March 18 coronavirus news

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on the federal coronavirus response on Capitol Hill on March 18 in Washington, DC.

The US may well need to vaccinate children against coronavirus to achieve true herd immunity, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday.

The nation’s lead infectious disease expert said people are too focused on the question of herd immunity in the first place.

Fauci said he has been estimating that anywhere between 70% and 85% of the population would need to be vaccinated or otherwise immune to the virus to get to the point of herd immunity – when the virus could not spread easily in the population. 

“If it is that we would probably have to get more children, and I believe as we get high school students vaccinated in the fall, we’ll be able to reach that,” Fauci said during a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. 

More importantly, he said, was steady vaccination of the US population.

More context: New variants of the virus that are more contagious and that may help the virus evade the effects of the vaccine are an important factor, Fauci pointed out.

He has said that vaccinating as many people as quickly as possible is the best way to prevent the rise of more variants – because viruses evolve when they infect people.

“We are doing a good job now — up to 2 to 3 million vaccinations per day. If more get vaccinated, literally every day that goes by and more and more people get vaccinated, we can stay ahead of what I would consider a race between our ability to vaccinate people and the emergence of variants,” Fauci said.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks during a briefing on March 18.

Kentucky is easing the curfew for bars and restaurants by an hour starting Friday, Gov. Andy Beshear said.

These establishments will be able to serve until midnight and close at 1 a.m. local time, he said during a news conference.

Beshear said the capacity for bars and restaurants will remain at 60%.

Some context: The announcement comes as Kentucky reported its lowest Covid-19 positivity rate, 3.23%, since July 3, according to the governor. 

President Biden’s Covid-19 relief plan provides $125 billion to public K-12 schools and $2.75 billion to private schools to help them reopen.

CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta answered questions from readers on the latest updates surrounding coronavirus and the reopening of schools.

Here’s what he said:

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President Joe Biden speaks on the national vaccination efforts in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 18.

President Biden just announced his administration is on track to hit 100 million Covid-19 vaccine doses administered.

Biden said his administration would seek to administer 100 million doses in his first 100 days in office during the transition in December. Friday is Biden’s 58th day in office.

Biden added that “next week, we’ll announce our next goal” on vaccinations.

By the numbers: A total of 115,730,730 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the United States since the first Covid-19 vaccine was authorized for emergency use in December, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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A nurse fills a syringe with the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine in Vigo, Spain, on March 13.

Spain will resume administering the AstraZeneca vaccine next Wednesday, Health Minister Carolina Darias announced at a nationally televised news conference Thursday, after the European Medicines Agency said it was “safe and effective.”

Cyprus, Italy and France also said they planned to resume using the vaccine following the EMA announcement Thursday. 

Darias said that health experts from Spain’s 17 regional governments, which administer the vaccines against Covid-19, will meet this weekend to make a proposal on which parts of the population should get the AstraZeneca vaccine starting next Wednesday.

On Monday, the Spanish Health Ministry will meet with the regional health department chiefs, for final approval, about the population segments to be the AstraZeneca vaccine.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex, left, and French Health Minister Olivier Veran deliver a joint press conference in Paris on March 18.

In an attempt to tackle rising coronavirus infections, France will impose new coronavirus restrictions in 16 areas around the country, including the greater Paris and Nice areas, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said Thursday. 

The new measures – which go into effect Friday at midnight – will last at least four weeks but are less restrictive than measures imposed in March and November of last year.

“Our choice, to be less restrictive on possibilities to leave one’s home, will need to go hand in hand with real caution,” Castex said. 

People will be encouraged to work from home. People will be allowed to go outdoors to walk or exercise but must have an approval “certificate,” and cannot go further than 10km (about six miles) from their home or travel between regions without a valid reason. However the night time curfew – currently in effect from 6 p.m. local – will be moved to 7 p.m. when the new measures come into effect Friday.

Schools and universities will remain open. Essential businesses will remain open – and these will now include book shops and music shops. 

“Our conviction is that if new measures are necessary, we need to keep the same coherence, and prefer a pragmatic, proportionate, territorialized approach,” Castex said.

A medical worker draws COVID-19 vaccine from its vial during a public vaccination event at Washington National Cathedral on March 16 in Washington, DC.

About 116 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in the United States, according to data published Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC reported that 115,730,008 total doses have been administered – about 77% of the 151,108,445 doses delivered.

That’s about 2.7 million more administered doses reported since yesterday, for a seven-day average of about 2.5 million doses per day.

About 22.7% of the population – 75 million people – have received at least one dose of vaccine, and 12.3% of the population – about 41 million people – have been fully vaccinated.

Among Americans 65 and older, 66.3% have now received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, and 38.6% are now fully vaccinated

Note: Data published by the CDC may be delayed, and doses may not have been given on the day reported. 

French Prime Minister Jean Castex speaks during a press conference in Paris on March 18.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said the coronavirus pandemic is “accelerating considerably” and said it was “becoming clearer and clearer that it’s a third wave.”

The prime minister explained that at the moment, one person is entering intensive care every four minutes in France with Covid-19.

He said what is even more worrying is that – compared to previous waves – people being hospitalized with the disease are younger and healthier.

Castex said France recorded 35,000 new infections Thursday, a rise of 23.6% in the last week, and that the variant identified in the UK accounts for three quarters of cases.

A medical worker fills a syringe from a vial of the British-Swedish AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine on March 9 at the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo Da Vinci in Milan, Italy.

Italy and Cyprus announced plans to resume use of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Friday following a recommendation by the European Medicines Agency Thursday that the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the risks.

Italy’s medicines regulator, AIFA, considers that “the reasons behind the precautionary ban on the use of vaccine batches, issued on March 15, 2021, no longer exist,” according to the Italian Health Ministry press office.

On Friday “as soon as the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) releases its opinion, AIFA will proceed to revoke the ban on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, thus allowing a complete resumption of the vaccination campaign starting at 15.00,” the statement added. 

In a government statement, Cyprus said, “Following today’s scientific conclusion from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which clarifies that after a thorough investigation there is no link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and the thrombo-embolic events reported by EU countries and that the vaccine is considered safe and effective, the Ministry of Health announces that from tomorrow, March 19, 2021, vaccinations with the AstraZeneca vaccine will resume.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks at Colham Manor primary school during a constituency visit on March 18 in Uxbridge, England.

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson continued to reassure the British public about the safety of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, saying that he himself will receive the vaccine on Friday.

The UK’s medicines regulator has confirmed that “the benefits of the vaccine in preventing Covid far outweigh any risks and people should continue to get their vaccine when asked to do so,” Johnson said at Downing Street. 

“It’s also very important for our European friends that today the European Medicine’s Agency came to a clear scientific conclusion – and I quote – ‘this is a safe and effective vaccine.’”

What we know: Earlier today, the European Medicines Agency concluded that the AstraZeneca vaccine “is safe and effective in preventing Covid-19 and its benefits continued to be far greater than its risks.”

Dr. Sabine Straus, chair of the EMA’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC), said the committee “has found no evidence of a quality of batch issue.”

“The committee also concluded that the vaccine is not associated with an increase in the overall risk of thromboembolic events, or blood clots,” EMA Executive Director Emer Cooke said.  

However Cooke added that the agency “cannot rule out definitely a link” between blood clot cases and the vaccine.

President Joe Biden walks toward Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on March 16 in Washington, DC.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed Thursday that the US has 7 million releasable doses of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine, and the Biden administration is working to finalize plans to lend 2.5 million doses to Mexico and 1.5 million to Canada. 

Biden could announce the agreement upon finalization as soon as Friday. CNN reported Wednesday night that negotiations between the US, Mexico and Canada were ongoing. If the agreement comes together, it would be the first time the US has shared vaccines directly with another country. 

Several European countries have temporarily halted the rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine over a small number of blood clot concerns. The European Medicines Agency said Thursday that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine “is safe and effective in preventing Covid-19 and its benefits continued to be far greater than its risks.” The committee however could not “rule out definitively” a possible link to a rare blood clotting disorder.

Biden has met virtually with both Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. During both conversations, his counterparts pressed him on the need for more vaccines in their countries. The Biden administration has so far maintained the stance that they would not share vaccines until all Americans could be vaccinated. 

Mexican government officials pressed Biden officials on helping with vaccine supply during conversations between both parties regarding the surge on the southern US border. It was part of a broader discussion and not necessarily an exchange of one for the other, an official told CNN. 

The US has a limited amount of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine in stockpile, but the vaccine has not been authorized for emergency use in the US yet. AstraZeneca has been approved for use in both Canada and Mexico. 

The Biden administration will eventually share excess vaccines — beyond the AstraZeneca doses — and does not see joint efforts alongside US allies as precluding them from unilaterally donating vaccines to other countries down the road, according to the senior administration official.

Director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Rochelle Walensky testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on the federal coronavirus response on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, March 18.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to update its physical distancing guidelines for schools from 6 feet to 3 feet on Friday, an administration official confirms to CNN.

US health officials have pointed to a study published last week that showed “no significant difference” in rates of Covid-19 at Massachusetts public schools that had implemented social distancing rules of more than 3 feet apart compared to those with rules to stay more than 6 feet apart.

“Indeed, because six feet has been such a challenge there, science has leaned in and there are now emerging studies on the question between three feet and six feet,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told Sen. Susan Collins during a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Thursday.

“This is an urgent issue,” Walensky said.

A general view of Gillette Stadium is seen on December 28, 2020, in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Massachusetts is loosening restrictions and announcing new operation guidelines for sports and entertainment venues, as well as replacing its travel advisory starting Monday, the governor said.

As of March 22, large capacity sports and entertainment venues – including indoor and outdoor stadiums, arenas and ball parks – will be permitted to operate at strict 12% capacity limit after submitting a plan to the Department of Public Health.

In addition, Gov. Charlie Baker said a range of previously closed business sectors will open under tight capacity restrictions:

The new travel advisory, according to governor, urges persons entering the state – including returning residents – to quarantine for 10 days upon arrival if they have been out of the state for 24 hours or more. It does not apply to travelers who have a negative Covid-19 result administered up to 72 hours prior, workers performing critical infrastructure functions or those who are fully vaccinated.

Empty phials of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine sit at a vaccination center at the Universite Bretagne Occidentale in Brest, France, on March 12.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) investigation has concluded that the AstraZeneca vaccine “is safe and effective in preventing Covid-19 and its benefits continued to be far greater than its risks.

Dr. Sabine Straus, chair of the EMA’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC), said the committee “has found no evidence of a quality of batch issue.”

“The committee also concluded that the vaccine is not associated with an increase in the overall risk of thromboembolic events, or blood clots,” EMA Executive Director Emer Cooke said.  

Cooke reiterated that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks.

“It demonstrated that at least 60% efficacy in clinical trials and preventing coronavirus disease and in fact the real world evidence suggests that the effectiveness could be even higher than that,” she added.

However Cooke added that the agency “cannot rule out definitely a link” between blood clot cases and the vaccine.

The EMA’s recommendation “is to raise awareness of these possible risks, making sure that they’re included in the product information. Drawing attention to these possible rare conditions and providing information to health care professionals and vaccinated people will help to spot and mitigate any possible side effects.”

A general view of Yankee Stadium is seen on August 20, 2020, in New York City.

Beginning April 1, large outdoor venues that host live concerts and shows across New York state will be permitted to reopen at 20% capacity, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced in a Thursday news briefing. 

These large venues – that can hold over 2,500 people – will see capacity increase as Covid-19 numbers across continue to decline.

Sports venues with over 1,500 indoor or 2,500 outdoor capacity will be permitted to reopen – with indoor capacity capped at 10% and outdoor capacity raised to 20%.

“We’ll have testing required when we open,” Cuomo said.

Citi Field could see up to 8,384 fans and Yankee Stadium could see up to 10,850 fans, Cuomo said.

Starting March 29, statewide travel for sports and recreational activities will also be permitted across New York, the governor announced.

At present, travel for sports is limited to contiguous counties and regions.

March Madness banners for the NCAA college basketball tournament cover crosswalks in downtown Indianapolis on March 17.

As March Madness gets underway today, NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt says the effort to keep players safe during the Covid-19 pandemic has been “quite an undertaking.”  

All 68 teams are competing in one city — Indianapolis — for the entire tournament, one year after the tournament was canceled completely due to the pandemic. 

Gavitt outlined the protocols for this year’s tourney to CNN’s Kate Bolduan.

“We’re doing everything we can to mitigate the risk, obviously with social distancing, with masking, to make sure that everybody is safe and healthy, and can both start and finish the tournament to determine a very worthy national champion,” Gavitt added. 

He said he thinks the chances for coronavirus spread are low, due to months of planning for these protocols. 

There’s still time to fill out your bracket. Find out how here.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on the federal coronavirus response on Capitol Hill on March 18 in Washington, DC.

The United States is now sequencing 10,000 to 14,000 samples of coronavirus every week in its search for cases of new variants across the country, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Thursday.  

But even more sequencing is needed to keep on top of the spread of concerning new variants, Walensky told a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

“We’re now doing somewhere between 10,000 and 14,000 sequences a week,” Walensky said. “Right now, we really would like to be up at the 25,000 range.” 

The US is doing far less genomic sequencing than other countries, such as the UK, and the CDC said this means there’s not a clear picture of the spread of variants. The CDC has forecast that the more contagious B.1.1.7 variant will be the dominant version of the virus across the US by the end of March. 

What the CDC needs: Walensky said the agency needs the money allocated in the American Rescue Plan to step up sequencing capability. “The additional $1.75 billion is in fact essential to help fund jurisdictions for next genome sequencing capacity,” she said. “Not all jurisdictions have this capacity and we really do need to be able to scale this up across the country.”

Equipment is also needed to sequence samples, and trained staff are essential, Walensky said. “We need to develop a work force, so that people understand how to do genomic epidemiology,” she said. “That is not standard application. That is not what people standardly know and so we need to develop that work force.”

From left to right, Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Dick Durbin

Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Dick Durbin, along with 19 more Democratic lawmakers, sent a letter Thursday to the US Department of Juice Office of the Inspector General asking for an investigation into Covid-19-related deaths among people in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, as well as staffers.

Some of the key questions they want answered are whether incarcerated people in these prisons who died received “timely and sufficient care” for Covid-19.

The letter notes Bureau of Prisons data saying that 225 incarcerated people as well as four staff members have died as a result of Covid-19 in federal prisons as of March 17.

AMC Theatres, the world’s biggest movie theater chain, announced that 98% of its theaters in the US will be open on Friday, with even more theaters opening a week later.

 “It was exactly one year ago that we closed all AMC locations in the United States,” said AMC CEO and President Adam Aron, in a news release.

 “As we have done at all of locations around the country, AMC is reopening and operating with the highest devotion to the health and safety of our guests and associates,” he said.

AMC says it expects 52 of its 54 locations in California will be open. That list includes two brand new theaters in the Los Angeles area.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio just received the Johnson & Johnson vaccination during his Covid-19 briefing. It was administered by the city’s Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi.

He said he could “barely feel” the shot, adding “really I’m not joking you.”

He joins the over three million who have received vaccinations in New York City, “on track” he says to hit the five million goal the city intends to hit by June, so long as the supply remains. 

“That was easy,” he said.