US Records 40,000 COVID-19 Deaths In Two Weeks
Fatality figures surge past 450,000 deaths
There are concerns over a potential spike from families getting together to watch this weekend’s Super bowl after COVID-19 deaths surged past 450,000 in the United States (US) on Thursday.
Available statistics indicate that daily deaths in the US have remained stubbornly high at more than 3,000 a day, despite falling infections and the arrival of multiple vaccines in the country.
Reports by health authorities confirmed that there have been more than 40,000 deaths recorded in the past two weeks.
But while infectious disease specialists expect the fatality figures to start dropping soon, there is also the risk that improving trends in infections and hospitalisations could be offset by people relaxing and coming together, including for this Sunday’s big game between Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I’m worried about Super Bowl Sunday, quite honestly,” Dr Rochelle Walensky told The Associated Press, adding that one reason cases and hospitalisations were not rising as dramatically as they were weeks ago is because the effect of holiday gatherings has faded. “We’re still in quite a bad place,” she said.
The biggest driver to the U.S. death toll over the past month has been California, which has averaged more than 500 deaths per day in recent weeks. Public health experts are watching Florida closely this week, where the Super Bowl will be played in Tampa.
City leaders and the NFL are trying to ensure social distancing by capping attendance at a third of the stadium’s capacity which is 22,000 people.
However, there will still be plenty of parties, events at bars and clubs, and other activities that draw people together.
Florida recorded its highest number of daily deaths of the pandemic two weeks ago, with 272 fatalities on January 22, 2021 according to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC).
On January 2, 2021 just over a week after the Christmas holiday, the state recorded its highest daily caseload of 30,531.
On Wednesday, February 3, 2021 that number was down to just under 7,000 new cases, according to CDC figures.
