Coronavirus

CNN reports: Michigan is now reporting thousands of new Covid-19 cases daily, when just weeks ago, state data showed the daily reported case count was as low as 563 cases. In one part of the state, emergency room physician Dr. Rob Davidson told CNN hospitalizations have gone up “four fold in just the last two weeks.” “Hospitals are being inundated,” …

New York Upstate reports: The statewide 11 p.m. curfew for bars and restaurants serving alcohol has been extended until May 6, despite the recent relaxing of other Covid-19 restrictions. Gov. Andrew Cuomo included the 11 p.m. closing time in a series of extensions to Covid-related executive orders that had been set to expire on Tuesday (April 6). In addition to …

Reuters reports: People queued up outside retailers across England on Monday to release their pent-up shopping fever and some grabbed a midnight pint or even an early haircut as England’s shops, pubs, gyms and hairdressers reopened after three months of lockdown. After imposing the most onerous restrictions in Britain’s peacetime history, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the reopening was a …

Mediaite reports: Dr. Anthony Fauci told MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan that booster shots for the Covid-19 vaccine very well may be needed after about a year or so to maintain immunity against the virus. “We need to be careful about that six month number,” said Fauci, noting that that time period was how long they had been able to study so …

Gothamist reports: As more people get vaccinated and parts of the economy reopen, subway riders continue to return to the subway system. For the first time since the pandemic started, more than 2 million people rode the subway on April 8th. The MTA said that 2,009,025 subway trips were recorded on Thursday. Bus ridership also hit a new high since …

The Associated Press reports: In a rare admission of the weakness of Chinese coronavirus vaccines, the country’s top disease control official says their effectiveness is low and the government is considering mixing them to get a boost. Chinese vaccines “don’t have very high protection rates,” said the director of the China Centers for Disease Control, Gao Fu, at a conference …

The New York Times reports: Russia saw a jump of 360,000 deaths above normal from last April through December, according to a Times analysis of historical data. Figures for January and February of this year show that the number is now well above 400,000. In the United States, with more than twice the population of Russia, such “excess deaths” since …

CNN reports: Nearly 40% of US Marines are declining Covid-19 vaccinations, according to data provided to CNN on Friday by the service, the first branch to disclose service-wide numbers on acceptance and declination. As of Thursday, approximately 75,500 Marines have received vaccines, including fully vaccinated and partially vaccinated service men and women. About 48,000 Marines have chosen not to receive …

The Texas Tribune reports: Months before COVID-19 cases surged to record highs last year, Shelley Luther was fighting to keep her Dallas salon open despite safety guidelines. She had torn up a cease-and-desist order from Dallas County, and soon was fined $7,000 and sentenced to seven days in jail. Almost a year later, the Texas Supreme Court concluded Friday morning …

Miami’s ABC News affiliate reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis today announced that Florida has filed a lawsuit against Biden administration, Department of Health and Human Services, and the CDC, demanding that U.S. cruise ships be “reopened immediately.” “This is not reasonable. This is not rational,” DeSantis said during a news conference at PortMiami. “We don’t believe the federal government has the …

Gothamist reports: Restaurants and shops that fell behind on their rent and other expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic will soon be able to apply for additional grants. New York’s new state budget includes $800 million in direct cash assistance for small businesses. State Assemblyman Harvey Epstein [photo] of Manhattan, who had been lobbying for the aid, said the package sets …

The New York Times reports: On Etsy, eBay, Facebook and Twitter, little rectangular slips of paper started showing up for sale in late January. Printed on card stock, they measured 3 by 4 inches and featured crisp black lettering. Sellers listed them for $20 to $60 each, with a discount on bundles of three or more. Laminated ones cost extra. …

The Christian Post reports: “I had a mild case of COVID. The symptoms were not very strong. I had fatigue and slight congestion and a fever that lasted only for a short time, and the fatigue [carried on] a little bit longer. I got over that actually quite a long time ago, but the one lingering effect that I still …

The New York Post reports: Tesla chief Elon Musk expressed support for COVID-19 vaccines despite previously raising questions about their safety and saying he wouldn’t get the jab himself. The world’s second-richest man tried to clear up his vaccine views on Twitter after drawing ire last month for his vocal skepticism about two-dose regimens. “To be clear, I do support …

ESPN reports: The Vancouver Canucks said 25 players and coaches have tested positive in a COVID-19 outbreak involving a variant of the virus. The team said Wednesday that 21 players, including three from the taxi squad, and four members of the coaching staff have tested positive, and one other player is considered a close contact. “This is a stark reminder …

Axios reports: Nearly 90% of college students say they probably or absolutely will get vaccinated, according to a Beat The Virus poll exclusive to Axios. Why it matters: College students have contributed to the nationwide spread of the virus, and their vaccination is necessary in bringing the pandemic under control before variants spread any further. More than 120,000 cases of …

The Washington Post reports: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro resisted calls for a nationwide lockdown to halt the out-of-control spread of coronavirus cases, even as the nation reached several grim milestones, including a record number of deaths. “We’re not going to accept these policies of ‘stay home, close everything, lock down,’ ” he said on a visit to the southern city …

Canada’s Global News reports: The owner of a Vancouver restaurant is vowing to continue defying a provincial health order banning indoor dining for three weeks, despite being served with an individual order to close. On Monday it was announced this restaurant and another Vancouver restaurant have both had their business licenses suspended. Video posted to Facebook on Saturday showed what …

Blog Toronto reports: The Ontario government just officially declared another state of emergency and has issued a new stay-at-home order for the entire province, beginning this Thursday, April 8, as of 12:01 a.m. Premier Doug Ford announced the news Wednesday afternoon, as expected, stating that “there’s no doubt that this third wave has been different from anything we’ve faced so …

Reuters reports: Brazil’s brutal surge in COVID-19 deaths will soon surpass the worst of a record January wave in the United States, scientists forecast, with fatalities climbing for the first time above 4,000 in a day on Tuesday as the outbreak overwhelms hospitals. “It’s a nuclear reactor that has set off a chain reaction and is out of control. It’s …