Category: Corona Virus

What's the point: The effort to vaccinate Americans to prevent them from getting the coronavirus will be a complicated effort. There will need to be enough vaccines, a plan to get Americans those vaccines and, finally, Americans willing to take them.

The first two parts of that equation are largely out of everyday Americans' hands.

The good news is that when it comes to the third and final crucial step, the percentage of Americans who say they'll get the vaccine continues to climb higher.

Take the Marist College poll, for example. The 61% who indicated that they'd get vaccinated is up from 49% in September. Pew's shift is in the positive direction as well going from 51% in September to 60% now.

Most promising perhaps is what Gallup is showing. The percentage of Americans said they'd agree to get the vaccine went from 50% in late September to 58% in late October to 63% in late November. In other words, we're seeing a steady, not just one time, incline.

We'll have to see how well these poll results actually capture future reality.

That's why it's so important to pay attention to the trendline. A rise in that is good news no matter what the actual baseline is.

It's possible baseline questions such as these may actually be underestimating the number of Americans who'd be willing to get vaccinated. What polls agree upon is that Americans want to see is that the vaccine works and is safe.

The Quinnipiac poll found that just 37% of registered voters said they'd get a coronavirus vaccine as soon it became available. Another 41% said they'd wait a few months. A mere 20% said they'd never take it.

In sum, 78% of voters say they'd get when given the option to wait a few months. That's higher than the 61% who said they'd get when posed a binary yes or no by Quinnipiac.

Still, there's work to be done when it comes to convincing Americans to get vaccinated. Some of the skepticism seems to be concentrated in certain groups.

There also seems to be a widening partisan gap on the vaccine. In the Gallup poll, 75% of Democrats compared to 50% of Republicans said they'd get it.

Beyond that, things don't break down so neatly. Women (54% in the Pew poll) are less likely than men (67% in the Pew poll) to say they'd definitely or probably take the vaccine, even though women are more likely to be Democrats.

We may need concentrated messages aimed at all of these groups to overcome their unwillingness to get vaccinated.

That's why the next few months will be crucial in ensuring enough Americans take the vaccine. There needs to be coordination in messaging, not just in delivering the vaccines themselves.

Read more:

How more Americans are willing to get the coronavirus vaccine - CNN

After Shirley Flores, a postmaster and mother of three, died in Las Cruces, N.M., her family noted in her obituary: She died a very painful lonely death because we werent allowed in to hold her hand and sit with her. Please take Covid-19 seriously, protect yourself and those you love.

The obituary of Shirley Rowe, a 67-year-old Michigan resident, said that she had fought for her life after contracting the virus, but her body was overpowered by Covid-19. Ms. Rowe was a loving grandmother and the life of every party, her family said, and believed she caught the coronavirus from a guest at her home.

It is our familys firm belief that she would still be here if restrictions hadnt been lifted so soon for society, and the person that gave her the virus would have taken precautions more seriously, they wrote. This is not how my moms story should have ended.

Judy Fuller, 76, of Blue Grass, Iowa, died from the coronavirus in September, after she and her husband, Ron, fell ill at the same time. Ms. Fuller was known for her bright smile, her love of fashion and the outdoors, and her devotion to her job handling staffing at the hospital, where she worked for nearly four decades.

In lieu of flowers or donations, we just ask to take the Covid-19 virus seriously and please spend time with your loved ones, her family wrote. Life is short, enjoy time with your family while you can.

Mr. Fuller, who is currently nursing his son back to health after he contracted the coronavirus, said that he had wanted to send a quiet but urgent message in the obituary.

Go here to read the rest:

As U.S. Deaths Approach 300,000, Obituaries Force Reckoning with Covid - The New York Times

Proper mask-wearing, hand-washing, and other precautions taken at the individual level can help reduce person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus. But another, less visible variable is also at play: Ventilation.

Heres what you should know about the risk of Covid-19 exposure while in indoor spaces, according to the experts.

Limit time indoors around non-household members to mitigate coronavirus transmission, health officials have said throughout this pandemic.

But many people, by necessity, still patronize grocery stores and work in-person. Many also still engage in not-so-essential indoor activities, such as receiving a professional haircut, going in for a manicure, or getting a new tattoo all of which are still allowed under Washingtons latest statewide social restrictions.

There are several measures that, when used in tandem, can help cut down on person-to-person coronavirus transmission: Wearing a mask over your nose and mouth, frequently washing your hands, and only congregating with people whom you share a household, for instance.

But there's a less tangible factor that also plays a role in spreading the virus: Air flow.

Smaller respiratory droplets known as aerosols can linger in the air for several hours, increasing the odds of airborne coronavirus transmission. No two indoor spaces are the same when it comes to ventilation.

Some, like airplanes and hospitals, tend to have advanced ventilation systems that can quickly filter out potentially dangerous air. Others are bound to have less sophisticated ventilation systems, making coronavirus spread more likely.

Heres what you should know about the risk of Covid-19 exposure while in indoor spaces, according to the experts.

Out with the old, in with the new

When it comes to assessing the specific risks associated with different indoor facilities, its not so simple, said Dr. Shirlee Tan, a toxicologist with Public Health Seattle & King County.

Every building is different, so it's really hard to predict the risks of a given situation, she said.

Tan offers this advice: If you walk into a space, and it seems stuffy, get out. That's a good sign that there's not very good ventilation.

Earlier in the pandemic, public health wisdom was that maintaining six feet of distance was ideal for reducing coronavirus spread via infected respiratory droplets, produced during speech, breathing, coughing, or sneezing, for example. But more recent research points to coronavirus containing aerosols traveling way beyond that.

Just being six feet away from somebody doesn't necessarily mean that you're protected from these small particles, said Dr. Marissa Baker, a professor at the University of Washingtons Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences who specializes in industrial hygiene.

And depending on the quality of the mask you're wearing, how well you're wearing it, and how well it fits, these particles can also get out and around masks as well.

A study recently published in the Journal of Korean Medical Science recreated a scenario in which three Covid-19 cases tied to an indoor restaurant surfaced. Through interviews, cell phone location data, and surveillance footage, researchers determined that the infectors airborne respiratory matter infected two others who were sitting approximately 16 and 21 feet away, respectively.

The same study also suggests that it doesnt take prolonged contact in order to catch the virus. One of those two people became infected after just five minutes of exposure.

Maintaining a good flow of fresh, outdoor air is key to moving those infectious particles out of a building. Having six air changes or instances in which stagnant air is replaced with new air per hour is ideal, Baker said.

That would mean that every 10 minutes the air in a space is turned over, she added. Anything that's in there is only going to be in there for 10 minutes.

Absent a high-level ventilation or air quality system, the air changes of any space can be increased by simply opening doors and windows, Baker said.

If you're going to be inside doing things, it's better to be inside bundled up with the windows open than it is to keep those windows closed, she said, adding that indoor businesses should keep their doors open whenever possible.

If its not possible to keep a door open at all times, Baker advises opening the doors each hour to purge out stale air. The same goes for when people outside your household enter your vehicle or home.

A number of factors, including a buildings age, design, and heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, will affect its capacity to maintain sufficient air flow and filtration in the time of Covid.

If your HVAC system has that capability, then bringing in the fresh air from outside is going to be better than recirculating whatever air is in the space unless you're also using filtration, Baker said. When we're talking about filtration, it's pretty much similar to thinking about like a mask for your HVAC system: If the air is recirculating, it draws the air past that.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using MERV filters, ranging from 13 to 16, which are able to capture infectious aerosols at relatively high efficiency rates anywhere between 50% and 95% for 0.3 to 1 micron.

The CDC also endorses the use of HEPA filters, which the agency says are at least 99% efficient at capturing respiratory droplets containing the coronavirus. HEPA filters are primarily used in air purifiers, but can also be used for some HVAC systems.

Tan also pointed to the use of upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation systems, composed of lamps that emit ultraviolet light akin to that from the sun for the purpose of sterilizing indoor air. The CDC proposes using them to supplement other ventilation mechanisms to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Baker also cited a growing body of research suggesting that Covid-19 is less likely to be transmitted in warm, humid settings than it is in cool, drier ones. Thus, she said, adding a humidifier to your indoor air cleaning arsenal isnt a bad idea.

Tan warned of various products on the market that make unverified assertions about their ability to eliminate coronavirus from the air.

We do encourage people to avoid things that produce ozone, that do ionizing technologies, plasma technologies, or UV other than upper-room germicidal UV units, she said, because you may have a false sense of security and certain things may not be doing what they claim to do.

Helping or hurting?

Baker also called attention to the potential for some common Covid mitigation strategies to actually get in the way of fresh air flow, such as the use of plexiglass screens by many businesses. She also pointed out that using ceiling fans can be helpful for diluting coronavirus-carrying particles, so long as theyre used in tandem with bringing in fresh air.

The World Health Organization advises only using table or pedestal fans to circulate indoor air among people sharing a household, citing the potential for them to actually increase the odds of airborne coronavirus transmission by moving infectious aerosols around and into others bodies.

One way to gauge indoor air quality as it relates to Covid is to track the carbon dioxide levels in a space using an air quality monitor. A buildup of carbon dioxide, which we exhale, is an indicator that fresh air isnt getting in thats assuming the amount of people present hasnt increased.

You're not getting rid of that exhaled air, which not only is CO2 but also contains the coronavirus, Baker said.

Its not an exact science, and theres no consensus about exactly how much carbon dioxide is too much. But a presence of anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 parts per million is considered unhealthy.

But ventilation strategies notwithstanding, both Baker and Tan emphasized that mitigating the spread of Covid-19 is best done through avoiding indoor crowds and gatherings to the greatest extent possible.

If there are ways to do things without being in a space with a lot of other people, then choose that first if you can be outdoors, if you can be doing takeout rather than dining in, Tan said. Choose spaces that seem to be ventilated and where people are doing all the other measures that make you comfortable distancing, wearing masks.

Read more:

It's all about air flow: How to keep coronavirus at bay indoors - KUOW News and Information

For Immediate Release: December 10, 2020 Statement From:

Statement Author

Leadership Role

Commissioner of Food and Drugs - Food and Drug Administration

Espaol

For nearly 11 months, we have all been learning to live and function in a state of uncertainty, adjusting to a new normal as the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected the way most of us live, and has also tragically claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans.

We recognize the urgent need for medical countermeasures to diagnose, treat, and prevent this novel virus and have been working diligently to facilitate their development and availability. In particular, the FDA has been working tirelessly with public and private sectors to facilitate the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines without sacrificing our rigorous scientific standards for safety and effectiveness.

Today, the FDAs Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), made up of independent scientific and public health experts from around the country, is meeting to discuss the first request for emergency use authorization (EUA) for a vaccine for COVID-19 prevention, submitted by Pfizer Inc. in partnership with BioNTech Manufacturing GmbH.

The FDA recognizes that transparency and dialogue are critical to building public confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. An open discussion with this committeeavailable for public viewing and with public inputabout the totality of the scientific evidence regarding the safety and effectiveness of Pfizer and BioNTechs vaccine will help ensure clear public understanding of the scientific data and information that the FDA evaluates to make a decision about whether to authorize a vaccine for emergency use for the prevention of COVID-19.

The FDAs career staffmade up of physicians, biologists, chemists, epidemiologists, statisticians and other professionalshave been working around the clock to thoroughly evaluate the data and information in the EUA request, for this potential COVID-19 vaccine, in a comprehensive and science-based manner. I can assure you that no vaccine will be authorized for use in the United States until FDA career officials feel confident in allowing their own families to receive it.

The FDA is considered the "gold standard" regulator of medical products. The process that the FDA uses to review is respected worldwide because of a well-established history that the FDA has among the most rigorous and accurate review processes globally. Normally, the review process for vaccines studied in tens of thousands of people takes months.

Even though the process has been expedited in association with the review of this EUA, the FDAs expert review staff has reviewed thousands of pages of technical information. These data include, but are not limited to clinical trial data, non-clinical data on the development of the vaccine in the lab, and manufacturing data on how the vaccine is made. FDA career officials have been reviewing the data and information ahead of the public advisory committee meeting to ensure a robust discussion with the independent experts.

Todays meeting is an important step in the process allowing outside scientific experts an opportunity to provide valuable advice and input for the agency to consider as part of its final review. Importantly, final decisions about whether to authorize a vaccine for emergency use will be made by FDAs career officials in the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

After the VRBPAC meeting, FDA career staff will take the committees input into account as they continue their review of the EUA request to determine whether it has met the standards for safety and effectiveness for issuance of an EUA, as well as refine the instructions for use and the informational materials to be provided to those receiving the vaccine.

In this time of great urgency, FDA staff feel the responsibility to move as quickly as possible through the review process. However, they know that they must carry out their mandate to protect the public health and to ensure that any authorized vaccine meets our rigorous standards for safety and effectiveness that the American people have come to expect.

The whole of the FDAmyself includedremains committed to keeping the public informed about the evaluation of the data of a potential COVID-19 vaccine, so that once available, Americans can have trust and confidence in receiving the vaccine for their families and themselves.

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nations food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

###

See the article here:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Holds Advisory Committee Meeting to Discuss Authorization of COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate as Part of Agency's Review...

CONNECTICUT An initial shipment of about 2.9 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine developed by pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech hit the loading docks this weekend. President Donald Trump called the speedy development of the coronavirus vaccine a "medical miracle," and it's tough to argue.

Connecticut expects to receive its first vaccine doses on Monday for the Pfizer vaccine candidate. Connecticut's Chief Operating Officer Josh Geballe said the state expects to receive just shy of 32,000 doses of the Pfizer elixir in the first round. The vaccine will require two doses spread weeks apart and a time period after the second dose for the vaccine to take effect.

The Pfizer vaccine needs to be stored at temperatures far below freezing and must be prepared for injection and given quickly once thawed, presenting even more logistical wrinkles for the rollout.

There are 204,000 health care workers, 22,000 nursing home residents and 6,000 medical first responders that fall into the state's first vaccine priority group. Those numbers assume 80 percent of people in those categories get the vaccine. Connecticut is prioritizing health care workers because they are at a higher exposure risk.

Gov. Ned Lamont said Thursday that he thought it would take at least a month between when the vaccine was introduced into a community, and when actual results could be charted there.

One thing is certain: it'll be easier to get the vaccine into the arms of children. Licensed pharmacists are now cleared to administer any federally-approved coronavirus vaccines after Lamont signed an executive order this week. Pharmacists will also be allowed to administer flu vaccines to children between the ages of 10 and 17 years old.

The state is aiming for 70 to 80 percent of people to get the vaccine once there is enough supply. Mass distribution isn't set to happen until at least the beginning of the second quarter of next year.

And Connecticut residents will be rolling up their shirt sleeves, early and en masse for the vaccine, make no mistake. Or at least that's what Connecticut Patch readers told us in a survey last week:

The vaccine delivery timeline does nothing to quell the anxiety of the more than 14,000 educators and school community members who signed a petition urging Gov. Ned Lamont to enforce statewide school coronavirus protocols. The governor has repeatedly stated that the safest places to be during the pandemic were classrooms, due to their rigidly enforced cleaning and virus mitigation protocols. Leaders of education unions disputed that at a rally on the steps of the State Capitol Thursday.

Teachers are classified as critical workforce members under Connecticut's vaccine rollout plan, but that doesn't mean they'll be getting the first slice of the vaccine pie. They, along with first responders and some others, are tentatively scheduled to receive the vaccine sometime between mid-January to late May.

Additional safety protocols may be paramount on the minds of Connecticut educators, but many area businesses see more coronavirus restrictions contributing to an extinction level event. Many small businesses have already gone under, and many others were counting on a strong holiday trade that now appears to be fizzling.

Restaurant workers and sympathizers rallied last week after a Yale-affiliated doctor appeared with Lamont at a news conference Monday and urged him to shut down indoor dining rooms. Organizers, demanding another round of CARES-like government aid, have planned a protest at Lamont's residence this Monday.

Whether the state or Uncle Sam open their checkbooks soon and by how much is still anybody's guess, but Lamont continued to express great reluctance about imposing any further coronavirus restrictions upon restaurants. On the day Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced New York City restaurants would be closing their dining rooms two weeks before Christmas, Lamont reiterated his support for Nutmeggers eating out.

"If you close down restaurants, where do people go, they don't stop, you know, eating indoors, they just go to a different environment," Lamont said during a roundtable discussion Friday. Connecticut's indoor dining is currently limited to 50 percent capacity.

Businesses other than restaurants might be fair game, however. On Thursday the governor speculated about how future state coronavirus restrictions might look. He envisioned a more tailored approach, rather than just a brute force rollback to a previous reopening phase. Lamont hasn't released specific coronavirus metrics that would lead to tighter restrictions, but said they would be related to hospital capacity.

Coronavirus net hospitalizations declined for the second day in a row on Friday, with a drop of four patients down to 1,210. Earlier in the week, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services reported that Connecticut's intensive care unit resources are holding up better than those in most areas around the country.

Connecticut has moved to the middle of the pack for states in virus metrics. It has the 31st-highest rate of new coronavirus cases in the country and the 32nd-highest positive test rate. The state reported nearly 3,800 new coronavirus cases Friday and a 6.97 percent positive test rate. For now the state has settled around a 7 percent positive test rate, Lamont said.

See more here:

How And When Will The Coronavirus Vaccine Come To CT? - Patch.com

Tonight, for example, our youth Christmas pageant is occurring. But its occurring outdoors in the courtyard on the property, not in the church, Norvelle said. Were asking people if they wanna come, they need to go on the website and register. And of course, they have to wear a mask, and they have to stand separate from other families.

More:

Churches juggle holiday season with coronavirus restrictions - WWBT NBC12 News

The 2020-21 NBA season has arrived. Preseason games tipped off last week, and the regular season is scheduled to begin Dec. 22, just 71 days after the NBA Finals ended.

After successfully finishing the 2019-20 season in a bubble environment at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, the league -- with the exception of the Toronto Raptors -- is returning to home markets to begin this season. Over the past two weeks, players and coaches spoke about the challenges they face in playing a season as the COVID-19 pandemic surges across the United States.

1:15

Karl-Anthony Towns talks about the death of his mother and how he has taken on the responsibility of keeping his family safe.

Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns: Everybody involved -- the league, the union, the players, the teams, everybody -- is working daily to try to figure things out. This is uncharted territory. When we were in the bubble it was something no one had ever seen and everyone worked as hard they could to make that work. Once again, what we're doing now with all these protocols and tests and stuff -- never seen it before.

Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics: COVID is still around and still lurking in certain areas. So that's something to be aware of. I'm not sure about how that's going to necessarily work as we start to travel in certain places and things like that. Will the season be stopped? Will it continue to go on? Well, will there be a stay-at-home order at some point during the season? I'm not sure. Some of those variables might work out.

DeAndre Jordan, Brooklyn Nets: Coming to practice is very strange. It's something that we haven't had to deal with before in any other season. We get to practice. You take one test. You take another test, then you wait in the car until you're hopefully negative, and then you can go up with your mask on and do your individual work and lift and shoot and you go home. And you do the same thing again the next day. I think we've done a great job of staying as safe as we possibly can and taking this thing as seriously as it needs to be taken.

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers: I know I'm going to do the right thing just like I said before the bubble, so the question is, "Is everybody else going to do the right thing?" I hope everybody does the right thing and doesn't put anybody at risk, and I hope then we also have guidelines to make sure that doesn't happen. But it's definitely very concerning and I just hope everybody stays safe and I stay safe.

LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers: We listen to the experts and what's going on with the climate as far as COVID, and keep your family in a mask when we leave the house or whatever the case may be. And be cautious where we travel to, be cautious who we are around. Right now you just try to do everything that you can to try to protect your family. And hopefully you can stay safe and stay healthy. I think that's the most important thing, the main thing.

The new season is fast approaching. Keep it here for all the latest rankings, projections and storylines to watch ahead of 2020-21.

NBA Power Rankings, training camp edition What this drastic rest disparity means Games to watch | Must-see Christmas battles How will this NBA season actually work? Win projections for all 30 teams Every team's biggest camp question

Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics: It's really on the guys to really own up and take care of responsibility and be a professional and try to abide by as much as possible the rules and regulations of the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and everything that they have been doing to stay protected and keep yourself and others protected.

Blake Griffin, Detroit Pistons: I'm obviously biased, but I think the NBA does the best job of not only making sure that players are safe, but that we also can sort of voice our opinion with everything going on this past summer and including what's coming up. Not just the NBA, but the [National Basketball Players Association], everybody working together and making sure that our voices were heard.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Los Angeles Lakers: I think it's going to be a little challenging because of being in our respective cities and we play in the arenas. Not being in the bubble, I feel like it's going to be risky. But the league, they're still having us test every day for COVID, which is good. I like it like that. It keeps everybody safe.

Jared Dudley, Los Angeles Lakers: No player was signing off on going back to that bubble. There's no way you're gonna do a 72-game season away from family, and the NBA had stricter rules in there than I've ever seen. For one, give them credit: We had no positive tests, I understand. But because of the stricter rules, no players are gonna sign off on that. But I just think for us, this is the new norm. ... COVID is here to stay. So just gotta navigate through it.

Tobias Harris, Philadelphia 76ers: I follow what's going on in the world and the cases, it looks like we're headed for another shutdown soon enough. So, I mean, that plays a factor into it, too. ... I think we have to do our best to follow protocol, keep each other safe, keep the team safe, and just see how it plays out.

The NBA is back! Catch all the 2020-21 season action on ESPN, ABC and the ESPN app.

Sunday, Dec. 13: Clippers at Lakers, 8:30 p.m. on ESPN

Thursday, Dec. 17 Nets at Celtics, 8 p.m. on ESPN

All Times Eastern

Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks: During this [pandemic], it's going to be a different season. Some players might get corona, get sick, not be able to be with the team [for] 10 days. So I think that's going to be a big part -- which team is not going to have [COVID-19]-positive people. It's going to be a lot of time together, and I think that's going to be a key.

Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors: I guess you just got to treat [positive tests] like an injury. And just have that next-man-up mentality. I believe in the guys we got here. And the guys on the team, the coaching staff that put us all in the best position to win. We're all competitors here. We all fight. And that's what we're going to do.

Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz: This isn't football where you can play once a week. We're playing twice, three, maybe four times a week and those are four games that at the end of the day, come playoff time, you miss those four games, you never know what may happen, especially in this loaded conference in the West.

Alex Caruso, Los Angeles Lakers: I think it's just as unpredictable as ever. The fact that we don't even have a full season schedule just shows it's going to be an unpredictable year, right? ... Honestly I think the NBA is in a really good position to carry out a full season and make it work.

1:34

LeBron James says he was surprised at how soon the NBA is beginning its season and explains why it might cause him to rest more throughout the season.

While eight teams haven't played an official NBA game since March, the Lakers and Heat wrapped up the 2020 NBA Finals a mere 71 days before the start of this season. Multiple players addressed the long layoff or short turnaround they are dealing with heading into this season.

Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics: We had discussions and talks about when the season should possibly start and made the most sense in terms of, you know, businesswise and financially, starting on Christmas Day or right around that time. So I was for that in terms of what I saw on paper. ... In terms of what we see on paper and what we voted for, I didn't have a problem with it. I'm young. I don't really need too much time off.

Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets: Some teams have had 10 months. They could have had a whole baby on the way and we had whatever, 60 days, two months. So everybody is going to be looking at the record and what we are doing and every team is different right now with the virus.

LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers: I was like, "Wow." And I said, "Oh, s---." Just being completely honest, I wasn't expecting that because early conversations were going on and I was hearing that there would be kind of a mid-January start and training camp would kind of start after Christmas. We would have an opportunity to spend Christmas with our families. So I had a break planned, a vacation with my family for us to go somewhere, which I haven't been able to do, obviously, since I've been in the league. So I had to switch up a lot of things once I heard the December 22nd start.

2 Related

Markieff Morris, Los Angeles Lakers: Nobody knew when the season would start back up, so we had to kind of keep some type of shape. So we've been playing for a whole long year.

Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls: Basketball is my life. I didn't stop doing it. I was upset that we didn't make the bubble. It was really good to see basketball back and moving on, but it was tough to just sit there and watch it and not be a part of it, so I've been working out nonstop and now that we have our season back in full stride, I'm extremely happy and excited to get it going.

Andre Drummond, Cleveland Cavaliers: For me not to be able to be with my teammates for that many days, for 200-plus days, it's been a mental drain for me, but I've done a really good job of staying in contact through the phone at least. ... When it comes to the court, I think it's going to be an easy transition for us. Obviously, it's not going to be perfect, it's not gonna be mistake-free, but I think we have a lot of guys here that are willing to work hard and work through those mistakes to make ourselves a better team.

Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets: The whole [offseason process], everything was shortened. I was in the weight room a little bit less [than a normal offseason]. Just to figure, just to put everything together, I was like, I need to cut one week of doing nothing and then one week of just doing weight room. It was OK to be honest. I kind of like it because the training camp is not going to be that long (chuckles).

Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers: It's definitely going to be a disadvantage for teams that had late runs in the playoffs compared to the teams that did not make the bubble and had early exits in the bubble.

1:10

Paul Pierce questions how the NBA will manage COVID-19 cases without a bubble.

Most NBA teams will begin the season playing in front of empty arenas, something players who played in the bubble experienced, but something that will be new for a portion of the league.

Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls: It's always been an entertainer's game and hopefully if we don't have fans, we can still provide that type of excitement for our fans and our fan base. If we do, we just have to be safe and the fans have to know that we have to keep our distance, not just for you, but for everybody to stay safe and to continue to do it.

DeAndre' Bembry, Toronto Raptors: Well, unfortunately, last year [with the Hawks] we weren't able to make it to the bubble, so I'm still gonna have to get used to no fans and being able to bring my own energy and just that whole environment because I wasn't able to go through that process yet, but being with this organization I don't think I'm gonna be too worried about [that].

Dwight Howard, Philadelphia 76ers: I wish the stadium was open so all the fans could come and be together during this time. I think unity brings change and I think we have an opportunity to do something here in Philly that could unite not just Pennsylvania, but also hopefully a lot of basketball fans around the world. ... I do miss the fans. I will say that. Playing in front of fans is probably the best experience. ... I do appreciate the fans, even the boos, the talking trash, I think that kind of drives me to keep going forward.

Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers: To say we don't miss the fans in the arenas is just a lie, flat out. We want them there. We need the fans in the arena. They make the games. The excitement, the energy is all because of them. So we definitely want them there and we miss them, but at the end of the day we've got to make sure they're safe, too, and they've got to make sure that they're safe because lives are way more important than basketball.

Marc Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers: I'll need a little more explaining how come that some arenas, they allow fans and some arenas don't. I understand there are different laws in different states, but I think we should have the same for everyone. That's just my opinion. But that's what we talked about. Obviously it's an ever-adjusting situation for everyone. We're very fortunate to be in a very safe environment. The NBA, the Lakers and L.A. County, do a great job having us as safe as possible and having a lot of protocols and stuff that we go through every day, and our staff as well. We're very thankful for that.

The Utah Jazz are one of the few teams to have announced plans to start the season with fans in the arena, playing host to up to 1,600 attendees, socially distanced from each other and the players.

Rudy Gobert: I think that if they make it happen they probably have the scientific evidence that it would be safe for us and for the fans in attendance.

Derrick Favors: I think that's an amazing thing to do and hopefully everybody can stick to the safety protocols and we can continue to build and bring more fans in there.

Donovan Mitchell: You've got to be careful, you've got to be cautious, but at the end of the day, if it's safe, I'm glad we're one of the teams that have fans and it'll be great to play in front of the home crowd.

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What NBA players are saying about the coronavirus, the offseason and fans returning to arenas - ESPN

CLEVELAND, Ohio Popular West 6th Street nightspot The Velvet Dog was cited Saturday night for violating health orders put in place by the Ohio Department of Health to try and curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The Ohio Investigative Unit arrived at the club about 9 p.m. Saturday, a news release says. Agents saw patrons crowding the bar; every seat was filled, and others were lined up to order drinks.

Agents also saw people congregating and walking around the club with drinks in hand, the release states. No social distancing or physical barriers were seen.

Two other establishments one in Mansfield, and another in Atwater (Portage County) were cited Saturday night, the OIU said.

The administrative citation case against The Velvet Dog will go before the Ohio Liquor Control Commission for possible penalties, including fines or the suspension or revocation of liquor permits, according to the OIU.

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Downtown Cleveland nightclub The Velvet Dog cited for violating coronavirus health orders - cleveland.com

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Another 106 people died Saturday statewide from the coronavirus as hospitalizations continue to creep upward, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomos office.

Across New York, 5,410 people were hospitalized as of Saturday, according to the state data, up 51 from the previous day. Of those patients, 1,009 people were in intensive care units.

The state also confirmed another 10,194 cases based on the return Saturday of 205,250 tests. Thats a positive rate of 4.96%.

The state is watching hospitalizations closely in this recent surge and using that as a factor in determining whether to limit economic activity and other gatherings.

In Central New York, 24% of all hospital beds are available, according to Cuomos office. About one-third of all intensive care units are also available.

Cuomo said Friday that his staff would work this weekend to analyze the most recent data -- and possibly reset some of the business and activity restrictionsthat come in the yellow, orange and red zone designations. That could meanmore restrictions to indoor dining across the state.

Already, Cuomo has said indoor dining in New York City will stop Monday, but thathair salons and gyms in orange zones(like Syracuse) can reopen with limits.

Since March, a total of 27,785 people have died from Covid-19 in New York.

Cuomo is expected to give a live briefing on Monday.

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Coronavirus in NY: 106 deaths and more than 10,000 new cases - syracuse.com

Asked by a reporter if there was a plan to publicize the milestone in the US, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said, "You make me feel as if we should."

"We probably do need to make a plan for, you know, who's going to get it first visibly," said Army Gen. Gustave Perna, chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed.

The exchange offered the latest example of the lack of coordinated communications plan from the federal government just days before the first Americans could begin receiving a coronavirus vaccine.

As videos of first Britons receiving the vaccine were replayed on televisions and cell phones across the United States this week, Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said it was "one of those Sputnik moments."

"We're way behind the curve," Benjamin said, lamenting the lack of communication from the federal government. "We really need to begin very aggressively working to give people a better understanding of the vaccination needs and the trade-offs."

A senior administration official noted the US doesn't have a centralized health care system akin to Britain's and said federal officials didn't want a ceremonial event to delay the distribution of vaccines elsewhere.

Michael Pratt, an Operation Warp Speed spokesman, added the administration's communications plans are already underway and will be well-timed with the Food and Drug Administration's anticipated emergency use authorization (EUA) of the Pfizer vaccine.

"In perfect lockstep -- as the EUA is set to be announced -- the paid messaging campaign has already begun," Pratt said.

Lack of messaging at the federal level

Operation Warp Speed's latest press briefing highlighted how the federal government is lagging in creating trusted, public channels of information about a vaccine that often has been treated as a political prize -- and has been greeted with unusually high skepticism from the American public. Experts say for the vaccine to potentially reach herd immunity, some 70% of Americans will need to take it.

Although the percentage of Americans willing to take the vaccine is climbing, public health experts said a strong and reliable public education campaign is needed to combat distrust that remains, especially for the overwhelming skepticism that people of color have. Building public trust and creating the proper channels of communication also will help dispel misinformation.

On top of skepticism, people are craving more information about when the vaccine will become available to them. Pharmacies have posted signs to not to expect it when the first shipment goes out, an indication of how the private sector has tried to fill the information void.

Dr. Uche Blackstock, an emergency medicine physician who founded a company focused on health care equity, outlined the outreach needed on CNN earlier this week, especially when it comes to communities of color.

"We need really expansive public health campaigns that are engaging community-based organizations and trusted leaders and Black communities. I also think there needs to be significant transparency around the vaccine development process. People have so many questions," Blackstock said.

First national advertising campaign planned against backdrop of shortfalls

For months the Trump administration insisted a public relations campaign was just ahead. But its plans were plagued with controversy from the start.

House committees launched an investigation into the administration's public relations plans and, after an internal investigation at HHS, the government canceled a $15 million deal for an influencer-based ad campaign.

The investigations also stalled work on a separate $250 million contract for a public awareness campaign with Fors Marsh Group, according to a person familiar with the deal. After assurances that the company would root its campaign in scientific principles and research rather than celebrities, work on the project resumed in November.

The person familiar with the contract acknowledged that pressure has been building on the administration and its partners to deliver on its paid advertising campaign.

"There's a need for clear consistent public education around pretty complicated things right now," the person said.

The national advertising campaign is slated to begin next week across print, social media and radio, said Mark Weber, a spokesman for HHS. The campaign is designed to address Americans hesitant to take a coronavirus vaccine.

From there, "We will be phasing in tailored messaging to groups who are disproportionately affected and areas of the country with the highest infection rates," Weber said.

The administration and its contractors are testing messages slated for a second advertising blitz in January.

"For those who are hesitant, the moveable middle, including multicultural communities, the timing must align with availability and the message must be credible," Weber said. "We are rapidly conducting research with key audiences to ensure the message and the ads are effective."

A senior administration official added that the paid messaging campaign was only one part of the government's communication efforts. The official pointed to top health officials participating in media interviews, White House events about the vaccine, and events with private-sector stakeholders and community organizations.

'No funding:' where things stand with state communication and outreach efforts

Even with a federal ad campaign, states said they face a daunting burden to educate their own residents about the vaccine, and inform them about when doses will be available for different populations.

With only $340 million allocated to states from the federal government to handle vaccine distribution and administration, many states said they do not have the money to build the kind of media campaign needed.

Testifying before the Senate Commerce Committee Thursday, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said states do not have the money to achieve the kind of educational messaging necessary to raise awareness of the vaccine's safety and dispel vaccine myths.

"We currently have no funding to accomplish that part of our mission," Levine said.

Although states submitted their preliminary communication plans to the CDC as part of their vaccine distribution playbook in October, some gave more information than others.

Only 23 states specifically mentioned how to target minorities or vulnerable populations when building their communication strategies, said Josh Michaud, associate director for global health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation. He analyzed all of the state vaccination distribution plans available and only 18 states included a specific mention of how to address misinformation about the vaccine.

"I haven't seen a whole lot of evidence that states are really robustly rolling out these communications messages," Michaud told CNN. "You're going to have those messages ready to go and that groundwork laid, and the partnerships built for that to be effective."

Even for the states that have planned ahead, a lot of work remains.

The Louisiana Department of Health outlined in October that it would launch a campaign with Feigley Communications through a CDC grant, more than most states had outlined at the time. But when asked Thursday how far along they are in the ad campaign, communications director Alyson Neel told CNN, "We're still very much in the early stages."

Neel also described the state's progress on engaging with stakeholders and community leaders about how to communicate about the vaccine as "a work in progress."

Dr. Bernard Ashby, a Miami-based cardiologist associated with hospitals in South Florida, said the communication he has received from his affiliated hospital is inadequate.

"It's disappointing. They only gave us the bare minimum under pressure," Ashby told CNN, referring to the first communication about the vaccine he had received Thursday. "We have yet to see the strategic proactive planning and clear communication that we have been pleading for."

Outside group stepping in

Private groups and non-profits have started to fill the void left by the federal government.

The Ad Council has begun developing content and will begin releasing it as soon as the end of December, a representative told CNN.

This campaign focused on the vaccine is the council's "largest and most critical communications effort in our history," the representative said.

The campaign, funded by philanthropic and private donors, is being created with input from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and HHS. It will include traditional radio, television and digital ads as well as more targeted messaging from key individuals from different communities in the US, according to the representative.

For most Americans, the prospect of receiving a coronavirus vaccine is still months away, leaving a window of opportunity to educate the public.

But from Ashby's perspective, there is already concern about missed opportunities to start sending these messages early and sway health care workers who may have doubts.

"Something that we don't speak enough about is vaccine hesitancy within the health care worker population. Now, it may be lower than general population but it's still there and it's still very significant," Ashby told CNN.

"There's been no efforts whatsoever to get any feedback of how do we feel about getting the vaccine. It's based on way too many assumptions and that's basically a recipe for issues, down the road."

Read more from the original source:

'Way behind the curve': The messaging failures around coronavirus vaccine distribution - CNN