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October 21, 2021 - Brief Issue 254

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. Announces Plans to Vaccinate Kids Ages 5-11 (Health & Science)

The Coronavirus is Still Mutating, Say Scientists (Health & Science)

Supply-Chain Issues Affect Globalization (Around the World)

Russia Closes Workplaces as Cases Climb Higher Every Day (Around the World)

Britain Resists Calls for Another Lockdown (Around the World)

NYC Mayor Announces Blanket Vaccine Mandate for City Workers (U.S. Government & Politics)

Hawaii Welcomes Travelers, Beginning on November 1 (U.S. Government & Politics)

Hospitals Hit by Strikes and Walk Outs (U.S. Society)

Teachers Quit, Citing Pandemic Frustrations (U.S. Society)

Fox Anchor Neil Cavuto Tests Positive for Coronavirus (U.S. Society)

Health & Science

There have been 45,220,057 coronavirus cases in the United States, and 731,271 people have died (Johns Hopkins). The United States has administered 410,189,737 vaccine doses, with 66.1% of all Americans having received at least one vaccine dose and 57.1% fully vaccinated. Among adults aged 18 or older 79.1% have received at least one dose, and 68.6% are fully vaccinated (U.S. CDC). 5.9% of fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster shot. Worldwide, there have been 242,145,619 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 4,924,149 deaths.

U.S. Announces Plans to Vaccinate Kids Ages 5-11 

On Wednesday the Biden administration outlined its plan to vaccinate millions of children ages 5-11 as soon as the Covid-19 vaccine is authorized for them. The White House said it is working to set up clinics in more than 100 children’s hospitals nationwide, as well as distribute the specially packaged vaccines to over 25,000 doctor’s offices, pharmacies, and even schools and community centers (WaPo). The Food and Drug Administration is currently reviewing the Pfizer/BioNTech application for authorization of its vaccine in younger children. A panel of outside advisors is scheduled to weigh in on Oct. 26 and the FDA typically follows the advice of its panel, but is not required to do so (Reuters). "Should the FDA and CDC authorize the vaccine, we will be ready to get shots in arms," White House COVID response coordinator Jeff Zients told reporters, adding that the government had 15 million doses set to ship nationwide, with millions more going out in the weeks to follow (NYT). 

The Coronavirus is Still Mutating, Say Scientists

Scientists who monitor the coronavirus closely have said that it still has room to evolve and are tracking dozens of “sublineages” in the Delta line of the virus. Each one has a slightly different mutation; for example, one sublineage has spread with unusual speed in the U.K. recently. While there is no evidence yet that any of the Delta sublineages have evolved into more dangerous variants, scientists are still watching how they develop closely. The Washington Post notes that the virus can change in two fundamental ways, “First, it can become more transmissible, by binding better to receptors in the nose, replicating more quickly once it invades the body, or becoming more efficient at aerosol transmission. Second, it can elude immunity.” So far, the mutations of the virus have made it more transmissible, but the possibility that it could become better at evading immunity is always there. “I really feel that we need to keep the respect for this virus,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, a World Health Organization epidemiologist. “And while we want it to get to some predictability, this virus still has quite a lot left in it.”

Around the World

Supply-Chain Issues Affect Globalization

The coronavirus pandemic and the resultant supply-chain disruptions created by border closures, factory closures, and shifting consumer demands have prompted a retreat from globalization. The Wall Street Journal writes, “the supply-chain crisis was made possible by how integrated and efficient global production had become. Businesses adopted outsourcing and offshoring, just-in-time inventories, and ‘capital-light’ models that split design from production.” Now, many companies and governments are facing issues due to their dependence on offshore supplies and distributed supply chains. Economists believe that the disturbances due to the pandemic are far from over as new variants, resistance to vaccine mandates, and China’s zero-Covid policy threaten further disruptions. “But it should recede as natural immunity and vaccination reduce the virus’s lethality and governments outside China conclude restrictions and border closures are too costly a response to outbreaks,” writes the Journal.

Russia Closes Workplaces as Cases Climb Higher Every Day

On Wednesday President Vladimir Putin of Russia announced that the week starting on Oct. 30 would be a non-working week across the country. The measure is supposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus in Russia where deaths from Covid-19 have recently soared to over 1,000 per day (NYT). The latest record-high death count came on Wednesday, with the government’s coronavirus task force reporting 1,028 deaths in just 24 hours (Moscow Times). Putin has so far avoided another nationwide lockdown like those used early on in the pandemic out of fears for the economic repercussions of such restrictions. The “non-working week” that he declared is not a full lockdown, just a suggestion that nonessential workers stay home. The chosen week also seems to be a compromise as four of the days are already public holidays in Russia. “If necessary, non-working days could be extended beyond Nov. 7,” Putin told his cabinet in broadcast remarks. “We only have two ways to get through this — get sick or get vaccinated,” he said in a news conference. “But it’s better to get vaccinated. Why wait for an illness or its serious consequences?” 

Britain Resists Calls for Another Lockdown

The British government on Wednesday resisted calls for the reintroduction of restrictions in England. At a news conference, the health secretary, Sajid Javid, said that the contingency plan the government had developed would not be carried out “at this point” but that he would be “staying vigilant.” He warned that if the situation continues to deteriorate, the restrictions that were eased in July could be back. “We will do what it takes to make sure that this pressure does not become unsustainable, and we won’t allow the N.H.S. to become overwhelmed,” Mr. Javid said, referring to Britain’s National Health Service (NYT). “We are concerned. Everyone is right to be concerned,” he added. For seven consecutive days there have been over 40,000 new cases each day.

U.S. Government & Politics

NYC Mayor Announces Blanket Vaccine Mandate for City Workers

On Wednesday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that he will implement a blanket vaccine mandate covering all of the city’s workers (Politico). The city already has mandates for employees in health and education. De Blasio told MSNBC’s Morning Joe, “We’ve lost a lot of our public employees. We’ve lost a lot of people who serve us,” adding, “We’ve got to protect them, we’ve got to protect each other.” The city will also offer workers a $500 bonus after they get their first shot if they get it before October 29 at which point “city workers will be required to demonstrate they have at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. Those who don't meet the deadline will be placed on leave as of Nov. 1 until they can show proof of vaccination.” According to the mayor, about 70% of city workers are vaccinated.

Hawaii Welcomes Travelers, Beginning on November 1

On Tuesday, Hawaii’s Democratic Governor David Ige announced that the state will welcome vaccinated travelers beginning on November 1 (WSJ). During a news conference, Governor Ige stated, “Beginning Nov. 1, we want to invite and encourage fully vaccinated visitors and residents to travel for business or leisure.” The announcement comes amid declining cases and hospitalizations in the state. Two months prior, Ige had asked tourists and businesspeople to delay their trips at a time when the Journal writes,  “Hawaii averaged about 720 new Covid-19 cases a day over a seven-day period, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The state has averaged about 130 new cases a day over the past seven days, according to Johns Hopkins.”

U.S. Society

Hospitals Hit by Strikes and Walk Outs

The wave of labor activism has reached hospitals and the broader healthcare industry (Politico). Politico reports, “There have been at least 30 strikes of health care workers so far this year, according to a tracker from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. More than a half million health care workers quit in August, the last month for which data is available. That’s the most in a single month in more than 20 years.” The wave was driven in large part by the exhaustion of health workers after more than a year of the pandemic. Politico explains, “Months of marathon shifts, an onslaught of verbal and even physical abuse from patients and the public, and perennial complaints over low pay and staffing shortages are stirring unrest at a particularly critical moment in the pandemic.”

Teachers Quit, Citing Pandemic Frustrations

Teachers are among the record number of American workers quitting their jobs, and according to the Washington Post many are citing the frustrations of teaching during the pandemic as a key reason (WaPo). The Post writes, “One in four American teachers reported considering leaving their job by the end of the last academic year, in a survey taken in January and February by the Rand Corp., a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization. That’s ‘more than in a typical prepandemic year and at a higher rate than employed adults nationally,’ the report explained.” The report also noted that Black teachers were particularly affected. Another survey by the National Education Association found that 32% of its members who responded said the pandemic led them to think about leaving the profession. The Post interviews a number of teachers who have considered quitting, quit, or otherwise faced the challenges of teaching during a pandemic.

Fox Anchor Neil Cavuto Tests Positive for Coronavirus

Fox News Anchor Neil Cavuto did not host his usual show on Tuesday after having tested positive for coronavirus on Monday (NYT). Cavuto is vaccinated, and in a statement, he said, “While I’m somewhat stunned by this news, doctors tell me I’m lucky as well. Had I not been vaccinated, and with all my medical issues, this would be a far more dire situation.” He added, “It’s not, because I did and I’m surviving this because I did.” Cavuto’s mention of medical issues refers to a longer history of issues. The New York Times explains, “Mr. Cavuto has been very public with his health issues throughout the years. He was treated for cancer in the 1980s and had open-heart surgery in 2016. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1997.” It is unclear how common breakthrough infections are, and most such infections have mild symptoms. However, former Secretary of State Colin Powell’s death on Monday from Covid-related complications illustrated the risk for people who like Powell, who was immunocompromised by cancer, have conditions that can compromise their immune systems.

Bonus Read: “The Incredible Disappearing Hotel Breakfast—and Other Amenities Travelers Miss,” (WSJ).

Analysis & Arguments

Sarah Firshein provides advice for those stuck trying to find a Covid test to reenter the U.S. (NYT).

With record numbers of Americans quitting their jobs, Lindsay Crouse and Kirby Ferguson provide a video in defense of quitting (NYT).

Luke Savage writes on the latest evidence showing the wealthy have grown their wealth amid the pandemic (Jacobin).

 Readers can send in tips, critiques, questions, and suggestions to coronavirusbrief@newamerica.org.

The Brief is edited by David Sterman and Emily Schneider with Senior Editor Peter Bergen.

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