To date, more than 987,000 people living in the U.S. have died, including about 2,000 since last week. Worldwide, there have been more than 502 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, including about 5 million new cases since one week ago.
Additionally, over 6.1 million have died from the virus globally. Roughly 218 million people in the U.S. are fully vaccinated as of April 15 — 65.8% of the population — and 99 million of those people have gotten a booster shot, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
Roughly 99% of the U.S. lives in a location with low or medium COVID-19 Community Level, the agency says as of April 15 . About 0.5% of Americans reside in an area with a high COVID-19 Community Level. For them, it’s recommended to wear a mask while indoors in public.
The CDC reports the weekly average of COVID-19 cases have slightly risen nationwide as of April 6 . Cases are 4.9% higher compared to the prior week’s average, according to the CDC .
The omicron BA.2 subvariant dominated positive U.S. cases for the week ending April 9 .
Here’s what happened between April 10 and April 15 :
You still need a mask to fly in the US — but that could change in weeks, TSA says
If you’re planning on traveling by plane in the coming weeks or using any public transportation, you’ll still need a mask, the Transportation Security Administration says.
However, that mandate could expire within a month.
The agency extended its mask requirement for public transportation for 15 days until May 3 , the TSA announced on Wednesday, April 13 . It was set to expire on April 18 .
Keep reading below:
You still need a mask to fly in the US — but that could change in weeks, TSA says
Do children 5-11 need a COVID booster? Pfizer says third dose offers ‘strong’ response
While the Pfizer COVID-19 booster is authorized for immunocompromised children ages 5 to 11, could healthy children in that same age group benefit from an extra shot?
Pfizer says a third vaccine dose offered a “strong immune response” in healthy children ages 5 to 11 and can protect them against original COVID-19 strain and omicron variant based on clinical trial data released April 14 .
The findings have not been peer-reviewed. The company is looking to get a third shot authorized for younger children by the Food and Drug Administration and said in a news release it plans to present its data to the agency ”in the coming days.”
Continue reading for more about the clinical trial:
Do children 5-11 need a COVID booster? Pfizer says third dose offers ‘strong’ response
At least 50 California eighth-graders positive for COVID after spring field trip to DC
An annual spring break field trip was restarted after a two-year pause during the pandemic — and dozens of California eighth-graders came home with COVID-19, health officials told news outlets.
More than 50 students from two Marin County schools tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a trip to Washington, D.C. , the Marin Independent Journal reported.
The group of 112 students returned Sunday, April 10 , according to KTVU.
The story continues below:
At least 50 California eighth-graders positive for COVID after spring field trip to DC
‘Stealth’ omicron cases ramping up in US. But few consider pandemic a crisis, poll finds
Coronavirus cases in the U.S. are on the rise again as infections from the “stealth” omicron subvariant, BA.2, are ramping up.
Despite this, most of the country doesn’t consider the COVID-19 pandemic a crisis as of April 11 , a new Axios-Ipsos poll found. This comes as omicron BA.2 cases make up approximately 85% of infections nationwide for the week ending April 9 , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data estimates show.
In fact, less than one in 10 Americans see the pandemic as a crisis, according to the poll. Meanwhile, most (73%) said COVID-19 is a manageable issue, while 17% said the virus isn’t “a problem at all.”
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‘Stealth’ omicron cases ramping up in US. But few consider pandemic a crisis, poll finds
‘Breathalyzer’ can detect COVID in 3 minutes. What to know about FDA-authorized test
A breath test that can detect COVID-19 in three minutes was granted emergency use authorization in the U.S. , according to the Food and Drug Administration .
The InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer was authorized by the FDA on Thursday, April 14 , making it the first breath test approved for the coronavirus.
“Today’s authorization is yet another example of the rapid innovation occurring with diagnostic tests for COVID-19,” Jeff Shuren , director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health , said in a news release. “The FDA continues to support the development of novel COVID-19 tests with the goal of advancing technologies that can help address the current pandemic and better position the U.S. for the next public health emergency.”
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‘Breathalyzer’ can detect COVID in 3 minutes. What to know about FDA-authorized test
Man stole millions in COVID funds — then bought Tesla, hotel stays and more, feds say
A man pleaded guilty in connection with his elaborate plot to steal $31 million in COVID-19 relief funds meant to support struggling businesses and successfully stole more than $2.3 million, prosecutors in Washington, D.C. , say.
He splurged with the money he managed to steal and bought a Tesla Model 3, hotel stays, ride shares, electronics and more, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia . Additionally, he used the money to make his rent payments and pay for dog boarding and attorney fees, among other expenses, prosecutors said.
Elias Eldabbagh, 30, of Washington, D.C. , pleaded guilty on April 8 after he was accused of using his company, Alias Systems LLC , to “fraudulently apply” for the millions in COVID-19 relief loans to benefit himself for nearly a year, the attorney’s office said in a news release.
For more on the case, keep reading:
Man stole millions in COVID funds — then bought Tesla, hotel stays and more, feds say
COVID testing company accused of storing samples in trash bags sued by three states
The state of Oregon sued an Illinois -based company over accusations that it stored COVID-19 test samples improperly, potentially leading to botched test results.
According to the lawsuit, the company, the Center for Covid Control , and a laboratory it partnered with, Doctors Clinical Laboratory , said they could provide accurate results to PCR tests within 24 to 72 hours. But as demand for testing grew, the two businesses “lacked the capacity to properly store and timely process the thousands of test specimens they were receiving each day,” documents said.
The Centers for Covid Control and Doctors Clinical Laboratory could not be reached for comment by McClatchy News on Friday, April 8 .
Continue reading here:
COVID testing company accused of storing samples in trash bags sued by three states
Reporters Maddie Capron , Kaitlyn Alanis and Vandana Ravikumar also contributed to this report.
©2022 McClatchy Washington Bureau. Visit mcclatchydc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
