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Your Coronavirus Update – Nov. 17, 2021
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Boosters are now available for all in RI over 18. We join California, Colorado, New Mexico, New York City, and Arkansas in approvals.
COVID update in RI included cautions about Thanksgiving, traveling and events with reminders about vaccinations, boosters, mask wearing and social distancing. This, in response to increasing numbers in RI.
Gov. of Massachusetts says stricter measures may be put in place if numbers of infection don”t come down.
Judge Lamphear shot down an action by parents to do away with the mandatory mask rule in Rhode Island – saying that the parents had not shown evidence to support their claim.
Pilgrim HS & Kickemuit Midde School moved to virtual due to a large uptick in cases
RIDOH asks parents to be sure to make appointments for children’s vaccines so locations don’t run out of supply for that day.
Landmark Medical Center in Woonsocket & Eleanor Slater Hospital have been warned about failing to terminate unvaccinated staff.
21 employees at Landmark in Woonsocket have been put on leave for being unvaccinated.
RI received $10M in federal grants for tourism projects in the state.
AARP reported last week that nearly 35% of RI nursing homes are experiencing shortages in staff; Massachusetts and Connecticut are less than 10% impacted.
The Massachusetts State House remains closed to the public; well over 580 days.
Boston Museum of Science holds vaccination clinic for 5 and up.
AARP reports that over 5% of nursing homes have “an urgent need” for PPE equipment.
The Salem Board of Health’s mandate, which went into effect on Aug. 23, is set to expire at the end of the day on Saturday.
School bus drivers for First Student in Scituate, Bristol Warren and Pawtuckethave voted to authorize a strike.
Eleanor Slater Hospital is closed for visitors after an uptick of cases.
The ACI is experiencing an outbreak with between 75 and 90 residents testing positive.
What does the data say? It’s a good news, bad news story. The concerning news is the uptick in cases and deaths as seen, below.
And the good news is the success at vaccinations.
There are also data of concern on breakthrough cases and breakthrough deaths:
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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
The New Year’s Eve event in Times Square will take place this year – all attendees must be vaccinated and must wear masks.
Pfizer requests booster authorization for its shot from the FDA
FDA expected to approve boosters this week for all over 18.
Pfizer seeks approval for a pill to treat COVID – one that could be taken at home and not only in a hospital.
Over 60% of Brazilians are now vaccinated.
Thousands of Disney employees are transferring from California to Florida.
Gene Simmons has said to anti-vaxxers: “If you’re willing to walk among us unvaccinated, you are an enemy”
A San Francisco police officer who protested getting vaccinated, was put on leave for a month, during that time he contracted COVID and passed away.
Santas and Santa helpers are expected to be in short supply at malls and shopping areas.
Western states in US are seeing ICUs packed with cases.
33 states have seen an uptick in COVID19 cases
Europe is seeing an uptick in COVID19 cases – vaccination rates vary from 85% in Italy to 25% in Romania, etc. Though, where vaccinations are good such as in Germany, the combination of factors of not social distancing, not mask wearing are blamed.
Austria is imposing a lockdown on all their unvaccinated citizens.
The Green Bay Packers are facing fines due to knowing that a player who was not vaccinated to attend a Halloween party.
AstraZeneca is creating a separate division for vaccines and antibody therapies
French Health Authority advises against Moderna vaccine for those in their 30s.
Vietnam approves use of India’s vaccine called Covaxin.
European Union’s drug regulator said it had concluded that the monoclonal antibody treatments – a combination of casirivimab and imdevimab, and the drug regdanvimab – have all proven to significantly reduce the risk of hospitalization and death in patients vulnerable to serious COVID-19.
33% of white tailed deer tested are determined to have COVID19 – there are now warnings about hunting deer.
Federal court on Friday upheld temporary hold on mandatory vaccinations for employers with over 100 employees
Tennessee and 2 counties in Florida have reversed masking mandates for children.
Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin was given WHO approval for emergency use listing. The Technical Advisory Group, made up of regulatory experts from around the world, determined on Wednesday that Covaxin meets WHO standards for protection against COVID-19. The agency approved the vaccine’s use in people aged 18 and older on a two-dose schedule with four weeks between shots.
Alabama reports via AARP that 18% of nursing facilities have an urgent need for PPE – the highest in the US.
More than two dozen Republican-led states filed lawsuits Friday challenging President Joe Biden’s vaccine requirement for private companies, setting up a highstakes legal showdown pitting federal authority against states’ rights.
Nearly 200 million Americans are fully vaccinated
Moderna lured a Pfizer executive to run its EU division.
Nearly 98% of the over-65 population has received at least one COVID-19 shot and more than 25% have gotten boosters
AARP reports that 1.6 per 100 nursing home residents test positive
Mr. T took to Twitter to promote vaccinations, showing he had received the booster.
Even with children back in school, the influx of women into the job market that most analysts had expected has yet to materialize.
COVID cases in Russia hit all time high
Many public health labs have new equipment and supplies, but lack staff as public health workers have left the field.
Austria has a lockdown for all unvaccinated – expected to last for 2 weeks.
Travel restrictions ease all over the world this week.
Companies with over 100 employees now have until Jan. 4th to have workers vaccinated while this is being challenged in court. This will impact 84 million workers, 31 million are known to be unvaccinated. The mask mandate is in effect Dec. 5th. Rules impact nonprofits. State or city rules supersede, as long as they are at least as stringent as OSHA rules. Private colleges/universities are covered by this. Public ones can set their own policies.
US adds over ½ million jobs in the jobs report.
As employers struggle to find workers, job listings paying less than $15 an hour are starting to disappear
Surge in Europe’s COVID cases increases – expected to go on for the next 2 weeks – could experience ½ million deaths by Feb, 2022. WHO calling on world leaders to increase vaccination uptake. National measures including lockdowns and enforcement of mask wearing, distancing, etc. are being encouraged. Health passes are being used in France and Italy, particularly in group activities such as going to restaurants, etc.
Pfizer says its anti-viral medication is over 89% effective; Merck’s treatment pill is over 50%.
3 Snow Leopards at Nebraska’s Zoo have died of the virus.