Category: Corona Virus

With coronavirus cases nationally plateauing at a relatively high level, experts have warned of the possibility of a winter surge caused by multiple factors, including people gathering indoors because of colder weather, holdouts refusing to get vaccines, and the waning of immunity from the shots.

Coronavirus outbreaks in Massachusetts have recently made headlines, including one that forced the closure of Bostons Curley K-8 School and one that hit the Essex County jail in Middleton.

The latest numbers are a reminder that its not over till its over, said Dr. Howard Koh, a former assistant US secretary of health and human services and Massachusetts public health commissioner.

These state trends are disconcerting, but not surprising, as national declines in COVID cases have stalled in recent weeks. We need to be extra-vigilant and careful as the winter season approaches. We must push the states vaccination rates even higher, resist suggestions to drop mask requirements too early, and eliminate disparities, said Koh, who is now a professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in an e-mail.

Dr. Sabrina Assoumou, an infectious disease physician at Boston Medical Center and an assistant professor at the Boston University School of Medicine, said, We definitely need to pay attention to the new numbers.

We sort of knew this was going to happen, as colder weather causes people to spend more time indoors, she said. We should use it as a warning sign to double down on those measures we know have worked.

The best way we can address this, she said, is vaccinating as many people as possible so we can stop transmission in the community. Vaccination is still our best way out of this pandemic.

She said the recent authorization of COVID-19 vaccines for children 5 to 11, a cohort that numbers 515,000 in Massachusetts, would be a major help in combating the pandemic. We now have a new group of people who are eligible. Lets use that, and lets vaccinate them, she said, adding that it is also important to push up the number of teenagers 12 to 17 who have been vaccinated.

She also said, We need to decide whether this is a time to encourage more masking in indoor public spaces. Its probably time to think about that.

Other key measures to address the pandemic include improving ventilation and the use of rapid at-home testing, she said.

Society has tools to address the pandemic and these numbers are reminding us that we really need to use them as best we can, she said.

Dr. Paul Sax, clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Womens Hospital, said, Were watching case numbers closely, as most northern states [like ours] are showing an increase. Much of this is due to cases rising rapidly in children, teens, and young adults, who both have lower rates of vaccination and are more likely to engage in activities that facilitate spread of the virus. This is especially true with colder weather bringing people indoors.

I do think this is a real increase, and we always worry about the vulnerable populations when cases start going up, he said in an e-mail.

Dr. Gabriela Andujar Vazquez, an infectious disease physician and associate epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center, said case counts might also be going up due to more people seeking tests now that the weather is colder and theyre getting symptoms of various respiratory diseases. She also suggested the numbers might be affected by people seeking out tests before traveling for the holidays. Every time you have a bigger number of tests, youre also able to detect more, she said.

She emphasized the importance of getting vaccinated. Vaccination is basically the No. 1 thing that will help everyone ... to interact and celebrate in the upcoming weeks with friends and family.

Massachusetts is a national leader in getting people shots, and experts say the state will fare better this winter than last winter and better than other less-vaccinated states. The state says more than 81 percent of the total populationhas received at least one dose.

I expect that the number of hospitalizations, severe illnesses, and deaths will be lower this winter season as compared to last winter season, said Andujar Vazquez.

William Hanage, an epidemiology professor at Harvards Chan School, said, We are probably in one of the regions of the country which has the least cause for anxiety.

But he said people should be sure to get their vaccinations and booster shots. The pandemic is not over. People should behave responsibly, he said.

He also warned, Its really important to note that the Delta variant will find you. Youre not going to be able to dodge Delta. What you want to do is make sure you have the best preparation.

Martin Finucane can be reached at martin.finucane@globe.com.

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The pandemic is not over: In a worrisome trend, COVID-19 cases are rising again in Mass. - The Boston Globe

BERLIN The University Hospital of Giessen, one of Germanys foremost clinics for pulmonary disease, is at capacity. The number of Covid-19 patients has tripled in recent weeks. Nearly half of them are on ventilators.

And every single one is unvaccinated.

I ask every patient: Why didnt you get vaccinated? said Dr. Susanne Herold, head of infectious diseases, after her daily round on the ward on Thursday. Its a mix of people who distrust the vaccine, distrust the state and are often difficult to reach by public information campaigns.

Patients like hers are the main drivers of a fourth wave of Covid-19 cases in Germany that has produced tens of thousands of new daily infections more than the country has had at any point in the pandemic.

For Germany it is a startling turnabout. At the onset of the pandemic, Germany had set an example for how to manage the virus and keep the death toll low. It was quick to put in place widespread testing and treatment, expand the number of intensive care beds and had a trusted leader in Chancellor Angela Merkel, a trained scientist, whose governments social distancing guidelines were widely observed.

But today, a combination of factors has propelled a new surge, among them wintry temperatures, a slow rollout of booster vaccines, and an even more pronounced spike in infections in neighboring eastern European nations like the Czech Republic. The fact that Germany is in a kind of political limbo as it transitions between governments has not helped.

But virologists and pandemic experts say there is little doubt that it is the unvaccinated who are contributing most to the wave of infections burdening in hospitals across the country.

Its our low rate of vaccination we havent done what was necessary, said Dr. Herold in Giessen. She was part of a team of scientists who modeled the impact of a fourth wave and warned in early summer that with the hyper contagious Delta variant at least 85 percent of the whole population would need to be vaccinated to avert a crisis in the health care system.

We are still below 70 percent, she said. I dont know how we can win this race against time with the fourth wave. I fear weve already lost.

Germanys vaccination rate is far better than that of many central and eastern European countries, where the death toll from coronavirus is soaring. In Romania, for example, only about four in 10 people have had two shots, and coronavirus deaths have hit record levels.

Still, with about one in three Germans not yet fully vaccinated, the German vaccination rate is among the lowest in Western Europe. In Belgium, Denmark and Italy three in four people are fully vaccinated. In Spain and Iceland, only about two in 10 have yet to get the second shot. Portugal has a vaccination rate of close to 90 percent.

The German rate lags because of pockets of vaccine resistance that are not limited to, but especially deep, in the former Communist east, where the far-right Alternative for Germany party is strong. Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel, leaders of the AfDs parliamentary group, are both proudly unvaccinated and both tested positive for the virus in recent weeks.

What we are experiencing is above all a pandemic of the unvaccinated, the minister of health, Jens Spahn, said earlier this month.

Infections have also spiked in parts of Bavaria and Baden-Wrttemberg, two wealthy southern states that are home to a noisy protest movement against measures to combat the virus, known as the Querdenker, or contrarians.

We have two viruses in the country, Markus Sder, the Bavarian governor, said in a television debate recently. We have coronavirus and we have this poison, which is being spread on a massive scale, he said referring to misinformation about vaccines.

Nov. 12, 2021, 11:32 a.m. ET

Klaus-Peter Hanke knows about that poisonous propaganda firsthand.

He is the mayor of Pirna, a town of less than 40,000 in the eastern state of Saxony, which experienced a wave of violent protests from anti-vaxxers in the final days of the lockdown last spring.

One in three voters in the voting district that includes Pirna cast their ballots for the AfD in Septembers national election. And just under half of inhabitants refuse to get vaccinated. They have helped to make Saxony the state with the lowest vaccination rate in Germany and with the highest per capita number of new infections.

The readiness to get vaccinated is low here, Mr. Hanke said in an interview. We tried to counter that with dialogue. But there is a point where you hit a wall, and you just cant get any further and one result is that it has escalated.

The Covid ward at the hospital is running out of beds. There, too, almost all patients are unvaccinated, Mr. Hanke said: Nine out 10.

And still, several restaurants in town have signs in the window, inviting everyone not just those vaccinated or recovered from an infection as per state rules to come inside.

There are now 10 control teams of three people each a police officer a health official and someone from the department of public order who roam the citys restaurants, bars and hairdressers and fine those disregarding the rules on the spot: Owners have to pay 500 euros, about $572, patrons 150 euros, $170.

Its pretty drastic, said Mr. Hanke, who has vaccine resisters in his own circle of friends. But we see no other way to get people to change their behavior.

Anecdotally at least, the tough approach might be paying off. Waiting times at mobile vaccination units increased to two hours this week, Mr. Hanke reported, suggesting that the threat of exclusion from much of indoor public life might be nudging more people to get a shot.

Several other German states are now working on similar regulations, introducing stricter mask mandates and instead of a negative test, making proof of vaccination or past infection mandatory for entry to many venues.

That may no longer be enough, said Sandra Ciesek, director of the Institute of Medical Virology at the University Hospital of Frankfurt and cosignatory of a paper by seven prominent scientists published last week, in which they urge politicians to speed up booster shots and consider a range of measures, including partial lockdowns for the unvaccinated or even a short-term national lockdown.

The absence of political leadership at the national level at a time when the number of new daily infections is soaring beyond 50,000 has added to the muddled approach to containing the virus.

Since her conservative party lost the national election in September, Ms. Merkel remains only as the head of a caretaker government while her likely successor, Olaf Scholz, has been absorbed by difficult coalition talks with two other parties.

Where is Angela Merkel? Der Spiegel asked in an article this week, before asking a few paragraphs lower: Where is Scholz?

It is a question many virologists across the country are asking, too, concerned that a lack of political leadership is wasting valuable time and potentially costing lives.

There is no real center of power and responsibility: The country is missing leadership, said Michael Meyer-Hermann, head of the department of Systems Immunology at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and a member of the council of experts that has advised Ms. Merkel throughout the pandemic.

The outgoing government no longer really reacts, and the incoming government is playing everything down, he added.

After the number of daily new coronavirus infections hit a record high on Nov. 3, reaching 33,949, German virologists sounded the alarm. The response from Mr. Scholzs future coalition partners was a statement promising that there would not be another lockdown.

For me it was a key moment, Professor Meyer-Hermann said. They act like the pandemic is over at a time when the numbers are exploding.

Christopher F. Schuetze contributed reporting.

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Germanys Fourth Covid Wave: A Pandemic of the Unvaccinated - The New York Times

This week in coronavirus: More than 10,000 little kids get vaccine shots  The Tennessean

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This week in coronavirus: More than 10,000 little kids get vaccine shots - The Tennessean

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As coronavirus vaccines and boosters proliferate in the United States, many millions of Americans are still subject to strict mask mandates in major cities and entire states and on all public transportation, per a federal government mandate.

But in many cases there's no clear plan to roll back mask rules.

Washington, D.C., still has a mask mandate for indoor public places no matter the vaccination status. So does Los Angeles County.

Oregon has a mask mandate, regardless of vaccine status, for indoor settings and outdoor settings where social distancing isn't possible.

Washington state mandates masks indoors and at outdoor events with 500 or more people. Illinois has a mask mandate for indoor settings.

CDC DIRECTOR ROCHELLE WALENSKY EXPLAINS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COVID VACCINES, BOOSTERS AND MORE

Just that incomplete list of cities and states encompasses nearly 30 million people.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends that vaccinated people wear masks indoors in most places in the United States, guidance that is followed by local governments across the country.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky notably argued for mask-wearing last week by saying it can help reduce cold and flu risk as well. The CDC mandates that anyone who uses public transportation or flies commercial must wear a mask too, regardless of transmission rates.

Many of these lingering mandates were snapped back into place amid rising cases over the summer, after vaccines first became available. But as cases start to plateau and experts say COVID-19 may be here to stay at a certain level many are questioning whether it's time to get rid of such measures lest the U.S. never return to normal.

"We may have a baseline rate of COVID cases hovering around where they are now in the Southeast forever," Johns Hopkins Professor Marty Makary said in an interview this week. "We are entering an endemic phase and the question we need to ask as a society is, do we want a perpetual society with people masked?"

Dr. Marty Makary speaks during a screening of the HBO documentary film 'Bleed Out' on December 12, 2018 in New York City. Makary is a Fox News contributor. (Noam Galai/Getty Images for HBO)

Makary added: "And the marginal benefit of masking is diminishing as the prevalence declines. Also, in many instances we're requiring masks of people at the absolute lowest risk and by insisting on throwing the kitchen sink at virus transmission we will have to pay the piper somehow. That may come in the form of a loss of human connection, more increased mental health problems, and in children a series of problems including issues in development and speech development and other downsides."

PFIZER, BIONTECH ASK FDA TO AUTHORIZE COVID-19 BOOSTERS FOR ALL ADULTS

Makary said that he is not, in principle, opposed to mask mandates when they are necessary. But for public health officials to "maintain credibility," he said, "we have to remove public health restrictions as aggressively as we put them in place."

But many governments with mask mandates still don't appear to have a plan for when or how to roll back their rules.

"We know there is still much to be done to stop the spread of COVID-19 and end the pandemic. We are still seeing far too many new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths," CDC spokesperson Jade Fulce said in response to a query from Fox News.

"As we look forward to the fall and winter, its important to continue practicing prevention measures that we know work vaccinating, wearing a mask in public, indoor settings, staying home when you are sick, and washing your hands frequently."

In this stock photo, students are masked in a classroom. It's not clear when some governments plan to lift their COVID-19 virus rules, including mask mandates. (istock)

Fulce did not respond to a follow-up question asking whether the CDC has any specific goals, metrics or benchmarks in mind that would cause it to loosen virus rules.

Spokespeople for the health departments and governor's offices in Oregon and Washington did not respond to requests for comment asking about their plans. Neither did a spokesperson for Washington, D.C.

Fox News also asked those governments, as well the CDC, Illinois and Los Angeles, whether they are concerned about the "downsides" of masking mentioned by Makary, and if non-COVID diseases like the cold or flu are factoring into their decisions on masks. None answered those questions.

FACE MASKS FOREVER? AMERICANS WON'T STAND FOR IT. TIME TO DROP THE MASKS

Illinois Department of Public Health spokesperson Melaney Arnold instead said the state is open to lifting its mask mandate if virus numbers "stabilize," but warned of possible case spikes over the holidays.

"The largest wave over the course of the pandemic began in October of last year when people started spending more time indoors because of the weather and getting together with friends and family for the holidays," Arnold said. "We want to do everything possible to make sure that doesnt happen again this year."

"If data shows things might be stabilizing, we can look at lifting the requirement to wear a mask something that adds a layer of protection on top of vaccination," she added. "The entire purpose of masking is to protect people, not penalize them.The last thing any of us want is to see another surge so we are being cautious in how we move forward.We will continue to evaluate trends, and based on what we see, we will look at lifting masking requirements."

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker attends a fundraiser on April 12, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois, while still a candidate. Illinois said that is may lift mask rules if COVID-19 cases stabilize, but did not present a specific framework by which it is making that decision. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Of the governments contacted by Fox News for this story, only Los Angeles County presented a specific framework for when mask mandates might be lifted. But the standards for the lifting of mask rules are very high, and even then pandemic rules will still be in place through vaccine mandates in public places.

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For mandates to be lifted at large events in Los Angeles County, case rates will need to decline to less than 50 per 100,000 for three straight weeks, hospitalizations must drop to "below 600 daily" and remain stable for three straight weeks, 80% of residents over 12 must be vaccinated and there can't be "significantly circulating new variants of concern." This is according to a guidance released last week.

The rules for removing mask rules at smaller indoor settings like offices and retail sites are more strict. All of the above metrics must be met, and there must be a full "vaccine verification process in place, and all employees and customers must be fully vaccinated."

Not all localities are so strict. Montgomery County, Maryland, recently lifted its indoor mask mandate. So did Atlanta.

But with so many major cities and states and even the federal government appearing to have no plan to roll back their pandemic rules, it's unclear when the burdensome mandates will stop affecting many Americans' everyday lives.

"You can't cry wolf too many times," Makary said, or the next time there's a public health threat people may not "respond appropriately."

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Forever masking? Many governments with mask mandates don't have a plan to lift their COVID-19 rules - Fox News

Coronavirus: OCs population is 64.5% fully vaccinated as kids 5-11 join those eligible  OCRegister

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Coronavirus: OCs population is 64.5% fully vaccinated as kids 5-11 join those eligible - OCRegister

New Jersey on Thursday reported another 1,561 COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths as the state nears 7.5 million people who have gotten at least one vaccine dose.

The Garden States seven-day average for confirmed positive tests increased to 1,165, up 10% from a week ago but down 18% from a month ago.

The statewide rate of transmission remained 0.97 for the second straight day. Any transmission rate above 1 indicates that each infected person is passing the virus to at least one other person.

There were 676 patients hospitalized with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases across New Jerseys 71 hospitals with COVID-19 as of Wednesday night. Thats 20 more than the night before.

There were 66 patients discharged in the 24 hours leading up to Wednesday night. Of those hospitalized, 138 were in intensive care (the same as the night before), with 60 on ventilators (one less than the night before).

The statewide positivity rate for tests conducted Saturday, the most recent day available, was 5.35%.

New Jerseys daily coronavirus numbers have gradually improved in recent weeks after a late-summer surge. But officials warn the figures might spike again as cooler weather forces more people inside and people gather for the holidays.

New Jersey, an early epicenter of the pandemic, has now reported 28,146 total COVID-19 deaths 25,328 confirmed and 2,818 considered probable in the more than 20 months since the start of the outbreak.

The state has the third-most coronavirus deaths per capita in the U.S., behind Mississippi and Alabama.

New Jersey has reported 1,054,137 total confirmed cases out of the nearly 16 million PCR tests conducted since it announced its first case March 4, 2020. The state has also reported more than 159,109 positive antigen or rapid tests, which are considered probable cases.

The delta variant of the virus, which is more contagious than previous variants, now represents 100% of all cases circulating, state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli has said.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage

More than 6.1 million people who live, work or study in New Jersey a state of about 9.2 million residents have now been fully vaccinated.

Nearly 7.5 million people in the state have received at least one dose, and about 830,000 people have received third doses or boosters.

Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday there were 9,116 New Jerseyans between the ages of 5 to 11 have so far gotten their first dose.

The governor said increased vaccinations among younger students could ultimately make it safe to drop mask mandates in schools.

There have been 160 in-school outbreaks across New Jersey among students and staff this academic year leading to 860 cases. Those numbers are cumulative and do not reflect active infections.

In-school outbreaks, which are reported weekly by the state, are defined as three or more cases that are determined through contact tracing to have been transmitted among staff or students while at school. They do not include total cases among staff and students.

As of Monday, the state reported a total of 44,955 cases among fully vaccinated people leading to 1,002 hospitalizations and 258 deaths, though those represent a small percentage total cases.

From Oct. 17 to 24, the state had 11,615 positive tests. Of those, 1,924 were from fully vaccinated people and those cases led to 29 hospitalizations (out of 762 total) and no deaths (out of 132 total).

Ten of New Jerseys 21 counties are listed as having high rates of coronavirus transmission, while 11 are listed with substantial transmission, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC is recommending that all people in the high and substantial transmission counties wear masks for indoor public settings regardless of vaccination status.

At least 8,657 of the states COVID-19 deaths have been among residents and staff members at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, according to state data. There are active outbreaks at 126 facilities, resulting in 655 current cases among residents and 535 among staffers.

As of Thursday, there have been more than 251 million positive COVID-19 cases reported across the world, according to Johns Hopkins University, with more than 5 million people having died due to the virus. The U.S. has reported the most cases (more than 46.8 million) and deaths (more than 759,000) of any nation.

There have been more than 7.3 billion vaccine doses administered globally.

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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @johnsb01.

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N.J. reports 1,561 COVID cases, 12 deaths. Nearly 7.5M have received at least 1 vaccine dose. - NJ.com

In this Article In this Article In this Article

Experts believe the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic began in horseshoe bats. Since the start of the pandemic, scientists have wondered if this virus can spread from humans back to animals, and which types of animals could be at risk. Its important that researchers study how COVID-19 affects wild animals to ensure their safety and protect humans from new flare-ups of the coronavirus.

In humans, the virus that causes COVID-19 binds to the ACE2 receptor in our cells. Experts looked at other animals ACE2 sequences and predicted which species are at risk for the virus as well. Their studies showed that several types of animals are at risk for COVID-19. This may include wild animals and animals in captivity (like in zoos or farms).

Testing wild animals is important to locate any new COVID-19 cases. In areas with managed wild animal populations, its crucial to control and stop the spread of the virus. Early detection will help experts find the source of the infection and learn more about how it spreads within these species.

Researchers have tested over 50 animal species in multiple zoos and aquariums. The CDC has found COVID-19 infections in wild animals like big cats, otters, mink, non-human primates, and white-tailed deer. The number of confirmed species with COVID-19 continues to go up as the pandemic continues.

In zoos, experts havent seen any COVID-19 transmission from one managed species to another. All the infected animals got the virus from a human animal keeper who had COVID-19. Animals can become infected from contact with contaminated objects or surfaces, or aerosol (through the air) transmission.

But experts arent as concerned about COVID-19 outbreaks among animals in captivity. In these cases, animal caretakers can usually control the situation through quarantining, vaccination, or culling (selectively slaughtering animals). But its harder to control viruses when they occur in animals in the wild or farms or zoos.

Because of this, scientists around the world continue to study the risk of outbreaks in wild species. They constantly survey wildlife populations to catch an outbreak as soon as possible. Researchers test animals in zoos, homes, shelters, vet clinics, farms, and areas that surround these places. If they notice any positive COVID-19 cases, the country will alert the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

Outbreaks of COVID-19 on mink farms suggest that infected animals may transmit the virus back to humans, but more research is needed. The CDC says there have also been outbreaks in white-tailed deer in several U.S. states. Researchers say the deer were not sick, and at this time, the risk of spreading to humans is low.

While animal-to-human transmission isnt a main concern in the COVID-19 pandemic, this could change in the future. The main concern to our health is that animals may cause COVID-19 to later resurface in human populations. After global spread of COVID-19 in humans reduces, experts believe that wild animals with the virus could spark a new flare-up in people.

As COVID-19 spreads to different species, it adapts and mutates. Then, new types of the virus emerge. Over time, this can lead to variants that spread quicker or cause more severe illness. New types of the virus can influence the effectiveness of current COVID-19 therapies and vaccines. Since experts created these treatments to help earlier types of COVID-19, they may not work as well in the future if the virus continues to adapt and change.

Because of this, its very important to control any outbreaks, even if theyre in animal populations.

While experts continue to study how COVID-19 affects animals, they do know that the risk of animal-to-human transmission is very low. Theres no need to harm or abandon wild animals out of fear of COVID-19.

But to be cautious, and to protect yourself from other possible diseases from wildlife animals, its important to take certain steps to reduce any risk of illness:

SOURCES:

University of Southern California: Scientists track the link between wildlife and COVID-19.

Nature: The search for animals harbouring coronavirus and why it matters.

Illinois News Bureau: Which animals can catch the coronavirus?

One Health Outlook: Assessing the risks of SARS-CoV-2 in wildlife.

CDC: Handling Wildlife, Animals and COVID-19.

The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine: COVID-19 and Animals.

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COVID-19 and Wild Animals - WebMD

BISMARCK A plan to spend nearly all of North Dakota's hundreds of millions of dollars in federal coronavirus aid cleared the House chamber on Thursday evening, Nov. 11, all but finalizing state investments in an array of one-time infrastructure, energy, health care and higher education projects.

The appropriations for North Dakota's total $1 billion out of the American Rescue Plan Act was split between two bills for the Legislature's special session, with one proposal outlining $571 million in new project investments passing the House by a 79-14 vote on Thursday night. The bill has already gone through the Senate once and is expected to receive concurrence from the upper chamber on Friday.

That move would finalize the Legislature's plans to invest all but about $63 million of the federal aid package, leaving the untouched portion for next session.

North Dakota has until 2026 to burn through all of its American Rescue Plan funds, but Gov. Doug Burgum and top Republican lawmakers pushed to spend the money quickly rather than allow it to sit through a period of rising inflation.

Legislative budget writers mapped out a spending plan for the money over a series of October meetings leading up to this weeks special session. The House and Senate Appropriations committees fielded pitches for how to spend the money from lawmakers and state agencies that clocked in at over $9 billion dollars, with most projects missing the cut for funding.

Several hundred million of the total $1 billion would go towards fulfilling appropriations made during the legislative session earlier this year. The bill outlining those appropriations passed the House on Thursday in an 83-10 vote after getting unanimous approval in the Senate earlier in the day. Both American Rescue Plan bills will also need signatures from Burgum.

The single largest item in the spending plan would put $150 million in starter funding towards a trans-state pipeline to deliver natural gas from the Bakken oil fields to eastern North Dakota. That proposal has the backing of Burgum, who has pushed for the pipeline to help preserve North Dakotas oil output and to attract industrial businesses in need of natural gas hook-ups to the eastern part of the state.

Many details about the pipeline are still being hashed out, but its route would run from the western North Dakota Oil Patch to Grand Forks. The plan is intended to attract major agribusiness investments to the east, including a $750 million wet corn mill whose commitment to Grand Forks is contingent on access to more natural gas. State officials have said that the mill's alternative is in Iowa, which already draws on Bakken natural gas.

Other big-ticket items include $75 million for water infrastructure, over $25 million for long-term care facilities and tens of millions of dollars for higher education renovations. The package would also put an extra injection of $20 million into a newly created state fund aimed at financing low-emissions energy projects, to be used as grants for hydrogen projects.

The allocations of the federal coronavirus aid have found broad support in the Republican-dominated Legislature, though they have drawn some push-back from several lawmakers skeptical of the big spending plan and others who suggested that some money could have gone to small businesses or critical-access hospitals. On the Senate side earlier this week, a last-minute attempt to axe more than $100 million in higher education funding projects from the bill failed on the floor.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Adam Willis, a Report for America corps member, at awillis@forumcomm.com.

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North Dakota plan to spend hundreds of millions in federal coronavirus aid on verge of passing - INFORUM

MOSCOW (AP) Russias COVID-19 cases hit another one-day record as the country struggles to contain a wave of infections and deaths that has persisted for more than a month.

The national coronavirus task force on Saturday reported 41,335 new cases since the previous day, exceeding the previous daily record of 40,993 from Oct. 31. The task force said 1,188 people with COVID-19 died, just seven fewer than the daily death record reported Thursday.

Officials cite Russias low vaccination rate as a major factor in the sharp rise in cases that began in mid-September. The task force reported about 57.2 million full-course vaccinations, or less than 40% of the countrys 146 million people.

Last month, President Vladimir Putin ordered many Russians to stay off work between Oct. 30 and Nov. 7. He authorized regional governments to extend the number of nonworking days, if necessary.

Several regions, including Novgorod in the northwest, Tomsk in Siberia, the Chelyabinsk region in the Ural Mountains and Kursk and Bryansk regions southwest of Moscow, have extended the nonworking period through the end of next week.

Moscows mayor said the situation in the capital had stabilized sufficiently for people to return to work there on Monday. People in the Russia-annexed Crimea region also will resume working next week.

Certain restrictions will remain in place in the Russian capital, such as a stay-at-home order for older adults and a mandate for businesses to have 30% of their staffs work from home. Access to theaters and museums is limited to those who either have been fully vaccinated, have recovered from COVID-19 within the last six months or can present a negative coronavirus test.

Russia has recorded more than 8.75 million confirmed virus cases and 245,635 deaths in the pandemic, according to the national task force, which counts only deaths directly attributed to the virus.

Figures from the state statistical service, which also counts deaths in which the virus was a contributing factor or was suspected but not confirmed, indicate the virus impact is significantly more severe; its most recent report tallied about 462,000 virus-connected deaths through the end of September.

___

Follow all AP stories on the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com.hub/coronavirus-pandemic.

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New infections hit record as Russia's COVID-19 wave persists - Associated Press

Vaccination clinics in hard hit areas for children over 5 could help boost the Latino communitys shot numbers and close the persisting gap.

Masks can only do so much and social distancing can only do so much so we do have something in our control and that is deciding to protect ourselves and our loved ones with the vaccine, said Dr. Jay Lee, chief medical officer at Share Our Selves a local community health clinic.

Lee and his colleagues have been focused on vaccinating some of Orange Countys hardest hit areas from Costa Mesa to Santa Ana.

In a phone interview last week when the vaccinations for children 5 and up were first approved Lee said the more people there are vaccinated, the chances of a new COVID-19 variant emerging lessen because the virus is spreading less.

The best way to squash the cycle is the vaccine, Lee said.

Now, Santa Ana Unified School District officials are hoping to make getting vaccinations easier on some of Orange Countys hardest hit residents by launching shot clinics for children 5 and up.

Theres a lot of different schools that actually have that going on, said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, pediatrician and deputy OC health officer, in a Wednesday news briefing.

She also said schools are partnering with numerous organizations from pharmacies to state health officials to roll out the vaccine clinics.

Most of the schools that are actually offering the vaccines are in the areas that were hit the hardest so there are several in Santa Ana, Orange, then even southern Orange County, Chinsio-Kwong said.

She said she didnt have the names of the schools readily available during the news briefing

The idea of vaccinating children has raised concerns among many parents throughout OC, while others welcome the idea especially following the announcement early last month of expected shot mandates from state officials.

State public health officials said the mandates could kick in either January or July, depending on when federal officials fully authorize the vaccines for children.

Since Gov. Gavin Newsoms vaccine announcement, scores of parents have been showing up to local school board meetings to oppose the expected mandate.

Many expressed concerns about the safety of the vaccine, while others welcomed the shots and the incoming mandate.

Some parents argued that children arent at high risk of the virus.

And other parents have been threatening to pull their kids out of school if the mandate goes into effect.

[Read: Debates Over the COVID-19 Student Vaccine Mandate Flare Up at OC School Districts]

UC Irvine epidemiologist and public health expert, Sanghyuk Shin, said its rare for children to experience extreme side effects of the vaccine.

The pandemic is new, the vaccine development all of that is new. But from all of the data I have seen, the data strongly shows that its highly effective in preventing COVID -9 and that it is also very safe, Shin said in a phone interview last week.

He also said myocarditis heart inflammation is very rare in children who receive the vaccine.

Myocarditis can occur after the COVID-19 disease, which can be very severe. With all that said, the benefits outweigh the risks substantially, Shin said.

While school districts are rolling out vaccination clinics, Chinsio-Kwong said county public health officials are focused on mobile pods in Latino communities and hard hit communities allowing other partners to help schools with the vaccine clinics.

Orange Countys Latino community has the largest vaccination gap, while also struggling with the highest number of cases and deaths.

We know that the Latino and low socio economically populations have not had the same access to vaccines as other groups in the past, when they were first rolled out for COVID, Leal said.

It is not just in Santa Ana.

Latinos across the county have been hit hardest by the pandemic and have the lowest vaccination rates across the state and in OC a persisting gap since COVID vaccines first started going into arms.

[Read: Santana: A Chance to Cheat Death For Dia de Los Muertos]

In Orange County, the Latino community makes up 35% of county residents, while experiencing 44% of overall cases and 38% of the deaths, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.

Latinos also make up a little over 35% of OCs vaccine-eligible residents, but only 22% have received at least one shot, according to state data.

At the same time, hospitalizations have slowly increased, and positivity rates have somewhat stabilized in recent days as public officials fear a potential virus spike this winter.

[Read: OCs Latino Community Still Behind on COVID-19 Vaccinations as Fears of a Winter Wave Surface]

Santa Ana Unified School District officials hope the clinics will create easy access to the vaccine across their community.

Close to 200 doses of the Pfizer vaccine for kids were administered at Willard Intermediate School Tuesday.

The community around Willard was heavily impacted by COVID. So thats why that school is one of our target schools for clinics and we are hosting clinics at other schools that are also kind of strategically placed in communities that are the hardest hit, said District Spokesperson Fermin Leal in a phone interview Tuesday morning prior to the clinic.

That clinic also offered the regular dose of the vaccine for kids 12 and older. The district has been hosting clinics for teenagers 16 and older at school sites since February and for kids 12 and older since May.

In Orange County, almost 7,800 doses of the pediatric vaccine for kids five to 11 have been administered since their emergency use authorization over 3,000 of which were administered Tuesday, according to Chinsio-Kwong.

Yesterdays numbers reflect a very healthy demand in our community for vaccines, Chinsio-Kwong said Wednesday. I expect though, that as we get closer to the weekend, like on Thursday or Friday, and if the kids are off Thursday, Im expecting that the numbers will be much higher.

She also said the countys health care agency will also update their website to reflect pediatric vaccine percentages this week.

The next Santa Ana Unified clinic will be held Today at Heroes Elementary School for kids five and up.

Santa Ana whose population is 77% Latino has been the hardest hit city in OC when it comes to the pandemic.

Nearly 90% of the districts student population come from low income families and 96% are Latino, according to the district website.

Because the city was so impacted by the virus, the district was one of the last in the county to reopen classrooms to students.

State public health officials said theyve been working with local health departments and school districts to plan for vaccination clinics ahead of the Food and Drug Administrations emergency use authorization of the shot in late October.

But some of the other OC districts and the Countys department of education have said they have no plans of hosting vaccine clinics at schools.

[Read: OC School Vaccine Clinics Could Be On the Way After Feds OK Shots for Kids 5 and Up]

Chinsio-Kwong, pediatrician and deputy OC health officer, encouraged concerned parents to speak to their childs pediatricians about getting the vaccine and ask them questions in a private setting.

There are also other resources she said

We have a lot of different organizations who are hosting town halls. A lot of pediatricians in the community are also posting information sessions. CHOC is posting a lot of information sessions, theres a lot of different resources for everyone, Chinsio-Kwong said.

Meanwhile, Leal said the district plans host as many clinics as possible.

Our goal is to have them in as many of our sites as possible, going forward, so everyone in our community has equal access to vaccines, so you dont have to travel or go across town or whatever. It would be in your neighborhood, he said.

Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC Reporting Fellow. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @ElattarHosam.

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Will School Vaccination Sites Help Close the Latino COVID-19 Gap? - Voice of OC