Why some countries are halting use of AstraZeneca vaccine
2:00
What you need to know
Cyprus, Luxembourg, Latvia and Sweden are the latest countries to suspend use of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine following reports of possible side effects. The suspensions go against the advice of international medical agencies, which say there’s no evidence the vaccine is linked to clotting.
In Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro has appointed the country’s fourth health minister since the pandemic began.
In the US, the White House is racing to prevent and prepare for a potential fourth coronavirus surge, as more transmissible variants spread across the country.
Our live coverage has ended for the day. Follow the latest on the pandemic here.
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Officials investigating whether a new Covid-19 variant is linked to a Kentucky nursing home
From CNN’s Rebekah Riess
Gov. Andy Beshear
Kentucky Governor's office
Kentucky is investigating whether cases impacting a nursing home facility are linked to a new variant that has not been previously identified, Gov. Andy Beshear said, adding that people should get vaccinated as soon as possible.
The state is presently aware of 41 people who have tested positive for Covid-19 at the nursing home facility, the health commissioner said. It appears that an unvaccinated person brought Covid-19 into the nursing facility, where 85% of residents and 48% of health care staff were vaccinated, Stack said.
Of the 41 persons infected, 27 are residents and 14 are health care workers. Notably, of the 41 infected persons, 30% of the vaccinated individuals have been symptomatic, while 83% of the unvaccinated people have been symptomatic, Stack added.
Five of the infected residents have been admitted to the hospital, four of whom are unvaccinated, according to the health commissioner.
“The more people who get infected, the more opportunity it has to mutate, and then eventually find combinations that help it to be more dangerous. So, the good news is that the vaccines appear to be doing their job in protecting people,” Stack added.
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Half of Brazilian states implement curfews and other restrictions to curb Covid surge
From CNN's Rodrigo Pedroso
Governors of the hardest hit regions of Brazil are adopting curfews at night and more restrictive measures to try to curb the spread of Covid-19 infections – without the backing of the federal government. The country has been reporting a record-high number of virus deaths.
Fourteen of the 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District are under curfew. Generally they are in effect from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. The majority of them were enforced in the last week.
In addition, 18 state governments announced more restrictive measures over the last five days. The restrictions were aimed at what is considered non-essential activities – gyms, parks, shops, shopping malls, churches and schools.
Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, the three wealthiest states of Brazil, all adopted measures to decrease the movement of the population. On Tuesday, Minas Gerais Gov. Romeu Zema said the state health system is overcrowded and doesn’t support new patients.
Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso and Federal District in the Center-West region of the country, the epicenter of Brazil’s agribusiness industry, and Rio Grande do Sul, in the South, are facing a collapse of their health systems since last week and had to announce curfews and restrictive measures. The same has happened at Rondonia, in the Amazon, and Parana, in the South, where health systems there are also bordering on collapse.
With the absence of federal coordination, the Brazilian national association of governors sent a letter to the country’s health ministry on Sunday requesting the adoption of lockdown measures nationwide. The governors called, among other measures, for the implementation of restrictions on the operation of airports, ports, highways, and railways in the country.
The latest numbers: Brazil had a record high number of deaths on Tuesday with at least 2,841 deaths, according to the health ministry. Sao Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul states presented the highest number of deaths on their territory since the beginning of the pandemic.
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More House staff expected to have access to vaccines
From CNN's Lauren Fox
In an email to House offices provided to CNN by a source, House administration informed staff they are “expecting” more guidance from the Capitol physician later today that would allow for more member and committee staff to get vaccinated.
The email made clear that the expectation is that there still won’t be enough doses of vaccines for every staffer on the hill.
The expectation is that a certain number of vaccines will become available to each office like the last time.
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The church can play a leading role in increasing vaccine confidence, NIH director tells faith leaders
From CNN’s Lauren Mascarenhas
The church can play a leading role in increasing Covid-19 vaccine confidence by encouraging followers to get vaccinated, Dr. Francis Collins, director of National Institutes of Health, said Tuesday.
Collins spoke at the Washington National Cathedral, where faith leaders gathered to help bolster Covid-19 vaccine confidence.
“Unfortunately, many who could most benefit, because they are at highest risk of serious and even life-threatening infections, are still holding back,” Collins added.
He said getting vaccinated is a “love your neighbor opportunity.”
“Today, all of you are putting hope into action,” he said. “Hope for an end to the terrible suffering and loss of life from Covid-19, hope for an end to the economic devastation it has caused, hope that the vaccine can not only protect you, but also – if we do this together – your family, your friends, your community, your nation, your whole world.”
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Kentucky will start vaccinating inmates age 70 and older this week
From CNN’s Rebekah Riess
Kentucky Governor's office
The Kentucky Department of Corrections is expected to begin vaccinating inmates age 70 and older on Thursday at Little Sandy Correctional Complex, J. Michael Brown, secretary of the Executive Cabinet, announced today.
All 14 of Kentucky’s correctional institutions have now been enrolled as a vaccine distribution point and are going to be targeted for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, as the state receives supplies, he said.
“We do have a serious Covid-19 outbreak at the Kentucky State Penitentiary. But 11 of 14 state correctional institutions have zero active inmate cases,” he said. “There is hope on the way.”
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New Covid-19 cases are at least 10% higher in some states, but still down in US overall
From CNN’s Deidre McPhillips
In 15 states, new Covid-19 cases reported over the past seven days are at least 10% higher than a week ago, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
In two of those states – Minnesota and Michigan – cases are more than 40% higher than they were a week ago.
New Covid-19 cases are still trending down in the United States overall, and weekly case counts in these 15 states haven’t been increasing for long. The seven-day average of new cases has only been higher than the week before for seven days or less in each of those states, except for Michigan, a CNN analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows.
Typically, experts say that more sustained data – at least a couple weeks – is needed to identify a trend. But as newer, more contagious variants become more prevalent in the US, catching early warning signs may be key to limiting continued spread.
CNN has reported the Biden administration is closely monitoring data and investing resources to prevent and prepare for a fourth surge.
There is no clear link between case growth and variant prevalence in states. Despite having the largest number of coronavirus variants recorded by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida has seen a 16% drop in cases compared to last week. However, the US notably lags in genetic sequencing and only tests a very small portion of samples for the presence of coronavirus variants.
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Florida governor makes recommendations for how state should spend federal stimulus money
From CNN's Pamela Kirkland
The Florida Channel
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a new round of budget recommendations on Tuesday outlining how the state should spend the latest round of federal relief funds.
During a news conference in Tallahassee, DeSantis recommended a one-time $1,000 bonus be paid to every first responder in the state for their work during the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to the $208 million to first responders, the recommendations include giving the state’s unemployment CONNECT system $73.2 million, and $50 million for infrastructure.
The governor also announced an additional $50 million dollars to boost Florida’s tourism industry.
He said the state is expecting to receive between $9 to $10 billion from the federal government, but the governor is only proposing to spend $4.1 billion. Those recommendations will be sent to the Florida statehouse.
He also complained that the state is getting less money in stimulus spending than “blue states.”
“All in all, we’re getting the short end of the stick, make no mistake about it, but we’ll be getting the job done for the people of Florida,” he said.
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Everyone 16 and older will be eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine starting April 1 in Montana
From CNN's Jennifer Selva
Paramedic Alex Baukus administers a COVID-19 vaccine to a patient at the Park County Health Department COVID-19 vaccination clinic for seniors 80 years and older on January 28, in Livingston, Montana.
William Campbell/Getty Images/FILE
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte announced that all Montanans 16 years of age and older will be eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine on April 1.
The governor made the announcement during an afternoon news conference, pointing out that projections a month ago showed availability to this group being as late as mid-July.
As of Tuesday morning the state had administered 367,000 doses, with more than 142,000 Montanans fully immunized.
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UK adviser says Europe's "abundance of caution" on AstraZeneca vaccine is "very dangerous"
From CNN's AnneClaire Stapleton
European countries are only looking at the narrow question of where to suspend the AstraZeneca vaccine right now and aren’t considering the wider dangers associated with the decision, Dr. Peter Openshaw, an adviser to the UK government on pandemic viruses, told CNN.
Some context: At least 16 European countries have suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and three more have suspended use of certain batches of the vaccine.
Regulators including the European Medicines Agency (EMA) say there is no known link between the vaccine and blood clots, and that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks.
WHO is expected to make a statement on the AstraZeneca vaccine as soon as Tuesday. EMA is due to make a statement on Thursday.
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AstraZeneca vaccine “did not show protection” against variant found in South Africa, study says
From CNN’s Michael Nedelman
A small study of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine in South Africa said the vaccine “did not show protection against mild-to-moderate Covid-19” due to the variant widely circulating there, according to results published Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The results were announced in early February by the University of Oxford and posted to a preprint server days later. They played a key role in South Africa scaling back its rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine last month.
The study did not show efficacy of the vaccine against the variant — also known as B.1.351 — because the numbers of people infected in the vaccine and placebo groups were not significantly different from each other.
The study included roughly 2,000 HIV-negative people with a median age of 30, evenly split between vaccine and placebo groups. Of the 42 total participants in the study who developed Covid-19 more than two weeks after the second dose, all but three were found to have the B.1.351 variant.
The study also tested the blood of some vaccinated participants against live and engineered viruses in the lab, demonstrating that their antibodies had a more difficult time neutralizing the variant.
In response to earlier announcements of these results in February, AstraZeneca said it still believed its vaccine may protect against severe disease and hospitalization caused by the variant. However, this study of predominantly young, healthy people was unable to evaluate whether the vaccine would be effective to those ends.
“There were no cases of hospitalization for severe Covid-19 observed in the study,” the study authors wrote.
In a different preprint last month, the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine showed overall 66.7% efficacy against symptomatic disease starting two weeks after the second shot, based on an analysis of more than 17,000 trial volunteers in the UK, Brazil and South Africa.
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California governor Newsom defends Covid-19 response amid recall effort
From CNN's Josiah Ryan
CNN
California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom today defended his administration’s pandemic-related decisions as efforts to recall him continued to gather steam.
“It’s been a difficult year,” acknowledged Newsom, when CNN’s Jake Tapper pointed out that many Californians who support his recall believe his lockdown measures were too harsh.
“In hindsight, you know, we’re all experts,” continued the governor. “….I think we saved thousands and thousands of lives.”
“There’s a bright light at the end of the tunnel, but I’m deeply mindful and deeply respectful to all the anxieties that people have felt over the last year,” he added.
Nearly 1.5 million verified signatures are required to put the question of recalling Newsom on the ballot, and Wednesday marks the deadline for turning in the necessary signatures.
As of today, all indications pointed to Newsom’s opponents reaching that goal, turning this sixth attempt to oust him via recall in two years into a credible threat to his political fortunes.
Newsom told Tapper he is talking the recall seriously, but characterized its proponents as members of right-wing militia groups, conspiracy theorists and White supremacist groups.
“All you need is about a quarter of the people that voted for Donald Trump to get this recall petition to the voters this November, so I’m anticipating it goes on (the ballot). We’re taking it very seriously,” Newsom told Tapper.
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Get caught up. Here's what you need to know about the Covid-19 pandemic today.
It’s just after 4:30 p.m. ET in the US. Vaccine doses continue to roll out across the country and President Biden is making his pitch to Americans about his Covid-19 relief bill.
If you’re just getting caught up, here’s what to know about the pandemic today:
Vaccine progress: Nearly 111 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in the US, the CDC said. Nearly 22% of the population has received at least one dose of vaccine, and nearly 12% of the population are fully vaccinated, CDC data shows.
Variants: France is experiencing “what looks like a kind of third wave” of the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Jean Castex said. He said the country has seen a rise in cases of new coronavirus variants, warning that the third wave has been “characterized by variants, a lot of them.”
Cases: Asymptomatic or undiagnosed Covid-19 infections in US may have been twice the official count, according to a study published Tuesday in the medical journal JAMA. The scientists estimate that 15.9 million asymptomatic or undiagnosed infections had occurred in the US as of September 30.
Covid relief: President Biden and Vice President Harris are on the road this week talking to people across the country about the American Rescue Plan. The $1.9 trillion bill also sends billions to state and local governments, expands the child tax credit and delivers direct payments up to $1,400 to individuals.
Spring break: Miami Beach is seeing “too many people coming that want to just let loose in ways that are unacceptable,” Mayor Dan Gelber said. Gelber also criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for restricting local and city leaders to enforce mask mandates. The TSA screened 6.4 million people at airports across the country between Thursday and Monday, the biggest five-day period of pandemic air travel.
AstraZeneca: At least 15 EU and associated countries have suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine over fears about blood clots. The European Union’s Commissioner for Health Tuesday urged countries to use all their vaccine doses. The agency has repeatedly said the benefits the vaccine outweigh the risks.
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Delaware will open vaccines to anyone with moderate-risk health conditions and people 50 and older
From CNN's Konstantin Toropin
Delaware will allow pharmacies to begin vaccinating anyone in the state who is 50 years or older and doctors and hospitals to vaccinate anyone with a high or moderate-risk medical condition, Public Health Director Dr. Karyl Rattay said in a statement.
Eligible medical conditions include cancer, serious heart conditions, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a state website. Several lifestyle conditions like obesity and being a cigarette smoker are on the list as well.
The state also announced that on March 23, it will open its Covid-19 vaccination waiting list to any Delawarean 50 or older. Being added to the waiting list means that the state contacts you when an appointment is available rather than having to find one yourself.
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Apple updates its maps to display Covid-19 vaccination sites – just ask Siri
From CNN's Jacqueline Howard
Source: Shutterstock
Apple Maps, an application on iPhones, iMacs and other Apple products, has been updated to include Covid-19 vaccination locations, the tech giant announced on Tuesday.
To help people find Covid-19 vaccines, Apple updated the app with Covid-19 vaccination location data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vaccine Finder, a web-based system of vaccination providers.
Apple said in a statement that Apple Maps users can find Covid-19 vaccination locations in their area by searching in the app or asking Siri, “Where can I get a Covid-19 vaccination?”
Apple also noted that Apple Maps includes Covid-19 testing locations as well.
Apple’s announcement comes just a day after Facebook rolled out a Covid-19 vaccine locator tool on its social media platform.
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Arkansas opens Covid-19 vaccine eligibility to all groups in next phase
From CNN's Gisela Crespo
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced starting immediately, the state will allow groups in the next phase of the state’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout plan to get vaccinated.
Speaking during a news conference Tuesday, Hutchinson said about one million Arkansans are eligible to get the vaccine under the next phase, known as Phase 1C, which includes people ages 16 to 64 with some underlying health conditions and essential workers in a range of industries.
People residing in high-risk settings, from those who are incarcerated to those living in crowded housing and student housing, also qualify.
Hutchinson said the state decided to “accelerate” opening criteria after President Biden’s announcement that his administration will direct states to open vaccinations to all adults by May 1.
The governor added there’s been a “slowdown” in vaccine demand, particularly in rural parts of the state.
“There is a lower acceptance rate for the vaccine in the rural areas of our state which we have to overcome… We’re increasing the opportunity for those all across the state to get vaccinated as well,” Hutchinson said.
All groups eligible under Phase 1C in Arkansas can be found here.
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France and Italy "stand ready" to resume AstraZeneca vaccinations pending positive agency review
From CNN's Nicola Ruotolo and Eva Tapiero
A woman pick up a vial of AstraZeneca vaccine from the box "Tuesday" from a fridge while a box "Monday" is seen at left, in a vaccination center in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, southwestern France, Tuesday, March 16.
AP Photo/Bob Edme
The governments of France and Italy say they “stand ready” to resume AstraZeneca vaccinations pending a positive review by the European Union’s medicines regulator, adding in a joint statement on Tuesday that the decision to halt the vaccine rollout was taken as a “temporary precautionary measure.”
Administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine has been put on hold in more than a dozen European countries in the past week over concerns that a small number of patients had developed blood clots post inoculation.
“The preliminary elements shared by the EMA [European Medicines Agency] today are encouraging,” a joint statement issued by the Italian prime minister’s office said.
The statement comes after France’s industry minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher confirmed that the decision to suspend the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine in France, Italy, Spain and Germany was coordinated.
“We spoke with Italy, we spoke with Spain, we spoke with Germany, and it is no coincidence that these four countries announced the same decision on the same day, which once again is a decision of suspension,” Pannier-Runacher told French radio station France info on Tuesday.
The European Medicines Agency has affirmed that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks, but is conducting an emergency review of the data; conclusions of the review are expected to be announced on Thursday.
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White House says it would welcome GOP support on reducing vaccine hesitancy
From CNN's Jason Hoffman
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said while the administration would welcome support from Republican elected officials to help reduce vaccine hesitancy from portions of the American public, the administration is focused on communicating with Americans through other means.
She added that while there will be enough vaccine available for all adults to get one before the end of May, the administration remains focused on administration of the vaccine and making sure it is available in all communities.
Psaki explained that the administration is using resources beyond elected officials to communicate directly with American people including doctors, clergy and local civic leaders. She said those groups have been shown to be “the most trusted sources of information” according to the White House’s data.
Psaki also spoke about the President’s travel across the country, saying Biden will “certainly be going to some redder states” after early trips to swing states that helped put Biden in the White House, including Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia.
“I would say stay tuned. We’ll be certainly going to some redder states, states he didn’t win or very blue states and states he didn’t campaign, so I wouldn’t over read into it in that way,” she said.
She said today’s trip to Pennsylvania is to showcase help going to small businesses and the trip to Georgia on Friday is a chance for Biden to show his follow through on a campaign promise of getting $1,400 checks to Americans.
Asked by CNN later in the gaggle if Biden will be traveling to Ohio next week, Psaki said there is no travel finalized for next week but added that the President will continue to travel as he promotes the passage of the American Rescue Plan.
“It is certainly one of the many states, many wonderful states in this country that he could travel to, that might be considered a red state,” Psaki said of a possible Ohio trip.
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More than a quarter of Vermont's population has been vaccinated
from CNN's Juliana Battaglia
People wait for their turn to receive a Covid-19 vaccine, right, as public health experts with the Vermont Health Department begin vaccinating people aged 75 and older on Wednesday, January 27, at the Hazen Union High School in Hardwick, Vermont.
Wilson Ring/AP
Vermont has vaccinated more than 26% of its population, over 152,800 people, with at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, Secretary of the Agency of Human Services Mike Smith said on Tuesday.
“We’ve made great progress in vaccination so far with more than 26% of Vermonters vaccinated,” state Commissioner of Health Dr. Mark Levine said.
The majority of those vaccinated are the state’s 75 and older population.
“More than 84 percent of our 75 and older people population has started or completed vaccination,” according to Mike Pieciak, Commissioner of the Department of Financial Regulation.
State case numbers also remain controlled.
Vermont is expecting to receive an additional 800 doses of vaccines next week, as Gov. Phil Scott projects the state will increase its eligibility to the state’s remaining population by the end of April.
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The "scale and scope" of FEMA's Covid-19 funeral assistance program is unprecedented, official says
From CNN's Liz Stark
The “scale and scope” of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s funeral assistance program during the Covid-19 pandemic is unlike anything they’ve done before, Acting Administrator Robert Fenton told lawmakers Tuesday.
Fenton, who appeared before a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on FEMA’s role in the Covid-19 response, said FEMA is on track to implement its funeral assistance program, which would help cover Covid-related funeral expenses, beginning in early April.
As part of this program, Fenton said FEMA will provide a 1-800 number for people to apply for assistance, rather than using an online registration system. “Right now our focus is empathy when we talk about individuals that have lost loved ones. We want to make sure that we do it in an empathetic way,” Fenton said.
“We are currently focused on training our call center staff and finalizing our policy,” he added.
FEMA previously received $2 billion from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 to “reimburse individuals and households for COVID-19-related funeral expenses incurred between Jan. 20 and Dec. 31, 2020,” according to the agency’s website.
FEMA also received additional funding in the most recent coronavirus relief package, some of which would be allocated towards funeral assistance, Fenton said.
He also noted that funding will also go towards providing more protective equipment and testing to reopen schools, as well as for vaccinating Americans, among other programs.
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EU health commissioner urges countries to use all vaccine doses after some suspend use of AstraZeneca shot
From CNN’s James Frater
EU commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides gives a press conference at the European Commission Headquarters in Brussels, on February 17.
Aris Oikonomou/Pool/Getty Images
The European Union’s Commissioner for Health Tuesday urged countries to use all their vaccine doses, after more than a dozen EU members suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
She nodded to the tensions between AstraZeneca and the EU over the pharmaceutical company’s failure to deliver as many doses as contracted, but said countries should push ahead with inoculations.
“We recognize the significant and regrettable challenges around production and deliveries, but we do however urge member states to use all the available doses as we are currently seeing the proportions of available doses used range from 50 to 100% to across member states,” she said. “Every dose counts and every dose is providing a protective shield for health workers, for the most vulnerable groups, for the elderly.”
At least 15 EU and associated countries have suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine over fears about blood clots.
The European Medicines Agency has repeatedly said the benefits the vaccine outweigh the risks. It is conducting an emergency review of the data and is due to report on Thursday.
EU and associated countries are sitting on nearly 8 million unused doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention data showed as of Monday.
