(MINNEAPOLIS) — Grieving family and friends will gather Thursday at the funeral of Amir Locke, a 22-year-old who was shot and killed by Minneapolis police officers executing a “no-knock” search warrant.
Locke, who was fatally shot on Feb. 2, was not named in the no-knock warrant.
Body camera video showed officers executing the warrant and finding Locke, who had been sleeping under a blanket on the couch and holding a gun. Locke was seen holding a gun as he sat up; he was shot less than 10 seconds after officers entered the room, still covered in the blanket.
“My son Amir was a law-abiding citizen who did not have a criminal history,” his father, Andre Locke, said at a news conference. “My son Amir was loved by many of us, by our family and many people, everyone that he came in touch with. My son Amir did what was right. He did all the things that he was supposed to do.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton will deliver the eulogy and officiate the funeral, which will begin at 11 a.m. local time at Shiloh Temple International Ministries in Minneapolis.
(NEW YORK) — Legislation introduced in the Tennessee state legislature this month is raising alarms from the state’s police union and gun control advocates who say it could turn the streets into the “old West.”
Two bills in the state assembly and state senate, HB 254 and SB 2523, would amend Tennessee law and designate “a person who has been issued an enhanced handgun carry permit” as a member of law enforcement.
“As introduced, expands the definition of ‘law enforcement officer’ to include a person who has been issued an enhanced handgun carry permit; provided, that the permit is not suspended, revoked, or expired, for purposes of authority to carry a firearm under certain circumstances,” the summary for the bill reads on the Tennessee General Assembly website.
There are currently 686,348 active enhanced handgun carry permit holders in the state, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, which issues the permits. A spokesperson for the department declined to comment about the proposed legislation.
Although the legislation doesn’t yet have any hearings scheduled and the assembly version has only one co-sponsor, it’s already getting pushback, including from a police union who says it could ultimately lead to more gun violence.
Jonathan Gold, a Michigan-based firearms instructor and member of the non-profit Giffords Gun Owners for Safety, told ABC News the bill would encourage more vigilantism that would ultimately lead to more harm.
“I don’t understand our regression to the old West, because this is what it feels like,” he told ABC News. “I’ve studied the old West, and I don’t think anyone wants to go back to the murder rate of Tombstone.”
Under Tennessee’s gun rules, an adult civilian resident can apply for an enhanced gun permit, which allows for both open and concealed carry, by paying a $100 fee and providing an eight-hour handgun safety course certificate.
Several groups of residents can get an exemption to the training, including registered armed guards, members of the military and veterans, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.
State Rep. Christopher Hurt, the lead sponsor for the state House bill, didn’t immediately respond to messages from ABC News for comment. A representative for state Sen. Joey Hensley, who introduced the state Senate version of the bill, told ABC News in a statement that “the bill only allows you to carry a gun where police can, but it does NOT make you a police officer.” The representative did not provide more clarification.
The Tennessee State Lodge for the Fraternal Order of Police, the union that represents Tennessee state police, told ABC News in a statement that it is “adamantly opposed to this bill in its current form.”
Lodge President Scottie DeLashmit said police officers in the state spend “spend countless hours” on the gun range honing their marksmanship skills and must qualify annually with the same weapons.
He added that officers also spend hours training in “driving, criminal law, defensive tactics, etc.”
“These vigorous standards are in place to ensure officers are familiar with their weapons,” DeLashmit said in the statement. “The enhanced handgun carry permit training is far less demanding than anything required from a cadet attending a basic law enforcement academy.”
Neither Hurt nor Hensley have any formal experience in law enforcement, according to their official bios.
Gold, who has trained both civilians and law enforcement officers in gun use for over 20 years, said that knowledge of the criminal justice system is critical for being effective in any law enforcement capacity.
The majority of officers never brandish their guns and even fewer fire them in the line of duty, according to Gold. A 2017 survey by Pew Research Center found that 27% of officers reported firing their weapon during their career.
Paul Kemp, the co-founder of the grassroots group Gun Owners for Responsible Gun Ownership, told ABC News he believes the Tennessee legislation is part of a growing trend around the country that is encouraging legal vigilantism.
“It seems to pander to the gun lobby’s idea that the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” he told ABC News.
States across the country have introduced “stand your ground” laws and altered state codes to expand self-defense laws for when people use their guns.
Leaders in various states who have supported those laws contend that gun carrying residents have the right to protect themselves and their properties.
Tennessee’s self-defense code states that “a person who is not engaged in unlawful activity and is in a place where the person has a right to be has no duty to retreat before threatening or using force against another person when and to the degree the person reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to protect against the other’s use or attempted use of unlawful force.”
Kemp said the bill’s current lack of details would likely lead to confusion among civilians and law enforcement that could lead to more violence and legal headaches.
“I would find it difficult for law enforcement to distinguish between a civilian with an enhanced gun permit and a perpetrator or person they want to subdue,” Kemp said.
As of Wednesday, there hasn’t been a hearing set for the bills in either body of the Tennessee Legislature.
Kemp said even if the Tennessee Legislature doesn’t move forward with the bill, he believes similar ones may soon appear in other statehouses, given the recent rise in gun purchases and the trend of lawmakers scaling back gun control laws.
Gold said more law enforcement agencies need to speak out against the bills and convince lawmakers that deputizing civilians with little to no training — and, more importantly, he said, follow-up trainings — will do nothing to curb crime.
“If I’m going to carry life and death in my hands, I’m going to be an expert at it or I’m not going to do it at all. There is no middle ground,” he said.
(NEW YORK) — Tippecanoe County prosecutor Patrick Harrington is calling for the Indiana State Police to investigate an alleged incident caught on video that showed a Purdue University police officer with his elbow pressed against the neck and face of a Black student in the snow.
Purdue student Adonis Tuggle told ABC News he and his girlfriend were driving to his apartment from Purdue’s recreational center on Feb. 4 when they began to have a “disagreement.” He said they pulled over and were arguing on the side of the road when Purdue University police officer Jon Selke and other officers arrived.
Officers were called to the south side of the campus after a bystander made an “urgent” call to police saying it appeared a woman was being held against her will, Purdue University police chief John Cox said in a statement.
According to Tuggle, 24, their argument was over a “minimal topic,” and the police did not need to get involved.
“Officer Jon Selke arrived on the scene and he was automatically on go-mode just assuming it’s a threat or a dangerous situation, when in actuality, it was just a couple having a disagreement, which isn’t anything uncommon,” Tuggle told “Good Morning America.”
Tuggle said his girlfriend tried to tell Selke the situation was under control and that he was her boyfriend, but Selke told her to “shut the —- up,” according to Tuggle.
He said this escalated the situation.
“That’s when I stepped forward in front of my girlfriend to take over the conversation, and I told Officer Selke, ‘OK, so don’t tell my girlfriend to shut the —- up. There’s no need to be disrespectful,” Tuggle said.
Tuggle said Selke then grabbed his arm, threw him against his girlfriend’s truck and punched him. The two eventually fell into the snow. This is when Tuggle’s girlfriend, who has asked ABC News not to be named, begins to record the altercation.
In the video, Tuggle can be heard saying “stop it, please” and “you’re choking me” while his girlfriend asks Selke to get off of him and taps him. Selke then tells Tuggle’s girlfriend that he will tase her if she touches him again. The video ends once more officers arrive at the scene.
Neither campus police nor Selke responded to ABC News’ request for comment.
The one-minute video of the incident has been shared across social media, sparking outcry and debate on and off Purdue’s campus.
“All you have to do is watch the video. What has changed in America is everyone has a cell phone. Everyone has a camera, so if it’s an officer with his knee on George Floyd’s neck or an officer at Purdue University with his elbow in Adonis’ neck, that’s brutality and that has to stop,” the Tuggle’s attorney, Andrew M. Stroth said.
Tuggle was arrested and charged with resisting arrest. He paid his $250 bond and was released after an hour in the Tippecanoe County jail. Tuggle said shortly after the incident he temporarily experience a lot of pain in his shoulder and his joints.
Cox said in a statement on Feb. 9 that “no physical injuries were suffered in the incident.”
The Indiana State Police will independently review all evidence associated with the police call and response, including all available video evidence, witness statements, and police reports, Purdue said in a statement.
The evidence and results of the investigation will then be sent to Harrington, who will then decide whether to press charges.
Cox said campus police conduct an internal review whenever an officer uses force during an arrest. Cox said Selke was put on leave until further notice after the officer received death threats. It is unclear if the leave is paid or unpaid.
Tuggle’s family asked for an independent investigation before the prosecutor’s request. Stroth said the family wants Selke to be held accountable for his handling of the situation and for all body camera footage and evidence to be released publicly.
“The video from body-worn cameras will be made available, as will all findings and evidence from the internal review when complete,” Cox said in a statement.
Tuggle’s mother, Cornelia Dawson, said after watching the video, she doesn’t understand how the situation escalated.
“The only thing I’m thinking is, ‘I’m missing something.’ He had an argument and then and then what? None of it makes sense,” Dawson told “GMA.”
Dawson sent a letter to Purdue University President Mitch Daniels after the incident, asking for him to bring justice to Tuggle and to ensure that incidents like this don’t happen to any other student. She said she’s disappointed after being a Purdue supporter for so long.
“Like a lot of parents, I was walking around feeling proud. He’s at Purdue, prestigious Purdue. I became an ambassador. I bought the mugs. I had T-shirts, so I’m still in disbelief,” she said.
Purdue University said it “welcomes the prosecutor’s action and believes it to be a positive step, having previously requested an independent review by the ISP,” according to a press release.
“There are no subjects Purdue takes more seriously than campus safety, student well-being, and proper police conduct,” Daniels said in a statement on Feb. 10.
He said Purdue asked for not only a review from the ISP, but also the Purdue Police. Once both reviews are done, Daniels said all findings will be released.
Tuggle said he has interacted with police officers before and is often fearful of what could happen if a situation were to escalate.
“Like most Black males in America, especially out here in Indiana, when I see the police, unfortunately I get uncomfortable,” he said. “I get on guard trying to make sure, ‘OK, let me make sure everything’s OK, my ID information’ whatever that it is so hopefully things can go smoothly.”
Stroth is grateful that Tuggle is safe after the incident.
“He was injured and he was traumatized, and it’s serious, but thank God the outcome is different than others that we see every month in America,” he said.
(NEW YORK) — A viral video of police responding to a fight between two teenagers at the Bridgewater Commons Mall in New Jersey over the weekend has drawn outrage and prompted an internal investigation over the officer’s apparent treatment of the Black teenager.
The video, which was taken by a bystander, appears to show the two teens arguing and then they begin to throw punches at each other. Shortly after, two Bridgewater Township police officers arrived at the scene and broke up the altercation. However, only the Black teenager, who was identified as an eighth grader named Kye, was handcuffed after being thrown to the ground, the video showed.
“They basically tackle me to the ground and then the one – the male officer put his knee in my back and then he starts putting me in cuffs,” Kye told ABC News station WABC in New York, in an interview that aired Tuesday night. “And then the female officer came over and put her knee on my upper back too and started helping putting cuffs on me. And while [the other teenager] was just sitting down on the couch watching the whole thing.”
In the video, the female officer sits the other teen who exchanged punches on the sofa and then appears to put her knee on Kye’s neck as she assists the male officer in handcuffing him.
The other teenager involved in the fight, who has not been identified by ABC News, was not handcuffed.
The Bridgewater Township Police Department told ABC News in a statement that police have asked the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office to assist in an internal investigation of the incident.
“We recognize that this video has made members of our community upset and are calling for an internal affairs investigation,” police said, urging anyone with additional videos of the incident to share them with law enforcement.
Frank Roman Jr., deputy chief of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, told ABC News in a statement that the incident is being investigated by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Internal Affairs Unit.
Troy Fischer, the senior general manager of the Bridgewater Commons Mall, told ABC News that after the fight, both teenagers were “immediately banned from our property for the next three years.” He directed further questions about the incident to police.
Kye told WABC-TV that the fight allegedly started after the high schooler picked on Kye’s friend, who is a 7th-grader.
“My friend was arguing with the older kid and so I kind of just jumped into a fight, and since he’s older, he was on top of me and he’s bigger,” Kye said. “I was just confused and mad about it.”
Kye’s mother, Ebone Husain, told WABC that she wants as many people to watch the video as possible.
Asked what she wants to see happen, Husain said that she wants the officers to “become unemployable.”
Amid the outrage, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy responded to the incident in a tweet on Tuesday evening.
No-knock warrants in Minnesota under scrutiny after fatal police shooting
“Although an investigation is still gathering the facts about this incident, I’m deeply disturbed by what appears to be racially disparate treatment in this video,” he wrote. “We’re committed to increasing trust between law enforcement and the people they serve.”
Bridgewater Township Mayor Matthew Moench also released a statement responding to the incident.
Moench said that he is “completely confident that the Prosecutor’s review will be impartial, objective and thorough” and urged the public not to jump to conclusions before the investigation is complete.
ABC News’ William Gretsky and Ben Stein contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.8 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 925,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 64.5% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 16, 12:44 pm
Updated mask guidance from CDC could come next week
Updated mask guidance from the CDC is expected to come as early as next week, officials confirmed to ABC News.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky did not elaborate on the timing at Wednesday’s White House briefing, only saying the CDC could “soon” update its guidance.
“We are looking at all of our guidance based not only on where we are right now in the pandemic, but also on the tools we now have at our disposal — such as vaccines, boosters, tests and treatments — and our latest understanding of the disease,” Walensky said. “We want to give people a break from things like mask wearing when these metrics are better and then have the ability to reach for them again should things worsen.”
Walensky added, “Omicron cases are declining and we are all cautiously optimistic about the trajectory we are on … but we want to remain vigilant to do all we can so that this trajectory continues.”
Walensky also stressed that it is still critical for Americans to continue to wear masks if they are symptomatic, have been recently exposed or if they are 10 days post-COVID-19 diagnosis.
-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty and Arielle Mitropoulos
Feb 16, 11:47 am
Deaths projected to drop in weeks to come
Forecast models used by the CDC suggest that daily COVID-19 fatalities will finally begin to fall in the U.S. in the weeks to come.
The ensemble model estimates that only eight states have a greater than 50% chance of having more deaths over the next two weeks compared to the past two weeks, and two states and territories have a greater than 75% chance of seeing an increase.
The models predict the U.S. death toll will be at approximately 968,000 by March 12.
The CDC obtains the forecasts from the COVID-19 Forecast Hub at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where a team monitors and combines forecasting models from the nation’s top researchers. The team then creates an ensemble — displayed like a hurricane forecast spaghetti plot — usually with a wide cone of uncertainty.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Feb 16, 10:50 am
Deaths increasing in 15 states
The U.S. daily case rate has dropped to 144,000 — an 81% drop since the peak about one month ago, according to federal data.
But experts continue to caution that the pandemic is not over, with the country reporting millions of new cases every week and 97% of counties still reporting high transmission. Experts also point out that many Americans are taking at-home tests and not submitting their results, so case totals may be higher than reported.
Deaths — a lagging indicator — remain high.
The U.S. is reporting an average of 2,200 lives lost to COVID-19 each day.
Fifteen states are reporting at least a 10% increase in daily death rates over the last week: Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Feb 16, 10:00 am
Report highlights mounting evidence vaccines can significantly reduce risk of developing long COVID
A new report from the United Kingdom’s public health agency highlights mounting evidence that getting vaccinated can significantly reduce the risk of developing long COVID.
Most people recover fully from COVID-19 but some experience symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath and brain fog for months after infection.
The U.K. report summarizes the results of 15 previously published studies on long COVID from around the world. Collectively, these studies suggest that people who have been vaccinated are far less likely to develop long COVID.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos, Sony Salzman
Feb 16, 7:37 am
WHO: Weekly global number of COVID-19 cases fell by 19%
The global number of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases fell by 19% during the week ending on Feb. 13, compared to the previous week, according to a weekly epidemiological update released Tuesday by the World Health Organization.
Meanwhile, the number of newly recorded deaths from the disease that week remained similar to that of the previous week. Just over 16 million new cases and just under 75,000 new fatalities were reported worldwide during the week of Feb. 7 to Feb. 13, the WHO said.
All WHO regions reported decreases in the number of weekly cases except for the Western Pacific region, which reported an increase of 19%. The number of new weekly deaths increased in the Eastern Mediterranean region, the Western Pacific region, the African region and the region of the Americas, while it remained similar to that of the previous week in the European region and decreased in the Southeast Asia region, according to the WHO.
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.8 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 925,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 64.5% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 16, 10:50 am
Deaths increasing in 15 states
The U.S. daily case rate has dropped to 144,000 — an 81% drop since the peak about one month ago, according to federal data.
But experts continue to caution that the pandemic is not over, with the country reporting millions of new cases every week and 97% of counties still reporting high transmission. Experts also point out that many Americans are taking at-home tests and not submitting their results, so case totals may be higher than reported.
Deaths — a lagging indicator — remain high.
The U.S. is reporting an average of 2,200 lives lost to COVID-19 each day.
Fifteen states are reporting at least a 10% increase in daily death rates over the last week: Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Feb 16, 10:00 am
Report highlights mounting evidence vaccines can significantly reduce risk of developing long COVID
A new report from the United Kingdom’s public health agency highlights mounting evidence that getting vaccinated can significantly reduce the risk of developing long COVID.
Most people recover fully from COVID-19 but some experience symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath and brain fog for months after infection.
The U.K. report summarizes the results of 15 previously published studies on long COVID from around the world. Collectively, these studies suggest that people who have been vaccinated are far less likely to develop long COVID.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos, Sony Salzman
Feb 16, 7:37 am
WHO: Weekly global number of COVID-19 cases fell by 19%
The global number of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases fell by 19% during the week ending on Feb. 13, compared to the previous week, according to a weekly epidemiological update released Tuesday by the World Health Organization.
Meanwhile, the number of newly recorded deaths from the disease that week remained similar to that of the previous week. Just over 16 million new cases and just under 75,000 new fatalities were reported worldwide during the week of Feb. 7 to Feb. 13, the WHO said.
All WHO regions reported decreases in the number of weekly cases except for the Western Pacific region, which reported an increase of 19%. The number of new weekly deaths increased in the Eastern Mediterranean region, the Western Pacific region, the African region and the region of the Americas, while it remained similar to that of the previous week in the European region and decreased in the Southeast Asia region, according to the WHO.
(NEW YORK) — Two young Texas sheriff’s deputies are recovering after they were shot in an “ambush,” but managed to return fire, fatally shooting the suspect, officials said.
The Harris County sheriff’s deputies — ages 27 and 28 — were both hospitalized in stable condition, Harris County Chief Deputy Edison Toquica told reporters late Tuesday.
The incident began when the officers responded to a call Tuesday night by someone who reported a family member firing a gun in the home, Toquica said.
Deputies were confronted by the suspect, who Toquica said immediately pointed his gun at the deputies and fired in their direction.
One deputy was hit in the leg and the other was struck in the leg and grazed in the head and ear, Toquica said.
The deputies returned fire, hitting the suspect, who died from his injuries, he said.
Toquica commended the deputies, saying they “probably wouldn’t have done anything different … they approached the residence as they should have.”
“They were ambushed,” he said.
Remarking on how the deputies returned fire after being shot, Toquica said, “They stayed in the fight and did what they were supposed to do, and as a result, they’re alive.”
One deputy has been on the job for two years and the other has been on the force for one year, he said.
The suspect had been out on a personal recognizance bond for a 2020 charge of aggravated assault of a family member, Toquica added.
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.8 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 925,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 64.5% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing Wednesday. All times Eastern:
Feb 16, 7:37 am
WHO: Weekly global number of COVID-19 cases fell by 19%
The global number of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases fell by 19% during the week ending on Feb. 13, compared to the previous week, according to a weekly epidemiological update released Tuesday by the World Health Organization.
Meanwhile, the number of newly recorded deaths from the disease that week remained similar to that of the previous week. Just over 16 million new cases and just under 75,000 new fatalities were reported worldwide during the week of Feb. 7 to Feb. 13, the WHO said.
All WHO regions reported decreases in the number of weekly cases except for the Western Pacific region, which reported an increase of 19%. The number of new weekly deaths increased in the Eastern Mediterranean region, the Western Pacific region, the African region and the region of the Americas, while it remained similar to that of the previous week in the European region and decreased in the Southeast Asia region, according to the WHO.
(SAN FRANCISCO) — San Francisco voters overwhelmingly cast their ballots to remove three members of the city’s school board Tuesday night, marking the first time in the city’s history members of the board have been recalled.
In an election marred by debate over the pace of school reopenings during the pandemic and the management of controversial social issues in the district, School Board President Gabriela López and board members Faauuga Moliga and Alison Collins were all ousted, with more than 70% of voters backing the effort to recall them, preliminary results from the San Francisco Board of Elections showed.
“As the first results post for the recall election, it appears we were unsuccessful at defeating my recall,” Moliga said on his Facebook page. “We fought hard and ran a great campaign. I want to thank the Pacific Islander community for standing up and taking on this challenge. There are many more fights ahead of us.”
The three members will now be replaced with appointees selected by Mayor London Breed, who endorsed the recall, until another election is held for the positions in November.
In a statement Tuesday night, Breed said that voters “delivered a clear message that the School Board must focus on the essentials of delivering a well-run school system above all else” and recognized “all the parents who tirelessly organized and advocated in the last year.”
“Elections can be difficult, but these parents were fighting for what matters most — their children,” Breed said. “It’s time we refocus our efforts on the basics of providing quality education for all students, while more broadly improving how this City delivers support for children and families.”
When reached for comment by ABC News, Autumn Looijen, campaign co-lead at Recall the SF School Board, said over text that the reaction in her house was “total celebration.”
“It’s one thing to think you’ll win,” she said. “Quite another once it’s real.”
San Francisco’s recall has drawn widespread attention amid a year in which 25 recall efforts have been launched against 66 officials nationwide, according to tracking by Ballotpedia.
“School boards are where the rubber meets the road when it comes to Americans meeting their government,” ABC News Political Director Rick Klein said of the recall. “Schools, for better or worse, are the battlefront. They’re where the major issues of 2022 are colliding for so many Americans.”
Financial documents reviewed by ABC News show the effort in San Francisco has largely been bankrolled by big donors who don’t have children in the district.
According to campaign finance records, some of the biggest backers are 95-year-old billionaire Arthur Rock and PayPal COO David Sacks, who contributed nearly $400,000 and more than $74,000, respectively.
“You’d never think that a liberal member of a school board in San Francisco would have to worry about his or her job,” Klein said. “The power of the arguments that are being put forward and on display in this recall election, I think will animate so many campaigns up and down the ballot for state and national political office in 2022.”
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.8 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 923,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 64.4% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Latest headlines:
-Kids’ hospitalization rate 4x higher during omicron surge than delta surge: Study
-US hospitalizations, cases keep dropping
-Omicron and its sublineages accounting for 100% of new cases
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Feb 15, 7:02 pm
Canada to ease some COVID-19 border entry requirements
Canada will loosen some of its border entry requirements, the country’s Public Health Agency announced Tuesday.
Effective Feb. 28 at 12:01 a.m. ET, fully vaccinated travelers will have the option of using a rapid COVID-19 test to meet pre-entry requirements. The test must be administered by a lab or health care entity the day prior to their scheduled flight or arrival at the land border.
Currently, travelers entering Canada must show proof of a negative molecular test, such as a PCR test, taken within 72 hours of their scheduled flight or planned arrival.
Additionally, fully vaccinated travelers randomly selected to do a molecular test on arrival will no longer be required to quarantine while waiting for their results.
Unvaccinated travelers will continue to be required to test on arrival, and unvaccinated foreign nationals will not be permitted to enter Canada unless they meet an exemption.
The adjustments come as the omicron wave has “passed its peak in Canada,” the Public Health Agency said. “As provinces and territories adjust their public health measures, and as we transition away from the crisis phase, it is now time to move towards a more sustainable approach to long-term management of COVID-19.”
ABC News’ Christine Theodorou
Feb 15, 4:14 pm
Coachella, Stagecoach drop vaccination, mask, testing requirements
There will be no vaccination, testing or mask requirements for this year’s Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals in Southern California.
Coachella will be over two weekends — April 15 to 17 and April 22 to 24 — while Stagecoach is set for the weekend of April 29 to May 1.
Event organizers said the festivals will “be presented in accordance with applicable public health conditions as of the date of the event and which may change at any time as determined by federal, state or local government agencies or instrumentalities, artists or the promoter; such requirements may include, without limitation, changes to capacity, attendance procedures and entry requirements, such as proof of vaccination and/or negative COVID-19 test, and other protective measures such as requiring attendees to wear face coverings.”
Feb 15, 3:03 pm
Kids’ hospitalization rate 4x higher during omicron surge than delta surge: Study
The rate of hospitalizations for children and teenagers was four times higher during the omicron surge than the delta surge, according to a CDC report released Tuesday.
Children under 5 — who are ineligible for vaccination — showed the largest hospitalization rate increase, the report found. Hospitalization rates among kids under 5 were about five times higher during the peak week of omicron than during delta’s peak.
ABC News’ Dr. Alexis E. Carrington and Dr. Meaghan C. Costello
Feb 15, 2:08 pm
Getting vaccinated while pregnant may help prevent hospitalization in babies under 6 months: Study
Getting the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine series during pregnancy may help prevent COVID-19 hospitalizations for babies under 6 months old, according to a CDC report.
Prior studies have shown that mothers could possibly pass on antibodies during pregnancy, but this is the first study showing an association between getting vaccinated and protecting the baby.
The study looked at babies under 6 months who were admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 and compared them to babies under 6 months who were admitted to the hospital for another reason.
The study found babies with mothers who were vaccinated were 61% less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19. Of the babies hospitalized with COVID, 84% of their mothers weren’t vaccinated, the study found.
However, this study was conducted when delta was the predominant variant, so more babies need to be studied to see if data changed with omicron. This study also did not look at how effective boosters are in pregnancy.
ABC News’ Dr. Alexis E. Carrington and Dr. Meaghan C. Costello
