May 21 coronavirus news

A cemetery worker digs a grave for a Covid-19 victim at Vila Formosa cemetery in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on May 19. 

Latin America and the Caribbean have recorded more than 1 million deaths known to be related to Covid-19, a CNN analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows.

As of Friday, Latin America and the Caribbean have reported a total of at least 1,000,071 deaths due to Covid-19.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) director, Carissa F. Etienne, described the death toll as a “tragic milestone” in a statement Friday. The PAHO puts the death toll in Latin America and the Caribbean slightly higher, at 1,001,781. It has called on the world to intensify efforts to improve the region’s access to vaccines.

CNN’s analysis is based on figures from Johns Hopkins and local health ministries as of 7 p.m. ET Friday. The data for Latin America and the Caribbean includes the following countries: Brazil, Peru, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia, Panama, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Haiti, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Cuba, Uruguay, Jamaica, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda and Belize. The region includes other countries and territories, but they have had few or no coronavirus deaths.

The PAHO said almost 89% of the deaths occurred in five countries: Brazil (44.3%), México (22.1%), Colombia (8.3%), Argentina (7.3) and Peru (6.7%). Three percent of the deaths were concentrated in Central America and 1% in the Caribbean.

More than 153 million people have been immunized in the Americas, but only 21.6% of these are in Latin America and the Caribbean, the PAHO said.

“We urge countries with extra doses to consider donating a significant portion of these to the Americas, where these life-saving doses are desperately needed and will be promptly used,” Etienne said.

Etienne also called on those in the region to observe public health measures, including wearing masks, social distancing, hand hygiene, and ventilating closed spaces when possible. She urged people to get vaccinated when called on by national governments, adding, “Vaccines are safe and effective and a major tool to stop this pandemic.”

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott announced on Friday that all of the state’s Covid-19 pandemic restrictions can be lifted if the state’s vaccination rate reaches 80% of eligible residents, even ahead of his July 4 target date, according to a release from his office. 

According to the release, nearly 75% of eligible Vermonters have already received at least one dose of the vaccine.

“So, here’s my challenge to Vermonters,” Scott said. “If we hit 80 percent, I’ll lift any remaining restrictions and mandates — that day.”

The governor said in order to reach the 80% threshold, Vermont needs to vaccinate 27,954 more of its residents.

“Let’s keep our momentum going. Let’s finish strong. Let’s continue to show the nation, and the world, what this brave little state is capable of,” Scott added.

A plane at Heathrow Airport on February 26, in London.

Germany has declared the United Kingdom an area of “variant of concern,” requiring travelers entering the country from the UK to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival, according to the latest update from Germany’s public health authority the Robert Koch Institute.

British nationals who are not residents in Germany were already prohibited from entering the country, except for urgent travel.

“The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland incl. all British Overseas Territories, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands is considered as an area of variant of concern,” RKI said in guidance released Friday. 

“Persons entering the Federal Republic of Germany from a high incidence area or area of variant of concern must have proof of testing immediately upon entry,” the RKI guidance said. “Following a stay in an area of variants of concern, the duration of quarantine may not be shortened. The obligation to quarantine coming from any kind of risk area will initially be in force until 30 June 2021.”

According to the UK’s latest public health data, cases of the B1.617.2 variant — first identified in India — have risen in the UK by over 160% in one week. A total of 3,424 cases of the variant were reported this week, according to a Public Health England (PHE) update published Thursday evening.

Germany has a travel ban in place for countries with virus variants of concern, meaning that airlines and railway companies are barred from transporting people from those countries to Germany, with the exception of people who are German citizens and residents or passing through German airports. 

A customer wears a face mask as they lift weights inside a Planet Fitness Inc. gym on March 16, in Inglewood, California.

California will drop all capacity limits for businesses and social distancing requirements when the state fully reopens on June 15 after more than a year of lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic, state health officials announced Friday.

The new guidelines, outlined by state Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly, come as the state records fewer Covid-19 infections, and nearly half its eligible population is vaccinated. And while California will mostly return to a state of pre-pandemic normalcy, it will keep mask mandates in place for those unvaccinated, in line with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, and require vaccine verification for some very large gatherings.

For large outdoor events, like concerts and sports with more than 10,000 attendees, the state advises a system to verify vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test. If an attendee is not vaccinated, or opts out of a test, wearing a mask will be recommended. For indoor events, the threshold drops to 5,000 attendees where those without proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test will be required to wear a mask, according to Ghaly.

So-called vaccine passports are not being considered at this time, Ghaly said.

Over 35 million vaccine doses have been administered to date in California and the state continues to push availability, bringing efforts deeper into communities and incentivizing shots. In one such effort, the Los Angeles Lakers are offering a chance to win pair of season tickets to adults who get their first shot this weekend.

“Californians who want a vaccine should have a fairly easy time getting on at this point,” Ghaly noted.

California health officials plan to continue closely tracking Covid-19 case rates after dropping most restrictions, but remain confident the state is in a good position to move forward.

Workplaces will be subject to Cal/OSHA requirements, which are expected to be updated June 3. Travel guidelines will also align with CDC recommendations, including potential restrictions on places that have serious outbreaks.

A healthcare worker prepares COVID-19 vaccine doses at the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center on December 16, 2020, in Portland.

Oregon is the latest state to hope the possibility of cold, hard cash will encourage vaccine-hesitant people to change their minds.

“How about a chance to win a million dollars?” Gov. Kate Brown said in a news conference Friday.

The new contest, which will be administered by the Oregon Lottery, will automatically enter Oregonians age 12 and older who have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose by June 27. One person who is at least 18 years old will be randomly drawn to receive the million-dollar prize. “The Take Your Shot Oregon Campaign is a way to thank Oregonians for stepping up and keeping our communities safe,” the governor said.

In addition to the top prize, there will be separate $10,000 prizes for one vaccinated adult in each of Oregon’s 36 counties. Finally, the names of five vaccinated minors will be drawn who will each receive a $100,000 Oregon College Savings Plan scholarship. Employees of certain government agencies and their families will be ineligible.

Andy Slavitt, the White House senior adviser on Covid-19 response, speaks during an interview on May 21.

As the US heads into summer, Andy Slavitt, the White House senior adviser on Covid-19 response, encouraged parents to get their kids vaccinated if they are eligible.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working on guidance for summer camps now, Slavitt said, and he expects recommendations to be issued “soon.”

Guidance on whether to wear masks in classrooms in the fall will also be coming out in the near future, Slavitt said. 

Slavitt’s 19-year-old son still has long-haul coronavirus symptoms. While his family is confident he will fully recover, Slavitt said it underscores the uncertainty of the virus and why it’s so important for young people to get vaccinated. 

Also, Slavitt said it’s “too early to know yet” about booster shots, but the administration is prepared for any scenario. 

Italy will loosen coronavirus restrictions in some areas on Monday, as the country moves all regions to “yellow zone” measures, said Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza on Friday. 

Italy’s Covid-19 alert system includes four levels: white, yellow, orange and red. Currently, most of the country is already classified as yellow, with the only exception being the Vale d’Aosta in northwest Italy where the alert level is orange.

Speranza said in a Facebook post that the easing of restrictions in some areas is a result of the good practices of the Italian people and of the country’s vaccination campaign. Nearly 30 million doses have been administered so far, with 16.25% of the population having both doses. 

For the first time since last year, Italy’s Covid-19 hospitalizations fell below 10,000, according to health ministry data released Friday. Italy recorded at least 5,218 new coronavirus cases and 218 further deaths on Friday. 

School-based programs to test for Covid-19 in students could preserve in-person instruction and help extracurriculars continue, according to a study published Friday in the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 

The report from researchers in Utah detailed two state programs, called Test To Play and Test to Stay. Under Test to Play, students were tested for Covid-19 every 14 days in order to be allowed to continue extracurriculars. In Test to Stay, school-wide testing was implemented in response to outbreaks, as opposed to a switch to remote instruction. 

Both programs were facilitated by the Utah Department of Health. Over half of Utah’s high schools participated in Test to Play, while 13 schools used Test to Stay. 

Over the course of the study, 59,552 students were tested as part of the two programs. Only 3.2% of students tested returned a positive test result. 

Researchers credited these programs with preserving 95% of planned athletic events, and for saving an estimated 109,752 days of in-person instruction among all the students tested in participating schools. 

Study authors suggested health departments increase community messaging efforts to encourage schools to participate in testing programs, and said Utah’s programs could serve as an example for states looking to implement similar protocols. 

As more and more states drop their mask mandates, one of the largest post-pandemic food festivals to come back in the US is taking place this weekend.

The South Beach Wine & Food festival expects 30,000 people to attend. Event organizers say they have numerous Covid-19 safety measures and protocols in place.

CNN correspondent Leyla Santiago reports from Miami and answers viewers’ questions.

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Lies Toribio teaches her kindergarten students at Bethesda Elementary in Lawrenceville, Georgia, on April 22.

Covid-19 case numbers in elementary schools appear to be 37% lower when teachers and staff are required to wear masks, and 39% when air ventilation is improved, according to new research published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The findings are based on data from before coronavirus vaccines became available, but until children younger than 12 are eligible for the vaccine, “universal and correct mask use is a critical prevention strategy CDC recommends that schools prioritize regardless of vaccination status for in-person learning,” according to the study published on Friday.

Despite vaccinations beginning for children ages 12 to 15 and CDC’s changing mask guidance for fully vaccinated people, the agency has said schools should continue masking and using other coronavirus prevention strategies for at least the rest of the 2020-2021 school year. Given that masking reduces transmission and is easy to implement, it’s “an important COVID-19 prevention strategy in schools,” the study says.

The new research included data from 169 K-through-5 schools in Georgia. The schools opened for in-person classes last fall. At that time, the Georgia Department of Health required all schools to submit weekly data on the number of Covid-19 cases among students and staff.

The researchers examined those case numbers during November 16 through December 11. They also assessed responses from an online survey that was emailed to the school superintendents, asking about the Covid-19 prevention strategies implemented within the schools at the time — including mask-wearing and air ventilation.

The researchers found that, while the incidence of Covid-19 was lower in schools that required masks, it varied depending on whether the staff or the students were required to wear masks. Schools with mask requirements for teachers and staff had a 37% lower incidence, the researchers found. Schools with mask requirements for students had a 21% lower incidence. 

“The 21% lower incidence in schools that required mask use among students was not statistically significant compared with schools where mask use was optional,” the researchers wrote. “This finding might be attributed to higher effectiveness of masks among adults, who are at higher risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection but might also result from differences in mask-wearing behavior among students in schools with optional requirements.”

When it came to air ventilation, the researchers found that there was a 35% lower incidence of Covid-19 when only windows and doors were left open or fans were used. But the data showed when those ventilation measures were used in combination with high-efficiency particle absorbing or HEPA filters, or other filter methods, there was a 48% lower incidence.

“In rooms that are difficult to ventilate or have an increased likelihood of being occupied by persons with COVID-19 (e.g., nurse’s office), installation of HEPA filters or UVGI should be considered,” the researchers wrote. They added that only about one half — or 51.5% — of school representatives reported in the online survey that they were “sure” that ventilation was improved in their schools’ classrooms.

While 18% “reported that their school implemented dilution methods in combination with filtration,” the researchers wrote. “These findings suggest that there are opportunities for many schools to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission through improved ventilation.”

More research is needed to determine whether similar findings may emerge in other parts of the United States and in data that are not self-reported or based on online surveys.

Odilest Guerrier, a medical assistant, administers a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Pasqual Cruz at a clinic on May 20 in Immokalee, Florida.

The Biden administration wants Americans to keep forging ahead with vaccinations, a messaging balance that the nation “can’t take our foot off the accelerator” despite the pandemic’s improving outlook across the country.

But, Murthy warned, “If we stop where we are right now, if people do not get fully vaccinated and millions more out there who still need to, then we will still be at risk potentially for more infections in the future.”

Murthy’s comments come as the US has seen sustained decreases in Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. In the US, the average daily pace of coronavirus vaccinations is down almost 50% from its April peak, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows.

“We will continue to emphasize that we should keep moving forward with vaccinations. Do not let your guard down. But we can be encouraged and cautiously optimistic that we are absolutely heading in the right direction, and we just can’t — can’t take our foot off the accelerator,” Murthy said. 

White House senior Covid-19 adviser Andy Slavitt added that the administration has more work to do on educating Americans about vaccinations but said “many, many more people will get vaccinated.”

More than 3 million excess deaths in 2020 could be related to Covid-19 – over a million more deaths than what was reported globally, according to preliminary data from the World Health Organization.

The report says that preliminary assessments of excess mortality estimate that during 2020, there were 1.34 to 1.46 million excess deaths in the region of the Americas and 1.11 to 1.21 million in the European region. This is 60% more than the reported deaths in the Americas and double the reported deaths in the European region. 

WHO points out there are “significant data gaps” in the other regions: the African region, Eastern Mediterranean region, Southeast Asia region and the Western Pacific region, with only 16 of the 106 member states that make up these regions have enough data to calculate 2020 excess mortality empirically.

Excess deaths provide “a more accurate picture of the full impact of the pandemic as it accounts for both the total COVID-19 deaths directly attributable to the disease as well as the indirect impacts of the pandemic and responses to it, such as travel restrictions,” the report says.

The report describes the 3 million excess deaths as coming from a “tentative extrapolation of the results from the Americas Region and the European Region.” It also notes that further data collection and additional statistical modeling is needed to refine the estimate. 

Dr. Paul Stoffels, chief medical officer of Johnson & Johnson, speaks at the G20 Health Summit on May 21.

Dr. Paul Stoffels, chief medical officer of Johnson & Johnson, said during the G20 Health Summit Friday that the company has entered an agreement with GAVI to supply up to 200 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine to COVAX by the end of the year, will the possibility of more next year. 

The Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine is a single-shot vaccine. 

Stoffels described the GAVI partnership as “the single greatest step” J&J has taken to ensure its vaccine is accessible to everyone, everywhere.

Some more context: COVAX is an entity run by a coalition that includes the Vaccine Alliance known as Gavi and the World Health Organization (WHO), and is funded by donations from governments, multilateral institutions and foundations.

Its mission is to buy coronavirus vaccines in bulk and send them to poorer nations that can’t compete with wealthy countries in securing contracts with the major drug companies.

European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stands after reviewing the honor guard during the Global Health Summit in Rome on May 21.

The European Union has pledged to supply 1.3 billion vaccines to low and middle income countries, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced Friday. 

One billion will be from the two billion doses announced by BioNtech/Pfizer, 200 million from Johnson & Johnson and 100 million from Moderna, der Leyen said on Twitter. 

An initiative to boost manufacturing capacities in Africa has also been launched, she announced. 

The pledges were first announced as part of the Global Health Summit held in Rome Friday, which is co-hosted by the European Commission and Italy.

A healthcare worker collects a nasal swab at a mobile Covid-19 testing center in Bangkok, Thailand, on Thursday, May 20.

Thailand has reported 15 cases of the B.1.617 Covid-19 variant first detected in India, according to Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesperson Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin. 

“It was found that there is a high number of infections in worker dormitories in Laksi District. There are 15 workers found infected with variant found in India or B.1.617.2. They are all receiving good medical care,” Dr. Visanuyothin said in a press conference Friday. 

A disease investigation team was dispatched to the area to investigate the outbreak in the district, the spokesperson added.

Thailand reported 3,481 new confirmed cases Friday, bringing the country’s total number of cases to 123,066. Of Friday’s new infections, 951 were reported from prison and detention facilities.

Thailand’s prison clusters came to light when several pro-democracy protest leaders, accused of insulting the monarchy and held in pre-trial detention following popular demonstrations last year, announced they had tested positive for Covid-19 after being released on bail. Following the news, Thai authorities began mass testing the country’s prison population.

Some 14,548 cases have been reported from prison and detention facility outbreaks across the country as of May 21.

The health ministry also reported 32 new deaths from the virus, bringing the death toll to 735.

The Thai government has extended the country’s state of emergency until July 31 due to the third wave of the outbreak.

Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, speaks at the G20 Global Health Summit on May 21.

Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, said during the G20 Global Health Summit Friday that the company will provide 2 billion doses of its Covid-19 vaccine to lower and middle-income countries over the next 18 months. 

Bourla said he hopes this will accelerate the ability to save even more lives globally. 

Bourla told Axios on Wednesday that Pfizer plans to produce 6 billion doses of its Covid-19 vaccine over the next 18 months. 

At least 3,207 cases of black fungus, or mucormycosis, have been reported across five Indian states: Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Telangana and Gujarat.

Maharashtra reported more than 2,000 cases, according to the Indian Ministry of Health last week.

About 573 cases have been detected in Madhya Pradesh, according to the state’s chief minister Shivraj Chauhan on Wednesday.

The minister has also asked that a task force be formed to monitor the disease in the state, the state’s department of information tweeted on Tuesday.

At least 115 cases have been detected in Haryana and 150 in Telangana, according to state health officials, and at least 369 cases have been found in one Gujarat hospital.

At least seven states — Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Odisha, Haryana, Gujarat and Karnataka — have declared the disease a notifiable disease in accordance with the central government’s advisory to collect data on the number of cases reported.

More on black fungus: In early May, doctors in India began raising the alarm about a rise in mucormycosis. Many of those being infected are coronavirus patients, or those who have recently recovered from Covid-19, whose immune systems have been weakened by the virus or who have underlying conditions — most notably diabetes.

South Korea will allow in-person visits at nursing facilities starting June 1 if either the patient or the visitor is fully vaccinated against Covid-19, Second Vice Health Minister Kang Do-tae said during a briefing Friday.

If both the patient and the visitor wear masks and sanitize their hands, they are allowed to hold hands, Kang added.

Since the initial ban on nursing facility visits in March 2020, restrictions were occasionally eased when daily cases in South Korea remained low, but visitors and patients still had to be in separate spaces unless patients were in critical condition or close to death.

When visiting a facility where vaccination numbers are low, the unvaccinated visitor needs to comply with additional Covid-19 testing for the safety of other patients, Kang explained.

South Korea’s outbreak: South Korea saw 561 new Covid-19 cases from Thursday, including 542 local transmissions, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

The country has reported 134,678 total coronavirus cases and 1,922 related deaths.

Current social distancing measures in South Korea will be extended by three weeks until June 13, Kang added.

Kang said it is difficult to ease the measures until 13 million people receive at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, which South Korea hopes to achieve by the end of June.

As of Friday, a total of 3,772,599 people have received the first dose of a vaccine and 1,482,842 people have completed a second dose, KDCA said in a news release Friday.

Indian states have been advised to declare mucormycosis – also known as black fungus – as a “notifiable disease” so data may be collated at a national level, Lav Agarwal secretary of the Indian Ministry of Health said at a news conference Thursday.

At least seven states including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Odisha, Haryana and Karnataka have already done so, according to respective state government authorities.

In the past few weeks, thousands of black fungus cases have been reported across the country, with hundreds hospitalized and at least 90 dead.

Many of those being infected are coronavirus patients, or those who have recently recovered from Covid-19, whose immune systems have been weakened by the virus or who have underlying conditions – most notably diabetes.

Black fungus commonly affects the sinuses or lungs after inhaling fungal spores in the air, and can also affect the skin after a surface injury like a cut or burn. Symptoms depend on where in the body the fungus is growing, but can include facial swelling, fever, skin ulcers and and black lesions in the mouth.

Request for supplies: With hospitals across the country facing a shortage of the drug used to treat black fungus, citizens across India have taken to Twitter to ask for help.

Bhavya Reddy, a resident in India’s southern Telangana state, said her father was diagnosed with black fungus on April 26 – the same day he recovered from Covid.

The hospital did not have supply of Amphotericin B, and she had to appeal to the state’s chief minister to receive vials of the drug, she said. Once the medicine was secured, her father underwent an endoscopic sinus surgery to relieve the swelling.

At least 150 cases of black fungus have been detected in Telangana, according to the state’s director of health and family welfare.

Ahmedabad Civil Hospital in Gujarat state has 369 patients with black fungus. On average, 25 to 30 surgeries are performed daily, according to J. V. Modi, medical superintendent at the hospital. 

What the government is doing: India’s government has acknowledged there has been a shortage of Amphotericin B, the drug used for treating black fungus.

Mansukh Mandaviya, a junior minister of the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, tweeted on Thursday adding that five companies in India have been approved to produce the drug, in addition to an existing six.

Read more about black fungus:

Black Fungus, or mucormycosis, is caused by a fungus named mucor, which is found on wet surfaces.

Related article India grapples with 'black fungus' drug shortage as cases rise among Covid-19 patients

Medical staff transfer a Covid-19 patient to a hospital in New Delhi on May 18.

India reported 259,551 cases of Covid-19 Friday, bringing the country’s total caseload past 26 million. The country has recorded roughly 1 million cases since Monday. 

Friday’s tally brings India’s total number of confirmed coronavirus cases to 26,031,991, according to figures from the Indian health ministry.

India also reported 4,209 new virus-related deaths. The number of fatalities reported each day in the country have been consistently above 3,000 since April 28. India’s total coronavirus death toll stands at 291,331.

The country has seen a slight drop in new daily cases in the past week following several weeks of more than 300,000 infections per day.

A total of 191.8 million vaccine doses have been administered since the country began its vaccination program on January 16. On Thursday, India distributed 1,456,088 vaccine doses.