Update on COVID-19 numbers
- Globally, there have been more than 294.1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 5.4 million associated deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
- The United States has reported more than 56.6 million confirmed cases and more than 828,000 associated deaths.
- Currently, more than 243.5 million people in the United States have received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with more than 205.8 million people fully vaccinated. More than 68 million people have received a booster dose.
- Healthline updates this page on weekdays. For up-to-date information about the virus, go here.
1/4/22 1:37p.m. PST—U.S. breaks global daily record for COVID-19 cases
Data from Johns Hopkins University finds the U.S. reported more than one million new infections on Monday – a record single-day number.
This record is nearly twice the previous record of 590,000 set 4 days ago, according to UPI with Maryland, Alabama, Delaware, New Jersey, and Ohio seeing the most new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population.
The latest available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), estimates that Delta variant accounted for about 40 percent of cases, and Omicron for nearly 60 percent of all U.S. infections.
‘Flurona’ case in Israel draws attention
A person has tested positive for both the flu virus and COVID-19, according to CNN.
Experts had warned that it would be possible to develop both diseases at the same time. The person affected was a pregnant woman who was not vaccinated in Israel. They have been released from the hospital.
N.Y. teacher arrested for giving minor Johnson & Johnson jab
A Nassau County, New York biology teacher was arrested on Dec. 31 for administering a shot of the single dose Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine to a 17-year-old boy, reported NBC.
According to a Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) civic alert, defendant Laura Parker Russo, 54, administered an injection of COVID-19 vaccine to a 17-year-old male.
“The male victim went home and informed his mother what had occurred. The mother had not given permission or authority to have her son injected with a COVID Vaccine and called Police,” the NCPD said in a statement.
According to law enforcement, an investigation discovered that Laura Parker Russo is not a medical professional or authorized to administer vaccines.
She was then charged by the NCPD with unauthorized practice of a profession.
According to the Food and Drug AdministrationTrusted Source (FDA), the J&J vaccine is only authorized for use in people 18 years and older.
Federal Judge rules against military vaccine mandate
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor ruled against the Biden administration’s vaccine requirement for members of the military, according to Reuters.
Judge O’Connor issued a preliminary injunction (PI) blocking the Navy from taking action against 35 Navy Seals who sued in court to seek exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for religious reasons.
This injunction prevents the Navy from implementing policies allowing the plaintiffs to be declared non-deployable or disqualified from Special Operations.
“Several Plaintiffs have been directly told by their chains of command that ‘the senior leadership of Naval Special Warfare has no patience or tolerance for service members who refuse COVID-19 vaccination for religious reasons and wants them out of the SEAL community,’” states the PI.
