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- According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 52 million people have contracted COVID-19 globally and at least 1,290,000 have died.
- News of a successful Pfizer vaccine has given people hope, although its price and availability are still in question as the US rushes to purchase ultra-cold freezers for storage.
- US President Donald Trump speaks publicly for the first time in eight days about vaccination efforts.
- The governments of the Americas and Europe continue to report alarming numbers of infections as blockade measures rise.
Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s ongoing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. This is Creede Newton.
Dozens of US intelligence officers affected by COVID-19
More than 130 U.S. intelligence officers assigned to protect President Donald Trump have been sidelined by COVID-19, the Washington Post reported Friday, the latest evidence of a White House outbreak.
The Post did not say how many agents tested positive for the virus compared to those who had to isolate themselves due to close contact with an infected colleague. He said about 10% of the main security team had been sidelined.
Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19 in early October and received experimental treatments in government-provided care.
Read more here.
Biden: “Urgent action is needed today” to stop the spread of the pandemic
Biden met with his transition team’s advisory committee on the pandemic and said the current administration must work to address the problem now.
This crisis requires a robust and immediate federal response, which has been woefully lacking, “said Biden, who will not rise to the presidency until January 2021, in a statement released shortly before Trump’s speech on Operation Warp Speed’s vaccination efforts. .
“The crisis does not meet the dates on the calendar, it is accelerating at the moment. Urgent action is needed today, now, by the current administration, starting with the recognition of the gravity of the current situation “.
Biden also called on US citizens to increase hand washing, social distancing and the use of masks.
Italy extends blockade as Naples and Florence enter the ‘red zone’
The regions of Italy that include the cities of Naples and Florence have been “red zones” since Friday, a designation the Italian government created as part of a tiered system to limit spread.
It’s a color-coded three-tier system, with red being the least restrictive, orange in the middle, and yellow being the most serious top tier. Regions designated as red zones are subject to partial lockouts whereby only grocery stores, pharmacies, newsstands and other stores deemed necessary may remain open.
The director of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Gianni Rezza, said the stricter measures were justified by a “worrying increase in hospitalizations”, given that the rate of new confirmed cases in Italy reached 650 per 100,000 people.
The situation has intensified in the Campania region, where Naples is located. Admissions went from 421 on 1 October to 2,153 on Friday and 183 people are currently in intensive care, up from 38 six weeks ago.
The United States is rushing to purchase ultra-low temperature freezers for vaccine storage
U.S. states, cities, and hospitals are rushing to purchase ultra-low-temperature (ULT) freezers that can safely store Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, even as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC ) advise them to wait.
Pfizer’s vaccine, which has shown promising results, should be stored at temperatures of -70 ° C (-94 ° F).
The push reveals a lack of infrastructure to support a cold vaccine campaign. Some specialty freezer manufacturers warn to wait months for units.
NEW: After the longest time the president has not appeared during his term, the WH announces that it will deliver a vaccine update at 4pm at the Rose Garden.
– Kelly O’Donnell (@KellyO) November 13, 2020
It also marks widespread distrust of the CDC board, which on Aug. 26 urged healthcare professionals not to purchase ULTs, saying it was working on solutions for Pfizer’s “very complex storage and handling requirements”.
Biden team pushes for intel, access to COVID information
President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team has requested access to intelligence and information on current efforts against coronavirus pandemics.
“There are areas where as much as President-elect Biden has worked on political issues from national security to health for decades, real-time information is needed to address the crises of the moment,” said Jen Psaki, Biden Harris Transition adviser quoted. as reported by the Associated Press.
President-elect Joe Biden speaks at the Queen Theater, Tuesday, November 10, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo / Carolyn Kaster)President Donald Trump’s administration has kept Biden out of the Presidential Daily Brief (PDB), the nation’s most sensitive intelligence daily ultra-secret briefing, is a critical part of keeping the president fully informed and, in recent years, the president -select fully prepared.
“So there are areas, then on the COVID front, like access to ongoing work on distribution plans, vaccine development, that direct engagement with agencies would significantly help our preparations to govern,” he said. Psaki.
Russia begins night closing of bars and restaurants as cases grow at a record pace
Russia reported a record 21,983 new coronavirus infections on Friday, as Moscow prepared to close restaurants and bars overnight in an effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite a recent increase, Russian authorities have resisted the imposition of lockdown restrictions as they did earlier this year, emphasizing instead the importance of hygiene, social distancing and the introduction of targeted measures in some regions.
Moscow, which has reported 5,974 new cases in the past 24 hours, has ordered the closure of bars, restaurants and nightclubs between 11pm and 6am from Friday to mid-January. Officials have warned of raids and fines for non-conforming establishments.
Israel signs an agreement with Pfizer for a potential COVID-19 vaccine
Israel has signed an agreement with Pfizer to receive eight million doses of the drug maker’s potential COVID-19 vaccine, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, enough to cover nearly half of Israel’s population.
Prime Minister Netanyahu: “This is a great day for the State of Israel and a great day towards our victory over the coronavirus. In these moments, we are signing the agreement with @Pfizer receive 8 million doses of vaccine for 4 million Israeli citizens. “
https://t.co/IZtjhpalrn pic.twitter.com/MMTDoCQxxi– PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) November 13, 2020
The potential vaccine from Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech SE will likely be a two-dose treatment course, meaning 8 million doses would cover 4 million of Israel’s nearly 9 million inhabitants.
The Italian construction industry is suffering from a slowdown in the virus
Italian infrastructure group Atlantia made its predictions worse on Friday, saying the coronavirus would reduce its 2020 revenue by 3.5 billion euros ($ 4.1 billion) from last year.
In August, the group reported a possible drop in sales due to the pandemic of three billion euros.
The group also said operating cash flow, after capital expenditure, would decrease by € 2.2 billion.
Schools around the world are returning to distance learning
Faced with grim infection and hospitalization figures stemming from COVID-19, school systems in the United States and abroad are starting to cancel in-person education in favor of distance learning.
Boston, Detroit, Indianapolis, and Philadelphia are among those closing classrooms or abandoning plans to offer in-person classes throughout the school year, and New York City may be next.
Patrons enjoy food and drink at The Brass Rail in Hoboken, New Jersey as school systems in several states are abandoning in-person classes and some governors are re-imposing restrictions on bars and restaurants [File: Seth Wenig/AP Photo]
Transmission of the virus does not appear to be rampant within schools themselves. Instead, many of the infections that are proving to be so disruptive are believed to be occurring in the community.
Educators fear things could get worse during the upcoming vacation, when students and staff get together with family and friends or travel to other hotspots.
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