Monday, December 7, 2020

After Giuliani tests positive for coronavirus, Arizona legislature shuts down for a week

 

 

Live updates: After Giuliani tests positive for coronavirus, Arizona legislature shuts down for a week

Rudolph W. Giuliani, who serves as President Trump’s personal attorney and is leading his efforts to overturn the results of the Nov. 3 election, has tested positive for the coronavirus, the president said on Twitter.

Giuliani spent the week crisscrossing the country. Now Trump says he has coronavirus.

Giuliani, 76, traveled to Michigan, Arizona and Georgia last week to meet indoors with state legislators. Videos showed that Giuliani did not wear a face mask and the Arizona Republican Party tweeted an image of Giuliani and lawmakers flouting coronavirus guidelines

Hours after Trump’s tweet, the Arizona state House and Senate announced they would close for a week, starting Monday.

Here are some significant developments:

  • At least 281,000 people in the United States have died of the coronavirus, according to data tracked by The Washington Post, while more than 14.7 million infections have been reported nationwide.
  • President-elect Joe Biden has selected California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) as his health secretary and Rochelle Walensky, the chief of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital, to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He is expected to announce both picks, in addition to several other roles key to the pandemic response, later this week.
  • The leader of Operation Warp Speed, the White House’s vaccine development initiative, said vaccinations may start to have an effect on infection counts for “the most susceptible people” in January and February.
  • Britain, which is set to become the first country to roll out the coronavirus vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, has begun distributing the first doses to hospitals, government officials said Sunday. Meanwhile, Pfizer said it has sought emergency approval for the vaccine in India. Its application for emergency authorization in the United States is under review at the Food and Drug Administration.

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6:38 AM: Arizona legislature closes after Giuliani spent two days with maskless GOP lawmakers

For more than 10 hours last Monday, President Trump’s personal attorney, Rudolph W. Giuliani, convened in a Phoenix hotel ballroom with more than a dozen current and future Arizona Republican lawmakers to hear testimony from people who supposedly witnessed election fraud.

Giuliani and other attendees were shown maskless and not social distancing, and the Arizona Republican Party tweeted an image of Giuliani and lawmakers flouting coronavirus guidelines.

That defiance of public health advice came to a head on Sunday when Trump announced on Twitter that Giuliani had contracted the coronavirus. Hours later, legislative staff in Arizona’s Capitol abruptly announced a week-long closure of the state Senate and House starting on Monday.

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By: Jaclyn Peiser

6:17 AM: Voices from the Pandemic: ‘Do people understand what’s happening here? Do they care?’

Bruce MacGillis, on the excruciating wait for a vaccine inside a coronavirus-infected nursing home.

I’m happy they put us at the top of the list, but I doubt it’s going to make much of a difference in here. Can I get the vaccine today? Will I have immunity by tomorrow? 'Cause that’s the kind of timeline we need in this nursing home. More than half of this place is covid-positive. I’m one of about 80 residents, and 30 got sick this week.

The first thing I do when I wake up is look down the hallway for the big plastic sheet. That’s what they use to block off the covid area. They sectioned off a whole wing a few days before Thanksgiving. Then they blocked another hallway earlier this week. That plastic sheet keeps moving closer.

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By: Eli Saslow

5:47 AM: During the pandemic holidays, be aware of the limits of what the coronavirus tests can do

Paula, who works for a federal agency in the Washington suburbs, has a carefully orchestrated plan to see extended family for the holidays ahead. A test for the coronavirus is only one small element.

Paula, her husband, and their two kids went into quarantine recently after her youngest was exposed to the virus at preschool. The entire family was tested a week and a half later, and all tested negative, but Paula plans to have her son retested again after a full two weeks.

Even so, she’s not relying on tests. The entire family will complete a strict two-week quarantine before seeing family for the holidays, with the kids continuing virtual learning until next year and both parents working from home.

A test alone cannot provide the information you need to decide if you can safely see family outside your household, experts say. A positive test result is usually pretty reliable, but a negative result is a lot trickier to interpret.

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By: Melody Schreiber

5:17 AM: The coronavirus has come roaring back into Brazil, shattering illusions it wouldn’t

RIO DE JANEIRO — For weeks, it has seemed to Carla Santos de Lima that people here have been in the thrall of a collective delusion that the pandemic was on the way out.

The beaches, bars and restaurants had filled. The message: Rio de Janeiro was back.

The pleasant fiction held for weeks — even as people explained away surging coronavirus cases as a temporary blip. It finally unraveled late last month for Santos de Lima.

Her elderly father had fallen gravely ill with the coronavirus. He died Nov. 28, inside an ambulance outside the hospital, just as his long-awaited bed opened up.

“When the restrictions were relaxed, it resulted in this illusion that the problem was under control,” said Santos de Lima, 33, a public school teacher.

The city — and much of Brazil — is grappling with the sudden realization that there is nothing secure about this moment. The coronavirus has suddenly roared back.

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By: Terrence McCoy and Heloísa Traiano

4:53 AM: New Mexico shut down nearly everything to keep hospitals from being overwhelmed by covid. It wasn’t enough.

The governor had been sounding the alarm for more than a month. But by mid-November, it was clear to Michelle Lujan Grisham that she would need to take extreme measures to head off the “most serious emergency that New Mexico has ever faced.”

With covid-19 cases rising exponentially and hospital beds dwindling, she dragged her state back to the darkest days of spring, when restaurant dining was banned, nonessential businesses were closed and residents were ordered to stay inside unless absolutely necessary.

She hoped it might be enough to avert catastrophe this winter.

Three weeks later, victory remains a distant prospect. Instead, Lujan Grisham (D) is on the verge of acknowledging just how grim conditions have become: She will, she said in an interview, soon allow hospitals to move to “crisis standards,” a move that frees them to ration care depending on a patient’s likelihood of surviving.

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By: Griff Witte

4:17 AM: FBI raids New Jersey coronavirus lab for inaccurate testing

a hand holding a box: A health care worker prepares coronavirus tests in a lab at a covid drive-through testing center at Bergen Community College in Paramus, New Jersey, Dec. 3, 2020.© Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters A health care worker prepares coronavirus tests in a lab at a covid drive-through testing center at Bergen Community College in Paramus, New Jersey, Dec. 3, 2020.

The FBI is urging anyone who got tested for the coronavirus at a laboratory in Ventnor, N.J., to be retested after the site was raided by federal authorities.

At Infinity Diagnostic Laboratory, just south of Atlantic City, a sign posted in the window at Infinity on Thursday had advertised “rapid 10-minute testing” for both the virus and antibodies, according to WCAU. It is unclear what kind of technology was being used in the tests.

The FBI pointed out in its statement that the “rapid” finger-prick blood tests for covid-19 can only be used to see if someone has developed antibodies and cannot be used like a nasal swab test to detect the active presence of the coronavirus.

The “rapid testing” sign seen on Thursday was taken down the following day. One customer told WCAU that she had not been allowed to pay for her test with a credit card. Another said he had paid for tests there for all his employees.

“I think giving fake inaccurate tests just makes a bad situation 10 times worse,” Brian Strahl, told the TV station. “Because you’re putting … people at risk, and you’re also giving people a false sense of security. I think it’s horrible.”

Strahl’s employees were retested at a different testing site soon after.

By: Teo Armus

3:47 AM: Germany was held up as an example of how to do the pandemic. Now it’s struggling.

BERLIN — While many countries across Europe introduced lockdowns in early November to bring down soaring case numbers and ease the burden on hospitals, Germany opted for what it called a “lockdown light.” Restrictions will be loosened in much of the country over the Christmas holiday week.

Already, contrasts around Europe are striking.

In France, where a lockdown required people to fill out a form to leave the house and nonessential businesses closed, cases have plummeted from more than 50,000 a day in early November to around 10,000 a day.

And although Germany stopped its exponential growth in its tracks, its number of daily cases has barely budged, hovering at around 20,000 per day.

It marks an about-face for Germany, which had been praised for its measured response in the first wave of the pandemic. That initial success may be hurting it now, some experts say, with people less inclined to take restrictions seriously.

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By: Loveday Morris

3:17 AM: Chinese vaccine-maker Sinovac obtains funding to double production

In this photo from the Indonesian Presidential Palace, workers unload a container containing coronavirus vaccines made by Chinese company Sinovac at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Indonesia, Dec. 6, 2020.© AP/AP In this photo from the Indonesian Presidential Palace, workers unload a container containing coronavirus vaccines made by Chinese company Sinovac at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Indonesia, Dec. 6, 2020.

A Chinese coronavirus vaccine manufacturer, Sinovac Biotech, secured $515 million in funding to double production capacity of its coronavirus vaccine, the company said Monday, as it begins supplying that vaccine to developing nations like Indonesia.

According to Reuters, Sino Biopharmaceutical Limited said it would invest the money in a Sinovac subsidiary to ramp up development and production of Coronavac, one of China’s two vaccine front-runners.

The clinical testing for the experimental shot is in the same final stage as Moderna’s and Pfizer-BioNTech’s, and the company expects to receive data on its effectiveness later this month.

But early to mid-stage clinic trails have shown positive results, and Sinovac has since expended supply deals and trials for Coronavac to countries like Brazil and Turkey.

According to The Washington Post, the company used bribes to streamline the vaccine approval process during two previous epidemics. But by the end of the year, Sinovac said it aims to finish construction on a second production facility that would allow it to increase its annual Coronavac production capacity to 600 million doses.

On Sunday, Indonesia received its first shipment of Coronavac from China, President Joko Widodo said, according to Reuters. In addition to those 1.2 million doses, another 1.8 million are set to arrive in early January.

Indonesian food and drug regulators still need to evaluate the vaccine before launching on a mass immunization program that is likely to be especially challenging. Indonesia is home to more than 270 million people, the fourth-largest population in the world, scattered around a vast archipelago of islands.

“We have been preparing for months through simulations in several provinces and I am sure that once it is decided that we can begin the vaccination, everything will be ready,” Widodo said.

By: Teo Armus

2:47 AM: Youth sports have been hit with few coronavirus outbreaks so far. Why is ice hockey so different?

Youth sports — soccer, basketball, cross-country, swimming, whether held indoors or out, a source of American pride, prestige and bonding — were among the first gatherings to be allowed post-shutdown. Organizers worked closely with public health officials to make modifications that balance safety with maintaining the spirit of the games. This has worked to some extent.

While public health officials suspect off-field interactions may be contributing to community spread, there’s little hard data. In most areas, there have been few to no documented outbreaks, much less superspreader events.

Ice hockey is an anomaly. Scientists are studying hockey-related outbreaks hoping to find clues about the ideal conditions in which the coronavirus thrives — and how to stop it. Experts speculate ice rinks may trap the virus around head level in a rink that, by design, restricts airflow, temperature and humidity.

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By: Ariana Eunjung Cha and Karin Brulliard

2:17 AM: Trump’s Operation Warp Speed promised a flood of covid vaccines. Instead, states are expecting a trickle.

Federal officials have slashed the amount of coronavirus vaccine they plan to ship to states in December because of constraints on supply, sending local officials into a scramble to adjust vaccination plans and highlighting how early promises of a vast stockpile before the end of 2020 have fallen short.

Instead of the delivery of 300 million or so doses of vaccine immediately after emergency-use approval and before the end of 2020 as the Trump administration had originally promised, current plans call for availability of around a tenth of that, or 35 to 40 million doses.

Two vaccines, from manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna, which both use a novel form of mRNA to help trigger immune response, are on the verge of winning Food and Drug Administration clearance this month. Approval would cap an unprecedented sprint by government and drug companies to develop, test and manufacture a defense against the worst pandemic in a century — part of the Operation Warp Speed initiative that promised six companies advance purchase orders totaling $9.3 billion.

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By: Christopher Rowland, Lena H. Sun, Isaac Stanley-Becker and Carolyn Y. Johnson

1:54 AM: British hospitals gear up for first immunizations of Pfizer vaccine this week

a man holding a phone: A nurse holds a syringe and a vial as she simulates the administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine during a staff training session at the Royal Free Hospital in London last week.© Yui Mok/AFP/Getty Images A nurse holds a syringe and a vial as she simulates the administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine during a staff training session at the Royal Free Hospital in London last week.

Shipments of the newly approved coronavirus vaccine made by Pfizer were delivered over the weekend to hospitals around Britain, where they are set to be administered starting this week.

About 800,000 doses of the vaccine will be available, British authorities said, starting with a mass-immunization kickoff Tuesday that the nation’s top health official has reportedly dubbed “V-Day.”

“This is just so exciting. It’s a momentous occasion,” said Louise Coghlan, joint chief pharmacist at the Croydon health service south of London, according to Reuters. “To know that they are here and we are much the first in the country to actually receive the vaccine, and therefore the first in the world, is just amazing. I’m so proud.”

Britain is set to be the first country to roll out the Pfizer vaccine, with priority going to the elderly and nursing home caregivers in a process that is being closely watched by health agencies around the world.

As first Pfizer vaccine doses arrive in U.K., officials tell doctors and nurses they won’t get priority

Two British newspapers reported Sunday that Queen Elizabeth, 94, and her husband, Prince Philip, 99, would publicly announce when they have received the shot, most likely to counter online misinformation about the vaccine. Three former U.S. presidents have said they would film themselves getting the shot to do the same.

Public health officials have cautioned that demand could quickly outstrip supply even for the groups receiving priority.

Britain has ordered 40 million doses of the vaccine, which was developed by the German company BioNTech and must be kept in super-cold environments. That order will be enough to vaccinate half that number, as each individual must receive two shots, three weeks apart.

Separately, a top health adviser to the Indian government said Sunday that Pfizer has applied for emergency-use authorization of its coronavirus vaccine in India.

By: Teo Armus

1:17 AM: Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney, tests positive for the coronavirus, president says

Rudolph W. Giuliani, President Trump’s personal attorney and point man in his bid to overturn the results of the November election, has contracted the coronavirus, the president said Sunday in a tweet.

“.@RudyGiuliani, by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, and who has been working tirelessly exposing the most corrupt election (by far!) in the history of the USA, has tested positive for the China Virus,” Trump tweeted Sunday afternoon. “Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!!”

Giuliani, 76, traveled to Michigan, Arizona and Georgia last week and met indoors with state legislators in an effort to persuade them to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Videos of the appearances showed that Giuliani was not wearing a mask during the meetings.

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By: Felicia Sonmez and Josh Dawsey

12:47 AM: Operation Warp Speed chief predicts ‘significant decrease’ in deaths among elderly by end of January

The leader of the White House’s effort to develop a coronavirus vaccine has predicted that by the end of January, there will be a “significant decrease” in deaths among the nation’s elderly, as high-risk populations in the United States receive vaccinations.

Moncef Slaoui, chief science adviser to Operation Warp Speed, said he expects independent advisers to the Food and Drug Administration to recommend emergency authorization for the vaccine developed by Pfizer and German biotechnology company BioNTech when the panel meets Thursday. The FDA is expected to issue the authorization soon after that. Pfizer’s vaccine is the first in line for approval in the United States.

Biotechnology company Moderna also has filed for emergency authorization of its coronavirus vaccine.

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By: Paulina Firozi, Jeanne Whalen and Felicia Sonmez

12:17 AM: Biden picks Xavier Becerra as nominee for health and human services secretary

President-elect Joe Biden has chosen California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, a critical position in the coalescing administration for which fighting the coronavirus pandemic looms as the most urgent mission once Biden takes office next month.

In selecting Becerra, a 24-year member of Congress before serving as attorney general, Biden picked someone with an unorthodox background for health secretary.

The job running the sprawling department often has gone to governors, and public health officials have been urging the Biden transition team to select someone with expertise in medicine, given that the raging pandemic will remain front and center for many months.

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By: Amy Goldstein and Seung Min Kim

12:16 AM: A doctor derided mask-wearing. His medical license has been suspended.

Deriding mask-wearing, Steven LaTulippe has touted his credentials as a “practicing physician.” Last month, he urged Trump supporters gathered in Salem, Ore., to “take off the mask of shame” — though hardly a covered face was in sight — and said proudly, to claps and cheers, that none of his clinic staff wore the simple accessories shown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“And how many problems did we have in our clinic from that?” he asked. “Zero! Absolutely none.”

LaTulippe’s license to practice medicine has now been suspended.

Explaining the suspension in a written order Friday, the Oregon Medical Board said LaTulippe’s disdain for public health measures went far beyond staff going maskless. The Dallas, Ore.-based doctor not only fails to take basic precautions, the board said, but “actively promotes transmission of the virus within the extended community” by his poor example.

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By: Hannah Knowles

12:15 AM: How the leading coronavirus vaccines made it to the finish line

On a Sunday afternoon in early November, scientist Barney Graham got a call at his home office in Rockville, Md., where he has sequestered himself for most of the past 10 months, working relentlessly to develop a vaccine to vanquish a killer virus.

It was Graham’s boss at the National Institutes of Health, with an early heads-up on news that the world would learn the next morning: A coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer and the German biotech firm BioNTech that used a new genetic technology and a specially designed spike protein from Graham and collaborators had proved stunningly effective.

The significance of the news was clear right away to Graham: There could be not one, but two vaccines by year’s end.

Read more here

By: Carolyn Y. Johnson

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