Wow...I just learned something new. I didn't know the CDC was involved in regulations concerning Eviction Moratorium. One would think it would be the HUD until I read the following: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), located within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces the issuance of an Order under Section 361 of the Public Health Service Act to temporarily halt residential evictions to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. Just like during the 2008 - 2010 U.S. financial collapse...people need to pay their bills or make other living arrangements instead of waiting all the way to the end for an eviction / foreclosure. Hope that woman and her child have a place to go to for help. That's one of the things about Pandemics that's unfair to many...the poor become poorer and the rich become richer. I'm lucky that none of my relatives or close friends have not been in need. I've been letting my girlfriend live at my condo during the Pandemic because its close to the hospital (walking distance) whereas I and my kids stay at my house outside of the city limits. She sold her condo early in the Pandemic because she wasn't sure if she would be able to endure her job in this Pandemic. I see more retail businesses going out of business signs or closed because they're out of business. A lot of vacancy. Strangely, driving around the neighborhoods...didn't see any homes with "For Sale" signs. wrbtrader
HUD or HHS can issue all the orders they can type. It does not mean they have power to govern or suspend evictions for a long as the wish... if at all. And... for that matter states might not even have the power to suspend evictions for an indefinite time. Thank Goodness for our inalienable rights, contract rights and our Constitution.
The warning signs of a longer pandemic https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-p...nes-ffd86d47-2a74-4285-b0d9-4f5a42febf6c.html All the things that could prolong the COVID-19 pandemic — that could make this virus a part of our lives longer than anyone wants — are playing out right in front of our eyes. The big picture: Right now, the U.S. is still making fantastic progress on vaccinations. But as variants of the virus cause new outbreaks and infect more children, the U.S. is also getting a preview of what the future could hold if our vaccination push loses steam — as experts fear it soon might. Driving the news: The British variant is driving another surge in cases in Michigan, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has resisted reimposing any of the lockdown measures she embraced earlier in the pandemic. Variants are beginning to infect more kids, even as schools are on the fast track back to reopening, making the pandemic “a brand new ball game,” as University of Minnesota epidemiologist Michael Osterholm recently put it. New research confirms that our existing vaccines don’t work as well against the South African variant. Between the lines: This is a preview of the longer, darker coronavirus future the U.S. may face without sufficient vaccinations — one that many experts see as pretty likely. Although the pace of vaccinations is still strong, there’s a growing fear that it’s about to slow down. In some parts of the country, particularly the South, demand for shots has already slowed down enough to create a surplus of available doses. How it works: The more widely a virus can spread, the more opportunities it has to mutate. If the U.S. and ultimately the world don’t vaccinate a sufficient percentage of the population, we’ll be setting ourselves up to let the virus keep spreading, and keep mutating, continuing to give us new variants that will continue to pose new threats. The concern isn’t necessarily that the facts on the ground today could end up being disastrous. The vaccines work against the British variant; the South African variant is not, at this point, a dominant strain within the U.S.; and we will eventually be able to vaccinate at least some children, helping the U.S.’ progress toward herd immunity. But if we don’t control the virus well enough, then even years into the future, we could be living through more new variants — some of which might be more deadly, some of which might be more resistant to vaccines, some of which might be more dangerous for certain specific populations. That would translate into an ongoing risk of illness or potentially death for unvaccinated people and new races to reformulate vaccines as new variants keep emerging. And it would lead to a world in which today’s vaccine-eager population would have to stay on top of those emerging risks, get booster shots when they’re available, and perhaps revive some of the pandemic’s social-distancing measures, in order to stay safe. The bottom line: This darker future is preventable, and our abundant supply of highly effective vaccines is the way to prevent it. The more people get vaccinated now, the smaller the role COVID-19 is likely to play in the rest of our lives.
CDC Won't Alter Vaccine Distribution Plan, Urges States To Shut Things Down https://www.iheart.com/content/2021...bution-plan-urges-states-to-shut-things-down/ The White House said that it will not be altering its vaccine distribution plan in response to a surge of cases in Michigan. During a Monday (April 12) morning press briefing, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that officials need to "shut things down" to deal with the recent uptick in new cases. Over the past week, Michigan saw a 16% surge in the average number of daily COVID-19 infections. According to MLive.com, more cases were reported between April 7-10 than there were during the entire month of February. While Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has called on the CDC to provide her state with more vaccines, federal officials have refused, saying the state needs to put new restrictions in place to deal with the rise in cases. "Really, what we need to do in those situations is to shut things down," Walensky said. "If we tried to vaccinate our way out of what is happening in Michigan, we would be disappointed that it took so long for the vaccine to work to actually have the impact." Walensky pointed out that it will take several weeks before the vaccines will have an effect. Health officials say that a person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving their final dose. Because the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines require a second shot, given three to four weeks after the first injection, it could up to six weeks before a person is considered fully vaccinated. "So when you have an acute situation — an extraordinary number of cases like we have in Michigan — the answer is not necessarily to give the vaccine," Walensky said. "The answer to that is to really close things down, to go back to our basics, to go back to where we were last spring, last summer, and to shut things down, to flatten the curve, to decrease contact with one another to test to the extent that we have available, to contact trace." Andy Slavitt, White House COVID-19 adviser, pointed out that other states need those vaccines as well, and it is impossible to know where the next surge in cases may occur. "Our ability to vaccinate people quickly in all of each of those states — rather than taking vaccines and shifting it to playing Whack-a-Mole — isn't the strategy that public health leaders and scientists have laid out," Slavitt said.
This is the problem facing the U.S. with variants...... our ICUs will be filled with younger people. While younger people may be less likely to die they will still overwhelm our ICUs and suffer from "long-COVID" upon their release. Majority of Brazil COVID-19 ICU patients aged 40 years or younger https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-brazil-idUSKBN2C02UB In German hospital, doctors worried as younger patients fill beds https://www.france24.com/en/live-ne...doctors-worried-as-younger-patients-fill-beds
NFL effectively mandates COVID vaccinations for coaches, other staff https://www.axios.com/nfl-covid-vaccination-coaches-staff-c5c859b2-3f30-46fb-b8e4-092333ff2cff.html The NFL outlined in a memo sent to all 32 teams that support staff, including coaches and trainers, should be vaccinated against COVID-19 "unless they have a bona fide medical or religious ground for not doing so." Why it matters: Anyone who doesn't fit this category and refuses vaccination will be ineligible for Tier 1 or 2 status and "will not be permitted access to the 'football only' restricted area and may not work directly or in close proximity with players," according to the memo, first reported by the NFL Network. This effectively mandates coronavirus vaccination among all NFL support staff. Details: Teams will be required to report weekly on how many employees have been inoculated. The memo states that the league is actively discussing with the National Football League Players Association a "set of protocol changes that would apply to clubs where vaccination levels reach a certain threshold." It "would give vaccinated individuals significant relief from requirements related to testing, PPE use, physical distancing, travel and other subjects," the statement added. The NFL expects teams to hold informational sessions with players, staff and their families on vaccinations, using stadiums and training centers as vaccination sites. "The overwhelming consensus among medical and public health experts is that the most effective way for someone to avoid the risk of contracting COVID-19 — and the risk of infecting others — is to be vaccinated."— excerpt from NFL memo The big picture: The NFL stepped up precautions against the coronavirus early in the pandemic, implementing social distancing, testing, contact tracing and isolation across the board. These health measures were in place for the Super Bowl this February. Officials were also prepared to postpone games and bench players to prevent the spread, Axios' Caitlin Owens notes. What they're saying: The NFL did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment, but a spokesperson told the New York Times in a statement that its team facilities "proved to be among the safest places in the world in 2020" thanks to "comprehensive protocols that were developed in conjunction with public health officials. "Having team personnel vaccinated will benefit these individuals and their families, will make the facilities even safer and also provide another step toward returning to normalcy," the statement added. Of note: The Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks announced in separate statements Tuesday they wouldn't join in-person workouts for this offseason in an effort to avoid the spread of COVID-19.
Biden warns if Americans don’t get COVID jabs they might have to cancel July 4 https://nypost.com/2021/04/21/biden...vid-vaccine-they-might-have-to-cancel-july-4/ President Biden on Wednesday warned Americans they may have to cancel “small” outdoor gatherings on the Fourth of July if there’s a slowdown of COVID-19 vaccinations. More than 51 percent of American adults have received at least one vaccine dose, according to CDC data, indicating that herd immunity and the pandemic’s end are near. But Biden said at the White House that he’s not yet comfortable saying people can hold small outdoor gatherings on Independence Day. “Back on March 11, I outlined a vision of what America could look like by the Fourth of July — an America that was much closer to normal life that we left behind more than a year ago,” Biden said. He warned: “To celebrate our independence from this virus on July 4th with family and friends in small groups, we still have more to do in the months of May and June. We all need to mask up until the number of cases goes down, until everyone has a chance to get their shot.” Biden proposed in a March primetime address that people could host “small” outdoor gatherings for the summer holiday. The idea drew Republican criticism due to the efficacy of vaccines and low outdoor transmission rates. Retired Admiral Brett Giroir, assistant secretary of health last year, countered Biden, saying that “by July, we should be almost back to normal with herd immunity, with everybody getting vaccines.” “I don’t know what reality he’s talking about,” Giroir said. “It seemed very disconnected from the reality and where we are and what the science says. Science says small gatherings outdoors is fine.” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said “the president’s proclamation was far out of step with what’s already happening across the country.” “It was advice for an alternate universe. The president and his advisers may need to get out more,” McConnell said. “”Americans are already getting together in small groups outdoors in blue states and red states, in small towns and big cities. The country is not locked down waiting for July 4.”
Want to travel to Europe from the U.S.? -- better have your proof of vaccination. EU says fully-vaccinated Americans with ‘proof of immunity’ can visit Europe this summer https://metro.co.uk/2021/04/26/eu-s...-can-visit-in-summer-14473173/?ito=smart-news Fully-vaccinated Americans with proof of immunity will be able to visit Europe this summer. That’s according to the head of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, who has said trans-Atlantic travel will get back up and running in the coming weeks. Speaking to The New York Times, she revealed how the EU and the US are in advanced talks on how to make vaccine certificates acceptable for travel, but warned the program will only be possible if their respective vaccine rollouts continue as planned. Von der Leyen said she expects a ‘free moment’ agreement to be in place between the US and Europe in time for summer holidays, more than a year after all non-essential travel grounded to a halt due to the spread of coronavirus. She also said the deal will be possible because the US is using vaccines that are also most widely in use in Europe. ‘The Americans, as far as I can see, use European Medicines Agency-approved vaccines. This will enable free movement and the travel to the European Union’, said Von der Leyen. She added: ‘Because one thing is clear, all 27 member states will accept, unconditionally, all those who are vaccinated with vaccines that are approved by EMA’. As of yet there is no sign of a similar agreement between the UK and the US or the UK and Europe, despite Britain’s successful vaccine rollout. So far the UK has given one vaccine injection to more than half of population, 33.6million, and has fully-vaccinated another 12.5million people. That means well over half of the UK population, 68%, has received at least one jab, which is almost exactly the same amount, in relative terms based on population, as the US. America has fully-vaccinated 95million people and has given one jab to another 140million. Von der Leyen did not say exactly when American tourists will be able to travel to the EU, but her comments represent the biggest statement of intent about international travel from the EU since the pandemic began. She noted that the US was ‘on track’ with its vaccine rollout and is making ‘huge progress’ with its bid to reach herd immunity, or the vaccination of 70% of adults, by mid-June. She did stress, however, that the return of trans-Atlantic travel will depend on the continued suppression of the virus. Von der Leyen said the deal will be underpinned by ‘the epidemiological situation, but the situation is improving in the United States, as it is, hopefully, also improving in the European Union’. Technical discussions have been going on for several weeks between European Union and officials in the US on how to make vaccine certificates work reliably, so that tourists can travel freely. These discussions are continuing, according to officials in Brussels said, and it is possible that a low-tech solution would be used in the near future to enable free travel to vaccinated air passengers. Officials hope that government-issued vaccine certificates will play a part in travel between the European Union and America to provide proof of immunity. While individual member states will be able to make the own rules for who can visit their countries, Von der Leyen’s comments suggest the European Commission will recommend a blanket change in travel policy in the near future. Until now, nonessential travel to the EU from the US has been officially banned with the exception of visitors from countries where cases rates are extremely low, like Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. The UK, meanwhile, is expected to announce its shortlist of ‘green’ countries that the government deems safe to travel to, on May 17. It’s not yet clear, however, which countries will make that list and if the countries on the list will be willing to accept British visitors.
Just waiting for the stories about Trump-loving Americans trapped in European airports screaming about personal freedoms and government discrimination... Europe to set a global vaccine passport standard https://www.axios.com/europe-vaccin...oof-422bae3d-3689-4d76-8a7a-397b72e146f4.html Europe seems poised to set the global standard for vaccine passports, now that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has signaled that vaccinated Americans will be allowed to travel to the continent this summer. Why it matters: Opening up travel to vaccinated Americans will bring new urgency to creating some kind of trusted means for people to prove they've been vaccinated. The big picture: There will probably never be a single credential that most people use to prove they've been vaccinated, for every purpose. But the EU's system will help set a standard for a proof of vaccination that's both easily accessible and difficult to forge. The U.S. is being closely consulted on the European passport, so any future American system will likely use similar protocols. Details: Informal mechanisms like simply asking someone whether they're had a shot can suffice in many situations. A system for international travel will likely be far more stringent. And there's a wide middle, too. Other activities that don't need the same rigorous standards as international travel could rely on the CDC's vaccination cards; options like a printed QR code, similar to what's been proposed by PathCheck; or a digital QR code, like the ones created by CommonPass or the Vaccine Credential Initiative. There may be some state-issued credentials, like the Excelsior Pass in New York. A national credential is theoretically possible, and could be linked to the biometric information that already exists on many chipped passports — the World Health Organization is working with Estonia to develop something along those lines — but that would meet steep political resistance in the U.S. The bottom line: The world of vaccine passports is almost certainly going to end up as a mishmash of different credentials for different activities, rather than a single credential used by everybody for everything. Go deeper: Americans will likely have to navigate a maze of vaccine "passports"