"Our progress in vaccination is a stunning example that there's nothing this country cannot do if we put our mind to hit and do it together," @POTUS says. "Our work is far from over. The war against Covid-19 is far from won. This is deadly serious."
President Biden announces that there will be 33 million doses of vaccine made available this week — a new record. This week, the administration will achieve the milestone of 75% of Americans over the age of 65 with at least one shot.
President Biden has directed @WHCOVIDResponse to ensure there is a vaccine site within 5 miles of 90% of all Americans by April 19.
This directive will more than double the number of pharmacies Americans can get vaccinated from 17,000 to 40,000.
Additionally, the administration will open 12 more community vaccination centers.
President Biden has also announced millions of dollars in assistance in the form of transportation, so more vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities can get their vaccines.
At least 90% of all adults in this country will be eligile by April 19, President Biden says.
The final 10% will be eligible no later than May 1.
President Biden answers a question from a reported upon leaving: Do you believe that some states should pause their reopening efforts?
"Yes."
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As @apoorva_nyc reports, the number of new Covid-19 cases in Florida has been steadily rising. With concerns of spring break spread, we are beginning to see in the data increased spread among the younger population. A short thread on the numbers: nytimes.com/2021/03/28/wor…
First, let's acknowledge the limitations. While many young people are traveling to Florida for spring break, many will not test positive until they return home. Regardless, evidence from @danielmangrum shows that spring break 2020 did contribute to spread.
Using epi line list data of all 2 million+ cases in the state since the pandemic began, we are beginning to see an uptick in two age bands: 15-24 (orange) and 25-34 (red). These are increasing more steeply than other age bands.
My thoughts: @drsanjaygupta excelled in dissecting every misstep of our pandemic preparedness and response in chronological order, pressing these officials on what they knew, when they knew it and the decisions they made as a result. History will remember those who were…
…complicit, those who did not speak the truth and hid behind the curtain while Americans perished. History will salute those like @RickABright, @OliviaTroye and others who spoke up and spoke truth to power. But above all, we must ensure…
…that future generations know the story of Covid-19 — the missteps, the mistakes and the lessons we learned — so that this large-scale American tragedy will never happen again. Our nation's heart grieves for the 548,828+ lives that have been lost from this pandemic…
Now on @CNN: @drsanjaygupta unpacks the U.S.' Covid-19 missteps and lessons learned with the nation's top doctors in a special documentary entitled #CovidWar. Follow along here for highlights.
Was there a moment when you thought this was the big one?
"When I saw what happened in New York City…it was like oh my goodness. That’s what it became very clear that the decision we made on January 10 to go all-out and develop a vaccine may have been the best decision."
On February 21, government officials and doctors held a simulation exercise in the Situation Room. "While containment was ideal," Dr. Robert Kadlec says, "it’s more likely than not that this virus is already in the United States and we needed to be prepared to go to mitigation."
An update on the situation in Michigan, which continues to worsen. The state has the highest confirmed cases per capita of B.1.1.7 in the country and we are seeing rising case counts in Minnesota as well. Test positivity is at 9% in the last week.
Michigan and Minnesota currently have the highest sequenced B.1.1.7 cases per capita, according to the CDC. Curious to see if these trends are related.
Over time, sequenced cases in Michigan have risen beyond the national rate.
A major study was announced today with 12,000 college students to help understand the impacts of Covid-19 vaccination on further spread and transmission. @lindsayaellis discusses the project here, which is funded by NIAID. Short thread on the study: chronicle.com/article/when-t…
The study will take place at 21 universities, many large institutions, nationwide. About half of the students will receive the vaccine injections right away, and the other half will receive the vaccine a few months later. The students will each identify “close contacts.”
These close contacts, around 25,000 of them, will also be in the study. Information on specifics was presented in today's White House briefing. The clinical trial record is available here, for those interested in specific endpoints. clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04…