A Top Health Official Warns Against Easing Restrictions, After One Day, More States Announce Relaxation Of Restrictions

The country is seeing a spike in the number of new variants of the coronavirus. Thus re-opening seems to be a dangerous suggestion, observe health officials. According to them, the new variant of the virus, B.1.1.7 has proven to be more contagious. This is not the situation in US alone, but in the countries that strive to vaccinate its entire population like the US.

After One Day, More States Announce Relaxation Of Restrictions

The only hope, according to health officials, is that the country does whatever it can to minimize the transmission. This is what other nations too are trying to do. Yet, they observe that the country has never been this open since the onset of the pandemic. They are frustrated with the attempts to re-open schools. And the change in guidelines is all the more discomforting. They have changed the original guideline of 6 feet distance to 3 feet to accommodate more students.

Experts warn that the trend of transmission will change. It will never be the same as before. The US as a country, seems not to care. It is re-opening at the local, State and federal levels.

From the first week of this month, more than 12 States announced relaxing of COVID 19 safety protocols.

This Tuesday, governor of Indiana announced that from April 6, the mask requirement will become a State mask advisory. Covering face will remain mandate in all the State buildings, vaccination centers and testing sites. He will wear a mask when organizing events and visiting his favorite restaurant. He knows that it is the proper thing to do. Everyone who maintains these COVID 19 safety restrictions will help them get to the end of the pandemic.

He also announced that from 6^th April, the local officials will decide the capacity of venues. In the same way, there would not be any restrictions in the matter of customers in restaurants or bars being seated. Six feet distance, however, will remain a recommendation. The same thing is happening in Virginia. Governor there announced that from April 1^st, the caps on number both in the indoor and outdoor events will be relaxed. The same will apply to certain entertainment and sports venues.

The vaccination drive in the country, in the meantime, is going at a truly fast pace. More than 130.5 million doses of the vaccines have been administered; according to the statement CDC published Wednesday. The agency reports that in total 130,473,853 doses of the vaccines have been administered. This comes up to 79% of the total doses supplied in the country, 169,223,125. At present, the country has an average of 2.5 million per day in a week. Last month, the same was 1.5 million per day. On January 29^th, the one-week average of the number of vaccines being administered was 1,253,815.

At present almost 26% of the country’s population, up to 85000000 people have received at least one dose of a vaccine. 14% among them has received the full dose of the vaccination.

In the meantime, Philadelphia had to cancel thousands of vaccine appointments. This happened because people used a QR code circulated on the worldwide web to book invalid appointments. The Department of Public Health there cancelled more than 11000 appointments for the week. It is reviewing the bookings for the coming two weeks. It may cancel up to 30000 appointments, say observers. The authorities say that they understand the frustration of the people. They are doing whatever possible to vaccinate as many people as possible in the shortest time possible.

As vaccination drive is picking up, the number of people willing too is increasing. The only worry for experts at the moment are concerned about the confusion about the AstraZeneca vaccine. It may add up to the vaccine-related hesitation, they feel.