INSIDER
The Latest: Trump blasts Fauci and Birx as 'self-promoters'
Read full article: The Latest: Trump blasts Fauci and Birx as 'self-promoters'The Department of Health reported more than 10,000 new COVID-19 cases Monday, the highest since the pandemic hit the country. Fauci told CNN it seemed like the Trump virus team was “fighting with each other rather than fighting the virus.”AdIn his statement, Trump says “Dr. Texas has administered more than 10 million vaccine doses. Jared Polis has announced that residents over age 16 will be eligible for the coronavirus vaccine starting Friday. Ad___NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Johnson & Johnson says it’s agreed to provide up to 400 million doses of its one-dose COVID-19 vaccine to African countries, starting this summer.
The Latest: All Duke University undergrads must quarantine
Read full article: The Latest: All Duke University undergrads must quarantine(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke University issued a quarantine order for all of its undergraduates effective Saturday night due to a coronavirus outbreak caused by students who attended recruitment parties, the school said. The university said in a statement that all undergraduate students will be forced to stay-in-place until at least March 21. Suspension or dismissal from the school are potential punishments for “flagrant or repeat violators.”Over the past week, the school has reported more than 180 positive coronavirus cases among students. AdItaly has now tallied some 3.2 million cases in the pandemic. The COVAX alliance aims to share COVID-19 vaccines with more than 90 lower and middle-income nations.
The Latest: US health officials warn of false positives
Read full article: The Latest: US health officials warn of false positivesWASHINGTON — U.S. health officials are warning health professionals about the risk of false positive results with a widely used laboratory test for COVID-19 and flu. The Iowa Department of Public Health said Friday that Iowa has administered 1.03 million doses. The state health department sent a notice Thursday to the hospitals, pharmacies, clinics and other community providers of the coronavirus vaccine detailing the state’s expectations. AdBrazil has already secured contracts for 200 million vaccine doses, half made by AstraZeneca and half by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac. It could use those mechanisms as well to expand eligibility___PRAGUE — The health authorities in the Czech Republic have administered over 1 million coronavirus vaccine shots.
The Latest: Hong Kong ends lockdown in Kowloon neighborhood
Read full article: The Latest: Hong Kong ends lockdown in Kowloon neighborhoodThe district has been at the center of a worsening coronavirus outbreak, with over 160 cases reported over the first three weeks in January. As of Sunday, Hong Kong has reported 10,086 cases of the coronavirus, with 169 deaths recorded. The nation of 26 million people has reported fewer than 30,000 virus cases and a little over 900 deaths. There have been 373,090 total virus cases and a death toll of 3,279 since the pandemic began, according to the health department. The U.S. accounts for roughly one of every four cases reported worldwide and one of every five deaths.
WH virus coordinator Deborah Birx says she will retire
Read full article: WH virus coordinator Deborah Birx says she will retireFILE - In this April 22, 2020, file photo, President Donald Trump listens as Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator, speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)WASHINGTON – Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus response, said Tuesday she plans to retire, but is willing to first help President-elect Joe Biden's team with its coronavirus response as needed. Birx and White House officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A public servant since the Reagan administration, Birx has served as a U.S. Army physician and a globally recognized AIDS researcher. She was pulled away from her ambassadorial post as the U.S. global AIDS coordinator to help the task force in late February.
US hospitals facing worrisome shortage of nurses, doctors
Read full article: US hospitals facing worrisome shortage of nurses, doctorsCalifornia is desperately searching for nurses, doctors and other medical staff, perhaps from overseas, to meet demands as the coronavirus surge pushes hospitals across the state to the breaking point. Hospitals in some states have enlisted retired nurses and students. Elected leaders and health officials across the U.S. are asking people to stay home for the holidays while also trying show the public that the COVID-19 vaccines trickling out to health care workers and nursing home residents are safe. California hospitals typically turn to staffing agencies during flu season, when they rely on travel nurses to meet patient care needs. It’s a sharp contrast from the spring, when health care providers from California flew to New York to help their overworked colleagues.
Birx travels, family visits highlight pandemic safety perils
Read full article: Birx travels, family visits highlight pandemic safety perilsFILE - In this April 22, 2020, file photo, President Donald Trump listens as Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator, speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington. In addition, the children's other grandmother, who is 77, also regularly travels to the Potomac house and returns to her 92-year-old husband near Baltimore. They say wearing a mask has limited efficacy in an environment such as the White House, where few others use them. Birx said that she hasn't seen the other grandmother since the beginning of the pandemic and does not know how frequently she visits the Potomac house. Medical experts say public health officials such as Birx need to lead by example, including personal conduct that’s beyond reproach.
Trump virus coordinator Birx seeks role in Biden government
Read full article: Trump virus coordinator Birx seeks role in Biden governmentFILE - In this April 22, 2020, file photo, President Donald Trump listens as Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator, speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington. Less than 10 months later, as Trump’s time in office nears its end, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator’s reputation is frayed. And after serving every president since Ronald Reagan, her future in the incoming Joe Biden administration is uncertain. Biden has already appointed transition co-chair and Obama administration alumnus Jeffrey Zients to serve as White House coronavirus coordinator. Birx certainly had fans in Biden’s orbit before and immediately after she was tapped to serve as coronavirus coordinator in the Trump White House.
US virus deaths hit record levels with the holidays ahead
Read full article: US virus deaths hit record levels with the holidays aheadVirtually every state is reporting surges in cases and deaths. The virus is blamed for more than 285,000 deaths and 15 million confirmed infections in the United States. Southern California’s Riverside University Health System Medical Center went so far as to open an ICU in a storage room. The state is averaging more than 5,000 confirmed or suspected cases per day. That’s below the summer peak of 3,200 but more than double the most recent low point in mid-October.
The Latest: Hong Kong re-imposes restaurant dining bans
Read full article: The Latest: Hong Kong re-imposes restaurant dining bansHong Kong on Wednesday reported an additional 100 cases, bringing its two-week total to 1,274. Hong Kong has reported a total of 7,075 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic, with 112 deaths. The Texas Department of State Health Services also said 9,028 people were hospitalized across the state. Since late November, the new daily cases have soared past 10,000 on several days, with 15,103 new cases reported Tuesday, according to state health officials. ___BOISE, Idaho — Idaho public health officials abruptly ended a meeting Tuesday evening after the Boise mayor and chief of police said intense anti-mask protests outside the health department building — as well as outside some health officials’ homes — were threatening public safety.
Trump lawyer Giuliani in hospital after positive COVID test
Read full article: Trump lawyer Giuliani in hospital after positive COVID testPresident Donald Trump says his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani has tested positive for coronavirus. The president on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020 confirmed in a tweet that Giuliani had tested positive for the virus. Trump, who announced Giuliani's positive test in a Sunday afternoon tweet, wished him a speedy recovery. His son Andrew Giuliani, who is a White House aide, announced a day after the event that he had tested positive for the virus. To say I am livid would be too kind.”Before the hearing, Giuliani and Michigan Republican Party Chairman Laura Cox — both maskless — did a virtual briefing for GOP activists.
Health officials warn Americans not to let their guard down
Read full article: Health officials warn Americans not to let their guard down(AP Photo/Richard Vogel)With a COVID-19 vaccine perhaps just days away in the U.S., most of California headed into another lockdown Sunday because of the surging outbreak and top health officials warned Americans that this is no time to let their guard down. With the U.S. facing what could be a catastrophic winter, top government officials warned Americans anew to wear masks, practice social distancing and follow other basic measures — precautions that President Donald Trump and other members of the administration have often disdained. The new rules in the state of 40 million people prohibit residents from gathering with those outside their household. California health authorities imposed the order after ICU capacity fell below a 15% threshold in some regions. Current estimates project that a combined total of no more than 40 million doses will be available by the end of the year.
States submit vaccine orders as coronavirus death toll grows
Read full article: States submit vaccine orders as coronavirus death toll growsThe state expects to get enough doses of new coronavirus vaccines by the end of the year to inoculate more than 383,000 health care workers and long-term care facility residents, the state’s health director said Friday. Ned Lamont said nursing home residents, along with front-line health care workers, will get the first doses in his state. Laura Kelly said the state’s vaccine plan calls for the first shots to go to front-line health care workers with a high risk of coronavirus exposure, including workers in nursing homes, as well as nursing home residents. In Ohio, health care workers and others caring for COVID-19 patients and emergency medical responders will be first in line for the vaccine, Republican Gov. “We’re in a very dangerous situation and ... we can’t let our hospitals get to the point where health care is threatened,” DeWine said.
Ex-presidents would get vaccine publicly to boost confidence
Read full article: Ex-presidents would get vaccine publicly to boost confidenceWASHINGTON – Three former presidents say they'd be willing to take a coronavirus vaccine publicly, once one becomes available, to encourage all Americans to get inoculated against a disease that has already killed more than 275,000 people nationwide. President Donald Trump was asked this summer if he would consider being the first to take the vaccine to send a message that it was safe. Vaccine trials excluded volunteers who had diagnosed infections — including those who had gotten treatment for the virus, which Trump had in October. “There’s been a great deal of challenge over the years of this growing concern of what I call ‘vaccine hesitancy,'" Redfield said. Biden told CNN during an interview Thursday that he too would be happy to get his vaccine publicly to encourage people to follow suit.
The Latest: Birx says Americans must be strict for pandemic
Read full article: The Latest: Birx says Americans must be strict for pandemicDr. Deborah Birx says people also have to observe social distancing and wash their hands to contain the coronavirus pandemic. The number is second only to the 238 deaths reported Wednesday. Gary Herbert says Utah plans to prioritize front-line health care workers after it receives its first round of coronavirus vaccine doses. The number of new daily coronavirus cases reached 23,225 on Thursday, falling after three tiers of regional restrictions put in a month ago. ___WASHINGTON — Three former presidents say they’d publicly take a coronavirus vaccine, once one becomes available, to encourage all Americans to get inoculated.
Trump science adviser Scott Atlas leaving White House job
Read full article: Trump science adviser Scott Atlas leaving White House jobWASHINGTON – Dr. Scott Atlas, a science adviser to President Donald Trump who was skeptical of measures to control the coronavirus outbreak, is leaving his White House post. A White House official confirmed that the Stanford University neuroradiologist, who had no formal experience in public health or infectious diseases, resigned at the end of his temporary government assignment. Atlas joined the White House this summer, where he clashed with top government scientists, including Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, as he resisted stronger efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 267,000 Americans. Just weeks ago on Twitter he responded to Michigan's latest virus restrictions by encouraging people to “rise up” against the state's policies. Atlas was hired as a “special government employee," which limited his service to government to 130 days in a calendar year — a deadline he reached this week.
The Latest: NZealand mulls masks on Auckland public transit
Read full article: The Latest: NZealand mulls masks on Auckland public transitHealth officials had asked workers in central Auckland to stay home on Friday while they investigated the case but say they can now return to work. — Surge of coronavirus cases appears to be slowing in Germany and France, but still straining hospitals. Alaska has had over 20,000 cases, including 477 new cases reported Thursday. She is scheduled Friday to address the situation and is expected to announce new public health restrictions aimed to curbing spread. That’s the impassioned message that dozens of parents and school administrators are sending to public health officials in Pennsylvania’s third-most populous county.
Doctors fear more death as Dakotas experience virus 'sorrow'
Read full article: Doctors fear more death as Dakotas experience virus 'sorrow'North Dakota and South Dakota have the nation's worst rate of deaths per capita over the last 30 days. The rush of virus patients has dialed up the emotional and physical stress on hospital staff, even as they try to stay free from infections. “The devastation that I’m seeing from people is just so disheartening,” said Mike Henriksen, a South Dakota sports broadcaster who knew five people who died. North Dakota Gov. In South Dakota, Noem has cast doubt on whether wearing masks in public is effective, saying that she'll leave it up to the people to decide.
Presidency hinges on tight races in battleground states
Read full article: Presidency hinges on tight races in battleground statesVote tabulations routinely continue beyond Election Day, and states largely set the rules for when the count has to end. Several states allow mailed-in votes to be accepted after Election Day, as long as they were postmarked by Tuesday. Democrats typically outperform Republicans in mail voting, while the GOP looks to make up ground in Election Day turnout. Trump kept several states, including Texas, Iowa and Ohio, where Biden had made a strong play in the final stages of the campaign. The momentum from early voting carried into Election Day, as an energized electorate produced long lines at polling sites throughout the country.
Coronavirus deaths are rising again in the US, as feared
Read full article: Coronavirus deaths are rising again in the US, as fearedNewly confirmed infections per day are rising in 47 states, and deaths are up in 34. Health experts had warned that it was only a matter of time before deaths turned upward, given the record-breaking surge in cases engulfing the country. Deaths are a lagging indicator — that is, it generally takes a few weeks for people to sicken and die from the coronavirus. The virus is blamed for more than 8.6 million confirmed infections and over 225,000 deaths in the U.S., the highest such totals in the world. Deaths are still well below the U.S. peak of over 2,200 per day in late April.
The Latest: India's daily infections at lowest in 3 months
Read full article: The Latest: India's daily infections at lowest in 3 months(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)NEW DELHI — Authorities in India are reporting 36,470 newly confirmed coronavirus infections — that’s the lowest one-day tally in more than three months in a continuing downward trend. The case number reported Tuesday is the lowest since India had 35,065 newly confirmed infections on July 17. The seven-day average for daily COVID-19 deaths has also been climbing from 12 to 22 over the past 10 days. ___ROME — Italy registered slightly more than 17,000 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday. Italy’s total of known coronavirus infections during the pandemic now stands at 542,789.
Tracking the trends of how COVID-19 is spread
Read full article: Tracking the trends of how COVID-19 is spreadWhite House Coronavirus Task Force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said the amount of asymptomatic spread is large. “When you start to look at this college data, it may be up to 80% of individuals under 30 are asymptomatic," Birx said. "And we’re still getting the data from all of the colleges.”The CDC said understanding and tracking positive test rates by age group could help public health officials identify future hotspots and better prevent and prepare for a rise in COVID-19 cases. “The way you find that is the way the universities are finding it -- regular testing," Birx said. "If you wait until people have symptoms, you’ve waited too long because there’s so much asymptomatic spread before that.”As temperatures get cooler, health officials are reminding everyone to keep wearing masks, social distancing and washing their hands.
Michigan again at 'high risk’ for virus outbreak amid worry of 2nd wave, data shows
Read full article: Michigan again at 'high risk’ for virus outbreak amid worry of 2nd wave, data showsExperts recommend that at least 90 percent of new COVID-19 cases are traced within 48 hours to contain the virus. A majority of Michigan counties are considered at a “medium” risk for a COVID-19 outbreak, according to the data. A screenshot of Covid Act Now's map of the United States and colored according to their "Covid Risk Level." Michigan is now labeled at "high risk" for virus spread, according to data from Covid Act Now. Most of the country is at "high" risk for a COVID-19 outbreak, or is currently experiencing or facing an imminent outbreak.
Michigan sees biggest spike in daily COVID-19 cases since beginning of pandemic
Read full article: Michigan sees biggest spike in daily COVID-19 cases since beginning of pandemicSaturday’s update brought 1,522 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, the highest daily count since April 7. The weekly average of daily new COVID-19 cases hit 1,020 -- the highest since April 17. Six states -- including Ohio -- had record breaking single-day increases of cases, leading to new fears that we may be at the beginning of a second wave. “We are all deeply afraid that this is the beginning of that dreaded second wave.”A second wave of COVID-19 is already happening in Europe. The warning of a second wave comes a day after health officials reported the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in nearly two months.
The Latest: New Mexico loses ground in COVID-19 spread fight
Read full article: The Latest: New Mexico loses ground in COVID-19 spread fightThree additional deaths from the pandemic also were disclosed Friday by state health officials as fatalities from the pandemic surpassed 900. ___RENO, Nev. -- A recent spike in COVID-19 cases at the University of Nevada, Reno is prompting the school to suspend all in-class instruction effective Nov. 30. County officials previously required bars to cut indoor seating occupancy by half, close dance floors and discontinue live performances and entertainment. On Monday, Yellowstone County Health Officer John Felton announced case benchmarks that would lead to county health officials to limit the allowed capacity of bars, restaurants and churches to 25%. The measures include closing gyms and theaters after Ontario registered a record 939 coronavirus cases on Friday.
The Latest: California governor tests negative for virus
Read full article: The Latest: California governor tests negative for virusThe governor’s office said Newsom was tested on Wednesday after someone in the governor’s office tested positive. The staff member who tested positive had not interacted with Newsom or anyone else who often sees the governor. ___HARTFORD, Conn. -- Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House coronavirus task force says she is concerned about the uptick in coronavirus cases in the Northeast. The virus has killed at least 5,416 people in Louisiana, according to the state health department. A cluster of fewer than 20 people tested positive for the virus at the Nashville Rescue Mission’s facility for women and children, Brian Todd said.
Colleges using COVID dorms, quarantines to keep virus at bay
Read full article: Colleges using COVID dorms, quarantines to keep virus at baySacred Heart University has converted a 34-room guest house at the former Connecticut headquarters of General Electric to quarantine students. The Air Force Academy sent 400 cadets to hotels to free up space on its Colorado base for quarantines. The university banned on-campus events for two weeks and the city of Tuscaloosa ordered bars closed amid concern about virus spread. More than 1,000 have tested positive for COVID-19 so far, with many more ordered into quarantine after exposure to COVID-positive students. He said its just going to be hard to do in dorms, frat houses or places where students congregate.
Why experts say this weekend is make or break in battle against COVID-19 heading into fall
Read full article: Why experts say this weekend is make or break in battle against COVID-19 heading into fallThe threat of the coronavirus (COVID-19) is looming over Labor Day weekend, and public health experts are saying this could be a make or break moment as we head into the fall. Please, wear your mask, Dr. Deborah Birx said. Even though the cases are less, were still seeing cases, and the only cases Ive seen in the last week were all from large social gatherings, either indoors or outdoors, getting infected. Schools will strictly be a reflection of whats happening in the community and whats happening in that county, an expert said. If you have to see them, wear a mask and stay far apart, she said.
Detroit Health Department breaks down COVID-19 cases by zip code
Read full article: Detroit Health Department breaks down COVID-19 cases by zip codeDETROIT – The city of Detroit is now mapping cases by zip code. The zip code 48235 in the Northwest part of the city near Eight Mile Road and Southfield Freeway has the most cases. Updated April 18 -- Michigan coronavirus (COVID-19) cases up to 30,791; Death toll now at 2,308 with 3,237 recoveries reported“I hope you can see the yellow line that’s Detroit. As of mid April, Detroit’s Health Department says there are 7,947 positive COVID-19 cases and 590 deaths, in the city alone. Zip code is 48221 is also in the top three with 507 cases.