May 5, 2021, coronavirus news | CNN

May 5 coronavirus news

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EU seeks to resume transatlantic travel
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What you need to know

  • Multiple states in India will go into “complete lockdown” in the coming days as a second wave of infections continues to paralyze the world’s second-most populous country.
  • 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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Study finds raised risk of blood clots from AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine

Researchers in Norway and Denmark reported Wednesday they had more evidence that AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine might raise the risk of unusual blood clots.

Their study, published in The BMJ medical journal, adds to what’s known about the overall risk, which appears to be small. 

The research team studied the medical records of 280,000 people aged 18-65 who received a first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine in Denmark and Norway in February and March. Both countries have extensive national medical registries, making it easy for researchers to use medical records in their studies.

They pulled out reports of heart attacks, strokes, deep vein blood clots and bleeding events that people suffered within 28 days of receiving a first vaccine dose and compared these with expected rates in the general populations of Denmark and Norway.

They found 59 vaccinated people had blood clots in the veins. In that population over that time, 30 would have been expected. This corresponds to 11 excess events per 100,000 vaccinations. “The absolute risks of venous thromboembolic events were, however, small, and the findings should be interpreted in the light of the proven beneficial effects of the vaccine,” they wrote. They called the results “reassuring.”

The team did not look for the specific syndrome that has been linked with AstraZeneca’s vaccine as well as the similar vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine arm. This condition, known as thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) or vaccine induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), is defined by both an unusual type of blood clot and a low count of platelets, which are clot-forming cells in the blood.

They could not find any particular way to identify who might be most at risk of blood clots. They also found people who had been vaccinated were less likely to die from any cause, compared to years past, although they could not explain that and suggested it might be because healthier people were more likely to have been vaccinated.

In a commentary, Dr. Paul Hunter of the University of East Anglia said people should not hesitate to get AstraZeneca’s or Janssen’s vaccine.

“To decline a vaccine today because it is the Oxford-AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the hope of being able to get another vaccine sometime later carries a real risk of dying from Covid-19 before being able to get a preferred vaccine. Those countries that delayed their own vaccination programs at a time of high transmission rates by declining to use available Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines should know that their decision will have contributed to an increase in the number of avoidable deaths from Covid-19,” he wrote.

Third wave of Covid-19 is "inevitable" in India, scientific adviser warns

Caretakers arrange beds at the Adani Vidya Mandir school which has been converted into a Covid-19 coronavirus care centre in Makarba, India, on May 5.

A third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is “inevitable” in India, the principal scientific adviser to the Indian government warned on Wednesday.  

“A phase three is inevitable, given the higher levels of circulating virus but it is not clear on what time scale this phase three will occur,” K. VijayRaghavan said at a news conference, asking authorities to be prepared for new waves.  

He said a second wave of infections — which continues to paralyze the world’s second-most populous country — was predicted but “such a much larger second wave with the ferocity we are seeing” was not predicted.   

Vaccines are effective against the Covid-19 variant first identified in India, the principal scientific adviser said.  

He urged people to follow Covid-19 safety guidelines such as mask use, because they will protect people against infection. “The variants are transmitted the same way as the original strain. It doesn’t have other properties of new kinds of transmission in the air or anything like that. It just infects humans in a manner, which makes it more transmissible,” he said. 

India's Maharashtra state reports its highest daily Covid-19 death toll since the pandemic started

The Western Indian state of Maharashtra, home to the country’s financial capital Mumbai, on Wednesday posted 920 new deaths related to Covid-19 — the highest coronavirus death toll reported in a day in the state since the start of the pandemic, its Press Information Bureau said.

Additionally, a total of 57,640 new coronavirus cases were registered in Maharashtra in the last 24 hours.  

The state government has started preparing for a possible third wave of the pandemic, its Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said during an address to the state streamed live on his Facebook page on Wednesday.  

His announcement came hours after the principal scientific adviser to the Indian government, K. VijayRaghavan, warned that a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is “inevitable” in India.

Maharashtra was the first Indian state hit hard by the second wave of the pandemic that is currently ravaging the country.  

The state last week extended its Covid-19 restrictions through May 15.

Another report indicates Pfizer's vaccine works against worrying variants

A new report indicates Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine can protect people against some of the worrying variants of the virus.

A team in the Gulf state of Qatar tested the effectiveness of the vaccine during a time when Qatar was seeing circulation of the B.1.351 variant first seen in South Africa and the B.1.1.7 variant first seen in the UK. The B.1.351 variant, especially, has mutations that allows it to evade the human immune response at least somewhat – including the immune response elicited by vaccines.

One study comparing vaccinated people to non-vaccinated people found strong protection, even against the variants. “The estimated effectiveness of the vaccine against any documented infection with the B.1.1.7 variant was 89.5% at 14 or more days after the second dose. The effectiveness against any documented infection with the B.1.351 variant was 75%,” the researchers wrote in a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine.

The vaccine was more than 97% effective in preventing severe disease or death, they said. It’s the latest in a series of reports indicating vaccines both in use and in development can protect people against the variants. Nonetheless, vaccine makers are already designing and testing vaccines that are targeted specifically against some of the variants.

The team also examined the effectiveness using a different technique called a cohort study, in which vaccinated people were compared to the population as a whole. “Effectiveness was estimated to be 87% against the B.1.1.7 variant and 72% against the B.1.351 variant,” they wrote.

Qatar has reported breakthrough infections in 1,616 people who were fully vaccinated, including two deaths, out of 265,000 fully vaccinated people.

“Nevertheless, the reduced protection against infection with the B.1.351 variant did not seem to translate into poor protection against the most severe forms of infection, which was robust, at greater than 90%,” the team wrote.

CDC issues new guidance for cruise ship operators to begin simulated voyages

Cruise ship operators may begin simulated voyages with volunteer passengers, per an order from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The guidelines are a new phase in the CDC’s Framework for Conditional Sailing Order, released in October as a phased approach for preventing Covid-19 transmission aboard cruise ships and eventually resuming passenger cruises.

The instructions include eligibility and requirements for conducting a trial voyage, which would help prepare for future restricted passenger voyages and guide cruise ship inspection on those voyages. 

Simulated voyages must have at least 10% of the maximum number of passengers permitted on board a ship. They must all be at least 18 years old and confirm in writing that they’re participating in a simulation voyage.

The CDC guidelines state that the volunteer passengers must be able to furnish proof of vaccination or provide a letter from a physician that they are not in a high-risk category for Covid-19. All volunteers must also be willing to get a Covid-19 test three to five days after the voyage is over.

The CDC’s new guidance includes operational procedures for cruise ship operators to prevent the spread of Covid-19, including onboard surveillance, laboratory testing, face mask use, social distancing, passenger interactions and procedures for embarking and disembarking. 

Some background: Since mid-April, the CDC and leaders from other federal agencies have been meeting with cruise line representatives to dialogue and exchange information about the impact of vaccines and various other scientific developments since the original conditional sailing order was released.

Phase 2 results show booster shots increases the immune response to variants, Moderna says

A booster shot of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine revs up the immune response against two worrying coronavirus variants, the company reported Wednesday. Additionally, a booster dose formulated specifically to match the B.1.351 variant first seen in South Africa was even more effective, Moderna said in a statement.

Vaccine makers are trying to get out ahead of the new variants and the design of the new mRNA vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer make this easier. The genetic material used as the basis of the vaccines is made in a lab and the sequence is easily tweaked.

Moderna tested booster doses of either its current vaccine or a version designed specifically against B.1.351 in 40 people who had already been vaccinated six to eight months before. Blood tests showed half of these volunteers had a low antibody response against B.1.351 and the P.1 variant first seen in Brazil before they got the booster shot.

Two weeks after the booster, their antibody levels had grown against the so-called wild type coronavirus – the variant most common around the world – as well as B.1.351 and P.1, Moderna said in the statement.

“The majority of adverse events were mild or moderate in severity,” the company said.

The company is also testing a vaccine booster that combines the original formulation with the B.1.351 specific formula.

“We will continue to make as many updates to our COVID-19 vaccine as necessary to control the pandemic,” Bancel said.

Vaccines are India's way out of the Covid surge. Here's why they are in such short supply.

A person takes a photo of helpline numbers after Covishield Covid-19 vaccine went out of stock at a vaccination center in Mumbai on April 20.

India is experiencing the world’s worst Covid-19 outbreak and vaccines are in short supply.

India’s vaccine rollout on Saturday widened to everyone age 18 and above, yet a number of states are warning they have no shots to give.

When eligibility was expanded, just over 2% of India’s 1.3 billion people have been fully immunized with one of two vaccines — significantly lower than the United States, where 29.8% of the population are fully immunized.

Experts say vaccines are the only way for India to get out of the surge, adding it is a global health issue.

Here are some of the reasons why there is a shortage of vaccines:

  • Exporting vaccines: India rapidly exported a large number of vaccine doses to other countries and through COVAX, the global initiative to provide vaccines to low-income countries. To date, India has exported at least 66 million vaccines.
  • Raw materials: The Serum Institute of India, which is producing AstraZeneca’s Covishield, has struggled to keep up the materials needed to produce the vaccine. Much of those come from the United States, but the US placed a ban on those exports to prioritize its own domestic rollout. The ban on materials has been lifted and the Biden administration said it will send vaccines to India – but it will take a while until they actually arrive.
  • Coordination with state and local governments: Due to poor coordination between the state and federal governments, certain states are complaining that they are not receiving the vaccines which the federal government had promised to supply. The government has pushed back, claiming any shortages were due to the states’ own mismanagement or inaccurate reporting.

Go There: CNN reports from London on the latest Covid-19 updates out of Europe

CNN international’s Cyril Vanier is in the streets of London reporting on the latest Covid-19 headlines from Europe, including travel restrictions and the vaccine rollout.

Watch Go There:

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Biden administration supports vaccine waiver proposal

The Biden administration said Wednesday it would support easing patent rules on Covid-19 vaccines, which could increase their global supply, after intense internal debate and strong pushback from American drug-makers.

Biden and Tai had been weighing the issue after calls from global aid groups and liberal Democrats to support the waivers, which have been proposed by India and South Africa.

Biden as a candidate promised to support such waivers, but had been under pressure from pharmaceutical companies to keep them in place. 

“The Administration’s aim is to get as many safe and effective vaccines to as many people as fast as possible,” Tai said in her statement. “As our vaccine supply for the American people is secured, the Administration will continue to ramp up its efforts – working with the private sector and all possible partners – to expand vaccine manufacturing and distribution. It will also work to increase the raw materials needed to produce those vaccines.”

Fauci: Developed countries have an obligation to ensure the world does not "suffer and die" from Covid

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci testifies before a House Select Subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on April 15.

Countries like the United States with ample vaccine resources are obligated to aid the rest of the world in Covid-19 vaccination programs, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told The Hill on Wednesday. 

“I believe we have a moral obligation,” he said, “to make sure that the rest of the world does not suffer and die, as it were, from something we can help them with and help them prevent.”

Fauci said he would be fine with waiting patent protections for vaccines, among other options. 

“We’ve got to get to the end game. And the end game is the equitable distribution of vaccines, so however we get there. It’s fine with me. We just need to get there,” Fauci added.

More than 186,000 restaurants applied for federal relief in two days, Biden says

President Joe Biden takes questions from reporters as he speaks about the American Rescue Plan, in the State Dining Room of the White House on May 5 in Washington, DC.

In two days, President Biden said 186,200 restaurants and other food industry businesses applied for federal relief funding allocated by the American Rescue Plan.

Giving an update on his administration’s implementation of the $1.9 trillion dollar bill, he said the applications came from establishments in all 50 states since the process opened on Monday.

About 97,000 were “businesses owned by women, veterans and socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals,” Biden said on Wednesday.

The grants for these businesses come from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. Biden said they have already reviewed all of the applications and will be able to provide money to about 100,000 of the businesses.

The money will “provide direct relief to restaurants and the hard hit food establishments – bars, bakeries, food stands, food trucks and caterers,” Biden said.

“We’re opening the doors of this program so that restaurants all over the country can open their doors again,” he added.

NOW: Biden gives update on implementation of $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package

President Biden is speaking now from the White House on his administration’s implementation of the $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package.

The Covid-19 economic relief law, which passed in March, included $1,400 stimulus checks to some Americans, unemployment assistance, aid to states and municipalities, nutrition assistance, housing aid, tax credits for families and workers, funding for optional paid sick and family leave, health insurance subsidies and Medicaid, more money for small businesses and more.

Biden is also promoting the newly launched Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which was established to help struggling restaurants and other eligible businesses keep their doors open during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Restaurants are more than a major driver of our economy, they’re woven into the fabric of our communities,” Biden said in a speech at the White House.

The President continued: “And so for many families, restaurants are the gateway to opportunity, a key part of the American story.”

Applications for the program opened on Monday. The $28.6 billion fund was established as part of the $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief bill the President signed into law earlier this year.

CDC ensemble forecast projects decrease in newly reported deaths over the next four weeks

Deaths from coronavirus are likely to fall off a little in the coming weeks, according to a new ensemble forecast published Wednesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The ensemble forecast predicts 586,000 to 600,000 Covid-19 deaths will be reported by May 29. The previous ensemble forecast, published April 28, projected up to 595,000 deaths by May 22. 

Average daily pace of Covid-19 vaccine doses reported administered down 20% from last week

A man arrives at a Covid-19 vaccine facility in Los Angeles on May 3.

The pace of immunization against coronavirus has slowed by about 20% in the US, according to data published Wednesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It shows nearly 250 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in the United States.

The CDC reported that 249,566,820 total doses have been administered, about 78% of the 321,549,335 doses delivered.

That’s about 1.8 million more doses reported administered since Tuesday, dropping the seven-day average down to about 2.1 million doses reported administered per day. That’s about 20% slower than last week.

About 45% of the population — nearly 149 million people — have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, and about 32% — more than 107 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.

NYSE is updating its Covid-19 guidance and will allow vaccinated traders to be unmasked indoors

The New York Stock Exchange is loosening Covid-19 protocol and will allow fully vaccinated people on the trading floor to go unmasked when socially distanced, according to an internal memo obtained by CNN Tuesday.

Beginning on Monday May 10, fully vaccinated members of the NYSE floor community will be able to remove face masks indoors when socially distanced and seated at assigned workstations, according to the memo. Fully vaccinated members will also no longer be included in the exchange’s random Covid-19 testing program. 

When moving on the trading floor, both vaccinated and unvaccinated people will still be required to wear a face mask, it reads. The memo cites improving public health conditions in the New York City area, and the progress in the nationwide vaccine rollout.

The NYSE did not immediately respond to queries from CNN. 

The memo also states that If 100% of a firm’s floor team has been fully vaccinated, that firm will be allowed to increase its headcount on the trading floor. If the increase in a firm’s personnel no longer allows for social distancing in their workstation, masks will again be required irrespective of vaccination status.

Current US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance says fully vaccinated people can gather with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or having to keep 6 feet apart, but also encourages the continued use of masks in indoor public settings – even for the fully vaccinated. The CDC also notes people, vaccinated or not, should still avoid large indoor gatherings.

CVS now offering walk-in Covid-19 vaccination appointments at more than 8,300 locations

A CVS store is seen on February 16 in San Francisco.

CVS said Wednesday it is now offering walk-in Covid-19 vaccinations at over 8,300 pharmacy locations in the United States. 

In an email to CNN, the company confirmed that it will be administering Covid-19 vaccinations without requiring an appointment, and that same-day scheduling is also available through its vaccine appointment system. 

According to CVS, the company has a second-dose compliance rate of 90% at its vaccination locations, and has administered over 17 million doses through federal and industry partnerships. 

Here's how a Michelin-star chef is helping fight India's Covid-19 crisis

Michelin-star chef Vikas Khanna spoke to CNN’s Anderson Cooper about relief efforts he’s coordinating from the US to India including 550 oxygen tanks and personal protective equipment.

Watch the interview here:

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White House: Americans can expect guidance on masks to "continue to be updated"

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki holds a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 5.

Americans can expect guidance on mask wearing to “continue to be updated” and “changed” when asked about the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation to have children wear masks at summer camp, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday.

“There’s no question that what the CDC is trying to do is to provide guidance to the American public, to parents, to families,” she said, adding that the updated guidance last week also recommends wearing a mask in crowded areas outdoors. 

Asked whether the administration is concerned there will be compliance if guidance continues to change on mask wearing, Psaki said, “I think everyone can expect that the guidance will continue to be updated and will continue to change. And I think as a parent myself…I would welcome that.” 

“Obviously there is nuance in all of these applications and people are still learning how to apply it,” she added. 

Some context: CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on CNN’s New Day Wednesday that summer camp guidance from the CDC is there to try to make it so children can have as normal of a summer as possible. 

CDC’s guidance for summer camps includes wearing masks except when eating and swimming and maintaining social distancing. 

Walensky compared children playing tennis to children playing soccer, saying that if children are far away from each other playing tennis, they can take their masks off, but if they are crowded onto a soccer field, on top of each other and heavily breathing, then the CDC does not think it’s a good idea for them to be maskless when they are likely not vaccinated. 

Federal agencies announce new Covid-19 services for disproportionately affected communities

The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Housing and Urban Development are joining forces to boost access to Covid vaccinations, the agencies’ leaders announced Wednesday.

The joint effort, unveiled by HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge, directs community health centers, public housing providers and others to take steps to increase Covid-19 testing and vaccinations, with a focus on those experiencing or at risk of homelessness. 

“We have now, in writing, directed our agencies to work together to reach individuals in public housing,” Becerra said of the partnership. “And so it’s not just that we want to do it, we’re directing our people now to work together to get that done.”

Wednesday’s announcement comes one day after President Joe Biden set 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.

To reach this goal, the two agency heads both acknowledged that more work needs to be done to address vaccine hesitancy, which they hope to combat by reaching people where they are. 

In response to a question about why this partnership is being announced now, especially given the Biden administration’s focus on equity in its pandemic response, Fudge outlined some of the challenges of reaching people during the pandemic. 

“It’s just difficult because of the Covid itself, it’s harder to get to people,” Fudge said, pointing to those who lack transportation or internet access to schedule appointments.

India prioritizing oxygen-related foreign aid along with medicines, according to government source

Workers load medical aid to be flown to India at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on May 4.

Over the past two weeks, India has received huge quantities of foreign aid to help battle the devastating second wave of Covid-19 that has consumed hundreds of lives.

Ranging from entire oxygen producing plants to N-95 masks, the Indian government has slowly distributed the aid to hospitals across the country, according to a government source.

Even as it continues to receive aid, India is looking mainly for supplies that would help them bridge the yawning gap that is currently resulting in a severe shortage of basic medical supplies.

India is also looking for oxygen generators, oxygen cylinders, oxygen tankers for transport and liquid oxygen through ships.

“The other element we are looking for through our embassies and partner governments is basically Remdesivir and Tocilizumab — key medicines that we feel will help,” he said.

The government is also dealing with a shortage of raw materials to produce vaccinations instead of doses. 

“Additional vaccines would be useful but… more than that what we are really looking at are raw materials to expand and enhance our very own vaccine production capacity in the country. That is actually a major priority. Because we will require lot more vaccines than a few million here and there,” he added.

READ MORE

Vaccines are helping bring down US Covid-19 numbers. But the virus is now hitting one group of Americans harder
More young people are getting hospitalized as a ‘stickier,’ more infectious coronavirus strain becomes dominant
Not reaching herd immunity by the fall could have dire consequences, medical expert says
Are more young people falling ill? Are vaccinated people getting infected? Here’s what is really happening in India’s Covid outbreak
The Covid-19 hospital in India so bad patients want to get out

READ MORE

Vaccines are helping bring down US Covid-19 numbers. But the virus is now hitting one group of Americans harder
More young people are getting hospitalized as a ‘stickier,’ more infectious coronavirus strain becomes dominant
Not reaching herd immunity by the fall could have dire consequences, medical expert says
Are more young people falling ill? Are vaccinated people getting infected? Here’s what is really happening in India’s Covid outbreak
The Covid-19 hospital in India so bad patients want to get out