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COVID-19 updates: US has 1st day since November with fewer than 100K new cases

The U.S. reported just over 96,000 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Sunday.

Last Updated: February 5, 2021, 5:14 AM EST

A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now infected more than 105 million people worldwide and killed over 2.3 million of them, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news developed this week. All times Eastern.
Feb 04, 2021, 5:47 PM EST

UK announces mandatory quarantine for people arriving from nations on travel ban list

Beginning Feb. 15, anyone coming to the United Kingdom from a country on its travel ban list of COVID-19 hotspots must quarantine in a government-approved hotel for 10 nights, the U.K. government announced Thursday.

Most foreign nationals from high-risk nations already face U.K. travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. But this new rule will apply to U.K. citizens and residents arriving from one of the 33 "red list" countries: Angola, Argentina, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burundi, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Eswatini, French Guiana, Guyana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores), Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Suriname, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Security will escort guests to their quarantine rooms when they arrive and must accompany them if they wish to access outside space for fresh air or a smoke. Three meals per day and laundry service will also be provided during their stay.

Those in quarantine will be required to take a COVID-19 test on both Day 2 and Day 8.

ABC News’ Zoe Magee contributed to this report.

Feb 04, 2021, 3:43 PM EST

Denmark, Netherlands, Norway join growing list of European nations that won't give Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to older age groups

Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway have joined the growing list of European countries that have said they won't recommend older age groups receive the COVID-19 vaccine developed by England's University of Oxford and British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca until more data from clinical trials becomes available.

The Danish Health Authority said Thursday that it will recommend the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to people under the age of 65 who are not at risk of serious illness from COVID-19. The drugs regulator citied a lack of documentation as to the vaccine's efficacy in older age groups.

A nurse assistant prepares a dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for COVID-19 during a priority vaccination program for health workers at a community medical center in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Feb. 3, 2021.
Andre Penner/AP

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health said it will also limit use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to those under 65 because there had been few participants older than that in the trial conducted by AstraZeneca.

Meanwhile, the Dutch Health Council said the efficacy of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in those over 55 "cannot yet be calculated because they participated only to a limited extent in the vaccine studies."

Belgium, France and Germany have made similar moves recently, while Switzerland went a step further and declined to authorize the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine for any age group, citing insufficient data.

Feb 04, 2021, 3:04 PM EST

US sees cases drop 44%, vaccines rise 13.5%: HHS

The number of COVID-19 vaccine doses delivered across the United States over the past week dropped 22.5%, but the amount of doses administered increased 13.5%, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Tommy Stevenson, 65, adjusts his mask as the waits with other people in line to receive a COVID-19 vaccination at Methodist Hospital in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas, Texas, Feb. 4, 2021.
Lm Otero/AP

The country has also seen a three-week downward trend in new COVID-19 cases, resulting in a 44% decline in the seven-day daily average since the peak on Jan. 8, the report said.

PHOTO: A soldier pulls a cart full of medical equipment and syringes loaded with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to be given to people in their cars at a vaccination center in Londonderry, New Hampshire on Feb. 4, 2021.
A soldier pulls a cart full of medical equipment and syringes loaded with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to be given to people in their cars at a vaccination center in Londonderry, New Hampshire on Feb. 4, 2021. The drive-through center is run by the New Hampshire National Guard and vaccinations are performed by airman, soldiers and local first responders
Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

Still, the current number of daily cases remains over twice as high as the numbers during prior peaks.

ABC News’ Brian Hartman and Josh Margolin contributed to this report.

Feb 04, 2021, 12:02 PM EST

COVID-19 hospitalizations at lowest point in US since Thanksgiving

There are currently 91,000 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States -- the lowest since Nov. 28, which was two days after Thanksgiving, according to an ABC News analysis of data compiled by The COVID Tracking Project, a volunteer-run effort to track the U.S. outbreak.

COVID-19 hospitalizations have declined across the country by nearly 30% over the last three weeks.

In the span of three weeks, the national seven-day average of daily COVID-19 cases has declined by 45.6% -- the steepest and most consistent non-holiday-related drop in cases the U.S. has seen since the summer.

PHOTO: A notice inviting patrons to social distance is seen in the outdoor seating area of The Abbey Food & Bar on Jan. 29, 2021, in West Hollywood, Calif.
A notice inviting patrons to social distance is seen in the outdoor seating area of The Abbey Food & Bar on Jan. 29, 2021, in West Hollywood, Calif. California lifted the statewide "stay at home" ban, paving the way for the return of activities such as outdoor dining with a reopening permit, in line with new strict regulations aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19.
Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos contributed to this report.

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