INDIANAPOLIS — Here are Monday's latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic, including the latest news on COVID-19 vaccinations and testing in Indiana.
Registrations for the vaccine are now open for Hoosiers 5 and older through the Indiana State Department of Health. This story will be updated over the course of the day with more news on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moderna gets full US approval for its COVID-19 vaccine
Moderna says U.S. health regulators have given full approval to its COVID-19 vaccine after reviewing additional data on its safety and effectiveness.
The decision Monday by the Food and Drug Administration comes after many tens of millions of Americans have already received the shot under its original emergency authorization.
Full approval means the FDA has completed the same rigorous, time-consuming review for Moderna’s shot as dozens of other long-established vaccines.
Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine received full approval last summer.
Public health advocates initially hoped the distinction would boost public confidence in the shots, but there was no discernable bump in vaccinations after the Pfizer decision.
IDOH update: 3,947 new cases, 48 additional deaths
The Indiana Department of Health reported that another 6,170 Indiana residents were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Monday morning. The total number of Hoosiers now considered fully vaccinated is 3,643,508.
A total of 1,667,112 booster doses have now been administered to Indiana residents.
The state also added 48 deaths from COVID-19 to Friday’s last published total. The overall death toll from COVID-19 among Hoosiers has climbed to 20,556.
IDOH reported 3,947 new positive cases recorded between Thursday and Sunday night.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tests positive for COVID-19
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday he has tested positive for COVID-19, but is "feeling fine" and will continue working remotely.
The announcement came in a tweet in which he urged everyone to "please get vaccinated and get boosted."
Trudeau said on Thursday that he was going into isolation for five days after finding out the previous evening he had been in contact with someone who tested positive. He told The Canadian Press on Friday that person was one of his three children.
Trudeau previously isolated at home in the early months of the pandemic after his wife tested positive.
Omicron amps up concerns about long COVID and its causes
Omicron's race across the globe has amped up concerns about long COVID, which some estimates suggest affects a third of COVID-19 survivors. Long COVID symptoms can include pain, fatigue and brain fog weeks or months after the initial infection.
As coronavirus infections soar worldwide, scientists are racing to pinpoint the cause of the baffling condition and find new treatments before a potential explosion of cases.
Could it be an autoimmune disorder? Could microclots in the bloodstream be causing some of the symptoms? And can vaccination reduce the chances of developing long COVID?
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 74.33 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 1:00 a.m. Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 884,200 deaths recorded in the U.S.
Worldwide, there have been more than 374.70 million confirmed coronavirus cases with more than 5.66 million deaths and more than 9.96 billion vaccine doses administered.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness like pneumonia, or death.
Beijing seals off more residential areas, reports 12 cases
Beijing officials have sealed off several residential communities in the city’s northern district after two cases of COVID-19 were found. Residents in Chaoyang district were sealed off on Saturday, and will not be allowed to leave their compound.
Beijing is on high alert as it prepares to host the Olympic Games opening on Friday. The city is also setting up 19 points in the area to test residents every day until Friday.
A disease response official said at a briefing that a total of 12 cases were reported in the capital in the last 24 hours but they include people who were already under some kind of pandemic control measures. The city conducted multiple rounds of testing for millions of residents this past week.
Marion County Public Health Department shares vaccination, testing sites
The Marion County Public Health Department announced a list of its current COVID-19 vaccination and testing locations as it continues to offer the services for free to anyone interested.
MCPHD is operating one COVID-19 testing site — a drive-thru clinic at 3838 N. Rural St., just north of 38th Street on Indianapolis' northeast side. Current hours for that site are Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. The clinic offers only PCR testing.
Anyone seeking a test at the location is encouraged to register and make an appointment online at MaronHealth.org/indycovid. Appointments are not required but will cut down the wait time significantly, the department said.
MCPHD is offering the COVID-19 vaccine at its district health offices, ACTION Health Center and three other locations in Marion County.
Below is the list of MCPHD's vaccine clinic locations and times through February:
- MCPHD Northeast District Health Office, 6042 E. 21st St.: Mondays noon-4 p.m., Tuesdays 3-7 p.m., and Feb. 12 8 a.m.-noon.
- MCPHD Eagledale Plaza Health Office, 2802 Lafayette Road, Suite 13: Tuesdays 8 a.m.-noon.
- MCPHD Northwest District Health Office, 6940 N. Michigan Road: Thursdays 3-7 p.m., Feb. 5 and Feb. 26 8 a.m.-noon.
- MCPHD South District Health Office, 7551 S. Shelby St.: Mondays 3-7 p.m., Fridays 8 a.m-noon, Jan. 29 and Feb. 19 8 a.m.-Noon
- MCPHD ACTION Health Center, 2868 N. Pennsylvania St.: Wednesdays 3-5 p.m., Feb. 12 9 a.m.-noon
- Indianapolis Public Library Martindale-Brightwood Branch, 2436 N. Sherman Drive (ages 12+ only): Tuesdays-Fridays 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Indianapolis Public Library College Avenue Branch, 4180 N. College Ave. (ages 12+ only): Tuesdays-Fridays 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
- IndyGo Carson Transit Center, 201 E. Washington St. (ages 12+ only): Tuesdays-Thursdays 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Omicron drives US deaths higher than in fall's delta wave
The highly contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus is driving the daily American death toll higher than during last fall’s delta wave. Deaths are likely to keep rising for days or even weeks.
The seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. has been climbing since mid-November. It reached 2,267 on Thursday. That surpasses a September peak of 2,100 when delta was the dominant variant. Now omicron is estimated to account for nearly all the virus circulating in the nation.
Andrew Noymer is a public health professor at the University of California, Irvine. He says omicron will push the U.S. over a million deaths.