The number of new daily COVID-19 infections fell below 100,000 for the first time this year, according to figures published Feb. 7 by Johns Hopkins University.
Some officials expressed concern about the threat of a new spike in infections due to people congregating on Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 7), as past surges have been reportedly linked to mass gatherings during holidays and other events.
“I’m worried about Super Bowl Sunday, quite honestly. People gather, they watch games together. We’ve seen outbreaks already from football parties,” said Rochelle Walensky, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “So I really do think that we need to watch this and be careful.”
More Americans are making the decision to have their terminally ill loved ones die at home rather than in nursing home and hospice settings amid the pandemic. National hospice organizations are reporting that facilities are seeing double-digit percentage increases in the number of patients being cared for at home. For many families, home seems to be a more preferable setting than the terrifying scenario of saying farewell to loved ones from behind glass or during video calls.
Texas, second behind California in vaccine rollout, has vaccinated nearly 2.5 million people with at least one dose.
“Thanks to the front-line workers achieving these results,” Abbott wrote. “Always voluntary, never forced.”