Vaccinated Americans don’t need a mask most of the time, CDC says

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wanted to avoid its new mask guidance leaking ahead of time, Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said Thursday.

The CDC announced Thursday that people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 no longer need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors, in most circumstances.

In response to reports that the White House did not have much advance warning that the CDC was planning to update its guidance today, Collins said, “Well, it apparently was the case that the CDC was making this decision and didn’t want to have any big sort of leaking happen, so this is sometimes the way things go.”

White House officials, like many Americans around the nation, seemed to embrace the new guidance, Collins noted.

“It’s clearly electrified the country,” Collins added. “The White House played a pretty good role in that by changing their schedule and having the President and the vice president come right on out without their masks into the Rose Garden, to indicate – in a very photogenic way – what’s happened.”

Bill Maher, the host of HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” has tested positive for coronavirus, the show announced in a tweet Thursday evening. 

“Bill tested positive during weekly staff PCR testing for COVID,” the show announced. “He is fully vaccinated and as a result is asymptomatic and feels fine.” 

Due to Maher’s positive test result, the show’s taping scheduled for Friday has been canceled and will be rescheduled at a later date, the show said. 

“Real Time production has taken every precaution following COVID CDC guidelines,” the show said. “No other staff or crew members have tested positive at this time.”

CNN has reached out to HBO for comment. HBO is owned by WarnerMedia, the parent company of CNN.

The CDC’s guidance that fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear masks indoors is being adopted by Nevada, including in the state’s casinos.

“The updated guidance on masks issued today by the CDC is effective immediately in Nevada,” the governor’s office announced Thursday.

Gov. Steve Sisolak signed a measure on May 3 ordering that the state’s mask mandate must mirror CDC guidelines, and his office confirmed that this directive includes the agency’s recommendations issued Thursday.

The state’s critical gaming industry – whose major Vegas casino floors were allowed to return to 100% capacity just this month – also will be allowed to let their guests to go without masks if they choose.

Michael Lawton with the Nevada Gaming Control Board tells CNN, “The Board neither requires nor prohibits gaming licensees from confirming patron vaccination status. Licensees are encouraged to post signage with the latest CDC mask guidance for vaccinated and unvaccinated guests.”

The board says casinos are allowed to have tighter mask restrictions than what the CDC recommends for their guests and employees.

CNN has reached out to MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment and Wynn.

National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins said he’s smiling and he hopes new mask guidance for vaccinated people will encourage more Americans to get immunized.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 no longer need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors in most circumstances.

“We should all feel really good about this, but we’re not at the end of this story,” Collins told CNN’s Erin Burnett. “There’s still a lot of people who haven’t gotten that first shot. I hope this will encourage them to see this as a wonderful opportunity to be liberated, as I now am.”

Collins said he is enjoying the freedom of not having to wear a mask.

“I got no mask on. I’m smiling. I’m looking at other people’s faces I haven’t seen in a while,” he said.

Collins encouraged those who still have not received the Covid-19 vaccine to get vaccinated.

“This is something we all were hoping for and we are here, but we’ve got to get here together, which means get everybody on board, with signing up, rolling up your sleeve. If you haven’t done that yet, you’re going to want to do it now,” he said.

The indoor mask mandate in North Carolina will remain in effect while the state reviews new guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to Dory MacMillan, Gov. Roy Cooper’s press secretary.

“The CDC announcement today on masks shows the important benefits of vaccinations. North Carolina two weeks ago removed the outdoor mask mandate, but the indoor mask mandate remains in effect while state health officials review the specific CDC recommendations,” MacMillan said.

The CDC announced Thursday that people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 do not need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors, except under certain circumstances.

Disney welcomed new guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on mask and social distancing for fully vaccinated people, calling it “extremely positive news.”

“Today’s guidance from the CDC allowing fully vaccinated individuals to remove masks and the removal of physical distancing requirements is extremely positive news and as soon as is practical we will implement updated guidelines across our businesses,” a Disney spokesperson said.

On Thursday, the CDC announced that people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 do not need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors, except under certain circumstances.

Washington state – where the first Covid-19 case inside the United States was diagnosed – is expected to drop its economic restrictions June 30, the governor announced Thursday.

“We have more work to do, but this should give us a good path forward to reopen our state,” Gov. Jay Inslee said in a news conference.

The governor said the state economic reopening will happen even sooner if at least 70% of residents 16 years of age and older get at least one vaccine dose before the deadline. The only circumstance that could delay the reopening past June is the unlikely event that intensive care capacity reaches 90%.

Inslee also announced that the state will change its mask mandate to align with guidance issued Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Businesses will no longer be required to demand mask wearing of people who are fully vaccinated. Exceptions will be made for medical settings, prisons, schools, and public transportation.

“Our hope is that it will increase people’s interest in fighting Covid because it will give people an additional incentive to get vaccinated,” said Inslee. “This is lifesaving. It’s free. What’s not to like?”

The governor said the state currently does not plan to require businesses to check the vaccination status of their customers, but businesses will have the right to do so if they choose.

New York City is reviewing the new mask guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, citing the importance of masks in schools, public transportation, health care and congregate settings, Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement Thursday.

He called it “a monumental day in the fight against COVID,” noting the importance of getting vaccinated.

“But the message is clear: vaccinations are the way to bring our city, our lives, back,” de Blasio added. “Get vaccinated. It’s safe, effective and millions of your neighbors have been vaccinated already. We have come so far—now we will reach the finish line together.”

Children too young to be vaccinated will still have to wear masks when they are indoors and around others, even if older kids and adults are free to take off face protection once they are fully vaccinated, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday.

“The children do, when they’re out there playing with their friends and, you know, particularly in an indoor situation they do,” Fauci told CNN’s Jake Tapper.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that fully vaccinated people can feel free to take off face masks in most situations, as they are very safe from becoming infected and from infecting others with coronavirus.

“But, you know, one of the things that’s also important, that’s happened most recently, is the approval of vaccines for children 12 to 15 years old,” added Fauci, who is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The CDC signed off on using vaccines in that age group Wednesday.

And vaccine makers are also testing vaccines in younger children – in groups such as 6-9-year-olds, 2-6-year-olds and infants and toddlers, Fauci said. They’ll soon ask the US Food and Drug Administration to authorize or approve vaccinating those younger age groups.

“Then by the end of the year we hope to vaccinate anybody. Right now, the 12- to 15-year-olds can get vaccinated by the Pfizer vaccine,” Fauci said.

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More than 266 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in the US, according to data published Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The CDC reported 266,596,486 total doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered – about 78.6% of the 339,165,445 doses distributed. 

That’s about 1.9 million more doses reported administered since Wednesday, for a seven-day average of about 2,088,962 doses a day.

The data shows that more than 154 million people have received at least one vaccine dose and 118 million have now been fully vaccinated.

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

It’s going to be hard to tell who is vaccinated and free to go into stores, schools and other sites without a mask – and so some organizations may keep mask mandates, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said early Thursday that fully vaccinated people should feel free to take off masks for most activities, even indoors and in crowds.

Asked how store owners and others will know whether their customers are safe without masks, Fauci said it will be difficult. 

“They will not be able to know. I mean, you’re going to be depending on people being honest enough to say whether they were vaccinated or not and responsible enough to be wearing… a mask, not only for their own protection, but also for the protection of others,” Fauci told CNN’s Jake Tapper.

“And by the way, even though we will not be… mandating vaccine passports from the federal level there are going to be instances … there are going to be institutions, clearly, that are going to be saying — and that could be airlines, we know certain colleges are also saying, if you’re not vaccinated, you’re not going to come on campus to classes in real time,” Fauci added.

“There are going to be some institutions that might be saying the same thing. So although the federal government wouldn’t be mandating to have a passport, proving you’re vaccinated, there may be organizations that will do that.”

In other circumstances, Fauci said, there’s little need to police behavior. “So the situation has changed, so there’s no reason at all for storekeepers to have people who have accidentally walked in without a mask, I mean, there’s no reason not to have that at all,” said Fauci, who is a senior adviser to the White House and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“People feel very put upon if you are essentially judging them on the basis of whether they have been vaccinated,” Fauci added. “I think there is going to be a pushback against questioning somebody when they walk in.”

The people at risk will be those who have not been immunized, he said. “If you drop the mask mandate then you may have an increase in infection among those that are not vaccinated.”

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The CDC has joined the FDA in recommending the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine to 12- to 15-year-olds, opening up nearly 17 million more Americans eligible to be vaccinated.

CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta answered your questions about the latest US vaccination news and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated mask guidance that mostly loosens mask restrictions for fully vaccinated people.

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The coronavirus pandemic isn’t over yet, but Thursday’s updated guidance for fully vaccinated people is a major step in the right direction, Dr. Anthony Fauci said. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 no longer need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors, in most circumstances.

The US is now one step closer to a return to normal life, Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN’s Jake Tapper. 

“Being able to go around without a mask, indoors as well as outdoors, is really a big step in that direction,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to declare victory prematurely, but I’m saying this is clearly a step in the direction that we want to go.”

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told CNN she is not changing the rule requiring masks on the House floor following updated guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on masks and social distancing.

“No,” Pelosi said, then asked, “Are they all vaccinated?”

Some background: The CDC announced today people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 do not need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors, except under certain circumstances.

“If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a White House Covid-19 briefing. “We have all longed for this moment when we can get back to some sense of normalcy.”

The Australian government said it is in talks with Moderna to produce its Covid-19 vaccine domestically, Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Thursday.

In a statement, Hunt said that the government is in discussions with Moderna to establish a manufacturing facility in Australia using mRNA technology.

“Onshore manufacturing would ensure a secure, long-term supply of Moderna’s mRNA-based vaccines,” Hunt said.

This comes after Australia purchased 25 million doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, including 10 million doses to be delivered this year and 15 million doses of booster shots in 2022.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey called the latest guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on masks and social distancing “common sense.”

“Finally, we are seeing some encouraging, common sense guidance from the CDC. Alabama certainly welcomes this good news that fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear masks or maintain social distancing inside or outside, regardless of size,” Ivey said in a statement.

“We Alabamians have already embraced this idea, and I am glad the CDC has made it official. Aside from the COVID-19 vaccine being safe and effective, it is also allowing us to do the things we love and enjoy. Alabama is open for business. Alabama classrooms are open for students. Y’all, Alabamians are getting back to living. So, Alabama, roll up your sleeves and get the vaccine!” she continued.

Ivey dropped the mandatory mask mandate in the state in April. 

The Biden administration’s transportation mask mandate will stay in place through Sept.13, Transportation Security Administration spokesperson Lisa Farbstein tells CNN, despite new US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines on wearing masks indoors.

The move, some fear, could tee up more fights over mask rules on commercial flights. The Federal Aviation Administration has received more than 1,300 reports of unruly passengers on flights in the last three months, a significant uptick according to the agency. 

Earlier Thursday, the CDC director announced new guidance that people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 do not need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors, except under special circumstances.

“If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a White House Covid-19 Response Team briefing. “We have all longed for this moment when we can get back to some sense of normalcy.”

President Biden praised the updated US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mask guidelines for vaccinated people, but urged those who are not yet fully vaccinated to continue wearing their masks to protect themselves.

“Look, we’ve gotten this far. Please protect yourself until you get to the finish line because as great as this announcement is today, we don’t want to let up,” Biden said. “We all know how tough this virus has been. The safest thing for the country is for everyone to get vaccinated. And getting vaccinated is easier than ever.”

The President also used a part of his remarks to make a clear distinction between what fully vaccinated people can do and what those who are no fully vaccinated cannot do with regards to mask-wearing.

“Now, I want to be clear about what the CDC is saying. And what the CDC is not saying. The CDC is saying that it’s concluded that fully vaccinated people are at a very, very low risk of getting Covid-19,” Biden said.

“Therefore, if you have been fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask. Let me repeat, if you are fully vaccinated you no longer need to wear a mask. But if you have not been vaccinated or if the you’re getting a two-shot vaccine and you only had your first shot, but not your second, or you haven’t waited the full two weeks after your second shot, you still need to wear a mask,” he continued.

“Get vaccinated or wear a mask until you do. It’s vaccinated or mask,” the President said. “Get vaccinated.” 

Biden thanked the American people, and once again expressed sympathy for those who lost loved ones to Covid-19, using his now familiar phrase: “A day will come when the memory of the loved one you lost will bring a smile to your lives before it brings a tear to your eye.” 

The President said he and the vice president were “pleased,” but “we’re not surprised.” 

“Pleased but not surprised, because the simple truth is this: the American people have never, ever, ever, ever let their country down,” he said. 

CNN’s Nikki Carvajal contributed reporting to this post.

President Biden praised the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated mask guidance that mostly loosens mask restrictions for fully vaccinated people, calling it a “great milestone.”

“I think it’s a great milestone, a great day. It’s been made possible by the extraordinary success we have had in vaccinating so many Americans, so quickly,” he said.

Biden went on to recognize the efforts of doctors, physicians and many more in the health care industry who have worked swiftly to vaccinate Americans.

“Over the past 114 days, our vaccination program has led the world and that’s due to the incredible hard work of so many people,” he said. “The scientists and researchers, the drug companies, the National Guard, the US Military, FEMA, the nation’s governors, doctors, nurses, pharmacists. Everyone who has moved heaven and Earth to get as many shots into arms of as many Americans as possible. It’s truly been an all hands on deck for the country effort.”

President Biden is delivering remarks on his Covid-19 response after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 do not need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors, except under certain circumstances.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky called it an “exciting and powerful moment” and said the science supports the updated CDC guidance.

Read more about the new guidance here.

CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen said she was surprised to hear the updated recommendation from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that vaccinated Americans can largely end mask use.

“Frankly, I was shocked by this announcement. I think they went from one extreme to another,” said Wen, former Baltimore City health commissioner. “And the major step that’s missing here is how do we know that people are telling the truth?”

While Wen said she was pleased to hear a strong message on the effectiveness of vaccines, she said the guidance may be more confusing than clear-cut.  

“If you’re go to the grocery store, maybe you’re fully vaccinated … but who is going to be checking to see if others are also vaccinated? So what does that mean if I’m bringing my son — my 4-year-old, who is not fully vaccinated — now he’s going to be in a grocery store potentially exposed to people who are not vaccinated, who could be of danger to him. And so I guess I am kind of befuddled as to where this guidance came from. I think there are a lot of steps that are missing,” Wen said. 

She said that she thinks the “right incentive” needs to be in place.

“If now we’re saying you can do whatever you want, we’re not going to check whether you’re vaccinated, then what’s in it for people to get vaccinated?” she asked.

In a newly released statement, Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who had criticized the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this week, praised the updated mask guidance. 

The CDC on Thursday issued new guidance that people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 do not need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors, except under special circumstances.

“Today’s announcement on masks, while overdue, is certainly a step in the right direction, and I am pleased to see the CDC finally take action to align its guidance with the recommendations of scientific experts,” Collins said in the statement. 

Some other senators voted without masks following the CDC announcement, but most wore them. 

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The White House emailed staffers and told them they no longer have to wear a mask on the grounds anymore if they are vaccinated, according to an official. 

The news comes after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance Thursday that people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 do not need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors, except under special circumstances.

The decision to tell fully vaccinated people they can take off the face mask under most circumstances came after several events, the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

“Several things have happened in the last two weeks,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky told a White House Covid-19 briefing.

“In the last two weeks, the cases in this country have dropped by a third. In the last two weeks, we’ve had increasingly available vaccine, and we now have available and eligible people between the ages of 12 and 15. And we have had a coalescence of more science that has emerged just in the last week,” she added.

“The science has been three areas. One is the effectiveness of the vaccines in general and in a real-world population. One is the effectiveness against variants, which was just published last week, and then the effectiveness in preventing transmissibility.”

Denmark plans to burn millions of dead mink that have been excavated from mass graves over concerns the carcasses could pollute nearby waterbeds, Danish state broadcaster TV2 reports.

Around four million mink were culled in the autumn and buried in military grounds over concerns the animals could spread Covid-19 after the virus was found on more than 200 mink farms.  

Subsequently, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency said that nearby watersheds could be polluted by the mass graves. After six months in the ground, authorities expect the carcasses no longer pose a risk of infection of the virus. Excavated mink from graves in Jutland will go to 13 incineration plants throughout Denmark later this month and the last mink is expected to be burned in mid-July. 

One plant is carrying out test incinerations on what they say is an “unusual task” in order to check the “process,” to see how “easily the waste burns” and also to determine the best way to handle the carcasses.” 

In a statement, the Maabjerg Energy Center said the waste “consists of a mixture of soil, mink and lime, and we do not yet know the exact composition. Therefore, we also do not know how easily the waste burns.” 

Some Danes have expressed concern about the potential odor, which the Maabjerg Energy Center says could be a problem especially during transporting and unloading the mink.

“We have updated the extraction system, so we are as prepared as possible. The actual combustion and smoke from the plant will not smell, as the high temperatures in the combustion process neutralize odours,” it says. 

UK cases of the Covid-19 variant first detected in India have risen from 520 to 1,313 cases this week, according to Public Health England (PHE).  

Health authorities say they plan to implement “additional control measures,” including rapid testing and tracing, in areas where there is increased spread.

The Indian variant was named a “variant of concern” by the UK last week after a rise in cases. The variant has spread most across the North West and in London, where measures such as mobile testing, door-to-door testing and vaccine buses, PHE said in a statement on Thursday. 

“We need to act collectively and responsibly to ensure that variants do not impact on the progress we have all made to drive down levels of Covid-19 and the increased freedom that brings,” said Dr. Susan Hopkins, Covid-19 strategic response director at PHE.

England enters phase two of its plan to lift restrictions on Monday, under which indoor dining will reopen.

There’s nothing wrong with vaccinated people who still want to wear masks, despite the updated guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Anthony Fauci said.

“People have to make their own personal choice. What you heard from [CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky] is the recommendation based on science, and that’s just a recommendation. And when people want to do that, they at least have the science behind them,” said Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the chief medical advisor to President Biden.

“There are those people who don’t want to take that bit of a risk, and there’s nothing wrong with that, and they shouldn’t be criticized,” he added.

Walensky agreed, saying that “people have to make these decisions based on their own comfort.” 

“As a rule, we are anti-side-eyeing,” Andy Slavitt, a senior adviser to the White House Covid-19 response team, said.

Travelers will still have to wear masks while on public transportation, the director of US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

In April, the Transportation Security Administration’s mask mandate for all travelers in airports, airplanes, terminals, trains, buses and boats was extended until Sept. 13.

The CDC will continue to update guidance, she said.

The director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reiterated that unvaccinated Americans should continue to wear masks and practice social distancing, encouraging them to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

“The science is also very clear about unvaccinated people. You remain at risk of mild or severe illness, of death, or spreading the disease to others. You should still mask, and you should get vaccinated right away,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky said.

Walensky added that if Covid-19 conditions worsen in the US, today’s new mask guidance for fully vaccinated people could be rolled back.

“We know that the more people are vaccinated, the less cases we will have and the less chance of a new spike or additional variants emerging,” she said.

Calling it “an exciting and powerful moment,” the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 do not need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors, except under special circumstances.

She said the science supports the new recommendation that “anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities – large or small – without wearing a mask or physically distancing.”

Walensky’s announcement has a few caveats. She warned that people who are immune compromised should speak with their doctors before giving up their masks.

She also said that “the past year has shown us that this virus can be unpredictable, so if things get worse, there is always a chance we may need to make change to the recommendations.” 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to issue new guidance on indoors mask-wearing for vaccinated people, according to a source familiar with the plans. 

Earlier this week, officials said they were not anticipating the CDC to issue new guidance for fully vaccinated people this week.

But the CDC is now expected to cite new studies about how vaccinated people should or should not take precautions.  

The new guidance comes as top federal health officials have been under increasing pressure from lawmakers and public health experts to adjust the agency’s conservative guidance. Governors pleaded with President Biden earlier this week to model the perks of getting vaccinated. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has had an outsized effect on Hispanic adults when compared to Black and White adults, according to research published Thursday from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Among those surveyed, Hispanic adults were more likely than either Black adults or White adults to say they or someone in their household has tested positive for Covid-19 or that a family member or close friend has died from Covid-19.

More than two-thirds of Hispanic adults reported they were worried that they or someone in their family would get sick from Covid-19. This number rose to 89% in potentially undocumented Hispanic adults.

Data were collected from interviews with 778 Hispanic adults as part of KFF’s ongoing Covid-19 Vaccine Monitor.

Hispanic adults also expressed a greater desire to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Just under half of Hispanic adults surveyed had received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, compared to 51% of Black adults and 60% of White adults.

Of those who had not yet begun vaccination, 17% of Hispanic adults said they wanted to get a vaccine as soon as possible — more than the percentage for either Black or White adults. Hispanic adults had the smallest percentage of any group who said they would “definitely not” receive a vaccine.

A majority of unvaccinated Hispanic adults were concerned about missing work due to vaccine side-effects, and more than half were worried about paying for the vaccine, although the Covid-19 vaccines are all being provided at no cost to recipients.

Researchers said vaccination gaps in Hispanic communities may be driven by concerns like this and by documentation barriers. More than 40% of Hispanic adults were asked to provide government identification when making an appointment, 32% were asked for health insurance information, and 14% were asked for a social security number.

“While the vaccines are available to all adults regardless of their insurance or immigration status, many Hispanic adults who have been vaccinated say they were asked for their health insurance information or a government-issued ID,” said Samantha Artiga, a KFF vice president and director of the racial equity and health policy program. “That can pose barriers for many, particularly those who are uninsured or are potentially undocumented immigrants.”

Hispanic adults who were younger, less educated, or Republican reported the greatest amount of vaccine hesitancy, with 15% of Republican Hispanic adults saying they would “definitely not” receive an available vaccine.

Black, Hispanic and Asian people are still not getting vaccinated at the same rates as White people, data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. 

CDC data shows these groups represent a smaller share of people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 than their share of the US population overall.

Black people account for 8.5% of those fully vaccinated, but 12.4% of the total US population, and Hispanic people represent 11% of those fully vaccinated, although they make up 17% of the US population. The gap among Asian people is smaller, accounting for 5.3% of those fully vaccinated compared to 5.8% of the population. 

But non-Hispanic White people are notably overrepresented among those fully vaccinated. White people make up 61.2% of the US population, but 65.8% of those fully vaccinated. American Indian and Alaska Native people are also slightly overrepresented among those fully vaccinated, CDC data shows. 

This data is notably incomplete – race and ethnicity is known for less than two-thirds of people who are fully vaccinated – but the disparities have persisted. 

A month ago, vaccination coverage among White people was more than double that among Hispanic people and more than 75% higher than among Black people. That gap has started to close, but as of Wednesday, CDC data shows that the share of White people who are fully vaccinated is still about 66% higher than the share of Hispanic people who are fully vaccinated and 56% higher than the share of Black people who are fully vaccinated. 

Over the past two weeks, Hispanic people have been overrepresented in the share of people initiating vaccination, helping to close that gap. But Black people remain underrepresented, accounting for only about one in 10 people getting a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom will set aside $4 billion “the largest small business grant program in the country,” part of his pandemic recovery spending plan, he announced Thursday morning.

Newsom said the $4 billion infusion will include $1.5 billion in Covid-19 relief grants under his “California Comeback Plan,” allowing the Golden State to come “roaring back.”

“California is enjoying a $75.7 billion operation surplus,” he said during a virtual California Chamber of Commerce breakfast in Sacramento. “It’s never been stated or said by any governor in American history, let alone California,” boasting about the money that will go toward the state’s recovery.

The surplus, along with federal government money, will provide an opportunity to reimagine and reinvigorate the economy and get people back on their feet, he said optimistically. 

“It’s the resilience of our small business men and women, those that put everything out on the line, make a go of it, that create jobs and are the real economic engine of the prosperity that we are now enjoying in this state,” Newsom said.  

The money will go to current and new small business grant programs, ports, tax credit enhancements, including for the film industry.

“It’s the entrepreneurial spirit that makes this state great,” Newsom said, fondly remembering that his own small business venture led him to politics. 

The latest numbers: The state’s low Covid-19 positivity rate and its high vaccination rates are a sign that the state is on its way to a June 15 reopening, the governor said. His weeklong rollout of the spending plan includes monies focused on homelessness, drought response, public education, and stimulus checks for residents.

“We talk about a light at the end of the tunnel, I don’t see light at the end of the tunnel, I see bright light at the end of the tunnel. California is coming roaring back,” he said.

Most children infected with Covid-19 do not show typical symptoms, which means it may be difficult to find and diagnose them, researchers reported Thursday. 

A team at the University of Alabama at Birmingham examined data from 12,306 children in the US with lab-confirmed cases of Covid-19 and found few had typical symptoms.

The team reported that 18.8% of the children exhibited non-specific symptoms, like fever and disturbances in their sense of taste or smell. Just 16.5% of the children exhibited respiratory symptoms, such as cough; 14% showed gastrointestinal symptoms, like nausea, diarrhea and abdominal pain; 8% had rashes or other skin symptoms and 4.8% had headache or other neurological symptoms. 

About 5.3% of the patients were hospitalized. Among those hospitalized, 17.6% needed critical care services and 4.1% needed mechanical ventilation, the team reported in the Nature journal Scientific Reports.

“Overall, our findings suggest that children and adolescents may have a milder course of illness compared with adults with COVID-19,” they wrote.

“Given the high prevalence of non-specific signs and symptoms and the fact that the majority of the patients lacked typical symptoms in our investigation, increased vigilance, innovative screening, and frequent testing is required among school-going children and their immediate contacts,” the report added.

The team noted that the risk of hospitalization was higher among Black and Hispanic children than among White children. These racial disparities have been widely observed among adults and children during the coronavirus pandemic.

While children don’t appear to get as sick from Covid-19 as adults, the researchers said that understanding the symptoms – or lack of symptoms – that children experience when they are infected will help physicians provide appropriate treatment. 

The Biden administration will invest $7.4 billion to recruit and hire public health workers to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic and prepare for future public health challenges, the White House announced Thursday.

The funding includes $4.4 billion to expand public health staffing for the Covid-19 response and support vaccination outreach, contact tracing and outbreak investigations.

It will also invest $3 billion to prepare for future pandemics and create a new program to modernize the public health workforce.

The funds, allocated from the American Rescue Plan, will support the hiring of additional school nurses to help schools reopen safely following the authorization of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for adolescents ages 12-15.

“The funding announced today will allow the United States to expand its public health workforce, creating tens of thousands of jobs to support vaccinations, testing, contact tracing, and community outreach, and strengthen America’s future public health infrastructure,” the White House said in a fact sheet.

The announcement comes as more than 117.6 million people are fully vaccinated, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and as the Biden administration races to get the remaining portion of the population their shots.

Nearly 59% of adults in America have had at least one Covid-19 vaccination, but some Americans are still hesitant about, or resistant to, getting the shot.

The US Food and Drug Administration’s authorization of the Pfizer vaccine for adolescents makes another 5% of the American population eligible for vaccines.

The administration is also looking toward the future and will use part of the funds announced on Thursday to launch the Public Health AmeriCorps to recruit and build out a new workforce to respond to the country’s future public health needs.

The CDC will increase funding for programs like the Epidemic Intelligence Service, a public health workforce that responds to local outbreaks, the Undergraduate Public Health Scholars Program and a fellowship that offers students from underrepresented backgrounds the opportunity to study infectious diseases and health disparities.

The federal health agency will use the funds to expand existing public health laboratory fellowship programs for laboratory science graduates and also implement a new public health internship program to allow undergraduate students to gain experience in public health laboratory settings.

The CDC will also create a new grant program to provide health departments that do not have sufficient resources with support so they can hire staff and allow those who were hired for the Covid-19 pandemic to continue their careers as public health professionals.

Key public health leaders, including former CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden, have said that it is imperative the US and other nations invest in public health infrastructure.

“The sad truth is that pandemics even deadlier than Covid could happen at any point in the future. Failure is an option, but success is possible. We must work together as a world and invest the financial and political capital, supported by technical expertise and effective global, regional, and national institutions, to make sure we are never again caught so unprepared,” Frieden said in a recent op-ed.

The president of the second largest teachers’ union in the US will call for schools to reopen for in-person instruction five days a week, according to prepared remarks for an event on Thursday. 

“There is no doubt: Schools must be open. In person. Five days a week,” Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, plans to say.

CNN obtained an advance copy of Weingarten’s speech from AFT spokesperson Meghan Dooley, which was first reported by the New York Times.

Weingarten will be giving a virtual address Thursday outlining what is being described as her vision for public education as more schools reopen after a school year of closures, remote and hybrid learning.

“It’s not risk-free,” Weingarten will say, and is expected to discuss the various mitigation strategies being taken in school districts across the country to reduce possible transmission and spread of Covid-19 in schools.

Her remarks will come at a time when more US school districts are reopening for full, in-person learning, but not all students are attending. 

More than half of the nation’s K-8 public school districts are open for full in-person learning five days a week, according to the latest data from the US Department of Education. But just 44% of students in grade 4 and 33% of students in grade 8 are actually attending full time school, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress’ (NAEP) latest report.

One of the hurdles many districts have faced in reopening are teachers’ unions, who in some cases threatened to strike if forced to return to teaching in-person.

Weingarten says AFT will give $5 million to its effort to engage with members in a back to school campaign.

“The United States will not be fully back … until we are full back in school. And my union is all in,” Weingarten will say.

She will also address the work that lies ahead with students academically, socially and emotionally, and addressing education inequity that has been exacerbated by the pandemic.

“No one has come through these trying times unscathed,” Weingarten plans to say. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity not only to reopen and recover, but reimagine our schools in a way that every public school is a place where parents want to send their children, educators and support staff want to work and students thrive.”

Weingarten’s address is planned for 11 a.m. ET today.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson admitted Thursday the government is “anxious” about how the Covid-19 variant first identified in India is spreading in the UK. 

But he said he remains “cautiously optimistic” about England’s plan to lift all legal limits on social contact starting June 21, during an on camera interview while on a visit to a school in the north east of England.  

Meanwhile, the prime minister’s official spokesman said Thursday the government’s Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE) will meet to discuss the variant amid growing concerns it could place the June 21 date in jeopardy. 

“Outside of India, the United Kingdom has reported the largest number of cases sequenced as B.1.617 sublineages, and recently designated B.1.617.2 as a national variant of concern,” the World Health Organization said Wednesday

“At the moment there’s a very wide range of scientific opinion about what could happen, but we want to make sure that we take all the prudential, all the cautious steps now that we could take,” Johnson said. 

He added “there are meetings going on today to consider exactly what we need to do. There’s a range of things that we could do, we’re ruling nothing out”.

The PM promised “you’ll be hearing a lot more before the end of the month, about what the world will exactly look like from June 21st”.

“But as I’ve said before, I am cautiously optimistic about that. And provided this Indian variant – B.1.617.2 – doesn’t take off in the way that some people fear, I think certainly things could get back much, much closer to normality.”

UK government minister James Cleverly said earlier on Thursday the government is waiting to take decisions “based on the data and the evidence” provided by SAGE.

“The Prime Minister, the Health Secretary has always been clear that the easing of restrictions which allow us to get back to normality will be done at a pace and in a way which is safe, and we will always be driven by the data,” he told Sky news.

The Indian state of Punjab has decided to join the COVAX facility alliance for global sourcing and procurement of vaccines due to a severe domestic shortage. 

The Punjab government announced the decision Thursday after multiple states had ordered a partial suspension of vaccine programs. 

“Reviewing the vaccination status and availability in the state, the cabinet said it was necessary to source vaccine globally. Since the COVAX facility offers the best prices, the state should make an attempt to join the same for procuring vaccines from the international markets,” read the statement issued by the chief minister’s office. 

The Indian government has exported 66.3 million vaccines to date to countries across the globe, out of which 19.8 million doses were given to the COVAX alliance, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. 

In February, the WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted, “Thanks & Prime Minister @narendramodi for supporting #VaccinEquity. Your commitment to #COVAX and sharing #COVID19 vaccine doses is helping 60+ countries start vaccinating their #healthworkers and other priority groups. I hope other countries will follow your example.”

Punjab has become the first Indian state to apply for relief under the COVAX program even as states like Maharashtra and Karnataka are scrambling to obtain vaccine doses.

While states like New Jersey are offering free beer as an incentive to get vaccinated, five very lucky residents of Ohio can receive $1 million after getting a Covid-19 shot.

The winners of five future lotteries will each win $1 million if they’re vaccinated, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Wednesday. To qualify for the drawings, Ohioans must be at least 18 years old. For 12- to17-year-olds, separate drawings will be held, and the winner of each of those will get a full-ride scholarship.

DeWine said the lottery program is targeted to people still hesitant to get vaccinated, whom he described as “the persuadables” to CNN’s John Berman.

Some critics, like Ohio GOP Rep. Jim Jordan, have derided the announcement. 

DeWine responded:

“I understand criticism, and I explained this to the people of the state of Ohio last night when I announced it. One thing I said was look, I know people are going to say ‘DeWine lost his mind. This is a waste.’ But what I think is a waste is now to have the vaccine that can save people’s lives and to have someone die of the Covid because they did not get vaccinated. That is a horrible, horrible waste. That is what a waste is.” 

Watch:

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on CBS This Morning that people vaccinated against Covid-19 do not need to wear masks outside. 

“We’ve got to make that transition,” Fauci said. “If you are vaccinated, you don’t have to wear a mask outside. It would be a very unusual situation, if you were going into a completely crowded situation where people are essentially falling all over each other, then you wear a mask. But any other time, if you’re vaccinated and you’re outside, put aside your mask. You don’t have to wear it.” 

The CDC said in updated guidance in late April that fully vaccinated people can safely unmask at small outdoor gatherings, but not in crowded settings. 

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Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on CBS This Morning Thursday he’s not so sure Covid-19 vaccines should be required for children to go back to school.

“Whenever you’re talking about requiring something, that’s always a charged issue,” Fauci said on CBS. “I’m not so sure we should be requiring children at all, we should be encouraging them. But you got to be careful when you make a requirement of something, that usually gets you into a lot of pushback, understandable pushback.”

The US Food and Drug Administration extended emergency use authorization for the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to 12-to 15-year-olds on Monday.

On Wednesday, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the agency recommends the use of the vaccine in this age group following an Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meeting.  

For parents who are worried about the long-term effects, Fauci said that “the safety profile is really quite firm and sound,” and highlighted that people have been receiving the vaccine for almost a year now with “no long term effects that anyone could notice.” 

Parents should be given the information that they need, he said. 

“You don’t want to in any manner or form have the parents feel like they’re doing something wrong by questioning,” he said. “I mean, it’s a perfectly normal thing to be concerned about your children and to question. And that’s the reason why you want to get them as much information as you possibly can and be very open and transparent about the information.” 

While children are at less risk for serious infection than adults, “we are starting to see younger people get into serious trouble, again at a very low rate, but serious trouble,” and young people who are infected can inadvertently pass infection to vulnerable people at greater risk for serious disease. 

The Covid-19 pandemic “could have been prevented” if the world had acted sooner, an independent panel appointed by the World Health Organization and headed by former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf found on Wednesday.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Sirleaf said:

The panel found that WHO should have declared an emergency sooner and that urgent actions are now needed to prevent another pandemic. The report also said the current national and international systems in place were “not adequate to protect people from COVID-19” and that February 2020 was “a lost month.”

It added:

The panel urged the international community to prepare for a future outbreak and prevent it from becoming a pandemic. It recommended reforms such as: 

India’s union territory of Delhi, which includes the capital New Delhi, is seeing a decrease in its daily new Covid-19 cases, according to according to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

About 15 days ago, coronavirus cases were rising in Delhi like an incoming “flood” and the positivity rate was up at 35%, Sisodia told reporters at a press conference on Thursday, adding that Delhi was testing between 80,000 to 100,000 people daily and an estimate of 27,000 people were testing positive.

Daily figures from Delhi’s health department show a decrease in daily cases since May 7. On May 7, Delhi reported 19,832 new cases and the numbers have decreased every day since. On May 13, Delhi reported 10,400 new cases.

As cases have declined, Sisodia says the demand for oxygen in Delhi has also dropped.

“We have written to the center now and told them that the surplus can be given to other states in need,” he added.

In the past 24-48 hours, Sisodia said that the Delhi government has only received an SOS call for oxygen from “one hospital or so” and it was instantly arranged.

Sisodia also thanked the central government, the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court.

“With their help, Delhi got sufficient amount of oxygen, although 700 MT was only received one day,” he said. “They came forward to help the people of Delhi and that saved thousands of lives in time.”

Authorities in India’s eastern Bihar state have set up a net across the Ganges River after the bodies of dozens of suspected Covid-19 victims washed ashore.

Dozens of bodies had washed up on the banks of the river in the state’s Buxar district on Monday, as a second Covid-19 wave ravages the country and engulfs its health care system.

The following day, authorities recovered a total of 71 bodies but were unable to determine the cause of death due to heavy decomposition.

“A net has been placed in Ganges in Ranighat, bordering UP (Uttar Pradesh) and Bihar. We’ve advised UP administration to be vigilant; our district admin is keeping vigil too. Advise all to give all respect to those dead, and Maa Ganges (Mother Ganges),” Bihar’s Minister for Water Resources, Sanjay Kumar Jha, said in a series of tweets on Tuesday.

He added that the last rites of the 71 bodies had been performed in line with Covid-19 protocols. Authorities have yet to determine why or how the bodies ended up in the river. 

Jha said a postmortem report confirmed the bodies had been in the water for four to five days.

Bihar’s chief minister, Nitish Kumar, has asked officials to “intensify patrolling to ensure this is not repeated,” according to Jha. 

Buxar borders India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh. According to district officials, based on the condition of the bodies, it is believed they washed downstream from Uttar Pradesh or Uttarakhand.

The Ganges River flows through the northern states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh and turns east into the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and finally into West Bengal where it empties out into the Bay of Bengal.

Thailand reported 2,052 community cases of Covid-19 and 32 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Public Health on Thursday. 

An additional 2,835 people have tested positive at two main prisons in the capital – the Bangkok Remand Prison and Central Women’s Correctional Institute, according to Thailand’s Corrections Department.

The combined number of 4,887 infections announced by the health ministry on Thursday – more than half of which are from the Bangkok prisons – is the largest number of reported infections for Thailand so far. 

CNN cannot yet confirm when the prison cases emerged.

International rights group Human Rights Watch released a statement on Thursday warning Thailand’s “overcrowded prisons and detention facilities are at grave risk from Covid-19 outbreaks.”  

“The Thai government needs to be forthright about the Covid-19 outbreaks in its prison system and how it intends to avoid disastrous consequences for those held,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
“Many people warned the Thai authorities that they needed to act proactively to avoid such a situation, but it seems they got caught sleeping at the switch.”  

More than 300,000 inmates are held in prisons across Thailand. 

New Zealand may open its borders to vaccinated travelers before it has completed its own vaccine rollout, according to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

The Prime Minister did not give a date for the decision but she said it would be built on emerging evidence on how effective vaccines are at stemming transmission as well as symptoms of Covid-19.

New Zealand has fully vaccinated 2.5% of its population so far, according to figures from Our World in Data. The government plans to offer the vaccine to adults of all ages from July.

Currently, only New Zealand citizens, permanent residents and travelers from Australia may enter the country, with few exceptions.

On Monday, New Zealand will open a travel bubble with the Cook Islands, before extending the bubble to the Pacific nation of Niue, Ardern said.

“Beyond that we are relatively open-minded, and I do anticipate there will be other countries we can explore opportunities with,” Ardern said.

Two Indian states and the union territory of Delhi have suspended Covid-19 vaccinations for people aged 18 to 44 due to shortages.

In Delhi, which encompasses the Indian capital of New Delhi, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday tweeted: “We are forced to shut down 100 Covaxin vaccination sites in 17 schools due to no supply.”

He blamed the shortages on “vaccine mismanagement” by the central government, adding that India’s decision to export vaccines was its “biggest mistake.”

Alongside the tweet, Sisodia posted a copy of a letter from Bharat Biotech, the manufacturers of the homegrown Covaxin vaccine, which stated due to “an unprecedented demand for our vaccine and in spite of increasing production every month, we are unable to keep up with the demand.”

In southern India, the state of Karnataka suspended vaccinations for the 18 to 44 age group until May 14.

In a series of tweets on Wednesday, the state’s health department said it would use its current supplies to vaccinate those due for a second dose. 

The same decision has been made in western Maharashtra state until it receives more vaccines from the central government or can independently procure more vaccines, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope told CNN on Wednesday.

India launched its vaccination drive on January 16, first prioritizing heath care and frontline workers, followed by people above the age of 60 and those over 45 with existing health conditions. 

On May 1, the drive was extended to include everyone above the age of 18. However, several states failed to do so due to inadequate vaccine supplies.

Taiwan reported 16 new local Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, the highest daily rise since the pandemic began, Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

Three of the cases are linked to an arcade in northeastern Yilan County, while 10 others are contacts of a case confirmed Tuesday involving a Taiwanese man in his 60s, CNA reported, citing Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung.

The recent spike in cases – while a drop in the bucket compared to much of the world – has caused some alarm in Taiwan, with many residents rushing to get vaccinated, according to CNA. 

Taiwan has been hailed for its effective and early response to the virus, becoming one of the first places to record no new cases and going months at a time without infections, which has allowed life on the island to proceed much as normal, albeit with limited overseas travel. 

Vaccination rush: Chen said 11,018 people were vaccinated Tuesday, the highest daily number so far. The figure pushed the total number of residents who have received a vaccine to 112,543, with around 180,000 doses currently remaining. 

Taiwan has a population of more than 23 million. After weeks of concern over low vaccination uptake, Chen said he was now worried stocks may run out, CNA reported. 

The elderly, medical personnel and other emergency or high-risk workers, as well as diplomats, police, care workers and some other professions are currently eligible for vaccination under the government program.

However, anyone not covered who is traveling abroad and wishes to get inoculated can do so by paying 600 New Taiwan dollars ($21) at certain clinics – around three times the price of government-provided shots. 

Wednesday could prove to be another record vaccination day, with CNA reporting paid slots for hospitals in metropolitan areas were already full as of midday, and some through to near the end of the month. 

Pilot quarantine: On Monday, Chen said Taiwan will quarantine all active pilots working for Taiwanese carrier China Airlines for 14 days amid a recent outbreak of Covid-19 among flight crews and hotel workers. 

Taiwan has reported a total 1,231 Covid-19 cases and 12 related deaths, according to the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control.

Singapore airport is closing its passenger terminal buildings to the general public for two weeks following a rising number of Covid-19 cases linked to the facility.

In a joint statement, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Changi Airport Group said all workers in Changi Airport’s Terminals 1 and 3, and Jewel Changi Airport are undergoing mandatory Covid-19 tests as of May 9.

“This is to quickly detect, isolate and treat any potential Covid-19 cases in the airport community,” the statement said, adding the closures were “a precaution.”

The closures – which include the Jewel shopping mall and entertainment complex – will start from Thursday. The facilities will reopen on May 27.

During this time, the airport will remain open for air travel and passengers can still be dropped off and picked up from the terminals.

“Access to the Passenger Terminal Buildings will be restricted to only passengers with air tickets and essential airport workers. Some essential services and food & beverage outlets will remain open to serve them,” CAAS and CAG said.
“For clarity, members of the public will not be allowed to enter the Passenger Terminal Buildings.”   

Singapore reported 10 new locally transmitted Covid-19 infections on Wednesday, of which seven cases are linked to an 88-year-old cleaner at Changi Airport Terminal 3, Singapore’s Ministry of Health said. His case was confirmed on May 5, the ministry added.

The country has reported 61,419 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 31 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

India reported 362,727 Covid-19 cases on Thursday, bringing its total infections to 23,703,665, according to figures released by the health ministry.

The country also reported 4,120 fatalities, with the total death toll now at 258,317.

Here’s a breakdown of India’s recent wave:

Here’s how India’s vaccination drive is going, according to a news release issued by the health ministry on Wednesday evening:

Dozens of Olympic “host towns” have canceled deals to accommodate athletes for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Tokyo due to Covid-19 concerns, an official said Thursday.

The host town programs welcome athletes from 184 countries to Japan ahead of the Games for training and cultural programs. 

But at least 35 out of 528 host towns have canceled their deals, Yasuhiro Omori, an official with the Olympics and Paralympics Cabinet Office told CNN.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to start on July 23. 

On Wednesday, International Olympic Committee spokesperson Mark Adams assured reporters Tokyo still plans to host the full Games despite growing public concerns surrounding the event. 

Japan is battling another wave of Covid-19 infections, with 653,363 cases reported since the start of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Maldives has temporarily suspended entry of tourists traveling from South Asian countries from Thursday, authorities announced Tuesday.

The countries include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

A statement from Maldives’ Ministry of Tourism said the suspension includes “those with a transit time exceeding 24 hours and have a travel history to the above stated countries within the past 14 days.”
The order begins May 13 “until further notice,” it said.

Health care professionals with valid work permits are exempted, according to Maldives Immigration.

Maldives recorded 1,572 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of infections to 40,092, according to the country’s Health Protection Agency. 

The country was one of the first countries to fully reopen to travelers last year.

Read more:

A still frame from 60 Second Vacation: Maldives

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The decision by public health agencies to recommend the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for young people ages 12 to 15 makes today “a big day,” the Biden Administration’s scientific lead for the pandemic said.

“The immunogenicity was strong. It was compared to young adults. The safety profile was reviewed. There was nothing that stood out in that safety profile,” said Dr. David Kessler, the science officer of Covid-19 response with the US Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday on SiriusXM’s “Doctor Radio Reports” show.

“And, remarkably, there was 100% efficacy in the treatment compared to the placebo in preventing Covid infection,” he said, adding that he would be “very comfortable” urging parents of adolescents age 12 to 15 to take their kids to get a Covid-19 vaccine.

He noted that attention should now turn to getting the vaccines authorized for younger children as well.

“I don’t see the 12-15-year-old group as being any different than those that have come before,” he said. “I think we still have to get the data on children below the ages of 12. You know, as a pediatrician I understand fully that children are not just little adults. It’s not just that you make the dose adjustment. They can react differently, so we have to get the data. We have the data in on adolescents and it’s extraordinary. It’s highly effective, 100%. Who would have ever thought, Dr. Siegel, that we would be sitting here and say we have a vaccine that in this age group is 100% effective?”

Cases of Covid-19 in England have halved since March pointing to the effectiveness of vaccination, according to the latest series study REACT-1, commissioned by the UK Department of Health and published online Thursday.  

In its 11th report since the pandemic began, researchers from Imperial College London and Ipsos MORI for REACT (Real-time Assessment of Community Transmission) conducted 127,000 PCR tests on volunteers in England between April 15 and May 3, to examine levels of Covid-19 infection in the general population.

It found the prevalence of the virus dropped by 50% from 0.20% in March to 0.10%, with only 1 in 1,000 people infected. Additionally, prevalence was the lowest in the over 75 age group at 0.05% and fell the most in the 55-64 year old group from 0.17% to 0.06%, which researchers said may be attributed to the timeline of the vaccination program. The age group with the highest prevalence of the virus, 25-34 at 0.21%, is not yet eligible for vaccination. Researchers say the data points to the impact of the vaccine rollout but warns “new variants remain a threat.”

Participants of Asian ethnicity had the highest level of infection at 0.31% compared with White participants at 0.09%. The B.1.1.7 variant, which was first identified in the UK accounted for 92% of infections. The B.1.617 variant, first identified in India and recently classified as a ‘variant of concern’ by the WHO, accounted for 7.7% of infections. The study also found a “divergence between the prevalence of infections and hospitalizations and deaths,” suggesting “infections may have led to fewer hospitalizations and deaths since the start of widespread vaccination.”

With England and most of the UK set to start further easing of restrictions next week, the UK Minister of Health Matt Hancock said the study indicates the country is “going in the right direction,” but warned that due to the presence of variants, people must still exercise caution. 

Professor Paul Elliott, director of the REACT study said it is “very encouraging that infections have continued to fall while rules have been relaxed in England, and it’s likely that the vaccine roll out has played a key part in helping keep the virus at bay.”