This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots… Just the facts… for January 20th, 2021.


The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus has now surpassed 400,000. And more than 100,000 Americans have died in the past five weeks alone. In the U.S., someone now dies from COVID-19 every 26 seconds and it’s claiming more lives weekly than any other condition, including heart disease and cancer.


In Los Angeles County, an environmental regulator has temporarily relaxed limits on the number of cremations that can be performed each month. The reason…too many deaths have created a backlog. Crematoriums are typically restricted based on potential air quality impact.


Israel’s coronavirus tsar warned one dose of the Pfizer vaccine may be providing less protection than originally hoped and also lower than Pfizer had suggested. However, those who had their second dose had a six- to 12-fold increase in antibodies.


Germany is extending its pandemic restrictions, including the closure of schools and non-essential stores, until mid-February. It’s believed new mutations of the coronavirus could trigger a fresh surge. Also, people are required to wear the more effective FFP2 or KN95 masks on public transport and in stores.


The supermarket chain Aldi will incentivize U.S. employees to get a vaccine, up to four hours of pay just for rolling up their sleeves. It will also cover associated costs and implement on-site clinics at its warehouse and office locations. Dollar General and Instacart are also paying workers to get the shots.


In the United States cases were down 7%, deaths up 21%, and hospitalizations up 2% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending down since January 8th. 


There are now 9,608,626 active cases in the United States. The current top 5 states by number of active cases: California, Florida, New York, Arizona, and Georgia.


The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Forest, PA. Morgan, KY. Montour, PA. Hall, TX. La Salle, TX. Webb, TX. Oldham, KY. Foard, TX. Weston, WY. And Hyde, NC. 


The five states with the highest risk levels and most daily new cases per capita over 7 days are Arizona, Rhode Island, California, South Carolina, and Oklahoma.


The infection reproduction rate is currently highest in Hawaii, Washington, and Oklahoma. The states with the lowest reproduction rate are West Virginia, Indiana, and Illinois.


There’ve been a total 401,586 deaths in the US reported as COVID-related, with a current national fatality rate of 1.67%.


The states with the most new deaths reported as COVID-related: California 651. Texas 332. Georgia 222. New York 216. Florida 167. Indiana 126. Pennsylvania 75. Louisiana 71. Virginia 59. And Ohio 56.


Globally, cases were up 5%, and deaths up 21% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending down since January 11. 


Globally, there are 25,285,726 active cases.


The five countries with the most new cases: the United States 171,525. Brazil 63,504. Spain 34,291. The U.K. 33,355. And France 23,608.


There have now been 2,054,560 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.


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