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US reports the lowest number of COVID cases since October 18 and fewest deaths since November 20 as ex-White House medical adviser says schools can reopen in THREE WEEKS if we vaccinate all teachers

  The United States on Monday reported the lowest number of   COVID-19   cases since October 18 and lowest deaths since November 20, data sh...

 The United States on Monday reported the lowest number of COVID-19 cases since October 18 and lowest deaths since November 20, data shows. 

Figures released by the Covid Tracking Project show there were 55,077 new cases of the virus on Sunday; the seven day rolling average is 86,964. 

A total of 1,078 Americans died Sunday; the seven day average is 2,541 deaths. 

The project notes: 'Today's case count is the lowest since Oct 18 and today's death count is the lowest since Nov 30.'

They add: 'An important caveat: Today's data is missing updates from AK, ID, MP, WA, and WY. Partial updates were provided from several other states. There may be a slight holiday effect reflected in data later this week.' 

At its peak the US was recording more than 4,000 COVID deaths a day in January; cases hit 300,000 a day. 

The number of people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 has also dropped by half from its January peak. As of Sunday there was 65,455 people in hospital with the virus; the seven day rolling average is 71,949.   

Figures released by the Covid Tracking Project show there were 55,077 new cases of the virus on Sunday; the seven day rolling average is 86,964. A total of 1,078 Americans died Sunday; the seven day average is 2,541 deaths

Figures released by the Covid Tracking Project show there were 55,077 new cases of the virus on Sunday; the seven day rolling average is 86,964. A total of 1,078 Americans died Sunday; the seven day average is 2,541 deaths


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that in-person schooling can resume safely with masks, social distancing and other strategies, and vaccination of teachers, while important, is not a prerequisite for reopening. 

In Los Angeles County some schools could resume on-campus learning as early as this week. The health department said in a statement: 'This encouraging news means that dozens of elementary schools will be permitted to reopen for in-class instruction for students grades TK-6 as early as this week.'

That followed a protest by students and their parents to reopen schools in the area. Susanne Jacobson told KTLA: 'I want my kid to get an education. He's in eighth grade. He's not ready for high school next year. He hasn't had an education in a year. Distance learning is not working.'

But former White House medical adviser Dr. Jonathan Reiner told CNN Monday the US should be 'treating teachers like first responders'.  


Former White House medical advisor Dr. Jonathan Reiner told CNN Monday the US should be 'treating teachers like first responders' and that they should all be vaccinated

Former White House medical advisor Dr. Jonathan Reiner told CNN Monday the US should be 'treating teachers like first responders' and that they should all be vaccinated 

Reiner, who worked under George W. Bush, said: 'Let's treat them the way they need to be treated and vaccinate them all. Next week, the FDA is going to review the data for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is likely to be approved shortly thereafter. 

'Let's take the first four million doses of that vaccine and dedicate it to America's teachers. Let's proactively vaccinate them… Let's take the vaccine and vaccinate them the way health care workers are vaccinated. You know, bring them all into school over two weeks and vaccinate every teacher in the country. 

'Open schools three weeks later.' 

Comments on the CDC guidelines Reiner added: 'The CDC put forth this plan to open schools but it requires schools to open in places where the level of virus is low in the community and most parts of the country don't have that right now. 

'Almost 89% of the districts are still in red zones.

'It requires big, physical distancing in classrooms, six feet between students and, you know, classrooms are cramped. It's going to be impossible. 

Plus, the reassuring data about the low level of transmission in schools was acquired in a non-variant environment and with the emerging variants, there's no data to reassure teachers.'      

Students protest in Los Angeles over continued COVID school closures
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Video courtesy of KTLA 

Students and parents holding placards in their car protest during a car rally to encourage Los Angeles County to reopen schools

Students and parents holding placards in their car protest during a car rally to encourage Los Angeles County to reopen schools

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that in-person schooling can resume safely with masks, social distancing and other strategies, and vaccination of teachers, while important, is not a prerequisite for reopening

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that in-person schooling can resume safely with masks, social distancing and other strategies, and vaccination of teachers, while important, is not a prerequisite for reopening

Officials from the CDC had said there is strong evidence now that schools can reopen, especially at lower grade levels

Officials from the CDC had said there is strong evidence now that schools can reopen, especially at lower grade levels

In Los Angeles County some schools could resume on-campus learning as early as this week

In Los Angeles County some schools could resume on-campus learning as early as this week

Officials from the CDC had said there is strong evidence now that schools can reopen, especially at lower grade levels.

Recommended measures include hand washing, disinfection of school facilities, diagnostic testing and contact tracing to find new infections and separate infected people from others in a school. It's also more emphatic than past guidance on the need to wear masks in school.

'We know that most clusters in the school setting have occurred when there are breaches in mask wearing,' Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC's director, said in a call with reporters.

Vaccinating teachers can provide 'an additional layer of protection,' she said. 

The guidance was issued as President Joe Biden faces increasing pressure to deliver on his promise to get the majority of K-8 schools back to in-person teaching by the end of his first 100 days in office. 

He acknowledged that the goal was ambitious, but added, 'It is also a goal we can meet if we follow the science.'       

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