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An Update on the COVID Pandemic

Progress, but still a force to be reckoned with.

When you look at performance management, the death toll from COVID would seem to be one of those "final" figures that count. Today (October 20th) we are at 728,000 deaths. The progression of that number can be measured, since I looked and we marked the 700K total death number on October 6th, 13 days ago.

Internationally there are two coronavirus hot spots on the globe, Russia and the United States. Alaska is the state that has emerged in recent days as having a surge in cases.

On the case front, there were 79,348 cases yesterday, down 22% over the 14 day average. There were still 1,557 one-day deaths, down 14% over 14 days. The death reduction always lags the reduction in cases.

Vaccinations for children 5-11 are coming very soon and it looks like I'll be able to get my Moderna booster shot in the coming weeks.

Vaccine mandates have helped with getting the vaccination percentages up here in the United States. We still lag most European nations.

As for the fight to remain vaccine free and retain the right to die from the virus, the battle continues.

Lastly, COVID-19 is the one dealing the cards on what comes next and I don't think it is done with its twists and turns that have jacked us all around for most of two years. Stand by for news!
Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.