A steady decline in new coronavirus cases in the United States appears to have stalled, public health officials said, warning that new, more transmissible variants could be taking hold. The number of new infections remains critically high, with more than 76,000 cases reported Saturday, even as hospitalizations continue to drop.
The apparent plateau comes as Johnson & Johnson prepares to begin distributing its one-shot vaccine following emergency use approval from the Food and Drug Administration. The company will initially supply a limited number of doses, after which it will ramp up production. The hope is that the more flexible vaccine will be easier to deploy in harder-to-reach areas.
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