(2021-02-08). Raji Sourani: Gaza Faces COVID Crisis as Israel Withholds Vaccines While Imposing Inhumane Blockade. democracynow.org 
The World Health Organization estimates there have been 51,312 confirmed cases and 522 deaths from COVID-19 in Gaza since reporting began in July 2020, and the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees warns the Gaza Strip's health system could collapse if the number of cases continues to rise. We get an update from Raji Sourani, human rights lawyer and director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza, on how Gaza has been impacted by COVID-19 as an ongoing blockade has destroyed its health infrastructure. "Our equipment is unable to deal with the emerging situation," Sourani says.
(2021-02-08). Newsom, Stop The Executions! Rally & Caravan to End the COVID Deaths in Prisons. indybay.org Activists in Oakland caravanned across the Bay Bridge to San Francisco on January 31, calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to grant the mass release of incarcerated individuals. They said that Gov. Newsom and the California Department of Corrections (CDC) are responsible for the deaths of at least 180 people in prisons since the start of the COVID pandemic.
(2021-02-08). Recent developments in Manaus, Brazil raise many issues about the future course of the COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org After premature and unjustified claims of reaching "herd immunity," the Brazilian city has been ravaged by a second wave of coronavirus that has overwhelmed local health care resources.
(2021-02-08). Resistance Songs: Remembering Anne Feeney. counterpunch.org 
On February 3rd, 2021, Anne Feeney died in the hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her children at her side. She was 69 years old. She was a cancer survivor in poor physical health when she fell and broke her back a month ago, and in the hospital she contracted Covid-19, then pneumonia. | Although Anne died too young, she lived a long life. She lived many lives during those 69 years, really, and she cheated death at least a couple times during her last decade on Earth.
(2021-02-08). Brits Told to Expect to Take a Third Vaccine Jab in the Autumn. anti-empire.com 
A health minister today signalled that millions of Britons can expect to get a third injection of Covid-19 vaccine this year to halt the South African mutation and other new variants. | Ed Argar said an autumn booster was being developed to "outwit" a virus that is constantly evolving to beat human defences. | The development came as South Africa suspended its mass roll-out of the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine following a small-scale study of younger volunteers that suggested it did not prevent transmission of the new variant or mild-to-moderate illness. Experts warned that the South African strain could prolong s…
(2021-02-08). Cuba's COVID-19 Vaccines Serve the People, Not Profits. counterpunch.org 
Cuba's socialist approach to developing vaccines against COVID-19 differs strikingly from that of capitalist nations of the world. Cuba's production of four vaccines is grounded in science and dedicated to saving the lives of all Cubans, and to international solidarity.
(2021-02-08). How Nurses Went From Saving Lives to Saving Health Care. thenation.com How Nurses Went From Saving Lives to Saving Health Care…
(2021-02-08). As schools are forced open, Iowa removes all COVID-19 regulations. wsws.org A new public health declaration went into effect Sunday, lifting all state-wide mask mandates and restrictions on gatherings, including at bars and restaurants.
(2021-02-08). First, Nurses Saved Our Lives—Now They're Saving Our Health Care. thenation.com First, Nurses Saved Our Lives—Now They're Saving Our Health Care…
(2021-02-08). Imperial's Covid outbreak tool projects vaccine impact around world. imperial.ac.uk Imperial's coronavirus outbreak tool has been updated to project the impact of vaccine programmes in all countries.
(2021-02-08). Headlines for February 8, 2021. democracynow.org Dems to Introduce $3,000 Benefit for Children as They Push Ahead with $1.9 Trillion Stimulus, Pentagon to Deploy Troops for Vaccination Effort as Fans Defy Warnings Around Super Bowl Parties, South Africa Halts Rollout of Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine, Wyoming GOP Censures Rep. Liz Cheney for Backing Trump's Impeachment, Judge Rules NY Republican Claudia Tenney Won Last Open House Race, Mass Protests Continue in Burma Opposing Military Coup, Removal of Aung San Suu Kyi, Indian Farmworkers Blockade Roads as Mass Protests Show No Sign of Slowing Down, Scores of People Missing and Feared Dead After Himalayan Glacier Co…
(2021-02-08). Universal healthcare 'absolute necessity' during pandemic, Dems have 'no excuses' not to provide it — Bernie Sanders's son to RT. rt.com 
There is a chance to "pressure" Joe Biden into adopting progressive policies, and the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for universal healthcare, the son of US Senator Bernie Sanders, Levi Sanders, told RT. | Sanders, a campaign policy strategist, told RT's Afshin Rattansi on Going Underground that the single-payer system Americans call Medicare-for-all enjoys popular support in the US and is needed now more than ever. | "It is absolutely a necessity amidst the worst pandemic that we had, probably, in a hundred years. It is extraordinarily important that we have healthcare that is guaranteed to…
(2021-02-08). 'We need to talk about abortion as necessary healthcare and a social good'. mronline.org 
CounterSpin interview with Kimberly Inez McGuire on abortion realities.
(2021-02-08). VIDEO: Russian Covid-19 Vaccine Vindicated Despite Western 'Pandemic' of Russophobia. strategic-culture.org One would think that the mainstream media would want to help to save lives by highlighting some of Russia's legitimate successes against the coronavirus. But pushing an endless stream of Russophobia is clearly far more important to them.
(2021-02-08). House Democrats Say Trump Admin Told CDC to Suppress COVID Tests to Hide Cases. truthout.org 
In a move that renews the House Oversight Committee's investigation into former President Donald Trump's pandemic response, Rep. James Clyburn (D-South Carolina) has requested assistance from the White House in finding more information and documents to help them delve deeper into the matter. | In his request,
(2021-02-08). United States: Health care, racism and death. greenleft.org.au Physician Susan Moore died of COVID-19 in December, after making a video from her bed describing the racism she experienced from a white doctor when she presented for treatment, writes Malik Miah.
(2021-02-08). [Research Paper] Fatal self-injury in the United States, 1999—2018: Unmasking a national mental health crisis. thelancet.com Depiction of rising SIM trends across states and major regions unmasks a burgeoning national mental health crisis. Geographic variation is plausibly a partial product of local heterogeneity in toxic drug availability and the quality of medicolegal death investigations. Like COVID-19, the nation will only be able to prevent SIM by responding with collective, comprehensive, systemic approaches. Injury surveillance and prevention, mental health, and societal well-being are poorly served by the continuing segregation of substance use disorders from other mental disorders in clinical medicine and public health practic…
(2021-02-08). South Africa halts use of Oxford Covid-19 vaccine over new variant. laprensalatina.com Johannesburg, Feb 8 (efe-epa).- The South African government said it is suspending its rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine after a study suggested it only had limited effect on a variation of the coronavirus that originated in the country. Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize, along with several of the country's experts, announced the decision in …
(2021-02-08). Snow disrupts Covid-19 vaccine program in parts of the UK. laprensalatina.com London, Feb 8 (EFE-EPA).- Heavy snowfall and cold temperatures forced the closure of schools and several Covid-19 vaccinations centers in the United Kingdom on Monday. London and southeast England are set to be among the worst-hit areas of Great Britain as a cold front, dubbed Storm Darcy in the UK, sweeps in from the east. …
(2021-02-08). Argentine capital tests teachers for Covid-19 ahead of reopening schools. laprensalatina.com Buenos Aires, Feb 8 (efe-epa).- Officials in the Argentine capital launched Monday an operation to test school staff for Covid-19 before the scheduled return of children to classrooms on Feb. 17. Tests are being administered at three sites in the city. The Buenos Aires municipal health department said it has the capacity to test the …
(2021-02-08). NHS dental patients told to 'pay private fees' if they want treatment. thecanary.co Some NHS dental patients are being asked to pay for private appointments "if they want treatment", while others face two-year waits for appointments, a watchdog has warned. | Healthwatch England was contacted by one patient who was offered a procedure for £1,700 which was £60 on the NHS. | Another was told that their odds of successful treatment would increase substantially if they were willing to pay for private care. | A briefing document from the watchdog, seen by the PA news agency, also highlights how one patient was told they would need to wait for two years for an NHS dental appointment.
(2021-02-08). Video: The Face Mask Imposed by France's Police State. Breathing is a Fundamental Human Right. globalresearch.ca First published on August 24, 2020 | Numerous scientific studies reveal that the face mask is detrimental to a person's health. | According to Dr. Russell Blaylock: by wearing a face mask, "the exhaled viruses will not be able to escape and …
(2021-02-08). "A Moral Catastrophe" zcomm.org Africa CDC Head Says Lack of Vaccines for the Continent Will Imperil World…
(2021-02-08). Three-Part Protest in Mountain View. indybay.org In a California statewide day of action, health care professionals and activists rallied to enact a single-payer health care plan for the state–California Guaranteed Health Care for All, known as CalCare.
(2021-02-07). On Contact: People's History Of West Virginia. popularresistance.org On the show this week, Chris Hedges talks to filmmaker and journalist, Eleanor Goldfield about her documentary, "Hard Road of Hope". | Goldfield's documentary, "Hard Road of Hope", revisits West Virginia's long tradition of radicalism and militant unionism, including the famed 1921 armed uprising, the largest since the Civil War, by some 10,000 coal miners at Blair Mountain who fought the repressive coal owners and their hired coal company gun thugs and militias. In 2018, the state's 20,000 public school teachers and employees carried out a strike over low pay and high health-care costs, shutting down every publi…
(2021-02-07). Change Is Not Scary — The Present System Is. zcomm.org Improved Medicare for All would do away with the need for supplemental coverage and expand the services covered…
(2021-02-07). "The burdens of the pandemic must not be passed on to the working class" peoplesdispatch.org The pandemic has exposed the inadequacy of the Austrian public health system, the failure of the federal government, and led to the acceleration of the economic crisis, writes Tibor Zenker, chairman of the Party of Labor of Austria…
(2021-02-07). WHO official thanks Britain for taking risk with 'first dose first' vaccination, calls on it to share its stockpile with needy. rt.com 
The WHO's Covid-19 envoy has praised 'brave' Britain for trying an experimental vaccination regimen and proving its viability. The UK should think about sharing some of its stocks with poorer nations soon, he also suggested. | The vaccines against Covid-19 are a "fantastic invention" and the world "should be accessing it in an equal way," David Nabarro, who serves as one of the World Health Organization's six special envoys tackling the pandemic, said on Sunday in an interview with Sky News' Sophy Ridge. As a rich nation and one of the front-runners in the race to vaccinate its population, the UK is among the…
(2021-02-07). States Are Poised to Cut Mental Health Care Despite Rising Demand Under COVID. truthout.org 
Helena, Montana — When the pandemic hit, health officials in Montana's Beaverhead County had barely begun to fill a hole left by the 2017 closure of the local public assistance office, mental health clinic, chemical dependency center and job placement office after the state's last budget shortfall. | Now, those health officials worry more cuts are coming, even as they brace for a spike in demand for substance abuse and mental health services. That would be no small challenge in a poor…
(2021-02-07). 'It would be discriminatory': UK vaccine minister says government is NOT planning Covid vaccine passport. rt.com 
Covid-19 Vaccine Deployment Minister Nadhim Zahawi denied claims that the UK government is planning to introduce a "vaccine passport" detailing which Brits have been vaccinated and which haven't, calling the idea "discriminatory." | Asked during an interview with The minister explained that those who receive their first dose of the vaccine get "a card…
(2021-02-07). Covid-19: Israel begins exit from third virus lockdown. middleeasteye.net 
Covid-19: Israel begins exit from third virus lockdown | Despite a vaccination campaign, the country has been registering a daily average of 6,500 new Covid-19 cases
| Sun, 02/07/2021 – 15: 48 | While a third of Israelis have received the vaccine, Palestinians living in the occupied territories have been left out of the roll-out (AFP) | Israeli barbershops and some other businesses…
(2021-02-07). Russia's Sputnik V Coronavirus Vaccine Safest in World, Maduro Says. sputniknews.com BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) – The Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine is the safest vaccine against COVID-19 in the world, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said.
(2021-02-07). Rich countries at risk of their own vaccine nationalism. yenisafak.com The world's richest countries would do well to hurry in supplying and distributing vaccines against the novel coronavirus, as failing to do so would eventually harm their economies more severely than projected by earlier studies, experts say.As the world tries to free itself from the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue of making vaccines universally available has taken center stage.Despite pledges by donor countries to aid the global inoculation effort, there is still uncertainty about when jabs will reach vulnerable populations."No economy can bounce back fully until vaccines are distributed fairly, equally, quickly, a…
(2021-02-07). South Africa SUSPENDS AstraZeneca vaccine rollout after study shows its 'limited efficacy' against local variant. rt.com 
South Africa is putting on hold the rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, after disappointing study results suggested the jab offers significantly less protection against the locally prevalent variant of Covid-19. | "The AstraZeneca vaccine appeared effective against the original strain, but not against the [B.1.351 South African] variant," Health Minister Zweli Mkhize We have decided to put a temporary hold on the rollout of the vaccine… more work needs to be done.
(2021-02-07). Can the Super Bowl end the Toxic season of Trumpism in Sports? juancole.com 
By Robert Lipsyte | — ( Tomdispatch.com ) — Overwhelmed by the intertwined plagues of Covid-19 and Trumpism, sports didn't stand a chance in 2020. No wonder I'm weirded out by the strange, metaphorical moments of that last disastrous year and the first days of this one. To mention just three among so many: Dr. …
(2021-02-07). Iran to receive next shipment of Russian vaccine in mid-Feb. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 07 (MNA) — Iranian Ambassador to Russian Federation said that Tehran will receive the next shipments of Russian COVID-19 vaccine in mid-February, March, and April.
(2021-02-07). Ten people have died after coronavirus outbreak at a care home. thecanary.co Ten people have died after contracting coronavirus (Covid-19) following an outbreak at a care home. | NHS Fife said 25 residents and 43 staff tested positive for the virus at Mossview Care Home in the town of Lochgelly. | The care home was closed to new admissions but has since reopened as it's now 14 days since the last positive test. | The health board said its health protection team and Fife Health and Social Care Partnership worked closely with Fife Council's environmental health service to support the management of the care home and offer advice. | NHS Fife said: NHS Fife is aware of a recent cluster of confi…
(2021-02-07). Mosque turned into pop-up vaccination centre to encourage take-up from Muslim community. thecanary.co A mosque has been turned into a pop-up coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination centre. The move is intended to help ease mistrust in the Muslim community about getting the jab. | Misinformation: | The makeshift clinic has been set up at the London Muslim Centre. Young children attended with their grandparents and relatives aged over 68 in the bitter winter chill to get the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. | It comes just days after local medical officials in Tower Hamlets said only three out of 200 people who'd been contacted had turned up for an appointment. This was according to Asad Jaman of the East London Mosq…
(2021-02-07). South Africa records 3,184 new COVID-19 infections. yenisafak.com South Africa recorded 3,184 new coronavirus infections, taking the country's total to 1,473,700, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said late Saturday. | "Regrettably, we report a further 278 COVID-19 related deaths," Mlkhize said, adding that it brings the number of fatalities to 46,180. | The coastal city of Kwa-Zulu Natal had the highest death toll Saturday with 109, followed by the tourism province of Western Cape which recorded 57 deaths. | Gauteng province, which includes the capital of Pretoria and the largest city, Johannesburg, registered 50 deaths. While the remaining six provinces each have less than 47 deat…
(2021-02-07). Afghanistan gets 1st doses of COVID vaccine from India. yenisafak.com Afghanistan on Sunday received 500,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine from India, health officials said.The India-made vaccine, locally known as Covishield, is the first to reach Afghanistan. It is being produced by the Serum Institute for mid- and low-income countries.Talking to reporters at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport after receiving the consignment, Ghulam Dastagir Nazari, head of the immunization drive at the Health Ministry, said frontline health care staff, followed by security forces and civil servants, will be the first to be inoculated after emergency approval from the Worl…
(2021-02-07). Tehran ,Moscow to finalize tie on joint vaccine production. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 07 (MNA) — An Iranian delegation, who just arrived in Moscow, will finalize a joint cooperation agreement for the production of the Sputnik V vaccine between Iran and Russia.
(2021-02-07). From smartphone apps to confusing websites, vaccine sign-up is anything but simple for the elderly. salon.com In many states, the vaccine sign-up process is downright hostile to seniors who aren't internet or phone savvy…
(2021-02-06). What's Not Being Said About the Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccine. "Human Guinea Pigs"? globalresearch.ca The Pharma giant Pfizer use an experimental technology known as gene editing, specifically mRNA gene-editing, something never before used in vaccines. Before we rush to get jabbed in hopes of some immunity, we should know more about the radical experimental technology and its lack of precision.
(2021-02-06). Biden Aims for US to Produce Millions of At-Home COVID Tests by End of Summer. truthout.org 
President Biden's pandemic response team announced plans on Friday to use the Defense Production Act to help Pfizer manufacture more of its COVID vaccine, produce 61 million rapid at-home COVID tests over the next six months, and address shortages of personal protective equipment for health care workers. | The Defense Production Act gives the president emergency powers to compel private companies to prioritize supply lines and manufacturing for the benefit of national defense, in this case…
(2021-02-06). Military Metaphors in Health Care Are Harmful — Especially During the Pandemic. truthout.org 
As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to sweep through the U.S., many have noticed the coupling of military and health. There's been an ongoing conversation amongst oncologists for years about the use of war metaphors in cancer research and treatment. In fact, many public health concerns are framed in these terms — "war on drugs" or "war on poverty," for example. It's argued the use of these metaphors help make it easier for our society to better understand health. But herein lies a follow…
(2021-02-06). UK's BoJo reportedly plans to give health secretary more control by reversing 2012 NHS policies as coronavirus pandemic continues. rt.com 
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reportedly planning to reverse the controversial NHS reforms introduced in the 2012 Health and Social Care Act, returning elements of the public service to the control of the Secretary of Health. | According to
(2021-02-06). The COVID-19 Pandemic as a Psychological Coup d'Etat. globalresearch.ca We have almost reached a full year since the spread of SARS-Cov2 was proclaimed a pandemic. If we are to believe the World Health Organization's and individual governments' official statistics, the number of confirmed cases is reaching 100 million with …
(2021-02-06). There Are Still 14 Million Americans on Federal Unemployment, Down Just 2 Million From Shutdown High. anti-empire.com 
Initial claims for regular state unemployment insurance totaled 847,000 for the week ending January 23, down 67,000 from the previous week's upwardly revised tally of 914,000 (see first chart). Claims have been above 800,000 for three consecutive weeks, in the 700,000 to 1 million range for 22 consecutive weeks, and well above the pre-pandemic level of 212,000 in early 2020 for 45 weeks. | The four-week average rose again, up 16,250 to 868,000. The four-week average has drifted higher since hitting a low of 740,500 for the week of November 28, rising in eight of the last ten weeks. Persistent initial claims at su…
(2021-02-06). Denmark to Roll Out a 'Digital' Vaccine Passport in 3-4 Months. anti-empire.com 
The exact practical applications of the digital documentation are still under consideration, but its primary purpose is to facilitate a reopening of society. | "We are taking the first steps so that, before the end of February, you will be able to see your vaccination on (online health services platform) Sundhed.dk," acting finance minister Morten Bà∏dskov said. | "In three to four months, the digital corona passport will be ready for use for things like business trips," Bà∏dskov added. | The government and business representatives will decide on the exact applications of the vaccination 'passport' once…
(2021-02-06). Incarcerated and at COVID's mercy: New York must do more for elderly imprisoned people. mronline.org 
COVID-19 is now raging uncontrolled throughout the United States. New variants that are more easily transmitted have entered the country from the U.K., Brazil and South Africa. Vaccine is scarce.