'Let It Roll': 90-Year-Old Celebrates Birthday, Surviving Virus

CHARLOTTE, NC — There was more than one thing to celebrate during a car parade held for Robert James over the weekend.

Not only was James celebrating his 90th birthday, but family and friends also drove by his home in west Charlotte to note his recent recovery from the coronavirus, WSOCTV reported.

Nearing 90 when James tested positive, his loved ones were worried. He had to be hospitalized for two weeks and then in rehabilitation for another two.

Pazara James, James' daughter, calls her 90-year-old father's virus recovery "a blessing from God."

"We're very grateful," she told WSOCTV. "We do not take it for granted."

James is grateful himself and looking forward to getting vaccinated later this month.

“It’s great. It’s great. All we got is each other, you know, and you have to be careful how you treat people because you never know who you’re going to need,” he said.

"So just treat people like you wish to be treated and let it roll.”

Read more from WSOCTV

The Latest

The American coronavirus vaccine rollout has hit a snag due to Mother Nature. A crippling snowstorm covering much of the country has led to appointment cancellations and temporary site closures in multiple states, according to a New York Times report.

Those include Missouri, which the Times has reported will halt vaccinations through the end of the week

“Missouri is experiencing severe winter weather that makes driving dangerous and threatens the health and safety of anyone exposed to the cold,” Gov. Mike Parsons said in a statement.

Vaccinations are on hold in New Hampshire for at least Tuesday, and in Detroit appointments scheduled for Tuesday will be held Saturday instead.

“We’re going to keep the vaccines going to the maximum extent possible, but we’re also not going to ask people to be put at risk coming down in difficult driving conditions,” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said.

With the vaccine rollout now two months in, and more than 14 million people have received both doses, states are reporting their first "breakthrough cases."

Breakthrough cases, as dubbed by the Oregon Health Authority and other public health agencies, occur when someone tests positive for the virus two weeks or more after receiving the second vaccine dose.

Four cases were reported in Oregon over the weekend, the health authority tweeted. Symptoms in those people range from asymptomatic to mild, it said in a tweet.

Another mild case for someone who already received the vaccine has been reported in North Carolina, according to a WCNC Charlotte reported.

The Oregon Health Authority said breakthrough cases are not unexpected and that more are likely to come.

"Clinical trials of both vaccines presently in use included breakthrough cases," it said on Twitter. "In those cases, even though the participants got COVID, the vaccines reduced the severity of illness."

As the country documents the 50 millionth vaccine dose administered, government scientists are increasingly finding the coronavirus variant first detected in Great Britain may be deadlier than the original virus variants.

According to a New York Times report, a new document released over the weekend said it is "likely" that the variant is connected to an increased risk of hospitalization and death.

So far, the variant has been reported in 82 countries, according to the Times. American scientists recently estimated that it was spreading rapidly in the United States, doubling roughly every 10 days. Scientists have also predicted that it could become the dominant version of the virus in the United States by March.

The document was released as the number of coronavirus deaths in the United States ticks swiftly toward 500,000.

The toll spiked on Friday to another one-day record, with 5,427 deaths reported in an ongoing database compiled by The Washington Post. The previous one-day high was 5,227 on Feb. 4, according to that database.

Meanwhile, Montana became the latest state to lift its mask mandate this week.

Gov. Greg Gianforte issued the reversal of his predecessor's order, according to the Times, citing the arrival of vaccines and new, business-friendly protections.

Montana joins other Republican-led states that have lifted mask mandates and other requirements in recent days, including Iowa, North Dakota and Mississippi.

Before the weekend, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a long-awaited road map on how schools across the country can safely reopen in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

The primary recommendations outlined in the guidance are nothing short of commonsense suggestions: wear masks and socially distance. This time, however, the CDC offered the suggestions more forcefully, according to an Associated Press report, and emphasized all recommendations must be implemented strictly and consistently.

The guidance also provides more-detailed suggestions about what type of schooling should be offered given different levels of virus transmission, with differing advice for elementary, middle and high schools.

But more importantly, the guidance also suggests that the vaccination of teachers, while important, is not a prerequisite for reopening.

• Teacher Vaccination Not Required For Schools To Reopen: CDC

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University say the seven-day average of new coronavirus cases in the country has dropped below 100,000 for the first time since Nov. 4, according to an AP report. It has been below 100,000 since Friday.

Newest Numbers

As of Tuesday afternoon, the United States had reported more than 27.7 million cases and more than 487,100 deaths from COVID-19-related illnesses, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

At least 1,088 deaths and 56,194 new cases of coronavirus were reported in the United States on Monday, according to a Washington Post database. The Post's reporting shows that over the past week, new daily cases have fallen 21.5 percent, new daily deaths have fallen 3 percent and COVID-19-related hospitalizations have fallen 18.4 percent.

More than 70 million vaccine doses have been distributed and 52.8 million administered in the United States as of Tuesday, according to the CDC. More than 38.2 million people have received one dose, and more than 14 million have received two.

Currently, 65,455 people are hospitalized with a coronavirus-related illness in the United States, according to the Covid Tracking Project.

As of Tuesday, 26 states and U.S. territories remained above the positive testing rate recommended by the World Health Organization to safely reopen. To safely reopen, the WHO recommends states remain at 5 percent or lower for at least 14 days.

Stay up to date on the latest coronavirus news via The New York Times or The Washington Post.

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