VIRUS TODAY: COVID-19 cases down as US ends deadliest month

Here’s what’s happening Monday with the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.:

THREE THINGS TO KNOW TODAY:

— The deadliest month of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. has drawn to a close with certain signs of progress: COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are plummeting, as vaccinations are picking up. The question is whether the nation can stay ahead of the fast-spreading mutations of the virus. The U.S. death toll has climbed past 440,000, with more than 95,000 lives lost in January alone. Deaths are running at about 3,150 per day on average, down by about 200 from their peak in mid-January.

— The coronavirus pandemic has cut instruction time in the nation’s schools by as much as half, and many middle school and high school teachers have given up on covering all the material normally included in their classes. Instead, they are cutting lessons. English teachers are deciding which books to skip. History teachers are condensing units. Science teachers are often doing without experiments entirely. Certain topics must be taught because they will appear on important exams. But teachers are largely on their own to make difficult choices — what to prioritize and what to sacrifice to the pandemic.

— Americans’ desire to get outdoors during the pandemic despite the winter cold is creating a season unlike any in more than two decades for the snowmobiling industry. From Maine to Montana, it’s becoming difficult to find a new snowmobile for sale. And the rental fleets are booked up. The International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association said U.S. represents the world’s biggest market for snowmobiles and Canada isn’t far behind, together combining for more than $30 billion in annual sales.

THE NUMBERS: According to data through Jan. 31 from Johns Hopkins University, the seven-day rolling average for daily...