By Emma Farge and Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA (Reuters) - The world can bring the global COVID-19 pandemic under control in the coming months provided it distributes the necessary resources fairly, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) told a news briefing on Monday.
Global climate change activist Greta Thunberg, joining the briefing as a virtual guest from Sweden, took a swipe at "vaccine nationalism" and said it was unethical that rich countries were prioritising their younger citizens for vaccination ahead of vulnerable groups in developing countries.
"We have the tools to bring this pandemic under control in a matter of months, if we apply them consistently and equitably," said the head of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
However, he also expressed concern over the "alarming rate" at which COVID-19 is spreading in those aged 25-59 worldwide, possibly due to much more contagious variants.
"It took nine months to reach one million deaths; 4 months to reach 2 million, and 3 months to reach 3 million."
Thunberg said that whereas one in four people in high-income countries had now been vaccinated against COVID-19, only one in more than 500 people in poorer countries had received a shot.
"Vaccine nationalism is what is running the vaccine distribution," she said.
"The only morally right thing to do is to prioritise the people who are most vulnerable, whether they live in a high income or a low income country."
ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE
Thunberg also drew a direct link between the pandemic and the environmental destruction that she said made it much easier for dangerous viruses to leap from animal populations to humans.
"Science shows we will experience more frequent, devastating pandemics unless we drastically change our ways and the ways we treat nature ... We are creating ideal conditions for diseases to spill over from one animal to another and to us," she said.
Thunberg urged young people everywhere to get vaccinated if given an opportunity, even though they are the age group least at risk from COVID-19, out of "solidarity with people in the (high) risk groups".
A leading WHO epidemiologist, Maria van Kerkhove, told the same briefing that the latest surge in COVID-19 infections worldwide included increases among age groups previously less affected by the pandemic.
"We are seeing increased rates of transmission across all age groups," she said, adding that some 5.2 million cases were reported last week, the highest weekly increase since the start of the pandemic.
"We are seeing a slight age shift in some countries, driven by social mixing," she added.
(Additional reporting by Mike Shields Editing by Gareth Jones)
President Donald Trump is desperately trying to take credit for getting a COVID-19 vaccine to the people. Ironically, it's a claim that flies in the face of pharmaceutical scientists and virologists who began work on a cure in Jan. 2020 while Trump was still denying that the virus existed.
But Trump's leadership doesn't appear to be what he thought it was. While his supporters still love and adore him, they don't trust him when it comes to the virus or the vaccine, Axios reported Monday.
According to the data, U.S. counties that supported Trump in the 2020 election have higher cases of adults saying they would "probably not" or "definitely not" get the vaccine.
"Your politics don't have anything to do with whether you're vulnerable to the coronavirus if you remain unvaccinated," said Axios. However, it certainly determines one's willingness to be vaccinated. Southern states were more prominent but were certainly not exclusively anti-vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted the problem "to be highly socially vulnerable based on factors like poverty, lack of access to transportation and crowded housing."
The report also calculated that one-fifth of Americans claim that they definitely will not get the vaccine or they'd only do it if they're required to. An additional 17 percent said that they want to "wait" before getting the vaccine, Axios reported citing the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Trump daughter, Ivanka, drew outrage from the former president's supporters when she posted a photo getting her vaccine in Florida.
Half of all U.S. adults have received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine, the federal government announced Sunday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Sunday that nearly 130 million people age 18 and up have gotten a shot, The Associated Press reported. That’s 50.4% of the adult population. Nearly 84 million people, or 32.5% of the population, are fully vaccinated. Those eager to get vaccinated are increasingly being able to walk into a facility and get one without an appointment. While overall willingness to get inoculated has increased, an unknown number of those ...
The federal government has quietly reversed course on a policy that had kept thousands of businesses from applying for pandemic economic aid, with only weeks to go before funds are expected to run out.
In late March, ProPublica reported on a Small Business Administration rule that disqualified individuals or businesses currently in bankruptcy from getting relief through the Paycheck Protection Program, an $813 billion pot of funds distributed to small businesses in the form of loans that are forgiven if the money is mostly spent on payroll. The agency had battled in court against several bankrupt companies attempting to apply for PPP loans, and did not change course even after Congress explicitly passed legislation in December allowing it to do so.
Referencing ProPublica's story, the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys wrote a letter to newly installed SBA Administrator Isabella Guzman urging her to follow Congress' suggestion and tell the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees — a division of the Justice Department that oversees most American bankruptcy courts — to allow debtors to receive PPP loans.
The agency has not yet contacted the Justice Department. But on April 6, the SBA released new guidance as part of its frequently asked questions for the program, redefining what it means to be "presently involved in any bankruptcy." Under the new interpretation, debtors who filed under Chapter 11, 12 and 13 — which cover businesses, family farms and individual consumers, respectively — are eligible for PPP loans once a judge has approved their reorganization plan. A spokesperson for the SBA said the explanation had been added for "clarity."
A reorganization plan specifies the debtor's path to paying off obligations to creditors, and is monitored by a trustee. In simple cases, a judge can confirm it within a few months of filing. This is what often happens in consumer Chapter 13 cases, about 279,000 of which were filed in 2019, as well as in relatively straightforward Chapter 11 cases that don't require extensive litigation. About 5,500 companies filed for Chapter 11 in 2019.
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts doesn't track how many of those companies have confirmed reorganization plans in place, but it's estimated to be in the thousands. Now, companies on the road out of bankruptcy — which usually takes years to complete — can apply for PPP loans before the program's May 31 deadline. With $50 billion left after several extensions, PPP funds are likely to run out before then.
Ed Boltz, a bankruptcy attorney on NACBA's board who circulated the organization's letter, said he believes the SBA changed its position after becoming "aware of the foolishness of the prior administration's position."
The change would not have helped all the companies that sued the SBA over its policy. Florida-based Gateway Radiology Consultants, for example, didn't have a confirmed reorganization plan before it applied for a PPP loan last year, prompting a lawsuit. But the bankruptcy lawyer in that case, Joel Aresty, said plenty of his current clients could benefit.
"If they were lucky enough to already be confirmed, they could freely qualify for a PPP loan — the fact that you were in bankruptcy is no longer a deterrent," Aresty said. "It's amazing how difficult they made such a simple proposition, really."
The new definition may now help Mark Shriner, a coffee shop owner in Lincoln, Nebraska, who filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in 2018 following a divorce. His plan was confirmed the same year. The SBA's exclusion of debtors from the PPP originally prevented him from applying, forcing him to take on higher-interest loans to keep his doors open.
His cafe likely would have qualified for up to $25,000, and Shriner said he could have used some of the money to improve his online ordering or devise a takeout-friendly menu. Even now, he said, getting PPP money would help him plan for the future and bring back more staff.
Informed of the change last week, Shriner sent an application to his bank, which said it would hear back from the SBA within a couple weeks.
"Wow," Shriner said. "That would be great."
India will lock down its capital New Delhi for a week from Monday night to try and control a raging coronavirus outbreak, as the hard-hit United States passed a hopeful milestone of giving at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose to half its adults.
There was good news from Australia and New Zealand as well as the two neighbours opened a travel bubble that would allow people to travel without a mandatory quarantine.
Infections are skyrocketing in India, however, with hospitals running out of beds and the government forced to reimpose economically painful restrictions again.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the capital's "health system is at a tipping point".
"If we don't impose a lockdown now, we will be looking at a bigger disaster."
Kejriwal said businesses would be shut and movement around the city of 20 million limited to essential services.
The Delhi lockdown came after the vast nation of 1.3 billion people reported a record high of 273,810 infections on Monday -- the fifth consecutive day of more than 200,000 cases.
The restrictions followed similar measures in other parts of India, including in the western state of Maharashtra, home to financial capital Mumbai.
The surge has overwhelmed the healthcare infrastructure in many parts of India, and authorities are scrambling to free up hospital beds and secure additional supplies of oxygen and treatment drugs.
India has the world's second-highest caseload with more than 15 million known infections.
Health workers are bracing for yet another spike as millions of pilgrims attend a religious festival and ongoing regional elections draw huge rallies.
The UK government said Monday Prime Minister Boris Johnson's visit to India has been cancelled over the Covid-19 surge there.
The coronavirus has killed more than 3 million people, devastating the world economy and upending daily life since emerging in China in late 2019.
The United States remains the hardest-hit nation, with more deaths and known infections than anywhere else, but it passed a major vaccine milestone on Sunday with roughly 130 Americans -- half its adult population -- receiving at least one dose.
The country is a world leader in vaccinations, and all its over-18s will be eligible for a shot from Monday.
But its top pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci warned Sunday that the United States remains in a "precarious position".
"We're having a seven-day average of over 60,000 new infections per day. That's a place you don't want to be," he said.
"We also have to make sure that people don't throw caution to the wind and declare victory prematurely. That's not the time to do that."
Neighbouring Canada illustrated the threat of a fresh coronavirus wave, as authorities scrambled to funnel additional health staff and equipment into virus-hit Ontario to battle a surge in infections.
Ontario is Canada's most populous province, and record cases are threatening to overwhelm its healthcare system.
Some countries have started to ease restrictions despite concerns about new outbreaks, hoping to resume some social activities and kickstart their economies.
Portugal was set to allow restaurants, shopping centres, high schools and universities to reopen from Monday.
Switzerland was also set to start the week with a step towards normality, with outdoor seating permitted at restaurants and bars and cinemas, sports facilities, and in-person classes at universities re-opening.
And in Australia and New Zealand, there was joy and celebration as a long-awaited quarantine-free travel bubble opened across the Tasman Sea.
Family members tearfully reunited at airports in Sydney and Wellington, while others readied for their first outbound flights in more than a year.
"(I'll) yell, scream, cry, hug, kiss, (feel) happy -- all of these emotions at once," Denise O'Donoghue, 63, told AFP as she prepared to board her plane in Sydney.
"What normal's going to be from now on I don't know, but I'm just really, really excited today."
Fox News host Howard Kurtz on Sunday hosted a panel that conflated CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta with Fox News host Tucker Carlson when it comes to reporting on the efficacy of vaccines.
On his Sunday Media Buzz program, Kurtz pointed to what he called a "media frenzy" regarding the CDC's decision to temporarily pause Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine due to concerns over extremely rare blood clots.
"Here's what some of the pundits had to say," Kurtz said announcing clips narrated by Gupta and Carlson.
"This will increase vaccine hesitancy," Gupta noted in the first clip.
"It seems possible there may be more going on here," Carlson worried in the second clip. "It is possible in fact that this vaccine is more dangerous than they're indicating it is. And federal authorities today appeared to acknowledge that."
But Kurtz ignored Carlson's recent false suggestion that vaccines might not work at all.
"So maybe it doesn't work, and they're simply not telling you that. Well, you'd hate to think that, especially if you've gotten two shots. But what's the other potential explanation? We can't think of one," Carlson said last week.
Fox & Friends host Will Cain pushed back on the idea that the pause in Johnson & Johnson vaccine distribution is a "big deal."
"I also understand basic math," Cain told Kurtz. "What are we looking at? A 1 in 1 million problem that might exist. Do you know the risks we take throughout our day that take a greater risk than 1 in 1 million. I mean, this is the equivalent of reporting on shark attacks stories as though they are a major problem."
"And it's worse than that, Howie," he continued. "It's worse than the shark attack, you know, hyperinflation import of that story because now people are going to be afraid to take a vaccine -- in fact, they can't because it's been taken off the market -- with such minuscule risks. I don't know what we're doing. We're not being led by science."
Fox News contributor Mo Elleithee, a former Democratic strategist, argued that the public health system is working.
"I suspect based on everything we're hearing that J&J will be back out there as soon as possible," Elleithee explained.
"Are the media in covering this overplaying it," Kurtz asked Cain, "perhaps spreading fear because after all these government actions have been taken and right now you can't get the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine?"
"The system is not working and the media is spreading fear on purpose," Cain insisted, prompting laughter from Elleithee.
"Wait, why on purpose?" Kurtz wondered.
"Because it's good for ratings," Cain stated. "They've been doing it for a year. I think I'm speaking an absolute objective truth. They've been overhyping, overinflating the fear of walking outside."
"All of this is anti-science," he added. "All of it is something beyond being driven by the data. You tell me? What's it driven by? A thirst to hang on to power, fear porn, virtue signaling. It's not by data and science."
Watch the video below from Fox News.
There is something in the air when the sun rises over Manhattan, a New Yorker recently said. The streets are fuller, the subway and bars as well, conversations by passers-by seem more exuberant. Groups of friends populate the parks, planning day-trips, voyages and parties.
That's what it feels like when a metropolis is starting to breathe again after a year of the pandemic.
The optimism seems to rise with every additional person getting vaccinated - despite persistently high infection rates.
Many believe that New York is only weeks away from being back at how it used to be. If that's true, this summer might be a rapture.
The wooden doors of The Bitter End have already opened again. The legendary club in Greewich Village used to host the likes of Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan, when stuffy air and dripping ceiling were still a socially acceptable part of live shows.
For the first time in its 60 years, things are different at The Bitter End, as only a dozen visitors, instead of hundreds, are allowed in due to the coronavirus regulations imposed by the city. But at least shows are taking place.
The Bitter End is where singer-songwriter Samantha Echo plans her post-pandemic comeback to the stages of the city in August. After her hands being tied for so long, she is excited that this year holds the promise to the end of the pandemic.
"I think I'll appreciate performing much more," Echo says. She believes that after a year of lockdown, artists will be even more valued in the city.
Echo is only in her thirties but has already received both Covid-19 shots, like many New Yorkers. The minimum age for vaccinations has recently dropped to 16 there, and appointments are booked through the nights.
Almost half of New Yorkers over 18 have received at least one vaccine dose, as the inoculation campaign is progressing swiftly. The only worry is that the large number of vaccine sceptics who refuse to get the shot or a new mutation could mar the dream of a post-coronavirus summer.
Meanwhile, infection numbers are still worryingly high, but experts are counting with a decline from May.
Although the state of New York is likely to insist on some restrictions for the coming months, New Yorkers are getting more ready to party with every week. Small private gatherings are already being planned and clubs are opening their outdoor areas - though for secret undergound parties, they never really shut.
Things are also picking up again on Broadway, albeit in small steps. Recently, 150 people attended a half-hour trial performance at St James Theatre, which usually welcomes up to 1,700 guests.
Still - this is a sign of life for the 41 theatres along the Broadway, for whom resuscitation might be especially difficult.
"The worst thing for us was that we couldn't do theatre anymore," says Annie Haegg, an actress who has converted her kitchen on the Upper East Side into a studio for video auditions.
Before the pandemic, she was easily booking roles, for instance in the series "Hunters," but then things collapsed for several months. "Nobody knew what was happening to them," the 30-year-old says.
Luckily film and television started shooting again in autumn, under some restrictions. But until today, Heagg completes most of her auditions from home and rarely sees other actors.
The selection process for new plays has been picking up pace recently, and Haegg is hopeful she'll be on a stage again soon, alongside her colleagues.
But most of all, she's looking forward to partying. "We used to have so many parties. And I love being a host," she says.
2021 will be the year of celebration, going to exhibitions, shows and concerts - at least that's what New Yorkers are hoping. It could also be the summer they finally have the city to themselves, as international travel is still keeping back tourists.
"The people will just be so happy to get out again and be so much nicer to each other," says Samantha Echo. "That's what I believe at least. But maybe I'm naive."
The number of daily Coid-19 deaths in the Gaza Strip reached an all-time high on Sunday: Within 24 hours, 23 new deaths were registered in the Palestinian territory directly on the Mediterranean Sea.
In total, 761 people have already died after a coronavirus infection in the coastal strip, which is ruled by the Islamist Hamas movement, according to the Ministry of Health.
In the Gaza Strip, about 2 million people live in a confined space, in sometimes miserable conditions and with poor medical care.
The pandemic is pushing the health system to its limits. As of Thursday, only about 33,000 residents had received a vaccination. About half of those have been fully vaccinated, or just 0.8 per cent of the population.
The United Arab Emirates had donated tens of thousands of doses of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V.
On May 22, the first parliamentary election in 15 years is scheduled to be held in the Palestinian territories.
By Sarah N. Lynch
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday predicted that U.S. health regulators will end the temporary pause on distributing Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, adding he expects a decision could come as soon as Friday.
"My estimate is that we will continue to use it in some form. I doubt very seriously if they just cancel it. I don't think that's going to happen. I do think that there will likely be some sort of warning or restriction or risk assessment," Fauci said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
U.S. health regulators recommended last week that use of the J&J vaccine be paused after reports of six cases of rare brain blood clots in women, out of some 7 million people who have received the shot in the United States.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory panel is set to meet on April 23 to discuss the next steps for the vaccine.
Fauci said he does not know what the final decision will be, but he predicts there will be a resumption.
"I don't know if there have been further cases. We will know that by Friday, and I would be very surprised ... if we don't have a resumption in some form by Friday. A decision almost certainly will be made by Friday," Fauci said on CBS' "Face the Nation."
Fauci on Sunday also laid out a possible timeline for when children could be vaccinated against COVID-19.
"I would be surprised if we didn't have the high school kids being able to be vaccinated by the fall term," he told CBS. "I think by the time we get to the first quarter of 2022, we will be able to vaccinate children of virtually any age - hopefully before then," he added.
"But I think that's going to be the latest we'll see it."
(Reporting by Sarah N. LynchEditing by David Goodman and Nick Zieminski)
The latest vaccine mishap amid a global effort to inoculate the general public against coronavirus occurred at a Walgreens in North Carolina. Workers at the pharmacy in Monroe confirmed on Friday they mistakenly gave some people an injection of saline instead of the treatment for COVID-19. Walgreens told WCNC they managed to reach out to everyone who was affected by the incident as soon as they were able. The drug store added that an investigation into the mix-up was underway and vowed customer safety and care is their top priority. So far, at least 177 countries and territories have administe...
(Reuters) - Canada on Saturday reported a second case of rare blood clots with low platelets after immunization with AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine in a week, while it said it still recommended the use of the shot.
The person who experienced the very rare event has been treated and is recovering, Canada's health ministry said in a statement, adding that the person lives in the province of Alberta.
Based on the evidence available, Canada still maintains that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh the potential risks, the statement said.
Canada health authorities "will continue to monitor the use of all COVID-19 vaccines closely and examine and assess any new safety concerns," the statement said.
Canada reported a first blood clotting associated with the vaccine on Tuesday, and a day later, after a review, health authorities said they would not restrict use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
A separate advisory council had earlier recommended Canada stop offering the vaccine to people under 55. That panel is in the process of reviewing its advice.
Canada has been ramping up its vaccination campaign, but still has a smaller percentage of its population inoculated than dozens of other countries, including the United States and Britain.
Amid a spiking third wave of infections, Ontario, Canada's most populous province, announced new public health restrictions on Friday, including closing the provinces borders to domestic travelers.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru and Steve Scherer in Ottawa, writing by Steve Scherer; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
The controversial decision to pause the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines was harshly criticized in an op-ed published by The Washington Post.
The column was written by Govind Persad, an assistant professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and William F. Parker, an assistant professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Chicago and assistant director of the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics.
"The Food and Drug Administration and the CDC justified the initial pause as necessary to help health-care providers identify and properly treat a rare post-vaccination syndrome involving not only blood clots but also low platelets. They were right to share that information, but that emergency justification for a short pause is now gone. There is no evidence the vaccine's risks universally, or even typically, outweigh its benefits in preventing a pandemic disease with serious and unknown consequences. The agencies should end the pause, keep sharing information and let patients decide," they argued. "At its meeting, ACIP analyzed vaccine side effects with admirable transparency. But there was no rigorous analysis of the risks of not being vaccinated. Rather, ACIP insisted that because 'alternative covid-19 vaccines (mRNA vaccines) are available,' the tradeoffs are inconsequential. This shows a profound disconnect with the reality many Americans face."
They noted the Johnson & Johnson vaccine only requires one dose, making it far easier logistically.
"In a pandemic, each day counts. The FDA has not removed the vaccine's authorization, and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is not bound by ACIP's (non-)advice. She could end the pause and restore access for people who reasonably prefer single-shot protection from covid-19 to the minuscule risks of vaccination. If backed up by risk-benefit analysis, the CDC could recommend that certain subgroups (e.g., younger healthy adults) wait for an alternative vaccine. The public can play a part, too: They should press senators and President Biden to appoint a permanent FDA director who considers benefits as well as risks and acknowledges tradeoffs. And they should encourage state public health agencies to help end the pandemic by keeping access to the vaccine open for those who want it," they concluded.
Read the full report.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is adamantly refusing to consider increasing unemployment benefits in his state as many workers are still struggling due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During a news conference held on Friday, April 16, the Republican governor was asked about the possibility of him supporting an increase in unemployment benefits, reports The Tampa Bay Times. Currently, the state is paying unemployed workers $275 per week, an amount considered to be one of the lowest in the United States. While state lawmakers insist the amount is not substantial, DeSantis made it clear that he has a different take.
According to the governor, $275 is enough and he has no intention to support an increase. "Increase benefits?" he said. "Look, no, I think we're getting people back to work." When asked a second time, DeSantis doubled down on his take. "Our unemployment is what it is. It's fine," he said. "The federal government obviously is putting in a lot of money."
The Florida governor also argued that his goal is to get people back to work although the pandemic continues to spread in his state. Despite DeSantis' take, Florida's unemployment benefits are severely underwhelming as it is only equivalent to approximately $6.87 per hour. In wake of the governor's latest remarks, lawmakers and critics have taken to Twitter to fire back.
Florida Democratic lawmaker Jason Pizzo tweeted, "Aug. 2020, [Gov. Ron DeSantis] said two important things: 1) he couldn't change weekly amount - that's the legislature's purview 2) roadblocks to benefits looked intentional The House and Senate need to hold firm and do what's fair and decent for today, and tomorrow."
Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando, Fla.) also pushed back against DeSantis' claims as she criticized the state's "embarrassingly low" unemployment benefits. She tweeted, "Unemployment is NOT fine. It's broken & benefits are embarrassingly low."
Senate Bill 1906 advanced in the Florida Senat4e on Thursday, April 15, and is now poised for a vote on the floor. If passed, it would increase the statement's minimum and maximum amount for weekly unemployment benefits. The bill also includes an extension of the duration of time a person can receive unemployment benefits. Instead of 12 weeks, recipients will be entitled to 14 weeks.
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