Sabtu, 05 Desember 2020

COVID-19: Vaccine clinics open across Moscow to start issuing Sputnik V jab - Sky News

Coronavirus vaccine clinics have opened across Moscow with health workers and teachers first in line to get Russia's Sputnik V jab.

Seventy COVID-19 clinics opened in the Russian capital on Saturday, three days after President Vladimir Putin ordered a "large-scale" immunisation programme that he claims will begin with two million doses being made available this week.

The Sputnik V has not yet completed Phase 3 of its trials, unlike the vaccine produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, sparking widespread criticism it is not safe for use.

The Moscow-based Gamaleya Institute, which is producing the vaccine, says an "advanced" study on 40,000 volunteers showed 91.4% efficacy after two doses.

Russia claimed it was the first country in the world to register a coronavirus vaccine back in August, with Mr Putin claiming one of his daughters had already had the jab.

Despite still being in the middle of safety tests, Sputnik V has been offered to teachers, and health and social care workers in recent months.

Several government officials say they have already had the jab and that Navy crews are being immunised before they leave for their next mission.

More from Covid-19

Health minister Mikhail Murashko said this week that more than 100,000 people have already been given vaccines.

The jab is being offered for free to anyone between the ages of 18 and 60, providing they do not suffer from a chronic illness, are pregnant or breastfeeding.

It only has to be stored at temperatures of -18C - making it much easier to preserve and transport than its Pfizer-BioNTech rival, which requires -70C conditions.

A woman receives her Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine at a clinic in Moscow
Image: A woman receives her Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine at a clinic in Moscow

Moscow's mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Friday that 5,000 had signed up to get one within the first few hours of the system launching.

But Sky News Moscow correspondent Diana Magnay said that only 17 people had signed up to a polyclinic she visited by around 1pm on Saturday.

Russia currently has the fourth-highest number of coronavirus cases in the world - with 2.4 million confirmed since the start of the pandemic.

Saturday was another daily high, with 28,782 new cases reported, including 7,993 in Moscow.

So far, 42,684 virus-related deaths have been registered in Russia since the start of the outbreak.

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2020-12-05 11:46:23Z
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COVID-19: Moscow starts mass vaccination amid record cases - Aljazeera.com

Scientists raise concerns after Russia gives go-ahead before full trials to test safety, efficacy have been completed.

Moscow has started vaccinating workers at high risk of becoming infected with the coronavirus at newly opened clinics across the city.

It started the distribution of the Sputnik V COVID-19 shot via 70 clinics on Saturday, marking Russia’s first mass vaccination against the disease.

The vaccine, made in Russia, would first be made available to doctors and other medical workers, teachers and social workers because they ran the highest risk of exposure to the disease.

It works in a manner similar to the vaccine that is being developed by the Oxford-AstraZeneca team in the UK, using other viruses to deliver molecules from the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 into human bodies in order to stimulate an immune response.

It is administered in two injections given 21 days apart.

The move comes as Russia reported a record high of 28,782 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, including 7,993 in Moscow, taking the national total to 2,431,731 since the pandemic began.

Authorities confirmed 508 deaths related to COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, pushing the official national death toll to 42,684.

A man and a woman wearing face masks to protect against the coronavirus disease walk at the Zaryadye park, with the Kremlin’s Spasskaya tower and St Basil’s cathedral on the background, in central Moscow [File: Yuri Kadobnov/AFP]
“Over the first five hours, 5,000 people signed up for the jab – teachers, doctors, social workers, those who are today risking their health and lives the most,” Mayor Sergei Sobyanin wrote on his personal website on Friday.

Al Jazeera’s Aleksandra Godfroid, reporting from Moscow, said there is an hour allocated for each patient.

“The first 10 minutes are for a general health check-up,” she said. “The next 15 minutes are to prepare the vaccine because it has to be kept at -18C, and then half an hour for observing the person.”

Those who will take the vaccine must come back in three weeks to receive their second shot.

“According to Russian officials, they should build up their full immunity after 42 days,” she added.

The age for those receiving shots is capped at 60. People with certain underlying health conditions, pregnant women and those who have had a respiratory illness for the past two weeks are barred from vaccination.

Vaccine scepticism

Russia has developed two COVID-19 vaccines: Sputnik V is backed by the Russian Direct Investment Fund as well as another developed by Siberia’s Vector Institute.

Final trials for both are yet to be completed.

Scientists have raised concerns about the speed at which Russia has worked, giving the regulatory go-ahead for its vaccines and launching mass vaccinations before full trials to test safety and efficacy had been completed.

“The scepticism around this comes from the fact that it’s been developed very quickly and it appears to be put to the general population rather earlier than it would do if it had been developed, say in the UK,” said Simon Clarke, an assistant professor at the University of Reading.

“Because they’ve used such small study groups, claiming a 95 percent efficacy at this stage may be a bit premature,” he added. “It needs to be remembered they are not administering it to people over the age of 60 and really, they’re the biggest at-risk group.”

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2020-12-05 10:44:21Z
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North Korea panic: Red Cross evacuates from hermit state as Kim launches brutal crackdown - Daily Express

Kim Jong-un is ‘having difficulty’ reveals North Korea expert

Since the outbreak of coronavirus, the hermit state has continued to claim the country has no cases of the deadly virus. The World Health Organisation said the country had identified 8,594 suspected coronavirus cases but no one has tested positive.

In a bid to stop the spread of the virus, North Korea has suspended almost all international flights and cross-border train and road traffic.

Earlier this year, Supreme leader Kim Jong-un introduced a draconian rule allowing guards to shoot anyone trying to cross the border.

Imported goods into the country have also grown scarce as trade dwindled under the new restrictions.

Now, fears for the North Korean people has been raised after Red Cross workers and staff of other international aid organisations evacuated Pyongyang to return to their families.

North Korean Supreme leader Kim Jong-un

North Korean Supreme leader Kim Jong-un (Image: Getty)

Red Cross staff evacuate North Korea

Red Cross staff evacuate North Korea (Image: Getty)

International Committee of the Red Cross spokesperson Najum Ul-Saqib Iqbal said: “I can confirm to you that our last international staff left on Wednesday after finishing their assignments to go meet with their families.”

He added the employees “joined other international staff from organisations and embassies who also actually left” the country.

The Red Cross office in the North Korean capital remains operational without foreign workers, the spokesperson said.

Graziella Piccoli, deputy head of the regional ICRC in Asia, said some of the work that was being done is expected to be handled at the Red Cross office in Beijing.

READ MORE: North Korea PANIC: Kim Jong-un’s coronavirus fear exposed 

Foreign diplomats fled the country in March

Foreign diplomats fled the country in March (Image: Getty)

She said: “They have completed their assignments in the DPRK.

“They will be going to their home countries to reunite with their families.”

Katharina Zellweger, director of KorAid Limited, a humanitarian organisation in Hong Kong, said the fears of spreading the virus is preventing the hermit state from receiving aid.

She said: “The lack of funding, strict quarantine measures, inability to import goods, as well as the reduction of International staff are among the main problems the aid agencies faced in order to respond to the pressing needs.”

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Coronavirus cases around the world

Coronavirus cases around the world (Image: Express)

This departure comes after the closure of several embassies in Pyongyang.

The German, Swiss and French missions all withdrew personnel earlier this year after North Korea sealed its borders in late January to curb the spread of the virus.

According to NK News, 15 expat Bulgarians, Romanians and Iranians as well as 12 Chinese diplomats left North Korea last month.

At the beginning of 2020, there were 50 United Nations personnel, 11 Red Cross staff and 13 NGO workers were in Pyongyang.

Red Cross staff evacuate Pyongyang

Red Cross staff evacuate Pyongyang (Image: Getty)

Now there are only three UN-system workers from abroad who remain in the country.

But the UN has said they will not be withdrawing from the country.

Eri Kaneko, an associate spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General, said: “After a year in North Korea, the remaining UN International staff are travelling home to see their families.

“International staff are expected to return to Pyongyang as soon as COVID-19-related entry restrictions are lifted in 2021.

Foreign diplomats fled North Korea this year

Foreign diplomats fled North Korea this year (Image: Getty)

“All UN offices remain open and functioning.”

Jerome Sauvage, a former UN resident coordinator for the country, warned the lack of presence in North Korea will be disastrous for the people.

He said: “As you know, half of the population suffers from malnutrition, and the assistance from the UN and the NGOs is in some cases the only source of support they get.

“And now that will not happen.

“So, it’s an extremely sad situation.

“We will have to basically wait until there is no more COVID in the area…. That means some time in the middle or end of next year.

“These programs take a long time to restart, these offices are not taken care of when there’s nobody inside and it’s going to take a long time.”

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2020-12-05 07:53:00Z
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LIVE UPDATES: Nevada GOP to appeal ruling after judge dismisses election lawsuit - Fox News

The Republican Party in Nevada said Friday it planned to appeal after a judge in the state dismissed a lawsuit claiming fraud in the Nov. 3 presidential election

Judge James Todd Russell in Carson City dismissed the effort to overturn the results, claiming a lack of evidence. 

“Contestants did not prove ... that illegal votes were cast and counted that should have been rejected during the signature verification process, or legal votes were not counted that should have been accepted” in numbers that would have swayed the outcome, he said in his ruling. 

Fast Facts

    • Judge James Todd Russell in Carson City dismissed the lawsuit because of a lack of evidence. 
    • Trump’s campaign attorney Jesse Binnall presented claims of voter fraud, alleging 42,284 votes were counted twice; roughly 20,000 voters were found to have voted without a Nevada mailing address; 2,468 voters had changed their address to another state; and a supposed 1,506 votes were cast by deceased individuals.

    Judge James Todd Russell in Carson City dismissed the lawsuit because of a lack of evidence. 

    Trump’s campaign attorney Jesse Binnall presented claims of voter fraud, alleging 42,284 votes were counted twice; roughly 20,000 voters were found to have voted without a Nevada mailing address; 2,468 voters had changed their address to another state; and a supposed 1,506 votes were cast by deceased individuals.

Trump 2020 Campaign attorney Jesse Binnall presented claims of voter fraud, alleging 42,284 votes were counted twice; roughly 20,000 voters were found to have voted without a Nevada mailing address; 2,468 voters had changed their address to another state; and a supposed 1,506 votes were cast by deceased individuals.

Follow below for updates on he 2020 election legal challenges. Mobile users click here

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2020-12-05 07:47:20Z
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Rudy Giuliani says 'we don't need courts' after judges in SIX states dismiss appeals - Daily Mail

Rudy Giuliani says 'we don't need courts' after judges in SIX states dismiss election fraud appeals by Trump campaign in blow to president's bid to overturn the result

  • Rudy Giuliani made the boisterous claim while appearing on Hannity Friday 
  • 'The simple fact is, we don't need courts. The United States Constitution gives sole power to the state legislator to decide presidential elections,' Giuliani said 
  • The Trump campaign has filed 46 lawsuits, none of which have made serious headway, since Joe Biden was named President-elect on November 7 
  • A judge on Friday threw out a Republican bid to undo Biden's victory in Arizona 
  • Michigan appeals court turned down an appeal Friday from Trump's campaign in a challenge to how absentee ballots were handled in Detroit and other issues
  • The Wisconsin Supreme Court also declined Friday to hear a lawsuit brought by a conservative group over Trump's loss
  • Trump campaign lost its bid to overturn the results of the election in Nevada
  • Minnesota Supreme Court dismissed a challenge brought by GOP lawmakers
  • On Friday, Trump's campaign filed a lawsuit in Georgia seeking to invalidate the election results there

Rudy Giuliani boisterously declared that the path to the presidency for Trump did not involve the courts as judges in six states rejected his team's election fraud appeals, dealing a crucial blow to the president's effort to secure a second term. 

Trump's personal lawyer was speaking on Hannity Friday as he made the claim and bemoaned about recent rejections in both Nevada and Georgia.

'The simple fact is, we don't need courts. The United States Constitution gives sole power to the state legislator to decide presidential elections,' Giuliani explained to Hannity.

'In fact, if we go back to the Founding Fathers, they would tell us that we are making a mistake. 

Rudy Giuliani made the boisterous claim while appearing on Hannity Friday and as judges in six states rejected the Trump team's attempt to secure the election

Rudy Giuliani made the boisterous claim while appearing on Hannity Friday and as judges in six states rejected the Trump team's attempt to secure the election

'This should be thrown right to the House of Representatives and to the Senate in each state and they should hold hearings, they should have factual determinations and they should decide what the right voting account is.'

Giuliani's bold claim come as Trump's legal team continue to have their cases thrown out in six key states they need to secure the election - Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada and Wisconsin.

The Trump campaign has filed 46 lawsuits, none of which have made serious headway, since Joe Biden was named President-elect on November 7. 

A judge on Friday threw out a Republican bid to undo Biden's victory in Arizona, concluding the state's GOP chief failed to prove fraud or misconduct in her challenge of election results in metro Phoenix. The judge also noted the evidence presented at trial wouldn´t reverse Trump's loss in the state.

'The simple fact is, we don't need courts. The United States Constitution gives sole power to the state legislator to decide presidential elections,' Giuliani explained to Hannity

'The simple fact is, we don't need courts. The United States Constitution gives sole power to the state legislator to decide presidential elections,' Giuliani explained to Hannity

Judge Randall Warner dismissed Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman Kelli Ward's challenge of ballots in metro Phoenix that were duplicated because voters´ earlier ballots were damaged or could not be run through tabulators. Poll observers called to testify by Ward said they witnessed problems in the processing of duplicated ballots, but the judge said those problems were pointed out to election workers, who then fixed the mistakes.

Warner wrote 'there is no evidence that the inaccuracies were intentional or part of a fraudulent scheme. They were mistakes. And given both the small number of duplicate ballots and the low error rate, the evidence does not show any impact on the outcome.'

Six cases brought by Trump and Republican allies in Michigan have either been rejected or dropped. On Wednesday, Giuliani appeared at a public meeting with lawmakers and urged activists to pressure, even threaten, the GOP-controlled Legislature to 'step up' and award the state´s 16 electoral votes to Trump despite Biden´s 154,000-vote victory. 

A Michigan appeals court turned down an appeal Friday from Trump's campaign in a challenge to how absentee ballots were handled in Detroit and other issues. 

The Trump campaign has filed 46 lawsuits, none of which have made serious headway, since Joe Biden was named President-elect on November 7

The Trump campaign has filed 46 lawsuits, none of which have made serious headway, since Joe Biden was named President-elect on November 7

The latest lawsuit in Georiga joined more than 40 other legal challenges brought forth by Trump's campaign and supporters that alleged widespread voter fraud

The latest lawsuit in Georiga joined more than 40 other legal challenges brought forth by Trump's campaign and supporters that alleged widespread voter fraud

In Wisconsin, the state's Supreme Court on Thursday refused to hear Trump's lawsuit seeking to overturn his loss in the battleground state. In a divided decision, the court didn't rule on the merits of the claims but said the case must first wind its way through lower courts.   

The Wisconsin Supreme Court also declined Friday to hear a lawsuit brought by a conservative group over Trump's loss. 

The Trump campaign lost its bid to overturn the results of the election in Nevada and the Minnesota Supreme Court dismissed a challenge brought by GOP lawmakers.

On Friday, Trump's campaign filed a lawsuit in Georgia seeking to invalidate the election results there, the latest in a series of legal challenges aimed at reversing his loss that have so far gone nowhere. 

The Trump campaign claimed in a statement there was 'literally tens of thousands of illegal votes that were cast, counted, and included' in the 2020 General Election. 

President-elect Biden won the election with 306 Electoral College votes - against the 270 required - to Trump's 232. 

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2020-12-05 07:06:00Z
CAIiENeuozhCJjvCEy5CahPuphEqGQgEKhAIACoHCAowzuOICzCZ4ocDMKiaowY

Jumat, 04 Desember 2020

Joe Biden: Covid vaccination in US will not be mandatory - BBC News

President-elect Joe Biden says Americans won't be forced to take a coronavirus vaccine when one becomes available in the US.

It comes as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for the first time urged "universal mask use" indoors, unless when Americans are at their own home.

The CDC said the US had "entered a phase of high-level transmission" of the virus.

On Friday the US recorded over 2,500 deaths and nearly 225,000 new cases.

It has confirmed 14.3 million cases and more than 278,000 deaths.

  • 'Coronavirus ended our marriage'
  • Dr Fauci apologises for saying UK 'rushed' vaccine
  • All Vaxxed Up

Mr Biden - who is due to take office on 20 January - also said he expected his inauguration to be a scaled-back event without large crowds because of coronavirus concerns.

"My guess is there'll still be a platform ceremony but I don't know how it's all going to work out," he said.

What is Biden's policy on vaccines?

Pfizer, which says its vaccine has been shown to be 95% effective in clinical trials, and Moderna, which says its jab is 94% effective, have both applied to the Food and Drug Administration to distribute their drugs in the US.

The UK on Wednesday became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer vaccine.

Earlier on Friday Vice-President Mike Pence said during a visit to Atlanta's CDC that federal approval for a Covid-19 vaccine could be "a week-and-a-half away."

Speaking in Wilmington, Delaware, the US president-elect said it would not be necessary to make a coronavirus vaccine mandatory.

"I will do everything in my power as president to encourage people to do the right thing and when they do it, demonstrate that it matters," he said.

The Pew Research Center says just 60% of Americans are currently prepared to take a coronavirus vaccine, up from 51% who said the same in September.

On Thursday Mr Biden told CNN he would be happy to take a vaccine in public to allay potential concerns about its safety. Three former presidents - Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton - have said they are also prepared to be inoculated publicly.

Mr Biden has also reiterated his call for Americans to wear a mask for 100 days - a measure that he said combined with vaccine distribution would see deaths "drop off the edge".

"My hope is they will then be inclined to say it's worth the patriotic duty to go ahead and protect other people," Mr Biden said.

2px presentational grey line

Fear of political wrangling

Analysis box by Anthony Zurcher, North America reporter

The US fight to control the coronavirus pandemic is about to slam head-first into a national anti-vaccine movement that is stubbornly pervasive.

That reality may be behind President-elect Biden's statement that he would not support a government mandate that all Americans receive a Covid-19 vaccination. The attempt to implement one - even if supported by science and legal precedent dating back more than a century - could create a groundswell of opposition that would prove counterproductive to public health.

Such was the case with mask-wearing - a less intrusive step to prevent the spread of the virus - which, over the past six months, has become infused with politics.

Mr Biden, and state governors who would be on the front lines of any such mandate, might prefer to target only certain segments of the population more at risk of contracting or spreading Covid-19. For instance, employers could be encouraged to require healthcare and nursing home workers to be immunised, and most children already must have up-to-date shot records before attending public or private schools.

While the speedy development of multiple vaccines has offered reason for hope of more normal life after the coronavirus pandemic, a brewing vaccination fight is just one example of how managing this public-health crisis in the coming months will not be an easy task for the Biden administration.

2px presentational grey line

What is the CDC advising Americans to do?

The health body said it was now recommending that people wear masks anywhere outside their own homes - including indoors.

It said the country was in a phase of "high-level transmission" as colder weather was seeing more people spend more time indoors.

About half of new cases were the result of transmission from infected people who did not have any symptoms, the CDC said.

It said mask wearing, physical distancing and avoiding non-essential indoor spaces and crowded outdoor spaces were part of a "multi-pronged" approach needed to "provide a bridge" to a future where vaccines were widely available and normal life could resume.

virus test, LA
Reuters

On Thursday Mr Biden said he would make mask-wearing in federal buildings mandatory.

Meanwhile, California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom has issued a stay-at-home order for much of his state. On Wednesday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued an order restricting all public travel on foot or vehicle, adding: "It's time to cancel everything."

What about US jobs?

Mr Biden described the latest jobs data as "grim".

Figures from November, released earlier on Friday, showed that a lower-than-expected 245,000 new jobs were added as the rate of new daily infections almost doubled.

"It shows an economy that's stalling and remains in the midst of one of the worst economic and job crisis in modern history," Mr Biden said.

He predicted "the future will be very bleak" if lawmakers fail to pass a coronavirus rescue aid package immediately.

Unless Congress enacts another relief bill, more than nine million jobless Americans will be cut off from unemployment benefits after Christmas.

Lawmakers from both parties have been inching towards a $900bn (£670bn) plan that would include expanded unemployment benefits.

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2020-12-05 00:00:00Z
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Joe Biden: Covid vaccination in US will not be mandatory - BBC News

biden
Reuters

President-elect Joe Biden says Americans won't be forced to take a coronavirus vaccine when one becomes available in the US.

It comes as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for the first time urged "universal mask use" anywhere outside people's homes.

The CDC said the US had "entered a phase of high-level transmission" of the virus.

On Friday the US recorded 2,861 new deaths.

It has seen more than 14 million confirmed cases in total and more than 275,000 deaths.

  • 'Coronavirus ended our marriage'
  • Dr Fauci apologises for saying UK 'rushed' vaccine
  • US ex-presidents pledge to get vaccinated on film

Mr Biden - who is due to take office on 20 January - also said he expected his inauguration to be a scaled-back event without large crowds because of coronavirus concerns.

"My guess is there'll still be a platform ceremony but I don't know how it's all going to work out," he said.

What is Biden's policy on vaccines?

Pfizer, which says its vaccine has been shown to be 95% effective in clinical trials, and Moderna, which says its jab is 94% effective, have both applied to the Food and Drug Administration to distribute their drugs in the US.

The UK on Wednesday became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer vaccine.

Earlier on Friday Vice-President Mike Pence said during a visit to Atlanta's CDC that federal approval for a Covid-19 vaccine could be "a week-and-a-half away."

Speaking in Wilmington, Delaware, the US president-elect said it would not be necessary to make a coronavirus vaccine mandatory.

"I will do everything in my power as president to encourage people to do the right thing and when they do it, demonstrate that it matters," he said.

The Pew Research Center says just 60% of Americans are currently prepared to take a coronavirus vaccine, up from 51% who said the same in September.

On Thursday Mr Biden told CNN he would be happy to take a vaccine in public to allay potential concerns about its safety. Three former presidents - Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton - have said they are also prepared to be inoculated publicly.

Mr Biden has also reiterated his call for Americans to wear a mask for 100 days - a measure that he said combined with vaccine distribution would see deaths "drop off the edge".

"My hope is they will then be inclined to say it's worth the patriotic duty to go ahead and protect other people," Mr Biden said.

2px presentational grey line

Fear of political wrangling

Analysis box by Anthony Zurcher, North America reporter

The US fight to control the coronavirus pandemic is about to slam head-first into a national anti-vaccine movement that is stubbornly pervasive.

That reality may be behind President-elect Joe Biden's recent statement that he would not support a government mandate that all Americans receive a Covid-19 vaccination. The attempt to implement one - even if supported by science and legal precedent dating back more than a century - could create a groundswell of opposition that would prove counterproductive to public health.

Such was the case with mask-wearing - a less intrusive step to prevent the spread of the virus - that, over the past six months, has become infused with politics.

Mr Biden, and state governors who would be on the front lines of any such mandate, might prefer to target only certain segments of the population more at risk of contracting or spreading Covid-19. For instance, employers could be encouraged to require healthcare and nursing home workers to be immunised, and most children already must have up-to-date shot records before attending public or private schools.

While the speedy development of multiple vaccines has offered reason for hope of more normal life after the coronavirus pandemic, a brewing vaccination fight is just one example of how managing this public-health crisis in the coming months will not be an easy task for the Biden administration.

2px presentational grey line

What is the CDC advising Americans to do?

The health body said it was now recommending that people wear masks anywhere outside their own homes - including indoors.

It said daily cases had on Wednesday reached a new high of 196,227 and the country was in a phase of "high-level transmission" as colder weather was seeing more people spend more time indoors.

About half of new cases were the result of transmission from infected people who did not have any symptoms, the CDC said.

It said mask wearing, physical distancing and avoiding non-essential indoor spaces and crowded outdoor spaces were part of a "multi-pronged" approach needed to "provide a bridge" to a future where vaccines were widely available and normal life could resume.

virus test, LA
Reuters

On Thursday Mr Biden said he would make mask-wearing in federal building mandatory.

Meanwhile California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom has issued a stay-at-home order for much of his state. On Wednesday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued an order restricting all public travel on foot or vehicle, adding: "It's time to cancel everything."

What about US jobs?

Mr Biden described the latest jobs data as "grim".

Figures from November, released earlier on Friday, showed that a lower-than-expected 245,000 new jobs were added as the rate of new daily infections almost doubled.

"It shows an economy that's stalling and remains in the midst of one of the worst economic and job crisis in modern history," Mr Biden said.

He called for urgent bipartisan agreement in Congress to pass a coronavirus relief bill immediately and follow that with "hundreds of billions of dollars" more in January.

"If we don't act now, the future will be very bleak. Americans need help and they need it now. And they need more to come early next year," he said.

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiM2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLXVzLWNhbmFkYS01NTE5MzkzOdIBN2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FtcC93b3JsZC11cy1jYW5hZGEtNTUxOTM5Mzk?oc=5

2020-12-04 22:30:00Z
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