California Has a Plan for Opening Schools (4:45 p.m. NY)
California Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders said theyâve struck a deal that would push school districts in the most-populous U.S. state to begin reopening by April.
The state would hand out more than $6 billion for related costs including personal protective equipment, ventilation upgrades and Covid testing. To make up for lost learning, the school year might extend into summer.
U.S. Cases Fell 61% in February (3:50 p.m. NY)
Covid-19 infections in the U.S. had the biggest monthly decline in February, plunging 61% to about 2.42 million, data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg show. That helped lower the death count from January by 25% to 71,772. Overall, almost 514,000 Americans have succumbed to Covid-19 and about 28.7 million residents or 8.7% of the population have been infected by it.
U.S. Cases Fell 61% Last Month; WHO Issues Warning: Virus Update
Bloomberg 3/1/2021
A new Covid variant detected in New York is being watched “very, very closely” by U.S. health officials, Anthony Fauci said. Johnson & Johnson is looking for manufacturing partnerships to increase supply of its vaccine, which was cleared Saturday by U.S. regulators.
The European Commission is set to unveil a proposal this month for a digital vaccine passport, which could ease a return to normality for those who are immunized. But critics say it may be discriminatory and infringe on privacy.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved to reassure the public over the emergence of a Brazilian variant. Italy will tighten curbs in some cities, Oslo will close restaurants and shops, and Finland has triggered a state of emergency. France needs another four to six weeks before the government can start lifting curbs, President Emmanuel Macron signaled.
NYC Variant Draws Concern From Fauci (1:40 p.m. NY)
A new Covid-19 variant detected in New York City that’s now traveled through various neighborhoods is being watched “very, very closely” by U.S. health officials, Anthony Fauci said on Monday.
The variant, known scientifically as B.1.526, likely started off in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, Fauci, a top adviser to President Joe Biden on the pandemic, said during a news briefing. It is one of five concerning variants now being tracked nationally by health officials.
Recent research suggests B.1.526 needs to be closely watched “for its ability to evade both monoclonal antibody and, to a certain extent, the vaccine-induced antibody,” said Fauci, who also heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.