IONIA, MICH. Of the nearly 900 positive cases of COVID-19 in the Michigan prison system, more than half of those cases are found in Ionia County, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections.
This is coming just about a week after it was announced by the MDOC that the UK variant of COVID-19 was found at Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility in Ionia. The variant is said to be more contagious and potentially more deadly than the original strain of coronavirus.
RELATED: MDOC facility in Ionia detects case of B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant
237 positive cases are at Bellamy Creek. Just down the road at the Michigan Reformatory, there are 252 cases of COVID-19.
And it is spreading like wildfire, said Maurisa, whose loved one is currently incarcerated at Bellamy Creek.
Maurisa asked we allow her to remain anonymous because she fears she or her loved one could face consequences if they are identified as having spoke to FOX 17.
My concerns are that there are more positive cases than theyre letting people know about, Maurisa said.
MDOC says case counts at its facilies have ebbed and flowed since the start of the pandemic.
Some facilities were not hit hard early on, and some saw spikes in the second wave last fall. Numbers around the state have been falling which is good to see. There has been a recent uptick at IBC, as we have begun testing all prisoners every day, to search for the variant, compared to the weekly testing we had been doing. For much of the pandemic, Bellamy Creek went relatively unscathed and they are now starting to see a larger number of positive cases.
As for Reformatory, they havent had any new covid cases in two weeks. They currently show 252 positive cases, but many of those should be moving to the step-down phase this week once the healthcare staff can review their cases.
Michigan Department of Corrections
The Ionia County Health Department has not responded to requests for comment as of publishing time.
SEE MORE: 1 in 5 prisoners in the US has had COVID-19, 1,700 have died
SEE MORE: CORONAVIRUS IN WEST MICHIGAN
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. As more school districts across the United States plan to bring back students to campus for in-person learning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released new guidance for schools reopening amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The CDC explained that its essential to decide when and under what conditions schools would open, in order to help protect students, teachers and staff, while also slowing the spread of COVID-19. But the agency added that its critical for schools to reopen safely and as soon as possible.
Heres a look at some highlights from the new CDC guidance.
What strategies should schools follow to reopen and stay open?
To enable schools to open and remain open, the CDC said its important to adopt and consistently implement actions to slow the spread of COVID-19, both in schools and in the community.
If community transmission is high, students and staff are more likely to come to school while infected, and COVID-19 can spread more easily in schools.
Mitigation strategies include: universal and correct use of masks; physical distancing; handwashing and respiratory etiquette; cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities; contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine.
When and how should schools reopen safely?
The CDC said the first step is to assess the level of community transmission when deciding when to reopen and stay open.
The guidance suggested elementary schools can continue in-person instruction even at high levels of community transmission, but virtual instruction is recommended for middle and high schools.
The highest level of transmission is determined two ways: when there are 100 or more virus cases per 100,00 people in the community over a seven-day period, or when 10% or more of the coronavirus tests in a community come pack positive over seven days.
Schools open for in-person instruction can decide to remain open even at high levels of community transmission, the CDC said but those decisions should be guided on school-specific factors, such as the number of cases among students, teachers and staff.
In communities with high levels of transmission, high prevalence of COVID-19 in the community could also result in many teacher and staff quarantines due to exposures in the community, limiting the ability of schools to safely remain open, the CDC stated.
Should there be high COVID-19 transmission in the community, there should be a classroom-first approach. Schools should prioritize in-person classroom instruction over extracurriculars such as sports and school events.
While vaccination shouldnt be a requirement to reopen, the CDC emphasized that state and local officials give high priority to teachers in the early phases of vaccine distribution. (AP, Getty photos)AP, Getty
Should all school staff be vaccinated to reopen schools?
According to the CDC guidance, access to vaccination shouldnt be considered a condition to reopen schools for in-person learning. Even after school staff members are vaccinated, schools need to continue safety measures for the foreseeable future.
While vaccination shouldnt be a requirement to reopen, the CDC emphasized that state and local officials give high priority to teachers in the early phases of vaccine distribution.
Vaccinating teachers and school staff can be considered one layer of mitigation and protection for staff and students. Strategies to minimize barriers to accessing vaccination for teachers and other front-line essential workers, such as vaccine clinics at or close to the place of work, are optimal, the CDC stated.
Is the guidance required by school districts to reopen?
School districts arent required to adopt these strategies. The guidance serves as recommendations for public and non-public schools.
Local and state agencies can choose to use the recommendations as part of their reopening strategies.
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A 78-year-old woman died after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine at Cal Poly Pomona, but her death is not believed to be related to the vaccine, health officials said Saturday. The woman died Friday, according to Kaiser Permanente, which operates the vaccination site at the Pomona campus.
(The patient) received an injection of the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Pfizer around noon. While seated in the observation area after the injection, the patient complained of feeling discomfort and while being evaluated by medical personnel, she lost consciousness, said Dr. Michael Morris, physician director of Kaiser Permanente Southern California's COVID-19 Vaccination Program.
Vaccine hesitancy in the Black and brown community is giving many of those in the most vulnerable populations pause before signing up for a COVID-19 vaccine. Physicians Jubril Oyeyemi and David Hayes-Bautista discuss how to combat vaccine fear in those communities.
Paramedics on scene began CPR almost immediately and continued, but she ultimately could not be revived. Her cause of death has not been determined; however, there were no signs or symptoms of a severe allergic or anaphylactic reaction. Her family has shared that she had a history of heart- related illness, Morris continued.
The woman was accompanied by her husband of 57 years, who also received a vaccination. Kaiser officials said that despite the tragedy, he still intends to receive his second dose of the vaccine in a few weeks. Kaiser said the site will remain open and vaccinations will continue as long as supplies are available.
Illinois plans to expand the list of people eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations in Phase 1B of its rollout beginning next Thursday.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the state expects to add people with "a high-risk medical condition" or comorbidity. The list includes those with cancer, diabetes, obesity, women who are pregnant, and those with several other conditions.
"In light of a steadily increasing federal vaccine supply, Illinois is making plans to expand Phase 1B eligibility on February 25 to people who have comorbidities and underlying conditions as defined by the CDC," the governor's office said in a release. "In addition, Illinois will also prioritize individuals with disabilities."
The list of qualifying high-risk medical conditions (which is subject to change) includes:
Those who are under 65 and live with comorbidities, such as cancer survivors or those living with heart disease, have an elevated risk of serious complications or death if they contract COVID-19," Pritzker said in a statement. "Illinois is moving forward in accordance with guidance from the CDC to expand our eligible population as supply allows, getting us closer to the point when the vaccine is widely available to all who want it. In the meantime, I encourage all Illinoisans to wear our masks and follow the mitigations so that more of our neighbors are healthy and alive when its their turn in the vaccination line.
The expansion applies to those 16 and older who weren't otherwise covered in previous eligibility categories, the state said, adding that it plans to work with local health departments and other providers as eligibility increases.
For a complete look at where and how you can make an appointment in Illinois or where you can receive vaccine information for your area, clickhere.
According to Illinois and U.S. medical experts, pregnant women were excluded from trials for the vaccine, so there had been little information on the vaccines' safety for that group.
Earlier this month, White House health advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said there have been "no red flags" seen in the more than 10,000 pregnant women who have received vaccine shots so far.
Guidance released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that if a woman is part of a group recommended to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and is pregnant, she may choose to be vaccinated. A discussion with her healthcare provider can help her make an informed decision, the agency stated.
Already, more than 3.2 million Illinois residents are eligible for vaccinations under Phase 1B, which includes people age 65 years and older as well as "frontline essential workers."
Here's a look at who is already included, in addition to health care workers and those in long-term care facilities who were eligible in Phase 1A:
MANY SELF-EMPLOYED HAVE STOPPED WORKING IN LOCKDOWN, REPORT FINDS
Around 700,000 self-employed Britons have stopped working altogether during the current lockdown, research suggests.
The figure, almost one in seven of the total - is a 50% increase from the first lockdown in May, according to the Resolution Foundation.
The think tank said the coronavirus crisis has caused a huge hit to the living standards of self-employed workers.
More than two out of five self-employed workers have experienced a fall in earnings of at least 25% during the current lockdown, the study indicates.
Government support is failing to reach a significant number of self-employed workers affected by the crisis, said the Resolution Foundation.
Some small European governments are turning to China for Covid-19 vaccines as European Union procurement stumbles and Western vaccine makers production hiccups hamper the continents fight against the pandemic.
The trend could increase Chinas influence in the region as it campaigns to present itself as a reliable ally in fighting the coronavirus that was first detected on its soil.
The European Union, which buys vaccines on behalf of its 27 member states, has authorized three shots developed in Germany, the U.S. and the U.K. But the bloc was slow to sign contracts and authorize the shots, while manufacturers have struggled to deliver the doses promised. Shortages have been even worse in non-EU countries in Europe.
So far, it is mainly small nations on the blocs margins that have turned to Beijing for help. Yet as voters frustrations mount, larger members are now considering Chinas two vaccines and another developed in Russia.
On Jan. 31, German Health Minister Jens Spahn called on the EU to approve the shot made by Chinas Sinopharm Group if it were found to be safe and effective. Then, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said the company should manufacture its shots in his country.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, chair and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, joins Chris Wallace on 'Fox News Sunday.'
Bill Gates daughter told her social media followers that the first dose of the COVID-19 did NOT implant my genius father into my brain.
BILLIONAIRE BILL GATES SAYS LOCKDOWNS OF BARS, RESTAURANTS ARE 'APPROPRIATE' AS COVID-19 CASES SURGE
Jennifer Gates, 24, made the joke to dispel wild conspiracy theories that the billionaire Microsoft founder was somehow using the vaccine to get inside peoples minds and track their movements, according to a report.
Jennifer Gates is a second-year medical student at New Yorks Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
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I am beyond privileged to receive my first dose of mRNA to teach my cells to mount a protective immune response to this virus. As a medical student and aspiring physician, I am grateful it will give me protection and safety for my future practice, she told her more than 357,000 Instagram followers Friday.
Three Baltimore men have been accused by federal prosecutors of putting up a fake website to sell Covid-19 vaccines for $30 a dose, prosecutors say.
The men, Olakitan Oluwalade, 22, and Odunayo Baba Oluwalade, 25, who are cousins, and Kelly Lamont Williams, 22, each face a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the United States Attorneys Office for the District of Maryland said on Thursday.
Prosecutors said the men created a website that resembled that of Moderna, the biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Mass., that in December won federal approval to distribute its Covid-19 vaccine.
The genuine website is modernatx.com, and the website created by the men, which the authorities have since seized, was modernatx.shop. Prosecutors said the source code of the fake domain showed that its creator had used a tool to copy the real Moderna website.
The logo, markings, colors and texts on the fake domain were visually similar to the companys actual home page, officials said in a statement. But prosecutors said the fake website had an addition: YOU MAY BE ABLE TO BUY A COVID-19 VACCINE AHEAD OF TIME, with a link to Contact us.
The men were caught after an undercover agent contacted the number on the fake website on Jan. 11 and set up a transaction for 200 doses of the vaccine for $6,000, according to the statement. Officials said the three men never actually had any doses.
The agent was instructed to transfer half of the funds to Mr. Williamss account at the Navy Federal Credit Union, and by Jan. 15 agents had seized the fake domain and searched Mr. Williamss home.
Investigators found texts between Mr. Williams and the cousins discussing the scheme, according to court documents.
An agent used Mr. Williamss phone to send a message to Odunayo Baba Oluwalade and sent some of the money from the exchange to the cousins, prosecutors said. Both of their homes were soon searched, too.
It was unclear how much money the men defrauded people of. A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorneys office said Friday that she could not provide more details about the charges beyond what was in the statement.
A representative for Moderna could not be immediately reached on Friday.
A lawyer, Richard Bardos, said he had been assigned to Odunayo Baba Oluwalades case but declined to comment further, citing a Maryland law that prohibits lawyers from speaking about ongoing cases.
Jonathan Van Hoven, a lawyer for Mr. Williams, declined to comment. The Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Maryland said Olakitan Oluwalade had not yet been assigned a lawyer.
As the public seeks vaccines to protect themselves and their families from Covid-19, fraudsters are waiting to take advantage of their desperation, said James R. Mancuso, a special agent from Homeland Security Investigations. We want to remind the public to exercise extreme caution online, especially when it comes to Covid-19 vaccines, treatments and protective equipment.
Researchers have unlocked vaccines for coronavirus at an unprecedented pace, but COVID-19 has managed to stay a step ahead.
On Jan. 29, pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson unveiled a vaccine that is less difficult to distribute than others. It is a single shot that only needs a normal refrigerator practically roughing it compared to the elaborate cold-chain technology that Pfizers two-dose vaccine demanded a month earlier.
This latest vaccine underwent trials with nearly 44,000 people in the United States, Latin America and South Africa, all places where the virus had run wild for months and easily transmissible variants had been detected. In the U.S., the new vaccine was 72 percent effective, but in South Africa, where a more potent variant had taken shape, researchers found the same vaccine prevented infections in a smaller percentage of volunteers 57.6 percent during clinical trials. The data raised alarm bells about how much protection these new vaccines might afford and what else might need to be done.
Drugmakers are exploring how to tailor vaccines more narrowly to these mutants, but modifying existing vaccines is not as easy as flipping a switch. The decision sets into motion questions and concerns about manufacturing logistics, regulatory hurdles and distribution bottlenecks that have stymied the United States response throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Viruses mutate to stay alive. The more times a virus spreads or replicates the more opportunities there are for random evolutionary accidents in its genome. Any change could either doom the virus or play to its advantage, said Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the Georgetown University Center for Global Health and Security.
READ MORE: Why new coronavirus variants emerge, and what that means for you
Right now, three notable COVID-19 variants appear to be transmitted more easily than other strains of virus, and threaten to frustrate efforts to contain the pandemic and get life back to normal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that cases of B.1.1.7 from the United Kingdom, B.1.351 from South Africa and P.1 from Brazil have have all been found in the U.S., and it is likely that more variants exist but havent been detected yet, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said during a recent White House COVID-19 briefing.
Scientists say its far better to be vaccinated and have evidence-based protection against the virus than to skip your turn and gamble with your health. But so far, the nations efforts to monitor the virus remain woefully inadequate when it comes to capturing the true volume of new infections and tracing exactly how the new variants are moving within the population lingering consequences from the Trump administrations disorganized response to the pandemic. Vaccine distribution has also lagged, though it is picking up pace, according to Tim Manning, the national supply chain coordinator for the White House COVID-19 Response Team. But while experts figure out how to catch up to the virus and the country waits, there are already steps being taken right now to buy more time.
Public service workers help people to check in at a drive-through COVID-19 vaccination site in Robstown, Texas, U.S. February 9, 2021. REUTERS/Go Nakamura
According to the CDC, more than 59 million doses of the approved vaccines have been distributed, and roughly 42 million doses have been administered almost 13 percent of the U.S. population, without taking into account that no vaccine yet has been approved for pediatric use. Experts estimated that if about 70 percent of the country gets vaccinated or immunized against the virus, then it may be possible to slow or stop its spread
The vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna that are currently being used around the country were shown in clinical trials to be more than 90-percent effective in preventing infection, according to data the companies submitted. Those trials wrapped up before the most recent variants revealed how much of a threat they could become, so theres not enough data (yet) to determine the vaccines effectiveness against these variants.
READ MORE: Trust in COVID-19 vaccines is vital to control the pandemic. Why are some hesitant?
These vaccines can be quickly tweaked, said Dr. Drew Weissman, a physician and infectious disease expert at the University of Pennsylvania. The genome for SARS-COV-2 maps out the sequence of proteins that form the virus. The mRNA vaccines are short segments of the viral genome, so if the virus changes at all, researchers can swap out proteins to mimic those evolutionary adaptations. For 15 years, Weissman worked with biochemist Katalin Kariko to develop the research and technology for the mRNA vaccines, which have been vital in fighting the virus.
It would take six weeks for researchers to go from plugging new variants into the vaccine to make a new vaccine ready to go into people, he said, but that does not account for the time it would take to have a drug approved. Weissman compared the process to the way the vaccines for the seasonal influenza are modified each time it circumnavigates the globe.
But while that analogy might work in terms of the science, the regulatory process is not likely to be the same. Flu vaccines have been used for more than four decades on hundreds of millions of people and they dont require full-scale clinical trials to earn FDA approval each year. We dont have that kind of history with coronavirus vaccines yet, said Dr. Jesse Goodman, former chief scientist at the FDA and professor of medicine and infectious disease at Georgetown University.
But Goodman said he thinks the FDA can find a pathway. The way he sees it, there are at least three options:
The two vaccines that already received FDA authorization have already undergone pretty rigorous trials, Goodman said. In the months since they were permitted for emergency use, both of those vaccines have been tracked closely and regulators appear to be increasingly comfortable with what they have seen so far, he said. He said that one approach could include designing a vaccine that targets a particular variant and gathering data on its effect on several hundreds of people in a study that is comparable to the phase 1 or phase 2 clinical trials. If granted an EUA, Goodman said, You could envision them being rolled out, and perhaps more data being collected.
You want to make sure that if you do give it to people, its going to be protective, he said.
Based on how the mRNA vaccines are designed, the process of changing them is much more straightforward than using a weakened version of a virus to trigger and train up the bodys immune response, as is the case with vaccines for measles and chickenpox, said Dr. James Hildreth, president of Meharry Medical College, who sits on the FDAs committee that has reviewed data on COVID-19 vaccine safety, effectiveness and appropriate use. But the bigger question is whether or not the FDA will require new rounds of clinical trials after these changes are made to authorize updated vaccines for public use.
Theres no reason to expect that the safety profiles would be different for the two (EUA vaccines) if the modifications are minor, if there are one or two changes in the sequence, Hildreth said.
But he said the sequence would still be a new one, and without data documenting its safety and efficacy, he said it would be hard to be definitive in knowing how the human body might respond once injected with any modified vaccines. Data from earlier trials might be helpful in figuring out how to safely tweak already approved vaccinations to better combat variants, Hildreth said.
AstraZenecas two-dose vaccine does not use mRNA, and it has not yet been approved for use in the U.S. On Sunday, South Africa paused its plan to begin vaccinations because the AstraZeneca vaccine was not found to offer minimal protection against mild and moderate cases of the virus, BBC reported, which added that the new variant accounts for almost all new COVID-19 infections in the country. The pharmaceutical company has said it will develop a modified version, but that wont be ready until autumn, according to company officials.
Dr. Tom Frieden, former CDC director, said that new regulatory pathways outside of an EUA must be considered and must be thought through openly to avoid fracturing public trust about the process. Especially in communities of color, a history of systemic racism and abuse in health care have fueled distrust of the medical community. Public health needs to lean on trusted messengers to promote the continued need for vaccination, Hildreth said.
As more people get the vaccine, some of those who are hesitant are realizing its OK, he said.
Considering how vaccines may need to adapt to COVID-19, Weissman urged the public and researchers to take a long-term perspective and strategy. Over the past two decades, he said the world has hosted three (far smaller) coronavirus epidemics.
You have to assume theres going to be more, he said. Once were done with COVID-19, theres going to be some other coronavirus epidemic at some point in time.
Rather than let the globe be caught off guard all over again, Weissman said researchers should explore more comprehensive strategies to beat back runaway viruses. He said he is working with a team of researchers to develop a pan-coronavirus vaccine. If that can be created and ready the next time a viral outbreak is detected, Weissman said, We can stop the pandemic before it starts.
At a Boys and Girls Club in Reading, Pennsylvania, students to come and do their remote learning with desks setup and spaced apart in the clubs gym. Photo by Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images
To Rasmussen, this moment serves as a warning about letting COVID-19 spread out of control and a reminder to approach the pandemic more aggressively.
It doesnt mean vaccines are hopeless, and were doomed to an eternal pandemic, she said. Its even more important to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible.
But Vaccination alone is not going to get us out of this, Frieden said.
Months before any vaccines were available to the public, New Zealand squashed the coronavirus by supporting scientists to guide the nations response, entering lockdown for several weeks. and using contact tracing as cases shrank.
Even with the emergence of variants, that success is still possible in the U.S., Rasmussen said. While more transmissible, the variants rely on the same methods to infect new hosts. That means we already have the tools we need to stop them, she said, like masks, avoiding crowded spaces and getting tested and isolating if you feel sick.
This is the home stretch, she said. If people can just grit their teeth and get through this, the sooner more people do that, the sooner were going to be able to relax and cross the finish line.
This is going to take months to turn around, not days.
During his first days in office, President Joe Biden signed several executive orders to strengthen the nations collective response to the virus, giving state and local health departments more support to fight the pandemic and offering more public transparency through regular press briefings. On Tuesday, Andy Slavitt, the White Houses senior adviser to the COVID-19 response team, tweeted that the Biden administration increased vaccine shipments to states by 28 percent after three weeks in office.
Another option is for the Biden administration to more fully deploy the Defense Production Act, a way to prioritize supplies and resources needed to ramp up enough testing materials, personal protective equipment and vaccines, he said. One benefit of using this tool could allow Pfizer to accelerate vaccine production, Slavitt said.
The Biden administrations all-of-the-above approach of encouraging more face masks, less travel, better access to testing and faster distribution of vaccines is needed right now because the U.S. has languished during the pandemic for so long, Frieden said. But these new variants are the pandemics wild card, he said. To keep them at bay, all of these strategies must be ratcheted up.
This is going to take months to turn around, not days, Frieden said.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. (KRON) A COVID-19 mass vaccination site is coming to Gilroy.
Officials on Friday announced a new large-scale appointment-only vaccination site is expected to open by the end of February at Gilroy High School.
The site is part of the countys ongoing effort to make the vaccine available in areas of the county with the highest rates of COVID-19.
According to officials, Gilroy is one of the most impacted communities in Santa Clara County, facing the highest case and positivity rates of any city in the county.
Our County is operating one of the most effective vaccination programs in the State, and has made excellent progress in vaccinating the hardest hit regions of the County, including Gilroy, said Mike Wasserman, President of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.We are looking forward to opening this site, which will provide expanded access to vaccination for residents of Gilroy and the rest of the southern Santa Clara County.
Visit the Countys COVID-19 vaccine website,sccfreevax.org, for the latest updates on vaccine eligibility and distribution.
