(2021-04-24). Sanders and Warren Call on Biden to Reverse Trump Era Vaccine Apartheid. truthout.org 
President Biden is coming under mounting pressure at home and abroad to reverse a Trump-era policy and publicly support a temporary waiver on international patent rights for COVID vaccines and treatments that would allow countries around the world to manufacture lifesaving doses domestically. | Big Pharma opposes the trade protections waiver, but global health advocates, congressional Democrats and leaders across the world say the waiver is necessary address massive inequities in vaccine distribut…
(2021-04-24). Prioritizing Incarcerated People for Vaccine Quickly Reduced COVID in IL Prisons. truthout.org 
"One thing about prison, you don't want to get sick in here," says James Trent, who is incarcerated in Western Illinois Correctional Center. When the chance came to get the vaccine for COVID-19, most people inside got the shot "because this is very serious," he told Truthout over the phone. | Illinois is ahead of most states in vaccinating people who are incarcerated, thus far vaccinating 69 percent of the nearly 28,000 people in its prisons. The decision to prioritize providing the vacci…
(2021-04-24). Chinese mainland reports 13 new COVID-19 cases, all imported. ecns.cn The Chinese mainland on Saturday reported 13 new COVID-19 cases, all of which were imported, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Sunday.
(2021-04-24). Yunnan's Ruili downgrades COVID-19 risk level in seven areas. ecns.cn Ruili, a border city in southwest China's Yunnan Province, has brought down the number of areas classified as high or medium-risk for COVID-19 transmission on Saturday.
(2021-04-24). 2021 Beijing Half Marathon kicks off. ecns.cn The 2021 Beijing Half Marathon, halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, resumed on Saturday. The Half Marathon covers a total length of 21.0975 km, starting from Tiananmen Square and ending at the National Stadium (Bird's Nest). It is the first time this year that Beijing host a 10,000-person event.
(2021-04-24). China's new recombinant COVID-19 vaccine starts human tests. ecns.cn Sinopharm, the Chinese pharmaceutical giant, has commenced phase-1 and phase-2 clinical trials for its new recombinant vaccine against COVID-19 in central China's Henan Province since Saturday.
(2021-04-24). Indian gov't exempts customs duty on import of COVID-19 vaccines, oxygen. ecns.cn The Indian government on Saturday decided to exempt basic customs duty on imports of COVID-19 vaccines, medical grade oxygen for a period of three months, said a senior official.
(2021-04-24). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Mayo Clinic Laboratories delivers during COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Medical Laboratory Professionals Week: April 18 – 24, 2021, is the perfect time to recognize the remarkable work of clinical laboratory professionals, especially during COVID-19 and as Mayo Clinic Laboratories celebrates its 50th anniversary. ________________________________________ Mayo Clinic Laboratories has performed over 3 million COVID-19 tests. "In December 2019, there was a disease, and three months …
(2021-04-24). Seeing health 'opportunities' in post-pandemic Papua New Guinea: a UN Resident Coordinator blog. news.un.org The global COVID-19 pandemic could provide "opportunities" to improve health care in Papua New Guinea (PNG) after the crisis is over, according to the United Nations' most senior official in the southwestern Pacific Ocean nation.
(2021-04-24). If Joe Biden Is Truly a 'Union Guy' He Must Strike Dead the Taft-Hartley Monster. commondreams.org "Given the entrenched deprivations of workers and abandonment of labor to serf-labor countries abroad," asks Ralph Nader, "is Joe Biden pro-union-labor enough, apart from the temporary Covid-19 relief? The answer has to be a qualified, NO." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-04-24). [Correspondence] Call for a pan-European COVID-19 response must be comprehensive. thelancet.com While agreeing with most aspects of the call for a European strategy against the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic by Viola Priesemann and colleagues,1 I would like to comment on three shortcomings.
(2021-04-24). [Correspondence] COVID-19: from hospitals to courts — Author's reply. thelancet.com I thank Nicola Magnavita and colleagues for raising important points regarding my Correspondence.1…
(2021-04-24). [Correspondence] Call for a pan-European COVID-19 response must be comprehensive — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We thank Carsten Kràºger for the opportunity to further elaborate on the important aspects raised in his Correspondence.
(2021-04-24). [World Report] Statelessness in the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com Millions of people have no nationality and are being overlooked in the response to COVID-19. Talha Burki reports.
(2021-04-24). [Correspondence] Global health and its discontents. thelancet.com A year ago, a group of us gathered to reconsider how to build healthy and equitable societies.1 During that meeting, we rehearsed critiques of the current practice of global health.2 The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the truth in these charges, highlighting deficiencies in the pursuit of equity and in the capacity for multisectoral action—yet the pandemic has also provided inspiring examples of effective national and global public health action. After the 1918 influenza pandemic, many countries built new institutions, laws, and practices that laid the foundation for modern public health.
(2021-04-24). [Correspondence] COVID-19: from hospitals to courts. thelancet.com Michele Usuelli1 raised two questions to the international scientific community. First, whether there were errors in the management of the COVID-19 health emergency in Lombardy, Italy. Second, whether having 20 regional health services across Italy is useful in controlling a pandemic.
(2021-04-24). Delhi High Court Warns of Death Sentence as Dire Deficit of Oxygen Hinders COVID Treatments. sputniknews.com If devastation had an address, it would be somewhere in Delhi right now. India's capital and home to over 30 million residents is the most COVID-affected city in the country, with 24,331 fresh cases and 348 deaths in the last 24 hours. Amid the steep escalation in COVID numbers, the national capital is gasping for breath — literally.
(2021-04-24). Amid Grim COVID-Induced Situation in India Strangers Don Angel's Garb. sputniknews.com A scarcity of oxygen for hospitals treating COVID-19 patients has become a burning issue in India, as the government scrambles to make the life-saving substance available to those in need. The nation's Supreme Court has even declared the situation a national emergency and asked the federal government to draw up plans to meet the demand.
(2021-04-24). Far-right Vox leader issues fascistic call to end lockdowns in Spain. wsws.org Denouncing anti-COVID-19 lockdowns, Abascal justified fascist coups, claiming the 1936 coup toppled a "criminal regime controlled by socialists and communists."
(2021-04-24). US "excess deaths" in 2020 surpassed the toll during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic. wsws.org A New York Times analysis of US death patterns shows that the death rate in year one of the COVID-19 pandemic was the highest above normal ever recorded in the country, surpassing the toll of "excess death" during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic.
(2021-04-24). Guangzhou starts free COVID-19 vaccinations for Taiwan compatriots. ecns.cn Free and voluntary COVID-19 vaccinations for Taiwan compatriots began in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province on Thursday.
(2021-04-24). China says it's discussing COVID-19 help with India. ecns.cn China on Friday reaffirmed its promise to help India combat COVID-19 and the two sides are currently discussing the matter, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a daily press briefing.
(2021-04-24). Hong Kong's business sentiment improves amid abating COVID-19: survey. ecns.cn The overall business sentiment improved in Hong Kong alongside the receding COVID-19 pandemic locally, an official survey showed on Friday.
(2021-04-24). Japan declares COVID-19 state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka region. ecns.cn Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday declared a state of emergency over COVID-19 in the national capital Tokyo and the western prefectures of Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo.
(2021-04-24). Italian analysts see Boao Forum as increasingly important platform. ecns.cn The 2021 annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) is a strong sign that business in China is returning to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic, Italian analysts said, seeing the event "fundamental" for European entities looking to do business in China.
(2021-04-24). Two-week lockdown imposed in Cambodia's Preah Sihanouk city to curb COVID-19. ecns.cn A two-week stay-at-home lockdown was imposed in Cambodia's coastal city of Preah Sihanouk on Friday in efforts to curb a surge in the local COVID-19 cases.
(2021-04-24). Mayo Clinic Q and A: Should pregnant women be vaccinated for COVID-19? newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org DEAR MAYO CLINIC: ?I am a teacher at a middle school that is teaching students in person. I have been vigilant about following safety guidelines, but now that I am pregnant, I worry even more about contracting COVID-19 and the risk to my baby. Our state is opening up COVID-19 vaccines to educators, and I am …
(2021-04-24). Around the World in 8 Minutes: Global outcry for patent waiver on COVID vaccines. peoplesdispatch.org In this episode, we take you to Geneva where the member states of the World Trade Organization met to discuss a proposal to waive certain intellectual property on COVID-19 vaccine production during the pandemic. We also look at Bolivia where dozens of intellectuals, experts and political leaders from across the world participated in the "Re-encounter with Pachamama" on April 22, Earth Day.
(2021-04-24). Vaccines Sent by the United States to Mexico are from Contaminated Plant. orinocotribune.com Batches of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccines shipped from the United States to Mexico were manufactured in a plant where production was suspended due to contamination of millions of doses, Mexican newspaper El Universal reported on Friday. | The newspaper reported that in the plant in question, two different COVID-19 vaccines got mixed up during fabrication, contaminating millions of doses, but AstraZeneca has assured that the batches supplied to Mexico were verified under the required standards. | The AstraZeneca vaccines that Mexico received were manufactured at an Emergent BioSolutions plant in Baltimore, Maryla…
(2021-04-24). Leading US hospitals team up to promote COVID-19 vaccination. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org CLEVELAND, Ohio, and ROCHESTER, Minn. — A coalition of 60 top hospitals and health care institutions have joined forces in a nationwide campaign to encourage adults to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Led by Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic, the campaign "Get the Vaccine to Save Lives" is designed to reassure the public that vaccines are …
(2021-04-24). 'Utterly Disgusting': Big Pharma Lobby Blitz Against Vaccine Patent Waivers Denounced. commondreams.org "Newly filed disclosure forms from the first quarter of 2021" reveal that "over 100 lobbyists have been mobilized to contact lawmakers and members of the Biden administration, urging them to oppose a proposed temporary waiver" of Covid-19 patent protections at the WTO. The move was decried as grotesque "pandemic profiteering" by at least one public health advocate. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-04-24). Ibero-American Summit in Andorra concluded with call for equitable access to anti-COVID-19 vaccines and cooperation for sustainable development. peoplesdispatch.org The 27th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government was focused on formulating common responses to the economic, social and health issues generated by the pandemic as well as solutions to global problems such as climate change…
(2021-04-24). [Editorial] 2021: the beginning of a new era of immunisations? thelancet.com While the world is firmly focused on the efficacy, adverse events, licensing, and roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines, the disruption of and barriers to routine immunisations during the pandemic have garnered much less attention. World Immunization Week (April 24—30) presents an opportunity to reflect on the state of immunisation efforts for vaccine-preventable diseases, how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected progress, and what lessons can accelerate efforts to prevent diseases through immunisation.
(2021-04-24). United Nations Convenes High-Level COVID Response Session for Vulnerable Countries. indybay.org The United Nations convened on COVID response and development needs for vulnerable, small island and landlocked countries.
(2021-04-24). Purchase of COVID-19 vaccine government's top priority. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 24 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that purchase of the COVID-19 vaccine is one of the government's top priorities.
(2021-04-24). [Perspectives] Finding solutions for an age-old problem. thelancet.com Once every so often, a crisis occurs that brings attention to an important, yet previously largely invisible inequity, and in doing so has the potential to bring about great change. The chronic neglect of older people living in long-term care homes and the absence of a cohesive, integrated strategy to help people age well in many countries are such age-old problems. COVID-19 has exacerbated the hardships faced by our elders. In Canada, less than 1% of the population live in long-term care homes, yet as of March, 2021, more than 55% of all deaths from COVID-19 were among these residents.
(2021-04-24). J & J's "One Shot and You're Done Vaccine":" A New "Experimental" COVID Vaccine. "We Need to Challenge J&J's Reputation" globalresearch.ca First published on March 10, 2021 | All Global Research articles can be read in 51 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | For decades, according to a …
(2021-04-24). Wuhan's tourist industry gains momentum. ecns.cn Wuhan's tourist industry is building momentum after its recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
(2021-04-24). It's Time To Destroy the Sick and Twisted Plans of American Maskholes. commondreams.org "If Trump, Fox and the GOP can convince the people who follow them that they shouldn't get vaccines," aruges Thom Hartmann, "they can prevent President Biden from getting this pandemic under control." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-04-24). Recovered patient tests positive in Heilongjiang. ecns.cn A recovered novel coronavirus patient in Wangkui county, Heilongjiang province, tested positive for the virus on Saturday, local government said on Sunday.
(2021-04-24). [Correspondence] Call for a pan-European COVID-19 response must be comprehensive. thelancet.com While agreeing with most aspects of the call for a European strategy against the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic by Viola Priesemann and colleagues,1 I would like to comment on three shortcomings.
(2021-04-24). [Correspondence] COVID-19: from hospitals to courts — Author's reply. thelancet.com I thank Nicola Magnavita and colleagues for raising important points regarding my Correspondence.1…
(2021-04-24). [Correspondence] Call for a pan-European COVID-19 response must be comprehensive — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We thank Carsten Kràºger for the opportunity to further elaborate on the important aspects raised in his Correspondence.
(2021-04-24). [World Report] Statelessness in the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com Millions of people have no nationality and are being overlooked in the response to COVID-19. Talha Burki reports.
(2021-04-24). [Correspondence] Global health and its discontents. thelancet.com A year ago, a group of us gathered to reconsider how to build healthy and equitable societies.1 During that meeting, we rehearsed critiques of the current practice of global health.2 The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the truth in these charges, highlighting deficiencies in the pursuit of equity and in the capacity for multisectoral action—yet the pandemic has also provided inspiring examples of effective national and global public health action. After the 1918 influenza pandemic, many countries built new institutions, laws, and practices that laid the foundation for modern public health.
(2021-04-24). [Correspondence] COVID-19: from hospitals to courts. thelancet.com Michele Usuelli1 raised two questions to the international scientific community. First, whether there were errors in the management of the COVID-19 health emergency in Lombardy, Italy. Second, whether having 20 regional health services across Italy is useful in controlling a pandemic.
(2021-04-24). [Editorial] 2021: the beginning of a new era of immunisations? thelancet.com While the world is firmly focused on the efficacy, adverse events, licensing, and roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines, the disruption of and barriers to routine immunisations during the pandemic have garnered much less attention. World Immunization Week (April 24—30) presents an opportunity to reflect on the state of immunisation efforts for vaccine-preventable diseases, how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected progress, and what lessons can accelerate efforts to prevent diseases through immunisation.
(2021-04-24). [Perspectives] Finding solutions for an age-old problem. thelancet.com Once every so often, a crisis occurs that brings attention to an important, yet previously largely invisible inequity, and in doing so has the potential to bring about great change. The chronic neglect of older people living in long-term care homes and the absence of a cohesive, integrated strategy to help people age well in many countries are such age-old problems. COVID-19 has exacerbated the hardships faced by our elders. In Canada, less than 1% of the population live in long-term care homes, yet as of March, 2021, more than 55% of all deaths from COVID-19 were among these residents.
(2021-04-24). Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez Push Green New Deal for Public Housing. zcomm.org Such a plan, said Rep. Jamaal Bowman, "would allow people to live with dignity and respect, to know that our federal government cares about their well-being and their health."
(2021-04-24). Ancient Indigenous Forest Gardens Promote A Healthy Ecosystem. eurasiareview.com A new study by Simon Fraser University historical ecologists finds that Indigenous-managed forests–cared for as "forest gardens"–contain more biologically and functionally diverse species than surrounding conifer-dominated forests and create important habitat for animals and pollinators. The findings are published in Ecology and Society. | According to researchers, ancient forests were once tended by Ts'msyen and Coast Salish peoples living along the north and south Pacific coast. These forest gardens continue to grow at remote archaeological villages on Canada's northwest coast and are composed of native fr…