The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told NBC’s “Today” program that he believes the vaccination rate will increase from March and April.
By then, more doses should be available on a daily basis, he said. And he said he was “pretty sure” that by the end of April, pharmacies, local vaccine centers and mobile units will help pick up the pace – and not just for those in higher priority groups.
“I imagine that by the time we get to April, that’s going to be what I’d be calling for, you know, for better wording, open season,” Fauci said. “Namely, almost anyone and everyone in any category could get vaccinated.”
Montana government Greg Gianforte signed a bill on Wednesday protecting corporations and places of worship from legal liability for Covid-19 broadcasts, as long as they take steps to follow public health guidelines, and announced that he would not renew the statewide mask mandate.
“The mask mandate expires on Friday,” said the governor, adding, “Since we’re not out of the woods yet, I’ll continue to wear a mask and encourage all Montanans to do the same.”
However, New York stadiums must limit capacity to 10%; ensure that all personnel and spectators have undergone a negative Covid-19 PCR test within the past 72 hours; and they must mandate face coverings and socially remote assigned places.
In New Mexico, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said the state will drop its mandatory quarantine rule for people from “ high-risk ” states, attributing the policy change to a “ cautiously improving pandemic outlook after several months of unsustainable pressure on the state. health care system. ”
“It is absolutely essential that we continue to take steps beyond vaccination to control this,” said Besser. “The more this virus is allowed to spread in our communities, the more we will see these variants spread.”
Cases, hospital admissions and deaths are declining for the time being
The CDC has said a more transmissible variant first identified in the UK could be dominant in the US in March and exacerbate the spread of the virus.
For now, however, the number of new Covid-19 cases and deaths, and the number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals, is declining after peaks in the holiday period:
– Cases: The US recorded an average of 104,304 new Covid-19 cases per day for the past week – a 58% drop since the country’s highest average of more than 249,800 on Jan. 8, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Hospital admissions: More than 76,900 Covid-19 patients were in U.S. hospitals Wednesday – the lowest number since Nov. 16, according to the COVID tracking project. The number has been below 100,000 for 12 days.
Deaths: The country has had an average of 2,779 Covid-19 deaths per day per day for the past week – a drop from the country’s highest average of 3,363 in mid-January, data from Johns Hopkins shows.
– According to the COVID Tracking Project, the nationwide positivity rate – or the percentage of tests taken that turn out to be positive – now averages 6.49%.
That is a decrease from a winter peak of about 13.6% at the beginning of January. But the World Health Organization has recommended that governments not reopen until the test positivity rate is 5% or less for at least two weeks.
Which states dig for variants
But only eight states genetically engineered more than 1% of their total Covid-19 cases during the pandemic – compared to the national average of just under 0.4%, according to CDC data.
Those states include Hawaii, Maine, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Utah, Washington State, and Wyoming.
Eighteen states have sequenced less than 0.1% of their confirmed Covid-19 cases.
CDC: Second vaccine dose may be given later
Meanwhile, the CDC has also released new guidelines on best practices for administering second doses of the vaccine.
The vaccines Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 approved in the US for emergency use are given in two doses – 21 and 28 days apart, respectively.
But if it’s not possible to stick to those recommended intervals, the new CDC guideline says the second dose “can be scheduled for administration up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose.”
The agency said on Wednesday that people who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 can skip quarantine if exposed to someone infected with the virus.
“Fully vaccinated individuals who meet the criteria no longer need to be quarantined after exposure to someone with COVID-19,” the CDC said.
That criterion: people must be fully vaccinated – they’ve had both injections, and at least two weeks have passed since the second injection.
But the agency added that protection may diminish after three months, so people who had their last injection three months ago or more should quarantine if exposed, as well as quarantine if they show symptoms.
“ At present, vaccinated individuals must continue to follow current guidelines to protect themselves and others, including wearing a mask, staying at least six feet away from others, avoiding crowds, avoiding poorly ventilated areas, covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands frequently, following CDC travel guidance, and following all applicable guidelines in the workplace or school, ”the agency said.
CNN’s Naomi Thomas, Andy Rose, Michael Nedelman, Keri Enriquez, Jacqueline Howard, Ben Tinker, Jennifer Hauser and Brad Parks contributed to this report.