Hawaiian officials urged the public to avoid Super Bowl parties and announced The COVID-19 variant was found to be more transmissible in Oahu.
The Hawaiian Department of Health announced that an Oahu resident with no travel history has contracted the B.1.1.7 variant that first appeared in the United Kingdom. Close contact has also tested positive for COVID-19.
“We are not powerless in this alternative,” said Hawaiian Governor David Iggy. “We can fight it by doing these simple everyday things. We are not powerless in front of this highly portable alternative.”
“Please limit Super Bowl viewing parties to family members,” he added.
The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has killed more than 460,000 Americans, and infections have continued to rise despite the introduction of two vaccines in late 2020. USA TODAY tracks the news. Keep this page updated for latest updates. Subscribe to the Coronavirus Watch newsletter To get updates in your inbox, Join our Facebook group or Scroll through our in-depth answers to our readers’ questions.
In the titles:
► High court split late Friday Prevent the application of the California ban to indoor church services During the Coronavirus pandemic, the last case in which judges were asked to evaluate measures aimed at slowing the spread of the virus in light of religious freedom guaranteed by the constitution.
China on Saturday gave broader approval for the Sinovac Biotech vaccine, to expand who can receive the vaccine beyond the high-risk and priority categories already allowed under the emergency permit.
And Andy Slavitt, the White House chief adviser on COVID-19, announced on Friday that later this month in California, more than 1,000 active duty soldiers will begin supporting vaccination sites around the United States and said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved the move. The troops will be deployed to California within ten days.
The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives voted almost along party lines on Friday to approve a major procedural move paving the way for the House of Representatives to pass President Joe Biden’s $ 1.9 trillion relief bill to pass the House. As early as the end of the month.
Health equity researchers say the lack of data obscures more transparency in the vaccination offering A data deficit hurts those most vulnerable. So far, only 16 states publish vaccination numbers by race and ethnicity, and the data is incomplete.
While the US economy is far from recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Many permanently laid-off workers find new jobs, often for a higher wage And at levels higher than their previous positions, according to a recent survey by Skynova.
Ohio-based supermarket chain Kruger said Friday it will pay its employees’ salaries One-time payment of $ 100 to get vaccinated For COVID-19.
If The Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committee will meet on February 26 The agency announced Thursday to discuss the Johnson & Johnson request for permission to use an emergency use of the COVID-19 vaccine.
📈 Today’s numbers: The United States has more than 26.8 million confirmed cases of coronavirus and more than 460,000 deaths. According to data from Johns Hopkins University. Global totals: More than 105.6 million cases and 2.3 million deaths. More than 58.3 million vaccine doses have been distributed in the United States and approximately 36.8 million doses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
📘 What we read: Do states and cities “need” $ 350 billion from Biden in direct COVID-19 relief? It depends on where you ask.
Nearly 100 students and staff are in quarantine two days after the school reopens
Two days after the San Diego County School District returned to its campus classroom, nearly a hundred students and staff were in quarantine, the district said in a press release Friday.
Nearly 9,000 Escondido Union School District students enrolled in hybrid classes returned to campus on Tuesday. By Thursday evening, the district had reported 17 cases of COVID-19 – including eight people who had come to the school contagious – and at least 81 students and 15 employees were in quarantine.
The district said the cases were not referred at school, and that six cases originated from one extended family.
Supervisor Dr. Lewis Rankins-Ibarra said the quarantine so early in the reopening was “frustrating and worrying” but “unexpected”. Rankins-Ibarra said the district hopes to “preserve on-campus education in the hybrid model”.
St. Louis prison inmates set fires due to restrictions and coronavirus concerns
St. Louis Prison Inmates They set fires, smashed windows, and threw objects from fourth-floor windows Officials said, Saturday, in the latest turmoil over coronavirus fears and restrictions that have led to limited visits and hampered trial proceedings.
Dozens of law enforcement officers are working to bring the situation under control at the Saint Louis City Justice Center, said Jacob Long, a spokesperson for Mayor Leda Croixon. He said in an interview with the Associated Press that the unrest began at about three in the morning, with the participation of about 115 prisoners, “very violent and incompatible.”
“I would imagine they are under the same amount of stress due to COVID restrictions as the rest of us,” Long said. “The courts did not hear cases in the 22nd Judicial Circuit. Their family visits were restricted. But they also act and this is the current situation.”
Got your vaccination? Request poster; Do not post your card
If you receive a COVID-19 shot, it’s okay to encourage the news on social media – just don’t post a picture of your vaccination card. This may reveal your full name, date of birth, and information about when and where you got your shots.
“Please – don’t do that! You could call for identity theft,” the Federal Trade Commission said He wrote on his website Friday. “Think of it this way – identity theft works like a puzzle made up of bits of personal information. You don’t want to give identity thieves the pieces they need to finish a photo.”
The best non-profit business office He issued a similar warning Late last month, citing fraudsters in Great Britain who were caught selling fake vaccination cards on eBay and TikTok.
Instead, groups recommend that vaccine recipients share pictures or selfies of vaccination posters. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers several sample poster templates – including the logos.#sleeveup to fight COVID-19“And the”I have had my COVID-19 vaccine!“- at Tools For organizations serving communities affected by COVID-19. Some providers have their unique stickers as well.
“The stickers are really cool,” wrote the Federal Trade Commission.
Cases are declining in the United States, but experts say it is not yet from the COVID vaccine
Cases of novel coronavirus infection are declining in the United States after the stunning post-holiday peak last month, but experts say it is too early for the new COVID-19 vaccines to have an effect.
And the positive trend is not guaranteed to continue, as new and more transmissible variants threaten to reverse course, according to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Rochelle Walinsky.
“Although we have seen a decrease in cases and admissions and a recent slowdown in deaths, cases are still unusually high, and are still twice the number of cases that peaked over the summer,” she said this week. Read more.
Adriana Rodriguez
Should snow birds be allowed to vaccinate?State officials, residents at odds
Coronavirus cases are declining in nursing homes and nursing homes in the United States
Coronavirus cases have decreased in nursing homes in the United States and other long-term care facilities over the past few weeks, providing a glimmer of hope that health officials attribute to starting vaccinations, mitigating the post-vacation spike, and improving prevention, among other reasons.
More than 153,000 residents of nursing homes and living centers in the country have died from COVID-19, accounting for 36% of the number of epidemic deaths in the United States, according to the COVID Tracking Project. Many of the nearly two million people who live in these facilities remain isolated from their loved ones due to the risk of infection. The virus still kills thousands of them every week.
The general trend for long-term care residents is improving, however, with fewer new cases and fewer facilities reporting outbreaks. Along with better numbers for the country in general, it is cause for optimism even if it is too early to declare victory.
The requirements for the Iowa governor’s hike mask take effect on Sunday
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds State’s limited mask requirements will be raised on Sunday, Along with social distancing and other restrictions it has put in place for businesses and social gatherings.
Reynolds spokesman Pat Garrett said her recent coronavirus emergency declaration, issued Friday afternoon and effective Sunday 12:01 a.m., “strongly encourages Iowa residents, businesses and organizations to take reasonable public health measures consistent with Public Health Administration guidelines.” Iowa state. ”
Since mid-November, Republican Reynolds has required Iowans ages two and over to wear masks if they are indoors and have spent 15 minutes or more within 6 feet of someone who is not home. The rule bore several exceptions. Her previous announcement also required social distancing between groups in bars, restaurants, casinos, fitness centers and other establishments, as well as in social gatherings and sporting events.
Mask violations on airplanes, trains, and buses can result in fines of up to $ 1,500
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Announced Friday They will recommend fines ranging from $ 250 to $ 1500 for people who do not adhere to the new transport mask order Issued by President Joe Biden On his second day in office.
The agency said in the announcement that it may also seek “an amount for penalties that fall outside these ranges,” and indicated that higher fines would be applied to repeat offenders.
Biden’s order requires people to wear masks at airports, bus stations and trains, and on trains, planes, buses and public transport.
The Transportation Security Administration was tasked with implementing Executive Order for Biden and the subsequent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Mask wearing rules Which went into effect on February 1 and was built on the order.
Although the TSA is most commonly associated with airport checkpoints, fines will apply to violators via these different types of transport. The Transportation Security Administration said on Twitter that the agency “has provided transportation system operators with specific guidelines on how to report violations so that the Transportation Security Administration can issue penalties for those who refuse to wear face masks.”
– Julia Thompson
Contribution: Ryan Miller and Nicholas Wu, USA Today; The Associated Press
