During an interview with ABC News, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said he would follow scientists’ recommendations to shut down the country again to stop the spread of the virus if he is elected in November.
“I would shut it down. I would listen to the scientists,” Biden said during a joint interview with his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris.
He talked of the Trump administration’s “fundamental flaw” in handling the pandemic and stressed the need to control the virus in order to recover from the pandemic.
He added that he would “be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives, because we cannot get the country moving until we control the virus.”
MORE ON THE PANDEMIC
Morehouse School of Medicine, in a partnership with UnitedHealth, are conducting a study on sickle cell and COVID-19.
Researchers will examine at least 300 adults who carry the sickle cell trait hospitalized for coronavirus at Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital.
According to a press release, “COVID-19 have disproportionately impacted African Americans and other communities of color compared to the overall population. Sickle cell trait involves a genetic blood disorder estimated to be present in 1 in 12 African Americans. There is little information to date on how COVID-19 infections affect individuals with sickle cell trait.”
The research will be held for one year and preliminary results could be available within six months.
Minnesota has become the third state with new coronavirus cases linked to the Sturgis Motorcycle rally in neighboring South Dakota. More than a dozen people who attended the annual rally have tested positive for the coronavirus. The rally, held August 7-16, drew more than 460,000 bikers from around the country.
One person who tested positive has been hospitalized, according to health officials in the state.
In Nebraska, at least seven new cases have been tied to the motorcycle rally, and in North Dakota, health officials are encouraging Sturgis attendees to monitor themselves for symptoms of the virus.
The CDC has ended its recommendation that travelers quarantine for 14 days after visiting overseas destinations or arriving in areas with a high number of confirmed coronavirus cases. The CDC website now advises travelers to use other safety measures, like physical distancing, mask wearing and handwashing frequently. The agency advises travelers to follow restrictions set by state, local and territorial governments.
The Trump administration is pushing its partners, United Parcel Service and others, to prepare to distribute 300 million doses of coronavirus vaccine to doctors and hospitals by November 1.
Through “Operation Warp Speed”, federal agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture, plan to facilitate the rapid production of coronavirus tests, treatments and vaccines.
There has been speculation Trump might launch an “October surprise,” counting on the release of a coronavirus vaccine to boost his reelection chances on November 3.
The FDA and other top health officials have said science and data on safety and effectiveness will be the driving force behind the acceptance of a vaccine.
Just as the 2020 season is set to begin in two weeks, the NFL is investigating several new positive coronavirus cases across the league.
The Chicago Bears reported that nine of its players and staff members were confirmed to be false positives after additional testing was done.
A number of players from the Buffalo Bills team will sit out practices while test results are investigated.
Online rental company Airbnb has banned all parties at its listing in response to unauthorized gatherings held during the pandemic.
The company “Global Party Ban” caps the occupancy number at 16 guests and will remain in effect indefinitely.
And in July, the company announced a U.S.-specific restriction of renters under the age of 25 from booking entire home listings to reduce the number of unauthorized parties.
Last week, for the first time, the company began legal proceedings against a guest for violating its ban on party houses. The party hosted by the guest in Sacramento, Calif. ended with three people injured in a shooting.
