November 27 coronavirus news

The Australian state of Victoria – once the country’s Covid-19 epicenter – has gone 29 days with no new infections, the state’s Department of Health announced on Saturday. 

There are also currently no active cases of Covid-19 in the state. 

“All Victorians should feel proud for getting us to this point, but now is not the time to be complacent,” the state’s Department of Health said in a statement on Friday when Victoria reached the symbolic 28-day mark. 

The Department of Health stressed that the fight against Covid-19 is not over in the state as “coronavirus fragments have been detected in a wastewater sample.”

“A real risk remains with arriving interstate travelers or the emergence of new local cases.”
“Our fight against Covid-19 is not over. There are still significant outbreaks happening around the world and we do not yet have an effective vaccine,” the statement says.

One more Pakistan cricket player has tested positive for Covid-19 in New Zealand after six of his teammates were confirmed to be infected with the virus earlier in the week. 

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s official website said the team departed on Monday for New Zealand where they are set to play later this year.

But six players tested positive after arriving in the country – and on Saturday, New Zealand’s Ministry of Health said another member had tested positive.

The remainder of the squad has tested negative, the Ministry of Health said in a statement.

Earlier in the week, New Zealand Cricket said all players had tested negative for the virus before departing from Lahore.

“The Pakistan Cricket squad members that arrived in New Zealand all met the agreed predeparture requirements for travel, including multiple PCR tests, and symptom checks,” the Ministry of Health said in a statement Saturday.
“The Ministry is today thanking the Pakistan Cricket squad for their compliance with expectations around managed isolation and their cooperation with the investigation of the cases.”

What happens now: All international arrivals into New Zealand have to undergo 14 days of managed isolation at a state-managed facility. The Pakistan team had been given an exemption to train during their managed isolation – but that’s now on hold.

Local health authorities will consider whether training is unlikely to transmit Covid-19, and that consideration is expected to take until at least early next week.

What’s the background: After the team landed, several of the Pakistan players were caught on camera breaking isolation rules, New Zealand’s Ministry of Health said earlier this week.

“Since their arrival, several team members have been seen on CCTV at the facility breaching managed isolation rules, despite clear, consistent and detailed communication of expected behaviors while in the facility,” a news release read. “The team as a whole has been issued with a final warning.”

For the first time in more than two weeks, the US on Friday reported a slight decline in the number of people being treated in the hospital for coronavirus, according to the Coronavirus Tracking Project.

However, it’s not clear if the data being reported was disrupted because of the Thanksgiving holiday, the CTP said. Some states and territories did not update their reports at all on Friday, including Delaware and Florida. Many others reported only incomplete data for the day.

Organizations collecting data on coronavirus expected to see a dip for Thanksgiving and the following three to four days, with an increase in reported cases of diagnoses, hospitalizations and deaths expected on Tuesday, Wednesday and possibly beyond next week.

Hospitalizations have been hitting steady records throughout November. The US surpassed 80,000 daily hospitalizations on Nov. 19 and set new records for 17 days straight until Friday, according to CTP.

The US Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that it had supported “the first mass air shipment” of a Covid-19 vaccine.

The FAA said it is working with manufacturers, air carriers and airports to provide guidance on regulations to safely transport large quantities of dry ice in air cargo.

Vaccines like to be kept cool – Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine has to be deep-frozen, meaning it requires large amounts of dry ice to keep it at approximately minus 75 degrees Celsius.

“In addition to mitigating safety risks related to the safe transport of vaccines, the FAA is ensuring around-the-clock air traffic services to keep air cargo moving and prioritizing flights carrying cargo, such as vaccines, and personnel critical to the nation’s response to and recovery from COVID-19,” FAA said in a statement.

Read more about the challenges with distributing vaccines here.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will not enforce the county’s new stay-at-home order, which prohibits all public and private gatherings outside a single household starting Monday. 

“Since the first Stay at Home Order was issued in March of this year, we have focused on education and voluntary compliance, with enforcement measures being an extreme last resort,” the Sheriff’s Department said in a statement to CNN. 
“We trust in the community and rely on people to assess risk and take precautions as appropriate,” they added.

What’s the background? Those comments follow an announcement from the Department of Public Health that all public and private gatherings with people outside a single household will be prohibited for three weeks in Los Angeles County starting Monday.

The order comes days after the county reported a record number of new Covid-19 infections, the highest number of deaths in months, and increased hospitalizations.

County health officials are urging all residents to stay home as much as possible and to wear face coverings when they are outside, even when exercising at parks and beaches. Those measures will be in effect until Dec. 20.

US President-elect Joe Biden will leave it to health experts to decide who gets the Covid-19 vaccine first, Dr. Celine Gounder, a member of Biden’s coronavirus advisory board, said Friday.

There will likely be a limited supply of coronavirus vaccine doses available immediately after a vaccine is authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration.

“Other than health care workers, others who will be first in line to get it will be people who do have chronic underlying medical conditions, who are older, as well as communities of color who have been disproportionately impacted by this pandemic,” Gounder told CNN.
“Now among those groups is where it starts to get a little bit more contentious,” she added. “How do you prioritize between the 85-year-old woman in a nursing home, versus the 65-year-old African American – especially when that 65-year-old may be as just as high-risk of significant disease?” 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) will recommend groups to receive the vaccine first.

“That’s where it gets a bit more political and frankly, this is where the President-elect is leaving it to the public health experts and scientists to figure out how best to allocate the limited supply first.”

The ACIP called an emergency meeting for Dec. 1, where they will vote on the very first group to get a vaccine. 

The coming coronavirus surge will be “destabilizing” for the United States, according to a health expert.

Health experts are predicting a surge in Covid-19 cases following Thanksgiving, beyond the record-breaking numbers the US is currently experiencing.

“We’re going to be regularly hitting 2,000 deaths per day, but then going up to 3,000 deaths and 4,000 deaths per day,” Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN’s Jim Acosta Friday.
“We’re talking about numbers that are approaching what we experienced in the 1918 flu pandemic, except it’s happening over a much shorter period of time,” he added.

Hotez said without a national program in place, hospitals are being overwhelmed.

“We know when hospital staff starts to get overwhelmed, that’s when the death rates really go high,” he said. “This is this what happened in New York in March and April. It’s what happened in southern Europe in March and April. It’s what’s happening now as we speak in the US.”

Hotez said the consequences will extend beyond health.

“This is going to be very destabilizing for the country, not only in terms of health but also our economy, as well as our homeland security,” he said.

The Irish cabinet on Friday approved the easing of tough coronavirus restrictions that were reimposed on businesses in October, according to state broadcaster RTE. 

The relaxing of the rules means all retail outlets, hairdressers, museums, libraries, and gyms can reopen on Tuesday, Dec. 1. Restaurants and pubs will be permitted to reopen on Friday, Dec. 4, provided they serve meals, RTE reported. 

The cabinet also agreed to lift restrictions on household gatherings for the Christmas period. From Dec. 18 to Jan. 6, up to three households can gather indoors and people will be able to travel freely across the country, according to RTE. 

In a televised statement Friday on the easing of current restrictions, Ireland’s Taoiseach – or Prime Minister – Micheál Martin said: ”We all have a personal individual responsibility and by closely following the rules we believe we can make this reopening sustainable.”

Martin added that restrictions won’t be eased for so-called wet pubs, or bars that don’t serve food. These can remain open only to serve takeaway drinks. 

The Irish government will ask people to wear masks in crowded outdoor spaces, and the question of travel to Northern Ireland will be reviewed when the government meets between Dec. 18 and Jan. 6. 

All public and private gatherings with people outside a single household will be prohibited for three weeks in Los Angeles County starting Monday to curb an unprecedented spread of coronavirus, the Department of Public Health announced in a news release.

“As new Covid-19 cases remain at alarming levels and the number of people hospitalized continue to increase, a temporary Los Angeles County health officer order will be issued to require additional safety measures across sectors,” the county’s health department said Friday. 

The order comes days after the county reported a record number of new Covid-19 infections, the highest number of deaths in months, and increased hospitalizations.

County health officials are urging all residents to stay home as much as possible and to wear face coverings when they are outside, even when exercising at parks and beaches.

While beaches, trails, and parks remain open, only gatherings from a single household will be allowed. Under the new order, playgrounds and cardrooms will also be closed.

According to the news release, the maximum occupancy for essential businesses will be reduced to 30%. Occupancy will be shrink to 20% for nonessential businesses, personal care services, and libraries. Businesses operating outdoors, including fitness centers, zoos, botanical gardens, and batting cages, will be reduced to 50% maximum capacity.

The new health order will be in effect until Dec. 20.

Carlos Gimenez, Miami-Dade County’s former mayor and congressman-elect, tweeted that he and his wife have tested positive for Covid-19.

Gimenez said he will continue to attend New Member Orientation virtually until he can resume a normal schedule.

Gimenez also thanked all “the incredible health care workers who are tirelessly dedicated to their patients.”

Prior to winning the 2020 election for Congress, Gimenez was the mayor of Miami-Dade County. Gimenez will now serve Florida’s 26th congressional district.

After a spike in complaints about airline refunds when the Covid-19 pandemic first struck, the US Department of Transportation unveiled on Friday a rule that will impact how travelers claim mistreatment.     

The rule formally defines the words “unfair” and “deceptive” – two legal terms governing how airlines and ticket agents may interact with customers. It also says passengers need not prove an airline’s intent when claiming a violation. The Transportation Department said the rule formalizes the way it has interpreted those words in the past.  

The rule matters because it now gives travelers specific language to cite in their claims.  

Airlines had asked for the rule and said a formal definition would provide regulatory certainty. Southwest said the rule would benefit the economy. Spirit Airlines said with the lack of a rule, “the Department can levy punitive fines on carriers for practices allegedly violating ill-defined regulations.” However, the carriers did ask for changes the Transportation Department did not incorporate. Spirit, for example, asked for regulators to change a word to make the rule less subjective.  

But the department also noted consumer advocacy groups, several lawmakers, and two members of the Federal Trade Commission argued the definitions “were either unnecessary or weakened consumer protection.” The FTC shares jurisdiction over travel agents with the Transportation Department.  

The rule change got underway in February 2019, more than a year before formal claims against airlines spiked as the pandemic spread and flights were canceled. Customers said the airlines resisted refund requests and only provided vouchers for a later flight or avoided providing compensation by changes to the fine print. 

There have been at least 13,047,202 cases of coronavirus in the United States and at least 264,624 people have died from Covid-19, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. 

Johns Hopkins recorded the first case of coronavirus in the US on Jan. 21.  

Eleven other countries in the world have reported over 1 million total Covid-19 cases. They are:

Advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called an emergency meeting Tuesday so they can vote on recommendations for the first people to get a coronavirus vaccine once one gets emergency authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration, the committee’s chair told CNN Friday.

“We are meeting because the FDA, the Operation Warp Speed, have asked states and other jurisdictions to please submit their plans on Friday of this coming week,” Dr. Jose Romero, chair of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, told CNN.

“We foresee imminent authorization if this vaccine is shown to be effective and safe in the near future and we want to be at the point where we are providing appropriate guidance to the states and jurisdictions for the use of these vaccines,” said Romero, who is Secretary for Health for the Arkansas Department of Health.

“This is not something that is being rushed. We have already discussed the groups within the first tier. We are simply going over the data once again and having a vote primarily on the first tier group 1a – health care providers and the people in the long-term, congregate facilities.” 

ACIP met on Monday to discuss the priority groups for receiving any vaccine that may get emergency use authorization from the FDA. The CDC has already recommended that the first group – designated as 1a – should be frontline health providers and support personnel, as well as residents of long-term care facilities who have been hardest hit by the pandemic.

“It is important because these are the individuals that are really at the front line providing the care,” Romero said.

Vaccine maker Pfizer has submitted to the FDA for emergency use authorization, or EUA, for its vaccine and biotech company Moderna is expected to do so, also. The FDA has scheduled a meeting of its own vaccine advisers for Dec. 10.

Romero said it was important for ACIP to hold a public meeting and a public vote.

The NFL announced on Friday that it will move the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers to Tuesday out of an “abundance of caution to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel.”

The game was originally scheduled to be played on Thanksgiving Day, but was then moved to Sunday after several Ravens players tested positive for coronavirus in consecutive days. Now the league is moving the game for a second time.

Baltimore has sent 12 players to the Reserve/Covid-19 list this week, including MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Ravens currently have 14 players on the list overall, according to the Ravens’ website.  

The NFL describes the Reserve/Covid-19 list as being for players who either test positive for Covid-19 or who have been quarantined after having been in close contact with an infected person or persons. 

The Ravens were set to host the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday but the NFL also announced that game has now been moved to Dec. 7.

At least 12,993,261 cases of coronavirus have been reported in the US and at least 264,241 people have died from virus, according to Johns Hopkins University’s tally of cases.

So far today, Johns Hopkins has reported 109,997 new cases and 787 deaths.

Friday marked the 25th consecutive day the US reported more than 100,000 new coronavirus cases.

The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases. 

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will vote Tuesday on the very first people to get a coronavirus vaccine once one gets emergency authorization.

The CDC’s Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices has scheduled an emergency meeting for Tuesday to discuss allocation of Covid-19 vaccines, according to a document obtained by CNN.

Members of the committee will discuss who should be in the first group, and clinical considerations for the group. Draft recommendations have suggested that health care workers should be in the 1a vaccine allocation group. Other possible members of the group: people most likely to catch, spread and develop severe disease from the virus such as nursing home residents.

The advisers will also discuss how to monitor safety after allocation of the vaccine, according to the document.

A surge in Thanksgiving demand is taxing Delta’s smaller pandemic-era workforce.  

The issue led Delta to cancel hundreds of flights this week, according to the pilot union and the airline.  

Delta ultimately canceled nearly one in every five flights it was scheduled to operate on Thanksgiving Day, and has dropped in total more than 500 flights this week. The airline said it expects its system to return to normal over the weekend.  

The union representing pilots said staffing reductions due to the coronavirus pandemic and drop-off in travel “have left a smaller pool of pilots qualified and ready to fly in the fleets that are seeing an increased demand over this holiday.”  

Delta said Wednesday that a “number of factors have pressured our ability to timely staff some of our scheduled holiday flights” but did not specify the issues.  

After distributing the November employee schedules last month, Delta added flights to its schedule and asked for volunteers to cover those flights, according to a source familiar with the situation. But when there were not enough employees to cover those legs, the airline was forced to cancel some of those.  

The airline declined to comment on that explanation. The Delta Master Executive Council at the Air Line Pilots Association said its pilots have stepped up to take on extra flights over the holiday period and receive the incentive of premium pay for picking up extra legs.  

But when demand surged this week, the heavy cuts to the aviation system due to the coronavirus began to show.  

Airline passenger traffic is currently only about 40% of what it was last year, according to data from the Transportation Security Administration, and US airlines are running 43% fewer flights.  

Delta and other US airlines responded to the drop in demand by cutting from employee ranks. Work schedules were reduced, 1,800 pilots retired early, and others were placed on inactive status or are in line for training because the model of planes they flew were retired.  

Employee unions and executives at the major US airlines have called for a multi-billion extension of a payroll support program that kept their employees on the job through September. Legislation to do that includes other stimulus and has stalled in Washington.  

The airlines have seen a relative surge in bookings this week as distanced families reunite for Thanksgiving dinner and college students are booted from university housing. More than one million people have crossed through TSA checkpoints only four times since the spring – and three of those days were in the last week.  

Travelers are also booking closer to their departure dates, airlines have said, giving the companies less visibility when arranging schedules more than a month in advance.  

The union, in a statement, said the scheduling issue cannot be attributed to crews calling out sick because of the coronavirus.   

California reported 54 deaths on Friday, pushing the state past a sober benchmark for Covid-related fatalities, which is now a total of 19,033.

California is only the third state to reach this milestone, after New York and Texas. 

The state also added 12,635 Covid-19 cases Friday, bringing the total to 1,171,324. This is down about 2,000 from Thursday’s 14,640 cases.

The positivity rate of Covid-19 in California remains at 6.1%, a 1.9% increase from 14 days ago.

According to the state’s dashboard, 191 more people were also hospitalized, a 2.6% increase from the previous day. This continues an upward trend since the beginning of November. There are now 1,904 beds remaining in intensive care units across the state, down 23 from yesterday.

The state’s case data reporting may be incomplete due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

While modeling studies have suggested that around 60 to 70% of the population would need to be immune to Covid-19 in order to achieve herd immunity, targeted vaccination may be needed to defeat the virus, said Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization’s health emergencies program.

Ryan said it may take “some very clever vaccination strategies” that target people in society who are more likely to carry, transmit and spread the virus.

Herd immunity is built around the idea that disease spreads evenly through a community and that everyone’s absolute risk of being infected is about the same, Ryan explained during a news briefing in Geneva on Friday.

But the virus does not spread evenly. 

If there are lots of protected people surrounding those who are unprotected then “effectively, there’s a barrier. There’s a firewall around some who are not vaccinated, a firewall of vaccinated people, and therefore you can achieve control and eradication, sometimes, without vaccinating everyone,” he said.

“The virus is very opportunistic,” added Ryan. “We’ve seen that the virus can spread, in particular circumstances, we’ve seen in many clusters that only 20% of the cases go on to transmit to others. Eighty percent don’t transmit to anybody else. We’ve seen superspreading events, certain contexts and certain groups who mix and the disease can explode.”

While an overall number may be important in terms of policy, Ryan said it will be important to be strategic about which groups are targeted for vaccination.

“It may be much more important to target certain sections of the community than it will be to necessarily target some others who may not be participating in transmission as much,” he said.

And the vaccine may not be a miraculous solution to the pandemic, he cautioned. “I don’t think anyone can promise eradication of this virus until we understand much more about the vaccine, and much more about how the vaccines work in the real world and until we understand much more about the details of transmission of this virus.”

Katherine O’Brien, director of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals at WHO, added to Ryan’s point with the example of measles. Last year was a terrible year for measles outbreaks globally, she said.

“Many of those outbreaks were happening in countries that had very high measles vaccine coverage,” she said. “But it wasn’t about the whole country’s coverage that was important, it was about the sub communities, the sub national coverage.”

With the right tools, distribution of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine – which requires ultra-cold storage – is possible, but people may need to be strategic about where they allocate those resources, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said Friday.

“There is demonstrated experience of delivering ultra-cold chain vaccines, even in some of the most difficult and remote areas,” said Katherine O’Brien, director of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals at WHO.

The task does require enormous resources, and people may need to use a targeted distribution approach, O’Brien said during a news briefing in Geneva.

“Part of the approach that many countries may take is to choose to use vaccines that require an ultra-cold chain for only certain portions of the population that need to be vaccinated,” she added.

O’Brien said some may choose to use the vaccine among health care workers, in facilities where installing an ultra-cold freezer may be more simple than in other settings.

“Every country is going to have to work very hard and is going to have to innovate around systems to actually deliver vaccines that do have an ultra-cold chain,” O’Brien added, citing solutions like portable freezers and dry ice.

O’Brien noted that Pfizer has developed special thermal shippers to transport the vaccines, which can maintain the temperature of the vaccines for about 10 to 15 days.

“The intention is certainly to be able to use it, along with other vaccines because no one vaccine is going to have adequate supply, nor will any one vaccine necessarily have suitable operational characteristics to meet all of the needs,” she said.

Remember: Pfizer and BioNTech submitted on Nov. 20 to the US Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization for their coronavirus vaccine candidate.

Emergency use authorization, or EUA, from the FDA is not the same as full approval. An EUA allows products to be used under particular circumstances before all the evidence is available for approval. 

The FDA intends to make a decision about authorizing Pfizer and BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine within a few weeks of a key meeting scheduled for Dec. 10, according to an agency official.

The number of coronavirus patients hospitalized and in intensive care units in France has continued to decline since Nov. 17, according to figures released by the French Health Agency on Friday. 

There are currently 28,620 Covid-19 patients in France’s hospitals, a decrease of 662 from Thursday.

In addition, the number of patients in intensive care units is down by 695 from last Friday’s figures. There are now 3,871 Covid-19 patients in intensive care units.

Data released also shows the positivity rate of people tested for Covid-19 over the past seven days keeps decreasing with 11.7% on Friday, compared to almost 18% two weeks ago.

France registered 12,459 new coronavirus cases Friday, bringing the total to 2,196,119.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said Thursday that while his government will distribute the approved coronavirus vaccines free of charge to the population, he personally will not take one.

Bolsonaro has repeatedly downplayed the severity of Covid-19, even after contracting the virus in July, and has raised doubts about future vaccines.

During his weekly broadcast streamed live on social media Thursday night, Bolsonaro said the federal government would purchase vaccines approved by the regulatory commission Anvisa, and “place them at the disposal of the population for free and on a voluntary basis.”

He also said that Congress is unlikely to make the vaccine mandatory.

Brazil has the second-highest number of Covid-19-related deaths worldwide and the third-highest number of total cases.

A committee that advises the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about vaccines has scheduled an emergency meeting for Tuesday.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices posted the meeting announcement on its website with little explanation.

While it does not say explicitly that the meeting is to discuss coronavirus vaccine distribution, there’s no other likely reason for such a meeting to be called.

A CDC spokesperson later confirmed the meeting was called to discuss coronavirus vaccines but could not provide more details.

ACIP met on Monday to discuss whether to recommend any coronavirus vaccine that might get emergency use authorization (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration and to talk about who should be first in line to get one.

While the FDA approves or authorizes a vaccine, it’s the CDC, based on ACIP’s advice, that decides who should get vaccines and when.

ACIP usually meets regularly three times a year but the approval of a pandemic vaccine is an unusual circumstance.

The CDC did not immediately answer requests for explanation about the meeting.

So far, Pfizer is the only company to apply for an EUA from the FDA. The submission to the FDA was based on results from the Phase 3 clinical trial of Pfizer’s vaccine, which began in the United States on July 27 and enrolled more than 43,000 volunteers.

More information and research is needed to understand the difference in efficacies of AstraZeneca vaccine dose schedules and whether a new trial is needed to check the efficacy of the lower dosage, World Health Organization officials said during a news briefing in Geneva on Friday.

“The first thing to say is, what we’ve seen is a press release,” said Katherine O’Brien, director of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals at WHO. “And what is really the next most important step is that the data really needs to be evaluated based on more than a press release.”

There is only so much that can be included in a release, she said, and it needs to be reviewed in terms of the data and questions asked about the data that may come up during the review.

“It’s difficult to weigh in on this,” O’Brien said. “I think what we can emphasize, though, is that from what we understand about the press release, there is certainly something interesting that has been observed, but there are many reasons that could underlie the differences that were observed.”

More information, including evaluations of the immune response in the trial, is needed, she said.

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, WHO’s chief scientist, agreed with O’Brien, saying that everything that is known is from the news release, and it appears that less than 3,000 people were given the half dose, then full dose of the vaccine.

It is also understood that no one over the age of 55 was in that group. The group given two full doses were larger numbers and had different age groups.

“It’s very hard to compare these two groups and that I would say the numbers are still small to really come to any definitive conclusions,” she said.

“Now, of course, the advantage of using a smaller dose, particularly if you’re getting higher efficacy, is great and you can save on the vaccine and at the same time you are benefitting from higher efficacy, but I think it would be speculation at this point,” she said.

Swaminathan said that they have heard that AstraZeneca would like to do a full trial of the half dose full dose schedule, “if we are to explore this hypothesis of having perhaps a better efficacy with a lower dose, then it would need a trial.”

Remember: The US Food and Drug Administration requires a threshold of at least 50% efficacy. It is not clear if the FDA will authorize emergency use however.

AstraZeneca has not yet tested its half-strength dose in the US either. But on Thursday, a spokesperson for the company told CNN their aim was to include the half-strength dose regimen into their US trials, which currently has around 10,000 participants.

If you ended up traveling for Thanksgiving, there are steps you can take to prevent any further spread of coronavirus.

Try to be outdoors as much as possible, advises Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency room physician and former Baltimore health commissioner. 

“Do not gather indoors, especially not for meals. … Have your meals outside as much as you can. If you’re indoors, open all the windows and all the doors. Make sure to wear masks anytime you’re around people who are not in your immediate household,” Wen said in an interview on CNN. 

Wen said that once people travel back to their homes, they should quarantine and then get tested. 

“Then when you return to your home communities, I would encourage people to quarantine. Quarantine for at least seven days, and then get tested. If you cannot get tested, quarantine for 14 days. And the reason is we don’t want to see coronavirus wherever it is that we’re going back home to, given how high the level of Covid is all throughout the country,” she said. 

Watch:

Citing the potential impact that the Thanksgiving holiday might have on the number of future Covid-19 cases, Vermont issued updated guidance to residents.

Speaking on behalf of the Vermont Department of Health, Dr. Mark Levine said “my request to Vermonters who may have participated in travel or multi-household gatherings is simply this: please quarantine yourselves at home and please get tested now and in seven days.”

Citing rising case numbers, Levine pleaded with Vermonters to avoid any nonessential travel and any gatherings, particularly those between households.

“iI you had one of those gatherings, you shouldn’t send your kids to school next week,” Gov. Phil Scott added.

Despite lower levels of reported holiday and pre-holiday air travel, various surveys conducted prior to Thanksgiving had estimated between a quarter and a third of all Americans planned to dine with people outside of their immediate household.

“Such surveys probably underestimate reality, as people don’t always want to freely admit doing what they have been told not to do,” acknowledged Levine. Nonetheless, Levine noted that Vermont was among the top three regions in the country with the fewest respondents planning on dining with others, the others being Washington state and the District of Columbia.

Vermont’s numbers: The state has reported 4,005 cases of coronavirus and 67 deaths since the pandemic started. 

Note: These numbers were released by Vermont’s public health agency and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.

As coronavirus cases across Canada rise, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the country is “in some of the toughest days of this pandemic” and warned residents of what is come.

“Winter’s coming. We’re being driven indoors. We can’t sit on patios and grasses like we used to do. We’re going to have to hold on tight. We’re going to have to be there for each other, by keeping our distances from each other,” Trudeau said, speaking during a news conference on Friday.

He asked Canadians to avoid gatherings, wear a mask, and follow health guidelines. But he also highlighted that, “vaccines are on the horizon — there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Trudeau announced that Canada is setting up a national operation center through the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Armed Forces. This team will coordinate logistics and distribution of vaccines. 

The operation center will work through issues around vaccine cold storage, as well as data sharing and reaching indigenous and rural communities.

“Canada is well prepared for large scale rollouts of vaccines, but this will be the biggest immunization in the history of the country. We must reach everyone who wants a vaccine, no matter where they live,” he said. 

Speaking in French, Trudeau aded that “we are now less than a month away from the holiday season. I know that December will be difficult for a lot of people, but don’t forget that the present situation isn’t permanent,” he said through an interpreter. “There is light at the end of the tunnel. In the meantime, we must hold on a little longer.”

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, the country averages 5,194 new cases per day. The agency tests roughly 75,666 people daily, which correlates to a 7.6% percent positivity.

Over the last week the country saw an average of 2,072 hospitalizations from Covid-19. At least 428 of them were in the intensive care unit.

Minnesota Department of Health reported more than 100 deaths related to Covid-19 — the highest number of deaths reported in a single day in the state.

The 101 deaths reported on Friday bring the state’s total to 3,476. 

“This is a sad development, but it is not a surprising development,” Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said in a statement. “For weeks we have been sounding the alarm about the dramatic growth in COVID-19 cases. We know that more cases leads to more hospitalizations and deaths, and today’s news reinforces that tragic pattern.”

The Friday report also shows a total of 295,001 Covid-19 positive cases statewide, up 5,704 cases from Wednesday’s report. 

At least 1,007 patients have been hospitalized due to Covid-19 since Nov. 20, the state’s dashboard shows. 

“As we make our way through the next few weeks and a holiday season unlike any we have experienced, we must redouble our efforts to protect each other – especially those who are at higher risk of developing severe illness,” Malcom said. “Every public activity now is more risky than it was even a few weeks ago, so the best way to slow this spread is for people to stay home and away from gatherings with those outside of our immediate household.” 

Note: These numbers were released by the state’s public health agency and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.  

Pennsylvania reported 15,785 new Covid-19 cases, with a record high of 8,425 new cases reported on Wednesday, according to a release from the state’s Department of Health and Covid-19 dashboard. 

Wednesday’s total cases are the highest the state has seen since the pandemic began, according to state data.

Another 7,360 new cases were reported on Thursday, the health department said.

The release reported an additional 118 deaths on Wednesday and 21 deaths on Thursday.

As of Thursday at 12 a.m. ET, 4,087 patients were hospitalized with 877 people in intensive care.

Note: These numbers were released by the state’s public health agency and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.  

The reproduction rate for Covid-19 transmission in Wales “could be as high as 1.4,” First Minister Mark Drakeford said Friday, adding that the virus is “back circulating widely and quickly.”

The reproduction rate — the number indicates how many other people each infected person passes the virus onto — now ranges between 0.9 and 1 in the entire United Kingdom, the government’s dashboard showed on Friday, meaning that “on average every 10 people infected will infect between nine and 10 other people.” This represents a decrease from last week, when it ranged between 1.0-1.1.

Wales must use the coming weeks to reduce the spread of the virus, Drakeford said, outlining the measures agreed by the Welsh government.

“Cinemas, bowling alleys and other indoor entertainment venues will now close. There will be new restrictions in the hospitality industry, which will come into effect on Friday of next week,” he said at a news conference in Cardiff.

During Wales’ “firebreak” lockdown, which ended on Nov. 9, and in the weeks immediately afterwards, the R number in the country fe­ll below one, Drakeford said.

“The ground that we gained during the firebreak period is being eroded as the virus thrives on normal human behavior,” Drakeford said, adding that “the result of the recent days is that the hospital system in Wales remains under sustained pressure.”

Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England agreed this week on a common set of coronavirus rules ahead of Christmas.

The first minister warned Wales needs “to have as much headroom as possible as we approach the Christmas period to enable that relaxation to take place.”

The Welsh government will finalize the details of new measures affecting the hospitality industry and put in place a “further major package of financial support” over the weekend and will be outlined next Monday, Drakeford said.

New Jersey is reporting 4,100 new Covid 19 cases and 19 additional deaths, according to the state’s Covid dashboard. 

This slight decrease in reported cases comes after New Jersey reported on Wednesday the second-highest total of new cases since the pandemic began. 

The state also announced that hospitalizations decreased on Thursday to 2,796 patients. As of Thursday, 279 people were currently on ventilators.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy once again reminded residents in a tweet to mask up and practice social distancing in order to protect themselves and their families. 

Seven members of a Minnesota family tested positive for coronavirus, spurring them to speak out. 

Charles and Kirstin Johnson-Nixon and their three sons — plus Kirstin’s mother and father — all contracted the virus, and they have been speaking on panels and vowed to educate the hardest-hit communities.

“It makes you want to yell out and be on a mission to bring awareness to people … because we’re already dealing with all the other problems that we have to deal with being Black in this country,” Charles Johnson-Nixon said in an interview with CNN’s Adrienne Broaddus. 

Black, Latino and Native American people are nearly three times more likely to be infected with Covid-19 than their White counterparts, data shows.

“I’ve had pneumonia before; I didn’t feel what I felt with Covid. …I’m a Black woman, I’m overweight, I have some underlying issues, but I thought ‘how could this happen, you know, to us?’ We are doing all the right things,” Kirstin Nixon-Johnson said. She continues to experience side effects of the virus.

Her father was in the hospital for 50 days, but the family is thankful that he is now at home and recovering, although he still needs to be on oxygen.  

“I lost my father when I was young, and one of my goals when I became a father was to make sure that I was going to be here for my kids and the idea that this thing could turn on me and take me away from them was the hardest thing to deal with,” Charles said.

Watch:

The US Food and Drug Administration intends to make a decision about authorizing Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine within a few weeks of a key meeting scheduled for Dec. 10, according to an agency official. 

“It will be a matter of weeks. It could be from days to weeks,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said Wednesday. “It’s possible it could be within days, but our goal is to make sure it’s certainly within a few weeks.”

“I can’t give you an exact date that we’re going to have an emergency use authorization issued because we have to do it right. Obviously we’re going to be working to do it as quickly as we possibly can,” Marks added during the event sponsored by the group Vaccinate Your Family.

The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, a panel of independent experts, is scheduled to meet December 10 to discuss Pfizer’s application for emergency use authorization.

So far, Pfizer is the only company to apply for an EUA from the FDA. The submission to the FDA was based on results from the Phase 3 clinical trial of Pfizer’s vaccine, which began in the United States on July 27 and enrolled more than 43,000 volunteers.

The final analysis from the trial found the coronavirus vaccine was 95% effective in preventing infections, even in older adults, and caused no serious safety concerns, Pfizer and BioNTech said.

The vaccine cannot be shipped until the FDA issues an EUA, according to a presentation by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Marks’s timeline varies from one offered Thursday by President Trump.

“The vaccines are being delivered literally – they’ll start in the next week or the week after,” Trump said in a virtual Thanksgiving address to US troops.

Vaccinations will begin in the US “towards the latter part of December,” according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

With 12 million Americans at risk of losing pandemic unemployment benefits right after Christmas, personal finance columnist Jean Chatzky says “there is a lot of trouble coming down the road.”

Here are three tips on how to make it through economic uncertainty:

Get a survival job: It’s not time to focus on your larger career right now if you are out of work right now, according to Chatzky. There are seasonal, delivery and fulfillment center jobs available during the holidays. “Just get something to tide you through and continue to bring money in as these unemployment benefits start to lapse,” she said. Consider a coronavirus hardship loan and tap into state and local resources: 80% of credit unions, plus some banks, are offering Covid-19 hardship loans, Chatzky said, which may be a good option as a smaller loan to just get through a tough time. “There is money out there in the form of emergency grants,” she said. “Google your state or your locality and the words ‘emergency grants.’ Or if it’s a matter of putting food on the table, pick up the phone, call 211 or go to 211.org to find out about the programs in your area.” Pull money from your 401 (k: “Provisions in the CARES Act have made it better at this point to pull money out than to borrow in many cases, which I know you never expected to hear me say ever,” Chatzky said. “But you can repay the money inside of three years and then you won’t be charged penalties or interest.” She said it is something to look into if “you are at the end of your financial rope.”

Watch:

Two hospital systems gave Thanksgiving updates on their coronavirus caseloads, both saying that cases are rising in their hospitals but expressing confidence in their ability to deal with the increasing case load.

One hospital system said, the situation now is “nothing approaching what we experienced in March,” and another system echoing that saying they are “well within our ability to handle.” 

Mt. Sinai healthcare system’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Vicki LoPachin, said in a note Wednesday, that coronavirus cases continue to rise across the Mt. Sinai health system but that the current number of cases “is still within our projections, and well within our ability to handle.”

 “Our COVID-19 inpatient census remains at less than 10 percent of what we saw at the peak in the spring,” LoPachin said. “And we do not believe we will ever see anything close to those prior numbers.”

Dr. Craig Smith, chair of the department of surgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, which is also affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian’s hospital system, said in a message Thursday that the new Covid-19 case curve is “unequivocally positive” but nothing approaching “what we experienced in March.”

Smith’s candid updates during the heat of the coronavirus crisis in New York gained a large following in the spring. 

Smith said NYP and CU have a “meticulous plan” for staffing changes if the surge in cases increases quickly, and that at this time, the systems are not close to a level where non-urgent surgeries would need to be canceled in order to deal with an influx of cases.

Smith also said the institutions are in the process of planning “thorough plans” for vaccine distribution.

On Wednesday morning, the system had 157 Covid-19-positive patients admitted to their hospitals, 25 of whom were in critical care.

LoPachin warned Mt. Sinai healthcare workers to “relax, recharge and prepare for the work ahead” as coronavirus case numbers are expected to increase, as some ignore warnings against gathering for the Thanksgiving holiday.

“We know that many people will ignore the warnings and gather unsafely with their families tomorrow, and that the patients with new COVID-19 infections resulting from those gatherings will arrive in our hospitals in the next few weeks,” LoPachin said. “Your family needs you, your colleagues need you, and your patients need you, now more than ever.”

More than two dozen people from at least three California counties are infected with Covid-19 after participating in youth basketball tournaments in the city of Rocklin earlier this month, according to Placer County Health officials. 

The health department urges anyone who was at Courtside Basketball Center on Nov. 7 or Nov. 8 to quarantine and seek testing regardless of symptoms. They said residents should avoid participating in all indoor activities at the facility and did not identify the other two counties tied to the tournaments.

The county is in the state’s most restrictive purple tier of the state’s four level color-coded system and only outdoor operations are allowed.

The weekend of the tournaments, Placer County was in the orange tier indicating moderate spread level. Gyms and fitness centers can be open for indoor operations with modifications and a 25% maximum capacity, according to state guidelines.

“The cases of COVID-19 associated with Courtside Basketball Center are a reminder that contact sports facilitate the spread of coronavirus and illustrate why tournaments are not allowed,” said the health department release.

“This Health Alert is being issued because of the large scale of the apparent outbreak and potential range that make contact tracing difficult. In addition, the facility has refused to cease indoor operations and continues to host tournaments despite being advised such operations are not allowed and the full knowledge that COVID-19 cases have been associated with activities at the facility,” the release continued.

The basketball center is hosting a Thanksgiving camp that continues today, according to information on the company’s website.

 CNN is requesting comment from Courtside Basketball Center.

New York City continues to surpass its new cases threshold limit, adding 1,522 Covid-19 cases, according to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. The city set threshold is 550 cases.

The city also reported 114 patients admitted to the hospital, which remains under the city set threshold of 200.

The city’s infection rate on a seven-day average is 3.33%, he tweeted Friday.

The mayor urged residents to wear a mask, get tested and “help us push back this second wave.”

See the mayor’s tweet:

The NFL’s Denver Broncos confirmed in a statement Friday that a player and two staffers have tested positive for Covid-19.

The team has canceled practice and closed its facility and will continue preparations for Sunday’s game virtually.

In the statement, the team indicated it is working closely with medical experts and the league office and “will take all steps necessary to ensure the well-being of the players, coaches and staff.”

The 4-6 Broncos are scheduled to host the 8-2 New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Hospitalizations due to Covid-19 in El Paso, Texas, are decreasing, according to health officials, with the lowest number of patients hospitalized since October. 

The El Paso City and County Health Department reports that 907 patients are currently hospitalized due to the virus, down from a peak of 1,148 on Nov. 11. It’s also the lowest number of hospitalizations since Oct. 28, when 908 patients were in hospitals due to Covid-19 

There is just one confirmed death reported on Friday, bringing the total number of deaths to 919. The El Paso dashboard shows that 529 deaths are currently under investigation. 

El Paso is reporting 678 new cases on Friday, bringing the total to 84,683. The dashboard shows that 37,058 of those cases are currently active. 

El Paso County ordered a new curfew starting Thanksgiving eve as the area continued to grapple with rising Covid-19 cases. The curfew took effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday and will run from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. until November 30, El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego announced at a Tuesday afternoon news conference.

Note: These numbers were released by the El Paso City/County public health agency and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.  

The Transportation Security Administration says it screened 560,902 people at airports on Thursday, according to a verified tweet from Lisa Farbstein, a Transportation Security Administration spokesperson.

Thanksgiving is typically a light travel day, but Thursday’s number is 65% lower than last year.

At least 1,591,158 people were screened by TSA last Thanksgiving.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended last week that Americans should not travel for Thanksgiving, and posted updated guidelines for safely celebrating the holiday.

North Korean hackers are suspected to have carried out a cyberattack against British coronavirus vaccine developer AstraZeneca in recent weeks, Reuters revealed Friday citing two unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter. 

According to Reuters, North Korean hackers posed as recruiters on networking site LinkedIn and WhatsApp in order to approach AstraZeneca staff — including those working on coronavirus research — with fake job offers.

The suspected hackers then sent documents – some using Russian email addresses – purporting to be job descriptions that were in fact laced with malicious code designed to give the hackers access to the victim’s computers, Reuters reported. 

According to Reuters’ sources, the hackers are not thought to have been successful. 

While AstraZeneca has declined to comment on the matter, the University of Oxford — which is working in conjunction with the drugmaker to develop a coronavirus vaccine — told CNN in a statement that the university is working closely with the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to ensure its protection.

“Oxford University is working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre to ensure our COVID-19 research has the best possible cyber security and protection,” a university spokesperson told CNN. 

 The NCSC has not directly commented on the matter, but told CNN on Friday that it is “committed to protecting our most critical assets, the health sector, and crucial vaccine research and development against threats.”

CNN has reached out to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s mission to the United Nations in Geneva for an official comment, however has yet to receive a response. 

In a telephone conversation with CNN, a member of staff at the mission said the Reuters report is “fake news,” alleging that the information has been “fabricated.” 

The reporting comes after a South Korean lawmaker said the country had also thwarted North Korean attempts to hack its own pharmaceutical companies working on coronavirus vaccines. 

Speaking on Friday, lawmaker Ha Tae-Keung did not say when the hacking occurred or which drug companies were targeted, but confirmed North Korea has made attempts to hack South Korean pharmaceutical companies that are developing local vaccines for the coronavirus.

CNN International Correspondent David Culver reports:

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Black Friday got a pandemic-induced makeover this year, with many major retailers starting their sales earlier than ever and ending them later. 

Companies are hoping to avoid the crush of customers that crowd stores on the Friday after Thanksgiving by giving them more buying, pickup and delivery options.

This year, the Black Friday deals that are usually reserved for in-store shopping will appear online during the month. Nearly 51% of shoppers feel anxious about shopping in-store during the holidays and 64% of their budget is expected to be spent online, according to a new shopping survey from Deloitte.

And those who are brave (or crazy) enough to hit the stores on Black Friday will notice enhanced safety protocols and capacity controls.

Here’s how major US retailers changed their Black Friday plans this year:

Read more here about the measures retailers are implementing.

George H. Carley, age 82, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, died late Thursday night from Covid-19, according to a statement from Chief Justice Harold D. Melton.  

Carley passed away on Thanksgiving day around 11 p.m. at Emory Decatur Hospital, according to the statement. 

“Justice Carley was appointed to the Supreme Court of Georgia in 1993 by then-Gov. Zell Miller. In May 2012, he was sworn in as the 29th Chief Justice, serving as leader of Georgia’s judicial system until Dec. 31, 2012, when his term in office came to an end,” the statement said. 

Besides his family, Carley loved two things: the Georgia Bulldogs and the Court, the statement said. 

 “We are devastated by the loss of Justice Carley, a beloved friend and colleague to so many of us,” Chief Justice Melton said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Sandy, his son, George H. Carley, Jr., and his two grandsons,” said Melton.

The UN’s migration agency, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), has called on governments not to forget migrants as they start to plan coronavirus vaccination programs.

Dr. Jaime Calderon, a senior regional health adviser for the IOM, told a meeting of the South-Eastern Europe Health Network that migrants should be factored into public health and vaccination plans.

“Vaccines are among our most critical and cost-effective tools to prevent outbreaks and keep communities safe and healthy,” he said, according to an IOM news release Friday.

“For everyone to thrive, countries must intensify efforts to ensure that no one is left behind and all migrants — no matter their legal status — have access to the life-saving benefits of vaccines.”

The South-Eastern Europe Health Network links countries including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia and North Macedonia, each of which is a source country and increasingly a transit country for migrants, the IOM says.

“Some 30,000 migrants passed irregularly through the region this year, about the same as previous years, despite pandemic restrictions,” the news release said.

Harsh winter weather conditions and seasonal flu are likely to place regional health services under great strain, the health forum heard.

“This is bad news for the tens of thousands of migrants in the region,” said Calderon. “All too often, migrants encounter obstacles in accessing health services — due to language and cultural barriers, fees they cannot afford, and lack of inclusive health policies.” 

It is the morning after the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, and the coronavirus pandemic continues to surge across the country and is showing no signs of slowing down.

If you’re just reading in now, here are some of the latest Covid-19 trends and headlines in the US:

Here’s a look at where cases are rising compared to the previous week, according to Johns Hopkins University data:

In a virtual Thanksgiving address to US troops yesterday, President Trump said that vaccines for Covid-19 would start to be delivered next week.

“The whole world is suffering this tremendous pandemic, not just us, the world. And you wouldn’t know that listening to the news reports, but the whole world is suffering,” Trump said. “And we’re rounding the curve, the vaccines are being delivered literally it’ll start next week and the week after, and it will hit the frontline workers and seniors and doctors, nurses, a lot of people, going to start and we’re going very quickly.”

Trump continued by saying that “two companies already announced and a third one coming up and a fourth and fifth one coming up soon also.”

Shots, however, aren’t likely to being going into arms within the next two weeks.

The FDA has scheduled a meeting of its outside advisory panel to discuss drugmaker Pfizer’s application for emergency use authorization for a coronavirus vaccine for Dec. 10.

On Wednesday,  Dr. Peter Marks, director of the US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said a decision on the EUA would occur within the weeks after.

“It will be a matter of weeks. It could be from days to weeks. I I can’t give you an exact date that we’re going to have an emergency use authorization issued because we have to do it right. Obviously we’re going to be working to do it as quickly as we possibly can,” Marks said. “It’s possible it could be within days but our goal is to make sure it’s certainly within a few weeks.”

Once a decision on an EUA is granted, a committee of CDC vaccine advisors then must decide who will receive the initial supply of vaccine before vaccinations begin.

Santa is deemed an essential worker. The British government edges closer to approving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Russia’s death toll soars.

If you’re just joining us, here’s the latest coronavirus news from across the continent to get you up to speed.

UK

The British government has announced a “significant first step” in getting the AstraZeneca vaccine “approved for deployment,” formally referring the company’s experimental vaccine candidate to the medicines regulator for assessment. The British-Swedish drugmaker is developing the vaccine in conjunction with the UK’s Oxford University.

If it gains regulatory approval, the UK will be one of the first countries in the world to receive it, according to the country’s Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

AstraZeneca expects to have up to 4 million doses ready for the UK by the end of the year, with 40 million more by the end of March, it added.

The news has arrived at a critical moment for the company, which has been pushing back against criticism about a lack of transparency behind its data. 

Northern Ireland has begun a two week “circuit-breaker” lockdown in an attempt to get infections down before Christmas. Schools will remain open, but some businesses in the retail, leisure and hospitality sector have been forced to close.

Meanwhile, regions in England could see their coronavirus risk-category de-escalated before Christmas, as part of a mid-December review period. The national lockdown will end on December 2, after which London will be placed in the Tier 2 “High Alert” risk category, while cities including Greater Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester and Bristol will be placed in the Tier 3 “Very High Alert” category.

Ireland

The Irish government is set to announce its exit plan from Level Five restrictions that have seen businesses close and social gatherings forbidden since October.

According to state broadcaster RTE, restaurants and pubs will likely reopen on Monday, but it is expected that household gatherings will not be permitted until December 18. It also reports that hairdressers will reopen on Wednesday, and people will be able to travel within their county and attend religious services.

Deputy premier Leo Varadkar told RTE this week the government is considering allowing three households to gather for up to two weeks during the Christmas period. “We know people are going to do it anyway, so it’s better we provide for it in a safe way,” he said.  

Meanwhile, Santa will be exempt from coronavirus restrictions over the holiday period.

Ireland’s Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told members of parliament yesterday that he had been “working on the Santa Claus issue for a number of weeks,” noting that as Santa is an essential worker, “he is exempt from the need to self-quarantine for 14 days and should able to come in and out of Irish airspace, and indeed in and out of Irish homes, without having to restrict his movements.”

He added that children shouldn’t stay up at night to greet Santa, as he will still be required to social distance.  

Germany

Germany reached a grim milestone Friday when it logged its one millionth coronavirus case. Once deemed a symbol of hope in Europe’s Covid-19 chaos, the country has struggled to cope with a second wave.

This comes after Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that the country’s coronavirus restrictions and partial national lockdown would last until December 20 and could be extended into 2021. “It is up to us. We are not powerless,” she said on Thursday in the German Bundestag.

In the past 24 hours, data released by the Robert Koch Institute shows 22,806 new recorded cases, bringing Germany’s total number of coronavirus cases to 1,006,394.

Germany has also recorded its highest single day death toll since the start of the pandemic. In the past 24 hours, 426 virus-related deaths occurred, raising the total fatalities to 15, 586.

Russia

Also hitting records is Russia, with 27,543 new cases recorded on Friday, taking the total recorded number since the start of the pandemic to 2,215,533.  

According to data from the country’s coronavirus response center, this is the highest number of cases ever reported there in a single day – 2000 more than the previous record. A further 496 fatalities were recorded, bringing the overall death toll so far to 38,558. 

Moscow alone accounted for 7,918 new cases. Mayor Sergey Sobyanin on Thursday extended some new restrictions in the city until January 15. As the worst-affected city, the capital beat its own record too on Friday.

It is important to keep in mind that official Russian death figures may grossly understate the real toll by excluding people who are presumed to have Covid-19 post mortem and even those with pre-existing conditions that proved fatal due to the infection, a CNN investigation revealed.

Spain 

Health Minister Salvador Illa formally outlined Spain’s three-phase vaccine roll-out strategy, with fifteen population categories created to establish who would have precedence in receiving a vaccine.  

At the top of the list is the elderly, and people with disabilities who live in residences and the staff who care for them. Illa estimated that 2.5 million people would be vaccinated in the first phase, which would run from January to March. 

The second phase would include other Spaniards older than 64 and those in higher risk groups. Those who live or work in closed communities as well as people vulnerable because of their social surroundings would also be prioritized, he said, with the general population beginning to get the vaccine in June on a free and voluntary basis. 

Finland

The country hailed as recently having one of the lowest infection rates in Europe, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, is now seeing cases rise at “alarming speed,” the Health Ministry said Thursday.

According to the Health Ministry, the number of cases “increased sharply, and new infections were reported in all hospital districts” between November. 16-22. Within that period, a total of 2,541 new cases were reported, representing an increase of 906 from the previous week. 

Infection rates are particularly high in the Greater Helsinki area, it added.

The Health Ministry confirmed that new restrictions and recommendations are to be introduced, but it did not outline the details of the proposed measures. So far, the country has reported a total number of 22,652 cases and 388 coronavirus related deaths.

Italy

Italian premier Giuseppe Conte hinted that many of Italy’s red zones “will turn orange or yellow, as the latest Covid-19 surveillance report, to be published later on Friday, is hoped to reveal the country’s R number has reduced to 1.   

Speaking to Italy’s Channel 5 news Thursday, Conte said “this would mean that the citizens of those territorial communities could benefit from less restrictive, less penalizing measures.” But he cautioned that sacrifices must still be made to avoid a third wave in January: “We can’t let our guard down. Italians are aware that it will be a different Christmas.”

Daily deaths in Italy continue to be reported in staggering heights, with 822 fatalities recorded Thursday. However, for the first time in seven weeks, the number of patients in ICU decreased. 

More than 400,000 servicemen in Russia will be vaccinated against coronavirus, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday according to state news agency TASS.

More than 2,500 servicemen have been vaccinated so far, with vaccinations of 80,000 members of the armed forces scheduled for the year’s end, TASS reported, citing Shoigu.

“In accordance with the instructions of the president, vaccination of the personnel of the armed forces against the new coronavirus infection has begun. In total, it is planned to vaccinate more than 400,000 servicemen,” he said.

Meanwhile, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin hasn’t been vaccinated against the coronavirus himself, months after he announced his country’s Sputnik V as the “world’s first” approved Covid-19 vaccine.

Putin has said that his own daughter had gotten it.

The Kremlin said Tuesday that Putin cannot get a vaccine that has not yet finished the final stage of trials, even though the jab has already been given to servicemen, some Russian frontline health care workers, teachers and several top level officials outside the clinical trials.

“The president cannot use an uncertified vaccine,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said during a call with reporters.

Peskov did not explain the difference between the vaccine being “certified” and “approved,” but said: “Mass vaccination has not started yet. And, of course, the head of state cannot take part in vaccination as a volunteer. It’s impossible.”

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the executions of at least two people, according to a South Korean lawmaker briefed by the country’s spy agency.

Ha Tae-keung told reporters on Friday that a North Korean customs official was killed in August for allegedly continuing the importation of goods from China without following Covid-19 prevention rules and measures.

The official had worked at Sinuiju, a city on the border between North Korea and China.

South Korea’s spy agency sees North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as making “unreasonable responses regarding Covid-19 prevention measures,” Ha told reporters, according to his office.

Ha also said that a North Korean foreign exchange dealer was executed in October after the US dollar plunged in value against the North Korean won, according to his office.

CNN has not been able to independently verify the reported killings.

This post has been updated.

Domenico Arcuri, Italy’s coronavirus commissioner, spoke on Italian TV Channel TGCOM Thursday night outlining how Italy is planning the storage and administration of vaccines.

Arcuri said that the question being asked by everyone was how they were planning to handle the storage of the Pfizer vaccine which needs to be kept at -70 degrees Celsius.

The Italian government is working closely with the European Commission on vaccine procurement. The Commission plans to bulk buy Covid-19 vaccines on behalf of member states and then to distribute them fairly.

On Wednesday, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, reassured member states:

Arcuri explained that there will be 300 centers in Italy where vaccines will be administered and that he was optimistic about storage capabilities.

Germany’s capital Berlin will not ease restrictions during the festive season because it is currently a coronavirus hotspot, its mayor Michael Müller said on Thursday.

Infection rates in Berlin are ”still alarming” with 200 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within one week, he said, adding that coronavirus restrictions should be tightened even further. 

Berlin’s rules over the Christmas holiday are: 

On Friday, Germany became the latest country to surpass 1 million coronavirus infections since the pandemic began. This news was topped off by a second consecutive record daily death toll.

In a nationwide bid to curb the rate of infections in time for Christmas, German chancellor Angela Merkel announced new measures to beef up the recently-extended light lockdown this week.

They came into force today and will last until at least December 20, with the likelihood of being further extended into January.

Across Europe, governments are also making plans to “save” Christmas.

France’s lockdown will begin to ease this weekend and restrictions could be lifted further on December 15, if the daily number of cases drops under 5,000 and there are only 2,000-3,000 in hospital ICUs.

In Northern Ireland, tougher coronavirus restrictions came into force today in a bid to find some form of normalcy around the holiday. First Minister Arlene Foster said during a press briefing on Thursday that the two-week “circuit-breaker” lockdown is “crucial in getting our rates down so that we can all have the safest and the happiest Christmas possible in these exceptional circumstances,” she added. 

Earlier this week, the UK government announced it would temporarily relax coronavirus restrictions to allow up to three households to celebrate together in “Christmas bubbles.”

Elsewhere, leaders in Italy and Germany have urged the public to obey rules now to enjoy the festive season later.

Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illa has given more details of the vaccination campaign against Covid-19 that will begin in the country in January next year. 

The Spanish government had created fifteen population categories to establish who would have precedence in receiving a vaccine. The health minister confirmed that at the top of the list would be the elderly and people with disabilities who live in residences and the staff who care for them. Also in the first phase would be health workers. 

He estimated that 2.5 million people would be vaccinated in the first phase, which would run from January to March. 

The second phase would include other Spaniards older than 64 and those in higher risk groups. Those who live or work in closed communities as well as people vulnerable because of their social surroundings would also be prioritized, he said. 

Illa confirmed the roll-out of vaccination would occur in three phases next year, with the general population beginning to get the vaccine in June. He said the strategy was flexible, depending on the views of experts and when there is more data on the vaccines and their availability. Vaccination would be free and voluntary.

Illa said that in the meantime, widespread testing would continue. He said that currently more than 2,000 tests were being carried out per 100,000 inhabitants to detect coronavirus infection. 

The nationwide plan for the Christmas period is still to be decided by the Spanish government.

In a further sign that rates of infection in Spain are slowing, the Community of Madrid is relaxing restrictions on mobility and the operation of some businesses in 13 districts.

On Thursday in Spain there were 5,073 new Covid-19 cases and 337 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 1,617,355 cases and 44,374 deaths so far.

The UK government has announced a “significant first step” in getting the AstraZeneca vaccine “approved for deployment.”

On Friday, it formally referred AstraZeneca’s experimental vaccine candidate to the UK’s medicines regulator for assessment. The British-Swedish drugmaker is developing the vaccine in conjunction with the UK’s Oxford University.

If it gains regulatory approval, the UK will be one of the first countries in the world to receive it, according to the country’s Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

AstraZeneca expects to have up to 4 million doses ready for the UK by the end of the year, with 40 million more by the end of March, it added.

The news has arrived at a critical moment for the company, which has been pushing back against criticism about a lack of transparency behind its data.

On Monday, AstraZeneca announced that its vaccine had shown an average efficacy of 70% in large-scale trials. 

In one group, 2,741 participants received a half-dose of the vaccine and then a full dose at least a month later. This group was 90% protected against Covid-19.
In the second group, 8,895 participants received a full dose followed by another full dose at least a month later. This group was only 62% protected.
That’s why AstraZeneca says their vaccine is 70% effective, on average.

But some scientists are questioning why the company would report on a pooled result of two different trials, as it deviates from standard reporting on clinical trials.

And in the days following AstraZeneca’s announcement, another point of confusion emerged: a lab error was the reason why some volunteers had received a smaller dose.

In a call with reporters on Wednesday, the US vaccine czar Moncef Slaoui said that the group that got the mistakenly lower dose that yielded the 90% efficacy had been a younger group, with no one older than 55.

That could potentially affect the strength of AstraZeneca’s findings, given that young people typically produce stronger immune responses to vaccines.

In a statement on Friday, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Chief Executive Dr. June Raine said that the body will “rigorously assess the latest data and evidence to be submitted of the vaccine’s safety, quality and effectiveness.”

“The safety of the public will always come first. Our role is to work to the highest standards and safety is our watch word,” she added. 

Related coverage: AstraZeneca hopes the world can focus on its positive vaccine news. But experts fear a lack of transparency has clouded that

US President Donald Trump finally confirmed Thursday that he will vacate the White House in January – but he largely ignored the mounting challenges his successor is facing as he exits.

In a gaggle with reporters, he continued to push his false narrative that the US is rounding the corner on the pandemic but acknowledged that he will be gone next year, lecturing reporters not to “let Joe Biden take credit” for the development on coronavirus vaccines “because the vaccines were me and I pushed people harder than they’ve ever been pushed before.”

The remarks at once reflected the President’s breathtaking narcissism and his inability to confront the anxiety and financial pain that so many Americans are facing this holiday week, as lines at food banks stretched for blocks and hospitals were once again facing down capacity limits.

The inability of leaders to work together in Washington is being sharply felt by small business owners and workers who are once again seeing their livelihoods jeopardized as cities and jurisdictions around the country place new limitations on businesses to try to get a handle on the skyrocketing number of Covid-19 cases.

“We can’t keep taking on these blows, especially with no federal relief or aid from anyone else,” said restaurateur Tom Sopit in Los Angeles. “This just can’t keep going on without help.”

Read the full analysis:

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 26: President Donald Trump speaks in the Diplomatic Room of the White House on Thanksgiving on November 26, 2020 in Washington, DC. Trump had earlier made the traditional call to members of the military stationed abroad through video teleconference. (Photo by Erin Schaff - Pool/Getty Images)

Related article Analysis: Trump's continued rhetoric over election hampers recovery as Americans face heightened economic and health fears

Russia confirmed 27,543 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, the highest number of infections it has reported in a single day, according to data from the country’s coronavirus response center.

This is more than 2,000 cases higher than the previous record reported yesterday.

Moscow, the country’s worst-affected city, accounted for 7,918 new cases – also a new record for the capital. On Thursday, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, extended some remote work and self-isolation restrictions in the city until Jan. 15. 

The total number of coronavirus cases in Russia now stands at 2,215,533. 

The number of deaths due to the virus in the country increased by 496, bringing the total to 38,558. A CNN investigation previously revealed that official Russian coronavirus death figures may grossly understate the real toll by excluding people who are presumed to have Covid-19 post mortem and even those with pre-existing conditions that proved fatal due to the infection.

Vaccinations against Covid-19 might not start in Africa until the middle of next year, the head of the continent’s disease control group said on Thursday. 

Nkengasong said the goal was to vaccinate 60% of the continent’s population to achieve herd immunity.

Call for leadership: The World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement Thursday that their new analysis has found that Africa is far from ready for what will be the continent’s largest ever immunization drive and urged African countries to urgently ramp up readiness. 

According to WHO data, just 24% of countries surveyed have adequate resource and funding plans, and just under half have “identified the priority populations for vaccination and have plans in place to reach them.”

“Planning and preparation will make or break this unprecedented endeavor, and we need active leadership and engagement from the highest levels of government with solid, comprehensive national coordination plans and systems put in place,” Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, was quoted saying in the statement. 

Vaccine drive will cost billions: WHO estimates the cost of rolling out a Covid-19 vaccine on the African continent to priority populations will be around $5.7 billion. The figure does not include additional costs of up to 20% extra for injection materials and the delivery of vaccines, which require trained health workers, supply chain and logistics and community mobilization. 

A Toronto restaurant owner was arrested Thursday after continuing to violate public health orders, officials said.

Adam Skelly, who owns Adamson Barbecue, is being charged with one count each of attempting to obstruct police, mischief, failing to comply with a continuing order and failing to leave when directed.

The restaurant was seized by the Toronto Police Service Thursday morning, the locks were changed and all persons were restricted from access to the premises, said Toronto police.

Toronto Mayor John Tory said he believes Skelly is making a political statement.

“But I think the vast majority of people don’t accept that. They’re trying hard to make the sacrifices that are terrible in some cases to make sure we can all get healthy,” said Tory, adding that he believes Skelly will “face huge fines” if convicted.

Tighter restrictions: Toronto began a four-week lockdown this week amid an exponential rise in Covid-19 cases and as ICUs near capacity. All dining, non-essential shopping, salons and gyms have been ordered closed. 

And on Thursday, Toronto’s mayor told CNN he wasn’t ruling out an extension of the lockdown to last through Christmas and New Year’s.

Local authorities across England could see their coronavirus risk category de-escalated before Christmas as part of a mid-December review period, UK Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said on Friday. 

“At that point we – advised by the experts – will look at each local authority area in the country and see whether they should remain in their existing tier or whether there is potential to move down the tiers,” Jenrick said in an interview with Sky News.
“There are a number of places which were quite finely balanced judgements, where they were on the cusp of different tiers, so those are the places which are perhaps more likely to be in that position.”

But Jenrick cautioned that any adjustments to local tiers would require careful consideration, highlighting the potential for local infection rates to rise over the holiday period. 

“There will be an opening over the Christmas period which is likely to drive some higher rates of infection, if some people choose to meet family and friends for Christmas Day and the days surrounding it, so we have to bear that in mind,” Jenrick said. 

The updated tier system includes tougher restrictions. London will be placed in the tier 2 “high alert” risk category, while cities including Greater Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester and Bristol will be placed in the highest tier 3 “very high alert” category. 

A review of the national tier system is expected to take place on or around Dec. 16 

Japan recorded 2,509 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday – the country’s second highest daily increase of new cases since the pandemic began.

The Health Ministry also reported 29 new deaths from the virus.

Thursday’s figures bring Japan’s total to 140,203 cases and 2,064 deaths.

Of the new cases, 481 were from the capital Tokyo.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga asked for the public’s cooperation over the next three weeks to stem a resurgence in coronavirus infections. 

“The next three weeks are crucial,” Suga said. “We would like to ask all people to take basic precautions to prevent the spread of infection, such as wearing masks, washing hands and avoiding closed, crowded and closed-contact settings.” 

Suga added that the government has asked restaurants and bars to shorten their business hours in Tokyo, Sapporo, Osaka and Nagoya.

“We, as a nation, will continue to support all businesses that cooperate,” he said.

North Korea’s propaganda website Uriminzokkiri has published a personal account of a Pyongyang resident describing her son’s homeschooling, as the country endures “the lingering emergency anti-epidemic campaign.”

“When the doorbell rang, and a familiar voice asked, ‘Is anyone home?’ my son and granny ran to open the door as if they were expecting someone,” the resident is quoted as saying. “The person who walked in smiling was my son’s primary school home teacher.”

The article explains that teachers visit their students every three days. “Where there are students, this holds true for any district, ward and unit,” the resident says.

On Nov. 20, state-run news agency KCNA announced the creation of “new efficient educational method” for students to improve self-study and practical abilities in education through tele-lectures and home study in light of “the lingering emergency anti-epidemic campaign.”

According to state media, North Korea’s “Pedagogical Institute” devised the tele-education program, which various primary, junior and senior middle schools in Pyongyang have adopted. The program reportedly allows students to receive lectures at home via computers and TVs.

Some context: North Korea has repeatedly claimed it is free of the coronavirus. In a speech last month its leader Kim Jong Un said he was thankful for the country not having a single Covid-19 case.

But last Sunday, the country called for stricter border control and anti-virus control measures amid the worsening pandemic, according to the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Worker’s Party of Korea.

India’s national cricket captain, Virat Kohli, has hit back at criticism of his decision to take lengthy paternity leave from his team’s ongoing tour to Australia for the birth of his first child.

Speaking in a news conference via video link on Thursday, Kohli explained that he will be subject to two quarantines when he travels home after the first test match of India’s first overseas series since the start of the pandemic.

Kohli said his travel dates were “purely based on the fact that we have a quarantine period both ways.”

The top-order batsman added that the decision had been made with the support of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) selection committee.

“And I wanted to be back home in time to be with my wife for the birth of our first child. It’s a very, very special and very, very beautiful moment in our lives and something I truly want to experience. So that was the reason behind my decision,” he said in his address, posted on the BCCI’s Twitter account.

Why the controversy? Earlier this month, Indian cricket officials announced that Kohli would miss the final three test matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. It’s been a talking point in India ever since, with some even questioning Kohli’s patriotism.

There has, however, been immense support for the Indian skipper’s decision from former cricketers, international players and fans.

The birth of Kohli’s first child with his wife, Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, is expected in January.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry has increased social distancing restrictions in all its military bases to Level 2.5 – the second highest stage – after a coronavirus cluster was detected at a training center for new recruits, according to a Korea Disease Control Agency (KDCA) news release. 

As of Thursday, the KDCA has detected 68 cases in the cluster. The Level 2.5 restrictions will stay in place until Dec. 7.

Under these restrictions:

The government will also secure a residential treatment center within military facilities to prevent additional infections, said Health Ministry spokesperson Son Young-rae.

The United States recorded 110,611 new coronavirus cases and 1,232 new virus-related deaths on Thursday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

That brings the country’s total to at least 12,883,264 cases and 263,455 deaths.

The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases. 

See CNN’s live tracker:

Germany recorded 22,806 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours to bring its total number of cases past 1 million, according to the Robert Koch Institute, the country’s disease control and prevention agency.

The country also recorded 426 new deaths, the RKI reported on Friday. That marks the highest single-day jump in Covid deaths since the pandemic began.

That brings Germany’s total to 1,006,394 cases and 15,586 virus-related deaths.

This comes one day after German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that coronavirus restrictions and a partial national lockdown will last until Dec. 20, but could be extended into 2021. 

South Korea reported 569 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, the second consecutive day that more than 500 additional infections have been registered since March. 

The nationwide total of cases now stands at 32,887, according to the Korea Disease Control Prevention Agency (KDCA.)

Of the new cases, 337 were identified in the Seoul metropolitan area.  

Health Ministry spokesperson Son Young-rae said the ministry is discussing ways to toughen social distancing measures and will make a decision with the government “as soon as possible.”

As of Friday, 77 patients are in critical condition and 100 intensive care beds are available, but Son said if cases continue to rise for more than two weeks, there could be an issue with intensive care bed availability.

Son urged citizens to cancel all meetings as people can get infected anywhere and at any time.

Some context: On Thursday, South Korea reported 583 new cases from the previous day, its highest daily case count since March 1 during the country’s first major outbreak.

The US enters Thanksgiving with coronavirus cases and deaths soaring and hospitalizations at record levels. And on a holiday weekend that lends itself to big gatherings, public health experts still were begging people to avoid them, fearing the pandemic is about to become much worse.

The number of Covid-19 patients in US hospitals hit a record for the 17th straight day Thursday, with at least 90,481, according to the COVID Tracking Project, as many medical centers warn they’re running out of capacity.

Public health officials have generally urged Americans to celebrate Thanksgiving only with members of the same household, or at least gather outdoors, to keep asymptomatic carriers from further spreading the virus.

Dr. Chris Pernell, a New Jersey physician who lost her father to Covid-19, told CNN on Thursday that she was on the phone with friends the previous night, asking them to reverse their travel plans.

The pandemic is worsening in the US: Recorded cases are rising to unprecedented levels. The average number of new daily cases across a week in the US was 175,809 on Wednesday – the highest on record, and more than two and a half times greater than the previous peak in late July.

And Covid-19 deaths in the US are spiking. More than 2,100 deaths were reported on Tuesday and Wednesday each, the first time that level was crossed on consecutive days since late April.

The average number of daily deaths across a week – 1,658 on Wednesday – is the highest it’s been since mid-May.

Holiday journeys: The CDC recommended last week that Americans should not travel for Thanksgiving. Many changed their plans, a new poll showed. But millions didn’t.

More than 1.07 million people passed through US airport security checkpoints on Wednesday alone – the most in one day since March 16, around the time when coronavirus restrictions started nationwide, the Transportation Security Administration said Thursday.

Read the full story:

HOUSTON, TX - NOVEMBER 25: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) (EDITORS NOTE: Image depicts death.) Medical staff members close the zipper of a body bag that contains a deceased COVID-19 patient's body in the COVID-19 intensive care unit at the United Memorial Medical Center on November 25, 2020 in Houston, Texas. According to reports, Texas has reached over 1,210,000 cases, including over 21,300 deaths. (Photo by Go Nakamura/Getty Images)

Related article Daily Covid-19 deaths will soon double, expert says, while others warn Thanksgiving gatherings could worsen case surge

Turkey reported its highest number of new Covid-19 fatalities for a fourth consecutive day, with 174 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the Turkish Health Ministry on Thursday.

The ministry also announced a record 29,132 new cases with 6,876 of them showing symptoms. Since Wednesday, Turkey has started to release case numbers as well as “patient” numbers. Patients are those who have positive PCR tests and show symptoms.

Turkey has 4,711 critical cases, ICU capacity in the country is currently at 71.3%, and the pneumonia rate is 3.4%, the ministry said.

A total of 13,014 people have died from Covid-19 in Turkey since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the ministry.

When the British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca announced on Monday that its experimental coronavirus vaccine is 70% effective on average, the world exhaled a collective sigh of relief and stocks rallied. Another vaccine with promising results had arrived.

But a lack of clarity surrounding several aspects of the data from the AstraZeneca vaccine trials have raised some eyebrows in the scientific community, potentially setting back the timing for the vaccine to be authorized in Europe and the United States.

What happened with the trials: AstraZeneca said on Monday that study participants in the UK had been given two different courses of the vaccine.

The drugmaker, which developed the vaccine with the University of Oxford, did not however, at the time, explain why they used two different dosing regimens or why the size of one group was significantly smaller than the other.

In one group, 2,741 participants received a half-dose of the vaccine and then a full dose at least a month later. This group was 90% protected against Covid-19.

In the second group, 8,895 participants received a full dose followed by another full dose at least a month later. This group was only 62% protected.

That’s why AstraZeneca says their vaccine is 70% effective, on average.

Those results raised eyebrows: Some scientists are questioning why the company would report on a pooled result of two different trials, as it deviates from standard reporting on clinical trials.

And in the days following that announcement, another point of confusion has emerged.

On Tuesday, Mene Pangalos, AstraZeneca’s Executive Vice President who heads up non-oncology research and development, first explained to Reuters that a lab error was the reason why some volunteers had received a smaller dose – the dose that proved to be 90% effective. “The reason we had the half dose is serendipity,” Pangalos said, adding that researchers had “underpredicted the dose of the vaccine by half.”

Read the full story:

In this undated photo issued by the University of Oxford, a researcher in a laboratory at the Jenner Institute in Oxford, England, works on the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said Monday Nov. 23, 2020, that late-stage trials showed its coronavirus vaccine was up to 90% effective, giving public health officials hope they may soon have access to a vaccine that is cheaper and easier to distribute than some of its rivals. (University of Oxford/John Cairns via AP)

Related article AstraZeneca hopes the world can focus on its positive vaccine news. But experts fear a lack of transparency has clouded that

It remains unclear exactly how many people in the United States have had Covid-19, but a new study suggests that most do not appear to have antibodies and are likely susceptible to infection.

Across the country, the prevalence of Covid-19 antibodies appears to range from fewer than 1% to 23%, according to the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association’s JAMA Internal Medicine on Tuesday. When someone recovers from Covid-19, their blood plasma can contain antibodies that helped fight the coronavirus that caused their illness – and therefore antibodies serve as clues to a past infection. 

The new study included data from blood serum samples taken from 178,000 people across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Samples were obtained for routine screening or clinical care during four collection periods: July 27 to Aug. 13; Aug. 10 to Aug. 27; Aug. 24 to Sept. 10; and Sept. 7 to Sept. 24.

The researchers – from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Quest Diagnostics, BioReference Laborites and the company ICF Inc. – found that the prevalence of antibodies among those samples ranged from 0% in South Dakota in collection period 2 to 23.3% in New York in collection period 1.

“In nearly all jurisdictions, fewer than 10% of people in the US had evidence of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection,” the researchers wrote in the study. SARS-CoV-2 is the name of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.
“Seroprevalence varied across regions and between metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas, with estimates as high as 23% in the Northeast and 13% in the South, while estimates in the Midwest and West were less than 10%,” the researchers wrote. 
“Seroprevalence was often lowest in older age groups,” they wrote. “Our results reinforce the need for continued public health preventive measures, including the use of face masks and social distancing, to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the US.” 

Regional differences: For certain states – such as Iowa, Pennsylvania and Tennessee –  more people living in metropolitan counties had antibodies. In other states – such as Alabama and Mississippi – people living outside metropolitan areas were more likely to have been infected, according to the study. Changes over time, from collection period 1 to 4, also varied across states. The researchers found that the largest drop in prevalence occurred in New York and North Dakota, while large increases occurred in Georgia and Minnesota.

The study was not designed to produce a nationwide estimate of prevalence. More research is needed to determine whether similar findings would emerge among a larger group of people representative of the general public.