Covid-19 Pandemic: Live Updates and News for March 24, 2021

Photographer: Christophe Archambault / AFP / Getty Images

AstraZeneca Plc said it will release up-to-date results from the final phase of the trial with its vaccine within 48 hours, in response to criticism from a US scientific agency. Millions more doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine are expected to be released after US regulators paved the way for a contract manufacturer to help produce them.

The head of the World Health Organization called recent increases in deaths and cases “trends that are really worrying.” Pfizer Inc. said it has begun human safety testing of a new coronavirus treatment pill that can be used at the first sign of illness.

Citigroup Inc. banned internal video calls on Friday and encouraged holidays in an effort to combat the workplace malaise caused by the pandemic.

Main Developments:

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Chicago Reports Increase In Cases (4:50 NY)

Chicago is seeing a rise in several of its Covid-19 stats.

The city’s daily cases, positivity rate, and related emergency room visits have been on the rise in recent weeks. The city sees about 350 cases per day, an increase from an average of about 270 to 280 per day over the past few weeks.

San Francisco opens offices and some bars (4:40 pm NY)

San Francisco will open offices, outdoor bars, and indoor recreational facilities as it moves to California’s orange level, the state’s second-least restrictive level.

Non-essential offices can open from Wednesday with a capacity of 25% according to the new guidelines, while already opened indoor companies, including restaurants and shops, can expand the capacity up to 50%. The city also plans to allow open-air concerts, theater performances and festivals until 50 people since April 1, Mayor London Breed said.

Santa Clara County, home to many of Silicon Valley’s major employers, also moved to the orange layer on Tuesday, along with Marin County, an affluent area north of San Francisco. The majority of California’s counties – representing 83% of the population – are in the red, or second most restrictive state ranking for economic activity.

NY Assembly Speaker Heastie Has Covid-19 (3:05 pm NY)

New York State speaker Carl Heastie tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday, according to a statement from his office. The Democrat said he felt under the weather and was experiencing “extremely mild symptoms.”

His positive test result comes in the midst of negotiations for the state’s approximately $ 193 billion spending plan for fiscal 2022, which begins April 1. Heastie said he plans to stay in Albany and work from his home.

On Tuesday, the Assembly’s Judiciary Committee held its first meeting to discuss its investigation into the impeachment of Governor Andrew Cuomo. Heastie is not on that committee, but has ordered it to start the probe.

Dutch Lockdown is Extended (14:45 NY)

The lockdown in the Netherlands, including a curfew, will be extended until April 20. The move comes after infections rose by 16% last week from the week before.

However, the Dutch government decided to delay the curfew’s start time by an hour, seeking support from the Dutch public for the protracted, strict measures. An advice not to travel abroad has been extended until 15 May.

J&J Partner Catalent Approved To Make Vaccine (13:47 NY)

Millions more doses of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine are expected to be released after US regulators pave the way for contract manufacturer Catalent Inc. to help produce them.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a Catalent facility in Bloomington, Indiana to make the single-dose active ingredient of the vaccine.

Norway bans alcohol before Easter (1:45 pm NY)

Norway is tightening national restrictions ahead of the Easter holidays in an attempt to stop a third wave of contagion caused by more contagious variants. The new measures include a ban on serving alcohol in restaurants and bars across the country and a recommendation that people keep a distance of at least 2 meters (6.5 feet) from each other.

EU removes exemptions from export curbs (11:52 am NY)

The European Union will do that delete a list of more than 90 countries currently exempt from requiring export licensing for vaccines and will apply possible restrictions even for those pharmaceutical companies that honor their contracts with the bloc.

The European Commission will review its transparency for vaccine exports and its licensing mechanism. Introduced in January, the controversial tool aims to help EU governments screen applications for vaccine exports, with the option of rejecting them in certain cases.

Texas, Georgia Open Vaccines For All Adults (11:15 am NY)

Texas and Georgia joined a growing list of US states that open up vaccinations to all adults. Georgia offers the shots from Thursday.

Pfizer Begins Human Trials With Covid Pill (11:05 am NY)

Pfizer Inc. said it has begun to test the human safety of one new pill to treat the coronavirus that can be used at the first signs of illness.

If it succeeds in trials, the pill can be prescribed early in an infection to block viral replication before patients become very ill. The drug binds to an enzyme called a protease to keep the virus from multiplying. Protease inhibiting drugs have proven successful in treating other types of viruses, including HIV and hepatitis C.

The new protease inhibitor is the second drug that Pfizer has put in human trials to treat Covid-19. Pfizer is testing another one that is administered intravenously to hospitalized virus patients.

NYC Municipal Workers Return May 3 (10:30 am NY)

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said about 80,000 city workers will return to their offices from May 3, a promise he set out in his State of the City address in January.

The city has administered more than 3.4 million vaccines and expects a “significant boost” in supply in early April, the mayor said. All New Yorkers 50 and older are eligible for their Covid-19 shots.

Portugal reaffirms vaccination target (9:44 am NY)

Portuguese Health Minister Marta Temido reaffirmed that the country will meet its target of administering a vaccination dose to at least 80% of people over 80 by the end of March. “Of course, if we had access to more vaccines, we would have the ability to vaccinate more people,” Temido told reporters.

WHO Tedros sees ‘really worrisome trends’ (9:18 am NY)

World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the recent rise in deaths and cases of Covid-19 are “really worrying trends.”

Speak to a World Trade Organization virtual event, Tedros urged countries to waive intellectual property rights to vaccines as a “medium to long-term solution” to help developing countries make their own injections.

Fauci: Astra probably has a very good vaccine (8:47 am NY)

“The fact is that this is very likely a very good vaccine,” said Anthony Fauci, America’s top infectious disease expert, of the Astra admission in a “Good Morning America” ​​interview.

Astra earlier said it will release up-to-date results from the final phase of the shot trial within 48 hours, in response to criticism from a US scientific agency that the drug manufacturer’s analysis contained ancient information.

India Accelerates Vaccination Pressure During The Second Wave (8:40 am NY)

Indian Government opened one of the largest coronavirus vaccination campaigns for anyone over the age of 45 as the nation grapples with a resurgence of the case amid tensions over delayed vaccine deliveries to other countries.

The World Is Too Optimistic About Covid: Farrar (8:28 am NY)

“This pandemic is far from over,” said Jeremy Farrar, infectious disease specialist and director of Wellcome, the UK’s research foundation, at a conference. “There remains, in my opinion, too much optimism that there will be one magic bullet that will solve it all.”

After a year, the world remains closer to the start of the pandemic than to the end of it, as new waves take place around the world, Farrar said.

In a separate presentation, Fauci sounded a more positive tone. He said people need to remain cautiously optimistic about the outlook, even as US cases go flat after the recent downturn.