Category: Corona Virus

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COVID-19: Vallance corrects mistake to say 60% of people being admitted to hospital with coronavirus are unvaccinated – Sky News

July 20, 2021

Sixty percent of people being admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are unvaccinated, the government's chief scientific adviser has said.

Earlier, Sir Patrick Vallance told a news briefing that figure was for double-jabbed people. But he later corrected himself on Twitter, saying the original statistic was false.

He posted: "Correcting a statistic I gave at the press conference today, 19 July.

"About 60% of hospitalisations from COVID are not from double-vaccinated people, rather 60% of hospitalisations from COVID are currently from unvaccinated people."

Speaking at the briefing alongside Boris Johnson - who appeared remotely from Chequers where he is self-isolating - Sir Patrick said hospitalisations could rise to over 1,000 a day.

He added: "But the rates should be lower than they have been previously because of the protective effects of vaccination."

He said this was not surprising "because the vaccines are not 100% effective".

"They're very, very effective, but not 100%, and as a higher proportion of the population is double-vaccinated, it's inevitable that those 10% of that very large number remain at risk, and therefore will be amongst the people who both catch the infection and end up in hospital."

Meanwhile, most regions of England now have more coronavirus patients in hospital than at any point since mid-March.

Two regions - south-west England and the combined area of north-east England and Yorkshire - are back to levels last seen more than four months ago.

For England as a whole, there are now 3,813 patients in hospital with COVID-19 - the highest number since 24 March.

Sir Patrick also warned said there were "high levels of COVID and they are increasing".

He said the UK was quite close to the previous "winter wave" of infections.

"In the winter wave, we were up to around 60,000 people testing positive per day," he said.

"We are now somewhere on towards 50,000. So we're quite close to the size of the winter wave of infections and this is going to increase."

He said the timing of the next peak of the virus would be "uncertain".

He said: "But most of the models are suggesting that there should be a peak and start seeing some sort of either plateau or decrease over August.

"And at that point, if things continue to increase at the rate they are - and as I said at the outset, there is something like 50,000 or near 50,000 cases per day, or positives per day, at the moment being detected - with a doubling time of 11 days, you can see that that gets to pretty high numbers very quickly.

"And another doubling time will take you to even higher numbers, of course - that would be really quite, quite worrying. So we would like to see some flattening of this, some decrease in the trajectory, and ideally, as you rightly say, you'd like to see this coming down by September, as return of schools would add another pressure on top of that."

England's deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam added the uncertainty would be "driven by human behaviour over the next four to six weeks".

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He said: "So really, it is kind of in everybody's hands, yours and mine.

"If we are gradual and cautious, and we don't tear the pants out of this just because we're glad to have our full freedoms back, then we will materially affect the size and shape of the remainder of this epidemic curve and where the peak occurs, and how big it is.

"It is literally in the hands of the public, in terms of the behaviours."

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COVID-19: Vallance corrects mistake to say 60% of people being admitted to hospital with coronavirus are unvaccinated - Sky News

The latest on the Covid-19 pandemic as Olympics approach: Live updates – CNN

July 20, 2021

Six British athletes and two staff members are self-isolating after coming into close contact with an individual who tested positive for Covid-19 on their flight to Japan, the British Olympic Association said Sunday.

All eight tested negative at the airport and are now under the supervision of the British delegation's medical team, the association said in a statement

The individual who tested positive was not a member of the delegation.

Team Great Britain's chief of mission, Mark England, said that the news was disappointing but "respects" the protocols in place. "We will offer them every support during this period and we are hopeful they will be able resume training again soon," England said.

The rescheduledTokyo 2020 Gamesis set to begin on Friday, but the rising number of Covid-19 cases tied to the competition has fueled concerns as to whether the Olympics can be safely held during the ongoing pandemic.

Organizers announced this month that the Tokyo venues will not have spectators due to the city's coronavirus state of emergency an unprecedented move, according to an International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesperson.

Teams from more than 200 countries are due to arrive in the city in the coming days. As of Friday, more than 15,000 Olympic individuals had entered Japan, according to Thomas Bach, president of the IOC. The Olympic Village, containing 21 residential buildings, will house about 11,000 athletes.

You can read more about the Olympic Village and its Covid-19 safety regulations here.

CNN's Jessie Yeung contributed reporting to this post.

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The latest on the Covid-19 pandemic as Olympics approach: Live updates - CNN

Coronavirus Roundup: Smithsonian and National Archives Advance Reopenings; Court Sides with CDC on Cruises – GovExec.com

July 20, 2021

The Health and Human Services inspector general office tweeted on Monday that July 26-30 is whistleblower Appreciation Week. Whistleblowers play a critical role in keeping our government honest, efficient [and] accountable, said the tweet. We will share one #MythandFact each day during the week to help dispel myths about whistleblowers. It doesnt mention the novel coronavirus, but whistleblowers have been central to shedding light on gaps in the federal governments pandemic response. Here are some of the other recent headlines you might have missed.

The Smithsonian Institution is phasing out time entry passes and extending museum hours starting on Tuesday. Also, the Smithsonian will go back to pre-pandemic capacity levels at the museums and national zoo. There are still several health and safety measures in place, as outlined in a press release.

The National Archives is starting a limited reopening of its research rooms on August 2. [The National Archives and Records Administration] services will look very different from the services provided prior to COVID-19. Research visits will be by appointment only and will require a virtual consultation prior to the onsite visit, said a press release. Boxes of records will be pulled in advance and will be waiting at an assigned table. Research appointments will initially be for four to five hours total, depending on the location. In addition, we have implemented a number of measures to ensure the safety of our researchers and staff.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention affirmed in a statement on Friday that unaccompanied migrant children can enter the United States, which is an exception to a pandemic policy instituted by the Trump administration. The Biden administration temporarily made this exception in February and now the decision is solidified. There have been many calls recently for the administration to get rid of the policy altogether, claiming it is inhumane and/or not needed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

In a late-night ruling on Saturday, a federal appeals court allowed the CDC to enforce its more measured plan for resuming cruises, which was a setback for Floridas attempts to ramp up cruises, Politico reported. The appeals courts one-page order, issued just before midnight Saturday, offered no explanation for the decision beyond saying the federal government had made the requisite showing to obtain a stay allowing the CDC rules to remain in effect, said the report. The panel did indicate that one judge dissented.

In an interview with Reuters last week, the CDC defended the continued mandate to wear masks on public transportation, amid calls from Republicans to repeal it. I get we're all just over this emotionally. but I do think we will succeed together if we realize the virus is the enemy and it's not your fellow citizen or the person sitting next to you on a plane or a piece of cloth that you have to wear over your face, said Marty Cetron, director for the CDCs Division of Global Migration and Quarantine.

During the briefing on Friday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked if the Biden administration will be encouraging other groups to require vaccines for their employees or residents and she said, We believe that local communities, entities, organizations are going to make decisions about what they need to do to keep their community safe.

In a follow-up question the reporter asked, and what about for federal workers or members of the military? Psaki replied she had no news to share on that front.

Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting Food and Drug Administration commissioner, said at an event on Monday that domestic FDA inspections are back to normal, Politico reported.

Postal workers in Minnesota filed Occupational Safety and Health Administration complaints about their distribution center last year and the limited response to [Alejandra] Hernandez and her colleagues appeals for help provides a window into the failures of the Postal Service, one of the countrys largest employers, and OSHA, ProPublica reported. Postal workers have routinely sought help from OSHA during the pandemic, but their complaints have had little effect, said the report. Since February of last year, USPS employees across the country have filed more than 1,000 complaints alleging COVID-19-related hazards. Following those complaints, OSHA issued citations for four violations, all of which the Postal Service has contested. The USPS hasnt been obligated to make changes or pay penalties for any of the reported safety hazards.

The Defense Department inspector general published its quarter three COVID-19 oversight plan on Friday. There are six listed ongoing investigations, which includes how department contracting officials handled terminated contracts during the pandemic and how the department managed its vaccine distribution.

Upcoming: White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki will give a briefing at 12:30 p.m.

Help us understand the situation better. Are you a federal employee, contractor or military member with information, concerns, etc. about how your agency is handling the coronavirus? Email us at newstips@govexec.com.

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Coronavirus Roundup: Smithsonian and National Archives Advance Reopenings; Court Sides with CDC on Cruises - GovExec.com

Despite Positive COVID-19 Results, Team USA Will Be Ready For Tokyo Olympics : Live Updates: The Tokyo Olympics – NPR

July 20, 2021

A man wearing a face mask walks past the Olympic Rings ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The Games are scheduled to begin this week in Japan despite a global rise in coronavirus cases. Toru Hanai/Getty Images hide caption

A man wearing a face mask walks past the Olympic Rings ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The Games are scheduled to begin this week in Japan despite a global rise in coronavirus cases.

Soccer player Megan Rapinoe, swimmer Katie Ledecky and gymnast Simone Biles are among the 11,000 athletes competing in the Tokyo Olympics beginning this week on July 23.

More than 600 athletes from across the U.S. are headed to Japan to represent Team USA, and they'll have to navigate the twists and turns of this year's unusual Olympic Games.

Because of coronavirus protocols, athletes are only allowed to check into the Olympic Village five days before their scheduled events. Not only do athletes have to adjust their internal body clocks to a time zone at least 13 hours ahead, but they also have to adapt to the high temperatures and humidity of the area. Training camps for the swim and weightlifting teams have been set up in Hawaii, where conditions are closer to that of Japan; the location presents its own challenges, though, as Tokyo is still 19 hours ahead of Hawaii.

To get accustomed to the new country, many Team USA athletes are training in Tokyo outside of the Olympic Village, at a center in Setagaya operated by the U.S. Olympic committee. The training base provides nutrition services, sports medicine and recovery services.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said on July 15 that there was "zero" risk of athletes passing on the virus to local residents.

But coronavirus cases are already popping up throughout the Olympic Village and within Team USA. Organizers say 55 people linked to the Olympics have tested positive for coronavirus since July 1, not including athletes.

At least two players on the South African soccer team were the first athletes to test positive inside the Olympic Village. American athletes, including tennis player Coco Gauff and a member of the men's basketball team, have withdrawn after positive COVID-19 tests. And most recently, an alternate in the U.S. Women's Gymnastics team tested positive as well.

"Our number one priority is everyone's health and safety," Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, told NPR's Ailsa Chang about preparing for this year's Games. Hirshland says her mission is to empower the athletes to achieve their full potential.

COVID-19 protocols in the Olympic Village are strict after Japan declared a state of emergency in Tokyo during the world's biggest sports event. For instance, teams have to reserve their places in the dining hall in advance so that it's not overcrowded. Along with daily testing and social distancing, a "soft quarantine" has been implemented wherein athletes are restricted to the Olympic venues, the village and designated hotels.

According to the International Olympic Committee, more than 80% of the athletes set to compete in Tokyo will be vaccinated against COVID-19. Team USA has been encouraged to get vaccinated, although Hirshland says it's not mandatory.

"We also believe that there are some individuals who have strong beliefs or concerns, and wanted to give everyone the opportunity to make that decision for themselves," she says.

She says that athletes who test positive for COVID-19 are replaced like they would be if they had an injury, while ensuring they are "healthy and safe."

Olympic traditions will look starkly different this year. Spectators are banned from Olympic events, including the opening ceremony, whose lively Parade of Nations will be more muted than usual as many athletes aren't even allowed to arrive in Japan until after the opening ceremony concludes. Once they do arrive and compete, winning athletes will also have to drape gold, silver or bronze medals over their own necks.

Hirshland says mental health is the organization's top priority this year, especially at a time when it's being tested in unique ways. One of those challenges was the Olympics getting postponed for a year because of the pandemic.

"It was incredibly difficult for athletes to adjust their mindset around another year of training. When you're training at the elite levels like this, the commitment, the discipline, and frankly the sacrifices to any sense of a normal life are pretty significant. To extend that for another year, that was a pretty substantial mountain to climb for our athlete population," Hirshland says.

Even though the environment of the Tokyo Olympics will be different from decades of Games past, there's still plenty of team spirit.

"We're still seeing signs of tall towers with American flags down the banisters and a whole lot of team pride. It still creates that incredibly special environment of recognizing that you're part of something that is truly global," Hirshland says.

And we're still likely to see many athletes achieve personal bests because of the extended training period, Hirshland says. "The resiliency of Team USA has just been extraordinary," she says. "I would tell you unequivocally: Team USA is ready."

Elena Burnett and Christopher Intagliata produced and edited the audio of this interview. Digital news intern Dalia Faheid adapted it for the web.

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Despite Positive COVID-19 Results, Team USA Will Be Ready For Tokyo Olympics : Live Updates: The Tokyo Olympics - NPR

Coronavirus today: The weekend continued the dangerous trend; deaths top 6,000 in Arkansas – Arkansas Times

July 20, 2021

The Garner Memorial Surge continued over the weekend, judging by hospital numbers on COVID-19 patients.

The hospital count today, the first since Friday:

Current hospitalizations: 787 (on Friday it was 681)

Total Beds: 8,817

Total Beds Available: 1,878

Total ICU Beds: 1,172

Total ICU Beds Available: 51

Total Vents: 1,066

Total Vents Available: 700

Total Covid patients in ICU: 291 (it was 240 on Friday)

Total Covid patients on vents: 124 (on Friday it was 119)

Heres a summary of the change in numbers over the three-day weekend, with daily reports to follow sometime this afternoon.

New cases: 2,552 over three days, or an average of more than 800 a day, but Sundays and Mondays are typically low-count days.

Active cases: 10,505, up 755 from Friday.

Deaths: 6,007, an increase of 15 since Friday.

Vaccinations: 15,750, or about 5,000 per day.

Get a shot. Wear a mask. Keep your distance. Or keep doing what youve been doing.

Lots of notice today that the American association of pediatricians says all school-age children should wear masks. Thank Trent Garner and them for a government that the health-conscious may NOT be protected from those who wont follow science.

UPDATE: here are the daily changes.

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Coronavirus today: The weekend continued the dangerous trend; deaths top 6,000 in Arkansas - Arkansas Times

Factbox: Coronavirus outbreaks at the Tokyo Olympics – Reuters

July 20, 2021

TOKYO, July 18 (Reuters) - The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, will be held under unprecedented conditions and tight quarantine rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections.

Yet a number of cases have emerged involving athletes and other people involved with the Games.

The following is a list to date, in chronological order.

JUNE 20 - A coach with Uganda's squad tests positive on arrival at Narita airport and is quarantined at a government-designated facility. The rest of the team heads by bus for their host city, Izumisano near Osaka in western Japan.

JUNE 23 - A Ugandan athlete tests positive, Izumisano officials said.

JULY 4 - A member of Serbia's Olympic rowing team tests positive on arrival. The other four team members are isolated as close contacts.

JULY 9 - One Lithuanian and one Israeli athlete test positive, according to reports. Later reports say the Lithuanian's results were unclear and subsequently tested negative.

JULY 14 - A masseur for the Russian women's rugby sevens team tests positive, forcing the team into isolation for two days, the RIA news agency reports. Officials in Munakata, southwestern Japan, confirmed one staff member was hospitalised and said none of the team members could be considered close contacts.

- The refugee Olympic team delayed its arrival in Japan following a positive case with a team official in Doha. The infected official is in quarantine without symptoms and 26 of the 29 refugees will remain in their Doha training camp.

- Seven staff at a hotel in Hamamatsu, central Japan, where dozens of Brazilian athletes are staying, have tested positive, a city official said.

- Twenty-one members of the South African rugby team are in isolation after they are believed to have been in close contact with a case on their flight.

JULY 15 - Eight athletes from the Kenya women's rugby team were classified as close contacts after a positive coronavirus case was found on their flight to Tokyo, said an official with the southwestern city of Kurume, where they were set to hold a training camp.

- U.S. basketball star Bradley Beals Olympic dream was cut short when USA Basketball announced the Washington Wizards star will miss the Tokyo Games after he entered coronavirus protocols at the training camp in Las Vegas.

- An Olympic athlete under a 14-day quarantine period tested positive for the virus, but had not yet moved to the Olympic Village, the organising committee's website reported, without giving further details. They said one member of the Games personnel and four Tokyo 2020 contractors had also tested positive.

JULY 16 - Australian tennis player Alex de Minaur tested positive for COVID-19 prior to his departure for the Tokyo Olympics, the Australian Olympic Committee said.

- A member of the Nigerian Olympics delegation who tested positive for the coronavirus at Narita airport on Thursday has been admitted to a hospital, media said. The person, in their 60s, had only light symptoms but was hospitalised because of their advanced age and pre-existing conditions, TV Asahi said, adding it was the first COVID-19 hospitalisation of an Olympics-related visitor. No further details were available.

- An Olympic-related non-resident under a 14-day quarantine period tested positive for the virus, the organisers' website said, without giving further details. Three Tokyo 2020 contractors, all of whom are residents of Japan, also tested positive, organisers said.

JULY 17 - 15 people tested positive for the virus, the organisers said, including the first case at the athletes' village, who is a visitor from abroad and is involved in organising the Games. The rest are two members of the media, seven contractors and five members of the Games personnel.

JULY 18 - Ten people, including two athletes staying at the athletes' village, tested positive for the virus, the organisers said. This is the first time athletes have been found positive within the village, where most competitors will be staying.

The others were one athlete under a 14-day quarantine period, one member of the media, one contractor and five Games personnel. All of the 10 are non-residents of Japan.

Reporting by Elaine Lies, Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Michael Perry, Lincoln Feast and Kim Coghill

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Factbox: Coronavirus outbreaks at the Tokyo Olympics - Reuters

3 Texas Dems test positive for coronavirus while in D.C. – POLITICO

July 20, 2021

Earlier today, it was brought to our attention that two of the members at that meeting tested positive for COVID-19, Symone Sanders, a senior adviser for Harris, said in a statement. Based on the timeline of these positive tests, it was determined the Vice President and her staff present at the meeting were not at risk of exposure because they were not in close contact with those who tested positive and therefore do not need to be tested or quarantined.

Sanders added that Harris and her staff are fully vaccinated.

The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions most recent guidance says fully vaccinated people do not need to wear a mask or socially distance unless required by law, or local or business guidance. Fully vaccinated individuals who are potentially exposed to the coronavirus do not need to be tested, the guidance says, unless they experience symptoms, but should monitor their health for two weeks.

The CDC guidance does, however, require mask-wearing on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation. Many of the Texas Democrats did not appear to wear one on their charter flights to D.C., which some Republicans pointed out even before the positive tests.

The statement from the Texas House Democrats did not identify which three members had tested positive, but said all three were fully vaccinated. The cases were first reported by the Austin American-Statesman.

"We are in touch with public health experts in Texas to provide additional guidance," Texas House Democratic Chair Chris Turner said in the statement. "Our caucus will follow all recommendations from public health experts as we continue our work.

State Rep. Celia Israel, who represents an Austin-area district, told POLITICO that she had tested positive.

It just feels like I have a cold, she said in a brief phone interview. Israel added that she was fully vaccinated, and would be isolating in her hotel room for at least the next 10 days. She said that several members of the delegation had dropped off food for her.

In an additional statement, Israel said she took a test on Friday after being notified that another member of the caucus had tested positive and tested negative, before subsequently testing positive on Saturday.

Let this be a reminder that COVID-19 is still very much among us, with infection rates on the rise and more contagious variants spreading nationwide, she said in the statement, urging unvaccinated people to get a shot. "Most importantly, I hope this instance highlights the sacrifices we're willing to make for the cause of democracy. I would not change anything to protect the right to vote."

House Speaker Dade Phelan, a Republican who has railed against the Democrats for leaving the state, wished those that tested positive good health in a tweet: Kim and I extend our prayers for safety and health for the members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus who tested positive for COVID-19 while in Washington, D.C.

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3 Texas Dems test positive for coronavirus while in D.C. - POLITICO

Three Texas House Democrats who traveled to Washington, D.C., test positive for coronavirus – The Texas Tribune

July 18, 2021

Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

Three Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the Texas House Democratic Caucus.

The three lawmakers are among House Democrats who fled to Washington, D.C., earlier this week to stave off GOP priority voting bills during the special legislative session. The three members who tested positive all have been fully vaccinated, which helps protect against severe illness.

On Friday night, one member tested positive for the coronavirus and immediately alerted colleagues, who, in addition to staff members, took rapid tests. On Saturday morning, two additional members tested positive after taking rapid tests. The Democratic caucus did not identify the members who tested positive. The cases were first reported by the Austin American-Statesman.

In a statement, Rep. Chris Turner of Grand Prairie, the caucus chair, said the caucus is adhering to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and following protocols. According to the CDC, fully vaccinated people do not need to quarantine if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive and they are showing no symptoms. Also, if traveling in the United States, fully vaccinated people do not need to get tested or self-quarantine before or after travel.

This is a sober reminder that COVID is still with us, and though vaccinations offer tremendous protection, we still must take necessary precautions, Turner said. We are in touch with public health experts in Texas to provide additional guidance. Our caucus will follow all recommendations from public health experts as we continue our work.

A small percentage of vaccine breakthrough cases, in which a fully vaccinated person tests positive for the coronavirus, have been expected, according to the CDC, but they are rare and do not discount the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.

The number of average coronavirus cases reported in Texas each day in the last week has increased by almost a 1,000 cases compared with the average a week ago, according to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services. Hospitalizations have also increased, and as of July 14, more than 2,500 Texans were hospitalized. On Saturday, the state hit a positivity rate of more than 10%. The positivity rate measures how prevalent the virus is in Texas based on positive test results.

The highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus has raised the alarm of some health experts. At least three cases from a recent outbreak at a Houston-area church camp have been confirmed to be the delta variant.

In recent days, Republican lawmakers, who have criticized House Democrats move to break quorum, have urged their colleagues to return to the Capitol before the current special session ends Aug. 6. More than 51 Democrats left the state last week, leaving the House without the minimum number of lawmakers required to conduct business. However, a handful of Democrats have remained adamant that they dont plan on returning to the state any time soon.

In a statement on Saturday, House Speaker Dade Phelan wrote on Twitter that he extended his prayers for safety and health to Democratic caucus members.

Phelan, a Beaumont Republican, said on Thursday he would charter a plane this weekend to Austin to retrieve Texas Democrats from the nations capital. A move to issue a call of the house, which permits lawmakers to track down lawmakers who have fled the House chamber, passed in the House on Wednesday. However, Texas law enforcement does not have jurisdiction in Washington, D.C., so its not clear if the procedural move has any power until lawmakers return to the state.

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Three Texas House Democrats who traveled to Washington, D.C., test positive for coronavirus - The Texas Tribune

Yankees Game Postponed After Positive Covid Tests – The New York Times

July 18, 2021

At 4:45 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, Alex Rodriguez stood up in the ESPN broadcast booth at Yankee Stadium and motioned down to the sun-splashed field, arms outstretched and palms turned up the universal look of confusion.

The Yankees had hurriedly pulled their players off the field and canceled batting practice, but the visiting Boston Red Sox were stirring. Alex Cora, Bostons manager, saw Rodriguez and made a slashing motion a few inches in front of his neck. No game tonight.

Major League Baseball had scheduled just one game on Thursday, putting the Yankees and the Red Sox in the national spotlight to start the nominal second half of the season. Then an unwelcome intruder got in the way: the coronavirus.

M.L.B. postponed the game because three Yankees pitchers Nestor Cortes Jr., Jonathan Loaisiga and Wandy Peralta, each of whom is vaccinated had tested positive for the coronavirus. General Manager Brian Cashman said three other players had tested positive through multiple rapid tests, and that the team expected those players laboratory test results to also come back positive.

The Yankees have reached the 85 percent vaccination rate M.L.B. requires to operate under relaxed Covid protocols, but Cashman said the team had again experienced breakthrough cases, two months after an outbreak of nine cases, mostly within the coaching staff.

Were in a very fluid situation right now, Cashman said. The vaccines that we encourage everybody to get guarantee not getting hospitalized and not getting death coming from Covid, which is important, but it doesnt prevent you from contracting Covid; it prevents you from the severe, worst-case-scenario effects of Covid. Were thankful that were vaccinated in most cases not all cases and therefore were ultimately protected.

The Red Sox are one of seven M.L.B. teams that have not reached the 85 percent vaccination threshold. Another one of those teams, the Philadelphia Phillies, put four players on the Covid-19 injured list before Sundays game in Boston, but that game was played. This one was postponed, the league said, to allow for continued testing and contact tracing.

The Yankees put Loaisiga on the Covid-19 injured list on Saturday in Houston, and he did not travel with the team after that series, which led into the All-Star break. Cortes and Peralta were placed on the list on Thursday.

Cashman did not know the status of the Yankees remaining weekend games with the Red Sox, who are scheduled to be in New York through Sunday. Given the two outbreaks the team has now experienced, he said the Yankees would consider a change in protocols.

We certainly will re-evaluate everything we have done and if theres anything we can be better at as we move forward, those are fair questions to ask, Cashman said. I dont have an answer for that right now. I know that we rely on a lot of guidance from medical experts and try to implement to the best of our abilities. We have a population of personnel that most are vaccinated, some have chosen not to get vaccinated, they have their reasons for that. Were certainly trying to create Major League Baseball is, as well as the New York Yankees a safe environment to come work and travel in.

The Yankees sent three players to the All-Star Game in Denver on Tuesday Aroldis Chapman, Gerrit Cole and Aaron Judge but Cashman would not say if they were among the other three players who had positive results via rapid tests.

He did say that not all of the players who could end up positive were vaccinated. And Bostons Rafael Devers, who was also at the All-Star Game, told ESPNs Marly Rivera that he was getting tested for the virus because a Yankee All-Star had tested positive. Cora confirmed to reporters that his teams five All-Stars Devers, Xander Bogaerts, Matt Barnes, Nathan Eovaldi and J.D. Martinez were all getting tested, and that not all of those players had been vaccinated.

Obviously Im worried now, Cora said. Some of them are vaccinated and some of them are not.

If a player is vaccinated, he does not have to be tested unless he shows symptoms or is identified as a close contact of someone who tested positive. The more vaccinated players, the less chance of identifying asymptomatic positives and, critically, the less chance of spreading the virus.

Baseball does a lot of things to ensure player safety. The league requires players to wear batting helmets with a front earflap. Stadiums have padded outfield walls. Every dugout with steps has a railing in front of it. Those are sensible rules, as is the rule that requires reporters to show proof of vaccination to interview players face to face.

But the league cannot force the players to take the vaccine, and players across the league have been wary of publicly revealing their status. Some who are vaccinated have spread doubt among others; Phillies relievers Archie Bradley and Brandon Kintzler have openly wondered if taking the vaccine contributed to subsequent injuries.

I have people in my life that have made decisions in both ways, and ultimately I respect that, Yankees Manager Aaron Boone said. Ive chosen to get vaccinated. Ive encouraged those to. But in the end, thats a deeply personal decision, in my opinion.

Tony Clark, the executive director of the players union, said at the All-Star Game that while he had gotten the vaccine, he was not pushing all the players to do the same.

Push? No, Clark said. Encourage? Weve encouraged since the beginning, and we continue to. So if guys ask, well put players directly in touch with experts and make sure they have access to that information. Not push, but encourage.

Maybe its time to start pushing.

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Yankees Game Postponed After Positive Covid Tests - The New York Times

‘Bridgerton’ and Coronavirus: Positive Tests Halt Production in UK – The New York Times

July 18, 2021

Amid a rapidly spiking Delta-driven surge of coronavirus cases inBritain, the second season of the Netflix series Bridgerton halted filming for the second time in three days, after someone involved with the production tested positivefor the coronavirus.

A spokeswoman for Netflix declined to identify whether it was a cast or crew member who had tested positive, but said the individual was now isolating. Production on the popular Regency-era drama, which is set and filmed in the United Kingdom, has been paused indefinitely, Deadline first reported on Saturday.

Filming on the show, which is based on Julia Quinns romance novels, was halted for the first time on Thursday for 24 hours after a crew member tested positive. Everyone working on the series was tested, and no cast members were affected. Production had resumed on Friday before being paused again.

The first season of Bridgerton, the first original series for Netflix by Shonda Rhimess production company, was a hit with both fans and critics. Netflix reported that 82 million households watched the series in its first month following a Christmas Day release. The show follows the drama of a courting season in 1813 London, with social machinations, scheming and scandal galore as high-society families contrive to pair off their young eligibles.

It was also nominated for 12 Emmy Awards last week, including a nod for Reg-Jean Page, who played the Duke of Hastings Simon Bassett, in the leading actor in a drama category. There is no release date yet for the second season, but filming began in May.

A Covid-19 surge has also been shutting down Londons West End theaters after members of productions like Hairspray at the London Coliseum and Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeares Globe Theater tested positive earlier this month.

Despite a rise in cases that has driven Englands daily average to 35,388 almost double the level just two weeks ago the government has been pushing ahead in its bid to reopen. Virtually all social distancing and mask requirements will be removed in England on Monday.

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'Bridgerton' and Coronavirus: Positive Tests Halt Production in UK - The New York Times

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