This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots… Just the facts… for April 20th, 2021.

In India, New Delhi imposed a weeklong lockdown to prevent the total collapse of that city's health system. Ambulances roam the streets looking for a hospital with empty beds, patients line up at medical facilities, and ambulances each carrying half a dozen bodies idle outside crematoriums. The virus is spreading at a rate faster than at any other time there.

At a White House Covid-19 task force briefing, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky reported the current 7-day case average is up to over 67,440 per day and the 7-day average of daily deaths is up to about 695 deaths per day. She’s confident the vaccines are effective, but said they take time to kick in, around 2-6 weeks, so prevention measures must stay in place.

Oregon is receptive to that message. Health officials there are considering mandating masks and social distancing in all businesses indefinitely. Many businesses and residents are fuming, with 60,000 signing a petition against the measure. But proponents say it’s necessary because state law requires a "permanent" rule to keep current restrictions from expiring.

The United States remains committed to the idea that banning travel is a major part of ending Covid-19. The State Department said it’s going to boost its “Do Not Travel” guidance to about 80% of countries around the world. It’ll be a significant increase in the number of countries at the Level 4: Do Not Travel designation.

As an indicator we’re at the stage where everyone is free to get a vaccine, a defense official says prisoners at Guantanamo can now start getting them. They actually were at the relative top of the list until many expressed outrage that they were prioritized for eligibility over many demographics of Americans. There are actually only 40 men being held there.

In the United States cases were up 4%, deaths are down 5%, and hospitalizations were up 10% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending down since April 14.  

There are now 6,850,038 active cases in the United States. The current top 5 states by number of active cases: California, New York, Virginia, Florida, and Maryland. 

The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Dimmit, TX. Grant, OR. Chattahoochee, GA. Karnes, TX. St. Clair, MI. Alcona, MI. Sanilac, MI. Crosby, TX. Mason, MI. And Macomb, MI. 

The five states with the highest risk levels and most daily new cases per capita over 7 days are Michigan, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.  

There have been 567,690 deaths in the US reported as Covid-related, with a current national fatality rate of 1.8%.

The states with the most new deaths reported as COVID-related: Michigan 62. New York 44. Florida 33. California and North Carolina 31. Georgia 26. Illinois 21. Massachusetts and Connecticut 19. And New Jersey 18. 

The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s had at least one dose, New Hampshire at 58.3%, Connecticut at 48.9%, and Maine at 48.5%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Mississippi at 29.4%, Alabama at 30.2%, and Louisiana at 30.9%.

Globally, cases were up 21% and deaths up 14% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending up since March 5. 

There are now 18,453,745 active cases around the world.

The five countries with the most new cases: India 256,947. Turkey 55,149. The United States 51,650. Brazil 34,642. And Iran 24,346. 

There have now been 3,027,353 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide. 

For the latest updates, subscribe for free to Coronavirus 411 on your podcast app or ask your smart speaker to play the Coronavirus 411 podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.