Coronavirus news, updates, hotspots and information for 5-31-2021

This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots… Just the facts… for May 31st, 2021.

A hospital in Houston is being sued by 117 employees who say it’s turning them into vaccine “guinea pigs” and breaking the law by requiring they get the shot. The lawsuit alleges compulsory vaccines violate the Nuremberg Code, created as a reaction to Nazi medical experiments. However, updated guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says yes, employers of all kinds can require the vaccine.

In New York, interest in vaccines is plummeting and incentives aren’t working. In the 24 hours ending 11 a.m. Saturday, there were less than half the doses given just three weeks ago. Rewards like Mets and Yankees tickets, free drinks, and a lottery don’t seem to be helping. And in Arkansas, citizens appear they’d rather let the vaccines rot than take them. Nearly 60,000 doses are set to expire and will be trashed at the end of June.

South Africa will go back to stricter lockdowns after a sharp rise in cases that indicate the virus is “surging again” in Africa's worst-affected nation. Positive cases in the past seven days were 31% higher than the week before, and cities like Johannesburg and Pretoria are in a third wave.

The words “third wave” are also being used in the U.K. Scientists have warned ministers it may have already started and plans to lift all restrictions in England are premature. A surge in hospital admissions could leave the NHS struggling as it works to clear the huge backlog of non-Covid cases.

A reminder out of Florida not being vaccinated could get expensive. A concert promoter is saying those who can prove they’re fully vaccinated can pay $18 per ticket to attend a concert in Saint Petersburg June 26. Those who can’t will be charged $999.99 per ticket. The logic is unvaccinated people will scare off vaccinated ticket buyers so they have to pay to make up for the damage they’re causing.

In the United States cases were down 39%, deaths are down 27%, and hospitalizations are down 21% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending down since April 14. 

There are now 5,592,640 active cases in the United States. The current top 5 states by number of active cases: California, Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, and New York.

The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Livingston, MO. Linn, MO. Torrance, NM. Chattahoochee, GA. Dimmit, TX. Karnes, TX. Lincoln, WA. Mesa, CO. Alamosa, CO. And Koochiching, MN.

The five states with the highest risk levels and most daily new cases per capita over 7 days are Rhode Island, Colorado, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

There have been 594,430 deaths in U.S. recorded as Covid-related, with a current national fatality rate of 1.8%.

The states with the most new deaths reported as COVID-related: Illinois 19. New York 15. Virginia 13. Texas 12. California 10. Minnesota and Maryland 8. New Jersey 6. And Pennsylvania, Indiana, and South Carolina 5.

The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s had at least one dose, Vermont at 70%, Hawaii at 66.4%, and Massachusetts at 66%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Mississippi at 34%, Louisiana at 35.6%, and Alabama at 36%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 40.5%.

Globally, cases were down 29% and deaths down 13% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending down since May 28.

There are now 14,354,573 active cases around the world.

The five countries with the most new cases: India 153,485. Brazil 43,520. Argentina 21,346. Colombia 20,218. And Russia 9,694.    

There have now been 3,538,160 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.

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