As US health officials race to get more Covid-19 shots into arms?to control the virus, experts now warn?vaccine supply will likely outstrip demand?in the next few weeks.
CDC vaccine advisers will meet again Friday to discuss whether the?Johnson & Johnson vaccine?causes blood clots and if so, what to do about it.
The CDC is putting together further guidance for vaccinated Americans, White House says
From CNN"s DJ Judd?
White House senior adviser for Covid-19 response Andy Slavitt told CNN the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are “in the process of putting together further guidance” for vaccinated Americans.
He added the CDC is “not always going to be as fast as everybody wants them to be, because they like to study the data and make sure that they’re, generally speaking, not putting things out that they will have to take back.”?
Slavitt also touted the White House’s newly announced efforts to counter plateauing vaccination rates by offering incentives for businesses to allow their employees to get vaccinated.
“One of the things that’s changing most rapidly is we have vaccinated the lion’s share of people over 65, and we’re doing pretty well with people over 50 – this week we have started to move in earnest to vaccinate working Americans,” he said.
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Only 2 "breakthrough" infections among hundreds of fully vaccinated people, new study finds
From CNN's Jacqueline Howard
For fully vaccinated people, the risk of still getting Covid-19 – described as “breakthrough infections” – remains extremely low, a new study out of New York suggests.
Among 417 employees at Rockefeller University who were fully vaccinated with either the Pfizer or Moderna shots, two of them or about .5%, had breakthrough infections later, according to the study published on Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
“We have characterized bona fide examples?of vaccine breakthrough manifesting as clinical symptoms,” the researchers wrote in their study.?“These observations in no way undermine the?importance of the urgent efforts being taken at?the federal and state levels to vaccinate the U.S.?population. They also lend support to efforts to?advance a new vaccine booster (as well as a pan-coronavirus vaccine) to provide increased protection against variants.”
The researchers, from Rockefeller University, found that coronavirus variants with several differences from the original virus caused the breakthrough infections.
A variant that infected one of the patients had the mutation E484K, which was first found in the B.1.351 variant originally identified in South Africa. E484K has been called an “escape mutant” because it has shown it might be able to escape some of the antibodies produced by coronavirus vaccines.?One of the mutations found in both study participants’ infections included?D614G, which emerged early in the pandemic.
One of the breakthrough infections was in a healthy 51-year-old woman who received her second dose of the Moderna vaccine on February 19. Nineteen days later, she tested positive for Covid-19 on March 10 after developing symptoms.??
The other breakthrough infection was in a healthy 65-year-old woman who received her second dose of the Pfizer vaccine on February 9. She later learned that her partner, who was unvaccinated, tested positive for Covid-19 on March 3. In the following days, the woman developed symptoms of her own. She tested positive for Covid-19 on March 17.?
More research is needed to determine whether similar findings related to breakthrough infections or variants would emerge among a larger group of participants from various parts of the United States.
For context: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told CNN last week that the agency has so far received less than 6,000 reports of breakthrough coronavirus infections among more than 84 million people fully vaccinated nationwide.
Correction: The percent of employees at Rockefeller University who were fully vaccinated with either the Pfizer or Moderna shots and had breakthrough infections later was .5%. This post has been updated with this information.
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Covid-19 infection rates in the US are still too high, Fauci says
From CNN's Virginia Langmaid
Areas with low infection rates might safely roll back Covid-19 restrictions, but nationwide rates are still too high, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN on Wednesday.?
“If a particular region is really, really very low and doing really, really well, certainly I think there will be a differential in being able to say one can do certain things or not,” he said. “We think about and talk about these things every single day.”
Fauci said he expects the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to eventually roll back some of its guidance as more people become fully vaccinated, “provided the level of infection starts going down.”
“I don’t anticipate the CDC is going to be making recommendations to loosen things up when we’re having an average of 60,000 infections per day,” he said.?
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Biden: US remains on track for July 4 goal of small gatherings as long as Americans "don't let up"?
From CNN's Maegan Vazquez
Evan Vucci/AP
President Biden said during remarks on Wednesday afternoon that the US is still on track to meet his goal of having small gatherings on Independence Day as long as Americans remain vigilant and continue to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Biden urged Americans to continue wearing masks and to get vaccinated before the end of May.
“We all need to mask up until the number cases go down, ‘til everyone has a chance to get their shot. To Americans 16 years and older: it’s your turn now. Now. So go get your vaccine before the end of May. We can do this. And we’ll do this as long as we don’t let up,” the President said.
Biden on sending vaccines abroad: "We don’t have enough to be confident to send it abroad now"
From CNN's Maureen Chowdhury
President Biden said the US is in the process of assisting countries with Covid-19 vaccines, and said there isn’t “enough to send it abroad now.”
“We’re in the process of doing that,” Biden said.
“We have talked to our neighbors,” Biden continued.?“The prime minister of Canada, we?helped a bit there.?We’re going to try to help some?more, but there’s other?countries as well that I’m?confident we can help including?in Central America and so — but?it’s in process.?We don’t have enough to be?confident to send it abroad now.?I expect we’re going to be able to do?that.”
President Biden encouraged all Americans to get vaccinated to protect themselves against Covid-19.
Noting that “the?broad swath of American adults?still remain largely?unvaccinated,” Biden outlined two reasons why all Americans need to get vaccinated: to save lives and to protect communities.
Vaccines will be available?at nearly 40,000 pharmacies?across the nation, Biden said.
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Biden: "No working American should lose a single dollar" by taking time off to get vaccinated
From CNN's Betsy Klein
Pool
President Biden urged US businesses to give their employees paid time off to get vaccinated, touting a tax credit that can offset the costs of that time off.
“As we move into the vaccination?campaign focused on working-age?adults, one concern I have heard?from so many Americans is that?they can’t afford to take the?time off to get vaccinated or?lose a day’s work because they are feeling slightly under the?weather after their shot, ” Biden said in White House remarks.
“No working American should lose?a single dollar from their?paycheck because they choose to?fulfill their patriotic duty of?getting vaccinated,” Biden said.
Biden pointed to two businesses that are already doing their part to incentivize vaccinations, including the grocery store Kroger offering its employees $100 to get vaccinated and a small hair salon in Ohio where the receptionist helps its customers schedule their appointments.
The President said that to make sure the “policy?comes at no cost to small or?medium-sized businesses, with?fewer than 500 employees,” the IRS will be posting instructions for how employers can get reimbursed for the cost of providing paid leave to employees getting vaccinated.
“That reimbursement, which comes?through a tax payment, is thanks?to the program I launched in the?American Rescue Plan.?So, again, every employee should?get paid leave to get a shot.?Businesses should know they can?provide it without a hit to?their bottom line,” Biden said. “There’s no excuse for not getting it done.”
CNN’s Jeremy Diamond and Phil Mattingly contributed reporting to this post.
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More than 100 Covid-19 cases reported in shelters following St. Vincent volcano evacuations
From CNN's Hira Humayun
The eruption of La Soufriere volcano in Saint Vincent on April 9, 2021.
Zen Punnett/AFP/Getty Images
Following the recent volcanic eruptions in St. Vincent and evacuations that followed, shelters on the island have seen more than 137 cases of Covid-19, said Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Carissa Etienne, at Wednesday’s media briefing.
Etienne went on to explain the state of the pandemic elsewhere in the Caribbean, saying Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic continue to drive the most infections. Smaller island nations like Bermuda, Aruba and Curacao are reporting a rise in Covid-19- related deaths, she added.
Expanding further across the region, “Nearly every country in central America is reporting a rise in infections,” Etienne, said, highlighting where cases are increasing in South America.
“Cases are accelerating in Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia and Uruguay. Argentina has also seen a rapid growth of new infections and has assumed the third highest case count in our region.”
An exception is Chile, where after the strengthening of public health measures, there has been a plateau in cases, according to Etienne.
More than 1.5 million new Covid-19 cases and nearly 40,000 Covid-related deaths were recorded in the past week in the Americas, Etienne said.? These figures include the United States and Canada, in addition to Central and South America.
“Over [the] weekend the world reached a tragic milestone — more than 3 million people have lost their lives to Covid. And nearly half of these deaths happened right here in the Americas,” she added.
Etienne also highlighted the inequity when it comes to access to vaccines and said the Latin America and Caribbean region has “the greatest need for vaccines” and that PAHO advocates the region be prioritized when it comes to vaccine distribution.
“We call on all countries that have more vaccines than they need, to donate them to countries that need them the most; particularly the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, in the Americas that have borne the brunt of the epidemic,” she said.
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Biden announces US will cross?200?million Covid-19 vaccines administered under his administration today
From CNN's Adrienne Vogt and DJ Judd
White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients, right, listens as President Joe Biden speaks about COVID-19 vaccinations at the White House, Wednesday, April 21, 2021, in Washington.
Evan Vucci/AP
President Biden said that the US would cross his administration’s goal of?200?million Covid-19 vaccines administered in his first 100 days.
“When tomorrow’s vaccination numbers come out, it’ll show that today, we did it. Today we hit?200?million shots on the 92nd day in office.?200?million shots in 100 days, in under 100 days actually. It’s an incredible achievement for the nation,” Biden said in remarks from the White House South Court Auditorium.
He noted that his administration’s original goal was to administer 100 million vaccines in his first 100 days in office.
“I’m proud of the work my administration has done to getting Americans vaccinated. But more than that. I’m proud of the American people,” Biden continued.
Note: Today’s US Centers for Disease Control vaccination numbers put the United States at 198.4 million doses administered under Biden’s administration, but these figures mark doses reported as of 6 a.m. ET this morning, and there is always a delay in reported doses vs. the total that has actually been administered.
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More than a third of US adults fully vaccinated against Covid-19, CDC data shows
From CNN’s Deidre McPhillips
A nurse?inoculates a person with the second Moderna Covid-19 vaccine dose at a mobile Covid-19 vaccination clinic in Bridgeport, Connecticut on April 20, 2021.?
Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images
Nearly 216 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in the United States, according to data published Wednesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC reported that 215,951,909 total doses have been administered – about 78% of the 277,938,875 doses delivered.
That’s about 2.6 million more doses reported administered since Tuesday, for a 7-day average of just over 3 million doses per day.
Overall, about 41% of the population – more than 134 million people – have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine. About 26% of the population – nearly 88 million people – are fully vaccinated, CDC data shows.
Among adults, 51.5% have received at least one dose about 34% are fully vaccinated, and among seniors, nearly 81% have received at least one dose and nearly 66% are fully vaccinated.
Note: Data published by the CDC may be delayed, and doses may not have been given on the day reported.
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NOW: Biden updates country on state of US vaccinations?
From CNN's Jeremy Diamond,?Kate Sullivan,?Kaitlan Collins?and?Phil Mattingly
President Biden is delivering remarks from the White House on his Covid-19 response and the state of vaccinations.
He’s expected to tout the United States administering 200 million?coronavirus?vaccine shots since he took office and urge businesses to give their employees paid time off to get vaccinated, according to administration officials.
As a part of that call for time off to get vaccinated, Biden will also announce a new tax credit to fully offset the cost for small businesses and nonprofits providing paid leave for employees to get vaccinated, the officials said.
By CNN’s count, the US has administered about 196 million shots during Biden’s administration as of Wednesday morning. Data published by the CDC may be delayed, and doses may not have been given on the day reported.
J&J vaccine pause brings challenges for US college students
From CNN's Jacqueline Howard
A dose of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine is seen on a table at a Northwell Health pop-up coronavirus vaccination site in Staten Island on April 08, 2021 in New York City.?
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
In the wake of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause, many colleges and universities that intended to administer the single-dose vaccine to their students have pivoted their plans to use the two-dose Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines instead – but it comes with some hurdles.?
The new approach has the challenge of ensuring that students receive their second dose of vaccine, which likely will be administered off campus since the current school year is soon ending, Dr. Oscar Alleyne, chief of programs and services for the National Association of County and City Health Officials, told CNN on Wednesday.?
“It’s not necessarily contiguous,” Alleyne said.?“You may be vaccinated here but a local site in another jurisdiction may not have access to that information, so it’s just reconciling how that logistically would be done.”
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Turkey reports fourth consecutive day of record Covid-19 deaths
From CNN's Gul Tuysuz in Istanbul
Turkey announced at least 362 new Covid-19 deaths on Wednesday, hitting a record high for a fourth consecutive day.?
There were 61,967 daily Covid-19 cases, according to the Turkish health ministry pandemic dashboard.?
The country has administered a total of 20,586,650 doses of coronavirus vaccines since the start of its campaign in January, according to the health ministry dashboard. At least 7,903,495 people have received both doses, according to the ministry. ?
Turkey went into partial lockdown last week at the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan after daily cases and deaths hit record highs. ?
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Greece will start gradually easing Covid-19 restrictions next month
From CNN's Chris Liakos in London
Greek Prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens on April 14, 2021.
Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images
Greece will gradually begin easing Covid-19 restrictions starting next month, but only after the Greek Orthodox Easter, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a televised address on Wednesday.??
According to the government’s roadmap, cafes, bars and restaurants will be able to reopen on May 3, operating outdoor service only.??
Primary and secondary schools will follow a week later on May 10, and from May 15, the ban on movement between regions will be lifted to coincide with the official opening of the tourism season.
Earlier this week, Greece lifted quarantine requirements for vaccinated travelers and those testing negative from key tourism markets — the European Union, the UK, the US, Israel, Serbia and the UAE. Visitors are subject to current domestic restrictions.?
Mitsotakis said that a ban on movement will remain in place during Greek Orthodox Easter observances next week in order to achieve a “safe Easter” and a subsequent “free summer”.
Mitsotakis said that the pandemic situation in the country is stabilizing and reiterated the importance of the vaccine rollout, adding that starting next week people over 30 years old will be eligible to get vaccinated in an effort to speed up the process.
Greece on Wednesday recorded 3,015 cases and 86 new deaths. The country has recorded 323,639 Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, and 9,713 deaths. The number of people in intensive care units remains?very high.
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Brazil has the highest overall Covid-19 death rate in Southern Hemisphere
From CNN's Hira Humayun
Workers in protective gear as a preventive measure against the spread of the novel coronavirus disease bury coffins at the Vila Formosa cemetery in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on April 17, 2021.
Miguel Schincariol/AFP/Getty Images
Brazil has the highest Covid-19 death rate in the Southern Hemisphere and the Americas according to?data tracked by CNN, as of Wednesday.
According to number of Covid-19 deaths from Johns Hopkins University, and population numbers from the UN and World Bank, Brazil is ahead of Peru, the United States and Mexico in terms of deaths per 100,000 people.
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Germany's lower house votes to allow federal govt Covid-19 lockdown powers
From Colin Ivory Meyer in Berlin and Stephanie Halasz in London
Protesters gathered outside the Reichstag on April 16, 2021 where the Bundestag was in session for the first reading of new measures to rein in the spread of the coronavirus, in Berlin, Germany.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, has voted in favor of an amendment to the Infection Protection Act on Wednesday, which would allow the federal government to impose nationwide lockdown measures against Covid-19.
In a roll call vote, 342 voted for the bill, 250 opposed and 64 abstained, according to the parliament website.
If the bill passes the Parliament’s upper house on Thursday, the government will be empowered to enact an “emergency break” lockdown which would trigger nightly curfews in some areas with high infection rates from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. local time (CET) with the exception that people can be outside until midnight if they are out alone. The bill also calls for strict regulations of schools in regards to in-person and online learning.
Up until now, Germany’s 16 states held the balance of power to self-determine their own Covid-19 measures. But the federal government sought a more unified approach to battle continuing Covid-19 infections amid a slower-then-hoped for vaccination rollout.?
There has been widespread criticism in the lead-up to the vote with members of the public and the political opposition questioning if a coherent federal approach to the Covid-19 crisis was compatible with Germany’s constitution.
Hundreds have been protesting across Berlin Wednesday against allowing the federal government greater powers, live pictures showed. There were violent clashes with the police and 152 protestors have been arrested, according to Berlin police.
If the bill passes Germany’s upper house, the amendment becomes law, and the changes could go into effect as early as Friday.
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FDA's pause on J&J vaccine after inspection means the process is working, official says
From CNN's Betsy Klein
Doses of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine in Orlando on April 10.
Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
A senior administration official said Wednesday that the US Food and Drug Administration’s announcement indicates that the process “is working as it should.” The?FDA said this morning that the Emergent facility inspection is complete and vaccine production remains on hold due to potential quality issues.??
Citing Pfizer and Moderna vaccine supply, the official said that Emergent’s continued closure will not impact the administration’s commitments to getting shots in arms.
“Our concern right now is not to try to rush anything, because we’re just not affected. The President’s commitments, obviously, the 200 million vaccinations wasn’t dependent on this. His commitment that we will have enough vaccines for all the adults who want them by the end of May is not affected by this. And so we will just let that play itself out. But the American public has two highly effective, very safe vaccines,” the official said.
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Breakthrough Covid-19 infections "rare" among fully vaccinated nursing home residents, CDC says
From CNN’s Jen Christensen
Most fully vaccinated residents of nursing homes were not infected, even after someone in the same facility tested positive for Covid-19, according to a new study that looked at infections in nursing homes in Chicago from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.?
Among the nearly 8,000 residents and nearly 7,000 staff that have received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine since December, there were only 22 breakthrough infections among the fully vaccinated, according to the CDC’s Weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report published on Wednesday.?
The CDC considers people to be fully vaccinated two weeks after the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or two weeks after the single Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Of the 22 breakthrough cases, there were 12?residents and 10 staff members who tested positive for Covid-19 after being fully vaccinated. Two-thirds of those who tested positive, 14 people, were asymptomatic. Two residents were hospitalized?and one of those residents?died, the CDC said. The person who died had three underlying conditions, according to the CDC.
There was no facility-associated secondary transmission.?
Although they are rare, the CDC said breakthrough infections can happen because no Covid-19 vaccine provides 100% protection. While some earlier studies suggested that the vaccines provide total protection against severe illness and death, data on vaccination and transmission in congregate settings like nursing homes has been limited.
Some context: The CDC said that this study confirms how important it is for people to get vaccinated, particularly in congregate settings where it is difficult to keep physical distance.
The study also shows that nursing homes still need to follow recommended infection and control practices. Residents who get Covid-19 still need to be isolated from others and residents that have had close contact with them should be quarantined. Nursing homes should continue regular testing and staff should continue to wear PPE,?regardless of vaccination status.?
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CDC projects up to 596,000 US Covid-19 deaths by May 15
From CNN’s Ben Tinker
An?ensemble?forecast?published Wednesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now projects there will be 579,000 to 596,000 coronavirus deaths in the United States by May 15.
“This week’s national ensemble predicts that the number of newly reported COVID-19 deaths will remain stable or have an uncertain trend over the next 4 weeks,” CDC said.
The previous?ensemble?forecast, published on April 14, projected up to 598,000 coronavirus deaths by May 8.
At least?568,532?people?have already died from Covid-19 in the United States, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
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FDA completes facility inspection, J&J vaccine production remains on hold
From CNN's Jacqueline Howard and Jamie Gumbrecht
The Emergent BioSolutions facility in Baltimore on April 1.
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
The US Food and Drug Administration announced on Wednesday that it recently completed an inspection of the Emergent BioSolutions facility in Baltimore – which?makes the drug?substance that goes into Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine. New production is still paused while FDA and Emergent work through several potential quality issues.
The FDA’s inspection ended Tuesday and “cited a number of observations concerning whether the facility’s processes met our requirements and standards,” Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting FDA commissioner, and Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a joint statement released on Wednesday.
They emphasized no products will be released before meeting the FDA’s quality standards.
The FDA report says Emergent has not thoroughly investigated cross-contamination of a viral vaccine drug substance batch, and the investigation did not include a thorough review of how people moved in and around the facility as a potential source of contamination.?
The report also says, based on security camera footage and direct observation, written procedures to prevent cross-contamination “are not followed” during production and not documented.?Components and product containers were not handled or store in a way to prevent contamination, the report says; written procedures to assure drug substances are manufactured at the appropriate quality, strength and purity “are inadequate”; and employees weren’t adequately trained.
The building used to manufacture the vaccine drug substance wasn’t a suitable size or design to facilitate cleaning and proper operations, and equipment used “is not of adequate size” to operate as intended,” the report says.
Additionally, the FDA’s inspection document notes peeling paint, unsealed bags of medical waste, residue on walls and damaged floors and rough surfaces that “do not allow for adequate cleaning and sanitization.”?
?In a statement, Emergent said it is “committed to working with the FDA and Johnson & Johnson to quickly resolve the issues identified.”
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Nearly 10% of families struggled with unemployment last year
From CNN's Anneken Tappe
The pandemic devastated America’s previously strong labor market, and that had a profound effect on American families.
On Wednesday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics?reported?that 9.8% of families included an unemployed person last year. That was double the number from 2019, when 4.9% of families faced joblessness through at least one family member.
That means 8.1 million families included at least one unemployed person in 2020, but the economic hardship from the pandemic isn’t spread evenly across the population.
“White families were the least likely to have an unemployed member, and Hispanic families were the most likely,” the BLS said in its report.
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Iraq hits 1 million Covid-19 cases after setting daily record
From CNN’s Mohammed Tawfeeq and Aqeel Najim in Baghdad
Health workers in Iraq set up a mobile Covid-19 testing unit at Baghdad's Shorja market on February 22.
Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images
Iraq has just topped 1 million Covid-19 cases for the first time after setting the highest single-day record with 8,696 new cases announced on Wednesday, according to the daily health ministry report.?
The ministry also recorded at least 38 Covid-19 related deaths on Wednesday, bringing the country’s total recorded death toll to 15,098.
There are currently 109,447 Covid-19 patients hospitalized across the county, with 517 cases in ICUs.
Iraq started its Covid-19 vaccine rollout on March 27, with 300,000 people having been vaccinated since — less than 1% of the nation’s total population of 40,150,000.
The country has signed contracts for 16 million more vaccine doses from four companies: Sinopharm, Pfizer/BioNtech, Sputnik V and AstraZeneca, according to the Iraqi health ministry.?No dates on when those additional doses will be available have been announced.
The Iraqi government eased lockdown restrictions last month, saying the country faced serious economic challenges.
“We must rethink our approach in confronting coronavirus, without impacting people’s livelihood and their economy,” Iraqi government spokesperson Hassna Nadhim told reporters on March 16.
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France will lift domestic travel restrictions on May 3
From CNN’s Saskya Vandoorne and Antonella Francini in Paris
France will lift domestic travel restrictions on May 3, the French government spokesperson said Wednesday.?
Currently, people are allowed to go outside, but within a 10-kilometer radius from their homes and a?nationwide 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. CET curfew?is in place.?
Spokesperson Gabriel Attal said kindergarten and primary schools would reopen on April 26 as planned, and high schools would reopen on May 3.?
Attal lauded the vaccination rollout in France and said one in four adults had received a first dose of the vaccine.?
On Tuesday, the French health ministry reported at least 43,098 new cases in the last 24 hours, and recorded 375 deaths, bringing the country’s total to 101,597.?
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Biden?expected to tout reaching 200 million Covid-19 vaccine shots since taking office today
From CNN's Kaitlan Collins, Jeremy Diamond and Christina Maxouris
President Joe Biden speaks on April 20 at the White House.
Evan Vucci/AP
President?Biden?is expected to tout the US administering 200 million coronavirus vaccine shots since he took office, according to two administration officials.
He will deliver remarks on his Covid-19 response and the state of vaccinations at 1:15 p.m. ET today.
Health officials — including Dr. Anthony Fauci —?estimate that somewhere between 70% to 85%?of the country needs to be immune to the virus — either through inoculation or previous infection — to suppress its spread.
So far, roughly 40.1% of the population has gotten at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, according to?data?from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And about 26% of the population is fully vaccinated, that data shows.
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The US may soon reach a tipping point on Covid-19 vaccine demand. Here's why that's concerning
From CNN's Christina Maxouris
United States National Guard members administer Covid-19 vaccines in Los Angeles on April 8.
“While timing may differ by state, we estimate that across the US as a whole we will likely reach a tipping point on vaccine enthusiasm in the next 2 to 4 weeks,” the Kaiser Family Foundation said in a?new report published Tuesday.
“Once this happens, efforts to encourage vaccination will become much harder, presenting a challenge to reaching the levels of herd immunity that are expected to be needed.”
Health officials – including Dr. Anthony Fauci –?estimate that somewhere between 70% to 85%?of the country needs to be immune to the virus – either through inoculation or previous infection – to suppress is spread.
So far, roughly 40.1% of the population has gotten at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, according to?data?from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And about 26% of the population is fully vaccinated, that data shows.
A slowing vaccine demand now, experts say, could?give dangerous coronavirus variants?the opportunity to continue to mutate, spread and set off new surges – and it could delay the country’s return to a semblance of normalcy.
Indian state arranges for thousands of migrant workers to be bused home after Delhi lockdown
From CNN's Esha Mitra in New Delhi
Hundreds of migrant workers in New Delhi wait at a bus station to leave for their villages on Monday.
AP
The government of the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is arranging buses for migrant workers to return home from neighboring Delhi after the territory announced a week-long lockdown due to the surge in Covid-19 cases on Monday.
“We are making arrangements for 70,000 to 100,000 people to be taken back to their villages,” Siddharth Nath Singh, a Uttar Pradesh government minister told local news on Tuesday.
Singh added that the Delhi government had left them helpless, bringing back memories of similar incidents last year when thousands of migrant workers queued at Delhi’s bus terminals in a scramble to return home after India’s first lockdown.
After the city announced its latest lockdown, the Delhi chief minister appealed to migrant workers to stay.
Thousands of people have been seen heading to railway stations and bus stops in cities like Mumbai and Delhi, which have large migrant populations.?
The central government has denied claims that migrant workers are stranded at train stations and bus terminals.
Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday there were no train stations in the country “where migrant workers have come in large numbers or faced any difficulty.”
Goyal said “special trains have been operational” and that “there are many tickets available so anyone can book and return home.”
The special trains have been operational since June last year, when the country began opening up inter-state transport following several lockdown extensions.
When the nationwide lockdown was imposed in March last year, the country saw tens of thousands of migrants returning home by any means possible, even as inter-state travel was restricted and no transport was available.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment has reactivated 20 control rooms which had been set up in last April to address the grievances of migrant workers, a statement from the ministry on Tuesday said.
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At least 22 Covid-19 patients die waiting for oxygen supplies in Indian state
From CNN's Esha Mitra in New Delhi
At least 22 Covid-19 patients who were on ventilator support died Wednesday in the Indian state of Maharashtra, waiting for oxygen supplies that were lost in an accident, a senior official from the Nashik district said.?
Suraj Mandhare told reporters the oxygen was lost due to a leakage from a tanker at the Zakir Hussain hospital on Wednesday.
The district administration is coordinating with hospital officials to make oxygen available to patients who need it at the earliest, Mandhare said.
The patients who died required oxygen as their “pressure” was low and the leakage from this shipment meant that they did not receive the supply in time, Mandhare added.?
India’s Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah tweeted about the event saying: “I am distressed to hear the news of the accident of oxygen leak in a hospital in Nashik. I express my deepest condolences on this irreparable loss of those who have lost their loved ones in this accident. I pray to God for the health of all the other patients.”
In Maharashtra there is currently a daily demand for 1550 metric tons of oxygen for Covid-19 patients – but the state manufactures 1250 metric tons of oxygen, which is being used entirely for medical purposes.?
The remaining 300 metric tons are being supplied by other states, Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope told reporters Wednesday.
Maharashtra has 3,343,359 coronavirus cases and 61,343 deaths, according to the Indian Ministry of Health on Wednesday.
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China administers more than 200 million doses of vaccine
From CNN's Steven Jiang in Beijing
China has administered more than 200 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines, a spokesman of the National Health Commission said at a press conference Wednesday.
Mi Feng said the government would accelerate the pace of vaccination in China as the number of cases outside the country continued to climb.
He added that health authorities would ensure people have access to the second dose of vaccine within eight weeks of their first shot, in response to a reported shortage of vaccines in some locations.
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China's vaccine nationalism softens as country signals it may approve foreign-made shots
From CNN's Nectar Gan?and?James Griffiths
A medical worker administers the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine on an individual in Beijing, on April 15.
Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images
As much as China may want to promote its domestically-produced Covid-19 vaccines, it has to face reality.
Last month, Beijing issued a new policy making it easier for foreigners to apply for a visa to China if they had received a Chinese vaccine – raising concerns among experts, who warned it risked setting a dangerous precedent which could leave the world separated into vaccine silos.
There was also a practical problem: in many countries, including the United States, it is impossible to get a Chinese vaccine because they have not been approved for use by regulators.
With about half of adults in the US having received at least one Covid-19 shot, many travelers eligible to enter China – either Chinese citizens or foreigners who managed to obtain a visa – were left unsure whether the vaccine they received would be deemed sufficient to travel to China.
China’s embassy in Washington finally provided some clarity in a recent statement, outlining what tests travelers to China who have received one of the US-approved vaccines – Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson – should get in order to be approved to enter the country.
With China largely back to business and infection rates low, it is likely many will soon attempt that process, particularly as the number of vaccinated continues to rise in the US.
China considers Pfizer data: Last month, China launched its own version of a vaccine passport, the?International Travel Health Certificate?(ITHC), to enable immunized people to travel more freely. The country is also moving in the direction of approving more vaccines, including foreign-made ones, which would make it easier for Chinese living overseas and foreigners hoping to travel to China to sign up to the ITHC.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Chinese officials have been scrutinizing clinical-trial data for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which could be approved for domestic use before July.
India's second Covid wave hits like a "tsunami" as hospitals buckle under weight
From CNN's Jessie Yeung and Vedika Sud
Healthcare and other essential services across India are close to collapse as a second coronavirus wave that started?in mid-March?tears through the country with devastating speed.
Graveyards are running out of space, hospitals are turning away patients, and desperate families are pleading for help on social media for beds and medicine.
India reported 295,041 cases of coronavirus and 2,023 deaths Wednesday, its highest rise in cases and highest death increase recorded in a single day since the beginning of the pandemic, according to a CNN tally of figures from the Indian Ministry of Health.
“The volume is humongous,” said Jalil Parkar, a senior pulmonary consultant at the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai, which had to convert its lobby into an additional Covid ward. “It’s just like a tsunami.”
India reports highest rise in Covid-19 cases and deaths in a single day
From CNN's Esha Mitra in New Delhi
A patient who tested positive for Covid-19 is being unloaded from an ambulance at a treatment facility in Kolkata, India, on April 18.
Debarchan Chatterjee/NurPhoto/Getty Images
India reported 295,041 coronavirus cases and 2,023 virus-related deaths Wednesday, its highest rise in infections and fatalities in a single day during the pandemic, according to a CNN tally of figures from the Indian Ministry of Health.
Several Indian states have imposed restrictions such as night curfews and on public movement, with only essential services remaining operational.
The country’s healthcare infrastructure is strained, and states have reported shortages in the availability of oxygen and said they are running out of hospital beds.
The central government on Sunday prohibited the supply of oxygen for industrial use from April 22 until further orders so it may be diverted for medical use.?
Wednesday is the seventh consecutive day India has reported more than 200,000 cases in a span of 24 hours, according to CNN’s tally of figures from ministry.
India has reported 15,616,130 total Covid-19 cases, including 182,553 deaths, according to the ministry.
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Highest-ever number of new?Covid-19 cases reported globally last week,?WHO?says
From CNN’s Virginia Langmaid
A health official takes a swab sample from a man to test for Covid-19 at a testing center in Allahabad, India, on April 12.
Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images
The world added a record-setting 5,236,922 new?Covid-19 cases over the past seven days, according to data published Tuesday from the World Health Organization.
This beats the previous record for new cases in a week of 5.04 million, set the week of Jan. 4, 2021.
Cases increased in all?WHO?regions except for Europe, which saw a 3% decline in cases. The largest increase in cases occurred in the South-East Asia region, where case counts increased 57% over the previous week.?
WHO?said an ongoing outbreak in India appeared to be driving the cases numbers in the South-East Asia region. New cases in India accounted for 94% of new cases in the region and nearly 28% of new cases worldwide.
Global deaths from?Covid-19 crossed 3 million in the past week. According to?WHO, it took nine months for the world to hit its first million?Covid-19 deaths, and only three months to log its most recent million.
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US to reach "tipping point" on vaccine demand soon, report suggests
From CNN's Maggie Fox
Registered nurse Frederick Morley loads syringes with the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination clinic in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on April 20
Health officials – including Dr. Anthony Fauci –?estimate that somewhere between 70% to 85%?of the country needs to be immune to the virus – either through inoculation or previous infection – to suppress is spread.
So far, roughly 40.1% of the population has gotten at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, according to?data?from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And about 26% of the population is fully vaccinated, that data shows.
A slowing vaccine demand now, experts say, could?give dangerous coronavirus variants?the opportunity to continue to mutate, spread and set off new surges – and it could delay the country’s return to a semblance of normalcy.
