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‘Russia is up to its old tricks’: Biden battling COVID-19 vaccine disinformation campaign

WASHINGTON – The Biden administration said Monday it is taking steps to combat Russian disinformation aimed at undermining confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer Inc. and other Western companies.

“We will fight (the disinformation) with every tool we have,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during a press briefing on Monday.

On Sunday, the Wall Street Journal reported that four publications, all serving as fronts for Russian intelligence, have targeted Western-produced COVID-19 vaccines with misleading coverage that exaggerates the risk of side effects and raises questions about their efficacy. Continue reading.

Meet the GOP voters who could decide whether the U.S. reaches herd immunity

Almost one-third of Republicans tell pollsters they ‘definitely won’t’ get vaccinated.

Margaret, an 80-year-old retiree who lives outside Tulsa, has spent the past year living in fear of the coronavirus. She’s constantly worn masks, toted hand sanitizer and used drive-throughs to run her errands. Her age and preexisting health conditions — including heart failure, diabetes and blood clots — put her at elevated risk if she gets sick.

But unlike many at-risk Americans seeking safety and an end to the pandemic, Margaret refuses to get a coronavirus vaccine.

“There’s too many unanswered questions,” said Margaret, who agreed to be interviewed only if her last name was withheld because of concerns she might be harassed. Margaret also said she’s fearful of possible side effects, like the headaches that some people have gotten from the second shot. “I’d just as soon as not go through that,” she said. Continue reading.

Nation takes baby steps to normality after year in lockdown

New federal guidelines released Monday saying it is safe for fully vaccinated people to gather indoors with each other without masks is adding hope that a return to normality — or something close to it — might be getting closer as the nation hits one year in a locked-down state.

No one knows exactly when it will be normal again — if ever, given how the coronavirus pandemic has elevated concerns about contagious diseases in general.

There’s also quite a bit of uncertainty going forward, especially as variants of the virus continue to circulate. Continue reading.

States drop COVID-19 mask mandates but still expect people to mask up – will they?

The governors of Texas and Mississippi announced that they were rescinding their statewide mask mandates and allowing restaurants and other businesses to return to 100% capacity in early March. The moves come while new infection numbers in the U.S. are still higher than they were in September and just ahead of school spring breaks, known for large gatherings and crowded bars where the coronavirus can quickly spread.

Along with Iowa, Montana and North Dakota, which recently lifted their mask orders, these states are part of an emerging trend of some states bucking national and international public health recommendations. Alabama and Utah plan to do the same in April.

Residents and visitors in Texas and Mississippi will now face a situation where masks and capacity limits are no longer required. Yet, the same governors lifting the mandates are still urging people to take precautions. Continue reading.

Florida told hospital to divert vaccines to wealthy community as appointments were canceled for general public

A Florida hospital diverted vaccines from the general public to an ultra-wealthy community where its CEO and Republican donors lived.

Gov. Ron DeSantis insists “the state was not involved” in helping to vaccinate 1,200 residents of the wealthy Ocean Reef community in January, but a spokeswoman for Baptist Health Systems, which administered the doses, told Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald that state officials did intervene.

“It is our understanding that the Medical Center at Ocean Reef asked the State of Florida for vaccine doses, and the State of Florida asked Baptist Health to take delivery of the doses to our ultra-cold freezer storage for delivery to the Medical Center at Ocean Reef,” said Baptist Health spokeswoman Dori Alvarez in a statement. Continue reading.

World on brink of fourth wave of coronavirus

A year after the frightening beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the world stands on the brink of a fourth wave of infection as nations race to vaccinate their populations and stave off a new surge in hospitalizations and deaths.

Total reported cases rose across the globe in the last week of February after six weeks of decline, driven in part by new, more virulent variants that transmit between people at startlingly higher rates than the initial strains out of Wuhan, China, and northern Italy.

“This is disappointing, but not surprising,” World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters last week. “This is a global crisis that requires a consistent and coordinated global response.” Continue reading.

Minnesota family caregivers turned away for the COVID-19 vaccine despite being eligible

Those caring for relatives with complex needs are eligible as health workers.

Laura Rede was turned away from a vaccine appointment Thursday because the clinic wouldn’t accept the paperwork showing that Rede is a health care worker.

“They asked ‘Do you have a badge?’ ” Rede said. “Well you don’t have a badge if you work at home.”

Rede is one of thousands of Minnesotans who care for a relative at home, in this case daughter Shanika who has Down syndrome, autism and other conditions that have been shown to make her vulnerable to COVID-19. Continue reading.

Experts warn US risks delaying ‘normal’ summer

President Biden‘s announcement that there will be enough vaccines for all adults by May is raising hopes for a return to normal soon.

But the next few months in the pandemic are critical. Concern is growing over moves by some states to lift restrictions already, while new variants of the virus are on the rise in the U.S. Experts warn that actions taken now risk delaying getting back to some semblance of normal.

Health officials are urging restrictions to remain in place for the final stretch, saying that it will not be much longer before the situation markedly improves, and it does not make sense to lift all restrictions when widespread vaccinations are in sight. Continue reading.

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: March 5, 2021

Governor Walz: First Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Doses Have Arrived in Minnesota

On Wednesday, Governor Walz announced that the first Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine doses arrived in Minnesota and met one of the first shipments to arrive in the state. Immunizations began shortly after doses arrived to Minnesota providers.

“This is an exciting development. We now have three vaccines available that are safe and highly effective in preventing severe disease, hospitalization, and death,” said Governor Walz. “The Johnson & Johnson vaccine will help our state quickly provide immunity and get us one step closer to ending this pandemic. We know we need broad community protection before we can get back to the normal, enjoyable parts of life we have missed, and the way we get there is by getting as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible. Everyone who has the opportunity to get this shot should take it.”

Minnesota Ranks First in the Nation for Children Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – A recently published study from Save the Children finds that over the last four months of 2020, Minnesota consistently ranked first in the nation for children amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Using four months of data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, the Save the Children’s COVID Child Protection Ranking identifies where children have been most and least protected during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that Minnesota has continually ranked first in protecting children from hunger, learning loss, and financial stress.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of Minnesotans across the state, but it has hit our working families and their children the hardest,” said Governor Tim Walz. “While we are proud that in this report Minnesota has consistently ranked first in the nation for families during the pandemic, we have work to do. We know that Minnesota children still face unacceptably high disparities in race and income. Our children are our future, and we must continue to invest in their success to emerge from this crisis stronger than before .”

“ There is no more important investment than in our children,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. “Supporting our littlest Minnesotans and their families with a focus on equity has been foundational to our COVID-19 response and remains our top priority.”

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