There are scant details yet available on when a COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed to service members and whether it will be mandatory, the Pentagons top spokesman told reporters Tuesday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration and others are coordinating to draw up plans and prioritize groups, Jonathan Hoffman said, but the militarys place in that pecking order has not yet been established.
I dont have information for you to share on that right now, Hoffman said. Im going to defer answering that question to when we give the vaccination update in the coming weeks. And well have a fuller conversation about what will and will not be required.
Broadly, he said, the federal government is looking at first vaccinating health care workers, other essential personnel, adults with high-risk preexisting conditions and residents of long-term health care facilities.
Youll see from that list that the department may not have a huge number of individuals that fall into those initial categories, he said. Most of our personnel, particularly uniformed personnel, are much younger.
In general, service members are not considered a particularly high-risk population, due to the overwhelmingly young average age of troops and their relative health and fitness, thanks to physical requirements and regular health screenings.
Though the infection rate among troops is on par with the general U.S. population, at about 3 percent, hospitalizations and deaths are exponentially lower.
The military does have a good deal of frontline medical personnel, however, who have been tasked with carrying out testing and initial care of Defense Department personnel, and in some cases, have deployed to the hardest-hit areas to augment civilian medical personnel.
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Hoffman could not clarify whether military medical personnel will be considered, as with their civilian counterparts, high priority. That will be part of the decision making in the next month, with CDC coordination.
As soon as we are at a place where were prepared, with the approval of CDC and FDA, to release that information, well be doing so, he said.
Meanwhile, some installations are tightening up their access in response to the record-high numbers of new cases developing all around the country. This includes the Pentagon, which will be reducing its work force down from 50-percent telework back to 80-percent telework and increasing temperature screenings at entrances, upgrading to Health Protection Condition B+.
We have seen DoD facilities across the country adjusting their health condition levels in the last few weeks, depending on local conditions, he said, specifically calling out Naval Station Norfolk, Va., which upgraded to HPCON C last week. And we expect to see other increases in the coming weeks.
The Pentagon and other installations spent most of the pandemic so far at HPCON C, relaxing to B in late summer. Per policy, it will still be up to individual installation commanders to adjust their protection levels.
During the summer, as some restrictions relaxed amid infection spikes in states like Florida, Texas, Arizona and California, commanders did not always turn around and lock things down again. This surge is expected to be different.
Once again, thats going to be a decision based on local communities and the operational needs of the services and the bases, Hoffman said. So yes, I believe well see those closures go up.
Find all of the most important pandemic education news on Educating N.J., a special resource guide created for parents, students and educators.
Although an increasing number of schools are switching to all-virtual learning, New Jersey students and teachers are continuing to transmit the coronavirus in the classroom and during other in-school activities, according to the states latest statistics on in-school outbreaks.
Ten new outbreaks were reported in schools in eight counties this week, bringing the totals to 66 outbreaks involving 269 students, teachers and school staff since the start of the school year, according to the states COVID-19 dashboard.
School outbreaks are defined as cases in which contact tracers determine two or more students or school staff caught or transmitted the coronavirus to each other at school or during school activities. Cases in which people contracted the virus at home, at parties, during sports practices or during other activities are not included in the totals.
Citing the privacy of students and staff who tested positive, state officials did not identify the names of the schools with outbreaks or any of the details about how the virus was transmitted at school despite mask rules and social distancing measures.
This weeks newly-reported outbreaks include: two in Cape May County (involving a total of 4 cases) and two in Monmouth County (involving a total of 8 cases). There was also one new school outbreak each in: Camden (involving 3 cases); Bergen (2 cases); Cumberland (2 cases); Mercer (2 cases); Somerset (5 cases); and Warren (2 cases).
There were also two additional positive COVID-19 tests in Salem County related to school outbreaks that had previously been reported.
With hundreds of school districts open for in-person classes, Gov. Phil Murphy has said the number of school outbreaks is relatively low and an indication that most schools are doing a good job keeping students safe. He has cited the statistics as one of the reasons why he has not called for a statewide school shutdown during the second wave of COVID-19 currently sweeping the country.
However, some critics have cited the school outbreak numbers as misleading because they do not include the total number of students and teachers who have tested positive for the virus since schools reopened.
School data reported by the state is misleading at best because it does not include cases where students or staff are infected with COVID during school-related activities such as sports and other extracurricular programs. School buildings and school-related activities are far more dangerous than the states data indicate, the New Jersey Education Association, the states largest teachers union, said in a statement last week.
The 66 confirmed school outbreaks were in:
Only Essex and Morris counties have reported no school outbreaks, the state said.
The numbers include both public and private K-12 schools.
Most of the states school districts continue to operate on hybrid schedules that bring a limited number of students into classrooms each day on a rotating basis while others learn at home via laptops and live video classes.
But the number of public school districts announcing a switch to all-virtual classes has been growing each day.
Newton, Toms River, Gloucester Township, Pemberton Township, Vineland, Hoboken, North Brunswick, Old Bridge, Woodbridge, Vernon and Phillipsburg are among the school districts that recently announced they are moving to all-remote learning.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.
Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com.
An analysis of nearly 800 nursing homes in six states experiencing the biggest surges, including North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, found that these homes are still hot spots of viral transmission and that little has been done since the spring to reduce that risk.
It is nearly impossible to compare the relative contribution of social gatherings to the number of cases in different states, or even to find a consistent definition of what constitutes a gathering.
Rhode Island, which limited private gatherings to 10 people, helpfully defined the term, including family get-togethers, birthday parties, baby showers and sleepovers. But some states also add larger events, such as weddings and funerals, into the category.
These gatherings, especially if held indoors, certainly can drive infections. In rural Maine, a wedding with 55 guests ultimately resulted in 177 cases, while a wedding in Washington State led to at least 17. Outbreaks in communities with tight-knit social networks, such as the Amish and the Hasidic Jewish population, were also powered by large social events.
But the same cannot be said of smaller private gatherings with friends and family. In Colorado, only 81 active cases are attributed to social gatherings, compared with more than 4,000 from correctional centers and jails, 3,300 from colleges and universities, nearly 2,400 from assisted living facilities, and 450 from restaurants, bars, casinos and bowling alleys.
In Louisiana, social events account for just 1.7 percent of the 3,300 cases for which the state has clear exposure information.
Its important to give good public health advice about whats coming in the holidays, no doubt about it, said Dr. Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. But it is not good to suggest that they are now the preponderance of the source of spread.
LatestHighest-risk Chicagoans could begin receiving coronavirus vaccine as early as mid-December: Lightfoot Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Chicago health care workers could begin getting vaccinated against the coronavirus as early as mid-December, city officials said Wednesday.
And while the timelines remains fluid, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she expects all adults to be able to get vaccinated sometime in 2021.
Lightfoot said when the vaccine becomes more widely distributed, it is likely to be available at large, centralized sites, including city colleges and mobile sites deployed at trusted community settings.
Chicagos top public health official, Dr. Allison Arwady, said the city has very specific plans for storage and distribution of a vaccine should the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approve one.
The Chicago Department of Public Health has already built up its ultra-cold storage in preparation for the arrival of a vaccine.
We are working with multiple hospitals that also have built up some of that ultra-cold storage capacity, Arwady said.
Highest-risk health care workers are expected to receive the vaccine, followed by distribution to nursing home and long-term care facilities, and then health care workers who see coronavirus patients outside of hospitals, Arwady said.
Read the full story here.
As Illinois reported 9,469 more coronavirus cases and 125 deaths Tuesday, officials said theyre cautiously optimistic the states massive viral resurgence might finally be leveling off but warned that any progress will be wiped out if families dont cancel plans for holiday gatherings this week.
Thanksgiving this year needs to be different, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said. To those who havent yet changed your plans, the doctors are asking all of us to skip the big group dinner this year. The vaccines that seem to be on the horizon cant help you if you get sick now.
Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike cautioned that without even knowing it, you could be putting your friends and family, or yourself in grave danger.
We have to accept what were dealing with: a global pandemic, the likes of which no one has seen before. That does deserve a change from the norm, Ezike said.
Read the full story here.
Alabama coach Nick Saban has tested positive for COVID-19 just days before the Iron Bowl.
Team physician Dr. Jimmy Robinson and head trainer Jeff Allen said in a joint statement that the positive test came Wednesday morning.
He has very mild symptoms, so this test will not be categorized as a potential false positive, the statement said. He will follow all appropriate guidelines and isolate at home.
The 69-year-old Saban previously received a false positive ahead of the game with Georgia, but didnt have any symptoms. He was cleared to coach in the game after subsequent tests leading up to the game came out negative.
Read the full story here.
NEW YORK Dont even think of putting the mask away anytime soon.
Despite the expected arrival of COVID-19 vaccines in just a few weeks, it could take several months probably well into 2021 before things get back to something close to normal in the U.S. and Americans can once again go to the movies, cheer at an NBA game or give Grandma a hug.
The first, limited shipments of the vaccine would mark just the beginning of what could be a long and messy road toward the end of the pandemic that has upended life and killed more than a quarter-million people in the U.S. In the meantime, Americans are being warned not to let their guard down.
If youre fighting a battle and the cavalry is on the way, you dont stop shooting; you keep going until the cavalry gets here, and then you might even want to continue fighting, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious-disease expert, said last week.
This week, AstraZeneca became the third vaccine maker to say early data indicates its shots are highly effective. Pfizer last week asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization to begin distributing its vaccine, and Moderna is expected to do the same any day. Federal officials say the first doses will ship within a day of authorization.
But most people will probably have to wait months for shots to become widely available. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines also each require two doses, meaning people will have to go back for a second shot after three and four weeks, respectively, to get the full protection.
Union officials representing nearly 700 nursing home workers who hit the picket lines this week said the owner of the 11 facilities has left town and they arent sure when negotiations for a new contract will resume.
The employer has refused to make a move, said Shaba Andrich, vice president for nursing homes at SEIU Healthcare Illinois. Infinity Healthcare Management Owner Moishe Gubin had indicated to some people that he would be available to negotiate last Sunday, but then left the state and has not been able to negotiate.
Nursing home workers at Infinity locations in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs entered their second day on strike as negotiations for a new contract remain nonexistent. Members have been fighting for improved working conditions, base salaries for between $15 and $15.50 an hour (up from $11.50 to $13.50, depending on location) and hazard pay for the duration of the pandemic.
But union members claim their employer has completely walked away from the table and negotiating sessions havent been scheduled for the near future.
We want to get back to negotiations, we want him to come back with different solutions and different ideas about how we get a contract done, Andrich said during a Zoom call Tuesday afternoon. There is none [no meetings] happening now, there is none on the calendar.
Read the full story here.
Ineffective hand sanitizer, employees showing up for work after testing positive for the coronavirus and inadequate hand hygiene are all under scrutiny as possible sources of a COVID-19 outbreak that has left 27 residents of an Illinois veterans home dead.
Those findings from a pair of reports prompted Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state veterans officials to launch an investigation into the circumstances around the spread of the deadly virus at the LaSalle Veterans Home.
The reports released by the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs found employees of the home attended the same Halloween gathering and later tested positive for the virus.
The veterans home in LaSalle was also stocked earlier this month with hand sanitizer found not to be effective against COVID-19, and some staff were observed touching patients and surfaces without changing their gloves or performing hand hygiene, according to one report released Tuesday.
Those were just some of the findings from one site visit on Nov. 12 a second visit five days later found many of the initial recommendations were followed, a second report found.
But cases at the home some 95 miles southwest of Chicago have ballooned over the course of the month, and 27 residents have died, a spokeswoman for the veterans affairs department said.
Read the full story here.
I want to speak directly to Chicagoans about our citys budget, which will come up for a vote before the full City Council today.
Long before I formally introduced this budget in October, it became clear that our economic path out of the COVID-19 pandemic would require us to make some extraordinarily difficult decisions. It was a matter of when, not if, these decisions would be made, and how we would make them all while holding firm to our core values of equity, inclusion and transparency.
COVID-19 has not only upended all our lives from a health perspective, it also has devastated significant parts of our economy. This has resulted in an $800 million loss of revenues for the 2020 budget and a significant $1.2 billion deficit for next year, 65% of which is directly tied to COVID-19.
Dealing with a $1.2 billion gap means there were no easy decisions. None. And while the prospect of better times comes closer into view, particularly because of a new partner in the White House, along with the prospect of a nationwide COVID-19 response plan rooted in science and data, we must face the reality in front of us right now.
To put it bluntly, this is likely the most painful budget we have ever faced as a city. And it comes after the many difficult and painful choices weve already had to make over the last eight months. So, if there were a responsible way to close our budget gap that didnt involve raising taxes or requiring some level of furloughs for our City employees, we would have already taken it. But among the many thing this pandemic has taken from us is our ability to make decisions without sacrificing something in return.
Read Mayor Lori E. Lightfoots full column here.
America got more good news about a COVID-19 vaccine last week, the second potential vaccine shown to be at least 90% effective against the disease in early data from clinical trials.
If the Food and Drug Administration grants emergency use authorization to one or both vaccines, doses could be distributed beginning in late Decembe,r and the country will have its most powerful tool yet against the pandemic.
But no vaccine, no matter how effective it is or how quickly it becomes available, will be a powerful tool against the pandemic if too few people especially African Americans, who are among the most vulnerable to severe illness or death from COVID-19 get the shot.
And as the Sun-Times Brett Chase reported Sunday, distrust of a COVID-19 vaccine runs deep among Black Americans. Theyre less likely to volunteer for clinical trials to test vaccine safety and effectiveness. Public opinion polls, too, have consistently shown African Americans are less likely to say they would take a coronavirus vaccine.
The health care system has a lot of work to do to get past that lingering distrust. As states and the federal government plan public education campaigns to urge people to take a vaccine, extra effort must be made to reach the African American community, get people vaccinated and save lives.
Read the full editorial here.
When coronavirus vaccines arrive in Philadelphia, frontline health-care workers including hospital nurses and testing center employees will be prioritized, Farley said. If the U.S. Food and Drug Administration quickly approves one of the two vaccines nearing the regulatory finish line, its possible Philadelphia could have its first round of vaccines as soon as mid-December, he said. The first batch of vaccines, however, will be limited.
Sherri Zink and Bryan Heckman, Guest columnists Published 4:01 a.m. CT Nov. 25, 2020
Nashville's 3 COVID testing sites staffed by Meharry Nashville Tennessean
BlueCross and Meharrys shared concern is that vaccine hesitancy could increase in underserved minority populations if left unaddressed, especially since COVID-19 severity varies by race.
Nine months into the pandemic, a great deal of uncertainty remains. COVID-19 continues to spread, our schools assess whether to stay open, and our economy struggles.
Sherri Zink(Photo: Submitted)
Pfizer and Modernas recent announcements on their coronavirus vaccines have offered a beacon of hope. But theres still much we dont know as to when the vaccine will be approved and widely available or if the public will embrace it.
Thats why thorough research, reliable dataand unbiased conclusions are more essential to our communities health than ever before.
Earlier this year, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee and Meharry Medical College embarked on a partnership to collaborate on making Tennesseans healthier. The teams primary goal is to improve COVID-19 response by examining health disparities and addressing social determinants of health in minority and underserved populations.
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These determinants are comprised ofthe health-shaping conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age.BlueCross uses its data to gain insight around these factors.To apply the data and remove barriers to care, BlueCross developed the Social Vulnerabilities Index, an aggregate score that ranges from 0 to 19. The SVI quantifies the number of social determinants (19 total) for which a member may be at risk and is used to help identify and engage with vulnerable populations.
Bryan Heckman(Photo: Submitted)
Nashvilles Meharry Medical College is the largest private historically Black college in theUnited States and is committed to educating tomorrows health care professionals and scientists. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Meharrys been battling the virus on numerous fronts. Meharry is operating COVID-19 testing sites, exploring treatments and vaccines, conducting clinical trialsand researching vaccine hesitancy.
Hear more Tennessee voices: Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought-provoking columns.
Minority vaccine hesitancy, or the reluctance to be vaccinated, is rooted in longstanding systemic health and social inequities and distrust in the health care system. BlueCross and Meharrys shared concern is that vaccine hesitancy could increase in underserved minority populations if left unaddressed. But we see a clear path forward for data-driven decision making and quality improvement.
Our goals are to:
Jacqueline Ike, a registered nurse and first-year medical student, administers a COVID-19 test at Mount Gilead Missionary Baptist Church on Saturday, June 6, 2020.(Photo: Alan Poizner / For The Tennessean)
The data showsthat COVID-19 severity varies by race. Hispanic people have the highest average number of social vulnerabilities, and Black people have higher social vulnerability rates across many different factors. When BlueCross looked at high-severity cases of COVID-19 among its commercial plan members, the percentage for Asian Americans is twice as high as others in the commercial population.
BlueCross notes similar results for Black people in our Medicaid population. Approximately 9% of our Medicaid members tested positive for COVID-19, and 50% of those testing positive for COVID were Black. These individuals accounted for 72% of the high-severity cases.
Williamson Medical Center doctors and nurses celebrate the release patient Isaiah Whalum on Tuesday, May 12, 2020, at the Franklin hospital. Whalum recovered COVID-19 and was a patient for 53 days.(Photo: Shelley Mays/The Tennessean )
The reason for these differences? Following significant medical events like heart attack, strokeand hospitalization, members experience the health care system differently. Were seeing a direct correlation between cost and severity of each COVID-19 patient journey. For the more severe COVID-19 journeys, in many cases, we see a larger minority population group.
Data has already shown that COVID-19 vaccine acceptance levels will vary by location anddemographic and socio-economic conditions. Were using flu vaccine acceptance to help us understand the negative perception brought on by decades of distrust in the health care system.
Williamson Medical Center doctors and nurses celebrate the release of recovered COVID-19 patient Isaiah Whalum on Tuesday, May 12, 2020, at the Franklin hospital. Whalum had been a patient for 53 days.(Photo: Shelley Mays/The Tennessean )
Phase 1 of our collaboration, already underway, involves mapping communities at high risk for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and using predictive modeling to identify individual- and community-level risk factors. The results will help inform public health messaging.
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One size of care doesnt fit all. Ultimately, were working to uncover the best approach to optimizing health equity for all Tennesseans.
Sherri Zink is chief data officer for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. Bryan Heckman, Ph.D., is director of theCenter for the Study of Social Determinants of Health and associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Meharry Medical College.
Read or Share this story: https://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/2020/11/25/what-data-tells-us-health-disparities-vaccines-and-covid-19-tennessee/6416150002/
At least one of the promising coronavirus vaccines must be transported and stored at minus-94 degrees Fahrenheit.
UPS is increasing its dry ice production and availability of super-cold freezers in anticipation of COVID-19 vaccines that need to be stored and transported at temperatures well below zero.
The shipping company says its health care arm can now produce up to 1,200 pounds of dry ice per hour, making it available for hospitals, clinics and other facilities in the U.S. and Canada. UPS says delivery can happen within one day.
Healthcare facilities in Louisville, Dallas and Ontario will ensure we have the capability to produce dry ice to sufficiently pack and replenish shipments as needed to keep products viable and effective," UPS Healthcare president Wes Wheeler said in a statement.
UPS also said it is partnering with Stirling Ultracold to provide portable ultra-low temperature freezers. This will primarily be for smaller care facilities that may lack long-term freezer storage.
These freezers can store vaccines that require temperatures as low as minus-80 degrees Celsius (minus-112 degrees Fahrenheit). The vaccine from Pfizer has to be kept at minus-94 degrees Fahrenheit. The one from Moderna also needs to be kept frozen, but at a much warmer minus-4 degrees Fahrenheit.
Keeping the vaccines properly stored will be key. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses, meaning people will have to go back for a second shot after three and four weeks, respectively, to get the full protection.
AstraZeneca also said Monday that late-stage trials showed its COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective, but it does not need to be kept at subzero temperatures.
Pfizer formally asked U.S. regulators Friday to allow emergency useof its vaccine, starting the clock on a process that could bring limited first shots as early as December. The company said early results show the vaccine is 95% effective. The Food and Drug Administration can grant emergency use before the final testing is fully complete.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
1. How COVID-19 is affecting the globe
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have now passed 59.7 million globally, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. The number of confirmed deaths stands at more than 1.4 million.
Tokyo is set to ask bars and restaurants to operate shortened hours, following sharp rises in COVID-19 infections.
A Japanese campaign promoting domestic travel has also been paused in two cities - Sapporo and Osaka - as a result of rising infections.
Italians have been warned by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte not to ski over the Christmas holiday, in order to help curb a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
France is set to begin easing its COVID-19 lockdown this weekend, in a gradual reopening, that won't see restaurants, cafes and bars reopening until 20 January. We must do everything to avoid a third wave, do everything to avoid a third lockdown, President Emmanuel Macron said.
The four nations of the United Kingdom have agreed a plan to relax restrictions over the Christmas period. Up to three households will be able to create a 'bubble' and meet at home from 23-27 December.
Using blood plasma from COVID-19 patients to treat others with severe pneumonia caused by the virus has little benefit, according to data released from a clinical trial in Argentina.
Britain has reported its highest COVID-19 death toll since May, with 608 deaths.
2. Americans urged to stay at home
US health officials and politicians have urged Americans to stay at home over the Thanksgiving holiday.
There are fears the holiday weekend could fuel a surge in infections across the country, as the daily death toll climbed about 2,000.
Cases continue to rise in the United States.
Image: Our World in Data
We are on fire with COVID, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said on CNN, defending unpopular restrictions he ordered last week that included new limits on retail activity and school closures. Were just trying to do the right thing.
More than half of states have imposed, or reimposed, restrictions in the face of rising infections.
3. Airlines set to lose $157 billion
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has forecast airlines will lose $157 billion over this year and next, as a result of the travel slump caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The downgraded forecast, which stood at $100 billion in June, comes despite the promise of COVID-19 vaccines.
The positive impact it will have on the economy and air traffic will not happen massively before mid-2021, IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac told Reuters.
Passenger numbers are expected to drop to 1.8 billion this year from 4.5 billion last year and will recover only partially to 2.8 billion next year. Passenger revenue for 2020 is expected to have plunged 69% to $191 billion.
The average airline has enough liquidity to survive another 8.5 months, but others have just weeks.
The first global pandemic in more than 100 years, COVID-19 has spread throughout the world at an unprecedented speed. At the time of writing, 4.5 million cases have been confirmed and more than 300,000 people have died due to the virus.
As countries seek to recover, some of the more long-term economic, business, environmental, societal and technological challenges and opportunities are just beginning to become visible.
To help all stakeholders communities, governments, businesses and individuals understand the emerging risks and follow-on effects generated by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Marsh and McLennan and Zurich Insurance Group, has launched its COVID-19 Risks Outlook: A Preliminary Mapping and its Implications - a companion for decision-makers, building on the Forums annual Global Risks Report.
The report reveals that the economic impact of COVID-19 is dominating companies risks perceptions.
Companies are invited to join the Forums work to help manage the identified emerging risks of COVID-19 across industries to shape a better future. Read the full COVID-19 Risks Outlook: A Preliminary Mapping and its Implications report here, and our impact story with further information.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil rose about 4% on Tuesday to touch highs not seen since March as a third promising coronavirus vaccine raised hope for fuel- demand recovery and U.S. President-elect Joe Biden began his transition to the White House.
FILE PHOTO: The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, U.S., November 22, 2019. REUTERS/Angus Mordant
Brent crude settled at $47.86 a barrel, gaining $1.80, or 3.9%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude settled at $44.91 a barrel, rising $1.85 or 4.3%.
Both benchmarks ended at their highest close since March 5.
AstraZeneca on Monday said its COVID-19 vaccine was 70% effective in trials and could be up to 90% effective, giving the fight against the pandemic another potential vaccine after positive results from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
However, the vaccine will not be readily available for several months, meaning people will likely restrict travel and other activities through next year to try to slow the spread of the disease.
The petroleum complex is the vaccine trade, said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital in New York. Until we can see the other side of the pandemic, the market is going to be mired in slack demand that is going to keep the overhang extensive.
The coronavirus pandemic, coupled with the collapse of an OPEC-led output pact, sent prices crashing in March.
After the collapse of that output pact led to a brief Saudi Arabia-Russia price war, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies agreed a new deal on record production cuts to support prices.
The group known as OPEC+ is expected to roll over those cuts into 2021 after meeting Nov. 30 to Dec. 1, following technical talks this week.
In addition, the administration of President Donald Trump, a Republican, gave the Democratic president-elect access to resources that will enable him to take over in January after delaying for weeks despite Trumps loss in the Nov. 3 election.
Bidens early selection of top advisers helped buoy crude futures and equities, which oil often follows.
Oil prices pared gains slightly in post-settlement trade after the American Petroleum Institute, an industry group, reported U.S. crude inventories rose by 3.8 million barrels in the week to Nov. 20 to about 490 million barrels, compared with analysts expectations in a Reuters poll for a build of 127,000 barrels. [EIA/S]
Official U.S. government crude stocks data will be released on Wednesday.
Reporting by Laila Kearney in New York; Additional reporting by Alex Lawler and Jessica Jaganathan in London; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Matthew Lewis
TheWest Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reportsas of 10:00 a.m., November 25, 2020, there have been 1,063,597 total confirmatory laboratory results receivedfor COVID-19, with 43,050 total cases and 695 deaths.
DHHRhas confirmed the deaths of an 84-yearold female from Cabell County, a 97-year old female from Mineral County, a 73-yearold male from Mineral County, an 84-year old female from Harrison County, an 80-yearold female from Mineral County, a 68-year old male from Marshall County, a 76-yearold male from Marshall County, a 95-year old male from Marshall County, an 86-yearold female from Marshall County, an 83-year old male from Marshall County, a 94-yearold female from Marshall County, a 93-year old female from Marshall County, andan 80-year old male from Cabell County.
Protectingthe health, safety and well-being of every West Virginian is our ultimate goal,said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. In these days of sadness, we mustfind the strength to support our friends and neighbors while continuing toprevent the spread of COVID-19 by practicing safety measures we know work:wearing masks, washing hands, keeping a safe physical distance from others, utilizingfree COVID-19 testing, and when possible, staying home.
CASESPER COUNTY: Barbour(375), Berkeley (2,874), Boone (603), Braxton (104), Brooke (587), Cabell(2,695), Calhoun (63), Clay (107), Doddridge (112), Fayette (1,076), Gilmer(196), Grant (310), Greenbrier (414), Hampshire (295), Hancock (591), Hardy(227), Harrison (1,200), Jackson (680), Jefferson (1,233), Kanawha (5,400),Lewis (228), Lincoln (401), Logan (1,015), Marion (776), Marshall (1,080),Mason (383), McDowell (600), Mercer (1,264), Mineral (1,084), Mingo (947),Monongalia (3,143), Monroe (352), Morgan (245), Nicholas (315), Ohio (1,403),Pendleton (101), Pleasants (84), Pocahontas (115), Preston (505), Putnam(1,776), Raleigh (1,465), Randolph (660), Ritchie (139), Roane (158), Summers(260), Taylor (290), Tucker (117), Tyler (132), Upshur (462), Wayne (949), Webster(54), Wetzel (381), Wirt (94), Wood (2,281), Wyoming (649).
Please note that delaysmay be experienced with the reporting of information from the local healthdepartment to DHHR. As case surveillance continues at the local healthdepartment level, it may reveal that those tested in a certain county may notbe a resident of that county, or even the state as an individual in questionmay have crossed the state border to be tested. Such is the case of Doddridge County in this report.
Please visit the dashboard located at www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more information.
Free COVID-19 testing is available today in Barbour, Cabell, Lincoln, Logan,Marshall, Ohio, Taylor, Wayne, and Wood counties.
BarbourCounty
8:00 AM 12:00 PM, Myers Clinic, 3 Health Care Drive, Philippi, WV
12:00 PM 4:00 PM, Belington Clinic, 56 N. Brandenburg Street, Belington,WV
CabellCounty
9:00 AM 2:00 PM, Cabell-Huntington Health Department, 703 Seventh Avenue,Huntington, WV
LincolnCounty
10:00 AM 1:00 PM, Lincoln County Health Department, 8008 Court Avenue,Hamlin, WV
11:00 AM 1:00 PM, Lincoln Plaza, Food Fair, West Hamlin, WV
LoganCounty
10:00 AM 1:00 PM, Old 84 Lumber Building, 100Recovery Road, Peach Creek, WV
Marshall County
9:00 AM 12:00 PM, Marshall County HealthDepartment, 513 6th Street, Moundsville, WV
OhioCounty
9:00 AM 12:00 PM, Valley Grove Volunteer FireDepartment, 355 Fire House Lane, Valley Grove, WV
9:00 AM 12:00 PM, Warwood Fire Station 9, 1301Richland Avenue, Wheeling, WV
9:00 AM 12:00 PM, Wheeling Island Fire DepartmentStation 5, 11 North Wabash Street, Wheeling, WV
Taylor County
12:00 PM 2:00 PM, First Baptist Church of Grafton,2034 Webster Pike US Route 119 South, Grafton, WV
Wayne County
10:00 AM 2:00 PM, Wayne County Health Department,217 Kenova Avenue, Wayne, WV
Wood County
10:00 AM 2:00 PM, Parkersburg High School, 2101Dudley Avenue, Parkersburg, WV (pre-registration: www.ipsumcovidresults.com)
Please visit https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/pages/testing.aspx for more testing locations including the new locator map. Newsites are added daily.
