Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday the United States and India are united in trying to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic together and Washington is determined to help India with its coronavirus crisis.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who has spent the past week in the United States seeking help amid a devastating second wave of infections at home, told reporters while standing with Blinken at a State Department meetingthat India is grateful to Washington for strong support and solidarity.
"In the earlier days of COVID, India was there for the United States - something we will never forget," Blinken said. "And now we want to make sure that we're there for India as well."
Blinken said the partnership between the two countries is "vital," "strong" and "increasingly productive."
"We're united in confronting COVID-19 together," Blinken said.
He said the two countries were also united in addressing climate change, and were partnered together directly through the Quad -a four country groupthat also includes Japan and Australia -and through U.N.institutions "in dealing with many of the challenges we face in the region and around the world."
India, the worlds second most-populous country, this month has recorded its highest COVID-19 death toll since the pandemic began last year. Only about 3% of Indias 1.3 billion people have been fully vaccinated, the lowest rate among the 10 countries with the most cases.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has faced mounting criticism for its failure to secure COVID-19 vaccines for its people, even though India is one of the world's biggest producers of vaccines. Indian officials have said Jaishankar has been seeking supplies while in the United States.
Jaishankar said India was appreciative to Washington for its "strong support and solidarity at a moment of great difficulty for us."
U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary for South Asia Dean Thompson later told a briefing hosted by the State Department's Foreign Press Center that vaccine manufacturing, procurement and delivery were discussed with Jaishankar, but declined to give details.
He said final decisions were still pending as to where up to 80 million vaccine doses President Joe Biden has promised to send abroad would go.
Thomson said the U.S. Government, state governments, U.S. companies, and private citizens had provided over $500 million in COVID-19 relief supplies to India.
He said the assistance had included redirecting a U.S. order of critical vaccine manufacturing supplies that would allow India to make over 20 million additional doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
India pledged last month to fast-track vaccine imports. Its insistence on local trials and a dispute over indemnity stalled discussions with U.S. firm Pfizer (PFE.N). India scrapped local trials for well-established foreign vaccines on Thursday and a government official said Pfizer shots could arrive by July.
Jaishankar met with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York on Tuesday. Guterres' spokesman said they had a "very good discussion" on "COVID19, the issue of vaccines and also a number of other peace and security issues in general."
U.S.-India ties have grown closer in recent years amid shared concerns about China's rise and they have increased cooperation through the Quad.
U.S. President Joe Bidens Indo-Pacific policy coordinator, Kurt Campbell, said on Wednesday that the United States is looking to convene an in-person summit of leaders of the Quad in the fall, with a focus on infrastructure.
The Quad held a first virtual summit in March and pledged to work closely on COVID-19 vaccines, climate and security.
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The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of May 28, 2021, there have been 2,909,073 total confirmatory laboratory results received for COVID-19, with 161,287 total cases and 2,792 deaths.
There were no deaths reported to DHHR over the last 24 hours.
CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (1,484), Berkeley (12,659), Boone (2,144), Braxton (970), Brooke (2,222), Cabell (8,794), Calhoun (367), Clay (537), Doddridge (621), Fayette (3,510), Gilmer (873), Grant (1,283), Greenbrier (2,852), Hampshire (1,904), Hancock (2,835), Hardy (1,552), Harrison (5,992), Jackson (2,187), Jefferson (4,704), Kanawha (15,280), Lewis (1,261), Lincoln (1,540), Logan (3,208), Marion (4,557), Marshall (3,506), Mason (2,037), McDowell (1,588), Mercer (5,043), Mineral (2,919), Mingo (2,671), Monongalia (9,326), Monroe (1,170), Morgan (1,217), Nicholas (1,840), Ohio (4,275), Pendleton (709), Pleasants (952), Pocahontas (673), Preston (2,927), Putnam (5,276), Raleigh (6,958), Randolph (2,762), Ritchie (747), Roane (649), Summers (838), Taylor (1,249), Tucker (541), Tyler (737), Upshur (1,927), Wayne (3,164), Webster (525), Wetzel (1,377), Wirt (446), Wood (7,879), Wyoming (2,023).
Delays may be experienced with the reporting of information from the local health department to DHHR. As case surveillance continues at the local health department level, it may reveal that those tested in a certain county may not be a resident of that county, or even the state as an individual in question may have crossed the state border to be tested. Such is the case of Marshall, Preston, and Upshur counties in this report.
Free pop-up COVID-19 testing is available today in Barbour, Berkeley, Grant, Jefferson, Lincoln, Logan, Marshall, Mineral, Monongalia, Morgan, Putnam, and Wayne counties.
Barbour County
9:00 AM 11:00 AM, Barbour County Health Department, 109 Wabash Avenue, Philippi, WV
1:00 PM 5:00 PM, Junior Volunteer Fire Department, 331 Row Avenue, Junior, WV
Berkeley County
10:00 AM 5:00 PM, 891 Auto Parts Place, Martinsburg, WV
10:00 AM 5:00 PM, Ambrose Park, 25404 Mall Drive, Martinsburg, WV
Grant County
Jefferson County
10:00 AM 6:00 PM, Hollywood Casino, 750 Hollywood Drive, Charles Town, WV
12:00 PM 5:00 PM, Shepherd University Wellness Center Parking Lot, 164 University Drive, Shepherdstown, WV
Lincoln County
Logan County
Marshall County
Mineral County
Monongalia County
9:00 AM 12:00 PM, WVU Recreation Center, Lower Level, 2001 Rec Center Drive, Morgantown, WV
Morgan County
11:00 AM 4:00 PM, Valley Health War Memorial Hospital, 1 Health Way, Berkeley Springs, WV
Putnam County
Wayne County
10:00 AM 2:00 PM, Wayne Community Center, 11580 Rt. 152, Wayne, WV
For now, the FDA recommends using Regeneron's antibody cocktail instead.
May 28, 2021, 8:39 PM
5 min read
Federal health authorities have paused distribution of Eli Lilly's monoclonal antibody cocktail in eight states over COVID-19 variant efficacy concerns.
The COVID-19 treatment will halt distribution in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington "until further notice" due to variants' elevation in those states, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response announced in a bulletin this week.
The "combined frequency" of the P.1 variant (first identified in Brazil) and the B.1.351 variant (first identified in South Africa) now exceeds 10% in Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Oregon and Washington; in Illinois and Massachusetts, the P.1 variant has been "persistently elevated at a frequency exceeding 10%," the announcement said.
Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company Headquarters during the COVID-19 pandemic, March 24, 2020, in Indianapolis.
The stoppage is not related to the safety of the cocktail -- in which the drugs bamlanivimab and etesevimab are administered together -- but rather concerns that it is not as effective against these variant strains. The pause will not impact distribution in other parts of the country, according to the bulletin.
The treatment was issued an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration in February. Monoclonal antibody treatments like these are meant to be used in the early stages of COVID-19 infection for non-hospitalized patients who are at high risk of progressing to severe illness, to help keep them out of the hospital. It must be administered within days of diagnosis.
For now, the FDA recommends health care providers in these states use the authorized Regeneron monoclonal cocktail for COVID-19 patients instead.
A coronavirus test is administered at a COVID19 testing center in Austin, Texas, July 7, 2020.
Clinical trial data so far has shown that Regeneron's cocktail is slightly more effective against current major variants than Lilly's, which in its own laboratory studies showed some diminishing efficacy among all variants except the B.1.1.7, or U.K. variant.
In a statement to ABC News, Lilly said it "continually monitors the COVID-19 environment, assessing the neutralization of our antibody therapies against a wide array of existing and emerging mutations and variants," and that it will continue to work with all government and regulating bodies to ensure their treatments go to the "appropriate patients."
Regeneron told ABC News its cocktail is "still looking good" against variants of concern, including those in India, and that it will continue testing against new variants as they emerge.
Lilly's solo monoclonal antibody treatment, bamlanivimab, was halted in March -- first in three Western states and then nationwide -- out of concerns over effectiveness against variants. The following month, Lilly asked the FDA to revoke the treatment's EUA -- a request that was fulfilled the same day -- so that the company could focus more on its cocktail treatment.
Though Lillys antibody treatment has been impacted by variants, research so far has shown that COVID-19 vaccines are effective against them. All three authorized vaccines have proven to work effectively against the U.K. variant, which is the most dominant COVID strain in the U.S.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:May 28, 2020
COLUMBIA, S.C.With Memorial Day just a few days away and summer break on the horizon, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is encouraging parents to get their children, ages 12 and up, vaccinated as soon as possible to protect against COVID-19.
Getting children vaccinated is important because they can spread the virus to vulnerable people, such as elderly residents, people with preexisting conditions, or those under age 12 who cant get vaccinated. Other preventive measures, such as masks among unvaccinated residents, hand washing, and physically distancing among large groups, are also encouraged.
Children can easily infect their parents, grandparents, teachers, and others that they will have close contact with who may have a higher risk of severe illness, said Dr. Linda Bell, State Epidemiologist. For this reason, we urge parents to consider the risk of serious complications and protect their children, themselves, and others from COVID-19 infection.
As vaccinations increase and cases decline, opportunities for outdoor activities are also on the rise. Though that may spark a sense of normalcy, it is still important for eligible South Carolinians to get their COVID-19 vaccination. Ages 12 and up are eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, and adults 18 and older can also choose between the Moderna and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) brand vaccines.
While children are less likely to suffer complications from COVID-19, the virus can still cause some issues, such as Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, or MIS-C. MIS-C can cause kidney failure, heart problems, gastrointestinal problems and severe blood clotting that can result in strokes and organ failure. More than 100 children in South Carolina have developed MIS-C since the start of the pandemic. It is unclear what causes MIS-C, but many of the affected children had COVID-19 or were contacts of those who did. The COVID-19 vaccination will significantly decrease the chances of COVID-19 complications.
Parents who have questions about vaccinating their child ages 12 and up should talk with a trusted health care provider, pediatrician, or pharmacist to get accurate information that will help them make the best decision for their family. DHEC also has a dedicated webpage for vaccinating this age group that contains helpful information for decision-making.
Heading into Memorial Day Weekend, 1,905,275, or 44.3 percent of eligible South Carolinians have received at least one shot of a vaccine and 1,565,442, or 36.4 percent have completed their vaccination. Visit DHECs locator page to find a convenient vaccination location, and the information page to learn more about the vaccines.
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COVID-19, Decarceration, And Bending The Arc Of JusticeThe Promise Of Medical-Legal Partnerships Health Affairs
Gov. Charlie Baker made it official early Friday afternoon: the great majority of the state-mandated COVID-19 restrictions that have shaped life in Massachusetts since last March will no longer be in effect starting Saturday.
The governor said the progress of vaccinations here 78 percent of adults have gotten at least one dose and more than 3.5 million people have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus made it possible to repeal government restrictions and allow businesses to start getting back to normal operations.
"Thanks to the people in Massachusetts who've made enormous sacrifices over the course of the past year to get us to this point, brighter days are very much upon us," Baker said Friday in the State House Library. "We've been battling the virus for too long, but today we have an opportunity to put an exclamation point on all the hard work that so many people have done."
As of Saturday in Massachusetts, all industries will be permitted to open to 100 percent capacity, indoor and outdoor gathering limits will be rescinded and, with the exception of face-covering requirements for certain settings, all state-mandated COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted. The state of emergency that's been in place since March 10, 2020 will be lifted at 12:01 a.m. on June 15 under an order Baker signed Friday.
People who have not been vaccinated will be advised, but not ordered, to continue wearing face masks and to continue distancing in most settings, but the state's new advisory will recommend that vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear a face-covering or social distance indoors or outdoors except for in certain situations.
With an improved public health situation, the strategy to stop the spread of COVID-19 now shifts from more than a year of mandating how businesses can and should operate to an emphasis on personal risk assessment and choice. Businesses may opt to keep some restrictions in place to protect their employees and customers, and each individual can make decisions based on their own comfort level and virus conditions in their community.
Since Baker first laid out a roadmap to the end of COVID-19 restrictions on April 27, initially suggesting an end date of Aug. 1, the average number of daily new cases has dropped 82.5 percent from nearly 1,200 new cases a day to an average of 208 new cases a day. The average number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients is down 58 percent from more than 650 patients to an average of 274 now. Deaths are down more than 40 percent from more than 10 a day to about six a day, a low since the pandemic began. The state's average positive test rate was 1.72 percent then and now stands at 0.80 percent.
And since the governor announced his accelerated reopening timeline on May 17, new cases are down 57 percent, hospitalizations are down 29 percent, deaths are down 35 percent and the positive test rate has shed about three-tenths of a percent.
Photo by Roland Lizarondo
Above: A COVID-19 vaccine is drawn at the vaccination site at CSU San Marcos. Feb. 22, 2021.
San Diego County reported 83 new COVID-19 cases Friday as public health officials reminded the public to continue taking precautions to avoid getting and transmitting COVID-19 this holiday weekend.
While the number of local COVID-19 cases has significantly decreased in recent weeks, not enough San Diegans have been vaccinated for the region to achieve herd immunity.
"The pandemic is not over. We must continue taking precautions to protect San Diegans who can't or won't get vaccinated," said Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county public health officer. "People who have not been vaccinated should be wearing a mask, keeping their distance and avoiding large gatherings."
San Diegans who get vaccinated against the virus will be able to participate in the state's drawing to distribute $116.5 million in prizes. The state will be including all the names in the San Diego Immunization Registry in its drawing.
Two million Californians who have not gotten vaccinated will be eligible to get a $50 gift card if they get vaccinated by June 15. The $100 million in gift cards will be distributed when they are fully vaccinated.
The names of people who are fully vaccinated will be entered into a drawing on June 4 and June 11. Fifteen people will each win $50,000 on each date.
On June 15, the state will draw 10 winners who will each receive $1.5 million for a total of $15 million.
Details available online.
Friday's data increased the county's case total to 280,042, while the death toll remained at 3,756.
Of 12,644 tests reported Friday, 0.7% returned positive, pushing the 14-day rolling average to 0.8%, the lowest this year.
Two new community outbreaks were confirmed May 27 in college/university settings. In the past seven days, seven community outbreaks were confirmed. The community outbreaks trigger is seven or more in seven days.
As of Friday, 53.8% of county residents 12 and older have been fully vaccinated and 68.8% have at least one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines
The county's goal is to fully vaccinate 75% of the population, or 2,101,936 people.
A total of 1,508,626 San Diego County residents are fully inoculated with either two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, officials report, 71.8% of the goal
Additionally, 1,928,783 San Diego County residents have received at least one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or 91.8% of that goal.
Nearly 4.1 million doses have been received by the county, with more than 3.63 million administered.
A full list of available vaccination sites can be found online.
San Diego news; when you want it, where you want it. Get local stories on politics, education, health, environment, the border and more. New episodes are ready weekday mornings. Hosted by Anica Colbert and produced by KPBS, San Diego and the Imperial County's NPR and PBS station.
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70 percent of our eligible population in the County have now received at least one dose of the vaccine!Just a few weeks ago, vaccine appointments were hard to come by. Now, they are plentiful, andanyone 12 years or older who wants one can get an appointmentat one of the many clinics, pharmacies or health centers in the County often the same day. Many are also accepting walk-in patients. Just go toMyTurn.ca.gov to find an appointment that works for you and find a list of local clinics on the Sonoma Valley Health Partner Website.
Are you already vaccinated or about to be? Great! Youll have a chance at winning $50,000 or a grand prize of $1.5 million!
Not yet vaccinated against COVID-19? Get vaccinated as soon as possible to be eligible for a $50 incentive card and other cash prizes. Learn more on the States Vax for the Win website.
Uber and Lyft are offering credit off rides to COVID-19 vaccine appointments.
For more information and access instructions, visit:
County health officials recommend that everyone who goes into public even if they dont have any symptoms and/or have been vaccinated for COVID-19 get tested at least once per month and those who regularly interact with the public get tested twice each month. The County of Sonoma continues to increase access to free COVID-19 testing, find options in Sonoma Valley below or visitsocoemergency.org/testfor a complete list.
Sonoma County remains in the orange tier in thestates framework.California and Sonoma County are on track tofully reopenby June 15, if hospitalizations stay low and Californians continue to get vaccinated. When California fully reopens the economy, the state will move Beyond the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Common-sense health measures such as masking will remain across the state.
This week, the Countys adjusted case rate held to 2.2 new daily cases per 100,000, atest positivity rate of .7 percent,and anequity metric positivity rate of 1.2. If Sonoma Countys case rate fall below 2, the County could move to the less restrictive yellow tier.
Want to help Sonoma County get into an even less restrictive tier and fully reopen by June 15th?Keep up the good work by continuing to follow the mitigation measures we are all now so familiar with wear your mask in indoor public spaces and when in crowds, keep your distance, practice good hand hygiene, limit gatherings and consider getting tested for COVID-19.
While a growing number of us are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, health officials say that we all need to continue to use appropriate mitigation measures as there is a continued risk of transmission, especially with Memorial Day weekend approaching. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky on Tuesday said that those who are unvaccinated are still at risk and should wear masks when appropriate and consider taking advantage of the long weekend to get their shots. She urged those who are fully vaccinated to have a happy, safe weekend.
Jessica Kaylyn Noethlich, 36, died of COVID-19 on May 20.(Photo: Greg Noethlich)
Jessica Kaylyn Noethlich tested positive for COVID-19 in early April. Just a few days later, the 36-year-old mother of two was hospitalized.
On April 15, she posted on the South Dakota COVID-19 Information Group on Facebook asking for support.
"Hi. My name is Jess and Im a 36 (year old)female whos been in the ICU with COVID since April 7th," she wrote."Im just wondering if there are any other younger individuals who have been in the same predicament and would be open to chatting about their experience? This is an incredibly lonely and terrifying experience. I could really use some support right now from someone who understands. Thanks."
By April 21, she was intubated and put on a ventilator. Every sign of potential improvement was countered with a setback. Her mother, Cindy Borg, described the ordeal as a "roller coaster ride" on the CaringBridge site where she posted frequent updates.
More: Sioux Falls private schools won't mandate COVID-19 vaccinations to go back to school
"Jess has a pneumothorax in both lungs so they are inserting chest tubes," Cindy wrote on May 3. "She cried when (her brother Greg) and I came tonight. You could see tears. She tried to mouth something to Greg. ...Tonight I am discouraged. Tired. Sad that my beautiful daughter has to suffer like this."
She continued to fight frequent fevers, low oxygen levels, bacterial pneumonia, lung scarring and blood sepsis.
On day 43 May 20 Noethlich died.
Like many who have received a COVID-19 diagnosis,Noethlich's fight was on public display on Facebook, where she had developed a loyal following from her "Missing and Murdered" group she co-created to help bring attention to missing person cases.
Friends and family described her ascaring, compassionate and outgoing. On her Facebook page, Noethlich turned her passion into a relentless quest to find the truth in unsolved mysteries.
"She was always authentic, just and very approachable, especially when people were hurting or in need," brother Greg Noethlich said.
More: One year after George Floyd's death, conversations on race and policing continue in Sioux Falls
Noethlich was born in Watertown and graduated from Roosevelt High School after moving to Sioux Falls.Noethlich was hospitalized for almost 30 days when she was a teenager after a serious car crash. That led to health and pain problems later in life, Borg said.
COVID-19 hospitalized Noethlich in early April, but she continued to seek support from her friends and community on Facebook. Borg said even in her last days, her daughter still tried to help others by sending a message to followers that the pandemicwasn't over.
"I know one (message) she posted while in isolation in the COVID unit was for people to get their vaccine and to not underestimate that COVID was alive and well out there," Borg said. Her family saysNoethlich had not received the vaccine when she got sick in early April.
Outside of the COVID group on Facebook, Noethlich was known for posting in anotherpopular Facebook group that looked to solve unsolved mysteries.
An avid true-crime fan, Noethlich started a Facebook group called "The Missing & Murdered"out of Sioux Falls to help solve disappearances and unsolved deaths. Thegroup gained more than 5,000 followers in the span of about two years.
Noethlich created the group to raise awareness about South Dakota cases, but it quickly spread into a nationwide effort.
One of the co-founding members of the group was Noethlich's friend Nicole Strickland. The pair met online and developed a 14-year close friendship even though they never met in person.
Through Noethlich's desire to investigate, Strickland said Noethlich started connecting with families of missing and murdered people. Her "kind-hearted" nature allowed her to get the scoop on the latest information coming out of different investigations.
"She had a way with people.Family of missing people would just confide in her," Strickland said.
Old photo of Jessica Kaylyn Noethlich and her two daughters.(Photo: Greg Noethlich)
Borg said her daughter sent her an invite to join the group early on, but she didn't accept the invite until after Noethlich's death. Since then, she's come to realize the impact her daughter had through her work in the group.
"I didn't know she was doing all of that work.I never knew it was as big as it was," Borg said, "Over 700 people watched her funeral."
The "Missing and Murdered" group on Facebook kept up-to-date with Noethlich's battle with COVID-19 through frequent status updates from those close to Noethlich.
When word spread of Noethlich's death, many members of the group sent their condolences. The funeral was livestreamed and links were posted in the private group for virtual attendees.
"Her family was so gracious in livestreaming the funeral so we couldall watch," Strickland said.
Although many of those more than 5,000 group members never actually met Noethlich in person, Strickland said they all considered her a close friend.
Even with their "fearless" leader gone, the group has continued to post status updates on missing or murdered cases and other crimes in or around Sioux Falls.
Strickland said the group's mission continues without Noethlich in charge, and it now serves as her lasting legacy.
"Jess is going to continue helping people even in her death, she doesn't even know it," Strickland said.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for medical and funeral expenses as well as help support Noethlich's two daughters.
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Financial hardship from COVID-19 forces South Haven nursing home to close, owner says WWMT-TV
