CDC: Virus is spread mostly by tiny droplets

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated public guidance to highlight that the coronavirus is spread through the air – in tiny droplets exhaled by others – and can be transmitted at distances greater than 6 feet.

The agency’s previous guidance said the virus spreads “mainly through close contact from person to person.”

The CDC said the virus can be breathed in, come in contact with eyes, noses or mouths, and can contaminate surfaces that people touch in some circumstances. The agency said people within 6 feet still are more likely to get infected, but the guidance reflects current knowledge about transmission and was “reformatted to be more concise.”

“Although how we understand transmission occurs has shifted, the ways to prevent infection with this virus have not,” the agency said in a statement. “All prevention measures that CDC recommends remain effective for these forms of transmission.”

Pace of US vaccinations slows in past month

The pace of U.S. vaccinations has been slowing from its peak on April 10 of 4.6 million daily shots. Public health agencies are working harder to get shots in arms, a critical effort that could help President Joe Biden’s new goal of 70% of Americans getting at least one shot by July 4.

More than 329 million vaccine doses have been distributed in the U.S. and more than 257 million have been administered, according to the CDC. More than 112.6 million Americans have been fully vaccinated – 33.9% of the population.

Limited vaccine doses available in India

Vaccinations in India have dropped and regional officials say they have limited amounts of vaccines to administer, even as the country grapples with a surge in cases and complaints of oxygen shortages at hospitals.

The nation is setting a record pace of infections: Just over 403,000 confirmed cases and 4,092 deaths reported Sunday. At the same time, vaccinations per day have dropped to an average of 1.3 million in the past week. That’s down from 3.5 million per day in April.

So far, about 10% of India’s population have received one dose, while just shy of 2.5% have received both.

On Friday, the European Union called on the United States to start boosting its vaccine exports to help contain the global crisis. The United States said earlier last week that it would support efforts to waive some intellectual property protections for vaccines to allow more countries to produce more of them, but officials said it would not have an immediate impact on global supplies, and drug makers have opposed lifting patent protections.

Other top headlines

● The U.S. has more than 32.6 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 581,600 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: Over 157.8 million cases and 3.2 million deaths.

● Pakistan has received its first supply of vaccines through the U.N.-backed COVAX initiative, over 1.2 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

● The Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature backed off its effort to remove Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly from final decisions on how federal coronavirus relief funds are spent.

● Trader Joe’s has dropped senior hours at many of its 515-plus stores.