Coronavirus Watch: A new chapter of the pandemic
It's been 329 days since the first reported U.S. case of COVID-19 and 312 days since the first known death. Now, the nation is starting a new chapter.
Vaccinations began in the U.S. on Monday, the start to a monthslong process of distributing shots to a nation in dire need of relief from a virus that is on the verge of claiming 300,000 lives.
It's Monday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's the news to know today, as of 1 p.m. EST.
- Let's take a moment to remember: The number itself can be numbing at times. The sheer scale of lives lost to COVID-19 is greater than the death tolls of wars. We put that 300,000 number into context.
- "I feel hopeful today," said New York nurse Sandra Lindsay, who was among the first Americans to be inoculated with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on Monday. Vaccine doses were also administered in Kentucky, Ohio, and Louisiana, among others.
- In an effort to slow COVID-19 spread, New York City's ban on indoor dining went into effect Monday, a move that deals another blow to an already suffering restaurant industry.
Politicians haven't always displayed the best pandemic behavior. But that shouldn't prompt Americans to abandon mitigation measures, experts say.
Thank you for subscribing to Coronavirus Watch, where we'll be keeping a close eye on vaccine distribution in the coming months. Know someone who could use daily news updates right in their inbox? Forward this email along so they can sign up here.
– Jay Cannon, Paste BN Network and Wires Editor, @JayTCannon on Twitter