The United States, on Friday, surpassed a grim milestone of 500,000 coronavirus deaths.
That’s the highest Covid-19 toll of any country and more than the coronavirus deaths in Italy, Germany, Australia, Japan, the UK, Canada, and France combined. It exceeds the US death toll in World War II.
According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, the country has recorded over 27.8 million cases.
The U.S, though, reported fewer new cases and deaths in the last couple of days. This is partly due to a winter storm which affected data collection. Vaccinations, while also disrupted by the storm too, appeared to continue to accelerate.
About 1.5 million vaccine shots were administered on Tuesday, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 55 million shots have now been administered, which represents about 12% of the U.S. population.
A team of World Health Organization scientists is focusing on two animal types – ferret badgers and rabbits – in the search for the origins of the coronavirus, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The animals can carry the virus and were sold at a market in Wuhan, China, where the earliest cases of the coronavirus emerge.
President Joe Biden had warned in January of tougher times ahead.
“Let me be very clear: Things are going to continue to get worse before they get better,” he said.
“And let me be equally clear: We will get through this. We will defeat this pandemic.”
Biden tackled mask-wearing first, signing an order mandating masks in airports and on many planes, trains, ships and intercity buses.
The move followed the signing of his first executive order, which requires masks on federal property.
Biden has repeatedly promised to get 100 million COVID-19 shots into the arms of the American people by his 100th day in office.
