9 & 10 News
December 19, 2020
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. An Associated Press analysis shows states spent more than $7 billion this spring buying personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves, gowns and ventilators.
California spent the most during the pandemic’s initial months, at least $1.5 billion in the AP’s data, followed by Texas, Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington. New York also spent several hundred million dollars on PPE and ventilators through November.
The data was obtained from states through open-records requests. State governments were scrambling for supplies at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Some states paid as much as $11 for individual N95 masks, which previously cost around 50 cents before the pandemic.
9 & 10 News
December 19, 2020
WASHINGTON An Army general in charge of COVID-19 vaccines apologized Saturday for “miscommunication” with states on the number of early doses delivered.
Gen. Gustave Perna’s remarks came a day after a second vaccine was added in the fight against the coronavirus. Governors in more than a dozen states says the federal government has told them next week’s shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be less than originally projected.
“I want to take personal responsibility for the miscommunication,” he said. “I know that’s not done much these days. But I am responsible. … This is a herculean effort and we are not perfect.”
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Switzerland on Saturday approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, with immunisation set to start just after Christmas as the country battles rising coronavirus cases.
The Swissmedic regulatory authority said it had given the green light following a two-month rolling review.
Switzerland has been recording more than 4,000 new cases and 100 deaths every day. There have been a total of 400,000 infections and nearly 6,000 deaths since the pandemic began. After a meticulous review of the available information, Swissmedic concluded that the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech is safe and that its benefit outweighs the risks, Swissmedic said.
9 & 10 News
December 19, 2020
WASHINGTON With COVID-19 numbers setting new daily records, the nation’s capital is temporarily suspending all indoor dining in restaurants over the holidays.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser issued an executive order Friday night banning indoor dining for three weeks, starting Wednesday at 10 p.m. and extending through Jan. 15.
The District of Columbia will remain in phase two of its reopening plan, and the government described the move as a “holiday pause.”
The order also extends Washington’s public health emergency through March 31 and orders all museums to close. The entire Smithsonian network of museums, which includes the National Zoo, already shut down voluntarily in late November.
Published Saturday, December 19, 2020 7:41AM EST ZURICH, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Swiss drugs regulator Swissmedic has authorized the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and partner BioNTech, the agency said on Saturday, calling it the world s first such approval under a standard procedure. Two months after receiving the application, Swissmedic granted authorisation for the vaccine in a rolling review of documents being submitted. Other countries have already approved it for emergency use to help curb the global coronavirus pandemic. The data available to date showed a comparable high level of efficacy in all investigated age groups, thus meeting the safety requirements, Swissmedic said on its website.