December 23 coronavirus news

The United States reported 119,463 current Covid-19 hospitalizations on Wednesday, setting a new record high since the pandemic began, according to the Covid Tracking Project (CTP).

This is the 22nd consecutive day that the US has remained above 100,000 current hospitalizations. 

The highest hospitalization numbers, according to CTP data, are:

1. December 23: 119,463 people hospitalized
2. December 22: 117,777 people hospitalized
3. December 21: 115,351 people hospitalized
4. December 17: 114,459 people hospitalized
5. December 18: 113,955 people hospitalized
6. December 19: 113,929 people hospitalized

An ensemble forecast published Wednesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now projects there will be 378,000 to 419,000 coronavirus deaths in the United States by Jan. 16.

Unlike some individual models, the CDC’s ensemble forecast only offers projections a few weeks into the future. The previous ensemble forecast, published on Dec. 17, projected up to 391,000 coronavirus deaths by January 9.

At least 325,097 people have already died from Covid-19 in the United States, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

A GOP official discussed President Trump's recent behavior and suggestions that he may veto the recently passed compromise spending bill and Covid-19 funding measures.

“The Trump tantrum has nothing to do with check size or spending—he was fully aware of the the negotiations carried out in his behalf by Meadows and Mnuchin and never said peep," the official said.

They continued:

"This is about McConnell and Thune acknowledging the inevitable. When it comes to venting rage and seeking revenge vs. millions losing unemployment the day after Christmas and millions losing apartments and millions of small businesses going under, there is no contest: his ego always comes first.”

What this is about: President Trump's surprise Tuesday night video cataloging his complaints about the massive — and painstakingly negotiated — $900 billion coronavirus relief bill immediately raised the specter of a government shutdown and economic turmoil at a time when aid is desperately sought for millions of Americans.

The President didn't explicitly threaten to veto the bill, and his White House said earlier in the night that he would sign it, but in a video released on Twitter, he added a layer of confusion to a delicate process that includes not only Covid-19 relief but a $1.4 trillion omnibus spending package that funds the federal government.

According to Johns Hopkins University's tally of cases in the United States, there have been at least 18,381,991 cases of coronavirus in the US, and at least 325,097 people have died from coronavirus. 

So far today, Johns Hopkins has reported 151,749 new cases and 2,332 reported deaths.

 

Ohio teachers and school staff — including cafeteria workers, bus drivers, custodians and clerical workers, along with anyone else working at a school who comes in contact with the children at that school — will be in the next group of people to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced during his press conference today.

DeWine said the goal is to start those Covid-19 vaccinations mid-January and to offer them to all schools that want to continue in-person learning or want to begin in-person learning, he said in the press conference. 

DeWine hopes vaccinating teachers and staff will help get students back in school faster. Currently, 45% of all Ohio students are fully remote and 26% of students are in a hybrid model, or partially remote, DeWine said. 

Two other groups of people will be included in the next round of vaccinations: those "younger than 65 with severe inherited or developmental disorders" such as sickle-cell anemia or down syndrome and people over the age of 65 which accounts for 87% of all Covid-19 deaths in Ohio, DeWine added.

Congress passed a Covid-19 stimulus relief package on Monday after months of negotiations. CNN asked you, our viewers and readers, for your thoughts on the latest bill. Many expressed frustration over the direct payment of $600.

Emily, a single mother from Iowa, said she’s barely scraping by and that she’s nearly a month behind on rent.

“I get $1200 for myself and my daughter to catch up… It’s a slap in the face. Americans voted these people in charge to serve our best interests, and they can’t give families a check that covers even one month of rent for a [two bedroom] apartment in this country? I’m disgusted,” she wrote to CNN.

Emily added she thinks the system needs an overhaul. “My tax dollars pay your salary, Mr. and Ms. Congressperson and senators. Be humble,” she added.

Tony, from Baltimore, Maryland, shared similar sentiments.

Tony said that he was out of work for months during the original shutdowns. He said the stimulus check he received in the first round of Covid-19 relief went to rent and feels that this latest $600 is a “slap in the face,” especially since it took so long to pass.

“I've paid a lot of taxes in my life. I even have paid penalties and yet this is how the leaders of our country help in return,” he told CNN.

“This was just a power struggle between Republicans and Democrats. Meanwhile the people of America are suffering. I find it disheartening to see that they passed their spending bill which is larger than the stimulus bill,” Tony explained.

Simone from Brooklyn, New York, said the pandemic has impacted her ability to provide for herself and her daughter. “I can’t work because of the lack of childcare. I currently receive $190 a week from unemployment,” Simone told CNN.  

She said she’s currently behind on her rent and utility bills. “Thankfully, I don’t have to face my electricity going out, however, I have to choose between feeding us, and paying rent over my utility bill and it’s just going to pile up. $1200 is absolutely not enough for me and my daughter. Funding should target a larger stimulus check,” Simone said.

On Tuesday night, President Trump said that he wanted the direct payments to increase to $2,000, casting uncertainty on whether the President would sign the current bill into law or veto it.

Democrats have seized on President Trump's latest demand and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she will move to pass legislation for $2,000 direct payments by unanimous consent.

How has the pandemic and the uncertainty behind a relief package impacted you? We want to hear your thoughts.

There is no evidence to suggest that the new Covid-19 variants discovered in the UK and South Africa have a different impact on people, Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chief scientific adviser for Operation Warp Speed said Wednesday.

“While there is data suggesting but not demonstrating that these variants may be more infectious,” there is no evidence that their pathogenesis or impact on people is any different than the strains that have been circulating, Slaoui said during a media briefing.

In addition to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, the other vaccines in Operation Warp Speed’s portfolio are making progress. 

In a Wednesday’s press briefing, Moncef Slaoui, chief scientific advisor for OWS, provided an update on other vaccine candidate candidates currently in trials. 

“The J&J, Johnson vaccine program continues to progress very well. We told you on Monday that the trial... had closed,” he said, adding that OWS is working with the company diligently “with the hope that we will be able to file for the EUA late in January, or more likely early in February and have vaccine doses available and approved for use in the US population as of the month of February.” 

Slaoui said that the AstraZeneca Phase 3 program in the US is also progressing very well, almost reaching full enrollment. More than 27,000 subjects are already recruited in this trial of 30,00 adults, so recruitment is expected to close soon. Trials are also taking place in the UK and Brazil. 

Slaoui said that the Novovax vaccine is “gearing up to start the Phase 3 trial anytime,” and that OWS is in discussion with Sanofi on the design of its vaccine’s Phase 2b trial.

The newly identified Covid-19 variant, which has been spreading through London and parts of Southeast of England, has been detected in Northern Ireland.

“This is sadly the confirmation we had been expecting,” the Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann said in a statement on Wednesday. “We all have to redouble our efforts to stop the virus spreading. We know how to do this – cut down our contacts with others, ensure strict social distancing, wash our hands regularly and thoroughly, and wear a face covering.”

“I would urge everyone to review their plans for Christmas and to err on the side of caution,” Swann added. “Just because you can do something, it doesn’t mean you have to.”

Health authorities in the nation went on to say it is “increasingly likely” that the new variant has established itself across the UK and Ireland.

“While virus mutation is not uncommon, the potential of this new strain to spread rapidly is cause for serious concern,” the Northern Ireland Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride said, according to the statement. “I would advise the public to act on the assumption that it is already well established in Northern Ireland and that the person they pass in the street or stand next to in a queue may have it.”

“We protect ourselves and others from this new strain through taking the same vital steps and using the same methods we have been using since the start of the pandemic.”