J&J vaccine trial; Canada tightens journey restrictions
COVID-19 has killed greater than 436,000 Individuals, 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 e-newsletter for updates to your inbox, be part of our Fb group or scroll via 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 stated it reserves the proper to implement the order via legal penalties. It goes into impact at 11:59 p.m. Monday.
In the meantime, Johnson & Johnson stated Friday information from its late-stage trial within the U.S. and 7 different nations confirmed its one-shot vaccine had an total 66% effectiveness in stopping average to extreme sickness.
As soon as totally protected, there have been no deaths within the vaccinated group and several other among the many placebo-recipients, although the corporate didn’t element these instances.
Due to its single dose routine, the J&J vaccine has been described as a “game-changer” within the marketing campaign towards the coronavirus pandemic. And the vaccine does not must be saved frozen, permitting it to be distributed via regular vaccine provide chains with out the necessity for brand new, costly tools.
Within the headlines:
►The Biden administration on Friday introduced it’s operating forward of its preliminary vaccination purpose, with a mean of 1.2 million pictures a day administered over the earlier seven days. Biden stated 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 issues that not sufficient information exist to show it really works in older folks. On Thursday, Germany’s vaccination advisory committee stated in a draft advice that the vaccine ought to solely be given to folks aged 18-64 for now.
►Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan is looking on the state to cease hospital techniques from giving particular COVID-19 vaccine entry to donors, board members or different related neighborhood members following studies of a number of space hospital techniques doing so. She additionally referred to as for the state to reallocate vaccines to neighborhood well being clinics that serve low-income communities of coloration
►This Kentucky couple did every little thing collectively for 56 years. Then considered one of them died alone of COVID-19.
►Arizona’s Division of Well being Providers reported the UK pressure was confirmed in COVID-19 exams from three folks. The company is working with different public well being businesses, together with the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, to observe the state of affairs.
►Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday introduced stricter restrictions on vacationers in response to new, doubtless extra contagious variants of the novel coronavirus — together with making it necessary for vacationers to quarantine in a lodge at their very own expense once they arrive in Canada and suspending airline service to Mexico and all Caribbean locations till April 30.
►”I’ve cried. I’ve begged. I’ve yelled”: {Couples} conflict over COVID-19 as males don’t take the virus as critically as girls and are much less prone to comply with security measures, in response to the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.
📈 At this time’s numbers: The U.S. has greater than 25.9 million confirmed coronavirus instances and greater than 436,800 deaths, in response to Johns Hopkins College information. The worldwide totals: Greater than 102.1 million instances and a pair of.2 million deaths. About 48.4 million vaccine doses have been distributed within the U.S. and 27.8 million have been administered, in response to the CDC.
📘 What we’re studying: COVID-19 uncomfortable side effects? Ache relievers like Tylenol and Advil are “completely high-quality” – however solely after vaccination, consultants say. Learn the complete story.
Medical college functions surge amongst Black, Latino college students
Purposes to medical college for this coming fall are up 18%, in response to the Affiliation of American Medical Faculties, which represents 155 U.S. establishments. Some colleges have seen 30% jumps. And lots of college officers particularly be aware that the variety of candidates from historically underrepresented Individuals helps to drive the surge.
Miriam Cepeda watched helplessly as her grandfather, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who was sick with COVID-19, resisted pleas final March to go to the hospital. “He informed us he had unhappy recollections of hospitals again house and he simply didn’t belief the medical system,” stated Cepeda, 19, whose grandfather later handed away from COVID-19. “For lots of minority communities, going to the physician isn’t our first selection or resolution.”
Cepeda, of New York Metropolis, hopes to alter that. The Columbia College sophomore plans to use to medical college in a couple of years so she will serve sufferers of coloration, whose healthcare inequities have been highlighted a virus that has sickened and killed folks of coloration in disproportionate numbers. Learn extra.
– Marco della Cava
Vaccinated US Rep. Stephen Lynch exams constructive for COVID-19
A Massachusetts congressman who has acquired each doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine has examined constructive for the virus.
The workplace of U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch stated Friday that the lawmaker had had a detrimental take a look at outcome earlier than attending President Joe Biden’s inauguration. The workplace says Lynch’s constructive take a look at outcome got here after a employees member in his Boston workplace examined constructive earlier this week.
An announcement 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 constructive in as many days. On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan introduced she had examined constructive after repeatedly testing detrimental.
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 stated was a “poor selection,” 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 stated, in response to the Aspen Each day Information. “To hearken again to the George Floyd state of affairs, we’ve put our foot on the throat of the restaurant trade and so they can’t breathe.”
He later walked again his feedback: “I used to be simply attempting to make the purpose that the restaurant trade is struggling, and that was most likely a foul selection of phrases,” Madsen stated. “It was a poor selection. … I simply wished to verify the restaurant trade is being heard, and I believe all through this entire course of they haven’t felt that manner.”
Iowa county leaders beg for persistence amid COVID vaccine shortages
Leaders in some Iowa counties warned Friday that their provide of COVID-19 vaccine will stay far under demand for not less than a number of extra weeks. On the similar time, the state is on observe to increase vaccine eligibility to Iowans age 65 or older in addition to folks in sure high-risk professions.
“We’re begging you to be affected person as we proceed to navigate this not possible state of affairs,” Polk County Supervisor Angela Connolly stated at a information convention. “It’s a robust, troublesome time. Folks need to be vaccinated, and we need to get that vaccine of their arms.”
Helen Eddy, director of the Polk County Well being Division, stated her company can have solely sufficient vaccine to supply first doses to 2,575 county residents subsequent week, plus second doses to 4,500 individuals who already acquired preliminary pictures. County well being officers all through Iowa face challenges much like Polk’s.
– Tony Leys, Des Moines Register
Mexican president says he is recovering from COVID-19
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador posted a video of himself strolling slowly via his places of work Friday and speaking for about 13 minutes straight, saying he’s recovering from COVID-19.
López Obrador has not been holding his well-known, hours-long day day press conferences for the primary time since he took workplace on Dec. 1, 2018, and he evidently misses the chance to speak.
The president, who has been in isolation since testing constructive for the coronavirus over the weekend, stated: “The docs inform me I get via the crucial stage. I’m doing effectively.”
Contributing: The Related Press
