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On Wednesday, infections declined to an average of 601,302 in the seven-day average, and current hospitalization have leveled off to 148,710, according to data compiled by The Washington Post. These numbers do not indicate the country has “sufficient control,” a critical point the nation must reach so the virus doesn’t “dominate” our lives, Anthony S. Fauci said at a briefing by the White House covid-19 task force. Fauci said the nation can still reach some level of normalcy with effective tools, referring to vaccinations, boosters and antivirals.
“That is not where we are at this point,” he said. “So we still have a way to go.”
Here’s what to know
Maryland covid deaths have hit a monthly record amid omicron
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Covid-19 deaths are mounting in Maryland even as new infections decline.
With nearly a week left in January, the state on Tuesday already had logged 1,475 covid-related fatalities, more than double the number recorded in December, and higher than any other month since the pandemic began.
Public health experts say death rates tend to lag weeks after patients receive positive test results and symptoms worsen, which explains why fatalities can spike as infection rates have fallen across D.C., Maryland and Virginia for more than a week. Officials add that it can take weeks to retroactively verify death certificates, which can change fatality numbers slightly over time.
Eric Toner, a senior scientist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said Maryland’s peak in deaths could “come and go” as quickly as the omicron surge in cases has, but urged residents and elected officials to exercise caution.
Covid cases hit record high in Americas, regional health agency says
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The number of covid-19 cases reported last week in the Americas marked a new pandemic high, Pan American Health Organization officials said Wednesday, with omicron being the predominant strain.
The region recorded more than 8 million new infections, a 32 percent increase from the previous week, PAHO Director Carissa F. Etienne said during a media briefing. Deaths also rose, with 18,000 new fatalities representing a 37 percent jump.
In North America, the United States had the highest number of new infections, Etienne said, though the number was down about 1 million over the previous week. Many of Mexico’s southern states saw new cases triple in that time frame, Etienne said
In Central America, weekly fatalities were up 107 percent. In South America, Paraguay had cases double nearly every two days. Brazil’s case count showed a 193 percent increase over the previous week. And there were surges in some Caribbean countries with some of the lowest vaccination rates in the region.
“As covid cases are spreading more actively and more quickly than ever before, it is clear that omicron has become the predominant SARS-CoV-2 strain in our region at this moment,” Etienne said.
Bills fans arrested, charged with felony after using fake vaccine cards to attend games
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A West Seneca, N.Y. couple is facing felony charges for allegedly using of fake vaccine cards earlier this month to attend the Buffalo Bills playoff win over the New England Patriots.
Amber and Michael Naab, 37 and 34, were each charged with one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument during their Tuesday arraignment in Orchard Park Town Court. The charge, a class D felony, carries a maximum of seven years in prison if convicted, although Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said he would not send the couple to prison.
“I readily admit this is not the crime of the century,” Flynn said during a Wednesday news conference. “I hate to be the guy that says, ‘I need to send a message.’ I don’t like being that guy, but you can’t do this. There’s a law. We’ve got laws on the books.”
Spotify pulls Neil Young’s music after his ultimatum on Joe Rogan and ‘fake information about vaccines’
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Spotify is in the process of removing Neil Young’s music two days after Young posted a letter on his website demanding that his catalogue be removed in response to the “fake information about vaccines” on the platform.
“We want all the world’s music and audio content to be available to Spotify users. With that comes great responsibility in balancing both safety for listeners and freedom for creators,” a Spotify spokesman told The Washington Post in a statement. “We have detailed content policies in place and we’ve removed over 20,000 podcast episodes related to covid-19 since the start of the pandemic. We regret Neil’s decision to remove his music from Spotify, but hope to welcome him back soon.”
Young’s letter, which has since been deleted, was addressed to his manager and an executive at his record label and cited Joe Rogan by name as part of his issue with Spotify.
YouTube permanently bans Fox News host Dan Bongino for posting covid misinformation
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Google-owned YouTube said it had permanently banned prominent conservative media figure Don Bongino from its site after he repeatedly broke its rules on posting coronavirus misinformation.
Bongino, who hosts a show on Fox News in addition to talk radio shows and online broadcasts, had been given a strike and a week-long suspension from YouTube earlier in January for saying in one of his videos that masks were useless. He uploaded another video later in the month that also broke the platform’s rules on coronavirus misinformation. When he tried to upload a third video, the company banned him permanently.
YouTube has had rules against posting false or misleading information about the coronavirus and vaccines since the beginning of the pandemic, though critics have said the company enforces its rules unevenly. In September, it took down the accounts of several anti-vaccine influencers after years of research from misinformation researchers suggesting the platform played a role in the growth of vaccine hesitancy.
Moderna starts testing omicron-specific vaccine on humans
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Moderna announced Wednesday that it was beginning human trials to test its coronavirus vaccine modified to target the omicron variant of the coronavirus.
The drug company didn’t provide a timeline for releasing results about the omicron-specific vaccine, as officials will have to update guidance when Moderna, and competitors Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech, release their targeted shots. Pfizer and BioNTech said they launched trials earlier this week.
The timing of these vaccines could be critical as the omicron variant currently accounts for 99.9 percent of the nation’s coronavirus infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
News of the updated booster comes the same day as a study that found antibodies, although waning, remain effective from a booster dose of Moderna’s non-variant-specific vaccine against omicron for up to six months.
Duke University researchers found that Moderna’s booster increased antibodies 20-fold within four weeks after the boost was administered but the immune system’s protections dropped off about sixfold six months after. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows how the decline in antibodies for the booster mirrors the fall in antibodies to the delta variant, co-author David Montefiori, a professor in Duke’s Department of Surgery, said in a statement.
“This is not uncommon for mRNA vaccines or for vaccines in general,” Montefiori said. “Antibodies go down because the body figures it does not need to maintain them at that high level. It doesn’t mean there is no protection — there is immunologic memory.”
Conservatives defend D.C. bar under investigation for violating vaccine rules
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D.C.’s liquor board said Tuesday that it will investigate a Northeast Washington bar repeatedly fined for violating the city’s vaccine and mask regulations, as conservatives defended the business.
The Big Board, a bar and restaurant in the District’s H Street corridor, received two $1,000 citations as well as written and verbal warnings for alleged unmasked employees and not checking customers’ vaccine status, according to a D.C. Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) list of citations posted Tuesday. A city mandate requiring that bar patrons show proof they have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine went into effect Jan. 15.
The ABRA list indicated that a “case will be drafted” regarding the Big Board for review by the city’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, which meets once a week to enforce the city’s alcoholic beverage laws.
Was Boris Johnson birthday partying in lockdown or ‘ambushed with a cake’? Brits mock the latest defense.
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LONDON — Britain’s latest political scandal? A birthday cake ambush at Downing Street.
Defenders of Prime Minister Boris Johnson have tried to play down his role at his own birthday party on June 19, 2020, which broke the government’s lockdown guidelines at the time, by suggesting he wasn’t involved in planning the event and was caught by surprise.
“As far as I can see, he was in a sense, ambushed with a cake,” Conor Burns, a lawmaker from Johnson’s Conservative Party, told Channel 4 News journalist Cathy Newman, adding that “it was not a premeditated, organized party.”
Burns’s defense of Johnson, which quickly went viral, was met with incredulity — including by Newman, who told the lawmaker: “Ambushed with a cake? … It’s just sort of farcical the way you’re all trying to scurry around and defend him.”
News of the party had emerged earlier this week when ITV News reported that Johnson’s wife, Carrie Johnson, helped organize the surprise party, which was attended by about 30 people at Johnson’s Downing Street office and residence. Guests reportedly sang “Happy Birthday” as the prime minister was given a cake — reportedly a Union Jack-themed sponge cake iced in red and blue.
The birthday party is just one of many lockdown events reportedly attended by the prime minister and government staffers that are being investigated by British police. Civil servant Sue Gray is leading a separate inquiry into the gatherings, with a report expected this week.
Key coronavirus updates from around the world
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Here’s what to know about the top coronavirus stories around the globe from news service reports.
- In Denmark, the BA.2 subvariant of the omicron variant, which became dominant in that country in the second week of January, appears more contagious than the more common BA.1 subvariant, Danish Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said Wednesday. “There is no evidence that the BA.2 variant causes more disease, but it must be more contagious,” Heunicke said at a news conference.
- In Britain, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday rejected opposition party calls to resign for attending lockdown parties but accepted that a rule that ministers should lose their jobs if they had knowingly misled Parliament applied to him. Here’s a full guide to the scandal.
- Sweden is extending its pandemic measures by another two weeks, as the omicron variant is spreading at record speed. The curbs mean bars and restaurants have to close at 11 p.m., and there is a cap of 500 people inside larger indoor venues.
- In Germany, lawmakers agonized over whether to impose compulsory vaccination shots, as record daily coronavirus infections and the country’s stuttering vaccination campaign forced them into an ethical and constitutional dilemma.
- Israel on Wednesday broadened eligibility for a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine to include adults under 60 with underlying medical conditions, their caretakers and others over 18 at significant risk of exposure to the coronavirus.
- Celebrations in India were scaled back Wednesday because of the coronavirus as the nation marked its annual Republic Day. Folk dancers, cultural floats and masked military brigades paraded in front of the presidential palace, watched by smaller crowds.
- Austria said it will end a lockdown order for its unvaccinated citizens Monday, with the government saying the measure, introduced in November, is no longer needed because intensive care units are less strained. A vaccination mandate for adults, the first of its kind in Europe, will still take effect Feb. 1.
- Russia reported a record daily number of coronavirus cases Wednesday, authorities said. New daily cases jumped to 74,692, up from 67,809 a day earlier, largely because of the fast-spreading omicron variant.
- South Korea will modify its coronavirus strategy to better manage the omicron variant, government officials said Wednesday. President Moon Jae-in called on officials to “speedily prepare for the nationwide expansion of omicron response.” Health authorities also moved to increase the use of rapid tests and treat more virus patients at home. The public was also urged to refrain from traveling during the holidays.
Key update
Progressive Caucus calls for more pandemic-preparedness funding, other measures to address global needs
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House Democrats on Wednesday called on President Biden to address “critical opportunities” in the global pandemic fight, urging him to increase U.S. funding for pandemic preparedness, support global emergency financing and take more steps to share vaccine technology with developing countries.
The letter from the Congressional Progressive Caucus lays out strategies for the White House as it confronts the worldwide challenges from the fast-moving omicron variant, seeks to tamp down the risk of future variants and considers the legislative path ahead, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who chairs the caucus, said in an interview.
For instance, the House Democrats want Biden to set aside $8 billion in pandemic preparedness funds, including $2 billion for global vaccine manufacturing, in his proposed Build Back Better Act. The legislation currently contains only $1.3 billion in pandemic preparedness funding, although Biden has said he is revisiting his approach to the stalled spending package and may break it into smaller bills.
“What we want to do is look at every opportunity to pass any piece of pandemic preparedness,” Jayapal said. “If we can do it in Build Back Better, great. If we have to do [part] through the appropriations process … great, we will do that.”
The caucus is also calling on the White House to move faster on diplomatic efforts to share vaccine technology and intellectual property with developing countries, warning that much of the world remains disproportionately vulnerable to the pandemic. Only about 7 percent of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose of vaccine, they write.
The Democrats are also urging Biden to embrace a House proposal that would boost financing for low-income nations’ health needs through the International Monetary Fund, take further steps to support vaccine manufacturing and set aside an additional $17 billion for global vaccinations.
The caucus’s letter follows other calls for the Biden administration to adopt a more ambitious approach to helping low-income nations navigate the pandemic. The White House has said that its global vaccination strategy is working, with officials Wednesday touting that the United States has donated more than 400 million doses abroad, far more than any other country.
U.S. can emerge from crisis stage of pandemic, but isn’t there yet, Fauci says
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The United States can reach some level of normalcy where covid-19 is not a crisis, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert said Wednesday, but it is not there yet.
Speaking during a briefing by White House covid-19 task force, Anthony S. Fauci said the goal is to achieve “sufficient control” over the virus, as eradication or elimination are unlikely. The nation has the tools to get there, he said, referring to vaccinations, boosters and antivirals.
But, he added: “That is not where we are at this point. So we still have a way to go.”
Fauci and other health officials at the briefing pointed to the current levels of infections, hospitalizations and deaths as unacceptable.
Cases and hospitalizations declined last week but remain elevated, according to numbers shared by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky. An average of about 692,000 cases were reported each day in the last week, and daily hospital admissions stood at about 19,800.
And the country was averaging about 2,200 deaths per day — an increase of about 21 percent over the previous week.
Walensky said that although the omicron variant is seemingly more mild, “milder does not mean mild.”
“We cannot look past the strain on our health systems and substantial number of deaths, nearly 2,200 a day, as a result of the extremely transmissible omicron variant,” she continued. “Please remember the importance of our prevention measures, including vaccination and boosters.”
Key update
On vaccines’ effectiveness, Florida surgeon general wouldn’t answer ‘yes or no’
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Florida Surgeon General Joseph A. Ladapo repeatedly refused to answer “yes or no” when he was questioned about vaccine safety at his confirmation hearing in Tallahassee on Wednesday.
Frustrated Democrats abstained from voting and walked out of the hearing, and Republicans approved Ladapo’s nomination.
He must still be confirmed by a second committee and the full Senate, but it is unlikely that Gov. Ron DeSantis’s handpicked choice to lead Florida’s public health agency will face any roadblocks there.
Ladapo, whom DeSantis (R) appointed in September, was asked directly five times whether he believes vaccines are effective against the coronavirus, and he refused to give a direct answer.
“Do you believe vaccines work against covid-19, yes or no?” asked Sen. Lauren Book (D).
“I would say that the question is a scientific one, and it’s one that is answered with data,” Ladapo said. “The question is informed by data on specific outcomes and specific therapies. So that’s the scientific question.”
A visibly frustrated Book kept asking the question, and Ladapo eventually answered that “vaccines for covid-19 in the U.S. have reasonable effectiveness for prevention of hospitalization and death.”
Ladapo has been at DeSantis’s side as the governor has downplayed the role of vaccines in protecting against the coronavirus and instead promoted treatment regimens for infected people.
Ladapo was an associate professor at the UCLA’s medical school when DeSantis picked him.
Like DeSantis, Ladapo opposes vaccine and mask mandates. Ladapo was part of a fringe group of medical professionals called America’s Frontline Doctors that fought against emergency use authorization of the vaccines.
Analysis: Tucker Carlson airs his most dishonest and dangerous pandemic segment yet
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Tucker Carlson and Alex Berenson approach the coronavirus pandemic from similar though slightly different angles. The Fox News host’s default position is that the government is wrong and untrustworthy, up to something although it’s not always clear exactly what that’s supposed to be. Berenson, whose robust track record of misinformation has contributed to his being relegated to self-publishing his opinions at Substack, comes from the position that he alone is right, the sole bright light wending through a dark time. Together, they have formed a Jack-Spratian marriage of leading Fox News viewers astray.
In the past this has meant Carlson doing his nodding-while-stunned routine while Berenson makes claims such as that face masks don’t slow the spread of the virus (they do). On Tuesday night, though, Berenson’s predilection for apocalyptic proclamations led to one of the most dishonest and dangerous segments in the history of Carlson’s show — which is a high, high bar to clear.
“I have not said this to you before because I’m pretty careful and I’m pretty careful with the data,” Berenson claimed, falsely. “The mRNA covid vaccines need to be withdrawn from the market now. No one should get them. No one should get boosted. No one should get double-boosted. They are a dangerous and ineffective product at this point against omicron,” the most prevalent variant in the United States.
I want to be careful here not to overstate the case. But Berenson’s career is now largely predicated on precisely this sort of denialism. It’s what powers his Substack subscriptions; it’s what gets him on Carlson’s show; it’s what landed him an interview with Joe Rogan. And when your profile and income are predicated on claiming that you alone are standing athwart a global conspiracy, there is a tendency to continue to amplify your assertions to keep the audience on the hook.
Fewer than half of Americans confident in Biden’s ability to handle pandemic, poll says
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At a news conference last week to mark the end of his first year in the White House, President Biden touted his administration’s work fighting the coronavirus pandemic. For one, 210 million people are vaccinated today vs. 2 million when he was sworn in last year. And, starting this month, hundreds of millions of free N95 masks and coronavirus rapid test kits are also being sent out to households in the United States.
But Americans are less confident in his handling of the pandemic than they were nearly a year ago, according to the Pew Research Center. In a national survey conducted Jan. 10-17, 44 percent of Americans said they were very or somewhat confident in the president’s ability to handle the public health impact of the pandemic, a drop of 21 percentage points since March 2021. The president’s overall approval rating also fell, declining 18 percentage points to 41 percent.
Poll respondents were nearly evenly split on whether they thought the worst of the pandemic was over, with 49 percent responding in the affirmative and 50 percent saying “the worst is still to come.”
Even as public health officials tout falling case numbers in parts of the United States, hospitals remain short-staffed and overloaded with patients, and deaths nationwide are rising. The seven-day average for covid-19 deaths in the United States reached 2,230 on Tuesday, its highest point since late February last year.
As the pandemic continues into its third year, the fault line of whether the virus poses a major threat to people’s health is marked largely by party affiliation, with Democrats more than twice as likely as Republicans to say yes. This partisan gap, Pew said, has been consistent.
On the other hand, a majority of liberals and conservatives think the pandemic poses a serious risk to the economy. The emergence and spread of the omicron variant of the novel coronavirus has slowed the country’s economic recovery, with issues such as labor shortages and disruptions in the hospitality and travel sectors more pronounced.
Key update