All the modeling suggests another surge of the CCP virus will happen, England’s chief medical officer told lawmakers on Tuesday.
Talking via video link at a meeting of the UK Parliament’s science and technology committee, professor Chris Whitty said that infection rates will rise again as COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed.
Schools in England reopened on Monday to all pupils as the government began easing lockdown measures intended to curb the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.
US Issues Advice to Those Fully Vaccinated, but No Shift in Canada Yet
New U.S. guidelines say people fully inoculated against COVID-19 can drop some precautions when gathering with others, but at least two provincial health ministers say existing public health advice holds for now.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that Americans who have waited two weeks since their second required shot can spend time with other immunized people indoors without masks or social distancing.
The same applies to gatherings by those at low-risk of severe disease, such as fully vaccinated grandparents visiting healthy grandchildren.
Alaska Opens Vaccines to All 16 or Older
Gov. Mike Dunleavy says Alaska will become the first state to drop eligibility requirements and allow anyone 16 or older who lives or works in the state to get a COVID-19 vaccination.
Dunleavy, who made the announcement Tuesday following his own bout with COVID-19, hailed the move to open up eligibility as a historic step.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker shows Alaska leading states in the percentage of its population to have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
When to Expect Payments from Relief Package
As the latest federal pandemic relief package makes its way to President Joe Biden’s desk, Americans may be wondering when the benefits will reach them.
The House is expected to give its final approval early this week and then it heads to Biden for his signature.
Millions of taxpayers could begin to see direct benefits almost immediately, some later this month and others taking several months to accomplish.
Russia to Make Sputnik V Vaccine in Italy, a First in EU
Russia has signed a deal to produce its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in Italy, the first contract in the European Union, the Italian Russian Chamber of Commerce announced Tuesday.
The deal was signed with Adienne Srl, the Italian subsidiary of a Swiss-based pharmaceutical company, and Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund. Production of a planned 10 million doses this year is set to launch in July.
Arizona Reports No New Deaths for Second Day Straight
Arizona reported 563 confirmed CCP virus cases, which causes the disease COVID-19, but no deaths for the second straight day.
Related hospitalizations rose with 928 COVID-19 patients occupying inpatient beds on Monday, up from 919 on Sunday. It’s far below the pandemic high of 5,082 on Jan. 11.
French Patients in ICU Highest Since End November
The number of people in intensive care in France who have the CCP virus is at the highest level since the end of November, health officials said on Tuesday as new infections rose slightly to 23,302 from 22,857 a week ago.
The new cases pushed the cumulative total since the start of the pandemic a year ago to 3.93 million, the health ministry reported, and the seven-day moving average of new cases was virtually steady at 21,333.
White House: States Get 900,000 More Vaccine Doses Next Week
The United States is making an additional 900,000 doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines available to states and pharmacy partners this week.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced that states and territories will receive 15.8 million doses of the two-shot vaccines, up from 15.2 million last week. Another 2.7 million doses will be distributed through the federal pharmacy program this week.
Hungary Sets Records for Hospitals, Deaths
Hungary set records Tuesday for the number of CCP virus patients being treated in Hungarian hospitals amid a powerful surge in cases.
Nearly 350 people in Hungary were hospitalized with the virus in the last 24 hours, bringing the number of hospitalizations on Tuesday to 8,270, breaking the previous record of 8,045 set on Dec. 8. The number of patients on ventilators also set a new record with 833. Health care experts say it could soon reach the threshold of 1,000, the maximum number of critical patients the country’s health system can handle.
Aviation Industry Urges Biden to Back Health Credentials
Major U.S. aviation, travel, and aerospace groups on Monday joined airline unions in urging the Biden administration to help establish temporary COVID-19 health credentials to boost travel, which has been hard-hit by the CCP virus pandemic.
In a letter to the White House COVID-19 recovery coordinator Jeff Zients, trade group Airlines for America, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Travel Association, and 24 other groups urged the administration to work with industry to “quickly develop uniform, targeted federal guidance for temporary COVID-19 health credentials (CHC) covering both tests and vaccinations.”
Canada Set to Mourn Victims, Salute Health Workers on March 11
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada would commemorate the country’s more than 22,000 COVID-19 victims on Thursday and pay tribute to those fighting the virus.
The government declared a “National Day of Observance” on March 11 inviting Canadians “to join together in honoring the memory of those we have lost, and the people they left behind,” Trudeau said in a statement on Monday.
New Mexico Officials Say Schools Can Fully Reopen April 5
New Mexico is clearing the way for schools to reopen next month as vaccine eligibility is expanding to include shots for all teachers and other educators.
State education officials announced that five-day-a-week in-class programs would be open to those who want them. Districts also will be required to provide virtual learning options for students who opt-out.
Highly Transmissible Variant Present in Hawaii
Hawaii has detected a new CCP virus variant in the islands, one that first emerged in South Africa.
The state Department of Health said the virus, which has technical name B.1.351 was found in an Oahu resident with no travel history. Some tests suggest the variant may be less susceptible to antibody drugs or antibody-rich blood from COVID-19 survivors.
LA Teachers Warned Not To Share Vacation Pictures As Union Resists ‘Premature’ Return to Classrooms
Los Angeles teachers were told recently not to share pictures if they choose to travel for Spring Break, as their union fights against what it deems a “premature” return to in-person instruction.
In a message posted in a private United Teachers Los Angeles Facebook group, teachers were told, “If you are planning any trips for Spring Break, please keep that off of Social Media.”
The Canadian Press, Alexander Zhang, Zachary Stieber, The Canadian Press, Reuters, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.