Category: Corona Virus

Sachin Tendulkar has been admitted to hospital with coronavirus. The 47-year-old, Indias leading run scorer in Test cricket, revealed last weekend that he had tested positive for Covid-19 and was quarantining at home with only mild symptoms.

However, in a post on his official Twitter account on Friday he confirmed he had been admitted as a precaution but hoped to be discharged in a few days.

Tendulkars tweet said: Thank you for your wishes and prayers. As a matter of abundant precaution under medical advice, I have been hospitalised. I hope to be back home in a few days. Take care and stay safe everyone.

He concluded by sending his wishes to his fellow members of Indias 2011 World Cup-winning squad on the 10th anniversary of the victory against Sri Lanka.

Tendulkar scored a record 15,921 Test runs for India during a 24-year international career and is widely regarded as one of the games most complete batsman.

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India great Sachin Tendulkar admitted to hospital with coronavirus - The Guardian

MinnPost provides updates on coronavirus in Minnesota Sunday through Friday. The information is published following a press phone call with members of the Walz administration or after the release of daily COVID-19 figures by the Minnesota Department of Health.

Here are the latest updates from April 1, 2021:

Twelve more Minnesotans have died of COVID-19, the Minnesota Department of Health said Thursday, for a total of 6,860.

Of the people whose deaths were announced Thursday, five were in their 80s, two were in their 70s, four were in their 60s and one was in their 40s. Four of the 12 people whose deaths announced Thursday were residents of long-term care facilities.

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MDH also said Thursday there have been 521,667 total cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota. That number is up 2,138 from the total announced on Wednesday and is based on 43,117 new tests. The seven-day positive case positivity rate, which lags by a week, is 5.4 percent. That rate has been increasing for weeks and is above a 5-percent threshold state officials consider a concerning sign of disease spread.

As of Tuesday, the most recent day of data available, 1,682,545 Minnesotans, or 30.2 percent of the population, have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Thats up 24,369 from data reported the day prior. For tips on scheduling a vaccine appointment, consult the Minnesota Vaccine Hunters Facebook group, Vaccine Spotters Minnesota site or sign up for Vaccine Spotters alert notifications on Twitter. Fairview is now vaccinating anyone 50+, those with certain disabilities or health conditions and communities of color. More information can be found here.

Hospitalizations continue to rise. The most recent data available show 105 Minnesotans are hospitalized in intensive care with COVID-19, which is up from 102 in data reported Wednesday and up from 93 last Thursday. Data show 330 people are in the hospital with COVID-19 not in intensive care, up from 309 reported on Wednesday and 239 reported the week prior. The last time Minnesota had more than 100 people in the ICU with COVID-19 was late January, and the hospitalization levels are similar to last September, when a deadly surge in the virus was starting.

You can find more information about Minnesotas current ICU usage and capacity here.

More information on cases can be found here.

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Minnesota health officials continue to report new cases of more contagious COVID-19 variants in the state.

While MDH and its partners dont check every sample for evidence its a variant, they have been increasing surveillance and targeting clusters of cases or instances where people have traveled to measure spread of the variants. The B117 variant is believed to be 50 percent more contagious and resulted in a death rate 64 percent higher than other COVID-19 strains.

State Epidemiologist Dr. Ruth Lynfield told reporters Thursday the state has found 943 cases of the COVID-19 variant known as B117, which was first identified in the U.K. This is up from 479 cases last Tuesday.

Lynfield said that in 2,600 COVID-19 positive samples at one testing lab between March 22 and March 27, between 54-66 percent were found to be B117. In roughly 1,800 positive samples between March 16 and 20, about 50-65 percent were found to be caused by B117.

Among the 943 identified cases of B117, Lynfield said 36 people have been hospitalized and four people have died.

The state has identified 214 cases of variant first identified in California, which is also thought to be more contagious. Of those cases, four people have been hospitalized and two have died.

Health officials believe the 15 million ruined Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses at a Baltimore plant wont immediately affect Minnesotas allocation of the vaccine, said Kris Ehresmann, MDHs infectious disease director.

The state has been expecting an increase in J&J doses over the next several weeks. The vaccine is manufactured elsewhere in addition to the Baltimore plant. At this point, it would seem that it will not affect Minnesotas doses but we are waiting for final confirmation from CDC, Ehresmann said.

Lynfield told reporters that people infected with COVID-19 should ask their doctor if theyre a good fit to use monoclonal antibodies as a treatment. The drug, which is given via intravenous infusion, has been shown in studies to reduce hospitalizations among people at high risk of a severe case of COVID-19.

Lynfield said Minnesota has a supply of more than 9,000 doses and can infuse more than 2,000 people each week. It must be administered within 10 days of when symptoms of COVID-19 begin. The earlier the better.

Not all health care providers have antibody treatments, however. Patients or health care providers can get a referral to where they can get antibody treatments through the states Minnesota Resource Allocation Platform. People need to complete a screening questionnaire on the site.

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Current health guidance says that people who are vaccinated should still not attend large gatherings with unvaccinated people, even though theyre at less risk of severe disease.

Ehresmann said that guidance is because health officials did not know if fully vaccinated people could still be carriers of the disease while not developing symptoms, and may spread the disease to others who arent protected by vaccines yet.

New CDC research suggests vaccinated people arent asymptomatic carriers. Ultimately, Ehresmann said she expects guidance to change accordingly. But she said until there is a larger body of data and evidence, the rules around masking and distancing should still be followed as a safety net to protect others.

Some variants of COVID-19 are also thought to better evade immunity given through vaccination.

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Today on MinnPost

MDHs coronavirus website: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html

MDHs phone line for COVID-19 questions, Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m: 651-297-1304

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Coronavirus in Minnesota: 12 more deaths; hospitalizations on the rise - MinnPost

MILWAUKEE (AP) The Milwaukee County Medical Examiners Office says a 14-year-old Milwaukee boy has died of complications caused by the coronavirus.

Its the first reported pediatric death caused by the virus in Milwaukee.

The Medical Examiners Office says the boy also had leukemia and had undergone a bone marrow transplant in 2019.

The boy tested positive for the virus last November.

Statewide, there have been two prior COVID-19 deaths between the ages of 10 and 19, including a high school student in Madison in November, WTMJ-TV reported.

Milwaukee County health officials say they are closely watching an uptick in cases among kids 18 and younger.

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14-year-old Milwaukee boy dies of coronavirus complications - WXOW.com

Vaccines against COVID-19 are about 90 percent effective at blocking coronavirus infections, real-world studies of health care workers, firefighters, police, teachers and other essential workers suggest.

Even after just one dose of the mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna, the vaccines reduced the chance of getting infected with SARS-CoV-2, researchers report March 29 in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. We clearly showed in our study that if you were at least 14 days out from your first shot, you had 80 percent protection from infection, says Jeff Burgess, associate dean for research at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona in Tucson. The study is part of a growing body of evidence suggesting that the vaccines not only reduce the risk of getting seriously ill with COVID-19, but can prevent catching the virus in the first place.

If you cant get infected, you cant infect anyone else, which means the vaccines can reduce transmission as well as the disease, says Marm Kilpatrick, an infectious diseases researcher at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who was not involved in the study.

That is welcome news coming on the heels of data indicating that cases, hospitalizations and deaths are on the rise again in the United States as states lift mask mandates and open businesses at full capacity.

Right now Im scared, Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said during a White House briefing on March 29, noting the recurring feeling I have of impending doom. She urged people to hang on a little longer and continue to wear masks, social distance and get vaccinated to head off a potential fourth surge of the disease. We have so much to look forward to. So much promise and potential of where we are and so much reason for hope, she said.

Part of the reason for hope comes from the MMWR study. The study is tremendously encouraging and complements other recent studies, Walensky said.

Nearly 4,000 health care workers, first responders and other essential workers in six states took part in the study led by CDC researchers. From December 14 through March 13, the workers submitted weekly nasal swabs for coronavirus testing. Both symptomatic and asymptomatic infection rates fell after vaccination. A small number of vaccinated people in the study still got infected.

Other real-world data collected from health care workers in California and Texas also seem to back up those findings, researchers say in separate reports published March 23 in the New England Journal of Medicine. In the Texas report, 234 of 8,969 nonvaccinated employees at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas tested positive for the coronavirus from December 15 to January 28. Thats 2.61 percent, compared with 1.82 percent (112 of 6,144) of employees that had gotten one shot and 0.05 percent (four of 8,121) of fully vaccinated employees.

In the California report, infections among health care workers also fell with increasing vaccination levels. Only seven infections occurred among 4,167 people who were at least 15 days out from getting their second dose of vaccine. The vaccines prevented health care workers in the study from becoming seriously ill, says study coauthor Francesca Torriani, an infectious diseases physician and hospital epidemiologist at the University of California, San Diego.

Reducing the severity of illnesses will help relieve the burden on hospital systems if there should be a fourth wave, she says. But to really stop transmission of the virus, its important to vaccinate 18- to 30-year-olds. Those are the ones who are right now transmitting the disease. Motivating healthy young people who are less likely to become severely ill in the first place to take the shots could be difficult, Torriani says. Theres not much in it for them, but there is a lot in it for their families, so Im hoping that realization will push young people toward getting vaccinated.

Because some vaccinated people can still get infected, the CDC and other public health agencies have recommended that people who have gotten their shots continue to wear masks in public and take other precautions to avoid spreading the virus.

Data from Israel does suggest that the Pfizer vaccine might block transmission of the virus (SN: 2/12/21). Unvaccinated people produce 2.58 to 4.5 times more virus than vaccinated people do, researchers report March 29 in Nature Medicine. Those data show vaccinated people have a lower viral load and are less likely to pass the coronavirus to others if they do become infected, but the effect is not as strong as might be hoped to truly limit transmission, Kilpatrick says. That reduction in viral load amounts to about an 11 percent decrease in infectiousness, he says. Thats good but youd like to be half as infectious or three-quarters lower infectiousness.

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There is not yet enough data to say for sure that vaccines prevent transmission, Torriani says. There is definitely heavy suggestion, but further studies on viral load are needed.

So are data from everyday citizens. Aside from the MMWR study, almost all of the real-world vaccine data collected so far in the United States has been among health care workers. Those workers may not give a true picture of transmission risks because they have better personal protective equipment and ventilation than the average person does, Torriani says. Far more indicative would be studies to determine whether vaccinated people are less likely to infect household members. If [household transmission] goes away with vaccination, that would be the proof.

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Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines may block infection as well as disease - Science News Magazine

Scripps data experts worked with Columbia University to evaluate the temporary phase 3 reopening last summer

SAN DIEGO Scripps data experts worked with Columbia University to evaluate the temporary phase 3 reopening last summer.

The model shows that the 25-day reopening in San Diego last summer could be to blame for 45 deaths at local Scripps Hospitals alone.

The study looked at the effects of business reopening and the lowering of health restrictions in the area. Two deaths a day at local Scripps hospitals could have been avoided had the restrictions remained in place.

"Our research shows that community restrictions work, and that message couldn't be any more important than now as federal health officials warn that a fourth COVID-19 surge could be around the corner if we let our guard down too much and too quickly," said Scripps Health President and CEO Chris Van Gorder. "While our efforts at Scripps have been focused on providing the best care possible to all of our patients throughout this period, we believe the knowledge and experience we have gained in our fight against this disease will help others in the community as they continue to respond to the ever-changing conditions of this health crisis."

The short-lived reopening began on June 12, 2020. County officials gave the okay for restaurants and bars and gyms to restart limited indoor use and activities under the Phase 3 state guidelines.

That was followed by a spike in COVID-19 cases in the area. On July 7th, of 2020 the county was forced to shut down indoor activities for gyms and close restaurants and bars for indoor service.

"These findings mirror recent conclusions by some experts nationally that more lives could have been saved had restrictions been put in place earlier and for a longer period during the pandemic. The findings also validate efforts that help to minimize the spread of the virus, such as wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and avoiding large gatherings.

Had county officials left the stricter restrictions in place, 400 COVID-19 hospitalizations and 45 deaths might have been avoided at Scripps' five hospital campuses, the researchers found. Under the second scenario, 172 hospitalizations and 19 deaths might have been avoided had the temporary reopening been shortened by one week"

The authors say the lesson learned here is that we must continue to keep our guards up and stringently follow health guidelines even as more of the population gets vaccinated.

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Reopening last summer may have led to 45 coronavirus deaths a Scripps study shows - CBS News 8

Here's the latest COVID-19 case, death and hospitalization data from the state.

ATLANTA We're breaking down the trends and relaying information from across the state of Georgia as it comes in, bringing perspective to the data and context to the trends.

Visit the 11Alive coronavirus page for comprehensive coverage, find out what you need to know about Georgia specifically, learn more about the symptoms, and keep tabs on the cases around the world.

State and federal officials with the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are continually monitoring the spread of the virus. They are also working hand-in-hand with the World Health Organization to track the spread around the world and to stop it.

Appling 1880 63

Atkinson 770 16

Bacon 1262 28

Baldwin 3791 109

Banks 1599 33

Barrow 8412 126

Bartow 10887 201

Ben Hill 1482 58

Berrien 1042 29

Bibb 13112 387

Bleckley 791 33

Brantley 899 30

Brooks 931 36

Bryan 2623 33

Bulloch 5161 62

Burke 1725 35

Butts 2120 73

Calhoun 443 14

Camden 3143 27

Candler 736 36

Carroll 7258 129

Catoosa 5395 61

Charlton 1044 23

Chatham 19563 394

Chattahoochee 2995 12

Chattooga 2176 60

Cherokee 21668 288

Clarke 12447 128

Clayton 22406 414

Clinch 718 25

Cobb 58391 915

Coffee 4204 133

Colquitt 3466 74

Columbia 10775 158

Coweta 8425 181

Crawford 519 17

Crisp 1405 51

Dawson 2638 39

DeKalb 55319 876

Decatur 2108 54

Dodge 1074 55

Dougherty 5393 274

Douglas 11468 169

Early 1001 42

Effingham 3678 62

Elbert 1512 56

Emanuel 1713 52

Fannin 2061 55

Fayette 6428 142

Floyd 9801 175

Forsyth 17201 167

Franklin 2306 41

Fulton 78688 1201

Gilmer 2425 70

Glascock 143 7

Glynn 6472 149

Gordon 6376 100

Grady 1507 45

Greene 1469 53

Gwinnett 83680 1008

Habersham 4589 144

Hall 24469 416

Hancock 823 59

Haralson 1678 34

Harris 2113 55

Henry 18318 273

Houston 9771 185

Jackson 8329 133

Jasper 663 18

Jeff Davis 1275 37

Jefferson 1556 58

Jenkins 716 39

Johnson 780 41

Jones 1553 52

Lamar 1292 44

Laurens 3644 141

Liberty 3153 59

Lincoln 500 24

Lowndes 7587 136

Lumpkin 2720 61

Madison 2682 44

Marion 384 17

McDuffie 1622 39

McIntosh 669 14

Meriwether 1475 68

Mitchell 1500 73

Monroe 1835 85

Montgomery 707 20

Morgan 1170 22

Murray 4034 74

Muscogee 13711 374

Newton 7196 208

Non-GA Resident/Unknown State 23627 446

Oconee 2968 62

Oglethorpe 1166 27

Paulding 10384 161

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Here's a list of the latest COVID data for Georgia: April 2, 2021 - 11Alive.com WXIA

For Immediate Release: March 31, 2021

Following recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration actions to support test development, the FDA took swift action this week to get more tests for screening asymptomatic individuals on the market. Today, the agency authorized several tests for over-the-counter (OTC) use without a prescription when used for serial screening. In addition to the tests authorized for OTC use, one serial screening test was authorized for use in a point-of-care (POC) setting without a prescription, and an additional screening test was authorized for POC use with a prescription. The addition of the OTC and POC tests for screening will give schools, workplaces, communities and others several options for serial screening tests that are accurate and reliable. These authorizations follow the FDAs recent actions to advance OTC and other screening test development.

Screening testing, especially with the over-the-counter tests authorized today, is an important part of the countrys pandemic responsemany schools, workplaces, communities, and other entities are setting up testing programs to quickly screen for COVID-19. With the FDAs authorization of multiple tests, the public can be assured these tests have met our scientific standards for emergency use authorization. As weve said all along, if its a good test, well authorize it, said Jeff Shuren, M.D., J.D., director of the FDAs Center for Devices and Radiological Health. The FDA has taken many steps to support test development throughout the pandemic, including authorizing tests quickly, offering many avenues for test developers to work with us to get their tests on the market, if shown to be accurate and reliable, and issuing enforcement policies for COVID-19 tests. As the pandemic has progressed, we have worked with test developers wishing to add screening claims.

In total, the FDA has authorized three tests with serial screening claims (testing asymptomatic individuals multiple times on a routine basis). Specific tests authorized this week:

These tests had been previously authorized by the agency (some under different names) to test those with COVID-19 symptoms, but the actions this week authorize testing of asymptomatic individuals when used for serial testing.

These authorizations follow the agencys multiple steps to streamline the process for test developers interested in authorization for screening with serial testing to increase consumer access to testing, as well as information the FDA has issued to help schools, workplaces, communities, and others establish screening programs.

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nations food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

###

03/31/2021

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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Continues to Advance Over-the Counter and Other Screening Test Development - FDA.gov

The global tally for the coronavirus-borne illness rose above 128.9 million on Thursday, according to data aggregated by Johns Hopkins University, with the U.S. accounting for a quarter of that number at more than 30.4 million. The death toll rose above 2.8 million with the U.S. accounting for about a fifth, or 552,073. The U.S. added at least 68,162 new cases on Wednesday, according to a New York Times tracker, and at least 1,138 people died. The U.S. has averaged 64,396 cases a day for the last week, up 17% from the average two weeks ago, as cases continue to rise despite the vaccination program, a trend experts say is due to states reopening and dropping restrictions on movement and overall pandemic fatigue. Johnson & Johnson Inc. JNJ, -0.40% on Wednesday acknowledged a batch of its COVID-19 vaccine produced by one of its manufacturing partners did not meet quality standards, and said it will provide more experts to oversee production.Outside of the U.S., Brazil is second globally in cases at 12.7 million and also second with a death toll at 321,515. India is third worldwide in cases with 12.2 million and fourth in deaths at 162,927. Mexico is third by deaths at 203,210 and 13th highest by cases at 2.2 million. The U.K. has 4.4 million cases and 126,955 deaths, the highest in Europe and fifth highest in the world.

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Coronavirus tally: Global cases of COVID-19 near 129 million and U.S. death toll tops 552,000 - MarketWatch

DETROIT The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 672,259 as of Wednesday, including 16,092 deaths, state officials report.

Wednesdays update includes a total of 6,311 new cases and 10 additional deaths. Its the first time Michigan has reported 6,000 cases in a single day since Dec. 5.

On Tuesday, the state reported 665,948 total cases and 16,082 deaths.

Testing has been steady around 35,000 diagnostic tests reported per day on average, with the 7-day positive rate above 13% as of Wednesday, the highest since early December. The state has reported an up-tick in hospitalizations over the last several weeks.

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Related: Michigan COVID hospitalizations: Concerns grow as more younger adults are in ICU

Michigans 7-day moving average for daily cases was 4,945 on Wednesday -- the highest since December. The 7-day death average was 22 on Wednesday and has been flat for several weeks. The states fatality rate is 2.4%. The state also reports active cases, which were listed at 88,500 on Wednesday -- the highest since late January. More than 569,000 have recovered in Michigan.

Michigan has reported more than 4.2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered as of Wednesday, with 33.8% of residents having received at least one dose.

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More: Whitmer says Michigan plans to combat rising COVID cases with masks, vaccines -- not new restrictions

According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 30.4 million cases have been reported in the U.S., with more than 552,000 deaths reported from the virus.

Worldwide, more than 129 million people have been confirmed infected and more than 2.8 million have died. More than 72 million have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University. The true numbers are certainly much higher, because of limited testing, different ways nations count the dead and deliberate under-reporting by some governments.

Michigan COVID-19 vaccinations: How to find appointments, info on phases

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Coronavirus headlines:

VIEW: Tracking Michigan COVID-19 vaccine doses

VIEW: Tracking coronavirus cases, outbreaks in Michigan schools

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released a statement Tuesday after White House officials announced that there will increase COVID-19 vaccine doses available for Michigan starting next week.

According to a press release, next weeks shipment will increase by 66,020 bringing the total number of doses to 620,040 -- a weekly record for the state. Officials said the allocation includes 147,800 doses of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

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This comes after Whitmer recently requested for more vaccines as the state is seeing a rise in COVID numbers.

The CDC said that Michigan is leading the country in new cases of COVID-19 per population.

On Tuesday, officials reported 5,177 new COVID cases and 48 additional deaths, including 20 from a Vital Records review. On Monday, the state reported 660,771 total cases and 16,034 deaths.

Local 4s Dr. Frank McGeorge said hes seen a very clear increase in COVID patients at the hospital where he works.

Many of them need to be hospitalized. I would honestly say, this feels worse to me here in Southeast Michigan than it was during the wave that started in November. Now, the most concerning trend is the number of middle-aged people with severe COVID, McGeorge said.

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All Detroiters 16 and older are now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, the city announced Monday.

Any Detroit resident age 16 or older can now call to schedule an appointment to be vaccinated at the TCF Center.

Appointments can be made by calling 313-230-0505. Anyone living outside of the city of Detroit, but reporting to work each day in the city, also are eligible to schedule an appointment.

Johnson & Johnson vaccine site opened at Northwest Activities Center 9-1 this Saturday.

Chief Public Health Officer Denise Fair also announced that the Detroit Health Department has been informed it will receive its first allocation of Johnson and Johnson vaccine this week. Detroiters wanting the one dose J&J vaccine can call 313-230-0505 for an appointment to receive at the Northwest Activities Center, located at 18100 Meyers from 9-1 this Saturday.

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The state of Michigan announced Friday that all residents age 16 and up will become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on April 5, nearly a month before the May 1 date pledged by President Joe Biden.

People age 16 to 49 with certain medical conditions or disabilities will qualify starting March 22, when 50- to 64-year-olds can begin getting shots under a previous announcement. Two days later, March 24, a federally selected regional mass vaccination site will open at Detroits Ford Field to administer an additional 6,000 doses a day for two months.

Learn more here.

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MORE: Michigans updated COVID-19 vaccination schedule: Who is eligible and when

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced that the first case of the COVID-19 variant B.1.351 has been identified in a child in Jackson County.

The health department did not say how the boy was infected but a case investigation is underway to determine close contacts and if there are additional cases associated.

This new variant was originally detected in South Africa in October 2020 and shares some mutations with the B117 variant. The first case of the B117 variant -- originally detected in the United Kingdom -- was identified in Washtenaw County.

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The state of Michigan has loosened its COVID-19 restrictions on bars and restaurants, including the capacity limit and nightly curfew.

On Tuesday, March 2, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced the restrictions on indoor dining have been revised.

Starting Friday, March 5, Michigan restaurants and bars will be allowed to fill up to 50% capacity, with a maximum of 100 people, according to the state.

Im proud that we are able to take this positive step without compromising public health, Whitmer said.

Since Feb. 1, restaurants had been capped at 25% capacity. From mid-November through the end of January, no indoor dining was allowed at bars or restaurants.

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The number of the confirmed cases of a more contagious COVID-19 variant in Michigan increased by more than 100 this week, suggesting there is undetected spread in the community.

Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical director for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, said the state has confirmed 422 cases of the COVID-19 B117 variant.

That number increased from 314 cases identified as of six days prior (Feb. 24).

Through a partnership with SMART, Macomb County is offering a new vaccination location in Sterling Heights.

The vaccination site is at the Sterling Heights Senior Center on Utica Road, between Schoenherr and Van Dyke roads.

Appointments are required. Eligible residents and workers can call the SMART Macomb Vaccine line at 586-421-6579.

Wayne County announced it will open several vaccination clinics for residents 65 and older.

According to county Executive Warren Evans, the vaccination clinics will begin Feb. 23.

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Im pleased Wayne County is now in a position to begin vaccinating seniors, Evans said. I know everyone is eager to safely get back to normal. Our team is working hard to ensure all of our residents can get their COVID shot as quickly as the vaccine is available.

There are no walk-up appointments and seniors must make an appointment by calling the number for the site in their communities.

The full list of clinics and how to register can be found here.

Michigan COVID-19 daily reported cases since March 1:

March 1 -- 785 new cases

March 2 -- 1,067 new cases

March 3 -- 1,536 new cases

March 4 -- 1,526 new cases

March 5 -- 1,486 new cases

March 6 -- 1,289 new cases

March 7 -- 980 new cases

March 8 -- 980 new cases

March 9 -- 954 new cases

March 10 -- 2,316 new cases

March 11 -- 2,091 new cases

March 12 -- 2,403 new cases

March 13 -- 1,659 new cases

March 14 -- 1,571 new cases

March 15 -- 1,572 new cases

March 16 -- 2,048 new cases

March 17 -- 3,164 new cases

March 18 -- 2,629 new cases

March 19 -- 3,730 new cases

March 20 -- 2,660 new cases

March 21 -- 2,400 new cases

March 22 -- 2,401 new cases

March 23 -- 3,579 new cases

March 24 -- 4,454 new cases

March 25 -- 5,224 new cases

March 26 -- 5,030 new cases

March 27 -- 4,670 new cases

March 28 -- 4,101 new cases

March 29 -- 4,101 new cases

March 30 -- 5,177 new cases

March 31 -- 6,311 new cases

Michigan COVID-19 daily reported deaths since March 1:

March 1 -- 6 new deaths

March 2 -- 24 new deaths (12 from vital records)

March 3 -- 5 new deaths

March 4 -- 37 new deaths (29 from vital records)

March 5 -- 10 new deaths

March 6 -- 56 new deaths (48 from vital records)

March 7 -- 2 new deaths

March 8 -- 2 new deaths

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Coronavirus in Michigan: Heres what to know April 1, 2021 - WDIV ClickOnDetroit

Commuters wait to board a suburban train on Tuesday at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus prior to the night curfew that has been introduced to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Mumbai. Rajanish Kakade/AP hide caption

Commuters wait to board a suburban train on Tuesday at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus prior to the night curfew that has been introduced to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Mumbai.

MUMBAI India on Wednesday recorded its biggest jump in COVID-19 deaths so far this year, as authorities in worst-hit Mumbai commandeered private hospitals and nursing homes amid an unprecedented wave of coronavirus infections.

Wednesday's death toll from the coronavirus was 354 the highest since mid-December. India's confirmed caseload has more than quintupled from some 9,000 cases in late January to 53,000 today. The increase follows a marked decline in cases from their peak in September 2020 that scientists are still trying to understand.

The commercial capital Mumbai, hard-hit in the virus' first wave last spring, has once again emerged as South Asia's epicenter. It's now seeing its highest caseload since the pandemic began. The surrounding state of Maharashtra is reporting about 10 times more cases than any other Indian state.

Scientists are scrambling to figure out which parts of the population are now most affected. "Are these people who were not infected before? Or are these cases of reinfection?" asks Dr. Gagandeep Kang, a virologist at the Christian Medical College in Vellore, India.

Last summer, a survey of serologic tests in Mumbai found that 57% of the city's slum-dwellers had antibodies suggesting prior exposure to the coronavirus. But in wealthier areas, the percentage of people with antibodies was much lower. So Kang and other medical experts believe this wave may be among people who weren't infected the first time around.

"People who were previously able to isolate themselves and stay away from getting infected are now out and about and more likely to be infected," Kang explains.

She says private hospitals, which cater to affluent Indians, appear to be more strained this time around than public ones. The opposite was true during India's first wave last spring.

Kang believes a combination of factors is likely fueling new cases.

"Protection from a first infection is time-limited, and now we've reached a state where previously infected people cannot ward off infection anymore," she says.

Another possibility is infection by the virus' new variants.

Last week, India's health ministry said it had identified several coronavirus variants in the country, including one it called a "double mutant" because it has two mutations. But the ministry said it was too early to tell whether that variant was to blame for the latest spike in infections.

Infections are also surging in neighboring Pakistan, following a similar previous pattern of decline. On Tuesday, the country confirmed its highest single-day toll of the year, with 100 new deaths.

Prime Minister Imran Khan tested positive on March 20, and President Arif Alvi announced Monday that he had, too. Lagging in vaccine supplies, Pakistan said this week that it would import raw materials from China's CanSino Biologics, to assemble an additional 3 million vaccine doses.

In a circular published Monday, Mumbai put all hospitals and nursing homes under temporary government control. It ordered them to discharge asymptomatic patients who don't have comorbidities, and instructed private hospitals to reserve all intensive care units for COVID-19 patients.

India is the world's biggest vaccine producer, and it's trying to ramp up inoculations quickly. On Thursday, it plans to open eligibility to anyone 45 or older. India has administered about 63 million vaccinations so far. But with a population of nearly 1.4 billion, only a tiny fraction of people have gained protection.

"While our absolute vaccination numbers are high, for our population, if you look at the percentage, it's very, very low," says Dr. Vineeta Bal, an immunologist at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research. "Is the virus going to win, or is vaccination going to protect us? This race is really against time."

NPR producer Sushmita Pathak contributed reporting from Mumbai.

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India Reports Its Highest Daily Number Of COVID-19 Deaths So Far This Year - NPR