Around one in every 10 U.S. residents has now gotten at least their first COVID-19 vaccine dose, with close to 10 million fully vaccinated. New daily cases continue to trend downward, though the number of variant cases in the U.S. has surged by nearly 75% over the past week, and public health experts warn the U.S. could still see fresh surges if the spread of new variants outpaces the rate of vaccinations and people ease up on other protective measures. The U.S. government said Tuesday it will start sending COVID-19 vaccines to community health centers, which predominantly serve lower-income communities and communities of color.
The Food and Drug Administration has authorized Eli Lilly’s combination antibody drug for emergency use. The treatment can help prevent high-risk COVID-19 patients from developing severe forms of the disease and is expected to be better able to combat new coronavirus mutations.