Piecemeal Progress (Pandemic Part XXII)

With most seniors vaccinated, the death toll in the U.S. has really dropped. And many adults have rushed to get vaccinated, increasing protections and bringing the daily case rate down, as well. 

Many are resisting getting the vaccine, though, and vaccination rates are dropping, as the willing are inoculated. The federal government has launched one of its biggest public-service announcement campaigns in history to reach the reluctant.

Hotspots continue to pop up around the country and the world. India and Brazil, which both have far-right leaders, are disasters.

Mon., Apr. 19

• All Americans over 16 became eligible for the vaccine.
• More than half of Americans had received at least one dose of vaccine.
• There were more than three million dead from the virus worldwide.
• The virus was out of control in India, with one out of every three new cases occurring there.

Tues., Apr. 20

• It was announced the U.S./Canada border would be closed until May 21.

Wed., Apr. 21

• Three in 10 healthcare workers were considering leaving, due in large part to burnout.
• Biden offered small businesses a tax credit for offering paid leave to employees to get vaccinated, an effort to boost slowing vaccine rate.

Thurs., Apr. 22

• The vaccination rate in the U.S. dropped 11% from the previous week, even though only half of eligible Americans had received at least one dose.
• There were 314,835 cases and 2,104 deaths in India: the worst single day of any nation during the pandemic. The U.S. had 313,000 new cases on Jan. 8, its worst day.
• Brother George got a vaccine appointment for tomorrow.
• The Senate passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, 94 to 1, with only Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) voting no. The legislation, among other provisions, would assign a Justice Department official to swiftly review coronavirus-related hate crimes. 
• We opened the cabin for the year. We had snow, 28 degrees, and 20 MPH winds. NOT springlike.

Fri., Apr. 23

• The CDC lifted the pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine; it will come with a warning about blood clots.
• The CDC director recommended that pregnant women get the vaccine.
• A new survey from the Pew Research Center found that 81 percent of Asian adults say anti-Asian violence is on the rise. Rhetoric used by former president Donald Trump helped fuel the increase, according to 20 percent of those who said violence was rising.
• Wipes — the disposable, pre-moistened napkins that became popular pandemic cleaning supplies — had wreaked havoc on sewage systems because people keep flushing them. 
• Smith College, UMass, Hampshire College announced they'd require vaccinations for all students returning to campus in the fall.
• Hospitalizations of seniors had dropped 70% since the start of year.
• India had 346,000 daily cases, another daily record. 

Sat., Apr. 24

• The U.S. hit 32 million cases and 561,000 deaths.

Sun., Apr. 25

• I visited Mom without a mask for the first time, since she was fully vaccinated.
• Ontario hospitals were overrun with COVID patients.

Mon., Apr. 26

• Sarah returned to school full-time, five days a week, for the first time in more than 13 months.
• The White House announced that the United States would share up to 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine with other countries.
• The use of crowdfunding sites had swelled, as people financially hurt by the pandemic sought donations to help with rent, bills, and food.
• Fewer than 1 in 4 Americans who had not been immunized would be willing to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
• 34% of the Massachusetts population was fully vaccinated; 49% had received at least one dose of Pfizer or Moderna.

Tues., Apr. 27

• The CDC relaxed mask guidelines for outdoors, recommending them only in crowded spaces.

Wed., Apr. 28

• Biden gave his first address to Congress in a mostly empty House chamber. Only two cabinet members, just the chief justice of the Supreme Court, and a fraction of members of Congress attended due to COVID restrictions.

Thurs., Apr. 29

• Cases in Massachusetts continued to decline.

Fri., Apr. 30

• There were 386,000 new cases in India, another global daily record. They didn't have enough vaccines, even though they were the largest producer of vaccines.
• Gov. Baker announced people no longer need to wear a mask outdoors in Massachusetts.
• The Biden Administration announced that, coming Tues., travelers from India would not be allowed into the U.S.
• 42 states and Washington, DC, reported declining cases for the last two weeks. The Pacific Northwest was a new hotspot. 
• One-third of adult Americans were fully vaccinated.
• The Biden Administration was divided over whether to waive vaccine intellectual property patents so that countries could produce their own vaccines.
• Disneyland reopened at 25% capacity for California residents only, after being closed for more than a year.
• The TSA extended the mask requirement on planes until September 13.

Sat., May 1

• I got my second shot! It was much less crowded and quicker than last time.

• About 8% of people who'd gotten one dose of Pfizer or Moderna hadn't returned for their second dose.
• India had 400,000 daily cases.
• The Kentucky Derby ran with 60% capacity in the stands and 30% capacity in the infield.

Sun., May 2

• I woke with a fever in the middle of the night, and it stuck around all day, along with muscle aches and headache. The highest was 101.1. Lay on the couch and even went to bed and watched Netflix.

• The FAA reported the highest number of air travelers in the U.S. since March 2020.

Mon., May 3

• Cases in the U.S. had dropped 30% in the last couple of weeks.
• The Indian variant was discovered in Michigan.
• 56% of adult Americans had received one shot.
• Delta had resumed filling middle seats, becoming the final major U.S. carrier to once again fly with full aircrafts.
• India, a leading exporter of vaccines, had been unable to ship doses since mid-April, hindering the global push for coronavirus vaccinations.
• The average number of new daily cases in the U.S. fell below 50,000 for the first time since October.
• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis lifted all restrictions statewide and made it illegal for local authorities to impose new ones.
• President Biden recommended states give more vaccine to local sites and doctors' offices, rather than state-run mass-vaccination centers.
• Gov. Baker announced mass vaccination sites in Massachusetts will close in June.

Tues., May 4

• The vaccination rate in the U.S. had fallen 10% in recent days.
• States were allotted vaccines based on population, though some states had not been ordering their full allotments. In an effort to redistribute vaccines to where they would be used, the White House announced that vaccines unordered by states would no longer carry over week-to-week. Instead, those remainder vaccines will go into a federal bank that can be tapped by other states. 
• The White House set a new goal of 70% of adult Americans getting one dose by July 4.

Wed., May 5

• The Biden Administration announced it supports a waiver from the World Trade Organization suspending intellectual property rights for vaccines so countries can make their own.
• Canada approved the Pfizer vaccine for ages 12-15.
• A CDC report showed the country could be in much better shape by July.

Thurs., May 6

• The birth rate in the U.S. dropped 4% in last year, surprising those who thought there'd be a pandemic baby boom.
• India had 412,262 new cases, another new record.
• COVID had reached base camp at Mt. Everest.

Fri., May 7

• The World Health Organization announced emergency approval of vaccine from Chinese company Sinopharm, adding it to those distributed through Covax, its initiative to distribute vaccines equitably around the world.
• The CDC updated its website to say that transmission of SARS-CoV-2 can occur through inhalation of virus in the air farther than six feet from an infectious source.

Sat., May 8

• Pressure was mounting on Japan to postpone the Olympics, due to start in July.
• The Indian government was being criticized for allowing the Hindu religious festival Kumbh Mela to draw millions of people to the banks of the Ganges last month, creating a super-spreader event.

Sun., May 9

• We visited Mom for Mother's Day, and I hugged her for the first time in more than a year.
• The U.S. had had 32,685,000 cases and 581,000 deaths. In the last week, new daily reported cases had dropped more than 15%. About one-third of the U.S. population is completely vaccinated.

It feels as though we're finally making progress in returning to normal life, with Sarah back in school full-time, Don and me both vaccinated, and Sarah becoming eligible soon. I'm fairly confident she will be fully vaccinated by the end of June, which is a relief. She may even be able to host friends at the cabin this summer.

I'm feeling cautiously optimistic, but we've seen over and over again how the virus can roar back given the slightest opportunity.