Remember, Man, thou art but dust, and unto dust thou shalt return…
Priest in Ireland providing 'takeaway ashes' for Ash Wednesday — Covid restrictions mean all church services are online only https://t.co/qI6RGLeijS
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 16, 2021
President Biden starts off the CNN town hall by telling Anderson Cooper that by the end of July a vaccine dose will be available for every American.
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) February 17, 2021
“Along with power, the winter storms have slowed Covid-19 vaccinations across the US.” https://t.co/VVba0gYdni
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) February 16, 2021
The US administered 1.5 million vaccine shots today, bringing the total to 56.1 million, or 17.1 doses per 100 people. The 7-day moving average declined slightly to 1.67 million doses per day. 12.2% of Americans have received at least on shot; 4.7% are now fully vaccinated. pic.twitter.com/6bKUgyt1Mw
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) February 17, 2021
Vaccine supplies to the states up from 8.6m doses per week when we arrived, to 13.5m per week now — up almost 60% in just four weeks! https://t.co/Uy33TALYha
— Ronald Klain (@WHCOS) February 16, 2021
WH says they inherited no vaccine distribution plan.
Now, @PressSec says Biden admin has increased amount of weekly vaccine doses going to states to 13.5M a week– a 57% increase since Jan 20. Biden admin is also doubling supply to pharmacies: 2M doses going to them this week.
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) February 16, 2021
The US had +63,398 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the total to over 28.3 million. The 7-day moving average fell to under 83,000 new cases per day, its lowest level since October 31. pic.twitter.com/pVQ285EXU0
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) February 17, 2021
Next week, we'll mark the one-year anniversary of this Kudlow pronouncement on #Covid:
“We have contained this. I won’t say [it’s] airtight, but it’s pretty close to airtight.” He added that it will likely not be an “economic tragedy" (Feb. 25, 2020) https://t.co/fbgUAY9kjt
— Chris Lu (@ChrisLu44) February 16, 2021
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UK calls for conflict zone ceasefires to roll out vaccines https://t.co/wnQWwfgZbD pic.twitter.com/TD7LbEsc49
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 17, 2021
Japan is giving out its first coronavirus vaccines, months after other major economies with little time to spare. Experts say the late rollout makes “herd immunity” impossible before the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. https://t.co/klUDaeGMXb
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 17, 2021
South Korea warns against lax distancing as daily COVID-19 count hits one-month high https://t.co/YpwSYsiy1J pic.twitter.com/I7f5ak0GUf
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 17, 2021
Hungary becomes the first of the European Union's 27 nations to receive a shipment of the Chinese-made Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine. The country's leader has sharply criticized the bloc for its slow vaccination rollout. https://t.co/HLEKWS9vgj
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) February 16, 2021
Even the language and the framing: "This is how celebrities cut in line!"
— staying home stan account (@Convolutedname) February 15, 2021
A Dutch court orders the government to halt its coronavirus curfew, saying it did not use the right legislative process. The curfew sparked rioting at first but now is being widely followed. https://t.co/5PQzJ71MPl
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) February 16, 2021
Melbourne lockdown to end after quarantine outbreak controlled https://t.co/VkiMsX3yK7
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 17, 2021
Rwanda, a tiny E. African country with a growing economy, has established a "freezer farm" to hold mRNA vaccines as the country begins vaccinating high-risk groups https://t.co/rXGG0VHBN4
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 16, 2021
Peru's ex-president asked for early Covid jab, doctor says https://t.co/x1330ybCG7
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 17, 2021
Mexico surpasses 2 million coronavirus cases; more than 175,000 deaths https://t.co/mWtm1Q5Oin pic.twitter.com/dD2WdVpPkf
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 17, 2021
U.S. airline passenger traffic fell last year to lowest number since 1984 – DOT https://t.co/e2iNndCmqk pic.twitter.com/c21YJITdYM
— Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) February 16, 2021
Three sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt have tested positive for the coronavirus, Navy officials said Monday, marking the second outbreak at sea on the ship within a year.
https://t.co/kpDib4GABn— Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) February 16, 2021
EISENHOWER becomes the first Carrier Strike Group to be vaccinated ahead of deployment https://t.co/BKW8pZiSrb
— Chris Cavas (@CavasShips) February 15, 2021
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In the lab: Scientists are developing a highly sensitive antibody test for all known coronaviruses that infect humans, including new SARSCoV2 variants. The work is underway at the Center for Infection & Immunity at Columbia Univ & SunYat-Sen Univ in China https://t.co/cwCiTsI67U pic.twitter.com/eS4efRoys2
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 16, 2021
Today’s #COVID19 headlines:
A UK trial in which healthy volunteers will be deliberately exposed to the coronavirus to test vaccines and treatments will start in the next few weeks after receiving ethics approval. https://t.co/Z3066Obthr
— New Scientist (@newscientist) February 17, 2021
Covid-linked syndrome in children is growing and cases are more severe. The condition, which usually emerges several weeks after infection, is still rare, but can be dangerous. “A higher percentage of them are really critically ill,” one doctor said https://t.co/pAdcqrV6RI
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 16, 2021
I’m no expert, but it seems like certain hospital bureaucracies might be using the threat of shortages to save money, despite the risk to their employees…
Former Trump CDC official says despite large stockpiles, “We are forcing our healthcare industry to reuse sanitized N95s or even worse, wear one N95 all day long.” https://t.co/dmzJrsG5jQ
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 16, 2021
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Latinos, who have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, are facing daunting barriers to getting vaccinated. Many struggle with state vaccine websites that don’t have Spanish instructions and are unable to find appointments in their communities. https://t.co/lTJPoyFBu1
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 16, 2021
Grocery workers are exposed to hundreds of customers a day, but many have no idea when they might be eligible for COVID-19 vaccines. Only 13 U.S. states are currently allowing them to sign up. https://t.co/Jmfd3r3a7C
— AP Business News (@APBusiness) February 16, 2021
Tatum is a 22-year-old NBA all-star. https://t.co/ivC7ecE9mW
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) February 16, 2021
How the pandemic has upended the annual migration of Canada’s snowbirds https://t.co/cweDmyKeCz
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 16, 2021
New York attorney general sues Amazon over COVID-19 shortfalls https://t.co/OxhnGo8kei pic.twitter.com/HHICgKy20F
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 17, 2021
Schadenfreude –
“It’s actually one of the rare instances when the rich can’t cut the line. And they can always cut the line,” said an employee at one high-end medical concierge service https://t.co/2lI90DgeNn
— New York Magazine (@NYMag) February 10, 2021
NeenerNeener
Monroe County, NY yesterday:
New cases = 114. Deaths at 1069, although I expect this to go up
because the available hospital beds is also going up.
Positivity at 2.2%
301 in the hospital, 74 in the ICU
40% hospital beds available, 36% ICU beds available
sab
We got our first shot last week and I feel so fucking selfish to the point of sociopathy. End of next month we will be safe. Not so much my stepkids or my younger relatives. Woohoo but sorry.
Started to reread the Decameron. Tales in plague time. Everyone telling tales had to justify why they were there in the safe country and not back home caring for sick relatives.
Mary G
Numbers going down in the OC almost faster than they went up. Only 369 new cases yesterday and positivity rate dropped from 9.7% to 7.8%. Hospitalizations down to below the top of the original y axis that was increased over and over. ICU beds available 15.3%. Very happy it looks like not many Super Bowl spreader events happened.
As usual where there are old people, there are grifters:
Amir Khalid
Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 numbers. Director-General of Health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah reports 2,720 new cases today in his media statement, for a cumulative reported total of 272,163 cases. He also reports 22 new deaths today for a cumulative total of 1,005 deaths — 0.37% of the cumulative reported total, 0.44% of resolved cases.
There are currently 41,396 active and contagious cases; 231 are in ICU, 115 of them intubated. Meanwhile, 5,709 patients recovered and were discharged, for a cumulative total of 229,762 patients recovered – 84.4% of the cumulative reported total.
13 new clusters were reported today: Jalan Emas building site, Section One building site, Jalan Rawang, Jalan Subang, and Jalan DC in Selangor; Jalan Perindustrian Murni, Senai Murni Empat, Jalan Persiaran Cyber, and Jalan Paya Manis in Johor; Pulau Rusa in Terengganu; Industri Tekstil Nilai in Negeri Sembilan; Jalan Sultan building site in Kuala Lumpur; and Jan Yong in Sarawak.
Jan Yong is a community cluster. Jalan DC and Jalan Paya Manis are high-risk group clusters. The rest are all workplace clusters.
2,991 new cases today are local infections. Selangor reports 1,382 cases: 627 in older clusters; 82 in Jalan Emas building site, Section One building site, Jalan Rawang, Jalan Subang, and Jalan DC clusters; 383 close-contact screenings; and 290 other screenings. Johor reports 436 cases: 60 in older clusters; 82 in Jalan Perindustrian Murni, Senai Murni Empat, Jalan Persiaran Cyber, and Jalan Paya Manis clusters; 84 close-contact screenings; and 117 other screenings. Negeri Sembilan reports 233 cases: 141 in older clusters, 49 in Industri Tekstil Nilai cluster, 18 close-contact screenings, and 25 other screenings. Kuala Lumpur reports 220 local cases: 19 in older clusters, 117 in Jalan Sultan building site cluster, 16 close-contact screenings, and 68 other screenings. Sarawak reports 200 cases: 65 in older clusters, 14 in Jan Yong cluster, seven close-contact screenings, and 114 other screenings.
Perak reports 99 cases: 67 in existing clusters, 12 close-contact screenings, and 20 other screenings. Sabah reports 94 cases: 19 in existing clusters, 54 close-contact screenings, and 21 other screenings. Penang reports 92 cases: 29 in existing clusters, 29 close-contact screenings, and 34 other screenings. Terengganu reports 91 cases: six in older clusters, one in Pulau Rusa cluster, eight close-contact screenings, and 76 other screenings. Kelantan reports 71 local cases: 48 in existing clusters, 13 close-contact screenings, and 10 other screenings. Kedah reports 36 cases: 19 in existing clusters, four close-contact screenings, and 13 other screenings.
Melaka reports 20 cases: 11 in existing clusters, six close-contact screenings, and three other screenings. Pahang reports 14 cases: two in existing clusters, six close-contact screenings, and six other screenings. Putrajaya reports two cases: one close-contact screening, and one other screening. And Labuan reports one case, found in other screening.
Perlis reports no new cases today.
Seven new cases are imported: six in Kuala Lumpur, one in Kelantan.
The deaths reported today are a 41-year-old woman in Perak with diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis; a 60-year-old man in Selangor with diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, obesity, and chronic kidney disease; a 73-year-old man in Sabah with diabetea, chronic kidney disease, dyslipidaemia, and gout; a 69-year-old man in Selangor with no co-morbidities listed; an 88-year-old womanin Perak with dyslipidaemia; a 48-year-old man in Sabah with no co-morbidities listed; a 72-year-old man in Selangor with hypertension; a 65-year-old woman in Selangor with hypertension and heart disease; an 84-year-old woman in Sabah with diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidaemia; an 83-year-old woman in Selangor with no co-morbidities listed; a 63-year-old man in Kuals Lumpur with hypertension and stroke; a 77-year-old woman in Kedah with diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease; a 71-year-old woman in Selangor with diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease; an 82-year-old man in Sabah with diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and heart disease; a 73-year-old man in Sarawak, DOA with hypertension; a 55-year-old man in Kuala Lumpur with diabetes, hypertension, tuberculosis, heart disease, and chronic kidney disease; a 100-year-old man in Selangor with hupertension and asthma; an 81-year-old man in Kuala Lumpur with heart disease and stroke; a 49-year-old woman inKuala Lumpur with diabetes; a 66-year-old man in Johor with hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and deep-vein thrombosis; a 49-year-old man in Negeri Sembilan with hypertension; and a 75-year-old man in Sarawak with diabetes, htpertension, heart disease, and chronic kidney disease.
OzarkHillbilly
Guess you’ll just have to stand in line along with the rest of us peons.
Percysowner
@OzarkHillbilly: Probably the first time in her life that “wanting to talk to your manager” hasn’t worked.
Last week my doctor’s health network finally opened up vaccination appointments on Monday and Tuesday of this week. I grabbed a Monday slot and boy am I glad I did. By the time I left, they were calling all the Tuesday appointments and moving them to a later date. I’m in Central Ohio so, we’re used to snow and cold, but even we got shut down for a while.
On the up side I now have my first shot and I go in on March 15 for my second dose.
OzarkHillbilly
FTFT, They will definitely be getting a bill.
Amir Khalid
@OzarkHillbilly:
In Georgina’s world, being rich doesn’t just mean you should be able to buy yourself preferential treatment, it means you deserve it.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
I will say again, when they call you an “Essential Worker” in this, it means they consider your life expendable.
Sloane Ranger
Yesterday in the UK we had 10,625 new cases. This is an increase of about 900 from the day before but a decrease in the rolling 7-day average of 27.8%. Monday’s case numbers were probably still being affected by the weekend reporting delays. New cases by nation,
England – 9236 (up @600)
Northern Ireland – 341 (up @110)
Scotland – 773 (up @220)
Wales – 275 (down @90).
Deaths – There were 799 new deaths within 28 days of a positive test yesterday. This is a decrease of 25.6% in the rolling 7-day average. New deaths by nation, England – 733, Northern Ireland – 9, Scotland – 49 and Wales – 8. On 5 February, 521 people had COVID mentioned as a cause of death of their Death Certificates (other causes may also have been listed). 493 were in England, 0 in Northern Ireland, 6 in Scotland and 22 in Wales.
Testing – 457,144 tests were conducted on Monday, 15th February out of a capacity of 780,347. This is a decrease of 12.3% in the rolling 7-day average.
Hospitalisations – On Sunday, 14 February 21,001 people were in hospital and 2805 people were on ventilators on Monday, 15th. There has been a decrease in the rolling 7-day average in hospital admissions of 25.4% as of 12th February.
Vaccinations – As of 15th February, 15,576,107 people had received their 1st shot of a vaccine and 546,165 had received both shots.
General – Nicola Sturgeon announced yesterday that there will be a phrased return to in-person learning in Scotland beginning next Monday. Years 1 – 3, (ages, 5, 6 and 7) will return on Monday as well as a limited number of others whose course of study requires practical work, but no others until mid-March at least so there is time to see what the effects of this limited return are.
YY_Sima Qian
On 2/16 China reported 0 new domestic confirmed & 0 new domestic asymptomatic cases.
Hebei Province
Hebei Provincial Health Commission did not report any new domestic positive cases. There are currently 153 domestic confirmed cases (134 moderate and 19 mild) & 9 domestic asymptomatic cases in the province:
Heilongjiang Province
Heilongjiang Provincial Health Commission reported that 26 domestic confirmed cases recovered & 20 domestic asymptomatic cases were released from isolation. There are currently 49 domestic confirmed (36 moderate and 13 mild) & 62 domestic asymptomatic cases in the province.:
Jilin Province
Jilin Provincial Heath Commission reported that 8 domestic confirmed cases recovered. There are currently 88 domestic confirmed (2 critical, 6 serious, 58 moderate and 22 mild) & 5 domestic asymptomatic cases:
Imported Cases
On 2/16 China reported 7 new imported confirmed cases, 6 imported asymptomatic cases, 5 imported suspect cases:
Overall in China, 48 confirmed cases recovered, 18 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation and 2 were reclassified as confirmed cases, and 828 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 605 active confirmed cases in the country (234 imported), 10 are in critical/serious condition (2 imported), 387 asymptomatic cases (286 imported), 6 suspect case (imported). 9,643 traced contacts are currently under centralized quarantine.
On 2/17 Hong Kong reported 16 new cases, 4 imported & 12 domestic (10 of whom do not yet have source of infection identified). There are another 10+ cases preliminarily positive, awaiting retesting for confirmation.
bluefoot
@OzarkHillbilly:
@Enhanced Voting Techniques:
This is so enraging. Nurses, groerystore workers, ANYONE who is essential or public-facing should be first in line to get the vaccine, and should be able to get PPE needed and as per best practices for their jobs.
This last year has really made me start hating people.
dnfree
@Amir Khalid: I read your reports every day and I’m amazed at the level of detail. Maybe it’s just me, but I see nothing like that here. The rural Illinois county where I used to live will just say something like “Two deaths today, a man in his 70s and a woman in her 60s.” And where I live now, a much more populous collar county of Chicago, we don’t even see that much, just the number of deaths. I know the public doesn’t necessarily need those details of other health issues to protect privacy, but I hope someone in charge in the US is getting this level of information.
susanna
Thank you, Anne Laurie!
Robert Sneddon
Great explainer of how vaccines work at XKCD today.
LongHairedWeirdo
John Oliver had a great riff on this, too. “Well, which is it, man? Airtight, and almost airtight, is the difference between a submarine, and a cool metal tube to die in!”