Walz to close bars, restaurants, fitness centers for 4 weeks
Gov. Tim Walz has ordered a four-week shutdown of bars, restaurants, entertainment venues and fitness clubs, starting Friday, to slow the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused more than 3,000 deaths in Minnesota and threatens to overwhelm hospital capacity.
The governor on Wednesday also ordered a pause on amateur sports and limited social gatherings to individual households — down from a cap imposed last week of 10 people from three households.
While Minnesotans are weary of the pandemic, and endured a broader 51-day state shutdown last spring, Walz said this latest order could keep more Minnesotans healthy and more hospital beds available until a vaccine becomes available.
“I know that hospitalizations are going to continue to go up for the next few weeks and I know that the death numbers will continue to go up for the next few weeks,” Walz said. “But the bright spot of this is, the moves we take now will start to bend that at just the time when the potential for a vaccine is coming. That’s what’s different, Minnesota, this time.”
Walz attempted a targeted response last week by restricting the sizes of wedding and funeral receptions and ordering bars and restaurants to close everything but takeout service by 10 p.m. The goal was to focus on group gathering locations where large outbreaks have occurred, but Walz and state Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said rapid changes in the pandemic forced broader action.
“Two weeks ago, I thought a 5,000-case day was horrific,” Malcolm said. “Now, that looks like a good day.”
In the eight days since that last order, Minnesota saw roughly 52,000 more lab-confirmed infections and 312 more deaths — bringing the state’s totals to 242,043 infections and 3,010 deaths. The 1,706 COVID-19 hospitalizations in Minnesota on Wednesday represented a 31% increase.
Walz’s four-week order also applies to movie theaters, bowling alleys and museums. The Minneapolis Institute of Art and Walker Art Center, which had reopened to limited audiences in mid-July, will close Saturday; Mia said it would open no earlier than Jan. 2.
Retail outlets are unaffected, along with salons, as Walz said state contact tracing has found little evidence that they are responsible for large outbreaks. Religious ceremonies also are unaffected along with weddings and funerals themselves, but celebrations and receptions are subject to the shutdown. And while bars and restaurants will be closed to in-person service, they can still provide takeout, drive-through and delivery service. Only five customers will be allowed inside an establishment at any one time to pick up orders.
Walz and health officials chose four weeks because that reflects two infection cycles with the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 — given its incubation period of up to 14 days. If people comply, Malcolm said the measures should level off the state infection rate and the positivity rate of diagnostic testing. Right now, 15.3% of tests turn up positive.
Walz said “the data will drive our decision” whether to end the restrictions at four weeks or extend them. Minnesota
Walz to close bars, restaurants and fitness centers for 4 weeks
Gov. Tim Walz will impose new restrictions on bars, restaurants and fitness centers starting Friday, closing them down to the public for four weeks as COVID-19 cases surge across the state.
Bars and restaurants will still be allowed to offer takeout services during that time, according to a source with knowledge of the restrictions. The new restrictions will also include a temporary pause on youth sports.
Walz will deliver an address to Minnesotans at 6 p.m. Wednesday to discuss the latest steps in his response to COVID-19.
The closures come days after the governor implemented a 10 p.m. curfew for bars and restaurants and put restrictions on bar seating and games.
But Minnesota health officials have warned the state is heading to a dangerous phase of the pandemic. On Tuesday, the state reported 26 new COVID-19 deaths and 5,945 new coronavirus infections, with 1,669 people with COVID-19 occupying inpatients beds in Minnesota and 346 needing intensive care — a record number of hospitalizations.
Republicans in the Legislature are asking Walz to announce the new restrictions immediately to help restaurants and bars plan for the changes.
“Minnesotans recognize how grave the situation is with COVID-19 spreading uncontrolled throughout the state,” said Rep. Dave Baker, R-Willmar. “We’re ready to do our part for our health care workers, no matter how difficult the coming weeks will be, and prevent a capacity crisis for our hospitals and health care facilities. But we need to do this together with transparency.”
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Hyderabad dentist who was kidnapped dies two weeks after dramatic rescue
Behjath Hussain, the Hyderabad dentist who was rescued from an elaborately planned kidnap two weeks ago, passed away on Wednesday. Hussain, who was 56, was abducted on October 27 in the afternoon. The kidnappers had worn burqas, and were brandishing what were later found to be toy pistols. Demanding a ransom of Rs 10 crore in bitcoin, the accused were escorting Hussain to a location in Karnataka to wait until they received the amount. They were intercepted by police in Andhra’s Raptadu town in the early hours of October 28, and Hussain was rescued. In less than two weeks, however, he died after suffering a heart attack.
“Hussain’s family informed us yesterday that he had passed away, and that he had suffered a heart attack on Tuesday night,” Rajendranagar Inspector of Police G Suresh told TNM. Hussain was kidnapped from his hospital in Bandlaguda, located in the Rajendranagar police station limits. According to reports, other than the trauma he suffered, he had also been upset that a family member was behind the kidnap plot.
The police personnel who rescued him had said that the doctor was made to sit on the floor of the car, and could have easily been mistaken for a bag of luggage. The kidnappers had tied up Hussain’s wrists, and a long piece of cloth was found rotated around his neck along with a lot of packing tape. Covered with a sheet, Hussain was found writhing in pain with his fingers and legs bruised. Narrating the events, Hussain had said that the kidnappers beat him as he tried to resist, before carrying him away from his hospital.
The Cyberabad police nabbed seven of the 12 accused, all of them in the age group of 18 to 28 years. The prime accused was found to be a relative of the dentist’s wife, who had been living in Australia and planned the kidnapping for money. The 12 accused had been split into two teams, one to carry out the abduction and one to escort Hussain to Karnataka to a safe location, where they would wait until the ransom was received. Three of the accused are from Udupi in Karnataka, and some of them were from Pune in Maharashtra while the others were from Hyderabad.
Read: Kidnapped Hyderabad dentist rescued, kidnappers demanded Rs 10 crore in bitcoins
City dentist dies of heart attack weeks after rescue | Hyderabad News
“The dentist was suffering from shock and trauma since he came back and wasn’t being able to get over that a family member was behind it. he was in shock,” said a police officer probing the case.
While the cops arrested 12 suspects within 24 hours, but the kingpin of the kidnapping racket identified as the brother-in-law of the dentist, is still at large and reportedly hiding in Maharashtra.
The kidnappers demanded a ransom of Rs 1 crore but the police foiled the plan.
Behjat Hussain suffered a heart attack on Wednesday morning upon which he was rushed to the hospital and later he died. The family members performed his funeral at a local graveyard in Hussaini Alam area in the old city.
On October 26, a team of 13 inter-state kidnappers abducted the dentist for ransom from his clinic at Qismatpur village, Bandlaguda Jagir under Rajendra Nagar police station limits and while the victim was being shifted to Bengaluru, a police team from Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh intercepted the car and rescued the doctor.
New Coronavirus Cases In Bucks Co. Doubled In Past 2 Weeks
BUCKS COUNTY, PA — The number of new coronavirus cases reported in Bucks County has doubled in the past two weeks, with the county now reporting its biggest numbers since early May.
The Bucks County Department of Health reported 465 new infections from Oct. 25-31, an average of about 66 cases per day. That’s a 22 percent spike over the previous week and the most cases Bucks has seen since the first week of May, when new infections averaged 85 per day.
That week in May was also one of the pandemic’s deadliest in Bucks County, with 71 deaths reported and 195 people hospitalized with COVID-19. In contrast, last week, one new death was reported in Bucks County and 12 were hospitalized as of Saturday, with two in critical condition and on ventilators.
RELATED: Fall Coronavirus Surge Accelerating In Pennsylvania, Data Shows
“Even though our cases have doubled over the past two weeks, the overall numbers of seriously ill people have remained pretty much the same. That’s an excellent sign,” said Dr. David Damsker, director of the health department. “Another promising indicator is that, despite seeing some cases in teachers and students, reopened schools themselves are not contributing to levels of community spread.”
The spike in Bucks County came as Pennsylvania, and much of the nation, was in the midst of a full-on fall coronavirus surge. Friday was a new national record, with 99,321 new cases and more than 1,000 deaths reported.
Pennsylvania exceeded 2,500 new cases for the first time on Friday and its seven-day average of nearly 2,100 cases also was a record high. It was more than double last month’s daily average.
Experts say improved techniques for treating patients are a main reason for the lower rate of serious cases and deaths recently. They include the use of certain steroids and antiviral drugs. In Pennsylvania, the death rate in October was 1.4 deaths per 100 cases, compared to 12.2 in May.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said the state is in a “much better place than we were in the spring” and that officials are not considering dramatic shutdown measures like those used early in the pandemic.
Of the 465 new coronavirus cases reported in Bucks County last week, 200 were a result of household spread, according to contact tracing. Another 104 were attributed to pure community spread, where the patient isn’t sure how they got the virus, 37 happened in the workplace and 28 came from out-of-state travel.
Eighteen are healthcare workers, 15 are residents or staff of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities and 27 were delayed reports of old cases no longer considered infectious. Another 63 people were unable to be reached and fully interviewed.
Since the pandemic began, Bucks County had 9,807 residents test positive for the coronavirus, as of Saturday. A total of 536 people had died from the virus, while 8,620 had been confirmed to have recovered.
The median age of those who have gotten sick in Bucks
Number of new cases last week double previous week’s total
The number of new coronavirus cases last week was not only a record for Midland County but was double the total of new cases from one week earlier.
The 535 new cases reported by the Midland Health Department last week was 117 more than the previous high total during the pandemic (418 from July 19-25), but also was one shy of doubling the total from Oct. 11-17 (268).
Statistics also showed this past week’s increase was the fifth increase in weekly cases in six weeks (since Sept. 6-12, when health department officials reported 79 cases in one week – a low during the summer).
The case count in Midland County last week also was noteworthy as it represented the first time during the pandemic that there were 100 or more cases during all five reporting days.
The health department also reported 1,783 active cases (an increase of 308 week over week) and 2,854 recoveries (an increase of 208). There were four COVID-19-related deaths reported last week – including two on Saturday. The number of deaths last week was one more death than the previous week.
The deaths reported on Saturday bring the total during the pandemic to 92.
The 91st patient is a man in his 70s who had underlying health conditions and was being treated at Midland Memorial Hospital. He died Friday.
The 92nd patient is a man in his 80s who had underlying health conditions and was being treated at MMH. He died Saturday.
Most cases in a week
Oct. 19-22 535
July 19-25 418
Aug. 2-8 414
July 26-Aug. 1 372
Coronavirus report
Monday: 106
Tuesday: 116
Wednesday: 105
Thursday: 104
Friday 104
By weeks
March 15-21 3
March 22-28 8
March 29-April 4 13
April 5-11 8
April 12-18 10
April 19-25 29
April 26-May 2 13
May 3-9 17
May 10-16 19
May 17-23 4
May 24-30 5
May 31-June 6 26
June 7-June 13 46
June 14-20 121
June 21-27 241
June 28-July 4 209
July 5-11 335
July 12-18 283
July 19-25 418
July 26-Aug. 1 372
Aug. 2-8 414
Aug. 9-15 297
Aug. 16-22 194
Aug. 23-29 157
Aug. 30-Sept. 5 123
Sept. 6-12 79
Sept. 13-19 110
Sept. 20-26 156
Sept. 27-Oct. 3 236
Oct. 4-10 233
Oct. 11-17 268
Oct. 18-24 535
Total number of deaths
By weeks
July 5-11 4
July 12-18 6
July 19-25 10
July 26-Aug. 1 7
Aug. 2-8 7
Aug. 9-15 4
Aug. 16-22 9
Aug. 23-29 5
Aug. 30-Sept. 5 6
Sept. 6-12 4
Sept. 13-19 4
Sept. 20-26 2
Sept. 27-Oct. 3 2
Oct. 4-10 0
Oct. 11-17 3
Oct. 18-24 4
Source: Reporter-Telegram records
Larger West Texas counties
Last This
Week week
El Paso 31,478 37,263
Lubbock 14,921 16,602
Potter 7,021 7,540
Midland 4,397 4,771
Randall 4,188 4,762
Ector 3,448 3,660
Tom Green 2,452 2,558
Taylor 1,718 1,841
Also
Howard 1,011 1,058
Scurry 951 1,035
Dawson 697 787
Andrews 547 567
Gaines 454 503
Pecos423 446
Reeves239 256
Brewster 245 246
Ward
COVID-19 vaccine won’t be ready in weeks, nor mandatory
Harris says she would absolutely take a vaccine if it was recommended by public health professionals, but not if only President Trump says to.
USA TODAY
The claim: COVID-19 vaccine will be ready in weeks, and the government will force everyone to get it
The global effort to develop a COVID-19 vaccine has been a priority since the coronavirus pandemic started. Seven months into the U.S. outbreak, vaccine candidates are facing skepticism by some in the general public and various elected officials.
Leading health officials, such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, have maintained that a vaccine likely won’t be widely available until mid-2021. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has promised a vaccine before Election Day, prompting the Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris to accuse Trump of politicizing the vaccine and to question its safety, noting that she would take it only if the health experts said it was safe.
The effectiveness and safety of a COVID-19 vaccine is not the only thing people are worried about. Vaccine conspiracy theories that originated in anti-vaxxer communities have thrived anew in the COVID-19 era, including claims that the vaccine would implant microchips or that it will be mandatory for every American.
A post from from Before It’s News, a website that allows anyone to contribute, — which was shared 38,00 times as of Oct. 15 — furthers the conspiracy theory of a mandatory vaccine, with a headline reading, “The Government Has Released Their Initial Plans to Force a Vaccine on Everyone.”
The post also says, “Three potential vaccines are currently in Stage 3 trials in the United States and could be ready in weeks,” citing Trump.
USA TODAY reached out to the site’s Facebook page for comment.
We’ll look at the two claims here: Will a vaccine be mandatory? And, what does the development and distribution timeline really look like?
Will a vaccine be ready in weeks?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the general cycle for the development of a new vaccine has six stages: exploratory stage, pre-clinical stage, clinical development, regulatory review and approval, manufacturing and quality control.
The global prioritization of finding a COVID-19 vaccine has shortened the timeline of its development, which for a regular vaccine would usually take years. However, vaccine developers and institutions like the CDC are following existing protocols to ensure the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness.
As of Oct. 15, according to the World Health Organization, 42 vaccine candidates are in clinical evaluations and 156 are in preclinical evaluations.
16-year-old Katelyn Evans gets the first of two shots as part of a trial testing Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in minors. (Photo: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital)
The post from Before It’s News cites a Sept. 15 comment from Trump where he said a vaccine could be ready in a “matter of weeks.” On Oct. 5, Trump said vaccines would be ready “momentarily.” However, scientists disagree.
On Sept. 16, Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, said that while an effective vaccine could be developed before the
Trudeau challenges Trump’s claim that vaccine will be available ‘in weeks’, announces $214M for Canadian vaccine development
For more on today’s top stories and the spread of the novel coronavirus across the country, please refer to our live updates below throughout the day, as well as our COVID-19 news hub.
Trudeau says COVID-19 vaccine won’t come before the new year
At a press conference on Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to U.S. President’s Donald Trump’s claim that a viable COVID-19 vaccine could be available in a matter of “weeks,” if not by the end of the year.
“We are hopeful that the vaccines will arrive yesterday, but they won’t,” Trudeau said. “There’s still a number more months of work to do.”
“Reasonable expectation is that vaccines could start to arrive sometime in the new year but even then, there will be smaller amounts of doses that will have to be distributed to priority populations, I think of most vulnerable or our frontline workers.”
The prime minister also said Canada has “an excellent portfolio of vaccine potentials” but stressed that “nobody’s got a vaccine yet.”
“There are still trials going on, there are still a number of companies, some closer than others, but we are waiting to ensure that those vaccines are effective and further, that they will be safe for Canadians,’ Trudeau said. “Nothing will be distributed in Canada until Health Canada is absolutely certain that the safety of Canadians is being properly covered and taken care of.”
PM looking at Alberta travel pilot project to guide loosening border restriction
The prime minister also commented on yesterday’s announcement that Alberta will begin a pilot project in November, allowing travellers to be tested for COVID-19 upon returning to the province to reduce the required self-isolation time
“We’re interested in seeing the result of this pilot project, but it is only a pilot project,” Trudeau said. “As we move forward into the coming months and perhaps look at loosening some of the border restrictions internationally, we will be able to have data to rely on to make sure that we are first and foremost, keeping Canadian’s safe and controlling the spread of the virus.”
‘This is serious’
When speaking more generally about the COVID-19 situation in Canada, the prime minister stressed to Canadians that the daily case numbers in the country need to be reduced, as Canada saw its highest single-day increase on Thursday, totalling 2,786 cases.
“We have to get these numbers down, this is serious and everybody must do their part,” Trudeau said. “People’s lives are at stake, we can’t afford to be careless or think that this virus will just go away on its own.”
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, spoke specifically about the increases in outbreaks in long-term care facilities in Canada, including Ontario and Quebec.
“The size of the outbreaks are smaller than in the initial wave,” Dr. Tam identified. “I’m not sure exactly what that means, that could be people are identifying things more rapidly and putting in control measures, and the prevention is better, but
WHO Says It Will Have Advice on Remdesivir in Three-Four Weeks | Top News
GENEVA (Reuters) – The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday it is preparing guidelines on use of the drug remdesivir for COVID-19 and should be able to release them in three to four weeks.
The United States has given full approval for remdesivir to treat infections, the first COVID-19 treatment to receive regulatory endorsement there.
However, a large WHO study earlier this year on COVID-19 patients in hospital found that the drug probably had no effect on their survival rate.
“We would anticipate that the guidelines will be available within three to four weeks,” Janet Diaz, the WHO’s top official for clinical care responses, told a news conference.
A WHO panel will convene next week to look at all evidence of the effectiveness of the drug, made by Gilead Sciences
, she added. WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said the U.S. FDA drug regulator does not appear to have taken the results of the global health body’s study into account in giving approval.
“We believe our results are very robust,” Swaminathan said. “We hope that people who are doing treatment guidelines in other countries as well as regulators around the world will take note of our study results, in addition to the other evidence,” she said.
“Because you need to look at the global evidence for a drug, before you make decisions.”
(Reporting by John Miller, Stephanie Nebehay and Michael Shields; Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Andrew Cawthorne)
Copyright 2020 Thomson Reuters.
The Latest: Ireland sets new virus restrictions for 6 weeks
MILAN — LONDON — Ireland’s government is putting the country at its highest level of coronavirus restrictions for six weeks in a bid to combat a rise in infections.
Premier Micheal Martin said Monday the measures take effect at midnight Wednesday and run until Dec. 1.
People are being asked to stay at home, with exercise allowed only within a 5-kilometer (3-mile) radius of their home. Only essential stores can open. Restaurants and bars can provide only takeaway service. No social or family gatherings will be allowed in homes or private gardens, but schools will remain open to prioritize education.
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HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:
— Confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide top 40 million but experts say that’s only the tip of the iceberg
— Coronavirus vaccines will require non-stop refrigeration to stay potent and safe, which may leave 3 billion people without access to them
— India reports lowest daily virus death toll in three months; Belgium and Slovakia slap night-time curfews on residents to control virus spread.
— To avoid the economic hit of full lockdowns, some places are trying more targeted restrictions
— Congress is past the point of being able to deliver more coronavirus relief before the Nov. 3 election
— Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom says the state won’t allow distribution of coronavirus vaccines until it is reviewed by the state’s own panel of experts.
Newsom said Monday that California wants its own independent review no matter who wins the presidential election next month.
The governor named 11 doctors and scientists to review any rollout of vaccines by the federal government or vaccine developers. The board members hail from top California top universities and medical providers, along with state and local public health officials.
Newsom’s position pledge raises the possibility that California’s 40 million residents might not receive a vaccine as distribution begins in other states.
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SALEM, Ore. — As Oregon’s total number of confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic nears 40,000, state health officials say face-covering requirements are being expanded.
Currently, Oregonians are required to wear masks at indoor public spaces and outside where they cannot maintain six feet of space between others. Health officials said Monday that they are expanding the guidance to include all private and public workplaces, including classrooms, offices, meeting rooms, colleges, universities, outdoor markets and private career schools.
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AUSTIN, Texas — Health officials in Texas have reported 4,319 COVID-19 hospital patients, the most since Aug. 28.
The state estimated Monday that 82,930 coronavirus cases are active in Texas. That is about a third more than the 64,431 reported a month ago, on Sept. 20.
In Houston, schools in the state’s largest school district resumed in-person classes Monday for the first time since campuses doors were closed in March when the coronavirus came to Texas.
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JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves says