The Latest: US 7th Fleet: 14,000 Personnel Fully Vaccinated

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PHILIPPINE SEA — The U.S. 7th Fleet that operates throughout the Indo-Pacific says more than 14,000 of its service members have received their full doses of the coronavirus vaccine, which it began administering on January 5.

“We are in a pandemic and our principle weapon for ending this and saving lives is the vaccine,” vaccine coordinator Capt. Joseph F. Penta was quoted as saying in a news release. “We owe it to ourselves, our family and country to make every effort to stop the pandemic.”

Receiving the vaccination was voluntary and medical personnel were on hand to answer any questions about the process, the release said.

The 7th Fleet operates 50-70 ships and submarines and regularly interacts with forces from 35 other countries. It deploys to the South China Sea, where China has been pressing its claim to virtually the entirely strategic waterway.

Last April, more than 500 crew members aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt tested positive for the virus and one died after the ship docked in Guam. That came amid a crisis during which the Navy’s civilian leader fired the ship’s captain after accusing him of too widely distributing a letter calling for more urgent action to deal with the outbreak. The administration official resigned shortly after coming under criticism for the firing.

___

THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

VACCINES: More than 109.9 million people, or 33.1% of the U.S. population, have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some 64.4 million people, or 19.4% of the population, have completed their vaccination.

CASES: The seven-day rolling average for daily new cases in the U.S. increased over the past two weeks from 57,627 on March 24 to 65,936 on Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University.

DEATHS: The seven-day rolling average for daily new deaths in the U.S. rose over the past two weeks from 867 on March 24 to 987 on Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University.

— Governments give varying advice on AstraZeneca vaccine

— Tokyo governor asks for emergency virus measures

— In Peru, authorities allowed secret burials of virus victims

— Pandemic-weary chefs, cooks enjoy serving from home
___

HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

SAN FRANCISCO -- More California counties are opening up vaccines to younger adults, a week ahead of the state’s schedule.

At the same time, California public health officials warned Thursday of decreases in supply because of a national reduction of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The state has received about 2.4 million doses this week, but it expects 2 million next week and 1.9 million doses the week after.

Santa Clara County and Fresno County are the latest to open up vaccinations to everyone 16 and up.

A mass vaccination site at California State University, Los Angeles announced it would take adults on a walk-up basis because of excess appointments. It had to start turning people away Thursday.

___

Hartford, Conn. -- A major decline in the amount of Johnson & Johnson vaccine has required Connecticut officials to revamp some distribution plans, including at college campuses before students leave for the summer break.

Josh Geballe, chief operating officer for Gov. Ned Lamont, said Connecticut had originally planned on giving college students the opportunity to get the one-dose vaccine, realizing there wouldn’t be enough time to administer them a second dose of the vaccines manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna.

But the state recently learned that its expected shipment of 20,000 J&J doses next week will drop to 6,000 and then down to 2,000 the following week. The decline in supply comes after the company had to discard 15 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine last month because the batch did not meet quality standards.

Geballe said the state now plans to give students at least the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna while they’re in Connecticut and then have the students get their second dose in their home state.

Geballe said Lamont has been working with the White House and other governors to encourage them to do the same, noting available supplies will be greater in most states in May and June.

__

MONTPELIER, Vt. — Vermont is preparing to welcome the return of Amtrak passenger rail service and inter-city bus services to the state, the Agency of Transportation announced Thursday.

Amtrak service, which was suspended last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, will resume July 19.

The resumption of service comes as Vermont is preparing for its post-pandemic reopening. Gov. Phil Scott has announced plans for the state to be largely reopened by July 4, if current vaccination rates continue.

“With the Governor’s announcement this week of the Vermont Forward Plan to re-open Vermont fully during the next few months, we now have a target date for when we will be able to safely resume Amtrak and transit services in July,” Vermont Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn said in a statement.

Amtrak requires 90-days of notice to resume passenger rail service.

The Amtrak Vermonter travels between St. Albans and Washington and runs through Massachusetts and Connecticut. The Amtrak Ethan Allen Express runs between New York City and Rutland, via Albany, New York.

Intercity bus service provided by Vermont Translines and Greyhound, are also set to resume in July.

___

BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana has opened a coronavirus vaccine hotline to help people schedule immunization appointments and connect those reluctant about getting the shot to medical professionals who can answer questions.

The hotline launched Thursday is reachable at 1-855-453-0774. It’s part of the Louisiana health department’s ongoing outreach work to bolster vaccination rates in a state where the administration of shots in arms lags much of the nation.

Hotline hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Anyone age 16 and older in Louisiana is eligible for the coronavirus vaccine.

___

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York lawmakers have created a $2.1 billion fund to aid workers who lost jobs or income during the coronavirus pandemic but were excluded from other government relief programs because of their immigration status.

The program is the largest of its kind in the U.S. It passed this week as part of the state budget.

The fund will give payments of up to $15,600 to workers living in the country illegally who weren’t eligible for federal stimulus checks, unemployment aid or other benefits.

___

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey continued to report record-high COVID-19 infections.

The Health Ministry confirmed 55,941 new daily cases and 258 fatalities Thursday, pushing the overall death toll to 33,204.

The number of seriously ill COVID-19 patients has also been steadily increasing, reaching 2,615 on Thursday, the ministry figures showed.

https://watermarkonline.com/advert/123films-complet-4k-godzilla-vs-kong-2021-regarder-streaming-vostfr-frenchsub/
https://watermarkonline.com/advert/123films-complet-4k-raya-et-le-dernier-dragon-2021-regarder-streaming-vostfr-frenchsub/
https://watermarkonline.com/advert/123films-complet-4k-minari-2021-regarder-streaming-vostfr-frenchsub/
https://watermarkonline.com/advert/123films-complet-4k-billie-holiday-une-affaire-detat-2021-regarder-streaming-vostfr-frenchsub/
https://watermarkonline.com/advert/123films-complet-4k-supernova-2021-regarder-streaming-vostfr-frenchsub/
 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan re-imposed weekend lockdowns and announced the closure of cafes and restaurants during the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan in an effort to stem the surge, but experts warn that more stringent measures are needed.

Around 75% of the infections have been traced to the more contagious variant first identified in Britain, according to the health ministry.

At the same time, the country has begun vaccinating its tourism sector workers in a bid to support an industry that suffered heavily from the coronavirus outbreak last year.

A Tourism and Culture Ministry statement says employees of airline companies, airports, hotels and travel agencies as well as professional guides, had started to receive their first COVID-19 shots. Turkey has pinned hopes on the upcoming summer holiday season a severe decline in tourism revenues last year.

___

ROME — Italy’s leader says the nation must concentrate on getting 100% of its oldest and most fragile people vaccinated against COVID-19 to be able to quickly re-open the country in terms of economic activity.

Premier Mario Draghi said despite a slowdown of administering vaccines during the Easter holidays and some delays in receiving the doses from vaccine manufacturers, he was confident that Italy will meet his goal of 500,000 vaccine injections per day by the end of April. That would have the country in line to have 80% of its citizens vaccinated by the end of September.

Earlier in the week, a demonstration by frustrated restaurant and other business owners turned violent outside Parliament, and elsewhere in Italy, hundreds of angry protesters blocked traffic on a key north-south highway.

The country is also setting the stage to welcome back tourists from abroad, starting with those who have certificates attesting to their vaccination against COVID-19.

Draghi at a news conference Thursday evening noted that fellow Mediterranean tourist destination countries like Spain and Greece have been priming themselves for foreign tourists’ return after travel bans during the pandemic thwarted vacations. Draghi said Italy, too, must gear up.

Italy’s tourism minister hopes to promote some of the country’s small islands, like Capri, as “COVID-free” to encourage tourists to return.

___

MIAMI — The state of Florida has filed a lawsuit against the federal government to demand cruise ships start sailing.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis says the no-sail order is outdated and hurts the state because the industry generates billions for the economy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines last week for companies on how to respond in the event of coronavirus cases but has not lifted its no-sail order.

The CDC shut down sailing last year when several coronavirus outbreaks were tied to ships worldwide. DeSantis says cruising has resumed in much of the world, forcing Americans to fly to other ports.

___

MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s president says he plans to get the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to boost confidence in the shot.

The vaccine is one of several being used for people over 60 in Mexico’s current round of vaccinations. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador say the benefits far outweigh any risks of a rare blood-clotting disorder.

https://watermarkonline.com/advert/watch-godzilla-vs-kong-2021-full-online-free-movie-hd/
https://watermarkonline.com/advert/godzilla-vs-kong-2021