Category Archives: Covid-19

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The Mothership co-owner Ricky Ramirez, shown pouring a cocktail early this year at the Bay View bar, has returned to serving carryout only during the surge of COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin.(Photo: Mike De Sisti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Ricky Ramirez started worrying before the November election, when Wisconsin's COVID-19 cases began their astronomical rise.

The co-owner of the Mothership bar, at2301 S. Logan Ave. in Bay View, said he worried that interacting with customers coming from points far and wide could sicken him and his employees. And COVID-19 began hitting closer to home, as well.

"With our friends getting sick and our friends getting positives just the worry you see in your employees' faces every day before you turn on the open sign," he said, made him consider the risks of serving drinks inthe bar.

It reached what Ramirez called a boiling point in a weekly meeting with beer and spirits vendors: the concern that he wouldn't be able to sell what he was buying, the speculation that the city might order a lockdown because of the ballooning cases.Im sorry, I just cant do this right now," he recalled saying.

So the Mothership made a pre-emptive move: It put itself on lockdown last week, shutting down indoor seatingand switching to carryout only, something that several other bars and at least one restaurant havedone recently. It's reminiscent of the lockdown ordered by Gov. Tony Evers in March to flatten the curve, in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

"I think its a good time for somebody to do something," Ramirez said. Namely, take a step back and figure out, as an industry,what we can do to help each other stay alive this winter. Its going to get bad." He's turned to online ordering of the Mothership'stiki and classic cocktails, prepared in batches of four drinks or so, and mixed six-packs of beer.

Last week, Lucky Joe's in Wauwatosa closed its dining room and lounge to return to takeout for a while because of the rocketing number of new cases. Co-owner Jarod Packard said his wife is a respiratory therapist at Froedtert Hospital.

"Anything I can do to prevent her from getting any busier, is what Im trying to do," he said.

He hasn't put an end date on the dining room's closure, instead waiting to see where the COVID-19 numbers go.

"I think its just a lot safer if we all do our part and close down and stay as safe as possible," Packard said, adding, "Everybody else around me is who I dont want to affect."

Jarod Packard squeezes fresh lime juice for craft cocktails served at Lucky Joe's, as shown in 2017. Lucky Joe's recently reverted to carryout only through COVID-19.(Photo: C.T. Kruger/Now News Group)

The move to takeout-only comes at a cost, in a year when many restaurants and bars have taken big financial hits because of the pandemic. Lucky Joe's, at1427 Underwood Ave., also shut down briefly in October, during protestsover the decision by the Milwaukee County district attorneynot to charge a police officer in the shooting death ofBlack teenager Alvin Cole in Wauwatosa.

"Usually winter is our busier season," Packard said.

The night before Thanksgiving traditionally is huge for bars, when people travel home for Thanksgiving and gather with friends the night before for a drink. Along with get-togethers leading up toChristmas and celebrations on New Year's Eve, the last quarter of the year is the big moneymaker for the hospitality industry.

"Its a tough decision," Packard acknowledged. "Were definitelynot going to make any money through all this." But he said he's hopeful Lucky Joe's will be ableto hang on by taking phone orders for cocktails kits and menu items including dinners for two while trying to keep people safe.

John Revord, owner of Boone & Crockett bar at 818 S. Water St. in the Harbor District, has shifted to The General Store at the bar, with online ordering ofcocktail kits, beer, wine and cold-brew coffee.

"Its not going to make us any money;its not going to pay any bills," he said. But takeout will provide paychecks to a few employees he's able to keep on staff. "Thats better than nothing," he said.

He worries whatclosings the coming months will bring if Congressdoesn't passrelief bills, namely the Restaurants Act and Save Our Stages Act. Although government loans and grants in the early phase of the pandemic were effective, he said, "there's a need for Round 2."

Bars like his were able to make it through the first lockdown and tougher times of the pandemic thanks to a cushionfrom the 2019 holiday season, he said.

"Everyone had their holiday nest eggs. Unfortunately,nest eggs are a rarity these days," Revord said.

Boone might have been the first Milwaukee bar to revert to only takeoutbecause of rising COVID-19 cases, on Oct. 30. Snack Boys restaurant on the east side, of which Revord is a co-owner, began its temporary shutdown Nov. 10.

"The numbers in Wisconsin are so insane, there was no way we could justify staying open by any sort of metric," Revord said. As it was, he considers it lucky that Boone was already closed when he and a couple others there became ill with COVID-19, shortly after he tested negative twice within a week for the coronavirus.

But many bars have to stay open because the owners simply can't afford to close to patrons, an "unfortunate side effect of the lack of aid," he said. "For some folks that does mean life or death, and thats a really unfortunate position to be put in."

Revord said he was able to close Boone for the winter because of good weather in summer and a greatly expanded patio. The barroom itself was open for perhaps a month for service, in September and October; he estimated no more than a dozen people sat there in all that time. Everyone wanted to be outside, where the risk of catching the coronavirus was lower.

"Theres no question what a packed room full of drunk people does to a disease thats easily transmissible," Revord said, adding "the quicker we get past this, the quicker we can get back to the people we want to see."

Contact dining critic Carol Deptolla atcarol.deptolla@jrn.com or (414) 224-2841, or through the Journal Sentinel Food & Home page on Facebook. Follow her on Twitter at @mkediner or Instagram at @mke_diner.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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With Wisconsin's COVID-19 cases high, some bars and restaurants put themselves on lockdown - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

TheWest Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of 10:00 a.m., September 23,2020, there have been 525,236 total confirmatorylaboratory results received for COVID-19, with 14,504 totalcases and 319 deaths.

DHHR has confirmed the deaths of a 91-year old female from KanawhaCounty and an 80-yearold male from Kanawha County. The continued loss of West Virginia livesweighs heavily on all of us, with the greatest sadness borne by family andfriends, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary.

CASESPER COUNTY: Barbour(48), Berkeley (952), Boone (203), Braxton (13), Brooke (111), Cabell (741),Calhoun (25), Clay (36), Doddridge (18), Fayette (580), Gilmer (33), Grant(152), Greenbrier (124), Hampshire (103), Hancock (142), Hardy (82), Harrison(344), Jackson (252), Jefferson (425), Kanawha (2,415), Lewis (38), Lincoln(157), Logan (588), Marion (259), Marshall (163), Mason (138), McDowell (80),Mercer (404), Mineral (171), Mingo (367), Monongalia (1,948), Monroe (147),Morgan (53), Nicholas (96), Ohio (359), Pendleton (52), Pleasants (16),Pocahontas (59), Preston (150), Putnam (522), Raleigh (487), Randolph (237),Ritchie (11), Roane (49), Summers (46), Taylor (120), Tucker (17), Tyler (15),Upshur (63), Wayne (367), Webster (7), Wetzel (50), Wirt (12), Wood (354),Wyoming (103).

Pleasenote that delays may be experienced with the reporting of information from thelocal health department to DHHR. As case surveillance continues at the localhealth department level, it may reveal that those tested in a certain countymay not be a resident of that county, or even the state as an individual inquestion may have crossed the state border to be tested.Suchis the case of Brooke and Hancock counties in this report.

Pleasevisit the dashboard located at http://www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more information.

Free COVID-19 testing locations areavailable today in Boone, Logan, Mingo, Monongalia, Putnam and Wayne counties:

Boone County, September23, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Whitesville Fire Department, 1190 Raleigh Street,Whitesville, WV

Logan County, September23, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Old 84 Lumber Building, 100 Recovery Road, Peach Creek,WV

Mingo County, September23, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Larry Joe Harless Center, 202 Larry Joe Harless Drive,Gilbert, WV

Monongalia County,September 23, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, West Virginia University, Student RecreationCenter, 2001 Rec Center Drive, Morgantown, WV

Putnam County, September23, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Winfield High School, 3022 Winfield Road, Winfield, WV

Wayne County, September23, 9:00 AM 1:00 PM, Wayne County Health Department, 217 Kenova Avenue,Wayne, WV

Testingis available to everyone, including asymptomatic individuals. Upcoming testingevents will be held this week in Cabell, Jackson, Marion, Summers, and Wyomingcounties. For more testing locations, pleasevisit https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/pages/testing.aspx.

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COVID-19 Daily Update 9-23-2020 - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

News Release

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Trial evaluating investigational Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.

A fourth Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating an investigational vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has begun enrolling adult volunteers. The trial is designed to evaluate if the investigational Janssen COVID-19 vaccine (JNJ-78436725) can prevent symptomatic COVID-19 after a single dose regimen. Up to 60,000 volunteers will be enrolled in the trial at up to nearly 215 clinical research sites in the United States and internationally.

The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnsondeveloped the investigational vaccine (also known as Ad.26.COV2.S) and is leading the clinical trial as regulatory sponsor. Janssen, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, are funding the trial.

U.S. and international trial sites part of the NIAID-supported COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN) will participate in the trial. The CoVPN is composed of existing NIAID-supported clinical research networks with infectious disease expertise and designed for rapid and thorough evaluation of vaccine candidates and monoclonal antibodiesfor the prevention of COVID-19.

Four COVID-19 vaccine candidates are in Phase 3 clinical testing in the United States just over eight months after SARS-CoV-2 was identified. This is an unprecedented feat for the scientific community made possible by decades of progress in vaccine technology and a coordinated, strategic approach across government, industry and academia, said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. It is likely that multiple COVID-19 vaccine regimens will be required to meet the global need. The Janssen candidate has showed promise in early-stage testing and may be especially useful in controlling the pandemic if shown to be protective after a single dose.

The Janssen vaccine candidate is a recombinant vector vaccine that uses a human adenovirus to express the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in cells. Adenoviruses are a group of viruses that cause the common cold. However, the adenovirus vector used in the vaccine candidate has been modified so that it can no longer replicate in humans and cause disease. Janssen uses the same vector in the first dose of its prime-boost vaccine regimen against Ebola virus disease (Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo) that was recently granted marketing authorization by the European Commission.

Preclinical findings published in Nature show that the investigational Janssen COVID-19 vaccine induced neutralizing antibody responses in rhesus macaques and provided complete or near-complete protection against virus infection in the lungs and nose following SARS-CoV-2 challenge. The safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of the investigational vaccine are being evaluated in a Phase 1/2a trial in the United States and Belgium enrolling adult volunteers. Positive interim results from the Phase 1/2a clinical study demonstrated that the safety profile and immunogenicity after a single vaccination were supportive of further development.

Scientific partners from government, industry and academia are working hand-in-hand to develop safe, effective vaccines to put this pandemic in our rear-view mirror, said NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. While administrative steps are being streamlined to speed the process, safety and effectiveness measures are just as rigorous than ever.

The Phase 3 trial is being conducted in collaboration with Operation Warp Speed (OWS), a multi-agency collaboration overseen by HHS and the Department of Defense that aims to accelerate the development, manufacturing and distribution of medical countermeasures for COVID-19. OWS and CoVPN also are assisting with additional COVID-19 preventive candidate vaccines, including mRNA-1273, an investigational vaccine co-developed by NIAID and the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotechnology company Moderna, Inc., and AZD1222, a vaccine candidate being developed by United Kingdom-based biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.

To have just one candidate vaccine in Phase 3 trials less than a year after a virus was first reported would be a remarkable accomplishment; to have four candidates at that stage is extraordinary, said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. By building a portfolio of candidate vaccines, Operation Warp Speed is maximizing the chances that we will have substantial supplies of a safe and effective vaccineand maybe multiple vaccine optionsby January 2021.

The Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) public-private partnership helped to ensure the protocols of all NIH- and OWS-supported Phase 3 trials of investigational vaccines use the same assays and are designed to evaluate the same primary objective: whether the vaccine can prevent symptomatic COVID-19. This approach enables transparent evaluation of the relative performance of each vaccine approach across trials.

Paul A. Goepfert, M.D., director of the Alabama Vaccine Research Clinic at the University of Alabama in Birmingham; Beatriz Grinsztejn, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Laboratory of Clinical Research on HIV/AIDS at the Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases-Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Glenda E. Gray, M.B.B.Ch., president and chief executive officer of the South African Medical Research Council and co-principal investigator of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), will serve as principal investigators for the Phase 3 trial of the investigational Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.

Volunteers must provide informed consent to participate in the trial. After providing a baseline nasopharyngeal and blood sample, participants will be assigned at random to receive either a single dose of the investigational vaccine or a saline placebo. The trial is blinded, meaning neither investigators nor participants will know who is receiving the investigational vaccine. Participants will be followed closely for safety and will be asked to provide additional blood samples at specified time points after the injection and over two years. Scientists will analyze the blood samples to detect and quantify immune responses to COVID-19. Of note, specialized assays will be used that can distinguish between immunity as a result of natural infection and vaccine-induced immunity.

The trial is designed primarily to determine if the investigational vaccine can prevent moderate to severe COVID-19 after a single dose. It also aims to understand if the vaccine can prevent COVID-19 requiring medical intervention and if the vaccine can prevent milder cases of COVID-19 and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.

An independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) will provide oversight to ensure the safe and ethical conduct of the study. All Phase 3 clinical trials of candidate vaccines supported through Operation Warp Speed are overseen by a common DSMB developed in consultation with ACTIV.

Adults who are interested in joining this study can visit Coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org or ClinicalTrials.gov and search identifier NCT04505722.

About the COVID-19 Prevention Network: The COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN) was formed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the U.S. National Institutes of Health to respond to the global pandemic. Through the CoVPN, NIAID is leveraging the infectious disease expertise of its existing research networks and global partners to address the pressing need for vaccines and antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. CoVPN will work to develop and conduct studies to ensure rapid and thorough evaluation of vaccines and antibodies for the prevention of COVID-19. The CoVPN is headquartered at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. For more information about the CoVPN, visit: coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org.

About HHS, ASPR, and BARDA: HHS works to enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans, providing for effective health and human services and fostering advances in medicine, public health, and social services. The mission of ASPR is to save lives and protect Americans from 21st century health security threats. Within ASPR, BARDA invests in the innovation, advanced research and development, acquisition, and manufacturing of medical countermeasures vaccines, drugs, therapeutics, diagnostic tools, and non-pharmaceutical products needed to combat health security threats. To date, BARDA-supported products have achieved 55 FDA approvals, licensures or clearances. To learn more about federal support for the nationwide COVID-19 response, visit http://www.coronavirus.gov.

About Operation Warp Speed:OWS is a partnership among components of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense, engaging with private firms and other federal agencies, and coordinating among existing HHS-wide efforts to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.

About the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases:NIAID conducts and supports research at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on theNIAID website.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

NIHTurning Discovery Into Health

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Fourth large-scale COVID-19 vaccine trial begins in the United States - National Institutes of Health

WHO, the UN, UNICEF, UNAIDS, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), UNESCO, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN Global Pulse initiative and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), together with the governments of Indonesia, Thailand and Uruguay held a webinar on the margins of the 75th UN General Assembly to draw attention to the harm being done by the spread of misinformation and disinformation, the latter being deliberate misinformation to advance an agenda.

As soon as the virus spread across the globe, inaccurate and even dangerous messages proliferated wildly over social media, leaving people confused, misled and ill-advised, said UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres. Our initiative, called Verified, is fighting misinformation with truth. We work with media partners, individuals, influencers and social media platforms to spread content that promotes science, offers solutions and inspires solidarity. This will be especially critical as we work to build public confidence in the safety and efficacy of future COVID-19 vaccines. We need a peoples vaccine that is affordable and available to all.

Misinformation and disinformation put health and lives at risk, and undermine trust in science, in institutions and in health systems, said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. To fight the pandemic we need trust and solidarity and when there is mistrust, there is much less solidarity. False information is hindering the response to the pandemic so we must join forces to fight it and to promote science-based public health advice. The same principles that apply to responding to COVID-19 apply to managing the infodemic. We need to prevent, detect and respond to it, together and in solidarity.

On top of the immediate impact on pandemic responses, disinformation is undermining public trust in democratic processes and institutions and exacerbating social divides, said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. Its one of the most concerning governance challenges of our time. UNDP is actively collaborating with Member States, fellow UN agencies, and other partners to find holistic responses which respect human rights.

Misinformation is one of the fastest growing challenges facing children today, said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. It takes advantage of the cracks in trust in societies and institutions and deepens them further, undermines confidence in science and medicine, and divides communities. In its most pernicious forms, such as when it convinces parents not to vaccinate their children, it can even be fatal. Because misinformation is more a symptom than a sickness, countering it requires more than just providing truth. It also requires trust between leaders, communities and individuals.

We can beat COVID-19 only with facts, science and community solidarity, said Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima. Misinformation is perpetuating stigma and discrimination and must not come in the way of ensuring that human rights are protected and people at risk and those marginalized have access to health and social protection services.

Since the start of the pandemic, UNESCO has mobilised its international networks of media partners, journalists, fact-checkers, community radio stations, and experts, to give citizens the means to fight against false information and rumours phenomena that have been exacerbated by the pandemic, said Audrey Azoulay, the UNESCO Director-General. Collective mobilisation to promote quality and reliable information, while strictly ensuring respect for freedom of expression, is essential. A free, independent and pluralistic press is more necessary than ever.

Trust is a cornerstone of our digital world, said Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union. Building on the long-standing WHO-ITU BeHe@lthy BeMobile initiative, ITU has been working with national ministries of telecommunications and health and mobile network operators since the beginning of this crisis to text people who may not have access to the internet, providing them with science- and evidence-based COVID-19 health advice directly on their mobile phones.

WHO and partners urged countries to engage and listen to their communities as they develop their national action plans, and to empower communities to build trust and resilience against false information.

Engaging communities on how they perceive the disease and response is critical to building trust and ending outbreaks, said Jagan Chapagain, IFRC Secretary General. If our response does not reflect the communities concerns and perceptions, we will not be seen as relevant or trusted by affected populations, and the epidemic response risks failure. More than ever, local responders are at the forefront of this crisis. We need to recognize the incredible role they play in understanding and acting on local knowledge and community feedback.

The co-hosts also called on the media, social media platforms, civil society leaders and influencers to strengthen their actions to disseminate accurate information and prevent the spread of misinformation and disinformation. Access to accurate information and the free exchange of ideas online and offline are key to enabling effective and credible public health responses.

"UN Global Pulse was set up a decade ago inside the UN System to pioneer the use of real-time and predictive insights to protect vulnerable communities in times of crisis, said Robert Kirkpatrick, Director of UN Global Pulse, the United Nations Secretary-Generals initiative on big data and artificial intelligence (AI). During this pandemic we have seen a tremendous increase in requests for advanced analytics from across the UN System and Member States. We will continue to work with WHO and other partners to help identify and combat mis- and disinformation.

Note to Editors

WHO defines an infodemic as an overabundance of information, both online and offline. It includes accurate information as well as mis- and disinformation.

In May 2020, WHO Member States passed Resolution WHA73.1 on the COVID-19 response at the World Health Assembly. The Resolution recognises that managing the infodemic is a critical part of controlling the COVID-19 pandemic: it calls on Member States to provide reliable COVID-19 content, take measures to counter mis- and disinformation and leverage digital technologies across the response. The Resolution also called on international organisations to address mis- and disinformation in the digital sphere, work to prevent harmful cyber activities undermining the health response and support the provision of science-based data to the public.

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COVID-19 pandemic: countries urged to take stronger action to stop spread of harmful information - World Health Organization

The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is the first pandemic in history in which technology and social media are being used on a massive scale to keep people safe, informed, productive and connected.At the same time, the technology we rely on to keep connected and informed is enabling and amplifying an infodemic that continues to undermine the global response and jeopardizes measures to control the pandemic.

An infodemic is an overabundance of information, both online and offline. It includes deliberate attempts to disseminate wrong information to undermine the public health response and advance alternative agendas of groups or individuals. Mis- and disinformation can be harmful to peoples physical and mental health; increase stigmatization; threaten precious health gains; and lead to poor observance of public health measures, thus reducing their effectiveness and endangering countries ability to stop the pandemic.

Misinformation costs lives. Without the appropriate trust and correct information, diagnostic tests go unused, immunization campaigns (or campaigns to promote effective vaccines) will not meet their targets, and the virus will continue to thrive.

Furthermore, disinformation is polarizing public debate on topics related to COVID-19; amplifying hate speech; heightening the risk of conflict, violence and human rights violations; and threatening long-terms prospects for advancing democracy, human rights and social cohesion.

In this context, the UN Secretary- General launched the United Nations Communications Response initiative to combat the spread of mis- and disinformation in April 2020. The UN also issued a Guidance Note on Addressing and Countering COVID-19 related Hate Speech (11 May 2020).

At the World Health Assembly in May 2020, WHO Member States passed Resolution WHA73.1 on the COVID-19 response. The Resolution recognizes that managing the infodemic is a critical part of controlling the COVID-19 pandemic: it calls on Member States to provide reliable COVID-19 content, take measures to counter mis- and disinformation and leverage digital technologies across the response. The Resolution also calls on international organizations to address mis- and disinformation in the digital sphere, work to prevent harmful cyber activities undermining the health response and support the provision of science-based data to the public.

The UN system and civil society organizations are using their collective expertise and knowledge to respond to the infodemic. At the same time, as the pandemic continues to create uncertainty and anxiety, there is an urgent need for stronger action to manage the infodemic, and for a coordinated approach among states, multi-lateral organizations, civil society and all other actors who have a clear role and responsibility in combatting mis- and disinformation.

We call on Member States to develop and implement action plans to manage the infodemic by promoting the timely dissemination of accurate information, based on science and evidence, to all communities, and in particular high-risk groups; and preventing the spread, and combating, mis- and disinformation while respecting freedom of expression.

We urge Member States to engage and listen to their communities as they develop their national action plans, and to empower communities to develop solutions and resilience against mis- and disinformation.

We further call on all other stakeholders - including the media and social media platforms through which mis- and disinformation are disseminated, researchers and technologists who can design and build effective strategies and tools to respond to the infodemic, civil society leaders and influencers - to collaborate with the UN system, with Member States and with each other, and to further strengthen their actions to disseminate accurate information and prevent the spread of mis- and disinformation.

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Managing the COVID-19 infodemic: Promoting healthy behaviours and mitigating the harm from misinformation and disinformation - World Health...

TheWest Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of 10:00 a.m., September 22,2020, there have been 522,329 total confirmatorylaboratory results received for COVID-19, with 14,384 totalcases and 317 deaths.

DHHR has confirmed the deaths of an 89-year old male from HarrisonCounty, a 50-yearold female from Fayette County, a 66-year old male from Mercer County, an 82-yearold female from Kanawha County, and a 72-year old male from Kanawha County. Wemourn with all families suffering the loss of loved ones during this horriblepandemic, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary.

CASESPER COUNTY: Barbour(48), Berkeley (948), Boone (200), Braxton (10), Brooke (112), Cabell (737),Calhoun (24), Clay (35), Doddridge (18), Fayette (577), Gilmer (32), Grant(152), Greenbrier (120), Hampshire (102), Hancock (144), Hardy (82), Harrison(342), Jackson (252), Jefferson (422), Kanawha (2,377), Lewis (38), Lincoln(156), Logan (585), Marion (258), Marshall (160), Mason (138), McDowell (80),Mercer (404), Mineral (165), Mingo (366), Monongalia (1,936), Monroe (147),Morgan (53), Nicholas (92), Ohio (358), Pendleton (52), Pleasants (16),Pocahontas (59), Preston (149), Putnam (521), Raleigh (479), Randolph (237),Ritchie (10), Roane (48), Summers (46), Taylor (119), Tucker (17), Tyler (15),Upshur (61), Wayne (361), Webster (7), Wetzel (50), Wirt (12), Wood (352),Wyoming (103).

Pleasenote that delays may be experienced with the reporting of information from thelocal health department to DHHR. As case surveillance continues at the localhealth department level, it may reveal that those tested in a certain countymay not be a resident of that county, or even the state as an individual inquestion may have crossed the state border to be tested.Suchis the case of Monroe and Pleasants counties in this report.

Pleasevisit the dashboard located at http://www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more information.

Free COVID-19 testing locations areavailable today in Cabell, Fayette, Kanawha, and Putnam counties:

Cabell County, September22, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM, YMCA Kennedy Center, 5800 Ohio River Road, Huntington,WV

Fayette County, September22, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, J.W. and Hazel Ruby WV Welcome Center, 55 Hazel RubyLane, Mt. Hope, WV

Fayette County, September22, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM, Midland Trail High School, 26719 Midland Trail, Hico,WV

Kanawha County, September22, 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM, A More Excellent Way Life Center Church, 504 VirginiaStreet West, Charleston, WV (flu shots offered)

Putnam County, September22, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Teays Valley Baptist Church, 3926 Teays Valley Road, Hurricane,WV

Testing is available to everyone, including asymptomatic individuals. Upcoming testing events will be held this week in Boone, Cabell, Jackson, Logan, Marion, Mingo, Monongalia, Putnam, Summers, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. For more testing locations, please visit https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/pages/testing.aspx.

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COVID-19 Daily Update 9-22-2020 - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

AGGRESSIVE TESTING EFFORTS CONTINUE TO RAMP UPDuring Wednesdays briefing, Gov. Justice announced that he will provide additional CARES Act funding to the West Virginia National Guard and West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources in support of their efforts, working alongside local health departments, to continue ramping up the Governors Aggressive Testing program across the state.

We need to make provide the resources that our people need to be able to do all this testing, which is why I was happy to push this additional funding through, Gov. Justice said. Were already ramping up our testing significantly. But someway, somehow weve got to do even more.

Earlier this week, the Governor announced that any time a county moves to Red or Orange status, free COVID-19 testing sites will be set up in that county within 24 hours. Testing in these counties will be offered on a continual basis until their numbers improve.

Any time a county moves to Gold status, at least one free testing event per week will be held in that county until their numbers improve.

I urge everyone to take advantage of the free testing opportunities all over our state, Gov. Justice said. As we keep testing and testing, we might identify a few people who didnt know they had it and stop it from spreading. But more often than not were going to get good results. Youll see the numbers in your county go down and well begin to move in a way to where our kids can go to school, play sports, and do all kinds of other things safely.

For instance, in Kanawha County, our positivity rate is down to 5.6 percent, Gov. Justice continued. If we can get you down below 5 percent, youd be Gold. You see how close that is? We need to get you there. You have got to go get tested.

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COVID-19 UPDATE: Gov. Justice tested live on-air as Aggressive Testing program continues to ramp up; all West Virginia counties out of Red status -...

TheWest Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of 10:00 a.m., September 21,2020, there have been 519,175 total confirmatorylaboratory results received for COVID-19, with 14,171 totalcases and 312 deaths.

DHHR has confirmed the deaths of an80-year old female from Kanawha County and a 75-year old male from KanawhaCounty. We send our sympathy to these families and urge all WestVirginians to continue to protect our residents, saidBill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary.

CASESPER COUNTY: Barbour(46), Berkeley (947), Boone (198), Braxton (10), Brooke (107), Cabell (724),Calhoun (24), Clay (34), Doddridge (18), Fayette (569), Gilmer (29), Grant(152), Greenbrier (120), Hampshire (100), Hancock (141), Hardy (82), Harrison(341), Jackson (247), Jefferson (419), Kanawha (2,317), Lewis (38), Lincoln(156), Logan (582), Marion (255), Marshall (159), Mason (136), McDowell (80),Mercer (401), Mineral (164), Mingo (356), Monongalia (1,902), Monroe (148),Morgan (52), Nicholas (88), Ohio (356), Pendleton (52), Pleasants (17),Pocahontas (59), Preston (149), Putnam (509), Raleigh (473), Randolph (236),Ritchie (10), Roane (49), Summers (42), Taylor (116), Tucker (15), Tyler (15),Upshur (60), Wayne (356), Webster (7), Wetzel (49), Wirt (10), Wood (348),Wyoming (101).

Pleasenote that delays may be experienced with the reporting of information from thelocal health department to DHHR. As case surveillance continues at the localhealth department level, it may reveal that those tested in a certain countymay not be a resident of that county, or even the state as an individual inquestion may have crossed the state border to be tested.Suchis the case of Clay and Taylor counties in this report.

Pleasevisit the dashboard located at http://www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more information.

Free COVID-19 testing locations areavailable today in Boone, Kanawha, Lincoln, Mingo and Ohio counties:

Boone County, September21, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Boone County Health Department, 213 Kenmore Drive, Danville,WV

Kanawha County, September21, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Nitro High School, 1300 Park Avenue, Nitro, WV (flushots offered)

Lincoln County, September21, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Lincoln County Health Department, 8008 Court Avenue,Hamlin, WV

Mingo County, September21, 2020, 1:00 PM 4:00 PM, Parking lot across from Giovannis Pizza, US 52, Kermit,WV

Ohio County, September21, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, The Highlands (Power Center - lower parking lot), 565Cabela Drive, Triadelphia, WV

Testing is available to everyone,including asymptomatic individuals. Formore testing locations this week, visit https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/pages/testing.aspx.

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COVID-19 Daily Update 9-21-2020 - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

64 higher income economies have joined the COVAX Facility, a global initiative that brings together governments and manufacturers to ensure eventual COVID-19 vaccines reach those in greatest need, whoever they are and wherever they live. These 64 economies include commitments from 35 economies as well as the European Commission which will procure doses on behalf of 27 EU member states plus Norway and Iceland.

By pooling financial and scientific resources, these participating economies will be able to insure themselves against the failure of any individual vaccine candidate and secure successful vaccines in a cost-effective, targeted way.

The 64 members of the Facility will be joined by 92 low- and middle-income economies eligible for support for the procurement of vaccines through the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC), a financing instrument aimed at supporting the procurement of vaccines for these countries. This means that 156 economies, representing roughly 64% of the global population in total, are now either committed to or eligible for the COVAX Facility, with more to follow.

With the Commitment Agreements secured, the COVAX Facility will now start signing formal agreements with vaccine manufacturers and developers, which are partners in the COVAX effort, to secure the doses needed to end the acute phase of the pandemic by the end of 2021. This is in addition to an ongoing effort to raise funding for both R&D and for the procurement of vaccines for lower-income countries via the Gavi COVAX AMC.

COVAX is now in business: governments from every continent have chosen to work together, not only to secure vaccines for their own populations, but also to help ensure that vaccines are available to the most vulnerable everywhere, said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which is coordinating the COVAX Facility. With the commitments were announcing today for the COVAX Facility, as well as the historic partnership we are forging with industry, we now stand a far better chance of ending the acute phase of this pandemic once safe, effective vaccines become available.

The COVAX Facility is part of COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, which is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the World Health Organization (WHO) working in partnership with developed and developing country vaccine manufacturers, UNICEF, the World Bank, Civil Society Organisations and others.

The allocation of vaccines, once licensed and approved, will be guided by an Allocation Framework released today by WHO following the principle of fair and equitable access, ensuring no participating economy will be left behind. Policies determining the prioritization of vaccine rollout within economies will be guided by recommendations from the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), which has recently released a Values Framework laying the groundwork for subsequent guidance on target populations and policies on vaccine use.

COVID-19 is an unprecedented global crisis that demands an unprecedented global response, said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Vaccine nationalism will only perpetuate the disease and prolong the global recovery. Working together through the COVAX Facility is not charity, its in every countrys own best interests to control the pandemic and accelerate the global economic recovery.

The commitment of fully self-financing economies will now unlock vital funding and the security of demand needed to scale up manufacturing and secure the doses needed for the Facility. CEPI is leading COVAX vaccine research and development work, which aims to develop at least three safe and effective vaccines which can be made available to economies participating in the COVAX Facility. Nine candidate vaccines are currently being supported by CEPI; eight of which are currently in clinical trials.

This is a landmark moment in the history of public health with the international community coming together to tackle this pandemic. The global spread of COVID-19 means that it is only through equitable and simultaneous access to new lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines that we can hope to end this pandemic, said Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI. Countries coming together in this way shows a unity of purpose and resolve to end the acute phase of this pandemic, and we must now work closely with vaccine manufacturerswho play an integral part in the global responseto put in place the agreements needed to fulfil COVAXs core aim: to have two billion vaccine doses available by the end of 2021. Today, we have taken a great leap towards that goal, for the benefit of all.

The success of COVAX hinges not only on economies signing up to the COVAX Facility and commitments from vaccine manufacturers, but also filling key funding gaps for both COVAX research and development (R&D) work and the Gavi COVAX AMC to support participation of lower income economies in the COVAX Facility.

Governments, vaccine manufacturers (in addition to their own R&D), organisations and individuals have committed US$ 1.4 billion towards vaccine R&D so far, but a further US$ 700-800 million is urgently needed to continue to move the portfolio forward in addition to US$ 300 million to fund WHOs SOLIDARITY trial.

The Gavi COVAX AMC has raised around US$ 700 million from sovereign donors as well as philanthropy and the private sector, against an initial target of US$ 2 billion in seed funding needed by the end of 2020. Funding the Gavi COVAX AMC will be critical to ensuring ability to pay is not a barrier to accessing COVID-19 vaccines, a situation which would leave the majority of the world unprotected, with the pandemic and its impact continuing unabated.

The Commitment Agreements also commit higher income governments to provide an upfront payment to reserve doses by 9 October 2020. These funds will be used to accelerate the scale-up of vaccine manufacturing to secure two billion doses of vaccine, enough to vaccinate one billion people assuming the vaccine requires a two-dose regimen. Further details on these upfront payments are available in Gavis COVAX Facility Explainer.

As well as procuring doses for participating economies, the COVAX Facility will also maintain a buffer of doses for emergency and humanitarian use.

Participating country comments

COVID-19 poses serious health concerns to people everywhere, and thats why Canada is committed to working with partners around the world to end the pandemic, said the Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada. Equitable, timely, and affordable access to a safe and effective COVID vaccine will be critical to help protect peoples health. Canada supports the objectives and principles of the COVAX Facility as the only global pooled procurement mechanism for countries to collaborate on this monumental undertaking. Our country is a part of this important global response.

New Zealands commitment to the COVAX Facility supports access to vaccines against COVID-19 for other countries too, said Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand.

COVAX and the idea of equal access to a COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of ability to pay, is not just a moral imperative, it is the only practical solution to this pandemic. Protecting everyone is the only way we can return our world our trade, tourism, travel, business to normal, said the Honourable Dr Edwin G. Dikoloti, Minister of Health and Wellness for Botswana. We urge those countries who have not yet signed up to do so. Let us work together to protect each other.

Immunisation saves lives. Investing in immunisation infrastructure helps strengthen health systems. We have seen this time and again through our work with Gavi and Alliance partners, said Dr Lia Tadesse, Minister of Health for Ethiopia. By being a part of the COVAX Facility and the AMC we can continue this work and protect our citizens - and the world - against the impact of COVID-19.

With COVAX, the world is joining forces and proving that together, we are stronger and together, we can defeat this pandemic, said Ekaterine Tikaradze, Minister of Health for Georgia. Georgia will be joining the COVAX Facility to give our citizens the best chance at having access to safe vaccines. By doing this, we also make sure health care workers and other high risk persons all over the world have access to these life-saving tools, helping to bring the pandemic under control and we can all recover and rebuild.

Joining the COVAX Facility was not a difficult decision not only will this give Kuwaiti citizens access to COVID-19 vaccines as they become available, it will also mean our friends and partners outside our borders also get access, said His Excellency Sheikh Dr Basel HumoudAl-Sabah, Minister of Health of the State of Kuwait. We need a global solution to this global pandemic: we believe COVAX is that solution.

We believe international cooperation a global effort is key, said Dag-Inge Ulstein, Minister of International Development for Norway. We must continue to work for equitable access to vaccines, tests and treatments. To defeat the coronavirus pandemic, well-off countries need to act swiftly and boldly to make vaccines and treatments available to those who cannot afford to pay themselves. With the commitments to the COVAX facility we are heading in the right direction.

This is a hugely important initiative, which could offer us a path out of the acute phase of this pandemic and a return to normality, said His Excellency Dr Ahmed Mohammed Obaid Al Saidi, Minister of Health of the Sultanate of Oman. I would urge every country that has not yet done so to sign up, for all our sakes. It is far better for us to work together than apart.

Partner comments

The history of vaccines will be defined by our response to COVID-19; the COVAX facility is at the epicenter of this response. Industry is at the forefront in vaccines development and manufacturing leading to supplies of several billion doses within the next few years, said Mr. Sai D. Prasad, President of the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network (DCVMN). The COVAX facility will have a major impact on lives, livelihoods and accelerate the return to normalcy for countries. The DCVMN is fully engaged with its partners to enhance its mission of global public health and to leave no one behind.

It is very encouraging to see so many countries move from talk to full commitment, said Thomas Cueni, Director General of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (IFPMA). The Facility can only work, and equitable access can only be achieved, if there is solidarity between rich and poorer countries. Today vaccine makers who have the unique skills and expertise to scale up manufacturing to levels never seen before, stand ready, together, to take up the challenge of providing two billion doses of yet unknown COVID-19 vaccines. This is no mean feat, as it requires doubling existing capacity in record time. Today, marks a significant step forward, and is a historic mark of solidarity which has the power to bring the acute phase of this pandemic to an end; and we are proud to be part of this unique endeavour to leave no one behind.

Uniting our efforts through COVAX must guarantee fair allocation and equitable delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine to those who need it most, and not just those who can afford it, said Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. We all have a moral and public health imperative to protect the poor in rural communities as the affluent in cities, the old in care homes as the young in refugee camps. The power of our humanity and the success of COVAX will be measured by how we collectively protect the most vulnerable among us."

"Global cooperation must be the cornerstone of our global response to COVID-19, said Kevin Watkins, Chief Executive of Save the Children. The COVAX Facility has the potential to help ensure universal and equitable access to future COVID vaccines. For this to happen, we need to ensure people in low- and middle-income countries get their fair share and can access the vaccines they need to help overcome the biggest public health and child rights crisis of our generation."

Seeing such unity in the face of the COVID-19 crisis gives us confidence that, together, we can ensure the equitable delivery of COVID vaccines globally, said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. With our globe-spanning supply chain and on-the-ground presence across 190 countries, UNICEF is proud to support this historic effort.

Notes to editors

A COVAX Facility Explainer document is available on the Gavi website here:, as well as a Q&A from Gavi CEO Seth Berkley here.

The full list of fully self-financing economies that have submitted both binding Commitment Agreements and non-binding Confirmations of Intent to Participate, as well as the 92 low- and middle-income countries eligible for the Gavi COVAX AMC, is available here.

About Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate half the worlds children against some of the worlds deadliest diseases. Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped to immunise a whole generation over 760 million children and prevented more than 13 million deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 73 developing countries. Gavi also plays a key role in improving global health security by supporting health systems as well as funding global stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningitis and yellow fever vaccines.After two decades of progress, Gavi is now focused on protecting the next generation andreaching the unvaccinated children still being left behind, employing innovative finance and the latest technology from drones to biometrics to save millions more lives, prevent outbreaks before they can spread and help countries on the road to self-sufficiency.Learn more atwww.gavi.organd connect with us onFacebookandTwitter.

The Vaccine Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. View the full list of donor governments and other leading organizations that fund Gavis workhere.

About CEPI

CEPI is an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic, and civil organisations, launched at Davos in 2017, to develop vaccines to stop future epidemics. CEPI has moved with great urgency and in coordination with WHO in response to the emergence of COVID-19. CEPI has initiated nine partnerships to develop vaccines against the novel coronavirus. The programmes are leveraging rapid response platforms already supported by CEPI as well as new partnerships.

Before the emergence of COVID-19, CEPIs priority diseases included Ebola virus, Lassa virus, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, Nipah virus, Rift Valley Fever and Chikungunya virus. CEPI also invested in platform technologies that can be used for rapid vaccine and immunoprophylactic development against unknown pathogens (Disease X).

About WHO

The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.

For updates on COVID-19 and public health advice to protect yourself from coronavirus, visit http://www.who.int and follow WHO on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube

About ACT-Accelerator

The Access to COVID-19 Tools ACT-Accelerator, is a new, ground-breaking global collaboration to accelerate the development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines. It was set up in response to a call from G20 leaders in March and launched by the WHO, European Commission, France and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in April 2020.

The ACT-Accelerator is not a decision-making body or a new organisation, but works to speed up collaborative efforts among existing organisations to end the pandemic. It is a framework for collaboration that has been designed to bring key players around the table with the goal of ending the pandemic as quickly as possible through the accelerated development, equitable allocation, and scaled up delivery of tests, treatments and vaccines, thereby protecting health systems and restoring societies and economies in the near term. It draws on the experience of leading global health organisations which are tackling the worlds toughest health challenges, and who, by working together, are able to unlock new and more ambitious results against COVID-19. Its members share a commitment to ensure all people have access to all the tools needed to defeat COVID-19 and to work with unprecedented levels of partnership to achieve it.

The ACT-Accelerator has four areas of work: diagnostics, therapeutics, vaccines and the health system connector. Cross-cutting all of these is the workstream on Access & Allocation. More information on the ACT Accelerator is available here.

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Boost for global response to COVID-19 as economies worldwide formally sign up to COVAX facility - World Health Organization

ThebleaknewsfromILO Director-General Guy Ryder coincided with anupdatedmid-yearforecastfrom the UN body.

Lowerandmiddle-incomecountrieshavesuffered most, withan estimated 23.3 per centdrop in working hours equivalent to240 millionjobs -in the second quarter.

Previously, the ILO had suggested a 14 per cent averagedrop inglobal working time, equivalent to the loss of 400 million jobs, relative to the fourth quarter of 2019.

Workers in developing nations had also seen theirincomedropmore than 15 per cent, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder told journalists inGeneva.

On top of this, these are the places where there are the weakest social protection systems, so there are very few resources or protections for working people to fall back upon,he said.If you look at it regionally, the Americas were worst-affected,with losses of 12.1 per cent.

Mr. Ryder highlighted that while the Governments of richer countries had shored up their economies with hundreds of billions of dollars, poorer nationshad beenunable to do the same.

Without such fiscal stimulus, working hours losses would have been 28per centbetween April and June,instead of 17.3per cent, he insisted.

Nonetheless,State financialsupporthas led to the emergence of an extremely worryingfiscal stimulus gapbetweenwealthyeconomiesandthe developing world,amounting to $982 billion, Mr. Ryder warned.

Itrunsarisk ofleading us topost-COVID world with greater inequalities between regions, countries, sectors andsocialgroups, he said.Its apolar opposite to the better worldthatwe want to build back,and itreminds usall, that unless we are allable to overcome and get out of this pandemic, none of us will.

Althoughthe $982 billionglobalstimuluspackagewas a staggering sum, the ILO Director-General noted thatlow-income countries needed a fraction of this figure - $45 billionto support workers in the same way as wealthier nationshad done,whilelower-middle-income countries required theremaining$937billion.

Other data from the ILO Monitor indicates that for the thirdfiscalquartercovering July to September,12.1per cent ofglobal working time will be lost, which is equivalent to345millionfull-timejobs.

The finalquarterof the yearenvisagesa significant worsening ofthesituationfor workerssince the UN agencys lastassessment in June, with a minimum8.6per cent drop inglobal working time up fromup from 4.9per centmid-yearcorrespondingto 245million full-timejobs.

To protect workers and economies everywhere, Mr. Ryder warned against any premature loosening ofsupport forhealth measuresaimed at combating the pandemic, in view of increasing infection rates in many countries.

Support for jobs and incomesshould besustained into next year,heinsisted, while also calling for finding ways to increasetechnical help and official developassistance to emerging economies.

It was also important toprioritiseincomesupport for thehardest-hit groups, namelywomen,young people and informal workers, he added.

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Impact on workers of COVID-19 is 'catastrophic': ILO - UN News