J&J vaccine trial; Canada tightens journey restrictions
COVID-19 has killed greater than 438,000 People, and infections have continued to mount regardless of the introduction of a pair of vaccines late in 2020. USA TODAY is monitoring the information. Maintain refreshing this web page for the most recent updates. Join our Coronavirus Watch publication for updates to your inbox, be a part of our Fb group or scroll way of our in-depth solutions to reader questions.
Planning on taking public transportation anytime quickly? You are going to want a masks.
The U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention issued an order late Friday requiring folks on airplanes, ships, ferries, trains, subways, buses, taxis and ride-shares to put on a face masks whereas ready, boarding, touring and disembarking. The order applies to these touring into, inside or out of the U.S.
The company mentioned violating the foundations might lead to prison penalties. The order will likely be enforced the Transportation Safety Administration, in addition to different federal, state and native authorities, the CDC mentioned. It goes into impact at 11:59 p.m. Monday.
The CDC mentioned it “doesn’t intend to rely totally on these prison penalties however as a substitute strongly encourages and anticipates widespread voluntary compliance in addition to help from different federal businesses in implementing further civil measures.”
Within the headlines:
►A second U.S. state reported a case of the coronavirus variant first recognized in South Africa. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan confirmed a case of the B.1.351 variant in his state Saturday. South Carolina reported at the least two instances of the variant earlier this week. In the meantime, Minnesota has confirmed a case of the Brazil variant, and a number of other states have reported dozens of instances of the U.Ok. variant
►Lots of of individuals gathered outdoors the Michigan State Capitol on Saturday to protest the pause on some highschool winter sports activities within the state, in keeping with native information studies. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delayed the beginning of 4 “contact” sports activities till late February.
►Johnson & Johnson mentioned Friday knowledge from its late-stage trial within the U.S. and 7 different international locations confirmed its one-shot vaccine had an general 66% effectiveness in stopping average to extreme sickness. As soon as totally protected, there have been no deaths within the vaccinated group and a number of other among the many placebo-recipients, although the corporate didn’t element these instances. The vaccine does not have to be stored frozen, permitting it to be distributed way of regular vaccine provide chains with out the necessity for brand spanking new, costly tools.
►9 Roman Catholic nuns in southern Michigan have died in January because of a COVID-19 outbreak at their retirement house, which had beforehand gone months and not using a single case.
►The Australian Open is predicted to start Feb. Eight with crowds of as much as 30,000 every day. Victorian state sports activities minister Martin Pakula mentioned crowds can be at about 50% of earlier years, with 390,000 folks anticipated over the 2 weeks.
►The Biden administration on Friday introduced it’s working forward of its preliminary vaccination objective, with a mean of 1.2 million pictures a day administered over the earlier seven days. Biden mentioned earlier within the week he’s hoping to get to 1.5 million vaccinations a day.
►The European Union’s drug regulator on Friday approved AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine to be used in all adults regardless of considerations that not sufficient knowledge exist to show it really works in older folks. On Thursday, Germany’s vaccination advisory committee mentioned in a draft suggestion that the vaccine ought to solely be given to folks aged 18-64 for now.
►Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday introduced stricter restrictions on vacationers in response to new, seemingly extra contagious variants of the novel coronavirus — together with making it obligatory for vacationers to quarantine in a resort at their very own expense after they arrive in Canada and suspending airline service to Mexico and all Caribbean locations till April 30.
📈 At present’s numbers: The U.S. has greater than 26 million confirmed coronavirus instances and greater than 438,200 deaths, in keeping with Johns Hopkins College knowledge. The worldwide totals: Greater than 102.3 million instances and a couple of.2 million deaths. About 49.2 million vaccine doses have been distributed within the U.S. and 27.8 million have been administered, in keeping with the CDC.
📘 What we’re studying: Purposes to medical faculty for this coming fall are up 18%, in keeping with the Affiliation of American Medical Schools, and lots of faculty officers particularly observe that the variety of candidates from historically underrepresented People helps to drive the surge. Learn extra.
NYC neighborhood struggles to vaccinate Latino residents
New York Metropolis Mayor Invoice de Blasio acknowledged Friday a vaccine web site in Washington Heights administered pictures to largely white individuals who got here from outdoors the predominantly Latino neighborhood.
“In some way as a substitute of specializing in the Latino group of Washington Heights, a spot that actually was hit exhausting COVID, as a substitute the strategy was someway conducive to of us from outdoors of the group coming and getting vaccinated, however not of us who reside proper there in Washington Heights – completely backwards,” the mayor mentioned in a press convention, in keeping with a transcript.
Many cities and states are lagging in vaccinating folks of colour though they’re extra more likely to be hospitalized or die of the virus.
Philadelphia cuts ties with vaccine distribution startup led 22-year-old
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney introduced Tuesday the town will not work with a startup it tasked with organising a mass vaccination sign-up web site after studies emerged of its chief’s lack of expertise and a change in its privateness coverage to presumably monetize affected person knowledge.
“The place have been all of the folks with credentials? Why did a child have to return in and assist the town?” the 22-year-old scholar, Andrei Doroshin, mentioned in an interview with the Related Press. “We did the job. We vaccinated 7,000 folks.” Doroshin, who leads the Philly Combating COVID startup and is a graduate psychology scholar at Drexel College, mentioned the change in privateness coverage was a glitch that was shortly fastened.
After contemplating well being suppliers on the College of Pennsylvania and Temple College, metropolis officers mentioned they selected the startup primarily based on COVID-19 testing websites they’d arrange final 12 months. Metropolis officers haven’t introduced a brand new web site operator.
Freezer failure results in middle-of-the-night vaccination rush in Seattle
Seattle hospitals rushed out COVID-19 vaccines to a whole lot of individuals in the midst of the night time after a freezer they have been being saved in failed.
It’s not clear what induced the freezer failure Thursday night time, however the UW Medical Heart’s Northwest and Montlake campuses and Swedish Well being Companies’ clinic at Seattle College put out emergency calls on social media and every administered greater than 800 doses of vaccine late that night time and into the morning. Not a single dose went to waste.
“Thanks to everybody who got here collectively to get these doses administered!” Swedish well being Companies mentioned on Twitter Friday afternoon.
Vaccinated US Rep. Stephen Lynch exams optimistic for COVID-19
A Massachusetts congressman who has obtained each doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine has examined optimistic for the virus.
The workplace of U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch mentioned Friday that the lawmaker had had a destructive check consequence earlier than attending President Joe Biden’s inauguration. The workplace says Lynch’s optimistic check consequence got here after a employees member in his Boston workplace examined optimistic earlier this week.
A press release says Lynch isn’t displaying any signs of COVID-19. Lynch will self-quarantine and vote proxy in Congress within the coming week.
Lynch is the second member of the state’s congressional delegation to check optimistic in as many days. On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan introduced she had examined optimistic after repeatedly testing destructive.
Colorado mayor compares COVID-19 restrictions to George Floyd’s demise
The mayor of a Colorado village in contrast county COVID-19 restrictions to the demise of George Floyd in a press release he later mentioned was a “poor alternative,” in accordance an area outlet.
Snowmass Village Mayor Invoice Madsen was advocating for lighter COVID-related restrictions throughout a gathering of the Pitkin County Board of Well being on Thursday when he drew a comparability to the demise of Floyd, a Black man who died after a police officer in Minneapolis held his knee to Floyd’s neck for greater than eight minutes.
“We’re creating an amazing quantity of sick will locally,” Madsen mentioned, in keeping with the Aspen Every day Information. “To hearken again to the George Floyd situation, we’ve put our foot on the throat of the restaurant business they usually can’t breathe.”
He later walked again his feedback: “I used to be simply making an attempt to make the purpose that the restaurant business is struggling, and that was in all probability a foul alternative of phrases,” Madsen mentioned. “It was a poor alternative. … I simply needed to ensure the restaurant business is being heard, and I feel all through this entire course of they haven’t felt that method.”
Contributing: The Related Press
