115k more Americans will die of Covid in January, leading model predicts

Death toll could stand at more than 456,000 by end of month

The US could see 115,000 more Covid deaths in January, a leading model has predicted.

Projections by the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation show the country smashing December’s death total of around 77,500.

More than 20.2 million people have tested positive for the virus and 348,000 people have been killed since the start of the pandemic.

The shocking prediction comes as cases across the country surged in December and with another spike expected after Christmas.

If current trends continue the University of Washington model shows that there will be 456, 238 deaths by January 31.

Health officials are now administering the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and as of Saturday 3.49 million jabs had been given across the country, according to Bloomberg.

That means that just 1.1 per cent of the population has received the vaccine and just 28 per cent of the doses have been administered.

The White House had aimed to have 20 million people receive the first of the two vaccine shots by the end of 2020.

The effectiveness of the administration’s roll out of the vaccine has been attacked by critics.

'That comprehensive vaccination plans have not been developed at the federal level and sent to the states as models is as incomprehensible as it is inexcusable,' said Senator Mitt Romney.

"It was unrealistic to assume that the health care workers already overburdened with Covid care could take on a massive vaccination programme”

Mr Romney has called on the federal government to being in veterinarians, medical students, first responders and combat medics to help with vaccinations.