Coronavirus News Update – Dec. 30: New Infections and Hospitalizations in U.K. Surpass First Peak

Saint Louis Cathedral at Jackson Square in New Orleans

Despite strict lockdown measures, the number of hospitalizations and new infections in the United Kingdom continues to spread at an alarming rate. There were over 53,000 new cases on Tuesday, a single-day record, and health officials said that there were over 20,000 people in hospital, a figure far higher than in the peak of the outbreak in April.

Meanwhile, regulators in the United Kingdom gave approval to a homegrown coronavirus vaccine from AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is inexpensive and easier to store than several of the leading vaccines including the one from Pfizer-BioNTech.

California extended its stay-at-home order in two counties into the New Year for two parts of the state, the southern region and Central Valley.The orders require residents not to leave their homes except for specified essential activities, including shopping or working at grocery stores. Restaurants are allowed to stay open only for takeout, and all shops must operate at reduced capacity,

Louisiana congressman-elect Luke Letlow died of the novel coronavirus Tuesday evening.  The 41-year-old Republican was to have been sworn in Sunday.

Two women were arrested after hosting a 200-person “makeshift bar” party in Newark, New Jersey.  26-year-old Denisse Tinizaray and 28-year-old Katherine Tinizaray were arrested after the two failed to provide local police responding to multiple complaints about the party for failing to provide a liquor license.  Both were charged with maintaining an illegal alcohol establishment and illegal possession and sales of alcohol.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)