CDC Sees Decrease in Mortality Rates in People 65 and Over and Many States Are Expanding Eligibility

CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says infectious variants of Covid-19 are circulating but, we’re seeing a decrease in mortality rates in people 65 and over. Even though the U.S. is ‘still seeing about 1,000 deaths a day’, states are relaxing capacity restrictions and school districts are opening up for in-person learning. Travel is also increasing and data from the TSA shows that more than 1 million daily passengers have traveled through airports for the past two weeks which is the longest stretch since the pandemic began. Walensky pointed out the early signs that vaccines are working but says there’s still a steady flow of around 50,000 to 60,000 infections reported daily. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, some states are seeing rises of at least 10 percent weekly. Many states are expanding their vaccine eligibility. Minnesota, Connecticut, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Florida and California all recently announced that adults of all ages will be eligible for vaccines by Mid-April. Plus, 6 more states have already expanded their eligibility to anyone 16 and older. 26 more plan to open to people 16 and older by the end of April.