The first doses of the coronavirus vaccine were given in the U.K. on Tuesday, as cases continue to surge in the United States.
The virus continues to disrupt daily life around the globe, with more than 67.7 million people confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 since Chinese officials imposed the first coronavirus lockdown in the city of Wuhan in January.
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For earlier updates on the pandemic, see below:
The United Arab Emirates said Wednesday that a Chinese coronavirus vaccine is 86% effective but offered few details, the Associated Press reported. The UAE conducted a trial of the Sinopharm vaccine involving 31,000 volunteers from 125 nations. The UAE’s Health and Prevention Ministry said there were no serious safety concerns but didn’t elaborate on side effects or exactly what data was included in the analysis. The Sinopharm vaccine has been approved for emergency use in a few countries. Morocco is aiming to kick off a mass-vaccination program this month that relies initially on the Sinopharm vaccine.
President-elect Joe Biden said Tuesday that his health care team is working to ensure 50 million Americans will be vaccinated against the virus within his first 100 days in office. (The drugs closest to securing emergency approval in the U.S. require two shots, spaced a certain number of days apart.) “This team will help get at least 100 million — at least 100 million COVID vaccine shots — into the arms of the American people in the first 100 days. One hundred million shots in the first 100 days,” Biden said during an event at which he formally introduced his team of health care officials and advisers. Biden’s picks, including California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as health secretary, would follow expert guidance on who to vaccinate first, he asserted. The president-elect noted that educators will be among those vaccinated as soon as possible so that a “majority” of schools could reopen within the same time frame. Biden has previously said he would issue a mask mandate when he takes office. His remarks on Tuesday gave even more insight into his plan, specifying that he would call on Americans to wear masks throughout the first 100 days of the Biden administration. “Masking, vaccinations, opening schools. These are the three key goals of my first 100 days,” Biden said.
British health authorities kicked off a global coronavirus immunization effort Tuesday when medical professionals began administering the newly approved Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to patients most at risk of dying from COVID-19. Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 next week, was the first to receive a shot. She said she felt “so privileged” to be the first in line, adding: “It’s the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the New Year after being on my own for most of the year.” After Keenan came an elderly man with a profoundly British name: William Shakespeare. The U.K. had begun stockpiling the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine after approving it for use last week, preparing for the world to fix its attention on its rollout process. Other countries will be taking notes on what will be an enormous logistical undertaking to vaccinate billions of people. “I think there’s every chance that we will look back on … [Tuesday] as marking a decisive turning point in the battle against coronavirus,” said Simon Stevens, the CEO of England’s National Health Service. Read more here:
The coronavirus vaccine produced by AstraZeneca and Oxford University has been shown to be safe and useful in the global battle against the virus — but questions remain over just how effective it is. A mistake in the research resulted in some trial participants receiving a half dose followed by a full dose instead of two full doses as intended. The vaccine is believed to offer around 70% efficacy.
Rudy Giuliani, the Trump campaign’s top attorney, said he expects to be discharged from the hospital on Wednesday after being admitted with COVID-19 a few days earlier. Giuliani provided an update on his condition Tuesday while calling into his radio show on New York-based station WABC. “I’m doing fine,” he said. “Pretty much all the symptoms are gone. I have no fever, I have very little cough, it’s just about also gone, I’ve been walking around, and I think they’re going to let me out tomorrow morning.” He said he’s taking remdesivir, an antiviral drug that the Food and Drug Administration has authorized for emergency use in hospitalized coronavirus patients, and dexamethasone, a steroid typically used in severe COVID-19 cases. Trump was treated with both drugs while infected with the virus in October.
The University of Michigan has canceled its game against Ohio State due to a COVID-19 outbreak on the former’s team, marking the first time in more than a century that the rivals won’t play each other in a season. “The number of positive tests has continued to trend in an upward direction over the last seven days,” Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement, adding, “This decision is disappointing for our team and coaches but their health and safety is paramount, and it always will come first in our decision-making.”
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) said Tuesday that the state will have a limited supply of vaccines to start with. The first doses will go to front-line workers and people most vulnerable to COVID-19, while the general public will receive theirs months later.
Trump Administration Declined Summer Offer To Buy More Of Pfizer’s Vaccine: Reports
The Trump administration passed on the chance to secure millions more doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine this summer, according to media reports. The pharmaceutical giant has agreed to supply 100 million doses of the drug to the U.S., enough to inoculate 50 million people since the vaccine requires two injections. After that initial supply, however, Pfizer will prioritize shipping doses elsewhere. The drug company told The New York Times, which first reported the news, that “any additional doses beyond the 100 million are subject to a separate and mutually acceptable agreement,” but did not elaborate on how much time an additional contract would take to fulfill. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a member of Pfizer’s board and previous head of the Food and Drug Administration in the Trump administration, told CNBC he suspects the U.S. government is betting that other vaccines will be approved in the meantime. “I think they’re betting that more than one vaccine is going to get authorized and there will be more vaccines on the market,” Gottlieb said. “And that, perhaps, could be why they didn’t take up that additional 100 million option agreement, which wouldn’t really have required them necessarily to front money.” “It was just an agreement that they would purchase those vaccines,” he continued. “So Pfizer has gone ahead and entered into some agreements with other countries to sell them some of that vaccine in the second quarter of 2021.”
Vaccine Czar ‘Literally’ Doesn’t Know About Trump’s Planned Executive Order On Vaccines
Dr. Moncef Slaoui ― the chief science adviser to Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s COVID-19 vaccine project ― said Tuesday that he “literally” doesn’t know anything about President Trump’s planned executive order to prioritize vaccinations for Americans. When asked to explain the order, which will reportedly attempt to limit other countries from getting the vaccine until all Americans get it, Slaoui said he was in the dark about it. “Frankly, I don’t know,” Slaoui told ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “And frankly, I’m staying out of this. I can’t comment. I literally don’t know.” “We feel that we can deliver the vaccines as needed, so I don’t know exactly what this order is about,” he added. White House officials announced the order, which they said reaffirms Trump’s “commitment to America first,” on Monday shortly after The New York Times reported that the Trump administration passed on Pfizer’s offer to sell the U.S. additional vaccine doses in mid-2021. It wasn’t immediately clear how the order will actually change the U.S. vaccine distribution plan. It does not actually appear to expand the U.S. supply of doses, the Times reported.
U.S. Regulators Post Positive Review Of Pfizer Vaccine Data
The Food and Drug Administration released documents Tuesday confirming that the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine was strongly protective against COVID-19, the Associated Press reported. The documents offer the world’s first detailed look at the data behind the vaccine trials. On Thursday, the FDA will convene a public “science court” to debate how strong the data is. The FDA typically follows the “court’s” advice and is expected to issue a decision within a few days of the review. Pfizer has reported no serious side effects of the vaccine. Some people experience flu-like reactions such as fever or muscle aches, especially after the second dose, but that’s a sign the immune system is revving up.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said his partner, Marlon Reis, is improving after being hospitalized with COVID-19. “He is in good spirits and looks forward to returning home soon,” Polis said in a tweet Monday. On Nov. 28, Polis said he and the first gentleman had both tested positive for the coronavirus. But on Sunday, Polis drove Reis to the hospital in his personal vehicle after Reis experienced shortness of breath and a worsening cough. Polis said he remains asymptomatic.
Margaret Keenan, 90, in Coventry, England, has become the world’s first patient to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. She was given the shot by nurse May Parsons, HuffPost U.K. reported Tuesday. Keenan was soon followed by William Shakespeare from Warwickshire. (Yes, really.) The U.K. began its vaccine rollout Tuesday, with dozens of hospital hubs across the country gearing up to deliver millions of vaccine doses. U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he hoped care home residents would start getting the vaccine before Christmas. Patients aged 80 and above who are already hospital outpatients and those being discharged after a hospital stay will be among the first to receive the vaccine.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday warned that indoor dining may be shut down in New York City “as early as Monday” if the city’s hospitalization rates for the coronavirus don’t stabilize before then. “Do I believe between now and five days we’ll see a stabilization rate in New York City? I would be pleasantly surprised. I don’t think it is probable, but it is possible,” he said at a press conference. Elsewhere in the state, indoor dining capacity could be reduced from 50% to 25% if hospitalization rates also continue to rise. The restrictions are meant to help protect hospitals from becoming overwhelmed, he said. “You can’t overwhelm the hospital system. Overwhelming the hospital system means people die on a gurney in a hallway,” he said.
Starting Thursday, Californians will be able to opt in to receive notifications on their phones if they’ve been exposed to COVID-19. “The more people that participate … the more effective it can be,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said at his Monday press briefing. The system, California Notify, will allow a person to alert others they’ve been in contact with that they may have been exposed to the coronavirus. California partnered with two of its tech giants — Google and Apple — to develop the system.
Despite promise, few in US adopting COVID-19 exposure apps
Only 18 states have made available smartphone apps to track and notify people who have have been exposed to the coronavirus, The Associated Press reported. The vast majority of people in those locations haven’t activated the tool. “There’s a lot of things working against it,” said Jessica Vitak, an associate professor at the University of Maryland’s College of Information Studies. “Unfortunately, in the U.S., COVID has been politicized far more than in any other country. I think that’s affecting people’s willingness to use tools to track it.”
The two chambers of the Arizona state legislature will suspend their work this week after at least 15 current and future Republican legislators may have been exposed to the coronavirus after meeting with Rudy Giuliani, the Arizona Capitol Times reported. President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday that Giuliani had tested positive for the coronavirus. Giuliani, the president’s attorney, is being treated in hospital. It’s unclear whether he is symptomatic. Giuliani visited Arizona this week as he toured around the country making baseless claims about election fraud. He and Trump attorney Jenna Ellis met, unmasked, with the lawmakers for about 11 hours in a hotel ballroom in Phoenix.
Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, urged Americans on Sunday not to let their guard down against COVID-19 even though vaccines will become available to health care workers and high risk populations in the coming weeks. “I want to be very frank to the American people: The vaccine’s critical but it’s not going to save us from this current surge,” Birx said during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Only we can save us from this current surge. And we know precisely what to do.” Birx said it’s absolutely critical that Americans follow COVID-19 mitigation measures — such as wearing masks, socially distancing and washing hands — to protect their loved ones. She warned that the U.S. health care system could be severely strained in the coming months. “Our hospitals normally, in the fall and winter, run between 80 and 90% full just caring for our routine health,” Brix said. “So when you add 10, 15, 20% COVID-19 patients on top of that, that’s what puts them at the breaking point.”
Trump Vaccine Czar Praises Biden’s Plan To Ask Americans To Wear Masks: ‘Never Too Late
Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the head of President Donald Trump’s COVID-19 vaccine development push, said Sunday that President-elect Joe Biden’s plan to ask Americans to wear masks during his first 100 days in office is a “good idea.” Asked on CNN’s “State of the Union” whether Biden’s request would be “too little too late,” Slaoui said it was “never too late.” “This pandemic is ravaging the country,” said Slaoui, the chief scientific adviser for Operation Warp Speed. “We all need to take our precaution, have our mask, wash our hands, keep our distance, remain aware that this virus is a killer.” “We have a vaccine ― there is light at the end of the tunnel,” he added. “But we will not all have the vaccine in our arms before May or June, so we need to be very cautious and vigilant.”
China Prepares Large-Scale Rollout Of Coronavirus Vaccines
Provincial governments across China are placing orders for experimental, domestically made coronavirus vaccines, though health officials have yet to say how well they work or how they may reach the country’s 1.4 billion people. Developers are speeding up final testing, the Chinese foreign minister said during a U.N. meeting last week, as Britain approved emergency use of Pfizer Inc.’s vaccine candidate and providers scrambled to set up distribution. Even without final approval, more than 1 million health care workers and others in China who are deemed at high risk of infection have received experimental vaccines under emergency use permission. There has been no word on possible side effects. Read more from The Associated Press below:
Military planes to fly vaccines in to Britain to avoid ports hit by Brexit
Millions of doses of a coronavirus vaccine manufactured in Belgium will be flown into the U.K. by military aircraft to avoid potential delays due to Brexit, The Guardian has reported. It remains unknown whether a Brexit deal will be reached by the rapidly approaching year-end deadline. Chief negotiators for Britain and the European Union will resume talks on Sunday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, while she and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will speak on Monday. It is entirely possible that the deadline passes without an agreement, setting the stage for chaos at Britain’s ports in the first days and weeks of 2021. The plan to use military resources, however, indicates that government officials are not willing to allow a coronavirus vaccine to be held up for any reason. Hundreds of thousands of doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine approved by both U.S. and U.K. regulatory agencies have already reached Britain, where they are being held at secure facilities in special freezers.
Congress Will Decide How Much The Unemployed Suffer
When can we expect another coronavirus stimulus bill? House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has suggested that extra unemployment benefits could be tacked onto the broader government funding package that Congress must pass by Dec. 11 to avoid a partial shutdown. As HuffPost’s Arthur Delaney writes: “A bipartisan compromise proposal that’s gained momentum in Congress this week would preserve the federal benefits for the long-term jobless and gig workers for four more months while reviving the former supplement, though at $300 instead of $600 [per week].” Yet progressive members, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), have vowed to oppose legislation that does not include another round of $1,200 stimulus checks.
The US just hit a record 7-day average of new Covid-19 cases. And the impacts of Thanksgiving will only make things worse, experts warn
The U.S. has hit a record seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases, and the number of cases are expected to go even higher as the country braces for the effect of Thanksgiving-related outbreaks. “We have not yet seen the full effect of a potential surge upon a surge,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN Friday night. “The travel associated with Thanksgiving, the congregating at family and social gatherings with people indoors, sometimes without masks. So that may peak two to three weeks from now.” On Friday, the U.S. recorded 227,885 cases, the highest one-day count of the pandemic. And more than 101,200 coronavirus patients were in U.S. hospitals on Friday, setting another grim record, according to the COVID Tracking Project. More than 278,000 Americans have died from the virus.
The CDC has now called for “universal face mask use” for the first time to combat spread of the virus, due to the country entering a period of “high-level transmission.” New cases continue to top 200,000 every day and deaths have climbed to more than 2,500 per day amid the start of the winter holiday season. The U.S. hit a new daily death record on Thursday, with 2,879 documented fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins. Citing evidence that half of all new infections are transmitted by someone without symptoms, the CDC stated that “consistent and correct use of face masks is a public health strategy critical to reducing respiratory transmission” in its Friday bulletin. Masks should be used at all times indoors or outdoors when distancing cannot be maintained.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos extended the freeze on federal student loan payments through Jan. 31. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, people with student loans have been able to not make payments, and have not had interest accruing on loans, since the spring. Previously, the relief period for student loans had been set to expire at the end of this month.
Six Bay Area jurisdictions to enact strict stay-at-home order ahead of state edict, starting Sunday
Six counties in the San Francisco Bay Area will adopt stay-at-home orders early next week, proceeding with restrictions before the state would require them, officials announced Friday. San Francisco, Santa Clara, Marin, Contra Costa and Alameda counties will all enforce the shelter-in-place rules California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday for regions running out of hospital beds. The rules include closing indoor and outdoor dining, personal care services and a number of other non-essential businesses. The Bay Area has not gone below 15% availability in intensive care units — the threshold Newsom established for shutdowns — but opted to act anyway.
What will a presidential inauguration look like in the pandemic? President-elect Joe Biden offered a glimpse on Friday. “My guess is there will probably not be a gigantic inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue. My guess is you’ll see a lot of virtual activity in states across America, engaging even more people than before,” he said at a news conference. There will likely still be “a platform ceremony,” Biden said, noting that “the key is keeping people safe.”
Anthony Fauci Praises Joe Biden’s 100-Day Mask Plan
Top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said Friday that President-elect Joe Biden’s plan for all Americans to commit to 100 days of mask-wearing is a solid response to the coronavirus pandemic. “Now, it might be that after that, we still are going to need it,” said Fauci, who also confirmed that he will serve as Biden’s chief medical adviser. “But he just wants it, everybody for a commitment for 100 days. And I discussed that with him, and I told him I thought that was a good idea.” See more:
COVID-19 was the leading cause of death across the United States in the last week, surpassing heart disease and lung cancer, according to an analysis from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. (It comes with the caveat that researchers assumed uniform deaths from non-coronavirus causes throughout the year.) If strong measures are not taken immediately, IHME predicts that the country will see 3,000 deaths per day by the end of January and approximately 540,000 cumulative deaths by April 1 — even while taking into account vaccine distribution. The institute estimates that a whopping 15% of Americans have already been infected with the coronavirus as of Nov. 30.
The founder of a Chinese company currently working to bring a coronavirus vaccine to market paid bribes in the past when his company developed SARS and swine flu vaccines, according to The Washington Post. The company, Sinovac, was first to begin clinical trials of a SARS vaccine in 2003 and first to debut a swine flu vaccine in 2009. Its CEO, Yin Weidong, said in court testimony cited by the Post that he could not refuse to pay the bribes because they were demanded by regulatory officials. Sinovac’s history now raises concerns about the safety and efficacy of its coronavirus drug, dubbed Coronavac, which the company aims to distribute to nations including Brazil, Turkey and Indonesia.
America Is Having A Third Coronavirus Wave. Some Countries Are Having Their First.
The structure of the coronavirus pandemic is taking different forms in countries across the world. While the United States is experiencing a third wave of the virus, the Czech Republic, for example, is in the midst of its first wave. Many countries that managed the first six months of the pandemic well have suddenly dropped the ball. The changing structure of the pandemic and the shifting incentives for the politicians who are managing it have implications for the U.S., HuffPost’s Michael Hobbes writes.
CNN Exclusive: Biden says he will ask Americans to wear masks for the first 100 days he’s in office
President-elect Biden said Thursday he will ask Americans to wear masks nationwide for his first 100 days in office in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19. “Just 100 days to mask, not forever,” Biden said in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper on Thursday. “100 days. And I think we’ll see a significant reduction.” The news network added that Biden will issue a mask mandate in places he has the authority to do so, like federal buildings or interstate transport on planes and buses.
Former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter said Thursday that they are “in full support” of COVID-19 vaccine efforts, according to a statement from The Carter Center. According to the statement, the Carters said they encourage everyone who is eligible to get immunized as soon as a vaccine is available to them. At least two vaccines have shown to be more than 90% effective and are being prepared for distribution in just a few weeks. “Rosalynn Carter became a staunch advocate for vaccines as First Lady of Georgia and subsequently cofounded Vaccinate Your Family in 1991 to ensure equitable access to vaccines for people of all ages to remove barriers to immunization,” the statement read. The release comes after former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton all pledged to get vaccinated for COVID-19 one they’re deemed safe and administered to priority populations first. Obama teased that he may take the vaccine on TV or have it filmed so “people know I trust this science.”
President-elect Joe Biden has reportedly selected two close allies to lead his administration’s coronavirus response team: transition co-chair and former Obama administration official Jeff Zients and Vivek Murthy, who was U.S. surgeon general under Obama. Two people familiar with Biden’s decision told the news to Politico. The president-elect will reportedly announce their placements as early as this weekend.
Fauci To Meet With Biden’s ‘Landing’ Team For First Time
Dr. Anthony Fauci will meet with President-elect Joe Biden’s “landing team” on Thursday for the first time to discuss the transition and vaccines. The meeting will take place virtually on Zoom, he said during an interview with CBS News’ “The Takeout” podcast. Fauci said he hasn’t yet spoken to Biden, though he has already had several conversations with Biden’s chief of staff, Ronald Klain. Read more here:
U.S. Surpasses Record For Coronavirus Deaths In A Single Day
The U.S. recorded 2,804 COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, the highest number reported since the pandemic began, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The previous one-day high of 2,603 deaths was set on April 15.
According to The Atlantic’s COVID Tracking Project, more than 100,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with the coronavirus, marking the first time the U.S. has met this grim milestone during the pandemic. Of the 100,226 people currently hospitalized, 19,396 are in intensive care units. Read more here:
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife, Susan, are planning to host large indoor holiday parties in the coming weeks despite department leadership recommending that all “non-mission critical” gatherings be changed to virtual events. The Washington Post reported Wednesday that Pompeo has a lineup of parties over the next three weeks at the State Department building, inviting hundreds of guests who will be served food and drink. Officials said invitations have already been sent to about 900 people, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “We plan to fully enforce social distancing measures at this reception, and face coverings are mandatory for admittance,” a spokesman for the agency told the Post, referring to one Dec. 15 event.
The standard 14-day coronavirus quarantine guidance can potentially be shortened to 10 or even seven days if certain conditions are met. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends the full 14-day quarantine for those who have been exposed to the disease, new guidance from the CDC would allow exceptions for a shorter quarantine if a community has the necessary testing resources. For instance, a person’s quarantine could end after seven days if that person tests negative for the virus at some point in the final two days of that period. Or the quarantine could end after 10 days without a test if a person monitors any potential symptoms, such as fever, on a daily basis and has none. The new guidance comes as Americans struggle with missing work or failing to meet other responsibilities as they quarantine for the full two weeks. “It can be burdensome enough that we are hearing many reports that jurisdictions are having trouble having people comply with the quarantine that is recommended,” a senior official with the CDC told The Washington Post. “We are accepting some risk in exchange for reduction in burden that will allow us to better control this epidemic.”
The European Union criticized Britain’s rapid approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, saying its longer approval procedure was more appropriate, Reuters reported. The European Medicines Agency, which is in charge of vaccine approval for the EU, said Tuesday it would decide by Dec. 29 whether to permit the vaccine for emergency use. June Raine, the head of Britain’s regulatory agency, defended the decision. “The way in which the MHRA has worked is equivalent to all international standards,” she said.
UK Approves Pfizer/BioNTech Coronavirus Vaccine For Emergency Use
The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for use in the U.K. and will be made available there starting next week. U.K. regulators are the first to approve Pfizer’s vaccine for emergency use and Britain will be one of the first countries to start vaccinating their population. The U.S. FDA is set to meet on Dec. 10 to discuss whether to recommend emergency use authorization of the vaccine, which a clinical study has shown to be about 95% effective.The first shipments of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine will arrive in two weeks, CNN reports. On the challenge posed by the need for the vaccine to be stored at an ultra-low temperature, U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News: “It’s not easy but we’ve got those plans in place, so this morning I spoke to my counterparts in the devolved nations to make sure that we are all ready to roll out this vaccine … from early next week.” The U.K. has ordered enough of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine for 20 million people, with 10 million doses due in the country by the end of the year.
The first shipments of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine will arrive in two weeks, CNN reports. Late last month, Pfizer requested FDA approval for emergency use of its vaccine, which a clinical study has shown to be about 95% effective.
The committee advising the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to approve an interim recommendation giving priority for first doses to health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 13-1 to give those groups priority in the initial phase of the COVID-19 vaccination program, or Phase 1a. The first doses would be distributed to health care workers and long-term care facility residents when a COVID-19 vaccine is authorized by the Food and Drug Administration and recommended by ACIP. Health care workers as defined by ACIP are paid and unpaid personnel serving in health care settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials. Long-term care facility residents as defined by ACIP are adults who live in facilities that provide services — like medical and personal care — to those who are unable to live independently. The CDC sets the country’s adult and childhood immunization schedules based on the recommendations from ACIP. The committee is made up of medical and public health experts who develop recommendations on vaccine use in the U.S. population.
NBC reports U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will speak Tuesday about COVID-19 relief funds for Americans.
A coronavirus testing site at Los Angeles’ Union Station will remain open to people with appointments on Tuesday, Mayor Eric Garcetti said. The 504 people with those appointments had received an email from the city Monday alerting them that the testing site would be closed Tuesday for filming of a “She’s All That” remake, sparking outrage given the city’s surge in COVID-19 cases and strict stay-home order, Deadline reported. Garcetti announced early Tuesday that he had convened with local safety authorities and found a solution to keep the testing site open amid filming. “The 504 Angelenos who were scheduled for a test there can visit the kiosk as originally planned or any of the other 14 City sites, where we offer 38K tests daily,” he said.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has tested positive for COVID-19, Reuters reported. He was already in self-isolation as his wife had tested positive over the weekend. Plenkovic feels well and will continue his duties from home, a government spokesperson said. Croatia currently has one of the highest rates of coronavirus infection in the European Union. Cases started surging in October after staying relatively low earlier in the pandemic. Croatia saw over 1,040 cumulative cases per 100,000 people over the previous two weeks to Nov. 30, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss this weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix, HuffPost U.K. reported Tuesday. The seven-time world champion has mild symptoms and is self-isolating. Hamilton is the third driver to contract the illness.
Dr. Scott Atlas, a pandemic advisor to President Trump who was lambasted for supporting the idea of herd immunity to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, resigned his role on Monday, Fox News reported. “I worked hard with a singular focus — to save lives and help Americans through this pandemic,” Atlas said in his resignation letter, writing that he “always relied on the latest science and evidence.” He was serving a 130-day detail as a special government employee and his term was set to expire this week. Reports that Atlas had urged the White House to embrace the controversial strategy sparked deep worry among public health experts, who warned the approach could lead to hundreds of thousands, or even millions of additional deaths.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) warned on Monday that the state could impose new restrictions, including a stay-at-home order similar to the one set this past spring, if COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to surge. Across the state, 75% of intensive care unit beds in hospitals are occupied, the governor said at a press conference. If trends continue, most regions are projected to exceed their ICU bed capacity sometime in December. California has reached a seven-day average of over 14,600 confirmed coronavirus cases per day — up from an average 4,200 cases per day a month ago.
Sunday Was Busiest Day For U.S. Air Travel Since March, Fueling COVID-19 Surge Fears
Sunday was the busiest day of air travel in the U.S. since mid-March, around the time world health officials declared COVID-19 a pandemic, the Transportation Security Administration announced Monday. The TSA screened 1,176,091 individuals at security checkpoints on Sunday, the highest number since March 16 when 1,257,823 people were screened, according to data compiled by the agency. Millions of people traveled in the U.S. in the days ahead of Thanksgiving despite guidance from public health officials that urged Americans not to travel or gather in large groups to celebrate the holiday. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert on the White House’s coronavirus task force, predicted Sunday that there could be a “surge upon a surge” of COVID-19 cases as a result of millions of Americans traveling during the holiday season. Read more below:
State Senator Leaves Meeting With Trump After Testing Positive For COVID-19
Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano abruptly left a West Wing meeting Wednesday with President Donald Trump after learning he had tested positive for the coronavirus, the AP reported, citing a person with direct knowledge of the meeting. The Republican state senator went to the White House to discuss the president’s efforts to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the state. He earlier hosted a public meeting — maskless — in Gettysburg on the topic. All participants in the White House meeting took coronavirus tests but the positive results weren’t announced until they were in the West Wing.
Moderna To Ask U.S., European Regulators To Allow Use Of COVID-19 Vaccine
Moderna said its vaccine candidate has an efficacy of 94% and it will ask U.S. and European regulators Monday to allow emergency use, the AP reported. Moderna is just behind Pfizer in seeking emergency-use authorization from the FDA. In the U.K., regulators are looking at shots from Pfizer and AstraZeneca. The company’s primary analysis looked at 196 COVID-19 cases among its U.S. trial of about 30,000 people. Of the cases, 185 people received the placebo and 11 got the real vaccine. Thirty people got severely ill, including one who died, and they had received the placebo shots. The company said the vaccine had a good safety record, with only temporary flu-like side effects.
Coronavirus infections in England fell by 30% during the country’s second lockdown, according to a large study. Imperial College London and Ipsos MORI tested more than 105,000 volunteers from Nov. 13-24 to work out the virus levels in the general population, HuffPost U.K. reports. Between those dates, 96 people out of every 10,000 were infected with COVID-19, down from 132 per 10,000 between Oct. 26 and Nov. 2. In the hard-hit north of the country, the prevalence of COVID-19 dropped by more than 50%. England began a second national lockdown Nov. 5 that is due to end Wednesday. The country will move into a three-tiered system of restrictions at a local level, with 99% of the country in the strictest two tiers. The level of restrictions will be reviewed every two weeks.
New York City To Reopen Schools, Even As Virus Spread Intensifies
New York City will reopen its school system to in-person learning, and increase the number of days a week many children attend class, even as the coronavirus pandemic intensifies in the city, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday. The announcement marks a major policy reversal for the nation’s largest school system, just 11 days after de Blasio, a Democrat, announced that schools were shutting down because of a rising number of COVID-19 cases in the city. Some elementary schools and pre-kindergarten programs will resume classes Dec. 7, a week from Monday, the mayor said. Others will take longer to reopen their doors. Read more from The Associated Press below:
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert of the White House’s coronavirus task force, said there will “almost certainly” be an uptick in COVID-19 cases because of the surge in holiday travel. “We have to be careful now,” Faui told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. “There almost certainly is going to be an uptick because what’s happened with the travel. … We likely will have an increase in cases as we get into the colder weeks of the winter and as we approach the Christmas season.” Millions of Americans packed airports ahead of Thanksgiving, despite warnings against travel from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sunday is expected to be the busiest travel day of the holiday season. “Please don’t forget the standard public health measures,” said Fauci, who urged people to wear masks, avoid crowds and wash their hands. “We do know that it does work. Countries that have mitigated have turned around the surge.” “Hang in there a bit longer,” he added, noting that “help is on the way” in the form of efficacious vaccines with the first doses expected to arrive in the next few weeks.
Surgeon General Jerome Adams warned Sunday that coronavirus hospitalizations and deaths are going to continue to surge before vaccines are made available to most Americans. “It is going to get worse over the next several weeks but the actions we take in the next several days will determine how bad it is,” Adams said during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday.” He urged Americans to wear masks and socially distance to curb the spread of the virus. Adm. Brett Giroir, the Trump administration’s coronavirus testing czar, told CNN’s “State of the Union” that nearly 20% of hospital patients in the U.S. are being treated for COVID-19.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) and his partner, Marlon Reis, have tested for COVID-19, the governor’s office announced Saturday evening. Polis, who has been in quarantine since Wednesday after being exposed to someone infected with the coronavirus, said in a statement that both he and Reis are asymptomatic. “Marlon and I are feeling well so far, and are in good spirits,” Polis said in his statement. “No person or family is immune to this virus. I urge every Coloradan to practice caution, limit public interactions, wear a mask in public, stay six feet from others, and wash your hands regularly.” At least five other governors have tested positive for the virus, including Oklahoma’s Kevin Stitt, a Republican; and Virginia’s Ralph Northam, a Democrat.
16 States Log Record-High Average COVID-19 Cases Since Thanksgiving
The coronavirus crisis continued to reach new heights over the Thanksgiving holiday as average daily caseloads showed no sign of declining across much of the country. Sixteen states — including Arizona, California, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey and Ohio — saw their average daily case counts hit all-time highs Thursday and Friday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Read more from HuffPost’s Sara Boboltz here:
We’ll Need A Lot More Planning — And Money — To Vaccinate The Country Against Coronavirus
The first doses of a coronavirus vaccine may be just weeks away from release, but American leaders are still faced with the daunting challenge of distributing and administering them across a nation of 330 million people. In the absence of a nationwide strategy, states are tasked with coming up with plans themselves. To put it all into action, they will need billions in funding from the federal government — and each day that passes without relief delays the vaccine’s rollout. Read more from HuffPost’s Jonathan Cohn here:
Second-Largest Australian State Goes 28 Days Without Any New Infections
The Australian state of Victoria — the nation’s second-largest, which includes Melbourne — has gone 28 days without recording any new coronavirus cases, its government announced Friday. The benchmark is widely considered to mean that community spread of the virus has been eliminated. Victoria also boasts zero active cases at the moment. Back in August, the state recorded hundreds of new cases per day and initiated a lockdown that lasted more than 100 days.
Experts Warn Of Erratic COVID-19 Testing Numbers After Thanksgiving
The U.S. has reached another single-day high in new coronavirus cases: More than 205,000 people tested positive on Friday, according to Johns Hopkins. Slightly more than 1,400 people died of the virus the same day. Experts are warning Americans to expect erratic coronavirus statistics over the next week or so because fewer people have been getting tested due to the Thanksgiving holiday. “I just hope that people don’t misinterpret the numbers and think that there wasn’t a major surge as a result of Thanksgiving, and then end up making Christmas and Hanukkah and other travel plans,” emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen, who is also a professor at George Washington University, told The Associated Press.
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