February 15 coronavirus news

By Joshua Berlinger, Brad Lendon, Kara Fox and Mary Ilyushina, CNN

Updated 12:00 a.m. ET, February 16, 2021
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8:52 p.m. ET, February 15, 2021

Gorillas at the San Diego Zoo made a full recovery from Covid-19

From CNN's Cheri Mossburg

Western lowland gorilla, Winston, at San Diego Zoo Safari Park, on February 11.
Western lowland gorilla, Winston, at San Diego Zoo Safari Park, on February 11. Tammy Spratt/San Diego Zoo Global

Eight gorillas at the San Diego Zoo have made a full recovery after contracting Covid-19 last month, the zoo said. 

The western lowland gorillas caught the West Coast variant of the coronavirus, zoo officials say, despite team members adhering to all recommended biosecurity precautions.

All eight gorillas at the zoo were secluded after the diagnosis, with some showing symptoms that included “mild coughing, congestion, nasal discharge and intermittent lethargy,” the zoo said in an online update.

Zoo officials credit the gorillas recuperation to “the highest standard of care” offered by the zoo’s veterinary team, wildlife care professionals, and a collaboration with a wide array of colleagues and partners.

“We’re so grateful for the outpouring concern and support we’ve received while the troop safely recovered,” said Lisa Peterson, executive director of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. “We’re thrilled to share the joy that this beloved troop brings to our community and to our guests.”

 

San Diego Zoo has committed to sharing documentation of the coronavirus in its gorillas with hopes that it will help “provide important information regarding scientific understanding of the virus and its effects on great apes.”

The gorillas are now on view for visitors.

8:09 p.m. ET, February 15, 2021

3 sailors on a US aircraft carrier tested positive for Covid-19

From CNN's Barbara Starr in Washington

Three sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday, the US Navy said in a statement.  

“These Sailors, who have not experienced any symptoms, as well as all identified close contacts are currently isolated aboard the ship in accordance with Navy and CDC guidance. Shipboard health professionals conducted a thorough contact investigation and all identified close contacts have tested negative for COVID-19,” the Navy said in a statement

Last year, the same aircraft carrier was home to a significant outbreak of the virus -- more than 1,000 of the ship's nearly 4,900-member crew who tested positive for the coronavirus.

recent Department of Defense Inspector General investigation found the leadership of the USS Theodore Roosevelt failed to put in place measures to stop a Covid-19 outbreak on board the aircraft carrier and exacerbated a growing problem by releasing sailors too early from quarantine last year.

The Navy said Monday that this time, the ship is “following an aggressive mitigation strategy in accordance with Navy and CDC guidelines” and USS Theodore Roosevelt is underway and remains fully operational.

 

7:28 p.m. ET, February 15, 2021

More than 486,000 people have died from Covid-19 in the US

From CNN's Virginia Langmaid

A hospital worker places a sticker on a body bag holding a deceased patient at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Los Angeles on January 9.
A hospital worker places a sticker on a body bag holding a deceased patient at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Los Angeles on January 9. Jae C. Hong/File/AP

There have been at least 27,690,574 cases of coronavirus in the US and at least 486,286 people have died from the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally of cases.

So far today, Johns Hopkins University has reported 50,292 new cases and 950 new deaths.  

At least 70,057,800 vaccine doses have been distributed and at least 52,884,356 total doses of the vaccine have been administered, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.  

5:14 p.m. ET, February 15, 2021

Las Vegas providing free Covid-19 vaccinations to utility workers and people over 70

From CNN’s Artemis Moshtaghian

As Nevada rolls out its new approach to reopening dubbed “Nevada’s Roadmap to Recovery”, Las Vegas announced it is making vaccination appointments available for people over the age of 70 and utility workers starting Wednesday.

Utility workers eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccine include those who are employed by providers of gas, power, water and sanitation services, according to a statement from Las Vegas City Council.

The free Covid-19 vaccinations will be provided in partnership with the Southern Nevada Health District and will be administered to the aforementioned groups from Wednesday through Friday at the Chuck Minker Sports Complex.

The clinic at the Chuck Minker Sports Complex will have a limit of administering 1,100 vaccine doses a day. 

4:35 p.m. ET, February 15, 2021

In letter to Biden, governors say some federal vaccine distribution efforts are creating confusion

From CNN's Greg Wallace and Kevin Liptak

President Joe Biden speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on February 11 in Washington, DC.
President Joe Biden speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on February 11 in Washington, DC. Doug Mills/Pool/Getty Images

The National Governors Association wrote to President Biden on Monday requesting better coordination between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and states on vaccine distribution.  

The bipartisan group of governors raised alarm with two areas of confusion: first, the numbers the agency publicly reports for vaccine distribution, and second, a recently-launched program where the federal government sends vaccines directly to pharmacies.  

The group said the issues with public reporting of vaccine distribution has been ongoing “since last year” – the days of the Trump administration and has created “unnecessary confusion.” State officials have said the publicly reported numbers of vaccines allocated by the federal government differed from what was actually on the ground in their states. Both numbers differ from the actual vaccines health care providers have administered into arms.  

The governors also wrote they are concerned that they don’t have visibility into some of the federal government’s distribution efforts within their states, and that in some cases, the federal government and the states are allocating vaccine to the same pharmacies.

“If the federal government distributes independently of the states to these same entities without state coordination and consultation, redundancy and inefficiency may very well follow,” the governors wrote. 

CNN has reached out the to the White House for a response.

4:12 p.m. ET, February 15, 2021

89% of US children live in "high transmission" communities under CDC guidelines for school reopening

From CNN's Deidre McPhillips

Children arrive for class on December 7, 2020, in New York City.
Children arrive for class on December 7, 2020, in New York City. Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images

About 89% of children in the US live in a county considered a red zone with high levels of Covid-19 transmission under new school opening guidelines shared by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, according to a CNN analysis of federal data.

Red, or “high transmission,” communities are defined by the CDC as counties where there were at least 100 new Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people or a test positivity rate of at least 10% during the past seven days.

When the CDC guidance was released on Friday, closer to 99% of children lived in red zones, according to CNN’s analysis. The CDC says school districts should re-assess weekly, noting that transmission levels will change over time. 

The CDC guidelines stress five key mitigation strategies:

  1. Requiring masks
  2. Physical distancing
  3. Handwashing
  4. Maintaining clean facilitie
  5. Contract tracing

It also recommends different strategies based on how much transmission there is in the surrounding community, and has a color-coded guide with areas of high transmission colored red; substantial transmission colored orange; moderate transmission coded yellow; and low transmission as blue.

If schools in “high transmission” communities cannot “strictly implement all mitigation strategies,” the CDC says all extracurricular activities should be virtual. Plus middle and high schools should stick with virtual learning in these red zones, and elementary schools should maximize physical distance through hybrid learning or reduced attendance.

About 115,000 children in the US live in a county considered “low” or “moderate transmission” where the CDC recommends K-12 schools open for full in-person instruction.

More on the analysis: The CNN analysis used the latest federal data on new case rates and test positivity rates, published Sunday by the US Department of Health and Human Services, to determine each county’s risk threshold according to CDC guidelines.

Population data is from the US Census Bureau’s five-year American Community Survey 2019 estimates.

4:06 p.m. ET, February 15, 2021

Covid-19 deaths top 47,000 in California

From CNN's Cheri Mossburg

Transporters Miguel Lopez, right, and Noe Meza prepare to move a body of a COVID-19 victim to a morgue at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Los Angeles on January 9.
Transporters Miguel Lopez, right, and Noe Meza prepare to move a body of a COVID-19 victim to a morgue at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Los Angeles on January 9. Jae C. Hong/File/AP

California added 6,487 new Covid-19 cases Monday, the lowest daily increase since early November, according to state data, another sign the disastrous holiday surge continues to recede even as the state become the first in the nation to surpass 47,000 deaths. 

While Mondays often reflect lower case numbers due to weekend reporting lags, California has seen a steady decline in new cases after peaking at the beginning of the year with several days over 50,000 additional cases.

Health officials also reported 200 additional deaths Monday, bringing California to 47,043 total fatalities. The daily average over the past two weeks is well over 400 deaths, another number declining significantly. At the beginning of February, California was averaging 542 deaths each day.

California’s positivity rate stands at 4.3% today, nearly 10 points lower than the 14% marked in early January, which was the highest since widespread testing began in the state.

Hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions have also fallen steadily over the past month. Currently about 9,300 of those infected with Covid-19 are receiving in-patient treatment with 2,650 of those in intensive care units.

Note: These numbers were released by the California Department of Public Health and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database, which is drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project. 

4:02 p.m. ET, February 15, 2021

West Virginia has fully vaccinated more than 140,000 people, governor says

From CNN’s Anna Sturla

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice speaks during a briefing on February 15.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice speaks during a briefing on February 15. Governor Jim Justice/Youtube

West Virginia has fully vaccinated 140,540 residents, with a total of 391,186 doses administered in the state, Gov. Jim Justice announced Monday. 

Justice said 250,646 residents have received their first dose.

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reported two deaths and 301 new cases of Covid-19 over the last 24 hours, Justice added. The state had a daily percent positivity rate of 5.19%, he said.

The governor celebrated that none of the state's counties were marked "red," the highest-alert tier. He also marked a decrease in long-term care facility outbreaks.

Justice reported that there were 43 inmate and 14 staff Covid-19 cases in the state's correctional system, which included 24 in the Southern Regional Jail.

Note: These numbers were released by the state’s health agency, and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project. 

3:51 p.m. ET, February 15, 2021

Colombia receives first batch of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines

From CNN's Stefano Pozzebon and Mitchell McCluskey

Presidencia de Colombia
Presidencia de Colombia

Colombia received 50,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on Monday, President Iván Duque announced.

It is the first batch of vaccine doses Colombia is scheduled to get from Pfizer/BioNTech.

“Today is a day to mourn those who passed away because of this painful illness […] but today shows this is the answer of a resilient country," Duque said from Bogotá’s International Airport where he personally observed and welcomed arrival of the vaccines.  

Duque said the country may receive up to 1.6 million doses over the next 30 days, thanks to bilateral deals with Pfizer/BioNTech and Sinopharm, as well as vaccines provided by the Covax mechanism.

“This is a titanic effort from our nation,” Duque said.

The distribution of the vaccine was set to begin on Saturday, but officials say they may begin rolling it out a few days earlier.

Colombia has reported at least 2,195,039 Coronavirus cases and 57,605 deaths so far, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.