Majority of Americans intend to get vaccinated; all 50 states announce when they plan to open vaccine eligibility: Live COVID-19 updates

The majority of U.S. adults say that they’ve either being vaccinated for COVID-19 or intending to do so as soon as possible, and that number continues to rise.

That’s according to a new survey from nonpartisan health foundation Kaiser Family Foundation, which puts that number at 61% of respondents while the share that responded said they’re taking a “wait and see” approach has shrunk to 17%. 

Meanwhile, all 50 states have announced when they plan to open up coronavirus vaccinations to all adults. More than a dozen have already lifted restrictions. 

The new developments come as average daily reported cases are up 10% compared to a week earlier, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows, with more than 30 million COVID-19 cases reported since early last year. Hospitalizations and deaths, which usually lag cases by a few weeks, have inched upward as well, after a decline and plateau that began in early January.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the CDC, said in a White House briefing with media Monday that she’s anxious about what the next few weeks could bring.

“Right now I’m scared,” she said in what she described as an off-script moment of candor.

And as COVID-19 cases creep up again across the country, federal officials and epidemiologists say they’re worried we could hit another tipping point, leading to a fourth significant surge of infections, hospitalizations and deaths. Read more here.

Also in the news:

►Chicago announced the opening of a new vaccination site for union workers eligible for the shot under current restrictions. 

►The U.S. reported that half of all seniors have now been vaccinated. “Vaccination milestone,” tweeted Andy Slavitt, White House senior COVID adviser. “50% of all seniors have now been fully vaccinated.”

►MGM Resorts International is bringing the coronavirus vaccine to employees at its casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.

►A coronavirus variant first identified in Britain has been found on the Navajo Nation.

►The University of Connecticut football team cut its spring practices short because of positive COVID-19 test results and subsequent contact tracing protocols, the Hartford Courant reported. The Huskies were one of a small number of FBS teams to opt out of the 2020-21 season. 

? Today’s numbers: The U.S. has over 30.39 million confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 550,900 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: 128.15 million cases and 2.8 million deaths. More than 189.45 million vaccine doses have been distributed in the U.S. and 147.6 million have been administered, according to the CDC. 

? What we’re reading: Those who experimented with gender identity behind masks and screens during the pandemic may soon be returning to the workplace as the rollout of vaccines ramps up and businesses reopen. But will workplaces be ready to provide a tolerant, safe environment for employees who now identify differently? Read the full story.

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US tops 12K known COVID variant cases

The United States has reported more known coronavirus variants in the last week —nearly 4,300 — than it reported through the middle of March, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows.

Tuesday night’s tally reflected more than 1,000 new cases just since Sunday’s report. The U.S. now has 12,053 known cases of variants that can spread COVID-19 more easily, dodge some treatments and immunities, or both.

California alone reported 289 new variant cases Tuesday, bringing it up to 865 known cases. Most of those are of B.1.1.7, a variant first seen in the United Kingdom. But California’s P.1 case count also exploded, moving from seven known cases on Sunday to 33 known cases Tuesday. P.1 was first seen in Brazil.

Massachusetts reported 266 new cases, bringing its total to 732.

Several states that hadn’t had much of a known variant problem suddenly have much larger problems. West Virginia went from just three known variant cases on Sunday to 53 on Tuesday, while Nevada went from 11 cases on Sunday to 63 cases on Tuesday. Idaho jumped from 18 to 32.

Ohio reported its first two cases of the B.1.351 variant first seen in South Africa.

– Mike Stucka

Nations challenge WHO report on coronavirus origins

The U.S. and a dozen other countries issued a rare joint statement on Tuesday questioning the validity of a World Health Organization study into the origins of the coronavirus, which was first detected in Wuhan, China, and has now killed 2.8 million people across the globe.

“We support a transparent and independent analysis and evaluation, free from interference and undue influence, of the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this regard, we join in expressing shared concerns regarding the recent WHO-convened study in China,” reads the statement, which was issued by the U.S. State Department in coordination with a raft of other governments, including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

The statement included strong support for the WHO and did not directly blame China for interfering with the scientific probe. But it said health experts were delayed in studying the origins of the virus and that even when granted access, they were denied “complete, original data and samples.”

“The mission of the WHO is critical to advancing global health and health security,” the statement said. “Scientific missions like these should be able to do their work under conditions that produce independent and objective recommendations and findings.”

The WHO’s director, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has also highlighted China’s lack of cooperation.

“I do not believe that this assessment was extensive enough,” he said. “Further data and studies will be needed to reach more robust conclusions.”

– Deirdre Shesgreen

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