Proper mask-wearing, hand-washing, and other precautions taken at the individual level can help reduce person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus. But another, less visible variable is also at play: Ventilation.
Heres what you should know about the risk of Covid-19 exposure while in indoor spaces, according to the experts.
Limit time indoors around non-household members to mitigate coronavirus transmission, health officials have said throughout this pandemic.
But many people, by necessity, still patronize grocery stores and work in-person. Many also still engage in not-so-essential indoor activities, such as receiving a professional haircut, going in for a manicure, or getting a new tattoo all of which are still allowed under Washingtons latest statewide social restrictions.
There are several measures that, when used in tandem, can help cut down on person-to-person coronavirus transmission: Wearing a mask over your nose and mouth, frequently washing your hands, and only congregating with people whom you share a household, for instance.
But there's a less tangible factor that also plays a role in spreading the virus: Air flow.
Smaller respiratory droplets known as aerosols can linger in the air for several hours, increasing the odds of airborne coronavirus transmission. No two indoor spaces are the same when it comes to ventilation.
Some, like airplanes and hospitals, tend to have advanced ventilation systems that can quickly filter out potentially dangerous air. Others are bound to have less sophisticated ventilation systems, making coronavirus spread more likely.
Heres what you should know about the risk of Covid-19 exposure while in indoor spaces, according to the experts.
Out with the old, in with the new
When it comes to assessing the specific risks associated with different indoor facilities, its not so simple, said Dr. Shirlee Tan, a toxicologist with Public Health Seattle & King County.
Every building is different, so it's really hard to predict the risks of a given situation, she said.
Tan offers this advice: If you walk into a space, and it seems stuffy, get out. That's a good sign that there's not very good ventilation.
Earlier in the pandemic, public health wisdom was that maintaining six feet of distance was ideal for reducing coronavirus spread via infected respiratory droplets, produced during speech, breathing, coughing, or sneezing, for example. But more recent research points to coronavirus containing aerosols traveling way beyond that.
Just being six feet away from somebody doesn't necessarily mean that you're protected from these small particles, said Dr. Marissa Baker, a professor at the University of Washingtons Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences who specializes in industrial hygiene.
And depending on the quality of the mask you're wearing, how well you're wearing it, and how well it fits, these particles can also get out and around masks as well.
A study recently published in the Journal of Korean Medical Science recreated a scenario in which three Covid-19 cases tied to an indoor restaurant surfaced. Through interviews, cell phone location data, and surveillance footage, researchers determined that the infectors airborne respiratory matter infected two others who were sitting approximately 16 and 21 feet away, respectively.
The same study also suggests that it doesnt take prolonged contact in order to catch the virus. One of those two people became infected after just five minutes of exposure.
Maintaining a good flow of fresh, outdoor air is key to moving those infectious particles out of a building. Having six air changes or instances in which stagnant air is replaced with new air per hour is ideal, Baker said.
That would mean that every 10 minutes the air in a space is turned over, she added. Anything that's in there is only going to be in there for 10 minutes.
Absent a high-level ventilation or air quality system, the air changes of any space can be increased by simply opening doors and windows, Baker said.
If you're going to be inside doing things, it's better to be inside bundled up with the windows open than it is to keep those windows closed, she said, adding that indoor businesses should keep their doors open whenever possible.
If its not possible to keep a door open at all times, Baker advises opening the doors each hour to purge out stale air. The same goes for when people outside your household enter your vehicle or home.
A number of factors, including a buildings age, design, and heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, will affect its capacity to maintain sufficient air flow and filtration in the time of Covid.
If your HVAC system has that capability, then bringing in the fresh air from outside is going to be better than recirculating whatever air is in the space unless you're also using filtration, Baker said. When we're talking about filtration, it's pretty much similar to thinking about like a mask for your HVAC system: If the air is recirculating, it draws the air past that.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using MERV filters, ranging from 13 to 16, which are able to capture infectious aerosols at relatively high efficiency rates anywhere between 50% and 95% for 0.3 to 1 micron.
The CDC also endorses the use of HEPA filters, which the agency says are at least 99% efficient at capturing respiratory droplets containing the coronavirus. HEPA filters are primarily used in air purifiers, but can also be used for some HVAC systems.
Tan also pointed to the use of upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation systems, composed of lamps that emit ultraviolet light akin to that from the sun for the purpose of sterilizing indoor air. The CDC proposes using them to supplement other ventilation mechanisms to reduce the spread of Covid-19.
Baker also cited a growing body of research suggesting that Covid-19 is less likely to be transmitted in warm, humid settings than it is in cool, drier ones. Thus, she said, adding a humidifier to your indoor air cleaning arsenal isnt a bad idea.
Tan warned of various products on the market that make unverified assertions about their ability to eliminate coronavirus from the air.
We do encourage people to avoid things that produce ozone, that do ionizing technologies, plasma technologies, or UV other than upper-room germicidal UV units, she said, because you may have a false sense of security and certain things may not be doing what they claim to do.
Helping or hurting?
Baker also called attention to the potential for some common Covid mitigation strategies to actually get in the way of fresh air flow, such as the use of plexiglass screens by many businesses. She also pointed out that using ceiling fans can be helpful for diluting coronavirus-carrying particles, so long as theyre used in tandem with bringing in fresh air.
The World Health Organization advises only using table or pedestal fans to circulate indoor air among people sharing a household, citing the potential for them to actually increase the odds of airborne coronavirus transmission by moving infectious aerosols around and into others bodies.
One way to gauge indoor air quality as it relates to Covid is to track the carbon dioxide levels in a space using an air quality monitor. A buildup of carbon dioxide, which we exhale, is an indicator that fresh air isnt getting in thats assuming the amount of people present hasnt increased.
You're not getting rid of that exhaled air, which not only is CO2 but also contains the coronavirus, Baker said.
Its not an exact science, and theres no consensus about exactly how much carbon dioxide is too much. But a presence of anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 parts per million is considered unhealthy.
But ventilation strategies notwithstanding, both Baker and Tan emphasized that mitigating the spread of Covid-19 is best done through avoiding indoor crowds and gatherings to the greatest extent possible.
If there are ways to do things without being in a space with a lot of other people, then choose that first if you can be outdoors, if you can be doing takeout rather than dining in, Tan said. Choose spaces that seem to be ventilated and where people are doing all the other measures that make you comfortable distancing, wearing masks.
Tonight, for example, our youth Christmas pageant is occurring. But its occurring outdoors in the courtyard on the property, not in the church, Norvelle said. Were asking people if they wanna come, they need to go on the website and register. And of course, they have to wear a mask, and they have to stand separate from other families.
CONNECTICUT An initial shipment of about 2.9 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine developed by pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech hit the loading docks this weekend. President Donald Trump called the speedy development of the coronavirus vaccine a "medical miracle," and it's tough to argue.
Connecticut expects to receive its first vaccine doses on Monday for the Pfizer vaccine candidate. Connecticut's Chief Operating Officer Josh Geballe said the state expects to receive just shy of 32,000 doses of the Pfizer elixir in the first round. The vaccine will require two doses spread weeks apart and a time period after the second dose for the vaccine to take effect.
The Pfizer vaccine needs to be stored at temperatures far below freezing and must be prepared for injection and given quickly once thawed, presenting even more logistical wrinkles for the rollout.
There are 204,000 health care workers, 22,000 nursing home residents and 6,000 medical first responders that fall into the state's first vaccine priority group. Those numbers assume 80 percent of people in those categories get the vaccine. Connecticut is prioritizing health care workers because they are at a higher exposure risk.
Gov. Ned Lamont said Thursday that he thought it would take at least a month between when the vaccine was introduced into a community, and when actual results could be charted there.
One thing is certain: it'll be easier to get the vaccine into the arms of children. Licensed pharmacists are now cleared to administer any federally-approved coronavirus vaccines after Lamont signed an executive order this week. Pharmacists will also be allowed to administer flu vaccines to children between the ages of 10 and 17 years old.
The state is aiming for 70 to 80 percent of people to get the vaccine once there is enough supply. Mass distribution isn't set to happen until at least the beginning of the second quarter of next year.
And Connecticut residents will be rolling up their shirt sleeves, early and en masse for the vaccine, make no mistake. Or at least that's what Connecticut Patch readers told us in a survey last week:
The vaccine delivery timeline does nothing to quell the anxiety of the more than 14,000 educators and school community members who signed a petition urging Gov. Ned Lamont to enforce statewide school coronavirus protocols. The governor has repeatedly stated that the safest places to be during the pandemic were classrooms, due to their rigidly enforced cleaning and virus mitigation protocols. Leaders of education unions disputed that at a rally on the steps of the State Capitol Thursday.
Teachers are classified as critical workforce members under Connecticut's vaccine rollout plan, but that doesn't mean they'll be getting the first slice of the vaccine pie. They, along with first responders and some others, are tentatively scheduled to receive the vaccine sometime between mid-January to late May.
Additional safety protocols may be paramount on the minds of Connecticut educators, but many area businesses see more coronavirus restrictions contributing to an extinction level event. Many small businesses have already gone under, and many others were counting on a strong holiday trade that now appears to be fizzling.
Restaurant workers and sympathizers rallied last week after a Yale-affiliated doctor appeared with Lamont at a news conference Monday and urged him to shut down indoor dining rooms. Organizers, demanding another round of CARES-like government aid, have planned a protest at Lamont's residence this Monday.
Whether the state or Uncle Sam open their checkbooks soon and by how much is still anybody's guess, but Lamont continued to express great reluctance about imposing any further coronavirus restrictions upon restaurants. On the day Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced New York City restaurants would be closing their dining rooms two weeks before Christmas, Lamont reiterated his support for Nutmeggers eating out.
"If you close down restaurants, where do people go, they don't stop, you know, eating indoors, they just go to a different environment," Lamont said during a roundtable discussion Friday. Connecticut's indoor dining is currently limited to 50 percent capacity.
Businesses other than restaurants might be fair game, however. On Thursday the governor speculated about how future state coronavirus restrictions might look. He envisioned a more tailored approach, rather than just a brute force rollback to a previous reopening phase. Lamont hasn't released specific coronavirus metrics that would lead to tighter restrictions, but said they would be related to hospital capacity.
Coronavirus net hospitalizations declined for the second day in a row on Friday, with a drop of four patients down to 1,210. Earlier in the week, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services reported that Connecticut's intensive care unit resources are holding up better than those in most areas around the country.
Connecticut has moved to the middle of the pack for states in virus metrics. It has the 31st-highest rate of new coronavirus cases in the country and the 32nd-highest positive test rate. The state reported nearly 3,800 new coronavirus cases Friday and a 6.97 percent positive test rate. For now the state has settled around a 7 percent positive test rate, Lamont said.
For Immediate Release: December 10, 2020 Statement From:
Statement Author
Leadership Role
Commissioner of Food and Drugs - Food and Drug Administration
Espaol
For nearly 11 months, we have all been learning to live and function in a state of uncertainty, adjusting to a new normal as the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected the way most of us live, and has also tragically claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans.
We recognize the urgent need for medical countermeasures to diagnose, treat, and prevent this novel virus and have been working diligently to facilitate their development and availability. In particular, the FDA has been working tirelessly with public and private sectors to facilitate the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines without sacrificing our rigorous scientific standards for safety and effectiveness.
Today, the FDAs Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), made up of independent scientific and public health experts from around the country, is meeting to discuss the first request for emergency use authorization (EUA) for a vaccine for COVID-19 prevention, submitted by Pfizer Inc. in partnership with BioNTech Manufacturing GmbH.
The FDA recognizes that transparency and dialogue are critical to building public confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. An open discussion with this committeeavailable for public viewing and with public inputabout the totality of the scientific evidence regarding the safety and effectiveness of Pfizer and BioNTechs vaccine will help ensure clear public understanding of the scientific data and information that the FDA evaluates to make a decision about whether to authorize a vaccine for emergency use for the prevention of COVID-19.
The FDAs career staffmade up of physicians, biologists, chemists, epidemiologists, statisticians and other professionalshave been working around the clock to thoroughly evaluate the data and information in the EUA request, for this potential COVID-19 vaccine, in a comprehensive and science-based manner. I can assure you that no vaccine will be authorized for use in the United States until FDA career officials feel confident in allowing their own families to receive it.
The FDA is considered the "gold standard" regulator of medical products. The process that the FDA uses to review is respected worldwide because of a well-established history that the FDA has among the most rigorous and accurate review processes globally. Normally, the review process for vaccines studied in tens of thousands of people takes months.
Even though the process has been expedited in association with the review of this EUA, the FDAs expert review staff has reviewed thousands of pages of technical information. These data include, but are not limited to clinical trial data, non-clinical data on the development of the vaccine in the lab, and manufacturing data on how the vaccine is made. FDA career officials have been reviewing the data and information ahead of the public advisory committee meeting to ensure a robust discussion with the independent experts.
Todays meeting is an important step in the process allowing outside scientific experts an opportunity to provide valuable advice and input for the agency to consider as part of its final review. Importantly, final decisions about whether to authorize a vaccine for emergency use will be made by FDAs career officials in the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
After the VRBPAC meeting, FDA career staff will take the committees input into account as they continue their review of the EUA request to determine whether it has met the standards for safety and effectiveness for issuance of an EUA, as well as refine the instructions for use and the informational materials to be provided to those receiving the vaccine.
In this time of great urgency, FDA staff feel the responsibility to move as quickly as possible through the review process. However, they know that they must carry out their mandate to protect the public health and to ensure that any authorized vaccine meets our rigorous standards for safety and effectiveness that the American people have come to expect.
The whole of the FDAmyself includedremains committed to keeping the public informed about the evaluation of the data of a potential COVID-19 vaccine, so that once available, Americans can have trust and confidence in receiving the vaccine for their families and themselves.
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nations food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
###
The 2020-21 NBA season has arrived. Preseason games tipped off last week, and the regular season is scheduled to begin Dec. 22, just 71 days after the NBA Finals ended.
After successfully finishing the 2019-20 season in a bubble environment at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, the league -- with the exception of the Toronto Raptors -- is returning to home markets to begin this season. Over the past two weeks, players and coaches spoke about the challenges they face in playing a season as the COVID-19 pandemic surges across the United States.
1:15
Karl-Anthony Towns talks about the death of his mother and how he has taken on the responsibility of keeping his family safe.
Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns: Everybody involved -- the league, the union, the players, the teams, everybody -- is working daily to try to figure things out. This is uncharted territory. When we were in the bubble it was something no one had ever seen and everyone worked as hard they could to make that work. Once again, what we're doing now with all these protocols and tests and stuff -- never seen it before.
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics: COVID is still around and still lurking in certain areas. So that's something to be aware of. I'm not sure about how that's going to necessarily work as we start to travel in certain places and things like that. Will the season be stopped? Will it continue to go on? Well, will there be a stay-at-home order at some point during the season? I'm not sure. Some of those variables might work out.
DeAndre Jordan, Brooklyn Nets: Coming to practice is very strange. It's something that we haven't had to deal with before in any other season. We get to practice. You take one test. You take another test, then you wait in the car until you're hopefully negative, and then you can go up with your mask on and do your individual work and lift and shoot and you go home. And you do the same thing again the next day. I think we've done a great job of staying as safe as we possibly can and taking this thing as seriously as it needs to be taken.
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers: I know I'm going to do the right thing just like I said before the bubble, so the question is, "Is everybody else going to do the right thing?" I hope everybody does the right thing and doesn't put anybody at risk, and I hope then we also have guidelines to make sure that doesn't happen. But it's definitely very concerning and I just hope everybody stays safe and I stay safe.
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers: We listen to the experts and what's going on with the climate as far as COVID, and keep your family in a mask when we leave the house or whatever the case may be. And be cautious where we travel to, be cautious who we are around. Right now you just try to do everything that you can to try to protect your family. And hopefully you can stay safe and stay healthy. I think that's the most important thing, the main thing.
The new season is fast approaching. Keep it here for all the latest rankings, projections and storylines to watch ahead of 2020-21.
NBA Power Rankings, training camp edition What this drastic rest disparity means Games to watch | Must-see Christmas battles How will this NBA season actually work? Win projections for all 30 teams Every team's biggest camp question
Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics: It's really on the guys to really own up and take care of responsibility and be a professional and try to abide by as much as possible the rules and regulations of the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and everything that they have been doing to stay protected and keep yourself and others protected.
Blake Griffin, Detroit Pistons: I'm obviously biased, but I think the NBA does the best job of not only making sure that players are safe, but that we also can sort of voice our opinion with everything going on this past summer and including what's coming up. Not just the NBA, but the [National Basketball Players Association], everybody working together and making sure that our voices were heard.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Los Angeles Lakers: I think it's going to be a little challenging because of being in our respective cities and we play in the arenas. Not being in the bubble, I feel like it's going to be risky. But the league, they're still having us test every day for COVID, which is good. I like it like that. It keeps everybody safe.
Jared Dudley, Los Angeles Lakers: No player was signing off on going back to that bubble. There's no way you're gonna do a 72-game season away from family, and the NBA had stricter rules in there than I've ever seen. For one, give them credit: We had no positive tests, I understand. But because of the stricter rules, no players are gonna sign off on that. But I just think for us, this is the new norm. ... COVID is here to stay. So just gotta navigate through it.
Tobias Harris, Philadelphia 76ers: I follow what's going on in the world and the cases, it looks like we're headed for another shutdown soon enough. So, I mean, that plays a factor into it, too. ... I think we have to do our best to follow protocol, keep each other safe, keep the team safe, and just see how it plays out.
The NBA is back! Catch all the 2020-21 season action on ESPN, ABC and the ESPN app.
Sunday, Dec. 13: Clippers at Lakers, 8:30 p.m. on ESPN
Thursday, Dec. 17 Nets at Celtics, 8 p.m. on ESPN
All Times Eastern
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks: During this [pandemic], it's going to be a different season. Some players might get corona, get sick, not be able to be with the team [for] 10 days. So I think that's going to be a big part -- which team is not going to have [COVID-19]-positive people. It's going to be a lot of time together, and I think that's going to be a key.
Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors: I guess you just got to treat [positive tests] like an injury. And just have that next-man-up mentality. I believe in the guys we got here. And the guys on the team, the coaching staff that put us all in the best position to win. We're all competitors here. We all fight. And that's what we're going to do.
Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz: This isn't football where you can play once a week. We're playing twice, three, maybe four times a week and those are four games that at the end of the day, come playoff time, you miss those four games, you never know what may happen, especially in this loaded conference in the West.
Alex Caruso, Los Angeles Lakers: I think it's just as unpredictable as ever. The fact that we don't even have a full season schedule just shows it's going to be an unpredictable year, right? ... Honestly I think the NBA is in a really good position to carry out a full season and make it work.
1:34
LeBron James says he was surprised at how soon the NBA is beginning its season and explains why it might cause him to rest more throughout the season.
While eight teams haven't played an official NBA game since March, the Lakers and Heat wrapped up the 2020 NBA Finals a mere 71 days before the start of this season. Multiple players addressed the long layoff or short turnaround they are dealing with heading into this season.
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics: We had discussions and talks about when the season should possibly start and made the most sense in terms of, you know, businesswise and financially, starting on Christmas Day or right around that time. So I was for that in terms of what I saw on paper. ... In terms of what we see on paper and what we voted for, I didn't have a problem with it. I'm young. I don't really need too much time off.
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets: Some teams have had 10 months. They could have had a whole baby on the way and we had whatever, 60 days, two months. So everybody is going to be looking at the record and what we are doing and every team is different right now with the virus.
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers: I was like, "Wow." And I said, "Oh, s---." Just being completely honest, I wasn't expecting that because early conversations were going on and I was hearing that there would be kind of a mid-January start and training camp would kind of start after Christmas. We would have an opportunity to spend Christmas with our families. So I had a break planned, a vacation with my family for us to go somewhere, which I haven't been able to do, obviously, since I've been in the league. So I had to switch up a lot of things once I heard the December 22nd start.
2 Related
Markieff Morris, Los Angeles Lakers: Nobody knew when the season would start back up, so we had to kind of keep some type of shape. So we've been playing for a whole long year.
Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls: Basketball is my life. I didn't stop doing it. I was upset that we didn't make the bubble. It was really good to see basketball back and moving on, but it was tough to just sit there and watch it and not be a part of it, so I've been working out nonstop and now that we have our season back in full stride, I'm extremely happy and excited to get it going.
Andre Drummond, Cleveland Cavaliers: For me not to be able to be with my teammates for that many days, for 200-plus days, it's been a mental drain for me, but I've done a really good job of staying in contact through the phone at least. ... When it comes to the court, I think it's going to be an easy transition for us. Obviously, it's not going to be perfect, it's not gonna be mistake-free, but I think we have a lot of guys here that are willing to work hard and work through those mistakes to make ourselves a better team.
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets: The whole [offseason process], everything was shortened. I was in the weight room a little bit less [than a normal offseason]. Just to figure, just to put everything together, I was like, I need to cut one week of doing nothing and then one week of just doing weight room. It was OK to be honest. I kind of like it because the training camp is not going to be that long (chuckles).
Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers: It's definitely going to be a disadvantage for teams that had late runs in the playoffs compared to the teams that did not make the bubble and had early exits in the bubble.
1:10
Paul Pierce questions how the NBA will manage COVID-19 cases without a bubble.
Most NBA teams will begin the season playing in front of empty arenas, something players who played in the bubble experienced, but something that will be new for a portion of the league.
Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls: It's always been an entertainer's game and hopefully if we don't have fans, we can still provide that type of excitement for our fans and our fan base. If we do, we just have to be safe and the fans have to know that we have to keep our distance, not just for you, but for everybody to stay safe and to continue to do it.
DeAndre' Bembry, Toronto Raptors: Well, unfortunately, last year [with the Hawks] we weren't able to make it to the bubble, so I'm still gonna have to get used to no fans and being able to bring my own energy and just that whole environment because I wasn't able to go through that process yet, but being with this organization I don't think I'm gonna be too worried about [that].
Dwight Howard, Philadelphia 76ers: I wish the stadium was open so all the fans could come and be together during this time. I think unity brings change and I think we have an opportunity to do something here in Philly that could unite not just Pennsylvania, but also hopefully a lot of basketball fans around the world. ... I do miss the fans. I will say that. Playing in front of fans is probably the best experience. ... I do appreciate the fans, even the boos, the talking trash, I think that kind of drives me to keep going forward.
Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers: To say we don't miss the fans in the arenas is just a lie, flat out. We want them there. We need the fans in the arena. They make the games. The excitement, the energy is all because of them. So we definitely want them there and we miss them, but at the end of the day we've got to make sure they're safe, too, and they've got to make sure that they're safe because lives are way more important than basketball.
Marc Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers: I'll need a little more explaining how come that some arenas, they allow fans and some arenas don't. I understand there are different laws in different states, but I think we should have the same for everyone. That's just my opinion. But that's what we talked about. Obviously it's an ever-adjusting situation for everyone. We're very fortunate to be in a very safe environment. The NBA, the Lakers and L.A. County, do a great job having us as safe as possible and having a lot of protocols and stuff that we go through every day, and our staff as well. We're very thankful for that.
The Utah Jazz are one of the few teams to have announced plans to start the season with fans in the arena, playing host to up to 1,600 attendees, socially distanced from each other and the players.
Rudy Gobert: I think that if they make it happen they probably have the scientific evidence that it would be safe for us and for the fans in attendance.
Derrick Favors: I think that's an amazing thing to do and hopefully everybody can stick to the safety protocols and we can continue to build and bring more fans in there.
Donovan Mitchell: You've got to be careful, you've got to be cautious, but at the end of the day, if it's safe, I'm glad we're one of the teams that have fans and it'll be great to play in front of the home crowd.
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Another 106 people died Saturday statewide from the coronavirus as hospitalizations continue to creep upward, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomos office.
Across New York, 5,410 people were hospitalized as of Saturday, according to the state data, up 51 from the previous day. Of those patients, 1,009 people were in intensive care units.
The state also confirmed another 10,194 cases based on the return Saturday of 205,250 tests. Thats a positive rate of 4.96%.
The state is watching hospitalizations closely in this recent surge and using that as a factor in determining whether to limit economic activity and other gatherings.
In Central New York, 24% of all hospital beds are available, according to Cuomos office. About one-third of all intensive care units are also available.
Cuomo said Friday that his staff would work this weekend to analyze the most recent data -- and possibly reset some of the business and activity restrictionsthat come in the yellow, orange and red zone designations. That could meanmore restrictions to indoor dining across the state.
Already, Cuomo has said indoor dining in New York City will stop Monday, but thathair salons and gyms in orange zones(like Syracuse) can reopen with limits.
Since March, a total of 27,785 people have died from Covid-19 in New York.
Cuomo is expected to give a live briefing on Monday.
MORE ON CORONAVIRUS
Onondaga County has its deadliest weekend so far
For Syracuse gym, salon owners reopening is vindication
11 more deaths as toll nears 300 in Onondaga County
Upstates top coronavirus expert answers your vaccine questions
Two more Syracuse hospitals curb elective surgeries
Got a story idea or news tip youd like to share? Please contact me through email, Twitter, Facebook or at 315-470-2274.
CLEVELAND, Ohio Popular West 6th Street nightspot The Velvet Dog was cited Saturday night for violating health orders put in place by the Ohio Department of Health to try and curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Ohio Investigative Unit arrived at the club about 9 p.m. Saturday, a news release says. Agents saw patrons crowding the bar; every seat was filled, and others were lined up to order drinks.
Agents also saw people congregating and walking around the club with drinks in hand, the release states. No social distancing or physical barriers were seen.
Two other establishments one in Mansfield, and another in Atwater (Portage County) were cited Saturday night, the OIU said.
The administrative citation case against The Velvet Dog will go before the Ohio Liquor Control Commission for possible penalties, including fines or the suspension or revocation of liquor permits, according to the OIU.
Read more on cleveland.com:
Trucks carrying Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine depart Michigan facility for distribution
Ohio reports 11,252 new coronavirus cases, 51 new deaths: Saturday update
Long-distance activities for families, friends to try during socially-distanced holiday season
As the first COVID-19 vaccines arrive at hospitals Monday, America faces a reckoning with racism in health care a history that could derail an end to the worst pandemic in a century.
How do you persuade Black Americans to participate in the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history when the elders remember the Tuskegee experiment and younger have grown up in health care deserts, acutely aware they receive lower quality health care than whites?
That was the question tackled by Illinois officials and Black community leaders at a roundtable on ways to overcome this distrust that could hinder the nations goal of immunizing three out of four Americans, to achieve herd immunity.
We understand very clearly the African American communitys mistrust and apprehension. We know where this comes from, U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) said at the virtual gathering Friday, called by U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.).
It began before Tuskegee, but Tuskegee brought it to the forefront, created a condition where there had to be an admission by a medical professional that these tests at Tuskegee were implemented, and apology made. But there was no real solution to those problems, nothing that remediated ongoing mistrust, Rush said.
Now were at a point where weve got to have this participation by citizens from every demographic root, and were having to deal with this problem in terms of creating trust.
Delivery of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine began Sunday 3 million shots believed more than 90 percent effective against a disease thats killed over 300,000 Americans.
It will be given first to health care workers and nursing home residents, then essential workers, older adults and those at high risk, before the general population, by spring. With 75 percent immunized, experts say the U.S. could reach herd immunity by summers end.
Our local surveying has suggested, similar to what has been seen nationally, that Black Chicagoans and Black health care workers are less likely, right off the bat, to want to accept vaccines, said Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady. So its absolutely critical to talk about.
That distrust by Blacks, dying from coronavirus at twice the rate of whites, manifests in historically low Black participation in medical studies. So promoting the critical nature of the new vaccine to Black communities will mean relying on such trusted messengers as Black doctors, community groups and churches.
As health care workers are the first to get the shot, they should help make the case, said Rainbow PUSH Founder/ President the Rev. Jesse Jackson. If we have Black and Latino doctors on television, taking the shot, saying why they trust it, we remove some of these reasonable doubts fairly soon.
We cannot use the Tuskegee experiment as a crutch in this situation, Jackson said. Were beyond that now. There are 62 Blacks in Congress. We have an obligation to tell that story.
Leaders like Jackson taking the shot would have similar effect, Duckworth said. CDPH and the Illinois Department of Public Health also plan to use social media influencers to spread the message to that community.
Our group of Black electeds from across the state of Illinois, weve talked about all of us doing it together, so everyone can see, said U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.).
But sometimes we can be in a weird situation. Some people will say, Oh look, they got it first. On the other hand, some people will say, Oh look, theyre telling us to take it, but theyre not taking it.
Marketing to the Black community must also be conducted in a culturally sensitive manner.
We have to get this right. Time is of the essence, but we cant force people. As with any kind of change, there are early adopters, late adopters, people in the middle, and people who never adopt. We have to respect that, lDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said.
Were going to be working with the people who have some willingness to take this on, and they will need the appropriate education and support.
In the grip of the pandemics more deadly second wave, Illinois now accounts for nearly 5% of all coronavirus deaths in the U.S. Rates of infection and death in communities of color speak to a need for massive new dollars for vaccine marketing, officials said.
Theres hope, however.
UICs Moderna trial here had 75 percent non-white participants. Thats very unusual, and good news for Chicago, Arwady said. Were doing some message testing right now, with a focus on Black and Latinx communities, thinking about how we acknowledge some of this past history, but then be very forthright, talk about the science of this vaccine.
That messaging will also address potential for criminal elements to prey on the vulnerable.
Everybody needs to know that anybody soliciting any kind of money, even if its an administration fee, anything like that, its not legit. The vaccine is free, Ezike said. You dont have to bring something to prove youre a citizen, or resident of Illinois. We are vaccinating everybody who presents. People need to know that right at the beginning.
'A gift to the American people' lands in Louisville with nation's first COVID-19 vaccines Courier Journal
This week in coronavirus: Vaccinations start this week, but most of us will have to wait The Tennessean
