COVID-19 Update

WaPo: (freebie)

The United States is not headed for lockdowns like the ones facing European countries, even though coronavirus cases are rising with the arrival of winter, Jeff Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, told reporters Monday. “We are not headed in that direction,” Zients said.

The Biden administration has sought to avoid imposing lockdowns and has instead relied on the increased distribution of vaccine shots to curb the coronavirus. Even when the spread of the delta variant this summer was driving up new cases, President Biden and his senior health officials stressed their goal of avoiding lockdowns. Zients repeated that stance Monday, pointing to the increasing number of Americans getting vaccinated. “We have the tools to accelerate the path out of this pandemic: widely available vaccinations, booster shots, kids’ shots, therapeutics,” he said.

New reportedly daily cases in the United States have risen by 10 percent in the past week, Washington Post figures show, reflecting the recent increases in colder regions of the country. Daily reported deaths rose during the same period by 5 percent, and hospitalizations by 4 percent.

Here’s what to know

• French Prime Minister Jean Castex, 56, has tested positive for the coronavirus and is displaying slight symptoms, his office said. Case numbers are rising in France and across much of Europe as leaders scramble to impose tougher measures.
• The White House announced that 95 percent of federal employees have complied with a vaccination mandate before a Monday evening deadline set by the Biden administration.
• Vice President Harris announced $1.5 billion in funding to help eliminate a shortage of doctors and nurses in underserved communities by providing scholarships and repaying the student loans of providers who work in medically needy areas.