Tag: pandemic

Buttigieg in quarantine after possible Covid exposure

DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg is quarantining for the next 14 days after a member of his security detail tested positive for Covid-19. 

According to a press statement by DOT chief of staff Laura Schiller, the agent had been in close contact with Buttigieg, “including this morning prior to the agent’s positive result.“

Buttigieg also took a routine Covid PCR test Monday morning and the virus was not detected, nor is Buttigieg having symptoms. He has received the first dose of the vaccination and will get the second dose “when his quarantine is completed,” Schiller said. Continue reading.

Biden harnesses Defense Production Act to speed vaccinations and production of protective equipment

Washington Post logo


The administration also said it would deploy 1,110 military personnel to support mass-vaccination centers

The Biden administration announced a handful of initiatives Friday aimed at accelerating mass inoculations against the coronavirus and expanding production of rapid tests and surgical gloves to help control the pathogen.

In the most immediate action, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved a request from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to deploy 1,110 troops to support vaccination sites. The first active-duty military personnel will arrive in California within the next 10 days, to begin operations around Feb. 15, said Andy Slavitt, senior adviser to the White House’s coronavirus response team. The service members, the majority of whom will be medical personnel, are expected to be stationed at five FEMA megasites, two of which are in Oakland and east Los Angeles.

“The military’s critical role in supporting sites will help vaccinate thousands of people per day and ensure every American who wants a vaccine will receive one,” Slavitt said during a Friday briefing. Continue reading.

House Democrats propose new pandemic assistance to help laid-off hospitality and service sector workers

House DFL logo

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Rep. Andrew Carlson (DFL-Bloomington) and House Democrats are proposing new legislationto help laid-off hospitality and service sector workers return to their jobs. It’s one of many immediate actions that House Democrats are proposing to respond to the needs of workers, families, and small businesses hit hardest by the pandemic. High-quality video and audio of this virtual press conference will be available here this afternoon.

“In 2020, many of us had to cancel our travel plans for graduation, summer vacation, Thanksgiving, Christmas and so on. However, behind these visible personal impacts are our hospitality workers that are hit hard by the pandemic due to restaurant, hotel and airport layoffs.” said Rep. Carlson. “We need to pass legislation that will create a pathway forward to economic recovery for Minnesotans, especially communities of color who make up 71% of displaced hospitality workers. My new bill will ensure that these workers are heard and supported by their state government.”

Rep. Carlson’s bill applies to Minnesotans employed by hotels, airports, and event centers; the facilities attached to them, including restaurants, bars, and retail; as well as related services, including maintenance, security, ticketing, ground-handling, and food and beverage services. It also applies to an enterprise providing maintenance and security services to office, retail, or commercial buildings, like a staffing agency.

Continue reading “House Democrats propose new pandemic assistance to help laid-off hospitality and service sector workers”

US virus deaths surpass 450K; daily toll is stubbornly high

Coronavirus deaths in the United States surpassed 450,000 on Thursday, and daily deaths remain stubbornly high at more than 3,000 a day, despite falling infections and the arrival of multiple vaccines.

Infectious disease specialists expect deaths to start dropping soon, after new cases hit a peak right around the beginning of the year. New COVID-19 deaths could ebb as early as next week, said the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But there’s also the risk that improving trends in infections and hospitalizations could be offset by people relaxing and coming together — including this Sunday, to watch football, she added. Continue reading.

Your questions about Minnesota’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, answered

If you’re confused by Minnesota’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, you’re not alone. 

The plan has changed several times since Minnesota started administering vaccines in December, and more updates are on the horizon as the state nears completion of its first vaccine priority group.

Here’s the latest information about COVID-19 vaccines in Minnesota. Continue reading.

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

Minnesota Ramps Up COVID-19 Vaccinations; Doubles Number of Shots Administered Per Day Compared to Last Week

On Wednesday, Governor Walz announced that the State of Minnesota has ramped up its COVID-19 vaccination efforts, and is now administering two times the number of shots given per day on average compared to just last week. The increase in vaccination rate follows Governor Tim Walz’ directives given last Monday designed to accelerate the availability of vaccine across the state. 

To date, More than 600,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Minnesota.

Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: February 5, 2021”

Johnson & Johnson seeks emergency FDA authorization for single-shot coronavirus vaccine

Washington Post logo

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson submitted its single-shot coronavirus vaccine to U.S. regulators Thursday afternoon for emergency use authorization after the vaccine was shown to be robustly effective against illness in a global trial — and especially at preventing severe disease and death.

The submission is “a pivotal step toward reducing the burden of disease for people globally and putting an end to the pandemic,” Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer of Johnson & Johnson, said in a statement. If the vaccine receives regulatory clearance by the Food and Drug Administration, it would be the third authorized shot in the United States — a much-needed addition to the tools public health officials have to build immunity as virus variants spread.

FDA officials announced that outside experts would discuss the vaccine at a public meeting three weeks from now, on Feb. 26. Continue reading.

Dangerous Anti-Vaccination Protest Promoted By QAnon

On January 30, the Los Angeles Times reported that “members of anti-vaccine and far-right groups” caused a COVID-19 mass vaccination site in LA’s Dodger Stadium to temporarily shut down. Although the disruption “ultimately did little to inhibit vaccine distribution” and there was no violence reported, media should more proactively describe these actions as not mere “protests,” but as expressions of a dangerous and increasingly interconnected world of conspiracy theories.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the group didn’t prevent anyone from making their appointment, though some people had to wait for an extra hour. Los Angeles County has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, with an estimated 1 in 3 Angelenos contracting COVID-19 at some point.

The Los Angeles Times referred to “far-right groups” present at the vaccination site shutdown, but it didn’t elaborate that some of those involved were reportedly supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory. QAnon has grown from an initial lie that Hillary Clinton’s arrest was imminent (over Pizzagate, a different conspiracy theory) to an all-encompassing pro-Trump conspiracy theory that’s been linked to or helped inspire multiple violent crimes, including the deadly January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. CNN Business reporter Donie O’Sullivan explained that there is “an overlap between QAnon, between election conspiracy theories, and between vaccine misinformation.” Continue reading.

West Virginia’s GOP Governor Urges Passage Of Biden’s Covid-19 Relief Bill

West Virginia’s Republican Gov. Jim Justice on Monday endorsed a large economic stimulus bill, arguing that federal lawmakers have “got to move” on legislation.

In an interview with CNN host Poppy Harlow, Justice said he sided with approving Biden’s package over waiting for a “bipartisan bill” with less money, saying GOP efforts to trim down the bill were ill-timed.

“What we need to do is we need to understand that trying to be, per se, fiscally responsible at this point in time, with what we’ve got going on in this country … if we actually throw away some money right now, so what?” Justice said. Continue reading.

Poor handling of virus cost Trump his reelection, campaign autopsy finds

Washington Post logo

Former president Donald Trump lost the 2020 election largely because of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a post-election autopsy completed by Trump campaign pollster Tony Fabrizio.

The 27-page document shows that voters in 10 key states rated the pandemic as their top voting issue, and President Biden won higher marks on the topic. The report also indicates that Trump lost ground among key demographic groups he needed.

The internal report cuts against Trump’s claims that the election was stolen from him and that Biden could not have fairly beaten him — and mirrors what many Trump campaign officials said privately for months. Continue reading.