COVID-19 updates: Anti-vaccine protesters halt vaccinations at Dodger Stadium
Demonstrators carrying anti-mask and anti-vaccine signs blocked the entrance.
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.
Latest headlines:
- Anti-vaccine protesters halt vaccinations at Dodger Stadium
- South African variant found in Maryland
- US surpasses 90,000 deaths in January
- Brazil variant detected in California
- 'We should be treating every infection as if it's a variant,' CDC director says
- COVID-19 vaccinations won't be required for Tokyo Olympics, organizers say
Pentagon ‘pausing’ plan to vaccinate Guantanamo Bay detainees
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs John Kirby tweeted that the Pentagon is "pausing" the plan to move forward with vaccinations for detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
"We’re pausing the plan to move forward, as we review force protection protocols," Kirby said. "We remain committed to our obligations to keep our troops safe."
No detainees have been vaccinated yet, he said.
ABC News’ Molly Nagle contributed to this report.
California surpasses 40,000 deaths
Hard-hit California has surpassed 40,000 deaths from COVID-19, according to the state’s Department of Public Health.
At least 40,216 people in the Golden State have lost their lives, which equals about 1 in every 1,000 Californians.
ABC News’ Matt Fuhrman contributed to this report.
Nashville's Music City Center opens as mass vaccination site
Nashville's Music City Center opened Saturday as a mass vaccination site.
Those 75 and older who already have an appointment booked can get vaccinated at the concert venue, according to ABC Nashville affiliate WKRN.
"We think that we’ll be able to do up to 1,000 first doses here and up to 1,000 second doses here a day, once we receive enough vaccine for that,” Metro Nashville Health Department Interim Medical Director Gill Wright told WKRN.
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.
US daily case average sees steep drop in last 2 weeks
In the span of two weeks, the United States' seven-day average of daily COVID-19 cases has declined by 34% -- the steepest non-holiday-related drop in cases the country has seen since the summer, according to ABC News’ analysis of data compiled by The COVID Tracking Project, a volunteer-run effort to track the U.S. outbreak.
California appears to have seen the most drastic drop of any U.S. state, as its seven-day average of daily cases has been nearly slashed in half over the last two weeks.
Despite continued positive signs in case and hospitalization trends, daily death numbers are still incredibly high.
Another 3,943 fatalities from COVID-19 were reported on Wednesday, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University -- that is approximately one death recorded every 22 seconds.
ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos contributed to this report.