Category: Covid-19

Just before his untimely death on Thursday at age 72, AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka took an important and principled stand in favor of workplace requirements for COVID-19 vaccines, noting that rules requiring shots would make work safer for everyone. The issue of whether to embrace mandates, though, has divided the labor movement, with some unions bucking Trumkas advice and resisting mandates. As the labor movement mourns Trumkas passing, hopefully his example will help steer unions toward quickly embracing policies that will, as Trumka said, mean a safer return to work and will put labor on the side of bringing this crisis to a faster end.

In Massachusetts, and elsewhere, some unions have objected to mandates while insisting that prospective vaccine requirements go through collective bargaining, which has had the effect of slowing down their implementation. Take higher education. Many private colleges and universities have now mandated vaccines for students and staff. Theres no reason the public education environment should be any less safe than private campuses. But UMass has yet to institute a vaccine requirement for faculty and staff.

When it comes to the COVID-19 vaccine, theres no system-wide policy, said John T. Hoey, director of communications for UMass president Marty Meehan. However, all five UMass campuses are requiring undergraduate and graduate students to be vaccinated for the fall, with the usual medical and religious exceptions. Meanwhile, there is ongoing dialogue on each campus with unions and nonunion employees about the issue.

Meehan firmly believes all 24,000 UMass employees (faculty and staff) should be required to be vaccinated, except for those with medical and religious exemptions, said Hoey.

Meanwhile, Meehan issued a requirement that all 306, nonunion UMass Office of the President employees, except those with religious and medical exemptions, be fully vaccinated by September 13, the hybrid, return-to-work date. The university also intends to require vaccinations and other health and safety measures for visitors and vendors who will be in contact with the UMass community.

Each campus is negotiating with multiple unions, which represent everyone from faculty and other professional staff and clerical staff to groundskeepers and police. Some are reportedly closer than others to reaching agreement.

Whats happening with vaccine mandates in higher education is a microcosm of the bigger challenge from unions across the state. For example, Governor Charlie Baker recently issued an order requiring all nursing home and soldiers home workers to get fully vaccinated by October 10. Mandates in health care settings are especially crucial, but unions that represent nursing home workers are resisting the mandate. At a time when nursing home workers are short-staffed and healing from the trauma they experienced, they shouldnt suffer economic hardship due to delaying vaccination, Marlishia Aho, a spokesperson for 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, told Commonwealth magazine.

Baker, so far, has resisted vaccine mandates for state workers. The idea that I would kick somebody out of a job especially in a kind of economy we have now because, quote unquote, they wouldnt get vaccinated right away on an [Emergency Use Authorization]-approved vaccine No, Im not gonna play that game, Baker said in May. Meanwhile, Attorney General Maura Healey, state Auditor Suzanne Bump, and Treasurer Deborah Goldberg recently implemented mandates for their own employees.

Last month, WBUR reported that at least 65 Massachusetts colleges and universities would require students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. According to WBUR, at least 23 would also require on-campus faculty and staff to be vaccinated. Vaccine mandates at public universities have been an issue across the country, sometimes because of the politics of an individual governor, but also because such a requirement is considered a change in working condition.

Yet some union leaders understand the larger issue at stake: International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers and the teachers union in New York City, for instance, have both supported mandate policies. During a July 28 interview on C-SPANs The Washington Journal, Trumka said, Yes we do, when asked if the AFL-CIO supports vaccine mandates. If you are coming back into the workplace, you have to know whats around you. He went on to say that everybody in the workplace would be jeopardized if a worker is not vaccinated.

Thats Public Health and Safety 101. Recognizing the critical importance of one of Trumkas last decisions would be a fitting tribute to him.

Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us on Twitter at @GlobeOpinion.

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When it comes to COVID-19, public higher ed should be as safe as private higher ed - The Boston Globe

These fraudulent correspondences falsely allege that the so-called COVID-19 Lottery Compensation Prize is brought to you by WHO, in association with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

These scammerswho claim to be a financial management firm in Londonfalsely state that they have been appointed by WHO to process payment of the COVID-19 Lottery Compensation Prize. In addition, these scams seek to obtain personal details and, in some cases, money from the recipients of such fraudulent correspondences, including (but not limited to) by requesting recipients to urgently send the scammers: (1) a copy of the recipients passport or proof of identification, (2) his/her nationality, (3) his/her occupation, and (4) the recipients mailing address, email address and telephone number, in order to enable the scammers to process the fraudulent lottery compensation prize payment.

WHO seeks to warn the public at large that the COVID-19 Lottery Compensation Prize is a fraudulent scam being falsely perpetrated in the name of WHO through different channels (e.g., via email, from Internet websites such as http://www.capitalfinanceinc.net, etc.). In this respect, WHO would like to clarify to the public the following:

WHO strongly recommends that recipients of correspondences such as those described above exercise extreme caution in respect of such correspondences and solicitations. The public should be aware that identity theft and/or financial loss could result from the transfer of personal information or money to those issuing such fraudulent correspondence. Victims of such scams are encouraged to report the scams to their local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.

WHO asks the public to remain vigilant against fraudulent emails and recommends the use of reliable sources to obtain factual information about COVID-19 and other health issues.

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Fraudulent COVID-19 Compensation Lottery Prize scam, falsely alleges association with WHO and others - World Health Organization

HONOLULU (KHON2) With no sign of the COVID-19 case numbers letting up, theres renewed concern that restrictions may be put back in place. Thats leading to frustration among businesses and families who dont want a repeat of last year.

The mayors with the governor had their weekly meeting and among the topics they wanted to discuss was the possibility of lowering the limit of social gatherings.

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Officials say most of the COVID-19 infections have been community spread from social gatherings. Outdoor gatherings can be restricted from 75 people to 25. Indoor gathering can be knocked down from 25 to 10 people.

Yeah were kind of bummed and kind of irritated a little bit at the same time, said Roger Cabral, a Hawaii Kai resident.

Its really hard, said Steven Yamamoto, a Manoa resident. We suffered for about a year and a half and to have to go back to this level of restriction. Its really pretty hard. If we dont do whats right, we have to do the right thing.

Many businesses are just beginning to bounce back. Theres concern that the new restrictions will also limit their capacity in the weeks and months ahead. The problem for caterers and wedding businesses is that they have reservations that far ahead.

Events have been planned and if these restrictions take effect, what they will need to do to adjust to those numbers, or even canceling events, said Sherry Menor-McNamara, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii president.

She adds that even if the restrictions are just applied to social gatherings that will have an indirect effect on many local businesses.

State officials also talked about making changes to the Safe Travels Program. Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara told the Senate Special Committee on COVID-19 on Thursday that there are discussions on doing away with the vaccine exception and only allowing the 72-hour pre-test for travelers to avoid having to undergo quarantine.

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But the state sent us a statement Friday saying there is no imminent decision to reinstate the 72-hour pre-test. As far as COVID-19 spread from travel, The vast majority are returning residents that opt not to take a pre-test and elect to stay in travel quarantine. We would not reduce COVID positives in travel, as intended by reinstating the 72-hour pre-test.

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Residents and businesses frustrated by possible return of COVID-19 restrictions - KHON2

The baby has made "an amazing recovery," said Dr. Dominic Lucia, a pediatric emergency physician and chief medical officer at Baylor Scott & White McLane Children's Medical Center -- Temple, where the child was transported on Thursday.

"She's no longer requiring the breathing machine. She's actually off that right now... and she's actually resting with mom. She's looking great."

The child, Ava Amira Rivera, tested positive for Covid-19, according to Amanda Callaway, a spokeswoman for Harris Health System. Callaway said Ava was having seizures and needed to be intubated but Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital, where she was first taken, does not offer pediatric services.

None of the major pediatric hospitals in the area had beds available, Callaway said.

In a video released by Harris Health, Ava is seen being lifted onto an air ambulance on Thursday morning for a flight to the hospital in Temple.

"Like us, a lot of the children's hospitals are at or near capacity," Lucia told CNN Friday. "That's where we are a lot of days right now. We, fortunately, once they reached out to us, although we're a long way away, were able to help her."

Lucia said doctors were able to wean Ava off life support measures and described her condition as "very stable."

"She's doing great and on our way back to full health," he said.

Last year, the hospital had two or three Covid-19 pediatric cases at any given time, compared to five to seven in the last week to ten days, Lucia said.

"With the Delta variant we certainly are seeing just more infectivity across the population that includes kids, that includes infants as well," the doctor said.

"And with this particular surge we are seeing more kids that are symptomatic that test positive, more babies that are symptomatic and test positive."

He added, "We're also hospitalizing more and a few of those unfortunately are requiring critical care services (though) that's not particularly common."

In the Houston area, Harris Health System has seen a huge increase in Covid-19 patients, and at least half of the patients in ICU have the virus, Callaway said.

"Couple that with normal emergency needs and it's overwhelming the system," Callaway told CNN.

Harris Health is part of the Texas Medical Center, the largest in the world, according to its website. There were 336 Covid-19 patients admitted on Thursday, the highest daily number of admissions since February, according to its latest update.

The cases are mainly in areas where vaccination rates remain low, Zients said at a briefing Monday.

Hospitals are once again filling up with patients as the virus tears through the unvaccinated population.

Gov. Greg Abbott has said he will not impose a statewide mask mandate and has previously banned local government entities from requiring vaccines.

Texans know "what the standards are, what practices they want to adopt to help protect themselves," he told CNN affiliate KPRC last week. "This is time for individual responsibility."

Lucia on Friday stressed the importance of getting vaccinated.

"We're worried as schools begin to start up and the fact that kids are going to be together again, we're happy about," he said. "But we certainly hope that that's done in a thoughtful way and we're in support of the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines of kids going back to school wearing masks."

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Baby girl with Covid-19 airlifted 150 miles because of Houston hospital bed shortage - CNN

It's been nearly a year since Albert Aguirre, 40, was found dead at his home in Vermillion, South Dakota, and Van Balen's long excursion this week was a celebration of his longtime friend's free spirit and love for the outdoors.

But Van Balen will not be stopping at South Dakota's annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which Aguirre attended about a month before his September 10 death from what authorities listed as Covid-19.

"Too much of a risk," Van Balen, 42, said of the rally, which was attended by 460,000 people in 2020 in what infectious disease experts likened to "a superspreading event."

"It's definitely a cautionary tale," Van Balen said of his friend's death.

'Everybody wants to be free'

Steve Sample, a 67-year-old land surveyor from Arizona, will be attending the 81st annual Sturgis rally. It's his fifth straight year, and he will be there with his wife, who is vaccinated against Covid-19, he said. He is not.

"I'm going to go every year until I die, whether Covid kills me or a head-on collision," he said. "That's the way I am."

"The Sturgis rally had many characteristics of a superspreading event: large crowds, high intensity of contact between people, potential for highly infectious individuals traveling from hotspots, and events in poorly ventilated indoor environments," the report said.

Of those 86 cases, four people were hospitalized, and one died, according to the report.

"I didn't see one mask on anybody and I was there for 10 days," Sample said. "Everybody wants to be free."

'There's a risk associated with everything'

"We continue to encourage people that if they don't have immunity and if they're in a high-risk category that it's probably not wise for them to come," he said. "And we definitely don't encourage people who have several high-risk categories to attend."

Sturgis, the South Dakota Department of Health and Monument Health announced this week that Covid-19 self-test kits will be made available to rally participants. Additionally, Ainslie said, hand sanitizing stations have been set up in downtown Sturgis for months.

South Dakota has placed few restrictions on businesses during the pandemic and, at the last rally, there were no state, county or city mask mandates in effect, according to the CDC report.

Even as cases surged in her state last November, Republican Gov. Kristi Noem refused to mandate masks or put in place measures that many other governors took to slow the spread. She insisted her state had been most effective by swiftly identifying and isolating cases

The governor's a strong supporter of the rally, saying that to hold events like it, people should be given information that lets them protect their health but still enjoy their way of life.

"Bikers come here because they WANT to be here. And we love to see them! There's a risk associated with everything that we do in life. Bikers get that better than anyone."

'You need less time breathing that air to become infected'

The rally means big money for the local economy, generating more than $500 million in sales each year in South Dakota, according to Ainslie. It includes drag races, charity rides, rock concerts, pub crawls, tattoo contests and processions of Harley-Davidsons through the Black Hills mountain range. A popular T-shirt last year read, "Screw COVID. I went to Sturgis."

"People come here because they're free of all that unnecessary political government control exercised over their lives," said Rod Woodruff, owner of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip campground about three miles outside the city.

Woodruff said he was not aware of a single Covid-19 case traced back to the rally.

"All these people here ... know all the crap, all the baloney that has gone back and forth about how dangerous all this unseen stuff is and the viruses," he said. "Everybody's aware of all that and they have assumed the risk of getting out of their home and getting away and going someplace else and hanging out with people that are like-minded."

The dangerous Delta variant has fueled the country's latest surge and infectious disease experts warn that if more Americans don't get vaccinated and wear masks, the country could soon see several hundred thousand cases a day.

"People often associate with Sturgis being outdoors on the bike," said Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.

"That makes it hard to imagine why there would be an increased risk of potential COVID transmission. But it's what is done in Sturgis. It's indoors, in the bars. It's in the tattoo parlors. It's in all the inside activities that really put people at increased risk."

Osterholm said any inside activities involving crowds put people at risk.

"That means that you need less time breathing that air to become infected yourself," he said. "So that even now what might have been a 15-minute exposure indoors in a given environment may now only be five minutes."

After returning home to Vermillion from the August 7-16 Sturgis rally and a trip to Oklahoma, Aguirre was found dead at home in September, according to friends and Clay County Sheriff Andy Howe.

The sheriff said authorities don't know how and where Aguirre contracted Covid-19. No autopsy was performed after a posthumous test came back positive for the virus, Howe said.

"Since it came back positive that's what we determined the cause of death to be," Howe said, referring to Covid-19.

Van Balen and other friends suspect Aguirre became ill at Sturgis. Some had even urged him to stay away.

"We tried to caution him: Maybe don't go this year. Or if you go, wear your mask," Van Balen recalled as he celebrated his friend's life with a final road trip. "But he was living his life. It frustrated a lot of us. He wasn't one of the lucky ones."

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South Dakota's Sturgis Motorcycle Rally: A 'cautionary tale' in the age of Covid-19 - CNN

HOLLAND Holland Hospital cut ties with Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins Friday afternoon after he hadservedas a spokesperson for the healthcare provider over the last several years.

Cousins, who recently declined to answer questionsregarding hisCOVID-19 vaccination status, wasreinstated to Minnesota'sroster from itsreserve/COVID-19 list Thursday. He was placed on the list afterbeing in close contact with aplayer who tested positive. The Holland native said he has no issue cooperating with the NFL's COVID-19 protocols, but thatgetting the shot is a personal matter that he wants to keep private.

"I think the vaccination decision is a very private health matter for me, and I'm gonna keep it as such," Cousins said Thursday during a press conference."I'm going to be vigilant about avoiding a close contact. I've even thought about should I just set up literally plexiglass around where I sit, so that this can never happen again. I've thought about it, because I'm gonna do whatever it takes."

Holland Hospital released a statement Friday afternoon announcing the decision to move on from Cousins, who held a sponsorship agreement with the hospital. It said that while it appreciates the work Cousins has done for the hospital over the years, they need to be sure anybody speaking on behalf of Holland Hospital is in lockstep with its position on vaccinations.

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"While we acknowledge that each person is entitled to their own viewpoints, those who speak on our behalf must support messages that align with the hospitals position on matters of vital importance to individual and community health," the statement reads. "For this reason, Holland Hospital will discontinue using Kirk Cousins as our spokesperson for now. We are proud of our association with Kirk. He embodies many values we respect and share as part of our work culture. However, we must be certain that our communications about COVID vaccination are consistent and unequivocal."

The statement continued to say that the hospital will continue to recommend the vaccine to those who need it.

"Evidence also indicates that vaccinated individuals may be less likely to carry and transmit the virus to others including children, family members and friends," the statement said. "For these reasons, Holland Hospital has and will continue to strongly recommend the COVID vaccine to those who are eligible to receive it."

Contact Assistant Sports Editor Will Kennedy at Will.Kennedy@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @ByWillKennedy and Facebook @Holland Sentinel Sports.

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Holland Hospital cuts ties with Kirk Cousins over COVID-19 stance - HollandSentinel.com

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When the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic sent shock waves through the U.S. economy, its also prompted worries about how the ensuing downturn could affect Social Security.

The program's trust funds were already running low. At the same time, the Social Security Administration was faced with the unprecedented task of moving its in-person services to mostly mail only.

Now, in the aftermath of those initial shocks, some fears of disproportionately large hits to the program's trust funds or benefits have proven to be unfounded.

Meanwhile, the government agency's services and cost-of-living adjustment for next year could be poised for changes.

Here's what we now know about how the pandemic has affected Social Security.

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Social Security's trust funds were already running low when Covid-19 hit.

In April 2020, the Social Security Administration said in its annual projections that the estimated depletion dates remained the same. The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, which disburses retirement benefits, was projected to become depleted in 2034, at which point 76% of promised benefits would be payable. When combined with the Disability Insurance fund, both sets of reserves were expected to become depleted in 2035, with 79% of promised benefits payable at that time.

But those estimates did not account for Covid-19. The economic downturn fueled some fears those depletion dates could be accelerated.

The bottom line is that we don't think the picture has changed a whole lot.

Shair Akabas

director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Institute

The economic downturn could have prompted the retirement fund's depletion date to move up to between 2029 to 2033, based on estimates from the Bipartisan Policy Center, done last year. Estimates from the Congressional Budget Office from earlier this year indicate that the trust fund could be exhausted in 2032, with the disability fund running out in 2035.

The annual Social Security Administration trustees report for this year has yet to be released with post-Covid-19 estimates.

But because the economy is growing, including middle- and upper-income payrolls that comprise most of the trust funds' revenues, the pandemic's impact could be small, according to Shai Akabas, director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Institute.

"The bottom line is that we don't think the picture has changed a whole lot," Akabas said. "It's still the dire picture that we had a year or two years or three years ago."

The dramatic effect the pandemic had on the economy and employment in 2020 had some worrying that the average wage index could drop dramatically.

That, in turn, could lower Social Security benefits for those people whose benefits are calculated based on that year, particularly retirement benefits for people born in 1960.

The average wage index has increased every year from 1951 to 2008, then declined by 1.5% in 2009, due the Great Recession, Social Security Chief Actuary Stephen Goss said last year. In 2020, a "much larger decline" was possible, he said.

If the average wage index were to fall 5.9% from 2019, that would reduce the monthly retirement benefit for a median earner born in 1960 by about $119 per month, he said at the time.

More from Personal Finance:Retired and returning to work: How your income may clash with other financesWho would benefit from proposed changes to 401(k) catch-up contributions Inflation concerns have many retirees worried about running out of money

But the good news is that as 2020 progressed, the average wage index does not appear to have dropped by as much as people had anticipated.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated in January that it may have fallen just 0.5%. The official average wage index for 2020 won't be confirmed until later this year.

The recovery points to a much smaller drop in benefits for the cohort affected.

If that holds true, those beneficiaries will not see such a steep benefit reduction, Akabas said.

Moreover, it's unlikely there will be imminent Congressional action on the issue, though there should probably be a floor put in place to prevent those kinds of outcomes from happening in the future, he said.

VALERIE MACON | AFP | Getty Images

In March 2020, the Social Security Administration suspended in-person services at its field and hearings offices due to the pandemic.

Today, in-person appointments are available on a limited basis. However, to get a time slot, your needs must be critical, such as if your issue is interfering with your ability to access food, shelter or medical care.

Other transactions like benefits applications and requests for card replacements have instead been executed by mail.

But like the IRS, which has a backlog of millions of unprocessed paper tax returns, the Social Security Administration is also behind on its mail.

A recent investigation by the Social Security Office of the Inspector General found that the administration has "inadequate internal controls over mail processing."

That was after the Office of the Inspector General visited 73 locations, including field offices, program service centers and Social Security card centers and found a widespread backlog of unprocessed applications and inefficient processing procedures.

The Office of the Inspector General is working with the Social Security Administration to address those issues, with a final report expected before the end of this year.

Seniors

MoMo Productions | DigitalVision | Getty Images

Social Security's annual cost-of-living adjustment is calculated each year based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, or CPI-W.

Benefits went up by 1.3% in 2021, giving about 70 million Americans a boost to their Social Security or Supplemental Security Income benefits.

For 2022, that adjustment is shaping up to be potentially much bigger for one reason: rising inflation.

Higher prices on everything from food to gasoline has helped push the latest estimate for next year to 6.1%, according to The Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan senior group.

If the annual bump reaches that level, it would be the largest increase since 1983.

However, there is still three more months' of data to come in before the Social Security Administration announces the official rate change for next year.

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The Covid-19 pandemic prompted new worries about Social Security. Here's how the outlook has shifted with the recovery - CNBC

Union County, NJ The Union County Board of County Commissioners advises residents impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic that emergency food supplies will be distributed at three sites in August. Any Union County resident needing COVID-19 emergency food supplies can come to any these events.

Free COVID-19 vaccinations and tests will also be available to all Union County residents at these sites.

The combination of food distribution sites with vaccination and testing helps to expand access to these vital services. We strongly encourage any resident who needs a COVID-19 vaccination or test to use any of our free locations throughout Union County, said Commissioner Chairman Alexander Mirabella.

We are making progress in the fight against COVID-19 and emerging variants but our residents continue to face housing issues, food insecurity and unemployment, said Commissioner Sergio Granados who also serves as Liaison to the Human Services Advisory Board. We thank Village Super Market, Gargiulo Produce and CMC Foods for their continued partnership in these efforts.

The combined food distribution, vaccination and testing events conducted by Union County in August are:

The August 14 and August 24 events are coordinated by Union County with support from Village Supermarkets, Gargiulo Produce and CMC Foods. The August 28 event is supported by Village Supermarkets and Gargiulo Produce.

These three events are open to all Union County residents. Masks and social distance are strongly recommended. Please note the following:

Residents seeking free COVID-19 vaccines can also use any of the permanent sites run by Union County. The Union County Mobile Vaccine Unit also visits local communities on a rotating basis, and these visits are open to all County residents. Visit ucnj.org/vax for a list of locations and to make an appointment.

Free COVID-19 tests are available at these locations, and at Union Countys permanent testing site located at Downs Hall at Kean University. To book an appointment online visit ucnj.org/covid19/testing/covid19testing.

Union County residents who need additional assistance with the online booking system for vaccinations or tests can call the Union County COVID-19 Call Center at 908-613-7829.

For questions and more information regarding emergency food distribution, call the UCDHS Directors Action Line at 888-845-3434 or 908-558-2288.

To find out about more resources during the COVID-19 pandemic, including rent relief, visit ucnj.org/covid19.

To learn more about Village Super Market, visit: https://www.myvillagesupermarket.com.

To learn more about Gargiulo Produce, visit: http://www.gargiuloproduce.com.

To learn more about CMC Foods, visit: https://cmcfoodsus.com/.

For more information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including the Drive-Through Test Center at Kean University, the Mobile Test Unit walk-up sites, vaccination information, emergency food distribution and other support services, visit ucnj.org/covid19. General information about COVID-19 is available through the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

Connect with Union County on social media.

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Where to Find COVID-19 Emergency Food Supplies, Free Vaccination, and Free Testing in Union County County of Union, New Jersey - UCNJ.org

Chinas government pledged to supply other nations with more vaccines that protect against Covid-19, targeting two billion exports for this year and calling for greater international cooperation as the Delta variant spreads.

The pledge late Thursday by President Xi Jinping builds upon Beijings international effort, which China says has included 770 million doses so far distributed to other countries.

Mr. Xi termed vaccines a public good and said developing nations would be Chinas primary focus. The president also announced a new $100 million commitment to the World Health Organizations Covax vaccine distribution program.

Diplomacy based on the sale and donation of vaccines has been a cornerstone of Beijings response to Covid-19 since the virus spread from central China in early 2020. The WHO recently said over 200 million people have so far been infected world-wide by the virus, and the agency called on rich nations to forego offering their citizens boosters before first shots are made available in more countries.

The Delta variant is meanwhile spreading in China, leading to new rounds of mass testing, internal border controls and other measures aimed at containing it. Reported caseloads in affected cities remain low relative to global levels, at dozens in affected cities. The country has so far administered 1.7 billion shots at home to over 40% of the adult population, with a 70% target by year-end.

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China Aims to Export 2 Billion Covid-19 Vaccines This Year - The Wall Street Journal

More than 821,000 doses had been reported administered over the previous day's total, including about 555,000 people who got their first shot, Shahpar said in a tweet.

"50% of Americans (all ages) are now fully vaccinated. Keep going!" he tweeted.

The first dose of Covid-19 vaccine was administered about nine months ago, on December 14. It took about four months -- until late March -- to fully vaccinate a quarter of the US population, and another four and a half months to reach half, according to the CDC.

An average of 699,261 doses have been administered each day over the past seven days, and an average of 464,778 people initiated vaccination each day over the past seven days, according to the latest data available from the CDC.

Covid-19 vaccinations in the US reached a record high in mid-April, with an average of more than 3 million shots administered each day and about 2 million people initiating vaccination each day.

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Half of US population is fully vaccinated against Covid-19, official says - CNN