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Biden Speech: Blames Unvaccinated for US COVID-19 Surge, UK Boosters, World Stats

By Morgan Chalfant
Th Hill

President Biden on Thursday admonished unvaccinated Americans and some elected officials for exacerbating the coronavirus pandemic as he laid out new, more aggressive steps his administration is taking to confront COVID-19.

President of the United States of America Joe Biden

“We have the tools to combat COVID-19, and a distinct minority of Americans, supported by a distinct minority of elected officials, are keeping us from turning the corner. These pandemic politics, as I refer to it, are making people sick, causing unvaccinated people to die,” Biden said in prepared remarks from the State Dining Room of the White House.

“We cannot let these actions stand in the way of protecting the large majority of Americans who have done their part and want to get back to life as normal,” he said.

Biden captured the frustration expressed by vaccinated Americans, saying the U.S. has made substantial progress against the virus but that the remaining 25 percent of eligible Americans — about 80 million people — who have not yet gotten vaccinated for COVID-19 threaten those gains. He went on to address unvaccinated people directly, telling them that his patience is “wearing thin.”

“My message to unvaccinated Americans is this: What more is there to wait for? What more do you need to see? We have made vaccinations free, safe and convenient. The vaccine is FDA approved. Over 200 million Americans have gotten at least one shot. We’ve been patient but our patience is wearing thin and your refusal has cost all of us,” Biden said. “So please, do the right thing.”

Biden, without naming anyone, also accused some elected officials of “actively working to undermine the fight against COVID-19.”

“Instead of encouraging people to get vaccinated and mask up, they are ordering mobile morgues for the unvaccinated dying of COVID-19 in their communities,” Biden said. “This is totally unacceptable.”

Biden’s remarks represented a notable shift in tone as he more sternly confronts Americans who have not got the COVID-19 vaccine and conservative politicians who have spouted anti-vaccine messages. Biden has previously sparred with the Republican governors of Texas and Florida for seeking to ban mask mandates in schools to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

At one point on Thursday, Biden suggested the unvaccinated could reverse U.S. gains in the economic recovery. 

On Thursday, Biden announced a new rule that will require all private employers with upwards of 100 employees to mandate weekly testing as well as plans to require vaccines for most federal workers and contractors. Biden also said he would require employers to provide paid time off to get the vaccine and he urged large entertainment venues to require proof of vaccination or testing to gain entry.

Biden, who two months ago was celebrating the country’s progress against COVID-19 with a large outdoor Independence Day gathering, warned that the U.S. faces a difficult road ahead against the highly contagious delta variant. At the same time, he stressed that the situation would not be as dire as last winter because of the strength of the vaccines in combating serious illness.

“We’re in a tough stretch and it could last for a while,” Biden said.

COVID-19 cases have risen across the U.S. after a low point earlier this year, as the delta variant has spread among unvaccinated Americans. In some areas of the country, such as Texas, COVID-19 patients have overwhelmed hospitals.

Just over 75 percent of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while over 64 percent are fully vaccinated. Polls have shown that Republicans are more likely than Democrats to shun the vaccine.

The White House has spent months encouraging vaccinations by turning to celebrities, reaching younger Americans on social media, backing promotions and incentive programs, and working to address questions and concerns among various communities.

Biden, who was initially hesitant to support vaccine mandates, at the end of July directed federal workers to either attest to their vaccination status or submit to regular testing. The new order announced Thursday is a more aggressive step. The White House said that federal workers will have 75 days to become fully vaccinated, with limited exceptions for religious or medical reasons, and that not doing so could result in disciplinary action including termination. The new Labor Department rule impacting private sector employers is expected to impact millions.  

Biden’s announcement triggered swift backlash from Republicans, with a handful of GOP governors accusing him of federal overreach and vowing to fight him in court.

But polls have showed that a majority of Americans support vaccine mandates, suggesting that most of the public will be on Biden’s side even if he incurs criticism from GOP elected officials and voters.

“We have the tools to combat the virus if we can come together as a country and use those tools,” Biden said, expressing confidence that the U.S. can ultimately get beyond the virus. “We can and we will turn the tide on COVID-19. It will take a lot of hard work and it will take some time.”

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Ministers hoping vaccines watchdog will back mass rollout of booster jabs

Government awaits JCVI decision as MHRA says third jab of Pfizer or AstraZeneca would be safe

Gloved hands fill a syringe
A healthcare professional draws up a dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. Photograph: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images
and
Guardian

Ministers have piled pressure on the vaccines watchdog to approve a large-scale programme of Covid booster injections in time for winter, as the number of people in hospital with the virus exceeded 8,000 for the first time since March.

On Thursday the UK’s medicines regulator granted emergency approval for the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines to be used as third shots to tackle potentially waning immunity, also putting pressure on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to approve a new jab programme.

Hours later, the health secretary, Sajid Javid, said he was confident that such injections would begin imminently. “We are heading towards our booster programme,” he said. “I’m confident that our booster programme will start later this month, but I’m still awaiting the final advice.”

The JCVI is expected to announce imminently whether it has approved boosters, and if so on what scale. Members of the committee, which advises UK health departments, met virtually for more than four hours on Thursday and were briefed on interim results from the Cov-Boost study.

While the study’s results have not yet been made public, they were cited as supporting evidence by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in its emergency approval of the vaccines to be used as boosters.

Javid and ministerial colleagues are believed to be impatient to begin a mass rollout of booster jabs, as has already happened in Israel. However, the JCVI could disagree; it has described the issues under discussion as complex and containing numerous ethical implications.

One of the leading figures in the development of the Oxford AstraZeneca jab, Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, has said a mass coronavirus vaccine booster campaign may not be necessary.

Immunity was “lasting well” for most people, she told the Daily Telegraph on Friday, and suggested extra doses should be directed to countries with a low rate of vaccination.

The JCVI has already approved third jabs for around 500,000 very clinically vulnerable adults and older children. Even if it does approve boosters, it could decide that these should initially be limited to older adults, or those with other health conditions.

Last week the JCVI declined to approve the use of Covid vaccinations for all 12- to 15-year-olds, something also strongly sought by ministers, instead expanding the use of jabs for those in the age group with severe health conditions.

The decision to withhold mass vaccinations for older children could still be reversed by a review of wider evidence by the chief medical officers of the four UK nations, which is also due to report imminently.

The MHRA’s announcement stressed that while it had approved booster vaccines in principle, it remained the JCVI’s decision over how, if at all, they could be used. “This is an important regulatory change as it gives further options for the vaccination programme, which has saved thousands of lives so far,” said Dr June Raine, the MHRA’s chief executive.

“It will now be for the JCVI to advise on whether booster jabs will be given and, if so, which vaccines should be used

While some scientists welcomed the MHRA’s move, others questioned whether it was ethical to provide millions of extra jabs to people with existing immunity when so many people worldwide had not yet received any vaccinations – a consideration that is not in the JCVI’s remit.

“By any standards this is good news,” said Danny Altmann, a professor of immunology at Imperial College London. “As we see in daily breakthrough caseload, Delta has really stress-tested our defences. While UK cases are held down to about 40,000 a day as we head into autumn, there’s clearly little room for complacency. Data from Israel has already shown clearly that a third dose can enhance protection substantially to bring breakthroughs right down.”

But Prof Andrew Hayward, the director of the UCL institute of epidemiology and healthcare, suggested that while the announcement was good news for countries with a plentiful supply of jabs, it could have downsides when it comes to fair distribution of vaccines around the world.

“Those who have had any doses of vaccine will be at much lower risk of severe Covid-19 than those who have had none – so whilst the booster dose is likely to further increase protection in those receiving it, the dose would save more lives if given to someone in a country who has not yet had the opportunity to get any doses,” he said.

“This is one reason not to consider a general, whole-population approach to booster doses, but to focus on those who are most vulnerable – [such as] the elderly and those who are extremely clinically vulnerable – who were also vaccinated earlier and have therefore had longer for antibodies to wane.”

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The world needs more vaccine supply – Oxford jab creator

It is “too simplistic” to ask whether booster jabs should be given to people in the UK over giving first doses to people in other countries, the scientist behind the Oxford vaccine says.

Prof Dame Sarah Gilbert tells the BBC News Channel: “The problem we really have is that the world needs greater vaccine supply.

“We need more doses of all of the vaccines that are currently licensed and we need more vaccines to be licensed so that we’re not talking about choices between vaccinating in one country or another country.”

She says the “good news” is that “supply is increasing”.

Asked whether over-50s and those with weakened immune systems in the UK should be offered a booster jab, Gilbert says this is a “very complex decision”, which has to take into account which vaccines are available, so we should wait for advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

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WORLD STATS

Coronavirus Cases:

224,117,770

Deaths:

4,622,503

Recovered:

200,712,876
Highlighted in green
= all cases have recovered from the infection
Highlighted in grey
= all cases have had an outcome (there are no active cases)

[back to top ↑]

Latest News

September 10 (GMT)

Updates

  • 18,341 new cases and 789 new deaths in Russia [source]
  • 10,397 new cases and 78 new deaths in Japan [source]

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Venezuela talks – mountain went forth and produced a mouse

By Sir Ronald Sanders  

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organisation of American States.  He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto.  The views expressed are his own)  

It was predictable that, in an attempt to show that they are capable of collaboration, the rival political groups in Venezuela would pick their spurious claim to two-thirds of Guyana’s territory as a show of unity.  

Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali, quickly and rightly rejected this grand but cheap show of solidarity, displayed at yet another attempt to broker an agreement between the warring Venezuelan parties.  

The Venezuelans were meeting in Mexico from September 3 to 6, in Norway’s third effort to mediate between the factions led by President Nicolás Maduro and pretender Juan Guaidó.  Their joint statement “ratified Venezuela’s rights” over what they call “Guayana Esequiba”.  

Of course, the statement changed nothing in Venezuela and did not improve the lives of its people, millions of whom have already voted with their feet.   More than five million Venezuelans have fled the country, making Venezuela the country with the world’s second largest refugee crisis, exceeded only by war ravaged Syria.  Indeed, the statement was met with a shrug by most Venezuelans except the political- military regime that have long held ambitions to seize the Guyana territory.  

What the rival political factions in Venezuela should be focussing on is improving the dire conditions in which most Venezuelans live and restoring an economy and a country of which the Venezuelan people can be proud and to which the refugees can return.  

But that’s the hard part.  It would call for political compromise by the opposing parties, including the ceding of power by leading politicians on both sides; an agreement on an independent electoral machinery to organise Presidential and other elections in a transparent and trusted manner; open election campaigns with guaranteed media freedom;  observation of the elections by international groups; credible machinery for spending the country’s oil and gas revenues; an agreed social welfare programme that does not discriminate politically; a judicial system that is independent; a military that stays out of politics; and an interim government comprised of the major political parties until elections are held.  

The likelihood of achieving these major but necessary measures is extremely remote.  Yet, both within Venezuela and in its diaspora and refugee community, there exists remarkably talented and skilled people in the areas of governance, economic development and finance.  Given a stable political climate, they could rebuild their country,  

It is right that Mexico, Norway and others should try to promote an agreement that would end the political impasse that has plagued the country and contributed to its rapid economic and social decline.  But the joint statement on Guyana, that they oversaw from the Venezuelan factions, has not advanced their efforts in any way.  The mediators merely grabbed the one thing that would not be contentious to Venezuelan parties.  It gave the Venezuelan people no greater hope of rising out of the morass into which their country has sunk.  

Responding to the joint statement by the Venezuelan Government and Opposition, the Guyana foreign ministry described it as “an overt threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana” and went on to say, “Guyana cannot be used as an altar of sacrifice for settlement of Venezuela’s internal political differences”.  In diplomatic but cutting language, the Guyana government said that while it “welcomes domestic accord within Venezuela, an agreement defying international law and process is not a basis for mediating harmony”.  

The Venezuelan contention with Guyana is before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and Guyana says it will remain there, rebuffing a remark from Jorge Rodriguez, president of the Venezuelan Congress and leader of Maduro’s negotiating team, calling on Guyana “to resume the path of negotiations in order to reach an agreement on the territory.”  

But Guyana has never negotiated with Venezuela on any “agreement on the territory”.  Guyana has always maintained that the Essequibo is Guyana’s territory, an assertion that it has been prepared to put before the ICJ for a decision in keeping with a decision by the UN Secretary-General.  For its part, Venezuela has rejected an independent hearing by the world’s leading international judges, indicating a lack of faith in the merits of their demand for Essequibo.  

The Venezuelans base their claim on a memorandum, written in 1944, by an American lawyer, Severo Mallet-Prevost, who was a junior counsel for Venezuela at an 1899 Arbitration that settled the boundary between Venezuela and Guyana (then British Guiana).   Shortly after Mallet-Prevost received from the Venezuelan government the Order of the Liberator for services to Venezuela, he allegedly wrote a note to his law partner that was opened after his death in 1949.  In the note, he alleged the settlement of the boundary was the result of collusion between the British judges, the Russian President of the Tribunal and the American Judges.  That is the pretext for the Venezuelan claim.  

It is no wonder that no Venezuelan government wants to lay a case before the ICJ and prefers to cajole Guyana into direct negotiations where its military capacity, that it has used in the past, could be employed  as leverage.  

Great hope was placed in the talks in Mexico by the Venezuelan factions.  At a meeting of the Organization of American States, I publicly expressed support for any further attempt to end the political impasse that would help Venezuela to rebuild in the interest of its people.  

If the joint statement on Guyana by the Venezuelan politicians is all that the mediation produced, then the mountain went forth and produced a mouse.  

The countries of the Americas must continue to hope that the talks, when they resume, will yet prove productive for the Venezuelan people.  

Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com 

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Department of Cooperatives pledges continued support for Newtown Fishermen Co-op

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, September 9, 2021 (MMS-SKN) — The Department of Cooperatives played a key role in the revitalisation of the Newtown Fishermen Cooperative Society Limited, and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Cooperatives and Environment, Ms Sharon Rattan, has pledged continued support for the society.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Cooperatives and Environment, Ms Sharon Rattan, delivering remarks. Seen at the head table are Ms Maritza Queeley, and Mr Glenroy Guishard.

“The cooperative, while the oldest, it was dormant for some time and the Registrar of Cooperatives and the Deputy Registrar played a key role in helping to get them back on track,” said Ms Rattan. “We were very happy at the Ministry and at the Department of Cooperatives to help you to come on your feet again.”

The Permanent Secretary made the remarks on Wednesday September 8 at a press conference held at the Department of Fisheries on Newtown Bay Road where members of the society’s new Executive Board and Supervisory Committee were inducted in the wake of the annual general meeting that had been held on Thursday September 2.

Accompanied by the Registrar of Cooperatives Mr Clyde Thompson, and the Deputy Registrar of Cooperatives Mrs Earla Allen, Ms Rattan said that they were happy at the Department of Cooperatives to have given the moral and financial support, and the encouragement, that has enabled the society to stand proudly.

“I want to thank you for recommitting and I want to ask you to rebrand, and not just to jump on the bandwagon of rebrand because it is a 21st century word,” she advised. “I mean truly rebrand, as we are living in a generation of possibilities.”

She promised that the Department of Cooperatives will be there to guide them in every way, telling them that they can call on the Department every time and she introduced Ms Tracy Ann Gaskin, the Cooperatives Officer assigned to the society, and who was present at the press conference.

“Please stay in touch,” appealed the Permanent Secretary. “You provide a very important source of proteins for our diets and we look forward to that continuous access and availability.”

Inducted members of the Executive Board were President, Mr Craig Tuckett; Vice President, Mr Antonio Huggins; Treasurer, Mr Frank Farrell; Executive Member who will also serve as the PRO, Mr Glenroy Guishard; and Secretary Mr Damion Jacobs.

Members of the Supervisory Committee inducted were Chairman, Mr Wycliffe John, and floor members Mr Andrew Clarke, and Mr Wilmoth Buchanan.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources was represented by Ms Maritza Queeley, Head of Support Services Division, Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources, who gave remarks on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Mr Ron Dublin Collins.

According to Ms Queeley, the Department of Marine Resources had supported the formation of the fisheries cooperative, and noted that it was a means by which fishers can pool their resources for the benefit of not just themselves individually, but for the community and the Federation as a whole.

With the revitalisation of the Newtown Fisherman Cooperative Society Limited, she pointed out that “it would give fishers in the Federation a greater opportunity to develop the fisheries product not just in catching fish and selling fish locally, but on a greater scale where product development and marketing will be encouraged and supported by this Department.”

Present at the induction press conference was the Area Parliamentary Representative for East Basseterre (St. Christopher One), the Hon Dr Geoffrey Hanley, who congratulated President Craig Tuckett and his entire team, and implored them to work together for the betterment of all of the fisher folks in the community.

Clockwise from top: Assistant Registrar of Cooperatives Mrs Earla Allen; Hon Dr Geoffrey Hanley, Ms Maritza Queeley, and Treasurer of the Newtown Fishermen Cooperative Society Limited, Mr Frank Farrell.  

“I stress – work together – noting that working as a team you are able to accomplish much more by doing that, and working as a team you certainly will be able to overcome the various challenges that you would be faced with,” said Dr Hanley.

In the meantime, the immediate past Area Parliamentary Representative for East Basseterre, Ambassador His Excellency Ian Patches Liburd, in a live telephone message said that today in an era of the Covid-19, when many people feel powerless to change their lives, cooperatives represent a strong, vibrant, and viable economic alternative that together a group of people can achieve goals that none of them could achieve individually.

“The Newtown Fishers Cooperative Society Limited will be expected to generate and provide an economic boost to the community as well and by extension to the entire country,” said His Excellency Liburd. “It is my further hope that your cooperative would be a democratic organisation controlled by its members, who should be allowed to actively participate in setting your policies and making your decisions.”

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Newtown Fishermen Cooperative Society Limited’s new Executive Board inducted

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, September 9, 2021 (MMS-SKN) — Federation’s oldest fishermen cooperative society and the largest based on membership, the Newtown Fishermen Cooperative Society Limited, recently held its annual general meeting at the Department of Fisheries on Newtown Bay Road, and the new Executive Board was inducted at a press conference held at the same venue on Wednesday September 8.

L-R: Mr Wycliffe John, Mr Antonio Huggins, Mr Wilmoth Buchanan, the Hon Geoffrey Haney, Mr Craig Tuckett, Ms Sharon Rattan, Ms Maritza Queeley, Mr Frank Farrell, and Mr Glenroy Guishard.

At the meeting which was attended by officials from the Ministry of Cooperatives and Environment, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, President of the new Executive Board, Mr Craig Tuckett, informed that attempts had been made to revitalise and to restructure the cooperative society over the past year, and he thanked the hard work of the Department of Cooperatives.

“It is with that hard work that we saw our AGM being concluded last week Thursday the 2nd of September, right here at the Department of Fisheries and we elected a new Executive Board and a new Supervisory Committee,” said Mr Tuckett.

He added: “According to the Cooperative Act that we are managed under, and according to the regulations, after that AGM the Board and the Supervisory Committee are to meet with themselves to decide who will be the various officers and the duration of their terms. We are here to announce, to you the good people of St. Kitts and Nevis, who those persons are.”

Mr Craig Tuckett, President, will be serving for three years; Mr Antonio Huggins, Vice President, will be serving for two years; Mr Frank Farrell, Treasurer, will be serving for three years; and Mr Glenroy Guishard, Executive member, who will be serving for one year.

Secretary Mr Damion Jacobs, who was not present, will be serving for two years.

“We will endeavour to do what we can for the development of this very important institution in our community,” said President, Mr Craig Tuckett. “We will endeavour to reach out to the young people, and show them that indeed becoming a fisher is a lucrative business and while at the same time it helps with nation building and diversifying our economy.”

Members of the Supervisory Committee were introduced by their chairman, Mr Wycliffe John, who will be serving for a period of three years. He informed the meeting: “We are here to work, and we are prepared to work together.”

The other two members of the Supervisory Committee are Mr Andrew Clarke, who was not present and who will be serving for two years, and Mr Wilmoth Buchanan who will be serving for one year.

Giving remarks at the press conference were Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Cooperatives and Environment Ms Sharon Rattan, a representative of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Ms Maritza Queeley, and Area Parliamentary Representative the Hon Dr Geoffrey Hanley. Also giving remarks, via telephone, was the immediate past Area Parliamentary Representative Ambassador His Excellency Ian Patches Liburd.

Also present were Registrar of Cooperatives Mr Clyde Thompson, and his deputy Mrs Earla Allen who opened the press conference with a word of prayer, and the Cooperatives Officer attached to the Newtown Fishermen Cooperative Society Limited, Ms Tracy Ann Gaskin.

Treasurer Mr Frank Farrell, who gave the vote of thanks, took the opportunity to thank all the fishermen who have become members of the Newtown Fishermen Cooperative Society Limited. He added: “I would like some more fishermen to join the co-op, so if you are listening please come and join, and we will try to look after you.”

  • President of the Newtown Fishermen Cooperative Society Limited, Mr Craig Tuckett, addressing the press conference held to induct members of the new Executive Board and Supervisory Committee.
  • Chairman of the Newtown Fishermen Cooperative Society Limited’s Supervisory Committee, Mr Wycliffe John, introducing members of his committee.

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Caymans Reopen to Airlines

Minister of Transport and Tourism, Kenneth Bryan, has confirmed that airlines will resume commercial services to the Cayman Islands as of today, September 9– the first day of Phase 3 of the country’s phased reopening.

This will be the first time that commercial carriers other than national airline, Cayman Airways, and British Airways will touch down at Owen Roberts National Airport since the border closure on March 22, 2020.

The news came at a September 8 press briefing to update the country of the government’s reopening plans.

At least four airlines have indicated their willingness to resume commercial flights to Cayman– these are United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Delta Airlines.

Flights will no longer be limited to repatriation flights for essential needs only and will include vaccinated leisure travellers who do not reside in the Cayman Islands.

“It will not be business as usual overnight,” said Minister Bryan, who has reminded the public that the quarantine period will not change during phase 3, which is scheduled to end on October 14.

Securely verified vaccinated passengers will be required to quarantine for 5 days while unverified vaccinated travellers will quarantine for 10 days and unvaccinated travellers will be required to quarantine for 14 days. Negative PCR tests will be required for the quarantine period to end.

While commercial carriers will be allowed to start offering services, “the demand for flights from international gateways will determine how many flights and seats the airlines are prepared to offer,” explained Minister Bryan.

The minister indicated that there will be a steady increase in flights to Cayman in September and October on Cayman Airways. British Airways will also resume weekly services as of September 27 and will offer at least three flights per week via Nassau, Bahamas.

“Phase 3 represents our official reopening, but it will take a little while to return to business as usual,” said Minister Bryan.

“I want to ensure the good people of Cayman that the PACT administration is doing everything it can to keep you safe.”

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Tropical Storm Mindy Heading Towards Florida

Tropical Storm Mindy, the 13th named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season has formed in the northeast Gulf of Mexico.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Mexico Beach to Steinhatchee River, Florida. Tropical storm conditions are expected to reach the coast within the warning area later this evening and tonight.

A few isolated tornadoes are possible over portions of the Florida Panhandle this evening into tomorrow morning.

In its 4 pm update, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the centre of Tropical Storm Mindy was located over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico about 90 miles (150 km) west-southwest of Apalachicola, Florida.

Mindy is moving toward the northeast near 21 miles per hour (33 km/h) and northeast to east-northeastward motion is expected to continue over the next several days.

On the forecast track, the centre of Mindy is expected to cross the coastline of the Florida Panhandle later tonight, and then move offshore of the southeastern United States into the western Atlantic Ocean by tomorrow.

Maximum sustained winds are near 40 miles per hour (65 km/h) with higher gusts. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the centre.

Little change in strength is expected before Mindy makes landfall in the Florida Panhandle tonight.

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Cuba First Country to Vaccinate Toddlers Against COVID-19

Cuba has become the first country in the world to administer COVID-19 vaccines to toddlers, using locally-made vaccines.

On Monday, the island began vaccinating children as young as two years old, as it aims to reopen schools that have been closed for the most part since March 2020.

The new school year started on Monday, but classes are being broadcasted via local television stations, as most Cuban homes do not have internet access.

According to Cuban health officials, children aged two to 18 will receive either the Soberana 02 or the Abdala vaccine, created by Cuban scientist.

Three locally developed vaccines, Soberana 02, Soberana Plus and Abdala, have finished their trial periods and have been approved for use by Cuba’s Center for State Control for Drugs, Equipment, and Medical Devices (CECMED). The Soberana 02 and Abdala vaccines have been approved for emergency use for minors.

Although the vaccines show an efficacy rate of more than 90%, they have not yet been approved by the World Health Organization, the UN agency which spearheads international public health crises.

The program to vaccinate children began last Friday, with kids 12 and older receiving the Abdala vaccine.

Cuba plans to reopen schools gradually in October, once all children are vaccinated.

Several countries have announced plans to vaccinate younger children but have not yet done so due to the emergence of new COVID-19 variants.

Earlier this year, China announced the emergency use of its Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines for children over 3 years. The United Arab Emirates soon followed suit with the approval of the Sinopharm vaccine for children. Chile has also approved the Chinese Sinovac vaccines for children between six and 12.

Cuba is also planning to reopen its borders to international passengers starting November 15, the island’s Ministry of Tourism (Mintur) announced.

“The Caribbean nation will relax COVID-19 hygiene and sanitary protocols for incoming travelers,” the ministry said, adding new measures that will focus on monitoring symptomatic patients and temperature checks.

Cuba will no longer demand a PCR test upon arrival and COVID-19 vaccination certificates issued abroad will be accepted by customs authorities.

Additionally, the domestic tourism market will gradually reopen depending on the evolution of the pandemic in each region.

The decision to spur international tourism was made because “more than 90% of the country’s population is expected to be fully vaccinated by November,” the ministry said. According to Reuters, about 67% of the island is currently vaccinated.

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Haiti Releases First Draft of Promised New Constitution

Haiti’s provisional Government has released a draft of a new Constitution through which the country will try to recover from the political instability left by the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.

According to Prime Minister Ariel Henry, “a new constitution … will be a point of departure for other agreements on the future of our country.”

Henry favours general elections to be held as soon as possible, but the opposition would rather have a transition government for two years. Legislative elections should have been held in 2018 but were delayed, while presidential elections are needed to fill a vacancy after the death of Moïse who had pushed in his own time for constitutional reform.

The new charter would strengthen the powers of the President, at the expense of Parliament. It would suppress the office of prime minister and create a vice presidency instead, which would be filled concurrently with the presidential elections in a move to avoid endless debates before policies can be carried out.

Defenders of the new constitution highlight the fact that it eliminates legal immunity for government officials after leaving office so that they can be tried in regular courts instead of having to go first through a Senatorial approval. ”Immunity is not synonymous with impunity,“ said Mona Jean, a lawyer who sits on the committee that drafted the new constitution. ”A government job must not be a source of illicit enrichment.“

Henry did not specify how he thinks the new constitution should be voted on. Moïse had proposed a referendum, scheduled for Nov. 7, but the idea proved controversial, with critics saying it violates the current constitution, written in 1987 after the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship, which forbids ”any popular consultation aimed at modifying the constitution through a referendum.”

Since 1805, Haiti has known 23 Constitutions, as all leaders, with a few exceptions, have systematically wanted to cling to power one way or the other, referendums being usually some sort of a farce where a small percentage of the population would vote to validate somebody’s personal project.

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PAHO Says Covid ‘Mu’ Variant No immediate Cause for Concern

By Orville Williams

 

The B.1.621 or “Mu” variant of the Covid-19 virus has been circulating in the Americas since January of this year, according to the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), and there are no immediate fears that it will become a variant of concern, despite being detected in more countries in recent weeks.

St Vincent and the Grenadines is the latest country in the region to report that the World Health Organization (WHO)-listed variant of interest has been identified within its shores, following detections in Aruba, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, and Haiti.

“This new variant doesn’t generate any change and it’s not a special threat; [it] is a variant that has been circulating for several months,” said Dr Jairo Mendez, advisor on emerging viral diseases at PAHO.

So far, only the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta variants of the virus have been designated “variants of concern” by the WHO, while others have been named “variants of interest”, including the Eta, Iota, Kappa, Lambda and now, Mu.

All four variants of concern have been identified in Antigua and Barbuda and the twin island state is currently experiencing a drastic spike of infections, with over 500 active cases reported.

Concerns about the Mu variant possibly adding to those woes have been dampened by Dr Mendez, who explained further that there would need to be proof of drastic change in the impact of the variant for PAHO to be overly concerned about its spread.

“To be considered a variant of concern, it has to be demonstrated with solid laboratory evidence that the virus is in fact more transmissible, that it has the capacity to evade the immune response or to generate more severe disease.

“None of this has been demonstrated so far for Mu…[it] has been circulating at least since January this year and no particular impact in transmission or lethality has been demonstrated so far.”

He added that, as there was still a shortage of data about the Mu, any attempt to predict the spread would only be speculation at this point.

“We can expect sporadic detection in other countries, including in the Caribbean of course, but we have no sufficient information to say what the impact may be, particularly [amid] the circulation of different variants of concern, where the increased transmissibility has actually been demonstrated.”

The Mu variant was first identified in Colombia in January this year and it has been affecting that country the worst, accounting for nearly 40 percent of all Covid cases, according to the WHO.

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