for many other vaccines," Tam said in early June. "When vaccines programs and supplies change, this is not an unusual thing to do."

As of 3:30p.m.ETon Saturday, Canada had reported 1,412,868 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 8,924considered active. A CBC News tally of deaths stood at 26,214. More than 34 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far across the country, according toCBC's vaccine tracker.

Saskatchewan tallied 61 new COVID-19 infections and one additional death on Saturday. The province also said70 per cent of residents 12 and older have now received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose.

Manitoba registered106 newcases and threemore fatalities

Also Saturday, the province moves out of code red for the first time since November.Now that 70 per cent of eligible Manitobans have received one dose of aCOVID-19 vaccine and 25 per cent have their second shot, people canvisit restaurants, salons and gyms.

The provincial government is still urging residents "to continue to follow the fundamentals and adhere to public health orders."

WATCH |Restaurants scramble to find staff as Man. COVID-19 rules ease:

Ontario logged 346 new cases and 13 more deaths.

As of 8 a.m. on Saturday, Ontario youth between the ages of 12 and17 who live in designated hot spots for the delta COVID-19 variantcan book accelerated second vaccine dose appointments.

Quebec on Monday will move to thelowest alert level of the province's colour-coded COVID-19 alert system, which allows for more relaxed restrictions on social gatherings and group sports.

WATCH |Bigger parties, more sports andfewer masks as Que. to ease restrictions:

New BrunswickPublic Health says 76,000 doses were given out in the past week, the highest seven-day rolling average since the pandemic began.

Nova Scotia reported 11 new caseson Saturday, all in the central health zone.

Prince Edward Island Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison saidthe province is rolling ahead with aplan to open up to Atlantic Canada this coming Sunday.

In the Northwest Territories, a non-resident has tested positive in Hay River.Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Kami Kandolasaid the case is linked to out-of-territory travel and that there arecurrentlyno public health risk exposures.

As of Saturday, more than 180.4 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to the latest numbers from Johns Hopkins University's coronavirustracker.The reported global death toll stood at more than 3.9 million.

In Europe,Russia has reported 619 new COVID-19 deaths its highest dailydeath toll of the year as the country grapples with a sharp spike in infections that has brought new restrictions in some regions.

In the Americas,Mexico says it will reopen two temporary wards to handle a resurgence of COVID-19 cases after months of closing temporary hospital spaces as the coronavirus pandemic receded.

In Africa,virus cases are surging in Uganda, making scarce hospital beds even more expensive, and concern is growing over the alleged exploitation of patients by private hospitals accused of demanding payment up front and hiking fees.

In Asia-Pacific,Sydney, Australia, and some surrounding areas will enter a hard two-week lockdown on Saturday as authorities struggle to control a fast-spreading outbreak of the highly infectious delta variant that has grown to 80 cases.

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Coronavirus: What happened in Canada and around the world on June 26 - CBC.ca

Almost 71% of Illinois adults have received at least one vaccine dose and more than 54% are fully vaccinated

SPRINGFIELD The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,744 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 66 additional deaths since reporting last Friday, June 18, 2021. Almost 71% of Illinois adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and more than 54% of Illinois adults are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,390,432 cases, including 23,199 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Since reporting on Friday, June 18, 2021, laboratories have reported 276,760 specimens for a total of 25,634,328. As of last night, 435 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 99 patients were in the ICU and 53 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.

In mid-June, more than 50 teens and adult staff at a summer youth camp in central Illinois tested positive for COVID-19. At least one person was hospitalized. Although all campers and staff were eligible for vaccination, IDPH is aware of only a handful of campers and staff receiving the vaccine. The camp was not checking vaccination status and masking was not required while indoors. All campers and staff went home and were asked to be tested and told to quarantine. As more transmissible and dangerous COVID-19 variants spread, including the Delta variant, largely among people who have not been vaccinated, IDPH continues to encourage all residents 12 years and older to be vaccinated.

The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from June 18-24, 2021 is 0.6%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from June 18-24, 2021 is 0.8%.

A total of 12,360,117 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 28,798 doses. Since reporting on Friday, June 18, 2021, 201,587 doses were reported administered in Illinois.

*All data are provisional and will change. Additional information and COVID-19 data can be found at http://www.dph.illinois.gov/covid19.

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Public Health Officials Announce 1,744 New Cases of Coronavirus Disease Over the Past Week | IDPH - IDPH

How many Texans have been vaccinated?As of June 23, 13.7 million people have received at least one dose and 11.6 million people, or 40% of Texas' population, are fully vaccinated. A total of 24.3 million doses have been administered. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses, and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires one dose.Texas received its first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 14. The vaccines are available to everyone age 12 and older in Texas, regardless of occupation or health status.COVID-19 vaccine doses reported each dayThe state has administered 24.3 million doses as of June 23. The number of doses reported each day includes doses administered on previous days.

Health experts estimate 75% to 90% of Texans would need to be vaccinated to reach herd immunity. This is about 22 million people, or nearly 100% of adults in the state. The state is still far from reaching that threshold, even when considering people who have some immunity from a previous case of COVID-19. The CDC recommends people previously infected get vaccinated because scientists aren't sure how long immunity lasts for them.

SEE RELATED STORY: Could Houston-area reach herd immunity by late summer?

The state's vaccination effort has faced geographic, demographic and data challenges, many of which are unique to Texas, including a higher-than-average number of people who are too young to get the vaccine and a sluggish data collection system that can take days to publicly report doses administered.

A third of Texas' population lives in more rural areas, where health care is harder to access. State health officials initially rolled out vaccine hubs to help administer shots. But in May, the state shifted the responsibility to a growing number of doctors, pharmacies, public health offices and other smaller providers who have closer relationships with the community.

The distribution of the vaccine is unequal, according to a Texas Tribune analysis. Among people who have received at least one shot, the percent of white recipients is roughly in line with their proportion of the state's population, while Hispanic and Black residents are being vaccinated at lower rates.

Advocates say that language barriers and lack of access to health care providers and transportation have contributed to these disparities. Lower income individuals also face challenges trying to book a vaccine appointment through a process that favors people who have easy access to the internet and transportation.

The Hispanic and Black populations in Texas are younger compared with the state's white residents, which also adds to the disparities. Around 20% of the Hispanic population is under 12, and none of the vaccines are approved for children below 12. A majority of Texans age 80 and older are white.

These totals may differ from what county and city health departments report. The Tribune is measuring both the number of cases in each county and the rate of cases per 1,000 residents in the last two weeks.

On June 24, the state reported 10,709 available staffed hospital beds, including 813 available staffed ICU beds statewide. COVID-19 patients currently occupy 2.3% of total hospital beds.

Some regions with the highest mortality rates are predominantly Hispanic. The virus has been more deadly in Hidalgo and Cameron counties in the Rio Grande Valley, where death rates rival more populous parts of the state like Dallas and San Antonio. In El Paso County, thousands of residents have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, placing the region far ahead of other major urban counties in deaths per 1,000 residents.

New variants of the coronavirus that seem to spread more easily have been found in Texas, though preliminary studies suggest that vaccinations are still effective against the variants.

The state reports very limited demographic data for people who have had COVID-19, so the impact on Texans of color is difficult to measure.

There are 440,181 known probable cases in 229 counties, including 613 newly reported cases on June 24. The state began reporting probable cases, which can be detected through antigen tests, in November. A total of 25 counties, including Harris, Travis, and El Paso, are not reporting probable cases to the state, though antigen tests may take place there.

This rate is calculated by dividing the average number of confirmed cases by the average number of molecular tests conducted over the last seven days. This shows how the situation has changed over time by deemphasizing daily swings.

In order to publish data quickly, the state has to bypass what is normally a monthslong process of reviewing infectious disease data and performing quality checks before publishing. That's why all of these numbers and information are provisional and subject to change.

The state's data includes cases from federal immigration detention centers, federal prisons and starting in mid-May, state prisons. It does not include cases or vaccinations reported at military bases.

Texas' population estimate is from the Census Bureau's 2019 one-year American Community Survey. Population estimates for the state's counties are from the 2019 five-year survey, which captures smaller counties. The state's population by race, ethnicity and age group are from the Census Bureau's 2019 Vintage population estimates.

The video above is from a previous story.

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans - and engages with them - about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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40% of Texans are fully vaccinated as daily COVID deaths drop to lowest point in more than a year - KTRK-TV