Florida’s identification of a case of the coronavirus variant, first detected in the U.K., is a reminder that the pandemic remains strong as a new year begins.
Florida on Thursday became the third state to identify a case of the coronavirus variant first detected in the United Kingdom, a reminder that the pandemic remains a formidable foe as infections in the United States cross 20 million. The latest instance of the variant was found in a man in his 20s with no recent travel history, health officials said. The more transmissible version of the virus has also been reported in California and Colorado, and experts expect it to be identified in additional states. The virus, spreading largely unchecked in much of the country, forced most people to have quieter New Year’s Eve celebrations. No one was likely to kiss a stranger at the annual ball drop in Manhattan’s Times Square, attended by only a few hundred frontline workers. A fired Wisconsin pharmacist was arrested Thursday for allegedly deliberately spoiling more than 500 doses of coronavirus vaccine, which is available in limited supply and being rationed for high-risk people. At a vaccination clinic in West Virginia, more than 40 people were accidentally given an antibody treatment for the virus, instead of Moderna’s vaccine. The West Virginia National Guard, which is assisting with inoculations, said those people were at no risk of harm. The number of vaccinations across the U.S. crossed 3 million Thursday, only about one-seventh of the doses that federal officials had promised to deliver to Americans’ arms by the end of the year. Although authorities insist that lags in reporting mean the official tally is an undercount, the immunization campaign has nevertheless been marred by logistical delays as the nation experiences the most powerful surge of the pandemic so far. The vaccines’ complicated rollout has relied on coordination between the federal government and beleaguered state and local health-care systems, with communication gaffes and underfunded health departments contributing to the slowdown. Gustave Perna, chief operating officer of the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed, on Wednesday said federal officials will “continue to make adjustments” to increase vaccinations. Former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb called on the government to increase the pace of vaccination, especially for people in nursing homes.
