Coronavirus news, updates, hotspots and information for 4-22-2021

This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots… Just the facts… for April 22nd, 2021.   The FDA said that factory in Baltimore hired to help make Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine was dirty, didn’t follow proper procedures and had poorly trained staff. That is likely what resulted in contamination of material going into a batch of shots. That batch, enough to make about 15 million doses, had to be thrown out.   The World Health Organization said infections have been rising at an alarming rate for eight straight weeks as the virus sweeps easily through several parts of the world. More than 5.2 million new cases last week - the most in one week since the pandemic began. Deaths also increased for the fifth week.   A new directive is requiring hospitals in Ontario, Canada to stop all non-emergency surgeries and non-urgent procedures immediately. This as COVID-19 patients continue to fill hospitals and put the healthcare system under strain amid a third coronavirus wave. The province is also giving hospitals the authority to transfer patients to other hospitals without their consent.   A growing number of a certain group feels like the pandemic is being blown out of proportion. But it might not be a group you’d expect. It’s educators. Education Week reports nearly one in three surveyed said it’s not a real threat to schools. 15% also said no social distancing at all is necessary.   COVID-19 has reportedly claimed the life of a former member of the legendary Four Seasons music group. Joe Long is actually the second member of the group to die from COVID. Tommy DeVito lost his life last year. Frankie Valli announced Long’s death on his Facebook page.   In the United States cases were flat, deaths are down 8%, and hospitalizations were up 9% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending down since April 14.    There are now 6,841,287 active cases in the United States. The current top 5 states by number of active cases: California, New York, Virginia, Maryland, and Florida.   The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Dimmit, TX. Grant, OR. St. Clair, MI. Karnes, TX. Newaygo, MI. Sanilac, MI. Tuscola, MI. Macomb, MI. Mason, MI. And Oceana, MI.   The five states with the highest risk levels and most daily new cases per capita over 7 days are Michigan, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.   There have been 569,385 deaths in the US reported as Covid-related, with a current national fatality rate of 1.8%.   The states with the most new deaths reported as COVID-related: California 95. Florida 83. Texas 78. New Jersey 65. Pennsylvania 59. Michigan 44. North Carolina 43. New York 40. Georgia 31. And Illinois 29.   The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s had at least one dose, New Hampshire at 58.6%, Connecticut at 49.8%, and Maine at 49.7%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Mississippi at 29.5%, Alabama at 30.5%, and Louisiana at 31.1%.   Globally, cases were up 23% and deaths up 14% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending up since April 18.   There are now 18,754,007 active cases around the world.   The five countries with the most new cases: India 315,802. Brazil 71,910. The United States 65,057. Turkey 61,967. And France 34,968.   There have now been 3,055,587 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.   For the latest updates, subscribe for free to Coronavirus 411 on your podcast app or ask your smart speaker to play the Coronavirus 411 podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.