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3 hours ago
When might a vaccine be available for the US?
By Christina Maxouris
On Wednesday, Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said that if its COVID-19 vaccine is shown to be safe and effective, it could be available to the general population in late March or early April.
Moderna began its phase 3 clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine in the US in July.
It is one of four companies that have begun Phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine trials in the US The others are Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer / BioNTech and AstraZeneca.
The AstraZeneca trial was paused after an unexplained illness in a volunteer, and US health authorities are still considering crucial questions that remain around injections of the experimental vaccine.
"I think a late first quarter and early second quarter approval is a reasonable timeframe, based on what we know about our vaccine," Bancel told a conference organized by the Financial Times.
But there are several steps that will have to come before that.
If the safety and efficacy data are verified, Bancel says it hopes Moderna will be able to file a Biologics License Application (BLA) with the US Food and Drug Administration in late January or early February.
That request asks the FDA to consider granting a full license to a drug, while an Emergency Use Authorization (US) streamlines the use of a drug candidate in an emergency.
Moderna could apply for an EUA starting November 25 for people who are considered high priority, including healthcare workers and the elderly, Bancel said at a conference organized by the Financial Times.
Until a vaccine is available, experts have said that the country's most powerful tools against the pandemic are face masks and other safety measures such as physical distancing.
But even when a vaccine is ready, health officials like Fauci have said there will still be room for the virus to spread, as the vaccine is unlikely to be 100% effective or to be given by 100% of the population. .
"I think if we can vaccinate 75 to 80% of the population, I think it would be a really good achievement," Fauci said last week.
5 hours ago
Another 837,000 Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week
By Anneken Tappe
(Spencer Platt / Getty Images)
The job recovery in the United States continues, albeit at a slow pace.
Another 837,000 Americans applied for unemployment benefits for the first time last week, on a seasonally adjusted basis.
That was slightly less than the week before, although last week's figures do not include updated figures for California, which halted processing of initial applications for two weeks.
The state is working on a large backlog of claims for unemployment benefits and implementing fraud prevention.
The Department of Labor estimated California's initial grant figures to double the figures reported the previous week.
Applications under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program that Congress created to help workers who would not normally be eligible for benefits, such as the self-employed, totaled 650,120.
Adding all this up, there were 1.4 million first-time grant applications in total last week, roughly on par with the week before.
Rolling claims, which count workers who have applied for benefits for at least two consecutive weeks, totaled 11.8 million on a seasonally adjusted basis.
The slowdown in the rate of decline in initial applications is further evidence that the economic recovery is losing steam.
Thursday's Labor Department report on jobless claims is just the last in this week's report card on the labor market - the government jobs report, the last before the election, is due on Friday. .
Economists expect 850,000 jobs to be added in September, bringing the unemployment rate to 8.2%, up from 8.4% in August.
5 hours ago
Peru will resume international flights to seven countries starting next week
Peru will resume international flights to seven South American countries starting on October 5, President MartĂn Vizcarra announced on Wednesday, the state news agency Andina reported.
The government of Peru approved the resumption of international air travel with flights no longer than 4 hours to destinations in six countries in the region: Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Panama, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile, Andina reported.
Peru closed its border during March 2015 after declaring a state of national emergency due to the covid-19 pandemic.
Only humanitarian flights were allowed so that Peruvians stranded abroad could return.
The Peruvian government will ask all passengers departing and arriving in the country to present a negative PCR test performed in the last 48 hours, President Vizcarra announced earlier this week.
On Wednesday night, Peru's Ministry of Health reported 3,061 new cases of covid-19, bringing the total number to 814,829.
The death toll in the country reached 32,463.
6 hours ago
This Thursday begins phase 4 of economic reactivation in Peru
(ERNESTO BENAVIDES / AFP via Getty Images)
This Thursday begins phase 4 of economic reactivation in Peru, which implies the resumption of new activities and expansion of capacity in which they were already authorized.
In a statement to the media on Wednesday, President MartĂn Vizcarra explained that these changes are aimed at improving productivity, the economy and job creation.
Stores that could have 50% occupancy can now go up to 60%.
Restaurants go up from 40 to 50%.
"We are increasingly improving the conditions for the economy to improve, but being responsible in caring for the health of all Peruvians," said the president.
The activity of bars, discos, casinos and gambling houses is still prohibited.
He warned that they will intensify the inspection since some establishments of this type operate clandestinely.
Until this Wednesday, the Ministry of Health reported 814,829 cases and 32,463 deaths from coronavirus.
6 hours ago
IMF approves agreement with Ecuador for US $ 6.5 billion for pandemic crisis
By Ana CucalĂłn
The International Monetary Fund reported this Wednesday that it approved an agreement with Ecuador for US $ 6.5 billion for 27 months.
According to a statement, the program aims to protect lives and livelihoods after the covid-19 pandemic and continue to support the South American country to stabilize the economy.
“The IMF-supported program under the SAF has two main objectives: first, to mitigate the crisis by protecting lives and livelihoods, as well as to restore economic stability;
and, second, to guarantee the sustainability of public finances and strengthen national institutions in order to lay the foundations for vigorous, durable and job-creating growth that benefits all Ecuadorians, ”said Kristalina Georgieva, president of the IMF.
8 hours ago
Phase 2 of the study for the vaccine against covid-19 begins in Panama
By Elizabeth González
This Wednesday, phase 2 of the study of the vaccine of the German biotechnology company CureVac AG began in Panama, in the search for a possible immunization against covid-19.
In the trial, which is carried out in Panama City, the dose was applied to 250 volunteers of legal age, mainly between 18 and 59 years old, the pharmacist explained in a press release.
The volunteers "will be evaluated by specialist physicians over the next 13 months to confirm the safety and appropriate dose of the drug," reported Dr. Xavier Sáez-Llorens, the study's principal investigator.
Before the application, all participants are required to sign a consent as a person widely informed about possible risks and side effects, and will be covered by an insurance policy if any adverse reaction occurs.
9 hours ago
CDC extends no-sail order for cruise ships until October
By Maggie Fox
(Photo by APU GOMES / AFP via Getty Images)
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday that the no-sail order for cruise ships will run until October 31.
"This order maintains the suspension of passenger operations on cruise ships with the capacity to transport at least 250 passengers in waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States," the CDC said in a statement.
The previous order expired on Wednesday.
“Cumulative surveillance data reported to the CDC from March 1 to September 29 shows at least 3,689 cases of covid-19 or covid-like illness on cruise ships in US waters, in addition to at least 41 reported deaths.
We recognize that these numbers are likely incomplete and underestimated.
On Tuesday, a federal health official told CNN that CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield was unable to convince the White House to extend the order until next year.
The CDC statement says that recent outbreaks on cruise ships had shown that ships could be used to "transmit and amplify" the spread of the coronavirus, increasing the possibility of new infections in US communities.
"Recent passenger travel in foreign countries continues to have outbreaks, despite the fact that cruise operators have extensive health and safety protocols in place to prevent the transmission of (coronavirus) on board," the statement said.
9 hours ago
Families with children under 18 years report a serious financial impact from the pandemic
By Shelby Lin Erdman
Most American families with children under 18 across all racial and ethnic groups face "serious financial problems" as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. , NPR and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The survey found that 61% of US households with children under the age of 18 were dealing with financial difficulties due to the pandemic.
The survey also found that more than half of American households experienced pay cuts or lost jobs during the same time period.
The survey was conducted from July 1 to August 3 and involved 3,454 respondents, aged 18 and over, of whom 1,000 reported having children under the age of 18 in their homes.
The survey also found that 44% of households with children reported spending all or most of their savings during the pandemic.
11% said they had no savings before the outbreak.
Six out of 10 families with children reported that an adult in the household had lost a job, a business, been placed on leave, or faced a reduction in wages or hours of work since the pandemic began, according to the survey, which which caused "serious financial problems."
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 59% of households with children had problems taking care of their children and 36% had problems keeping their children's studies intact, the survey revealed.
The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 6 percentage points.
10 hours ago
United Airlines also prepares layoffs
By Pete Muntean
United Airlines said it will begin laying off more than 13,000 employees on Thursday.
Like American Airlines, which announced it will also begin licensing its workers on Thursday, United said it would keep employees if Congress reached a stimulus deal soon.
“In an ongoing effort to provide the federal government with every opportunity to act, we have made clear to administration leaders, Congress, and among our union partners that we can reverse the licensing process if the Payroll Support Program the CARES Act expanded in the coming days.
We plead with our elected leaders to compromise, make a deal now, and save jobs, "United said in a letter to employees.
The letter adds: "To the 13,000 members of our family who are leaving: thank you for your dedication and we look forward to welcoming you back."
A bit of context: American Airlines announced that it will begin laying off 19,000 workers on Thursday.
10 hours ago
American Airlines ready to lay off 19,000 workers
By Pete Muntean
American Airlines reported that it is prepared to lay off 19,000 workers starting this Thursday.
However, the airline says it is ready to reverse the measure if the US Congress reaches an agreement soon.
In a new letter to employees, U.S. CEO Doug Parker says he was hopeful that Wednesday's talks between Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin would result in a last-minute agreement to extend airline payroll support for six months, thus avoiding licenses.
"Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that any of these efforts will materialize," Parker wrote to employees.
“However, in an effort to foster cooperation and keep hope alive for our team, I informed the secretary that if these efforts to extend the PSP are successful in the coming days, we will reverse our licensing processes and remove any member of the affected equipment ”.
A bit of context: A CNN analysis found that approximately 50,000 flight attendants, pilots, mechanics and gate agents will face the loss of their jobs.
10 hours ago
New CDC forecast sees overall flattening of deaths
By Maggie Fox
The most recent forecast from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projects that between 219,000 and 232,000 Americans will have died from the coronavirus by October 24.
The so-called joint forecast, based on more than three dozen other forecasting models, shows great variation in predictions of how many people are likely to die in the next three weeks.
"This week's national joint forecast indicates an uncertain trend in new COVID-19 deaths reported over the next four weeks and predicts that between 2,700 and 8,600 new deaths will likely be reported during the week ending October 24, 2020" the CDC said at its screening.
Some of the variations depend on how people are expected to comply with social distancing measures.
The CDC's latest joint forecast, released Sept. 24, projected between 214,000 and 226,000 coronavirus deaths in the United States by Oct. 17.
Unlike some individual models, the CDC's joint forecast only offers projections for a few weeks into the future.
According to Johns Hopkins University, 206,825 people have died from coronavirus in the US, with 7.2 million reported cases.
10 hours ago
Coronavirus cases in Latin America
By CNN Spanish
Argentina registers a new maximum of daily cases, with 14,392 infected, and is close to 17,000 deaths related to the virus
The Argentine government confirmed this Wednesday 14,392 new cases of covid-19.
This figure, a new record, brings the total number of cases to 751,001.
In addition, there are 419 new deaths related to the virus.
This brings the total of deaths to 16,937.
Bolivia exceeds 135,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus
With the number of 670 new confirmed cases of covid-19, Bolivia adds a total of 135,311 positive cases nationwide, according to the report of the Ministry of Health this Wednesday.
To date, the country registers 7,965 deaths, 95,529 recovered patients and 2,893 suspected cases.
Colombia close to 830,000 confirmed cases of covid-19
The Colombian government reported 5,637 new cases of covid-19 this Wednesday.
This brings the total number of cases to 829,679.
The country also registers 170 new deaths related to the coronavirus, for a total of 25,998.
To date, according to government data, 743,653 people have recovered from the virus.
Honduras reports 802 new cases of coronavirus
Honduras reported 802 new cases of coronavirus this Wednesday, so the total cases increased to 76,900.
The authorities also reported 30 new deaths from causes related to covid-19, adding a total of 2,353 deaths.
Peru approaches 815,000 cases of covid-19
The government of Peru confirmed 3,061 new cases of covid-19, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the country to 814,829.
At the moment, 7,609 people with the virus are hospitalized, of these, 1,358 are under intensive care.
To date, 32,463 people with Covid-19 have died.
11 hours ago
By CNN Spanish
Check here the coverage of the coronavirus of September 30
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