White Evangelical Resistance Is Obstacle in Vaccination Effort

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Millions of white evangelical adults in the U.S. do not intend to get vaccinated against Covid-19. Tenets of faith and mistrust of science play a role; so does politics.

Stephanie Nana, an evangelical Christian in Edmond, Okla., refused to get a Covid-19 vaccine because she believed it contained “aborted cell tissue.”

Nathan French, who leads a nondenominational ministry in Tacoma, Wash., said he received a divine message that God was the ultimate healer and deliverer: “The vaccine is not the savior.”

Lauri Armstrong, a Bible-believing nutritionist outside of Dallas, said she did not need the vaccine because God designed the body to heal itself, if given the right nutrients. More than that, she said, “It would be God’s will if I am here or if I am not here.” Continue reading.

High demand for COVID-19 vaccine eases fear of hesitancy, but resistance among Republicans, other groups remain

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Before a row of cameras, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Gov. Tim Walz and former GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty rolled up their sleeves and relaxed their arms as both men received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday. 

The bipartisan effort to encourage Minnesotans to seek innoculation against COVID-19 came on the day all state residents 16 and older became eligible for vaccination. 

The photo opportunity, however, wasn’t just a feel-good moment to mark the eligibility expansion: State and health leaders are pulling out all the stops to reach people who are hesitant to take the vaccine for a series of reasons, including skepticism of government, the record-fast development of the vaccines, fear of long-lasting side effects and the preservation of personal liberty.  Continue reading.

Economy adds whopping 916,000 jobs as recovery accelerates

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The U.S. added a whopping 916,000 jobs and the unemployment rate fell to 6 percent in March as the recovery from the coronavirus recession chugged ahead, the Labor Department reported Friday.

The March jobs report showed the U.S. economy picking up speed as COVID-19 vaccinations accelerated, restrictions eased and President Biden signed a $1.9 trillion relief plan meant to give struggling households and businesses a bridge to the other side of the pandemic.

Economists had projected the U.S. to gain 675,000 jobs in March as consumer and business confidence rose, manufacturing activity sped up and workforce management companies reported steady rises in hiring and hours worked. Continue reading.

US faces pivotal moment in COVID-19 fight

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The U.S. is facing a pivotal moment in the fight against COVID-19, as a new rise in cases poses a threat even as vaccinations make progress.

Cases are up about 12 percent nationally compared to the previous week, averaging around 62,000 cases per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The figures come as CDC Director Rochelle Walensky issued a dire warning this week of “impending doom” in the nation’s coronavirus battle.

Still, the country is in a markedly different place from previous COVID-19 surges, due in large part to the hope on the horizon from vaccine availability. The vaccination campaign is moving at a solid pace, often exceeding 3 million shots per day. Continue reading.

Billions in New Obamacare Subsidies Are Now Available on Healthcare.gov

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Nearly everyone with a marketplace health plan can seek more financial help. Many uninsured Americans and people who buy their insurance elsewhere can also benefit.

Federal officials have reprogrammed Healthcare.gov, making new benefits available to tens of millions of Americans, weeks after Congress authorized spending billions on additional health law subsidies.

The Biden administration has doubled Obamacare’s advertising budget to get the word out, and will now spend $100 million telling Americans about newly affordable options.

Nearly everyone with an Affordable Care Act health plan can now qualify for increased financial help with premiums by going back to the website. Many Americans who buy their own insurance outside the A.C.A. marketplaces may also qualify for substantial help, and may benefit from reviewing options and switching to an eligible plan. Uninsured Americans also qualify. Continue reading.

Christian nationalism is a barrier to mass vaccination against COVID-19

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While the majority of Americans either intend to get the COVID-19 vaccine or have already received their shots, getting white evangelicals to vaccination sites may prove more of a challenge – especially those who identify as Christian nationalists.

A Pew Research Center survey conducted in February found white evangelicals to be the religious group least likely to saythey’d be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Nearly half (45%) said they would not get the COVID-19 shot, compared with 30% of the general population.

Some evangelicals have even linked coronavirus vaccinations to the “mark of the beast” – a symbol of submission to the Antichrist found in biblical prophecies, Revelation 13:18. Continue reading.

How can all schools safely reopen?

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The question of when and how to open schools for full in-person learning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most consequential the U.S. currently faces. A wealth of evidencesuggests that schools can provide in-person instruction with a very low level of risk when safety protocols are successfully implemented

So, what do school districts, teachers, families and students need to know? As an infectious disease epidemiologist with more than 15 years of research experience – and as co-editor of the COVID-19 Literature Situation Report, which produces a daily summary of the most relevant newly published and pre-print literature related to COVID-19 – I offer answers to some of the most urgent questions about how schools can safely resume in-person instruction. Some of this evidence is gleaned from preprint studies that may change after they are peer-reviewed.

Will school make children more likely to transmit COVID-19?

Infection with the COVID-19 virus has been less common in school-age children, especially those in elementary school, than among other age groups. Evidence from FloridaUtahMissouriand elsewhere indicates that less than 1% of school-age children have had COVID-19, despite most being in school in personMost cases have not been linked to school exposures.

Rep. Dean Phillips: Big News This Week

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Hi Neighbors,

Happy Passover and a blessed holy week to those who are celebrating, and happy spring to all! I hope you’ll join me in reflecting on the importance of family, community, and working together to overcome adversity. 

Right off the bat, I have some exciting news to share: you are now eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine! All Minnesotans 16 and older can now register for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment. For now, demand will still exceed supply, and it may be frustrating and difficult to get an appointment. Vaccine shipments from the federal government will continue to increase over the coming weeks and safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines will be available at no cost to every Minnesotan who wants one. In the meantime, I urge you to ensure your information is up-to-date with your healthcare provider and to sign up for the Vaccine Connector so that you can get a vaccine as soon as possible.

COVID-19 Vaccines Open To These Groups
Continue reading “Rep. Dean Phillips: Big News This Week”

Minnesota COVID-19 hospitalizations back above 400

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But hope is vaccine will blunt most severe illness. 

COVID-19 hospitalizations have nearly doubled in the past four weeks in Minnesota, but state health officials remain encouraged that vaccinations will prevent a surge in severe illnesses and deaths.

While doctors have reported younger patients and better outcomes than in the spring and fall pandemic waves, the 411 COVID-19 cases in Minnesota hospitals on Tuesday included 102 who needed intensive care due to breathing problems or other complications. The ICU number hasn’t been that high since Jan. 23.

Gov. Tim Walz offered a stay-the-course message to Minnesotans this week to continue mask-wearing and social distancing practices and to seek the first COVID-19 vaccine available to them — now that everyone 16 or older is eligible under the state’s distribution plan. Continue reading.

Top Trump adviser warned then-president on virus supply shortage, then pursued controversial deals

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Democrats probe more than $1 billion in ‘haphazard’ supply contracts arranged by Peter Navarro, citing new documents

A top adviser privately urged President Donald Trump to acquire critical medical supplies in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak — and after the warning was ignored, pursued his own ad hoc strategy that committed more than $1 billion in federal funds and has since prompted multiple probes, according to newly released documents from congressional investigators.

Peter Navarro, who served as Trump’s trade adviser, warned the president on March 1, 2020, to “MOVE IN ‘TRUMP TIME’” to invest in ingredients for drugs, handheld coronavirus tests and other supplies to fight the virus, according to a memo obtained by the House’s select subcommittee on the coronavirus outbreak. Navarro also said that he’d been trying to acquire more protective gear like masks, critiquing the administration’s pace.

“There is NO downside risk to taking swift actions as an insurance policy against what may be a very serious public health emergency,” Navarro wrote to the president. “If the covid-19 crisis quickly recedes, the only thing we will have been guilty of is prudence.” At the time, there were about 100 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States and just two deaths linked to the outbreak. Continue reading.