<Anchor> In the
United States, the number of Corona 19 patients on New Year's Day has exceeded 20 million.
One out of 17 Americans was infected, and the spread of the mutant virus was overwhelming.
This is Kim Yoon-soo, a correspondent from Washington.
<Reporter> The
cumulative number of Corona 19 patients is 20 million, and New Year's Day in 2021 in the United States began with a dark count.
In less than a year since the first outbreak on January 20 last year, the number of confirmed cases exceeded 20 million.
One out of 17 Americans is infected, and literally, the United States is surrounded by coronavirus everywhere.
The vaccination rate is also much slower than planned.
After distributing it, there is a lack of vaccination personnel and vaccine management facilities, causing vaccination delays everywhere.
[Tumi/USA, Director of Public Health, Georgia: The vaccines I have secured are only stacked in the refrigerator.
This is an unacceptable situation.
We have lives to save.] The
mutant virus is spreading rapidly.
Following Colorado and California, there were also cases of mutant virus in Florida.
In particular, concerns about the spread of the mutant virus to the community are growing as cases of infection without a travel history continue.
[Matthew/Public Health Specialist: As the virus continues to mutate and the infectivity increases, more people will get sick, more hospitalized patients, and eventually more people will die.]
Delayed vaccination and spread of the virus strain this fall. The red light is also on for US health officials' plans to build a collective immune system.
(Video coverage: Park Eun-ha, Video editing: Jung Yong-hwa)