Andrew Hay and Peter Szekely

TAOS (N.M.) – A year and a half after COVID-19 was first administered in the United States of America, many hallmarks have returned to the nation that defined pandemic history: mass vaccination sites, mask mandates, crowded hospitals, rising deaths tolls, and mask mandates.

In the hope that the coronavirus would be defeated soon, Sandra Lindsay (NYSE) a New York City ICU nurse received an injection of Pfizer (NYSE) — The United States’ first ever inoculated resident was recently immunized with the just approved vaccine on Dec. 14.

Over 200 million Americans have had at least one dose of Pfizer/BioNTech in the past six years. Moderna (NASDAQ:) vaccines or one Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:)’s single-shot inoculation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The country’s death rate continues to rise despite the triumph of science. Nearly 500,000 people died from COVID-19 since the initial dose. The country is expected to surpass 800,000.

Infections have risen to 50 million in just a few weeks. This is due to colder winters in Northern States, which encourages people indoors and allows for more viral transmission.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul (Democrat) temporarily imposed a face-covering requirement in venues and businesses that don’t require proof of vaccination due to rising infections.

Hochul stated in a statement that “We shouldn’t have reached this point, especially when we have the vaccine at hand, and that I also share the frustration of many New Yorkers about the fact we are still not over this pandemic.”

Many Democratic governors used mask mandates to prevent infection during the worst pandemic that hit in 2020, when Republican governors largely abandoned them as overreach.

The virus’s more severe mutations have made it difficult to combat. They include the dominant Delta variant, and the fast-spreading Omicron. These were first detected last month in almost half the states.

Experts say that vaccine politicization has contributed to the continued spread of the pandemic, often with worsening consequences.

Officials from Connecticut’s Health Department said this week that people not vaccinated with COVID-19 are at five times higher risk of contracting the disease, twelve times more likely be admitted to hospital and sixteen times more likely will die.

“FUEL FOR THIS FIRE”

New Mexico hospitals have reached record capacities as patients who are not vaccinated fill the ICUs. Michelle Lujan Grisham (Democratic governor of New Mexico) pushed for vaccinations in the early 2021s to reduce hospitalizations.

New Mexico is similar to other states that had high early vaccination rates, such as Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire. Immunity has declined in New Mexico which pushes these states towards the top for new cases.

On Tuesday, more than 150 people were waiting in the Albuquerque Emergency Rooms for a hospital room. The staff reported that some family members had gotten frustrated and started yelling at them.

“The fuel for this fire, our case counts, is unvaccinated individuals,” New Mexico Acting Health Secretary David Scrase told reporters. “Our hospitals have a very serious situation.”

Officials stated that three out of four COVID victims in Michigan are not vaccinated. Michigan also experienced one of America’s most severe outbreaks.

In an attempt to increase booster shots, Governor Phil Murphy reopened one the previously closed mass vaccination centers in New Jersey this week shortly after Omicron was discovered in the state.

The majority of large vaccine sites, which were opened by states in order to accelerate the immunization process have now closed.

According to the CDC, about one-fourth have received additional booster shots. These shots are now available for all ages, from 16 to 64.

A symbol of early pandemics, the contaminated ship cruise was also revived this week.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE) Holdings announced Monday that a South African employee suspected of carrying the Omicron virus was one of 17 Omicron cases detected aboard a vessel which disembarked at New Orleans this weekend.

The Grand Princess cruise ship was docked in Oakland, California in March 2020, despite the fact that very few cases of the virus had been reported. Following tests that revealed 21 cases of coronavirus, 2,400 passengers were taken to military bases for quarantine.