News / Politics

US COVID-19 deaths surpass 513,000, cases top 28.6 mln

Monday, 01 March 2021 10:40 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 01 March 2021 10:44 AM ]

The US COVID death toll is by far the highest reported in the world, and the true numbers are thought to be significantly greater, because of the many cases that were overlooked, especially early in the outbreak. (Photo: AP)

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the United States surpassed 28.6 million with over 513,000 deaths on Sunday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.

The country's case count rose to 28,602,101 with 513,137 deaths as of 19:32 Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Sunday, according to the CSSE tally.

US media said a nationwide telephone hotline and vaccine-appointment system for seasonal flu had been created in 2013 by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The system was originally designed to provide free information for people who are sick and reduce the stress of medical institutions.

One year on since the COVID-19 hit the country, the system hasn't been applied to cope with the surging pandemic.

US urges Black Americans to get shots as distrust grows over American...

Andrew Needleman, chief executive officer of a software company involved in the system, said that adopting this system could possibly ease the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, even if it would only be applied in a small scale.

Since its establishment in 2013, the system has gone through tests for five years. In 2018, a vaccine booking service was added. In the summer of 2020, the entire system was tested again. However, it has remained out of operation during the pandemic.

Needleman also said that it was a missed opportunity for not using the system during the pandemic, as it could book five million vaccination appointments per day.

(Source: Reuters)

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk