Thanks to a strong vaccination turnout, Mayor Bill de Blasio says The Big Apple is ready to 100% reopen this summer. Plus, financial analysts forecast a staggering worldwide cost for vaccinations.
President Joe Biden said the US will be “close to normal” by July 4, when the nation celebrates its Independence Day.
According to IQVIA Holdings, Inc., a U.S.-based company that analyzes health care industry data, the world will spend $157 billion through the next five years on vaccines to guard against the coronavirus, Reuters reported. Spending in 2021 is expected to reach its peak this year, topping out at an estimated $54 billion. From there, annual spending will decline sharply, coming in at $11 billion for 2022, IQVIA’s report predicted. Murray Aitken, a senior vice president at IQVIA, told Reuters the decline in spending will be a result of a decrease in prices due to competition in the marketplace and increasing volume of available vaccines. Much of the costs, the IQVIA analysts suggest, will be due to the need for booster shots. Had the pandemic never happened, the report said, worldwide spending on medicine would’ve for the period covering 2020 through 2025 would’ve been $68 billion. Aitken put the cost of the vaccines in perspective. "While COVID-19 vaccines will cost $157 billion over the next five years, that is a very small price to pay relative to the human cost of the pandemic," he said.
Less than 14 months after being dubbed a pandemic, COVID-19 is closing in on 150 million globally reported cases. While the U.S. continues to see its downward trend of case increases, totaling 54,026 new infections on Wednesday, India has seen its harsh resurgence spike even higher. The nation recorded over 379,000 new cases on Wednesday alone, breaking its own record for most new cases in a single day. The country also recorded a new high of 3,645 fatalities in a 24-hour span, pushing its death toll to over 204,000. For a broader look at numbers from around the world, watch the video below.
The U.K. is still working to vaccinate its population with the first wave of coronavirus vaccines, but the country is already planning ahead for the pandemic down the road. The U.K. has ordered 60 million more doses of the Pfizer vaccine, adding to the 40 million doses that were ordered at an earlier date, the BBC said. Many of these 100 million doses are planned to be used as part of a vaccination booster program in the autumn to offer residents some extra protection from the virus ahead of winter. Nearly two out of every three adults in the U.K. have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, such as the one developed by AstraZeneca, the BBC said.
Towns and cities in Japan that were expected to host Olympic teams have had to rethink their plans as the coronavirus continues to impact the country. With less than 100 days to go until the Summer Olympic Games, Okuizumo scrapped a plan to host India's hockey team. The town had already spent more than $5 million to prepare for the team. The only way the town would be able to host the team was in a bubble-like environment. Town official Katsumi Nagase told AFP, "We wanted to have one of the world's top tier teams visit our town and show their skills to local children. But that seems impossible now." Over 500 Japan municipalities signed up to host athletes and officials for the games, but many have scrapped those plans. Niigata's Nagaoka city will no longer host Australia's swimming team and Nagano's Okaya city will no longer host Canada's table tennis team. Those that will continue to host athletes will have to offer frequent testing and have designated routes to gyms and pools to help decrease the spread of the virus.
With stimulus checks and enhanced unemployment benefits, businesses are struggling to find people willing to work. A Florida McDonalds has been offering $50 to anyone who will show up just for an interview. “We’re scrambling for help,” Blake Casper of Caspers Company, which owns the Tampa franchise, told Insider. The idea to offer a $50 incentive for interviewees came from a general manager and supervisor who were desperate to staff their drive-thru."The biggest challenge out there is the federal government and the state government are going to continue with this unemployment, because that is truly creating the incentive to not work right now," Casper said, according to Insider. "And, how do you blame somebody?”
The deadline for air travelers to get a Real ID compliant identification has been pushed back 19 months due to complications caused by the coronavirus. The deadline to have a Real ID was originally Oct. 1, 2021, but has been pushed back to May 3, 2023. Real ID identification cards are issued following a more comprehensive identification check. These cards also have added security features to combat counterfeiting. The coronavirus pandemic has made it harder for drivers to go visit DMV locations, leading to the delay. Only 43% of all state-issued identification cards are compliant with Real ID, according to NBC News.
Washington State University announced on Wednesday that on-campus students will need to be vaccinated for COVID-19 for the 2021-2022 academic year, KIRO said. The university, located in eastern Washington in the town of Pullman, is the latest school in the state to announce vaccine requirements. However, some exemptions will be made for medical, religious or personal reasons, as well as those who are attending the university 100% online. Students who do not get vaccinated will be required to be tested for COVID-19 on a regular basis, KIRO said. The vaccine requirement will also apply to employees and volunteers at Washington State University.
Just one dose of the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine nearly halves the transmission rate of the coronavirus, a new study suggests. Those who were infected with the coronavirus after receiving one dose and then became infected with the virus before the second dose were between 38% and 49% less likely to pass the virus to those unvaccinated. "Vaccines are vital in helping us return to a normal way of life. Not only do vaccines reduce the severity of illness and prevent hundreds of deaths every day, we now see they also have an additional impact on reducing the chance of passing Covid-19 on to others," said the head of immunization at Public Health England, Dr. Mary Ramsay. Those vaccinated also have a reduced risk of developing symptoms after just one dose, according to the BBC.
As coronavirus hospitalizations threaten to overwhelm doctors in Oregon, 15 counties were moved into an extreme risk category. These counties will no longer offer indoor restaurant dining, along with other restrictions. Major cities such as Portland, Salem, Bend and Eugene are included in these counties, according to The Associated Press. The restrictions will go into effect on Friday. Rural areas of Oregon are seeing much lower vaccination rates than desired. A county of just 78,000 people only has 19,000 people who have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Extreme-risk counties will increase outdoor capacity limits for bars and restaurants from 50 people to 100.
JPMorgan Chase, the biggest U.S. bank by assets, is telling employees in the U.S. to prepare to return to the office on a rotating basis by July, CNBC reported. The bank said in a memo to workers Tuesday that it is increasing the number of employees allowed in its offices, and buildings will be open to all employees on May 17, although a 50% building occupancy limit will remain in place. "We are welcoming more of you back next month so that you can get comfortable with being back in an office environment," the bank said in the memo, according to CNBC and first reported by Bloomberg News."Understanding that this may take some time, we would fully expect that by early July, all U.S.-based employees will be in the office on a consistent rotational schedule, also subject to our current 50% occupancy cap." JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said last week that the company could not require workers to be vaccinated before returning to the office, CNBC said. Watch the video below for more.
While a final number has yet to be determined, tennis fans will be allowed to attend matches at Wimbledon this summer. The major tennis tournament did not take place last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Fan capacity will be reduced to 25% but could increase if the British government eases restrictions before the event takes place in June. Ticket prices are expected to remain at the same levels as 2020. Whether fans will need proof of vaccination to attend will depend on government rules. Mask wearing and social distancing also remains to be determined, according to ESPN.
With the start date of the Summer Games on the horizon, Tokyo Olympics organizers have released a new set of rules. Athletes will be tested every day, people’s movements will be tightly controlled and the number of spectators allowed won’t be decided until June, the Today show reported. Since fans from around the world have been banned due to the virus, even the families of athletes from abroad will watch the Games from home. Those arriving from abroad will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test and be tested regularly.
The U.S. added more than 50,000 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, sending the cumulative caseload above 32.1 million. And more than 700 fatalities were recorded, bringing the death toll to 572,702 as of Wednesday morning. The seven-day rolling positivity rate inched down nationwide to 3.88%, according to Johns Hopkins University figures, and Florida, Michigan and Texas were the states where the most new cases were reported. Globally, the U.S. was third in terms of new cases on Tuesday. For more on where the virus is spreading most rapidly, watch the video below.
FILE - People wait to speak with representatives from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission about unemployment claims Thursday, July 9, 2020, in Midwest City, Okla. The number of laid-off workers seeking U.S. unemployment benefits rose to 1.1 million last week of Aug. 9, after two weeks of declines, evidence that employers are still cutting large numbers of jobs as the coronavirus bedevils the U.S. economy. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
As companies begin to transition back to the office environment after a year of working from home, many employees would like to keep working from home. However, many companies are likely to revert back to pre-pandemic work arrangements. More than half of employees said that, given the option, they would want to keep working from home even after the coronavirus subsides, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center. Far fewer look forward to returning to the office full time. “We were told we would start going back to the office in June,” Melissa Gill, who books athletic travel for a college in San Diego, told CNBC, “and I am just not ready.” Gill says she prefers working remotely, especially because it gives her more time with her two dogs and her husband while he is home between military deployments. Gill is happier without the daily 45-minute commute into town, which gives her time to take walks around the neighborhood and be more present at home with her husband, who has been on active duty. “It’s going to be really hard to adjust going back to the office,” Gill told CNBC.
Some companies are becoming more flexible and are shifting to new policies surrounding remote work. In March, Microsoft said it will allow certain employees to choose between returning to work full-time, continuing to work remotely or implement a hybrid model, CNBC reported. Microsoft told employees it will allow more flexibility to work from home, even after it’s safe to return to the office, by allowing workers to request approval from their managers to work remotely full time or to potentially move to a new location.
The U.S. will begin exporting its entire stock of AstraZeneca vaccines to the rest of the world after federal safety reviews are cleared. Up to 60 million doses will be available to share in the coming months, according to The Associated Press. The AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine is already widely used around the world, but has yet to see authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In recent weeks, the U.S. has been under pressure to release some of it vaccine supply with other countries. White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said the AstraZeneca vaccine is not needed in the U.S. for the next several months. More than 53% of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Enough doses for the entire U.S. population is expected by early summer.
Pfizer’s experimental oral drug to treat COVID-19 could be available by the end of the year, CEO Albert Bourla told CNBC. In March the company started early stage clinical trial testing a new antiviral therapy for the virus. If clinical trials go well and the Food and Drug Administration approves it, the drug could be distributed across the U.S. by the end of the year, Bourla told CNBC. Health experts say the drug could be a game-changer because it could be used outside of hospitals, which could keep the virus from progressing and prevent hospital trips. In addition to the drug, Pfizer is still testing its vaccine in 6-month to 11-year-old children.
The world's largest concert since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic was held this past weekend. New Zealand packed the iconic Auckland Rugby Stadium to watch the band SIX60 perform. Over 50,000 fans attended the concert. Social distancing is not required at these concerts due to the nation successfully controlling the spread of COVID-19, according to Cheddar. The concert was the first to be held at the stadium. The band hopes to tour in Europe and U.K. in November, along with other countries if they allow large crowds.
Theatres, cinemas, restaurants and coffee bars partially reopened in Italy this week as the government eased coronavirus restrictions. Of the country's 20 regions, 14 are in a yellow zone which means there is a relatively low risk from COVID-19, according to Reuters. Five have been classified as orange and just one, Sardinia, is under red. Customers are now allowed to be served outdoors at coffee bars and restaurants in yellow zones. Outdoor amateur contact sports are also permitted again, along with reopening of pools and gyms. The famous Colosseum has also re-opened to individuals, but tour groups are still prohibited.
Fans wearing face masks sit in the bleachers during a spring training baseball game between the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals, Thursday, March 11, 2021, in Jupiter, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
The CDC made a big change to its public health guidance related to the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday. The agency now says that fully vaccinated people can gather outdoors in small gatherings with other inoculated people, or even those who are not vaccinated and at low risk for COVID-19, without wearing a mask. The CDC still recommends that people who have been vaccinated wear masks outdoors when they are in large public gatherings. The CDC did not specify what constitutes a small gathering. The CDC still says those who are inoculated should "wear masks, practice physical distancing, and adhere to other prevention measures when visiting with unvaccinated people who are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease or who have an unvaccinated household member who is at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease."
“It’s the return of freedom,” Dr. Mike Saag, an infectious disease expert at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, told The Associated Press. “It’s the return of us being able to do normal activities again. We’re not there yet, but we’re on the exit ramp. And that’s a beautiful thing.”
Australia had its biggest crowd for a sports event since the coronavirus pandemic began. An Australian Rules football match at Melbourne Cricket Ground had 78,000 fans in attendance over the weekend. The event was an Australian Football League match between Collingwood and Essendon on April 25. A Twenty20 cricket international at Ahmedabad had an attendance of 67,000 last month. The Australian Football League match is known as "The Anzac Day match" and is one of the traditions during the season, due to its commemoration of Australians who served in both world wars and other conflicts. The match did not take place last year due to the coronavirus, according to The Associated Press. The Victoria state government made the decision to allow an 85% capacity at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
As Belgium's cultural sector pushes to reopen its events, a test event was put on to demonstrate how performances could go on amid the pandemic. A theatre in Brussels recently held a performance where audience members were required to take coronavirus tests before entering. Air quality was also monitored throughout the show to ensure the safety of all audience members. A third wave of the pandemic is currently impacting Belgium, according to AFP. Restaurants, cafes and theatres have been shut down since October.
Turkey's president on Monday issued sweeping new restrictions to help combat a surge in coronavirus cases.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that businesses would have to close unless granted permission by the country's interior ministry. Schools would switch to online learning and residents would now need permission to travel within city limits, The Associated Press reported. Erdogan said the restrictions would help mitigate damage caused to the country's tourism, trade and education sectors. Turkey is looking to reduce daily infections to around 5,000. On Monday, the number was more than 37,000, the AP reported. The restrictions are expected to last until at least May 17.
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