Tag Archives: coronavirus

Axios reports: The government’s top infectious-disease expert Anthony Fauci said Friday that he “absolutely” will accept the offer from President-elect Joe Biden to serve as his chief medical officer, telling NBC’s “Today” that he said yes “right on the spot.” President Trump had a contentious relationship with Fauci, who has been forced during the pandemic to correct many of the …

Time Magazine reports: Joe Biden said Thursday that he will ask Americans to commit to 100 days of wearing masks as one of his first acts as president, stopping just short of the nationwide mandate he’s pushed before to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Speaking with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Biden said he would make the request of Americans on …

Sacramento’s CBS News affiliate reports: California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday a new regional stay-at-home order for areas where capacity at intensive care units falls below 15 percent. Newsom announced the new plans amid an unprecedented surge of new coronavirus cases in the nation’s most populous state amid fears that hospitals could be overwhelmed within weeks. The new order …

The Los Angeles Times reports: A Hawaii couple were arrested after they boarded a flight knowing they had tested positive for the coronavirus, Hawaii police said Wednesday. Wesley Moribe, 41, and Courtney Paterson, 46, of Wailua, Hawaii, face charges of “reckless endangering” after they put fellow passengers “in danger of death,” according to a statement from the Kauai Police Department. …

CNBC reports: Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Disease, will meet with members of President-elect Joe Biden’s coronavirus pandemic response team for the first time Thursday, a transition official told CNBC. The virtual meeting marks a significant step towards full coordination between the Biden transition’s Covid “landing team” and the top officials directing …

Reuters reports: More than 2,800 Covid-19 deaths were reported Wednesday in the United States — the most the country has ever reported in a single day — as health care officials say their staff and facilities are struggling to support burgeoning numbers of patients. The number of Covid-19 patients in US hospitals Wednesday — 100,226, according to the COVID Tracking …

Reuters reports: The United States set a pair of alarming coronavirus records Wednesday, surpassing 200,000 new infections and topping 100,000 covid-19 patients hospitalized — the first time the country has reached either metric in a single day. And Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the worst might still be ahead. He predicted that the …

CNBC reports: Former President Barack Obama said Wednesday that he will take a coronavirus vaccine once one is available and may film it to build confidence in the U.S. about vaccine safety. “I will be taking it and I may take it on TV or have it filmed so people know that I trust this science,” he told SiriusXM’s “The …

CNBC reports: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday announced shortened alternatives to its recommended quarantine for people who were exposed to someone with Covid-19, Dr. Henry Walke, the CDC’s Covid-19 incident manager, said. The agency previously recommended that anyone who was exposed to Covid-19 quarantine for 14 days. Walke said the agency still recommends a 14-day quarantine …

The BBC reports: The UK has become the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, paving the way for mass vaccination. Britain’s medicines regulator, the MHRA, says the jab, which offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19 illness, is safe to be rolled out. The first 800,000 doses will be available in the UK from next …

NBC News reports: Health care personnel and residents of long-term care facilities will be the first groups to be offered the Covid-19 vaccine, according to a new proposal from an independent advisory committee within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices met virtually on Tuesday to discuss who would receive the first doses of …

The New York Daily News reports: The state of Florida recorded its 1 millionth COVID-19 case on Tuesday, becoming the third U.S. state to reach the ignoble mark since the pandemic began last winter. However, as the state approaches 20,000 coronavirus deaths, Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to refuse a statewide mask order or to close bars and restaurants. “Yes, we …

The Daily Beast reports: The virus that would go on to ruin the vast majority of 2020 was already spreading in the United States before Christmas last year, a government study has found. The finding was made by scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and it suggests that the coronavirus was infecting people around the world …

Reuters reports: People who refuse a vaccine for COVID-19 could find normal life curtailed as restaurants, bars, cinemas and sports venues could block entry to those who don’t have proof they are inoculated, Britain’s new vaccine minister said on Monday. Asked by the BBC if there would be an immunity passport, Nadhim Zahawi said a person’s COVID-19 vaccine status might …

Via press release from the White House: The First Family is celebrating their fourth Christmas in the White House. This year’s theme, “America the Beautiful,” is a tribute to the majesty of our great Nation. From coast to coast, our country is blessed with boundless natural wonders. The timeless treasures represented in this year’s holiday showcase remind us of the …

The New York Daily News reports: Gov. Cuomo unveiled a revamped strategy to deal with New York’s surging coronavirus cases on Monday with a focus on avoiding an overwhelmed health care system. More than 3,500 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state, a growing number that the governor warned could lead to renewed shutdowns on a scale not …

The Washington Post reports: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisers will meet tomorrow to discuss who should get coronavirus vaccines first. One population they may consider prioritizing: Americans who are obese — a major risk factor for severe covid-19 that some experts say has gone under-recognized. “Obesity was ignored for the longest time and overweight was completely ignored,” said …

The Salem Statesman Journal reports: An oncology nurse at Salem Health has been placed on administrative leave after posting a video on social media showing disregard for COVID-19 restrictions. In the video, uploaded Friday to TikTok, the nurse, identified by hospital officials as Ashley Grames, says she doesn’t wear a mask in public outside of work, continues to travel and …

Axios reports: Peter Sokolowski, editor at large for Merriam-Webster, told AP that after the World Health Organization declared on March 11 the COVID-19 outbreak to be a pandemic, searches for the word on Merriam-Webster.com were 115,806% higher than for the same period in 2019. Runners up for word of the year based on lookup surges related to the pandemic were …

The Associated Press reports: A Pennsylvania state senator abruptly left a West Wing meeting with President Donald Trump after being informed he had tested positive for the coronavirus, a person with direct knowledge of the meeting told The Associated Press on Sunday. Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano had gone to the White House last Wednesday with like-minded Republican state lawmakers …