COVID-19 updates: Anti-vaccine protesters halt vaccinations at Dodger Stadium

Demonstrators carrying anti-mask and anti-vaccine signs blocked the entrance.

ByMorgan Winsor, Erin Schumaker, Emily Shapiro, Ivan Pereira, Meredith Deliso, and Julia Jacobo
Last Updated: January 30, 2021, 12:43 PM EST

A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now infected more than 102.5 million people worldwide and killed over 2.2 million of them, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

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Here's how the news is developing today. All times Eastern.
Jan 30, 2021, 12:43 PM EST

South African variant found in Maryland

One case of the South African B.1.351 variant has been confirmed in the Baltimore metro region, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said.

"The individual has not traveled internationally, making community transmission likely," Hogan’s office said. "Comprehensive contact tracing efforts are underway to ensure that potential contacts are quickly identified, quarantined, and tested.

"The B.1.351 variant has not been shown to cause more severe illness or increased risk of death when compared to other variants. The variant is believed to be more transmissible than other strains," Hogan’s office said. "Additional research is still required to determine the effectiveness of available vaccines against the B.1.351 variant. However, initial evidence suggests that vaccines are still likely to be protective against the variant."

The United States’ first cases of the South African variant were confirmed this week in two people in South Carolina.

Jan 30, 2021, 11:23 AM EST

South Carolina confirms its 1st case of UK variant

An adult in South Carolina’s Lowcountry region has become the state’s first confirmed case of the United Kingdom COVID-19 variant, South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control said.

The person "has an international travel history," the department said.

The U.S. has confirmed at least 434 cases of the B.1.1.7 U.K. variant across 30 states, South Carolina officials said.

PHOTO: Dr. Charles Chiu demonstrates the process of extracting samples of COVID-19 for sequencing while working in his lab to help identify new variants of the virus in San Francisco, Calif., Jan. 5, 2021.
Dr. Charles Chiu demonstrates the process of extracting samples of COVID-19 for sequencing while working in his lab to help identify new variants of the virus in San Francisco, Calif., Jan. 5, 2021.
San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images, FILE

"Experts agree that existing vaccines work to protect us from this variant, even if we don’t know just how effective they are," the South Carolina officials said. "At this time, there’s no conclusive evidence to prove that the B.1.1.7 variant causes more severe illness."

ABC News’ Josh Hoyos contributed to this report.

Jan 30, 2021, 9:21 AM EST

Coachella, Stagecoach canceled

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts and Stagecoach Country Music festivals, set for April, were canceled on Friday by Dr. Cameron Kaiser, health officer for Riverside County, California.

Riverside County’s positivity rate stands at 20%. The county has 0% bed availability in its intensive care units.

Jan 30, 2021, 6:30 AM EST

US surpasses 90,000 deaths in January

January has been the deadliest month since the pandemic began, with 90,844 total deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Lila Blanks holds the casket of her husband, Gregory Blanks, 50, who died of COVID-19, ahead of his funeral in San Felipe, Texas, , Jan. 26, 2021.
Callaghan O'hare/Reuters

The U.S. coronavirus death toll stands at 436,810 -- with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention projecting that more than 77,000 deaths could be reported by Feb. 20.

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