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January 12, 2021 - Brief Issue 136
The Coronavirus Daily Brief is a daily news and analysis roundup edited by New America’s International Security Program and Arizona State University.
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Top Headlines
U.S. Seven-Day Average Death Toll Passes 3,000 (Health & Science)
Keep Following Public Health Guidelines Even After Covid Vaccination, Say Scientists (Health & Science)
Indonesia Approves Sinovac Covid-19 Vaccine (Health & Science)
Israel Aims to Vaccinate Majority of Population by March in World’s Fastest Rollout (Health & Science)
Colombian Foreign Minister Tests Positive For Coronavirus (Around the World)
Malaysian King Declares State of Emergency, Ostensibly To Fight the Coronavirus (Around the World)
Two Democratic Congresswomen Test Positive After Pro-Trump Riot (U.S. Government & Politics)
DC and Northern Virginia Enter Second Phase of Vaccine Distribution (U.S. Government & Politics)
Senate Democrats Urge Adoption of National Vaccine Distribution Plan (U.S. Government & Politics)
Biden Criticizes and Clashes with Own Advisers Over Vaccination Speed Promise (U.S. Government & Politics)
Chipotle Expands Workforce Due to Pandemic Boom (U.S. Economy)
Schools Adjust Schedules Amid Coronavirus Surge (U.S. Society)
Health & Science
There have been 22,619,353 coronavirus cases in the United States, and 376,283 people have died (Johns Hopkins). The United States has conducted 267,490,302 tests and distributed 25,480,725 vaccine doses, with 8,987,322 people initiating vaccination (U.S. CDC). Worldwide, there have been 90,995,185 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 1,947,758 deaths. At least 50,400,048 people have recovered from the virus.
U.S. Seven-Day Average Death Toll Passes 3,000
On Sunday, the U.S. seven-day average for Covid-19 deaths reached 3,249, passing 3,000 for the first time (NYT). In total, more than 375,000 had died as of Monday. This number is likely to rise as the post-holiday surge continues to drive case numbers up. Officials are also concerned that the emergence of the more-contagious B117 coronavirus strain will cause further spikes in cases over the coming weeks and months. Arizona, California, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and South Carolina are currently experiencing the most daily new cases per person (NYT).
Keep Following Public Health Guidelines Even After Covid Vaccination, Say Scientists
According to scientists, public health measures like masking, physical distancing and hand washing are still recommended for people who have received the Covid-19 vaccine (WSJ). Scientists still don’t know whether the vaccine stops people from spreading the virus or simply protects them from getting sick. Based on knowledge of other vaccines, experts are optimistic that the Covid-19 vaccine may be able to stop spread as well as illness. However, because Covid-19 vaccine trials have so far been more focused on determining how well the vaccines prevent illness, information about spread is still emerging. Experts advise that until the population gets closer to herd immunity – which likely won’t happen until around 80% of the population is immune to Covid – people should continue to protect those around them by following all public health guidelines.
Indonesia Approves Sinovac Covid-19 Vaccine
On Monday, Indonesia became the first country other than China to approve a vaccine from Chinese drug developer Sinovac Biotech Ltd. (WSJ, Reuters). Indonesia’s trial showed that the vaccine is safe and has 65.3% efficacy against the virus. Clinical trial results released in Brazil last week showed 78% efficacy for the vaccine. An efficacy rate of 65.3% is on the low end for approved Covid-19 vaccines, but it still clears the 50% efficacy threshold set by the World Health Organization. The efficacy of the Sinovac vaccine is similar to that of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford, which is around 62% effective. Indonesian health officials have ordered nearly 330 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine, and they expect to take 15 months to vaccinate at least two-thirds of the population.
Israel Aims to Vaccinate Majority of Population by March in World’s Fastest Rollout
Israel, which has a population of about nine million people, has already vaccinated about 20% of its population over the past three weeks (WSJ). Although the country’s compact size and relatively small population provide an advantage, Israel has also adopted policies that make it the fastest country in the world to roll out vaccines.
Like most countries, Israel is giving priority to high-risk groups, including medical professionals, older people and those with underlying conditions. However, to prevent wasting doses, vaccinators are authorized to use leftover doses to inoculate anyone who wants them. Officials worked with Pfizer to devise a system to split the 1,000-dose packages into smaller shipments so that more remote areas could access the vaccine without having to waste doses. Israel has also made use of dedicated mass vaccination sites, allowing more people to quickly access vaccination.
In addition, the county has prioritized open communication, reaching out early to community and religious leaders and launching a communication system that notifies those who are eligible for vaccination. People who have been vaccinated can present a certificate that grants them access to certain public spaces and exempts them from post-travel quarantines.
New York Loosens Vaccination Guidelines After Outcry Over Discarded Doses
Vaccinators in New York State have had difficulty over the past few weeks finding patients eligible to receive vaccines. New York has strict guidelines for who is allowed to be inoculated in the first wave and imposes penalties on providers who violate those guidelines. As a result, some providers were forced to discard doses, prompting complaints to the state health department (NYT). On Saturday, health officials loosened guidelines to allow medical providers to administer vaccines to any of their employees who come into contact with the public if top-priority patients could not be recruited in time. The decision comes shortly after an announcement on Friday that providers could begin vaccinating people 75 years and older as well as a wider range of essential workers beginning Monday. The series of rule changes highlights difficulties that New York and other states have had trying to balance mass vaccination attempts with efforts to target the most vulnerable members of the population. Bonus Read: “With State in Crisis, Cuomo Outlines Plan to ‘Win the Covid War’,” (NYT).
Vaccine Expert Peter Hotez Calls For Improved Vaccination Plans
In an op-ed for the Washington Post, Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development, offers his thoughts on bringing the U.S. Covid-19 Vaccine rollout up to speed. Chief among his recommendations: implementing large-scale vaccination clinics. Dr. Hotez estimates that large metro areas need to begin vaccinating 10,000 to 20,000 people every day in order to vaccinate 240 million Americans over the next eight months. So far, no U.S. city has come close to this target. In order to get there, cities would need to open up additional infrastructure, possibly using stadiums as mass vaccination clinics, and bring on staff and volunteers to administer vaccines and manage crowds. These large-scale vaccination events would require substantial financial and logistical support from the federal government to help cities secure space and pay vaccinators and support staff.
Dr. Hotez advocates several other measures to get vaccinations running smoothly. For one, he suggests dropping the current phasing criteria once healthcare providers and nursing home residents have been vaccinated. Verifying nuanced eligibility criteria is a monumental task for our current healthcare system, Hotez asserts, and could hamper efforts to vaccinate people at scale. Then there is the fact that the U.S. simply does not have enough of the two currently approved vaccines – from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna – to inoculate everyone. More vaccines will need to be secured and approved. Finally, Hotez says, government officials and scientists need to be in regular communication with the American people, providing valuable updates and combating misinformation.
Bonus Read: “A Stark Divide in California’s Surge,” (NYT).
Around the World
Global Tourism Industry Interest Group Demands No Vaccine Requirements For Travel
The head of an international travel and tourism trade association demanded on Monday no vaccine requirements for global travel. Gloria Guevara, chief executive of the London-based World Travel and Tourism Council, likened attempts to mandate vaccine for border crossings to discrimination. “We should never require the vaccination to get a job or to travel,” said Guevara at a panel hosted by Reuters. “If you require the vaccination before travel, that takes us to discrimination,” she added. Policymakers around the world have suggested compulsory immunization for air travel and/or crossing borders. Many nations have partially closed their borders to contain the virus, with some shutting off International travel almost entirely (Reuters).
The Americas
Colombian Foreign Minister Tests Positive For Coronavirus
The Colombian Foreign Ministry on Monday announced on Twitter that Foreign Minister Claudia Blum has tested positive for the coronavirus. The message read, “I am informing Colombians that due to a case that occurred in my family, I began preventive isolation at the time and took the COVID-19 test. The result of the confirmatory test was finally positive.” Blum added that she is otherwise in good health and is continuing her duties from quarantine (Caracol Radio). Colombia is experiencing its most intense wave yet of the pandemic, with last week setting multiple records in daily new case counts. Bogota’s intensive care units were operating at 91.5% capacity on Monday. While a citywide lockdown that began on January 8 expires on Tuesday, it will remain in place in the worst hit neighborhoods. Other restrictions, such as an 8pm curfew and limits on pedestrian traffic, will be imposed across Bogota. The nationwide vaccination program is set to begin next month (Local10).
Europe
Germany Begins New Lockdown
Germany on Monday initiated new lockdown measures across all 16 federal states amid new records set in recent weeks in daily new case counts. Private meetings are now limited to one guest in a single household, while people arriving in Germany from high-risk areas are now subject to two tests five days apart as a prerequisite to leaving quarantine. New rules will also permit travel restrictions for people living in areas with more than 200 cases per 100,000 people for seven consecutive days. Parents will also receive an extra 10 days of leave to care for their children, while single parents will receive 20 days. In line with previous restrictions, all nonessential shops and services are to remain closed, as are most schools. The restrictions came into place after Friday saw a record 1,188 Covid-19 deaths. Germany recorded a total of 12,497 new cases on Monday, although the day’s statistics are considered an underestimate as many local health authorities typically do not update their weekend counts in time for Monday (DW).
English Police Reluctant To Enforce Mask Rules in Supermarkets, Reports Guardian
Multiple law enforcement sources in England have told the Guardian that they will not enforce masking rules in supermarkets despite ministers’ pleas to the public. Speaking at a Monday press briefing on Downing Street, Health Secretary Matt Hancock called for tougher enforcement. “Stronger enforcement is necessary, and I’m delighted that the police are stepping up their enforcement. But it isn’t just about the government and the rules we set, or the police and the work that they do. It’s about how everybody behaves,” he said. But a senior law enforcement source dismissed the minister’s call in an interview with the Guardian, saying “There is no way the 40,000 officers you can deploy can enforce regulations on 65 million people if they do not want to follow.” Another law enforcement source said, “Do people really want the police telling you: ‘that’s not above your nose’? There are no extra officers. Everything else [crime] is still happening. Where is the greater risk: do you put two people in a supermarket not wearing masks before a woman suffering domestic violence?” As we reported yesterday, the U.K. government is under pressure from health authorities to tighten restrictions as the B117 variant of the coronavirus has led to massive spikes in infection. Hancock said on Sunday that the National Healthcare System was “probably under the greatest pressure it ever has been” (Guardian).
Bonus Read: “Covid-19 Hit Hardest Where Financial Crisis Led to Health-Care Cuts,” (WSJ).
Asia-Pacific
Malaysian King Declares State of Emergency, Ostensibly To Fight the Coronavirus
The Malaysian royal palace announced a state of emergency on Tuesday morning, one day before Kuala Lumpur and other regions were set to go into a new lockdown. King Al-Sultan Abdullah, who serves as head of state in a largely ceremonial role, consented to the decree, which is expected to expire on August 1 or sooner, following a meeting with Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin the day before. While it is unclear what exactly the state of emergency will entail, the measure could be used by Muhyiddin to introduce laws without the approval of parliament. He attempted to get the king to issue a similar decree in October in the midst of a political crisis that still has not dissipated for the embattled premier (New Straits Times, Reuters). Malaysia is currently witnessing its biggest spike yet of the pandemic, with a record 3,027 new cases reported last Thursday. Under the lockdown restrictions planned to begin Wednesday, five states and three federal territories (including Kuala Lumpur) will see travel restricted between sub-provincial districts. Movement will be restricted for resident to within 10 kilometer radius of their homes, while interstate travel will be banned throughout the nation (ChannelNews Asia)
Hong Kong Health Expert Call For Tighter Crowd Control
A prominent doctor in Hong Kong has urged stricter controls on public crowding in public spots amid concerns that the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday season will lead to a new spike. Respiratory medicine specialist Leung Chi-chiu said the government should consider limiting the number of people allowed into shopping malls, which are omnipresent throughout much of the city, as well as enforcing masking requirements at popular outdoor hangouts. The news came three days after city authorities announced that 15 major New Year fairs would be cancelled, along with the Che Kung Festival Fair held annually to commemorate the eponymous 12th Century Southern Song Dynasty general. The densely populated Chinese special administrative region of 7.45 million people recorded 41 new infections on Monday, with 11 having unknown origins (Hong Kong Free Press).
U.S. Government & Politics
Two Democratic Congresswomen Test Positive After Pro-Trump Riot
Two Democratic Congresswomen have announced that they have tested positive for coronavirus after sheltering in place during the pro-Trump riot that breached the Capitol (CBS, WaPo). The two representatives are Pramila Jayapal of Seattle, Washington and Bonnie Watson Coleman, a 75-year-old cancer survivor and represenative from New Jersey. Jayapal tweeted, “just received a positive COVID-19 test result after being locked down in a secured room at the Capitol where several Republicans not only cruelly refused to wear a mask but recklessly mocked colleagues and staff who offered them one.” She also added, “Only hours after Trump incited a deadly assault on our Capitol, many Republicans still refused to take the bare minimum COVID-19 precaution and simply wear a damn mask in a crowded room during a pandemic — creating a superspreader event ON TOP of a domestic terrorist attack.” Watson Coleman released a statement saying, “I received a positive test result for COVID-19, and am home resting at this time.” As we covered in yesterday’s brief, the Congressional attending physician sent an email to Congress and its staff warning of the risk of coronavirus transmission during the riot and urging people to get tested in its aftermath.
DC and Northern Virginia Enter Second Phase of Vaccine Distribution
On Monday, Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia entered the second phase of vaccine distribution, beginning to target the region’s older population and others who are vulnerable to the disease (WaPo). The Washington Post reports, “D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser said the city will begin vaccinating residents 65 and older, while much of Virginia on Monday began inoculating residents 75 and older. Health officials previously had worked to inoculate residents of nursing homes and assisted-living communities before moving to the next phase.” According to the Post, D.C. has administered 26,672 vaccine doses.
Senate Democrats Urge Adoption of National Vaccine Distribution Plan
Amid a slow Covid-19 vaccine rollout, U.S. Senate Democrats addressed a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar expressing concern over vaccine distribution and requesting immediate action by the Trump administration (Politico).
Vaccination efforts are behind schedule, with only a third of distributed vaccines now having made it into arms. Critics of the rollout cite the lack of a centralized distribution plan as a key failure of the Trump administration to end the pandemic (WaPo). Last-mile logistics have been fraught, with local health departments and hospital systems saying they were not provided with the funds to respond efficiently. Vaccine uptake among some health care staff has been low, possibly exacerbated by a lack of education and communication programs. Even within the same cities, different institutions often use different scheduling and management systems, making coordination difficult. Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said on Sunday that the plan was not working and that “we need to hit the reset button and adopt a new strategy” to deliver vaccines to patients (CNN).
In their letter to Secretary Azar, Democrats urged the creation of a cohesive national plan, including detailed guidance for states and other entities and specific plans for funding and other support. Secretary Azar, who had previously defended the administration’s rollout, did not respond immediately for comment.
Biden Criticizes and Clashes with Own Advisers Over Vaccination Speed Promise
Politico reports that President Elect Joe Biden has recently had criticism for his own team of Covid-19 advisers over the speed of vaccinations (Politico). Politico reports, “President-elect Joe Biden has grown frustrated with the team in charge of plotting his coronavirus response, amid rising concerns that his administration will fall short of its promise of 100 million vaccinations in the first 100 days, according to people familiar with the conversations. Biden has expressed criticism on multiple occasions to groups of transition officials — including one confrontation where Biden conveyed to Covid coordinator Jeff Zients and his deputy, Natalie Quillian, that their team was underperforming.” Politico adds, “In interviews, multiple senior transition officials defended Zients and stressed the enormity of the challenge, noting that the Trump administration has refused to share key information for weeks.” The tensions come as many fear that the Biden administration may not be able to fulfill its promises on vaccination speed in part due to the disruptions and slow speed of the rollout so far under Trump, though others still think he can fulfil the promise, according to Politico.
Bonus Read: “PPP Loans: Everything We Know About Latest Small Business Protection,” (WSJ).
U.S. Economy
Chipotle Expands Workforce Due to Pandemic Boom
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. will hire 15,000 workers amid strong demand during the pandemic, the firm reported on Monday. It is the second time the fast casual restaurant chain has announced a payroll expansion during the pandemic, with Chipotle saying five months ago that it planned to add 10,000 jobs. In October, the company also announced plans to open 200 new restaurants. The firm’s current workforce in the U.S. stands at around 94,000 employees. Many fast-food chains, especially those serving pizza and Mexican food, have thrived during the pandemic as sit-down restaurants struggle to keep customers. Papa John’s, Domino’s Pizza and McDonald’s have also hired thousands of new employees since the start of the pandemic (Reuters).
U.S. Society
Schools Adjust Schedules Amid Coronavirus Surge
Schools across the U.S. are adjusting and preparing to adjust their schedules as the virus surges (WSJ). The Wall Street Journal reports, “Detroit Public Schools Community District said last week that K-12 in-person instruction likely won’t resume until February as coronavirus testing positivity rates remain too high. And Chicago, which has had remote learning since last spring, is pushing ahead with prior plans to reopen schools this month for some students despite pushback from teachers.” Michael Casserly, executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools which represents about 75 of the country’s largest urban-school districts, told the Journal, “It’s a mixed picture all across the country.” The changes also come amid continued debates over and adjustments to remote learning models and other models that reduce in-person instruction as well as to modified forms of in-person instruction.
Bonus Read: “Welcome to the Fake Office Commute (Turns Out People Miss the Routine),” (WSJ).
Analysis & Arguments
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The Brief is edited by David Sterman and Emily Schneider with Jessica Scott and Senior Editor Peter Bergen.
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