India surpassed 20 million Covid-19 cases Tuesday as a second wave of infections continues to paralyze the world’s second-most populous country.
Multiple states in India will go into “complete lockdown” in the coming days.
Countries in South Asia are taking precautions as Covid-19 cases rise around the region.
In the US, Pfizer said it expects to submit for FDA emergency use authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 2 to 11 in September.
Our live coverage has ended for the day. Follow the latest on the pandemic here.
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Three Vegas casinos cleared to return to full capacity as workers get vaccinated
From CNN’s Andy Rose
Cosmopolitan Hotel & Casino complex is seen on Las Vegas Blvdduring the current ) pandemic on April 23, 2020.
Barry Ambrose/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images/FILE
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas announced Tuesday it is cleared to operate its casino at 100% capacity after meeting vaccination goals for its employees.
The company has committed more than a million dollars in cash bonuses to its employees as an incentive to be vaccinated by May 8.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board is allowing casinos to end most of their pandemic operating restrictions – including having plastic dividers at gaming tables and slot machines – as long as they can show that at least 80% of their workers are vaccinated against the coronavirus.
The Cosmopolitan announcement comes a day after a similar decision for Wynn Resorts, which operates Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Resort.
In a statement Monday, Wynn said 88% of their Las Vegas employees are vaccinated, but added, “Our employees and guests will continue to follow health and safety guidelines, including mask compliance, to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for all.”
Casinos that do not meet the vaccination threshold are only allowed to operate at 80% capacity. Gov. Steve Sisolak has said he hopes all business across the state will be able to return to full capacity by June 1.
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California reports lowest daily Covid death toll in over a year
From CNN's Cheri Mossburg
California’s health department reported two deaths resulting from Covid-19 Tuesday, the first time fatalities have dropped that low in more than a year.
The state’s low death toll comes on the heels of two straight days with Los Angeles County reporting zero fatalities. Both the state and county tallies are expected climb as reporting lags are updated.
Through the course of the pandemic, more than 60,000 California residents died as the result of Covid-19, and over 3.6 million were infected with the virus, state data shows.
About 1,300 newly confirmed cases were reported Tuesday, continuing the steep decline in new cases as more and more residents become vaccinated against the virus. More than 30 million doses have been administered to date, and almost 13 million, or 32% of Californians have been fully vaccinated.
Reopening: The Golden State continues to shuffle its 58 counties through four tiers of reopening guidelines. Currently there are none in the most restrictive tier, and seven, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, are in the least restrictive tier.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced plans for the entire state to reopen completely by June 15.
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The US can reach Biden's Covid-19 vaccination goal by shifting strategy, Fauci says
From CNN's Lauren Mascarenhas
CNN
The US can reach President Biden’s Covid-19 vaccination goal by shifting where and how most vaccines are offered, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday.
Biden announced a plan Tuesday to administer at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine to 70% of the nation’s adult population by July 4.
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a top Biden adviser, noted that shifting the strategy may help the US keep up its daily vaccination numbers
“When you have a large cohort of people to vaccinate, it’s easier to get a large number on a per-day vaccination,” he said. “As the pool of people who are unvaccinated gets smaller, it gets a little bit more difficult, and that’s the reason why you want to do a modification of strategy.”
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Fauci says vaccinations for children "of any age" may be possible by late 2021 or early 2022
From CNN's Josiah Ryan
Covid-19 vaccinations could be approved for use by individuals of any age by the end of this year or early next year, Dr. Anthony Fauci said today.
“Absolutely, that’s the ultimate goal,” said Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, when asked by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer if the vaccines might eventually be considered a safe, routine childhood vaccination.
Fauci said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would continue to pursue an “age de-escalation” strategy, taking time to prove the vaccine is safe for increasingly younger age groups.
Fauci’s comments followed reporting that the US Food and Drug Administration is poised to authorize Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine for children and teens ages 12 to 15 by early next week.
“The efficacy of the vaccine in 12 to 15 years old was essentially 100% and it was really quite safe,” said Fauci, urging young people to get the vaccine. “It has a good safety profile and it’s highly efficacious. That’s something you shouldn’t walk away from.”
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Fewer than 1 million Covid-19 vaccine doses reported administered since Monday, CDC says
From CNN’s Deidre McPhillips
Fewer than 1 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been reported administered since Monday as the pace of vaccinations across the US falls, according to data published Tuesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Over the past week, a daily average of just under 2.2 million doses have been reported administered each day. Daily increases tend to be larger later in the week, but this is the lowest average daily rate since March 10.
Overall, the CDC reported that 247,769,049 total doses have been administered, about 78% of the 318,474,035 doses delivered.
About 44.5% of the US population – nearly 148 million people – have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, and 32% of the US population – more than 106 million people – are fully vaccinated.
Note: Data published by the CDC may be delayed, and doses may not have been given on the day reported.
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Authorization of vaccine for younger children will take longer, CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta says
From CNN's Elise Hammond
CNN
As the US Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Pfizer/BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine for children and teens ages 12 to 15 years-old by early next week, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, said it’s going to take longer to get the shot in arms of even younger kids.
He said researchers and the FDA will have to take additional steps to ensure that the vaccine is safe for kids 2 to 11 years old because the dosage will be different.
Right now, Pfizer applied for emergency use authorization for 12-to-15 year-olds using the same size dose as adults.
He said he thinks scientists will be able to figure out the safe dose by the end of the year or at least by the fall.
“There’s plenty of evidence that this vaccine produces antibodies and those antibodies are protective. But I think for 2-to-11-year-olds there’s going to be a couple extra steps which is why it will take a little longer,” he said.
Once kids are vaccinated, Gupta said they will be able to play outside, participate in team sports without masks and gather indoors with other vaccinated friends, among other things. He said it is important for children to get vaccinated because it increases the percentage of the US population that is eligible to get the shot – get the country closer to herd immunity.
For context: The FDA is currently reviewing data submitted by Pfizer to support the extended use. Pfizer said at the end of March that a clinical trial involving 2,260 12-to-15-year-olds showed its efficacy is 100% and it is well tolerated. The vaccine is currently authorized in the US for emergency use in people 16 and older.
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US could face another winter surge of Covid-19 if it doesn't meet 80% herd immunity, expert says
From CNN's Lauren Mascarenhas
Dr. Paul Offi
CNN
The US needs to reach 80% herd or community immunityor the nation could be in store for another surge in the coronavirus pandemic this winter, vaccine expert Dr. Paul Offit said Tuesday.
Offit is director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the US Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory committee.
He went on to say that the 80% population immunity could be achieved through a combination of both vaccination and immunity from natural infection.
President Biden announced Tuesday a goal to administer at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine to 70% of the nation’s adult population by July 4.
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India's neighbor Maldives sees record high daily coronavirus cases
From CNN’s Sugam Pokharel
The Maldives on Tuesday reported its record high of at least 601 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the country’s Health Protection Agency.
The Indian Ocean island nation has so far reported 31,931 cases and 74 deaths related to the virus, the agency’s data showed. Coronavirus cases have been rising since mid-April when a second Covid-19 wave started sweeping through its northern neighbor India.
The surge comes as Maldivian officials last month announced plans to offer vaccinations to tourists on arrival in a bid to lure more visitors.
Abdulla Mausoom, the country’s minister for tourism, confirmed that the Maldives is developing a “3V tourism” scheme, which would allow tourists to “Visit, Vaccinate and Vacation.” The scheme aims to help boost tourism on the Indian Ocean island archipelago, which had an average of 1.7 million visitors a year before the pandemic.
Data from the Michigan State University indicates that tourism contributes 28% of the Maldives’s GDP, one of the highest totals in the world.
The Maldives was one of the first countries to fully reopen to travelers last year.
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Death of Covid-19 patients due to oxygen shortage is “not less than a genocide,” Indian court says
From CNN's Sugam Pokharel
People wait to refill their medical oxygen cylinders for the Covid-19 coronavirus patients under home quarantine at a private refill centre in New Delhi on May 4.
Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images
A court in India on Tuesday said that deaths of Covid-19 patients due to lack of oxygen is a “criminal act and not less than a genocide,” according to a judgement posted on the court’s website.
The Allahabad High Court, which has jurisdiction over India’s most populous Uttar Pradesh state, said, “Death of Covid patients just for non supplying of oxygen to the hospitals is a criminal act and not less than a genocide by those who have been entrusted the task to ensure continuous procurement and supply chain of the liquid medical oxygen.”
A two-justice bench of the court made the remark during a hearing related to the Covid-19 crisis in Uttar Pradesh, which is among the worst-hit states in India’s deadly second wave of the pandemic.
In a strong criticism of the Uttar Pradesh government’s handling of the crisis, the state’s top court cited videos showing hoarding of oxygen cylinders and harassment of poor people begging for an oxygen cylinder.
It pointed out two specific stories of Covid-19 patients allegedly dying due to the lack of oxygen in the cities of Meerut and Lucknow, and directed the state government to take “immediate remedial measures” and ordered an inquiry into the two cases.
The state’s government is yet to formally respond to the judgement.
The court also noted that the Covid-19 protocol and guidelines could have been flouted during the counting of votes in a local election held recently – and ordered the state’s election authorities to provide CCTV of the counting.
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US will send 60 million AstraZeneca stockpile doses to other nations by July 4, Biden says
From CNN's Jasmine Wright and Kaitlan Collins
President Biden said Tuesday that the United States will send 60 million doses from its AstraZeneca vaccine stockpile to other nations by July 4.
“We are going to be, by the Fourth of July, have sent about 10% of what we have to other nations including some of the ones you mentioned,” Biden said during remarks at the White House on Tuesday.
An administration official confirms that the 10% number is the 60 million doses the administration already committed to sharing with other countries should the US Food and Drug Administration issue an emergency use authorization for that vaccine.
Biden added that he spoke with another head of state just today on the issue, but he wasn’t prepared to announce who.
“With regard to the AstraZeneca vaccine which we had, we have sent that vaccine to Canada and to Mexico. And there are other countries that we’re talking to now, as a matter of fact, I talked to a head of state today,” he said
Tuesday, President Biden also said he is sending India’s Prime Minister Modi “what he needs most,” which is the material and the parts to make vaccines work on their own.
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Biden's new vaccination goal assumes pace of US vaccinations will continue to slow, CNN analysis finds
From CNN’s Deidre McPhillips and Michael Nedelman
A Covid-19 vaccine site worker sits alone waiting for people at the Lincoln Park Covid-19 vaccine facility in Los Angeles, California on Monday, May 3. A citywide emergency alert was due to be sent to cell phone in Los Angeles on Monday reminding people to get their Covid-19 vaccine as numbers of people getting vaccinated have fallen over the past week.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images
On Tuesday, President Biden announced a plan to administer at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine to 70% of the US adult population by July 4 — a goal that allows for a continued slowing in the pace of vaccinations.
So far, about 145 million adults — about 56% of the adult population in the US — have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An average of about 882,000 adults has been added to that total each day over the past week.
An additional 35 million adults will need to receive at least one dose of vaccine to reach Biden’s goal of 70%. If vaccinations continue at the current pace, 70% of adults will have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine by the second week of June.
But with July 4 as the goal, the current pace of newly vaccinated adults can slow to an average of about 570,000 added to the total each day over the next two months — about 65% of the current pace.
A steady decline of about 9% each week for the next nine weeks will keep vaccinations on track to reach the Biden administration’s goal to reach 70% of adults with at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine by July 4.
The pace of vaccinations has already been on the decline since reaching a peak about three weeks ago, and about 24% fewer adults received their first dose in the past seven days than in the week prior, CDC data shows.
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Biden recognizes it will be hard to convince everyone to get vaccinated
From CNN's Jason Hoffman
President Biden recognized it will be hard to convince all Americans to get vaccinated, however he said he hopes those individuals will be convinced to do so by recognizing the risk they pose to others if they don’t get the vaccine.
“We know we’re going to get to a place where the doubters exist or the people who just are, I don’t want to say lazy, just not sure how to get to where they want to go. It’s going to be hard,” Biden said responding to a question on how difficult the next phase of the country’s vaccination efforts will be.
Biden said it’s beyond his personal control to convince all Americans to get the vaccine, whereas the logistical effort in creating vaccine supply was something he controlled, which is why this new phase will be harder.
Asked if the administration was looking into requiring vaccines in order for Americans to do certain things if people remain resistant to getting vaccinated, Biden said his focus is on getting effective spokespeople to reach out to those communities that are hesitant.
Earlier on Tuesday, the White House announced that nearly $250 million will be awarded to state, territorial, and select large city governments to power their next phase of outreach efforts.
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Biden addresses Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy by underscoring that it's not "a Democrat or Republican issue"
From CNN's Maegan Vazquez
Evan Vucci/AP
President Biden underscored on Tuesday that the coronavirus vaccine has been an apolitical endeavor led by science, crediting the Trump administration for approval of two Covid-19 vaccines in use in the US and thanking Republicans in Congress for their efforts.
As the nation embarks on a new phase of its vaccination program, the administration has said it anticipates having to address more reluctant populations who have yet to get vaccinated.
Biden thanked prominent conservatives like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and the “large group of Republican members of Congress who have medical training, who have advanced getting vaccinated.”
He also thanked the 105 million Americans “of every background who are fully protected from one of the deadliest pandemics in our history.”
“You know, there’s a lot of disinformation out there, but there’s one fact I want every American to know: people who are not fully vaccinated can still die every day from Covid-19,” Biden said.
“This is your choice: it’s life and death, and I hope everyone knows within themselves and makes the choice that’s going to help them and their loved ones be safe,” he continued.
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Biden outlines 3 parts of next phase of US Covid-19 vaccine distribution plan
From CNN's Maureen Chowdhury
Evan Vucci/AP
President Biden announced his administration’s goals for the the next phase of his Covid-19 vaccine distribution plan.
Biden broke down the plan into three areas of focus:
First, the administration wants to make vaccines available to children between the ages of 12 and 15 as soon as a vaccine is authorized. The US Food and Drug Administration is poised to authorize Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine in children and teens ages 12 to 15 by early next week, a federal government official told CNN. “They can still get sick and spread the virus to others, so my hope is that if the vaccine is authorized, parents will take advantage of it and get their kids vaccinated,” Biden said.
Second, he would like to make it more convenient for everyone to be able to have access to a vaccine shot. “We know that many adults have not been vaccinated because they have found it too confusing or too difficult or too inconvenient to get a shot. So, for those having trouble finding a location or making an appointment, we’re going to make it easier than ever,” the President said.
Biden announced the launch of a website to make it easier for people to find information, Vaccines.gov. People can also text their zip code to 438829 to find out information about vaccination sites. The administration is also encouraging state and local partners across the country to create walk-in hours and opening more facilities in rural areas.
Third, the Biden administration wants to tackle vaccine hesitancy, especially among young people.
“Now, we need to make the same progress for those under 65 years of age. There are a lot of younger people, especially those in their 20s and 30s, who believe they don’t need it. Well, I want to be absolutely clear, you do need to get vaccinated. Getting vaccinated not only protects you, it also reduces the risk that you give the virus to somebody else. You could save your life or the lives of people you love,” Biden said.
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NOW: Biden announces new goal of administering at least one Covid-19 shot to 70% of US adults by July 4
From CNN's Kate Sullivan and Betsy Klein
Evan Vucci/AP
President Biden just announced a new goal of administering at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose to 70% of the US adult population and having 160 million US adults fully vaccinated by July 4.
“Of course, Americans can still get shots after July 4th, but no one should wait. Let’s try to hit that 70% mark, at least with one shot before that day. It’s another huge goal,” Biden said.
According to administration officials, Biden will aim to meet this goal by:
Directing tens of thousands of pharmacies participating in the federal pharmacy program to offer walk-in appointments
Redirecting Federal Emergency Management Agency resources to support more pop-up clinics, smaller community vaccination sites and more mobile clinics
The Biden administration will also ship new allocations of Covid-19 vaccines to rural health clinics across the nation and provide additional funding to help communities conduct outreach to help get more Americans vaccinated.
As of Tuesday, more than 105 million Americans have been fully vaccinated, according to data from the US Centers Disease Control and Prevention, and 147 million Americans have had at least one dose of vaccine. Biden’s new goal will require nearly 100 million additional shots in arms over the next 60 days, an official said.
So far, about 145 million adults – about 56% of the adult population in the US – have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 104 million adults – more than 40% of the adult population in the US – is fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
“We were initially focused on getting enough vaccines for every adult. Well, we did that. We have enough vaccines. Now that we have the vaccine supply, we’re focused on convincing even more Americans to show up and get the vaccine that is available to them. If we succeed in this effort, as we did in the last, Americans will have taken a serious step to return to normal. That’s July 4th. But we’re not there yet,” Biden said in his remarks, while also urging Americans to continue to follow CDC guidelines as his administration works to get more people vaccinated.
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Go There: CNN was live in New Jersey as the state continues to reopen
America’s daily Covid-19 cases and deaths are now about one-fifth of what they were during their winter peaks.
New Jersey is opening up its economy by lifting most curfews and capacity restrictions at restaurants and other businesses. Gov. Phil Murphy even announced the state also plans to offer a free beer to anyone over the age of 21 who shows their completed vaccination card at thirteen participating breweries throughout the state.
CNN’s Miguel Marquez was live from Asbury Park with the latest. Watch:
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About 1 in 3 eligible Canadians has had at least one Covid-19 dose, public minister says
People line up to enter a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Toronto, Canada, on April 28.
Zou Zheng/Xinhua/Getty Images)
About 1 in 3 eligible Canadians has had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, the country’s Minister of Public Services and Procurement Anita Anand said during a news conference Tuesday.
Anand added that more than 16.8 million vaccine doses have arrived in Canada and more than 14 million of those doses have been administered to date. She also noted that the country is on track to receive at least two million vaccine doses per week for each week in May and said that number is expected to increase in June.
Canada has recorded more than 1.2 million cases of Covid-19 and about 24,300 deaths since the pandemic began, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, said Tuesday. The country is still reporting an average of 7,900 new Covid-19 cases and approximately 47 new deaths daily, she said.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau applauded Covid-19 case counts falling within First Nations communities, with current active cases at one-sixth of the level of what they were back in January.
Trudeau also announced that the country plans to invest $6 billion in indigenous infrastructure projects to “close gaps that far too many people still face.”
“Together we can and we will continue to move forward,” Trudeau said.
When asked about whether Canada would be requiring any sort of “vaccine passport” in the future and whether he was aware of any requirements the United States might institute, Trudeau cautioned that “this is not the time to travel. We haven’t reached that point yet.”
Trudeau acknowledged that as countries begin to open their borders and people start traveling again, “it would make sense for [Canada] to align with partners around the world on some sort of proof of vaccination or vaccine certification.”
“We are now working with allies, particularly in Europe, on that, but ultimately it is up to every country to determine what requirements they expect from incoming travelers,” Trudeau said, adding that he “can’t speak for the United States and the choices they might make around who to welcome into their country.”
CNN’s Tanika Gray contributed reporting to this post.
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Biden will set new goal of administering at least one Covid-19 shot to 70% of US adults by July 4
From CNN's Kate Sullivan and Betsy Klein
President Biden will set an ambitious new goal for the nation’s vaccination efforts, announcing on Tuesday a new target to have 70% of the US adult population at least partially vaccinated by July 4, White House officials said.
Biden will be making this announcement at 2:30 p.m. ET in the White House’s State Dining Room.
“The President will set a goal of having 70% of adult Americans with at least one shot by July 4, and 160 million Americans fully vaccinated by July 4,” a senior administration official briefing reporters said Tuesday.
That deadline, the official later clarified, will be for 160 million to receive one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two doses of the mRNA vaccines, but not necessarily two weeks after their final vaccination.
As of Tuesday, the official said, more than 105 million Americans are fully vaccinated, with 147 million Americans having at least one dose of vaccine. Biden’s new goal will require nearly 100 million additional shots in arms over the next 60 days, the official added.
Biden, the official said, will “make it very clear” that achieving this goal will require all Americans to do their part.
To reach this milestone, the administration will be increasingly focusing “on groups of people that take time to reach,” by improving access via the administration’s federal pharmacy program partners through walk-in appointments. The administration will also encourage states to offer no-appointment options. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the official said, will increase its mobile units and ramp up smaller and pop-up sites.
There will also be efforts to strengthen vaccine confidence via education and outreach. There will be $250 million in funding for community organization outreach, plus $130 million in funding for local and national organizations working on outreach to underserved communities.
The administration will also be “bolstering” its response in rural communities, the official said, including sending vaccines directly to rural health clinics.
Biden will also address the expected emergency use authorization (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration for the Pfizer vaccine for adolescents12to 15 years of age. Extending the EUA to people in this age group would open Covid-19 vaccine eligibility to an additional 5% of the US population.
India will be past peak "possibly even within days," top scientist says
From CNN’s Sarah Dean, Swati Gupta and Hira Humayun
M Vidyasagar, chair of the Covid-19 Modeling Committee
CNN
India should see a downturn in the number of cases “within a matter of a week or two, possibly within days” according to their latest model, M Vidyasagar, chair of the Covid-19 Modeling Committee, told CNN on Tuesday.
The committee, commissioned by the Indian government, consists of scientists across different universities working on data modeling techniques.
Vidyasagar said during the first wave, they perfected one model and that when they observed cases rising in February, they re-computed the model using the latest data.
“We underestimated the number of cases at the start of April but subsequent revisions that we have made to the model are right on target,” he said, adding that their latest projections “are to the effect that the pandemic is at a peak right now and we should expect to see a downturn in the number of cases within a matter of a week or two, possibly even within days.”
Vidyasagar sent CNN an image of a model last updated on April 29 that shows the projected peak could happen as soon as in the coming days. The model suggests daily cases will drop below 200,000 per day by the end of the month.
His colleague, Manindra Agrawal, a professor at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the prestigious university IIT Kanpur who is also on the committee, tweeted an updated graph on May 1, in line with these projections.
Vidyasagar went on to explain, “The good news, if you want to call it that, is if you look at other countries that have had second waves like the United States like the UK, while the second wave has risen very sharply it has also declined very sharply. So we are hoping that a similar thing would happen in India and that is indeed what our model also shows.”
“The first wave of the pandemic was very gentle. So some people in the government were anticipating that the second wave would also be very gently rising. And our task was to say that actually the rise will be very steep, therefore the government has to take step very, very fast,” he said.
The government did what the committee suggested, according to Vidyasagar. They shelved “very grandiose plans that would have come on stream three months later and refocused their attempts on short term solutions like setting up military hospitals, trying to set up on-site oxygen plants,” he said.
When asked about the reasons for the surge, he cited people becoming complacent, not following guidelines, and public events with large crowds.
Vidyasagar said the messaging from the government was “not adequate at all.”
He said in his opinion, one messaging shortfall “was to not encourage people to get vaccinated whenever their eligibility became due. If we had actually vaccinated all the people who were eligible to vaccinated, the second wave would not have been quite so ferocious as it has turned out to be. So yes in that sense the government could definitely have done more.”
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29 million doses of vaccine will be allocated this week, White House says
From CNN's Betsy Klein
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a press briefing at the White House on Tuesday, May 4.
Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images
The White House informed governors Tuesday during their weekly call that more than 29 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines will be allocated this week.
Last week, nearly 30 million doses were allocated. For both weeks the two weeks before that, about 28 million doses were allocated. There were 33 million doses both the week of April 5 and March 29, and 27 million doses the week of March 22. When President Biden took office in January, there were 8.6 million vaccine doses allocated that week.
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White House tells governors they will redistribute unordered vaccine doses
From CNN's Kaitlan Collins
President Biden’s coronavirus advisers told governors during a call Tuesday that they plan to redistribute vaccine doses if their state does not order all the ones allocated to them each week, a senior administration official tells CNN.
States will still get allocations based on their population, but the change means if a certain state does not order all of the doses available to them, the White House will redistribute them and likely give them to a state that has higher demand than their allocation.
In recent weeks, several states have not ordered their full allocation of vaccines due to dropping demand across the country. After ramping up supply, vaccine hesitancy is the next big obstacle for the administration, officials say.
If a state does not order its full allocation one week, it does not mean its allocation will change the next week.
This change comes as the White House has had private discussions about how to proceed with allocations. Officials, including Biden, recently rejected appeals from Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer when she asked for more doses given the surge in her state.
The Biden administration is still undecided on how to support or deploy a coronavirus “health passport,” citing concerns about accessibility and equity, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Tuesday.
“We have concerns with respect to accessibility to such a passport. And our concerns about equity are very relevant to that. But that conversation continues,” he said.
He said the administration is still “considering all options.”
The administration has previously said it was working with companies including technology firms to develop an optional set of standards to prove a person has been vaccinated against Covid-19. An official said in late March such a plan was weeks away from finalization.
Speaking at the 51st Annual Washington Conference on the Americas, Mayorkas said travel decisions are being made alongside the private sector and with international partners.
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NYC Public Schools will have remote learning instead of snow days next school year
From CNN's Elizabeth Stuart
School buses are covered in snow during a snowstorm on February 1 in Brooklyn, New York.
Wong Maye-E/AP
So long, snow days! New York City Public Schools released its calendar for the 2021-22 school year on Tuesday, and with it came an announcement that instead of school being canceled for snow days, they will shift students to remote learning on those days.
“The DOE will shift all students to remote instruction in lieu of cancelling schools due to severe weather conditions,” a statement from the NYC Department of Education said.
The school year will begin for the nation’s largest school district on Sept. 13, and will include 180 days of classes. The new policy of not closing for severe weather or snowstorms will allow the district to meet the required number of days, according to the city’s Department of Education.
There are several other changes to the school calendar. Election Day on Nov. 2 will also be a remote learning day for NYC public schools. And two observed holidays have been added: Indigenous Peoples’ Day and observance of Juneteenth.
The Department of Education said its goal is to have all of its more than 1 million students return for in-person learning when the school year starts in the fall.
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Pfizer expects to produce at least 3 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses next year
From CNN’s Nadia Kounang
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said Tuesday the company has been contracted to deliver 1.6 billion doses of its Covid-19 vaccine globally this year, and the company expects to produce at least 3 billion doses of the vaccine in 2022. The company is in discussions with countries for multi-year contracts of potential supply.
Bourla said the company is expecting approximately $26 billion in revenue from its Covid-19 vaccine in 2021.
Pfizer says it’s not yet clear how long the vaccine will protect against Covid-19, but Bourla said demand for the vaccine is expected to remain high. “Based on what we’ve seen, we believe that a durable demand for our COVID-19 vaccine – similar to that of the flu vaccines – is a likely outcome,” Bourla said.
In addition to testing a third dose as a booster against variants, Bourla said, Pfizer is also working on a version of the vaccine that specifically targets the B.1351 variant, which was first identified in South Africa. According to Bourla, efficacy data for both the booster and the B.1351 specific vaccine would be available in early July. He noted that the study design of the B.1351 variant vaccine would potentially be a prototype so that Pfizer could update it to target new variants of concern in approximately 100 days.
Bourla also said the company was working on trialing two antiviral treatments to treat Covid-19, one administered as a shot and the other orally. The company expects to begin phase 2/3 trials of these treatments this summer and anticipates applying for approvals by the end of the year. The treatments will be tested for their efficacy in treating Covid-19 and will be evaluated against the current monoclonal antibody treatment for Covid-19. They will also be tested as a potential prophylaxis, testing in unvaccinated households that have a Covid-19 infection to see if it prevents additional infections.
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Indian federal government should be transparent on where aid is going, Rajasthan's health minister says
From CNN's Rishabh M Pratap and Swati Gupta in New Delhi
Ground staff unload Covid-19 relief supplies from the US at the Indira Gandhi International Airport cargo terminal in New Delhi, India on April 30.
Prakash Singh/Pool/AFP/Getty Images
India’s federal government should create a “transparent environment” to show where international medical aid is and how it is being distributed, the state of Rajasthan’s Health Minister Raghu Sharma told CNN in a call on Tuesday.
Sharma said Modi’s government has “kept states in the dark during the pandemic.”
“We sent delegations to [central government] for clarity on supplies of O2 [oxygen], drugs and vaccination drive but were not spoken to in clarity from the Union Govt.,” Sharma said.
“Regarding the import or foreign aid, no information or supply details have been shared with the state government,” he added.
Sharma called for Modi’s government to create an app where everyone can see how much aid or imported essentials have come in and what percentage of it is allocated to what state.
The Indian federal government said it has sent aid to Rajasthan, including two hospitals in the city of Jodhpur and Jaipur.
The government has put into place a “streamlined mechanism” for allocating aid received from the global community, according to a statement from the health ministry Tuesday.
Twenty-four different categories totaling nearly 4 million items have been distributed across 86 healthcare facilities across the country, the statement said.
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FAA received 1,300 reports of disruptive passengers in the last three months
From CNN's Greg Wallace
The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday it is experiencing a spike in reports of unruly airplane passengers and has received about 1,300 such reports since February.
The agency said it has begun the process of fining passengers in about 20 cases. The agency continues to investigate and may bring additional cases, a spokesman said.
It is the second federal agency to identify a problem with misbehaving passengers.
CNN was first to report the Transportation Security Administration is approaching 2,000 reports of travelers not complying with the federal mask requirement. Those reports include passengers on airplanes, buses, boats, and trains, and people in transportation hubs like airports and train stations.
The FAA reports include mask non-compliance as well as passengers disturbing other passengers, assaulting flight crews, and drinking their own alcohol on flights. CNN has previously reported on multiple cases where passengers have been fined.
Federal prosecutors also brought charges recently against a passenger who they say assaulted a flight attendant and did not comply with the face mask requirement.
The FAA did not previously track the number of disruptive passenger reports it received, the spokesman said. But it said it historically brings between 100 and 180 enforcement actions each year.
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Massachusetts town keeping outdoor mask mandate to be "very cautious," health director says
From CNN's Adrienne Vogt
Customers wearing masks line up outside the Trader Joe's grocery store in Coolidge Corner in Brookline, MA on April 8, 2020.
Lane Turner/The Boston Globe/Getty Images
While the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines for outdoor mask-wearing and masks are no longer required outside in Massachusetts, the town of Brookline is still implementing a more restrictive mask mandate.
Dr. Swannie Jett, the town’s director of Health and Human Services, said the decision to keep the outdoor mask mandate is out of an abundance of caution.
Thirty percent of the population, or about 20,000 people, have been vaccinated in the town bordering Boston, according to Jett.
Most viral transmission doesn’t happen outdoors. Less than 10% of Covid-19 infections studied occurred outside, according to a review in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
Jett said the Advisory Council on Public Health will continue to look at the science and advise him on next steps.
“If you keep a mask mandate in place, it might give them an incentive to get the shot. And remember, Covid is not over. The pandemic still exists,” Jett added.
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Pfizer expects to submit for Covid-19 vaccine emergency authorization for kids ages 2 to 11 in September
From CNN's Naomi Thomas
Pfizer expects to submit for US Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 2 to 11 in September, the company said during its first quarter earnings teleconference on Tuesday.
The pediatric safety and efficacy study in children ages 6 months to 11 years old is ongoing.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in prepared remarks, adding that the readout and submission for children 6 months to 2 years is expected in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Phase 2 safety data from Pfizer’s ongoing study in pregnant women is expected by late July or early August, Bourla said.
Bourla also said the company expects to hear back shortly on its application for extended EUA for the vaccine to include 12-to-15-year-olds. On Monday, a federal government official said the FDA is poised to authorize the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine for that age group by early next week.
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Pfizer seeking authorization for Covid-19 vaccine to be stored at standard refrigerator temperatures
From CNN's Virginia Langmaid
Vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at Kanto Rosai Hospital in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, on March 4.
Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Pfizer has submitted information to the US Food and Drug Administration that may allow its Covid-19 vaccine to be stored at standard refrigerator temperatures, the company’s CEO said Tuesday. Such a change could help simplify distribution of the vaccine.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in an earnings meeting on Tuesday the company submitted new data to the FDA on Friday, and it may “soon” have an emergency use authorization to allow standard refrigeration for up to four weeks.
Currently, Pfizer’s vaccine is authorized to be stored at ultra-cold temperatures, between -80 and -60 degrees Celsius, or in cold storage, between -25 and -15 degrees Celsius, for a maximum of two weeks, which can complicate distribution of the vaccine.
According to Bourla, new data could allow the vaccine to be stored at standard temperatures, between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius, for up to four weeks.
Bourla said Pfizer is working on additional formulations that could further extend the storage time of the vaccine in both standard and ultra-cold refrigerators.
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Nepal records its highest daily Covid-19 death toll so far
From CNN's Asha Thapa and Kosh Raj Koirala in Kathmandu
Men wearing personal protective equipment carry the body of a Covid-19 victim to cremate on the bank of Bagmati River in Kathmandu, Nepal on May 3.
It has seen a more than 1,200% rise in seven-day average of daily new Covid-19 cases since mid-April, CNN’s calculation of data from Johns Hopkins University showed.
On average, the country is reporting 200 new daily cases per million people.
Across the country 46 out of 77 districts are in either partial or full lockdown, including the capital Kathmandu, according to an official government notice on Tuesday.
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Pfizer expects to file for full FDA approval of Covid-19 vaccine for people 16 and older by this month
From CNN's Naomi Thomas
Pfizer expects to file for full US Food and Drug Administration approval of its Covid-19 vaccine for 16-to-85-year-olds by the end of May, the company said during its first quarter 2021 earning teleconference Tuesday.
“While we are currently distributing our vaccine in the US under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), we expect to submit this month a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking full approval for our Covid-19 vaccine for individuals 16 years of age and older,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in his remarks.
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US providing more than $100 million worth of aid to India, embassy says
From CNN's Sam Kiley in New Delhi
The United States is providing more than $100 million worth of aid to India, including oxygen supplies and “critical PPE and therapeutics,” a US Embassy spokesperson in New Delhi told CNN.
Five of six planes filled with aid supplies have already arrived in India and more shipments are on the way, the spokesperson added.
“At the request of the Government of India, USAID provided these urgently needed supplies to the Indian Red Cross to ensure that they reach those most in need, as fast as possible,” the embassy added.
The spokesperson deferred questions about deployment and use of materials to the Indian government.
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Delhi asks for military help to manage Covid-19 crisis
From CNN’s Aditi Sangal
People wait in line to refill their medical oxygen cylinders for Covid-19 patients under home quarantine in New Delhi, India on May 4.
Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images
Delhi’s deputy chief minister has asked India’s Ministry of Defense to deploy military aid to help manage the Covid-19 crisis unfolding in Delhi – and across India.
Manish Sisodia told CNN he wrote a letter to Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday, asking for extra support.
“Since the entire health infrastructure machinery is overwhelmed with the management of existing hospitals and the upcoming Cover Hospitals/Care Centers, it will be a timely help to the people of Delhi if the Ministry of Defense, with the considerable resources at its command, is tasked with the responsibility to provide and man the additional Covid health facilities,” Sisodia wrote in the letter.
Delhi is also currently facing an acute shortage of oxygen supplies and medical personnel.
Sisodia has requested for the Armed Forces to provide cryogenic tankers to transport liquid oxygen and for medical and paramedical teams “to supplement the medical manpower of Delhi.”
Sisodia told CNN that he has not yet received a response to his letter, but that the defense minister is examining his request.
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Eight lions test positive for Covid-19 at an Indian zoo
From CNN's Swati Gupta in New Delhi
A security guard watches through the entrance gate of the Nehru Zoological Park after it was closed for visitors amid the coronavirus pandemic in Hyderabad, India on May 4.
Noah Seelam/AFP/Getty Images
Eight Asiatic lions housed in a zoological park in a southern Indian state tested positive for Covid-19 last month, according to the Indian government.
The Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad collected samples after the animals showed signs of respiratory distress.
The Nehru Zoological Park is currently closed to visitors and an advisory has been issued to other institutions that house animals.
“Based on experience with zoo animals elsewhere in the world that have experienced SARS-COV2 positive last year, there is no factual evidence that animals can transmit the disease to humans any further,” the ministry said.
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EU drugs regulator begins review of China's Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine
From CNN's Amy Cassidy and James Frater
A nurse holds a vial of China's Sinovac vaccine in Bogota, Colombia on March 9.
Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images
The European Union’s medicines regulator has begun a rolling review of a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Chinese biopharmaceutical company, Sinovac Life Science.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said:
The rolling review process will enable the EMA to evaluate the Sinovac vaccine more quickly, it said, but added that it “cannot predict overall timelines.”
The EMA said it will communicate when the marketing authorization application has been submitted by the company.
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Short on beds, doctors in one Indian hospital struggle to care for patients gasping for air
From CNN's Adrienne Vogt
Screams pierce the air as their loved ones take their final breaths. Others sit on the floor gasping to fill their lungs.
CNN’s Clarissa Ward went inside a coronavirus ward at a hospital in India’s Uttar Pradesh state, where five doctors are struggling to treat more than 100 patients but there are only 55 beds.
Kavita, 32, said she’s been on the floor at Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College hospital for four days, begging for oxygen.
A family desperately tried to care for their 55-year-old mother in the ICU. They said they had been in the hospital for six days before getting a ventilator and had to bring their own oxygen cylinder.
The woman later succumbed as the family cried out in anguish. Her body was left in the intensive care unit for nearly an hour before it was moved.
The hospital administrator, Dr. Gyanendra Kumar, said the supply of oxygen isn’t the problem, but they are too short-staffed.
A group of men wearing masks but no other personal protective equipment tell Ward that they move about 12 bodies per day.
“We should be wearing proper PPE,” one said, “but even the doctors don’t have it, so how can we?”
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Nearly 4 million Covid-19 aid items have been distributed across India, government says
From CNN's Manveena Suri in New Delhi
Workers load 300 tonnes of medical aid for India at Q Hamad International Airport in the capital Doha on May 3.
Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images
The Indian government has put into place a “streamlined mechanism” for allocating aid received from international actors in its ongoing fight against a deadly second Covid-19 wave.
The health ministry said in a Tuesday statement that nearly 4 million items from 24 different categories – including medical equipment, oxygen concentrators and ventilators – have been distributed across 86 healthcare facilities across the country.
The health ministry also said that in light of oxygen shortages in hospitals, customs are “working 24/7 to fast track and clear the goods on arrival and lead to expeditious clearance within hours,” noting that basic customs duty and health tax are being waived for goods identified in the fight against Covid-19.
All items received as donations via the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) are being received by the Indian Red Cross Society, who in turn liaises with its customs agent, HLL Lifecare Limited (HLL), and the health ministry, it said.
Donations are being prioritized and distributed according to a state’s Covid-19 caseload and as per their requirements. Considerations are also going into whether or not a state is considered a regional medical hub, with donations also allocated to states with lower resources, or areas that are remote, it said.
Countries including Belgium, France, Germany, Russia, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States have sent aid supplies to India.
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Bihar is the latest Indian state to enter lockdown
From CNN's Swati Gupta in New Delhi
The eastern Indian state of Bihar is entering a state-wide lockdown until May 15.
Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced the plans on Tuesday in a Twitter post, saying:
“After discussion with associate ministers and officials yesterday, it was decided to implement the lockdown in Bihar uniil May 15, 2021. Based on detailed guidelines and other activities, today, the crisis management group has been instructed to take action.”
Kumar did not indicate when the lockdown would officially go into effect.
Bihar is the latest Indian state to enforce a lockdown as the country attempts to quell the country’s deadly Covid-19 surge.
Across other Indian regions, the following restrictions are already in place or have been planned:
Uttar Pradesh: Under a “curfew,” until May 6
Odisha: Will enter lockdown on May 5, which will last until May 19, including a “complete shutdown” on weekends
Haryana: Entered lockdown on May 3, which will last a week
Maharashtra: Restrictions have been extended to May 15
Delhi: Lockdown is in place until May 10
Gujarat: Night curfew was extended to 29 cities, lasting until May 5
Karnataka: Night curfew is in effect until May 11
Punjab: Weekend lockdown and weekday night curfews are in place until further notice
Kerala: From Tuesday until further notice, restrictions mean that movie theaters, malls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, and bars must stay closed. Only 50 people will be allowed at marriages and religious places.
Kashmir’s Srinagar district: Lockdown began on April 29 is set to last until May 3
The number of coronavirus cases in India has now crossed 20 million, with 357,229 cases recorded on Tuesday, according to the health ministry.
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The United Kingdom is hosting the first face-to-face G7 gathering in two years
From Schams Elwazer in London
Foreign ministers meet at the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers meeting at Lancaster House in London on Tuesday, May 4. From left: Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marc Garneau, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Motegi Toshimitsu, European High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Luigi Di Maio, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Heiko Maas, and French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian.
Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire/AP Images
The UK is hosting the first face-to-face gathering of the G7 foreign ministers in two years, with the Group of Seven meeting on Tuesday at Lancaster House in London, with Covid-19 protocols in place.
As foreign ministers from the G7 group arrived in masks at the venue on Tuesday, they traded traditional handshakes with UK Foreign Minister Dominic Raab for an elbow or forearm “bump,” underscoring the ongoing threat of the Covid-19 crisis.
The event will “bring together some of the world’s leading democracies for talks and decisive action on the most critical global issues,” the British Foreign Office said in a statement.
The G7 group of industrialized nations includes the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the EU. This year, the UK also extended invitations to India, Australia, South Africa, South Korea and Brunei.
Topics on the ministers’ agenda include relations with Russia, China, and Iran, the coup in Myanmar, the war in Syria and the situations in Libya, Ethiopia, Somalia, the Sahel and Western Balkans, according to the Foreign Office.
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Indian Premier League cricket tournament indefinitely suspended due to Covid-19 crisis
From CNN’s Aleks Klosok in London
Quinton de Kock of the Mumbai Indians bats during the Indian Premier League Final match between the the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, India, on May 12, 2019.
Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
The 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament has been indefinitely suspended as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis in India.
The Indian Premier League Governing Council and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made the decision in an emergency meeting, Tuesday, saying in a statement that “while we have tried to bring in some positivity and cheer…it is imperative that the tournament is now suspended and everyone goes back to their families and loved ones in these trying times.”
It is unclear when and where the tournament will resume.
The statement said:
The BCCI added that they “will do everything in its powers to arrange for the secure and safe passage of all the participants in IPL 2021.”
The number of coronavirus cases in India has now crossed 20 million. On Tuesday, the country recorded 357,229 cases, according to the health ministry.
India also reported 3,449 deaths on Tuesday, with the total death toll now at 222,408. The number of deaths recorded per day has exceeded 3,000 for the past week.
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South Korea tightens quarantine rules for travelers arriving from India
From CNN's Gawon Bae in Seoul
South Korea has strengthened quarantine restrictions for travelers coming from India, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) official Lee Sang-won said at a news briefing on Tuesday.
South Korean citizens and foreigners arriving from India for a long-term stay are subject to quarantine at a government-provided facility for seven days, where they must test negative for Covid-19 twice to be able to stay at home for the remaining seven days of quarantine, Lee said.
Short-term visitors are subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine at a government-provided facility, Lee added.
Around 170 South Korean citizens returned from India via a non-scheduled flight on Tuesday, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said.
A total of 148 South Koreans in India have contracted Covid-19 as of May 3, the ministry added.
South Korean health authorities have found 33 cases of the Covid-19 variant first detected in India.
The quarantine requirement will be waived for vaccinated South Korean citizens starting May 5, with the exception of those coming from countries where variants are widespread, Health Ministry official Yoon Tae-ho said last month.
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More than 2.7 million Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in Pakistan
From CNN's Sophia Saifi in Islamabad
A health worker inoculates a man with a dose of the Sinopharm vaccine at a vaccination center, in Rawalpndi, Pakistan, on May 3.
Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images
Pakistan has administered more than 2.7 million Covid-19 vaccine doses, according to a tweet by the country’s National Command and Operation Centre on Coronavirus (NCOC).
On Monday, Pakistan opened up vaccinations for citizens aged 40 and above. More than 164,000 vaccine doses were administered on Monday alone, according to Asad Umar, the head of the NCOC.
The Pakistani Ministry of Health says the country has currently signed deals for 30 million vaccine doses. Last week, the country said it had received 2,560,000 doses and is expecting 19 million more doses by the end of June.
Separately on Monday, Pakistan’s top health official, Dr Faisal Sultan, announced that the government plans to vaccinate 70 million people by the end of the year.
He said that agreements are underway with China to ensure that the country’s National Institute of Health will be able to produce three million doses per month of the Chinese vaccine CanSino, which will “significantly reduce” Pakistan’s vaccine dependence on other countries.
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Seattle Mariners offer to vaccinate fans at games
From CNN's Jill Martin
The Seattle Mariners will offer eligible fans Covid-19 vaccines on home game days, the MLB club said Monday.
The vaccine drive will begin Tuesday at T-Mobile Park when Seattle hosts the Baltimore Orioles.
Fans will have the choice of either the first dose of the Moderna vaccine or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The Mariners say those receiving their first dose of the Moderna shot will be able to schedule their second dose at one of Seattle’s community vaccination sites at the Lumen Field Event Center, Rainier Beach or West Seattle.
The shots will be administered by Seattle Fire Department EMS personnel.
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Here's what is really happening in India's Covid outbreak
From CNN's Julia Hollingsworth, Jessie Yeung and Meenketan Jha
When it comes to India’s unfolding Covid-19 crisis, there are a number of things we know for sure.
India is reporting the world’s highest number of new cases each day. So many people are dying that crematoriums are struggling to keep up. And the real number of cases and deaths could be many times higher than officially reported.
But misinformation has spread in India – and sometimes been accepted as truth.
Read our fact check of some common myths and misconceptions around India’s second wave:
UK and India sign $1.4 billion trade deals amid Covid-19 surge
From CNN’s Arnaud Siad
India and the United Kingdom struck new commercial trade and investment deals worth £1 billion (nearly $1.4 billion), according to a news release from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday.
The deals will create more than 6,500 UK jobs and include a £240 million (nearly $334 million) investment in the country by the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, the release said.
This investment will support clinical trials, research and development and possibly the manufacturing of vaccines.
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India surpasses 20 million Covid-19 cases
From CNN’s Manveena Suri in New Delhi
The number of coronavirus cases in India has crossed 20 million, according to figures released by the country’s Health Ministry.
India’s Health Ministry reported 357,229 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, pushing the country’s total number of diagnoses over the 20 million threshold to 20,282,833 cases.
India also reported 3,449 virus-related deaths on Tuesday. At least 222,408 people in the country have died after contracting Covid-19.
Authorities have administered 158,932,921 vaccine doses since India’s vaccination drive began on January 16. The program was expanded on Saturday to include everyone over the age of 18.
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Australian PM has "blood on his hands" over India travel ban, former cricketer says
From CNN's Ben Westcott
Australian former cricket star Michael Slater said Prime Minister Scott Morrison has “blood on his hands” over the travel ban between India and Australia that came into force on Monday.
Australia has threatened to jail anyone entering the country who has been in India in the previous 14 days, including its own citizens. Travelers could face up to five years in prison and fines of up to 66,600 Australian dollars ($51,500).
In a Twitter post Monday, Slater said: “If our Government cared for the safety of Aussies they would allow us to get home. It’s a disgrace!! Blood on your hands PM. How dare you treat us like this. How about you sort out quarantine system.”
Slater was in India working as a commentator for cricket’s Indian Premier League when the ban came into place, according to CNN affiliate Seven News.
The new measures have been met with widespread outrage from human rights activists, Indian Australians and even politicians in Morrison’s own party.
One prominent conservative columnist said the ban “stinks of racism.”
PM’s reaction: Morrison told Australia’s Nine Network it was “absurd” to say he had blood on his hands.
Tough entry measures: There are around 9,000 Australian citizens in India registered as wanting to return to Australia, according to the federal government.
Only Australian citizens, permanent residents and those travelling from New Zealand can enter Australia, with few exceptions. All arrivals must spend 14-days in state managed quarantine on entering the country.
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FDA to authorize Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine for 12-to-15-year-olds by early next week, official says
From CNN's Maggie Fox
A medical student from Dartmouth University loads a syringe with the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine on the first day of eligibility for people ages 16 and up, at Kedren Health on April 15 in Los Angeles, CA.
Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
The US Food and Drug Administration is poised to authorize Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine in children and teens ages 12 to 15 by early next week, a federal government official tells CNN.
Pfizer has applied for emergency use authorization for its coronavirus vaccine for teens and children ages 12 to 15. The FDA will have to amend the emergency use authorization for the vaccine, but the process should be straightforward, said the official, who was not authorized to speak about the process publicly and requested anonymity.
The FDA is currently reviewing data submitted by Pfizer to support the extended use. Pfizer said at the end of March that a clinical trial involving 2,260 12-to-15-year-olds showed its efficacy is 100% and it is well tolerated. The vaccine is currently authorized in the US for emergency use in people 16 and older.
Life may feel more normal even before herd immunity is reached
From CNN's Jen Christensen
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, experts have said how crucial it is to reach some level of herd immunity. But now some say full herd immunity may not be necessary for life to look more normal.
Herd immunity, or as some experts now call it, “population” or “community” immunity, is when most of the population is immune to a particular disease, whether through natural infection or vaccination. When a population reaches this point, the virus has nowhere to go, and the disease fades away. Then even people who don’t have individual immunity are protected.
As with any disease, how many people need to be immune to provide community protection depends on how infectious it is. For Covid-19, experts think the magic number could be anywhere between 70 to 90% of a population immune to the virus. The world is nowhere near that level.
It’s a good goal, Meyers said, but she ticks off a host of factors in this particular pandemic that suggest the odds are not in its favor:
Vaccinating so many people would be nearly impossible.
This particular virus spreads too rapidly.
More contagious variants threaten to make vaccines less effective.
There are entire countries and pockets of the US that have few fully vaccinated people.
There are vaccine access and equity issues.
Children are not yet vaccinated.
About a quarter of the population is hesitant or unwilling to get vaccinated.
Covid-19 caused one in three deaths in Brazil so far this year
From CNN's Rodrigo Pedroso and Caitlin Hu
Since this year began, one third of all people who’ve died in Brazil were victims of Covid-19.
According to data from Brazil’s National Civil Registry, 615,329 deaths were reported in the country between January 1 and April 30. Of those, 208,370 were related to Covid-19, according to Brazil’s health ministry – 33.9% of the nation’s total.
The coronavirus has surged with a vengeance in the South American giant in recent months – fueled in part by a disregard for social distancing precautions and the emergence of extra-contagious new variants – and has claimed more lives in the past four months than in all of 2020. More than 78,000 people in Brazil were killed by the virus last month alone.
