(RICHMOND, Va.) — A time capsule estimated to be more than 130 years old, unearthed from the base of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, was being opened Wednesday in Richmond, Virginia, and the artifacts showed a snapshot of life in the Confederate South.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam attended the opening of capsule by historians. Historians used tools to painstakingly open the corroded box. After hours of working to unseal the box, the team — clad in blue latex gloves — pulled the first artifact: a medium-sized maroon book.
“It’s very wet,” Kate Ridgeway said, a conservator with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources said as she peered into the rusted time capsule.
“We are trying to preserve what we can of this book,” Ridgeway said, after conservators took a thin maroon book from the more than hundred year old container.
Other artifacts were slowly pulled from the corroded box, another book and what one historian said looked like the coin.
Conservators pulled a few items from the box: what appears to be a coin, at least three books of varying size and color, what appeared to be an envelope and papers, some of which were difficult to identify given their condition.
Teams quickly worked to “stabilize” the artifacts, Ridgeway told reporters in the room, so that they could be worked on. As for how long it takes to stabilize them, historians said it depends on how wet the items are.
The time capsule was found by construction crews in early December. Crews taking apart the removed statue’s base came across an area that looked “different,” according to a release from Northam’s office, and chiseled out a section of the 2,000-pound granite block to reveal it.
The capsule is estimated by experts to date back to 1887. According to the governor’s office, records show that, “37 Richmond residents, organizations, and businesses contributed about 60 objects to the capsule, many of which are believed to be related to the Confederacy.”
The pedestal stood beneath a bronze statue of Lee on horseback that was removed in September 2021, following nationwide racial justice protests after George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis.
The statue’s removal was slowed by lawsuits from some residents who opposed it being taken down, but the state’s Supreme Court okayed it.
As the capsule was opened, the state was making plans to create a new time capsule to reflect present-day Virginia.
“This monument and its time capsule reflected Virginia in 1890 — and it’s time to remove both, so that our public spaces better reflect who we are as a people in 2021,” Northam said in a September press release. “The past 18 months have seen historic change, from the pandemic to protests for racial justice that led to the removal of these monuments to a lost cause. It is fitting that we replace the old time capsule with a new one that tells that story.”
The state has selected 39 individuals to add artifacts to the 2021 time capsule, which are expected to include nods to the 2020 racial justice protests, as well as items, including face masks and vaccination cards, related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.3 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 810,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 61.6% 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:
Dec 22, 3:47 pm
Fauci says he’d ask unvaccinated relatives not to attend holiday gatherings
Dr. Anthony Fauci told MSNBC that he’d ask unvaccinated relatives not to attend a family holiday gathering this year due to the omicron surge.
Passengers are seen at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Dec. 20, 2021.
“I think we’re dealing with a serious enough situation right now that if there’s an unvaccinated person I would say, ‘I’m very sorry, but not this time. Maybe another time when this is all over,'” Fauci told MSNBC Tuesday night.
“It’s a problem when you’re dealing with [a variant] that’s spread so rapidly and you are unvaccinated. The virus is going to find you,” he said.
Ahead of the holidays, the best way to protect yourself and those around you is still to get vaccinated and boosted, Fauci said. Testing provides another layer of protection, though Fauci acknowledged that if people cannot get ahold of a test, given the increase in demand, they may need to make tough decisions, depending on their individual risk.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos, Josh Hoyos
Dec 22, 3:36 pm
California requiring booster for health care workers
California is requiring health care workers to get the booster shot by Feb. 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced.
As of Wednesday, California has a 3.3% positivity rate, the lowest in the country, Newsom said. Newsom, however, warned that cases have nearly doubled in one week.
The governor also announced that the state bought 6 million rapid tests to be distributed to school children, so each student has about one or two tests. Students can test at home before returning to classrooms after the holidays, he said.
California is also working on expanding hours at test sites to provide more access, he said.
-ABC News’ Nicholas Kerr
Dec 22, 2:33 pm
Testing soon available at some NYC subway stops
For the first time, some New York City subway stations will offer walk-in PCR testing, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday.
The initiative begins Dec. 27 at the Times Square-42nd St subway station from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and at Grand Central Terminal from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Testing will be seven days a week but not available on New Year’s Day.
Five other subway testing locations will open next week and will be announced when they’re finalized, the governor said.
New York also offers vaccinations at some subway stations. Boosters are now available at Times Square-42nd St and Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av/74 St. Grand Central Terminal will offer boosters beginning Dec. 27, according to the governor’s office.
Dec 22, 1:58 pm
Omicron confirmed in all 50 states
Omicron cases have now been reported in all 50 states, according to an ABC News count.
The South Dakota Department of Health announced Wednesday that officials detected omicron in a young man in his 20s, making South Dakota the final state to confirm the highly transmissible variant.
The CDC on Monday said omicron was estimated to be the dominant variant in the U.S., representing more than 73% of new cases as of Dec. 18.
The CDC warned this week that models, which estimate the trajectory of coronavirus in the U.S., suggest that the number of new omicron infections will likely surge in the weeks to come and could exceed previous peaks.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos, Darren Reynolds
Dec 22, 12:45 pm
Pfizer COVID treatment pill authorized by FDA
Pfizer’s at-home pill treatment for COVID-19 was authorized by the FDA on Wednesday.
When taken early, Pfizer’s pill was 89% effective at reducing the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19, according to the company.
It’s also effective against omicron, Pfizer said.
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
Dec 22, 12:31 pm
Biden again tests negative after staff exposure
President Joe Biden received another PCR test Wednesday and again tested negative following exposure to a staff member who recently tested positive for COVID-19, the White House said.
Biden was near the staff member for about 30 minutes on Air Force One on Friday, during a trip to Philadelphia from South Carolina, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
The staff member, who is fully vaccinated and boosted, tested negative Friday morning but tested positive Monday, according to the White House.
The president first received an antigen test Sunday and a PCR test Monday and both came back negative, Psaki said.
-ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky
Dec 22, 12:01 pm
Delta says omciron surge may ‘create significant disruptions,’ asks CDC to shorten isolation period for the fully vaccinated
Delta Air Lines said the omicron surge “may exacerbate shortages and create significant disruptions.”
Delta is urging the CDC to shorten the time fully vaccinated people must isolate following breakthrough infections, saying the current 10-day period “may significantly impact [its] workforce and operations.”
Delta proposed a five-day isolation from symptom onset for those who experience a breakthrough infection.
“Our employees represent an essential workforce to enable Americans who need to travel domestically and internationally,” Delta said in a letter.
Ninety percent of Delta’s workforce is fully vaccinated.
-ABC News’ Amanda Maile
Dec 22, 11:19 am
UK records over 100K daily cases for 1st time
The United Kingdom recorded 106,122 new cases in the last 24 hours, surpassing 100,000 daily cases for the first time, according to government data.
That brings the total of cases over the past seven days to 643,219 — a 58.9% jump from the previous week.
Deaths, however, are not rising. This week’s death toll is down 2.7% from the week before.
-ABC News’ Guy Davies
Dec 22, 10:26 am
New York City, DC, Vermont averaging more daily cases than any other point of pandemic
The U.S. is now averaging nearly 150,000 new COVID-19 cases every day, up about 72% in the last month. Over the last week alone, the nation has recorded more than 1 million new cases, according to federal data.
Every state in the country except for one — Montana — is currently experiencing high community transmission, according to federal data.
New York City, Vermont and Washington, D.C., are now averaging more daily cases than at any other point in the pandemic.
Florida is now reporting its highest number of new cases in about three months.
Since early December, Georgia’s daily case average has more than doubled, while Hawaii’s average has quadrupled, according to federal data.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Dec 22, 9:33 am
Ohio hospitals take out an ad in local paper pleading for people to get vaccinated
Six hospitals in Ohio have taken out a full-page ad in the Cleveland Plain-Dealer in a desperate plea for people to get vaccinated as the state faces a renewed surge.
The ad, which appeared in Sunday’s paper, says in big letters: “Help.”
“We need your help. We now have more COVID-19 patients in our hospitals than ever before,” the ad says. “And the overwhelming majority are unvaccinated. This is preventable.”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced last week that he would deploy the state’s National Guard to help with hospital strain. Ohio is now averaging more than 9,100 new cases every day — up 67.5% in the last month. Statewide, more than 5,200 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19.
“The best way to avoid serious illness is the vaccine,” the ad said. “So, get vaccinated and get your booster … we need you to care as much as we do.”
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Dec 22, 8:48 am
Booster shots ‘will really help us’ with omicron: CDC director
About 73% of U.S. COVID-19 cases are now the omicron variant, but that number rises to 90% in areas like New York, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told “Good Morning America” Wednesday.
“Things are moving quickly,” she said. “The doubling times of this virus are very fast, around two days.”
But Walensky said the booster shot “will really help” with this variant.
“What we know about omicron is that it has a lot of mutations, and with more mutations we need more immune protection. And that’s really why this booster shot will really help us,” Walensky said.
Asked if President Joe Biden’s decision to mail 500 million free at-home rapid tests to Americans in January is too late to help the current surge, Walensky responded, “We have been ramping up testing.”
“We have much more testing now than we had just months ago,” she said. “And we were in the middle of a delta surge as omicron hit, so really right now there are so many things that we can do in addition to testing to keep safe — and that really does mean getting 40 million Americans who continue to be unvaccinated vaccinated and making sure that people get that booster shot.”
Dec 22, 3:46 am
Portugal bans outdoor drinking, large gatherings for New Year’s Eve
Portugal said it would limit outdoor gatherings to 10 people and prohibit outdoor drinking on New Year’s Eve.
The country, which has 52 confirmed omicron cases, will also require most people to work from home starting on Saturday, the president’s office told ABC News on Tuesday.
The new restrictions, which are set to expire Jan. 10, will require people to present negative COVID-19 tests as they enter sporting events, theaters, weddings and other large gatherings.
Bars, discos, and schools will close on Saturday, the president’s office said.
The country reported an uptick in COVID-19 cases between Dec. 16 and Dec. 19, but numbers were slightly down on Tuesday, with 2,752 newly diagnosed cases and 18 deaths, according to the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 dashboard. Portugal’s adult population is 87% fully vaccinated.
-ABC News’ Aicha El-Hammar Castano
Dec 21, 7:53 pm
California to require all health care workers to get booster
California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted Tuesday evening that he will require that all health care workers in the state to get their booster shot.
“With Omicron on the rise, we’re taking immediate actions to protect Californians and ensure our hospitals are prepared,” he tweeted.
More details about the order will be shared on Wednesday, according to Newsom.
Dec 21, 7:05 pm
Chicago to institute vaccine mandate for indoor events
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a vaccine mandate for most indoor events as the city grasps with a rise in COVID-19 cases.
Starting Jan. 3, anyone over the age of 5 will have to show proof that they are fully vaccinated to “to dine indoors, visit gyms, or enjoy entertainment venues where food or drink are being served,” the mayor’s office said in a statement.
Patrons 16 and older will also need to “provide identification that matches their vaccination record,” according to the statement.
Chicago is averaging more than 1,700 new COVID-19 cases a day — a 79% increase from one week ago, the mayor’s office said.
Dec 21, 4:36 pm
New Hampshire hospital seeing record-high number of patients
Elliot Hospital in New Hampshire is now seeing three to four times as many patients as it had at the beginning of the pandemic, Dr. Laura McPhee told ABC News.
She said their ICU is full with COVID-19 patients and staff is running thin.
“We’re tired. It’s been extremely hard on everybody,” McPhee said, stressing that “most of the patients that we’re seeing are unvaccinated.”
“Most days I’ve been angry and frustrated. … Because this is preventable. It doesn’t have to happen,” she said. “I’ve not ever seen a patient here in the ICU who has been fully vaccinated with a booster.”
(AUSTIN, Texas) — The right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council, otherwise known as ALEC, is pushing a new piece of anti-fossil fuel divestment legislation after a version of the bill was passed in Texas.
Texas this year paved the way for the GOP on several fronts, from passing a new “fetal heartbeat” abortion law to a restrictive election law. The state also buoyed a bill that would require state entities to divest from companies that choose to no longer do business with fossil fuel companies. It was signed into law in June.
At least a dozen similar bills to the Texas law were filed in 2021 legislative sessions in a handful of states, according to the Texas Tribune, and experts anticipate the trend will grow in 2022.
“Oil and gas is the lifeblood of the Texas economy,” Texas state Rep. Phil King said during a floor discussion of the state’s bill in May, according to the Tribune. “In the world of capital, there’s a movement to deny funds to businesses that will not sign on to extreme anti-fossil fuel policy.”
ALEC, which drafts and streamlines legislative priorities for lawmakers in statehouses across the country, approved model legislation similar to the Texas law — called the Energy Discrimination Elimination Act — at its December meeting.
In an email obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy, a top executive for a state-level group that pushed the anti-divestment bill in Texas wrote that “at the ALEC Committee meetings you’ll have the opportunity to push back against woke financial institutions that are colluding against American energy producers.”
Modeled after anti-BDS legislation supported by ALEC that passed in Texas in 2019, the fossil fuel bill is touted as sending “a strong message that the states will fight back against woke capitalism,” the executive wrote in the email. The controversial Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement uses financial pressure to “end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians.”
ALEC’s Task Force on Energy, Environment and Agriculture voted unanimously in support of the fossil fuel bill language, according to news reports, but it appears to have been removed from ALEC’s website.
ALEC did not respond to a request for comment.
“It’s likely more political than anything else,” Hana Vizcarra, a senior attorney at EarthJustice, told ABC regarding ALEC’s efforts on the energy front. “I think that the financial sector is waking up to the reality of impacts of climate change on their investments, their lending, how they go about their business… these kinds of efforts appear to just be pushing against the tide of reality.”
Banks are starting to shift their investments as they assess the risks of climate change, Vizcarra said, and that doesn’t necessarily equate to a boycott. In 2020, Larry Fink, founder and chief executive of investment behemoth BlackRock, wrote to shareholders that the firm would make climate change “a defining factor” in its investment strategy.
“It’s largely pushing against the private sector and business community at the moment,” she said. “But they may find that they’re actually hindering their own business climate through these efforts.”
The public is getting on board with holding companies responsible for climate change.
In a September public opinion poll conducted by organizations at Yale and George Mason universities, 41% of Americans said that over the next 12 months, they intend to reward companies that are taking steps to reduce global warming more frequently than they do now.
Another 41% said they intend to punish companies that are opposing steps to reduce global warming more frequently than they do now. The poll found that at least half of Americans say industries should be doing “more” or “much more” to address global warming. And 70% say fossil fuel companies should be doing more.
Progressives, meanwhile, are introducing legislation that would require government entities to divest from fossil fuel companies.
And in response to reporting about the energy discrimination bill, 38 climate advocacy organizations wrote a letter to state treasurers and comptrollers urging them to push back against the legislation.
“Despite what ALEC and other politically-motivated organizations may claim, the global energy transition is underway,” the groups wrote. “This is a market reality, not a political opinion.”
(WASHINGTON) — D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Wednesday that certain establishments, including restaurants, bars, nightclubs, gyms, events and meeting spaces, will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination beginning in January.
Patrons above the age of 12 will be required to be partially vaccinated by Jan. 15 and fully vaccinated by Feb. 15.
“If you are a resident that is not yet vaccinated and you want to continue enjoying these activities, now is the time to get vaccinated,” Bowser said.
Citing new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting omicron as now the dominant strain in the U.S., D.C. Department of Health official Patrick Ashley said it was only “a matter of time” before that played out in the district, which currently has 25 confirmed cases of the new variant.
Ashley also pointed to huge spikes in the weekly and daily case rate in D.C. from a month ago, attributing them, in part, to the winter surge and the omicron variant.
A month ago, D.C. reported a daily case rate of 13.7 cases per 100,000 people. As of Wednesday, the rate had jumped nine times to 123.8 cases per 100,000 people.
Bowser noted that some exceptions to the new mandate will be made for patrons not staying long at a restaurant, for example, a patron picking up an order.
The move follows in the footsteps of other major U.S. cities like New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles that have similar vaccine requirements.
Approved proof of vaccination includes vaccination cards or photos of vaccination cards, immunization records or verification apps like CLEAR and VaxYes.
Further guidelines on the requirements are still to come, Bowser said. Wednesday’s initial announcement of the new guidelines was made to give businesses enough time to prepare.
Bowser also announced that to meet the increased testing demand among residents, the district will order another five million rapid antigen tests, for a total of six million.
Students in D.C. schools will also have to be immunized beginning March 1, following regulations from the D.C. Council.
Bowser also encouraged residents to celebrate safe holidays and asked people to have small gatherings, wear masks and gather outdoors.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he was extending the pause on student loan repayments an extra 90 days, taking the pause into May ahead of its expiration at the end of next month.
Since March 2020, tens of millions of Americans have been able to hold off making regular payments on their federal student loans thanks to a pause, put in place first by the Trump administration, due to the pandemic.
The Biden administration had previously extended the pause through the end of January 2022, calling that move in August a “final extension.”
Democrats on Capitol Hill had pressured Biden to extend the pause as the pandemic stretched on.
“We know that millions of student loan borrowers are still coping with the impacts of the pandemic and need some more time before resuming payments,” Biden said in a written statement on Wednesday.
“Given these considerations, today my Administration is extending the pause on federal student loan repayments for an additional 90 days — through May 1, 2022 — as we manage the ongoing pandemic and further strengthen our economic recovery,” Biden said.
“Meanwhile, the Department of Education will continue working with borrowers to ensure they have the support they need to transition smoothly back into repayment and advance economic stability for their own households and for our nation.”
Biden also asked student loan borrowers “to do their part as well,” including looking into public service loan forgiveness plans and exploring “options to lower your payments through income-based repayment plans.”
Biden noted that Vice President Harris had been “closely focused on” this issue.
When he became president, Biden extended the pause through September, and in August, he extended it again until Jan. 31, 2022. Until recently, the White House had indicated it was not planning to extend it again.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters in a press briefing on Wednesday that “as much as we know that there’s been a lot of progress in the economy, we know that… millions of people across the country are still struggling with the ongoing threat of the pandemic. Many of them are student loan borrowers.”
She also said the decision was not a reaction to how the president’s key social spending bill, Build Back Better, lost the key support of West Virginia’s Sen. Joe Manchin on Sunday, and said that the administration and Democrats are “still forging ahead” to get Build Back Better done.
Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley released a statement applauding Biden’s decision to extend the student loan payment pause.
But they also echoed their calls for Biden to go even further.
“Extending the pause will help millions of Americans make ends meet, especially as we overcome the Omicron variant,” they wrote.
“We continue to call on President Biden to take executive action to cancel $50,000 in student debt, which will help close the racial wealth gap for borrowers and accelerate our economic recovery.”
Schumer and other Congressional Democrats have been calling on President Biden to use executive authority to cancel $50,000 in student debt for all borrowers.
(NEW YORK) — A month after the omicron variant was first identified, it has become the dominant strain in the United States, responsible for about three-quarters of new COVID infections.
As of Wednesday, cases have been identified in 49 states and Washington, D.C. South Dakota has not reported any omicron infections yet.
While there is still much to learn about omicron, more research is being done every day furthering health officials’ understanding of this highly transmissible variant.
Spreads more easily than any other variant
A growing body of evidence suggests the omicron variant may spread more easily than any other variant identified during the pandemic.
Health officials, such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, say early data shows omicron doubles in prevalence every two to three days.
This is much faster than the delta variant which, at its peak, had a doubling time of about seven days.
“This is an incredibly fast-moving variant,” Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News contributor, said. “We only identified it on Thanksgiving and it’s already the dominant variant in the U.S. The level of certainty we have in the U.S. that it is more transmissible than any variant before is high.”
Omicron partially impacts vaccines, but a booster helps
Omicron seems to evade — at least partially — protection offered by COVID-19 vaccines more easily than previous variants, but it’s unclear by how much. However, studies have been showing boosters help restore much of that lost protection
Preliminary data from Pfizer-BioNTech showed that people who received two doses of their vaccine had low levels of neutralizing antibodies against the variant.
Those who received their booster shot, however, saw their levels of antibodies increase 25-fold compared to pre-boost levels.
Additionally, early data from Moderna released on Monday showed its 50-microgram booster increases antibody levels 37-fold.
Two-dose vaccines still dramatically reduce the risk of severe illness and death, health officials say.
”It’s still an open question about what relative protection you get,” Brownstein said. “It appears vaccines still provide incredible protection around severe illness and death, especially if boosted.”
Additionally, it does not appear that previous COVID infection protects against reinfection from omicron the same way that it did against the delta variant.
A recent study from Imperial College London, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, suggests that the risk of infection with omicron is five times higher than with delta.
Monoclonal antibodies are less effective, but not pills
Treatments also appear to have been affected by the emergence of omicron.According to a readout of this week’s private call between U.S. governors and the White House, which was obtained by ABC News, two of three monoclonal antibody therapies used to treat COVID are less effective against the new variant.
The antibody treatments made by Regeneron and Eli Lilly are not as effective while the third option, made by Vir Biotechnology and GlaxoSmithKline, may be effective but in short supply.
Dr. Anthony Fauci stated that pills produced by Merck and Pfizer do not appear to be impacted by omicron, according to the readout.
Too early to tell if omicron causes severe illness
Health officials still do not know if omicron causes mild or severe illness.
Studies that have been published have offered conflicting findings. A study from South Africa found that the risk of hospitalization for adults was 30% lower compared to the delta-fueled surge during the fall.
But the study from ICL found that omicron did not show any signs of being milder than delta.
In a recent statement, the World Health Organization said it’s too early to say whether omicron causes more mild or severe illness.
So far, only one death from the omicron variant has been identified: An unvaccinated Texas man in his 50s who had previously been infected with the virus. It’s important to remember that not every COVID-related death is reported to health authorities.
Until we learn more about omicron, Brownstein said the best way to protect ourselves is to follow mitigation measures that are known to work, including vaccination and mask-wearing.
“The No. 1 thing that people can do is make sure they’re vaccinated and boosted. That is still our absolute No. 1 line of defense,” he said. “Use rapid tests as a way to identify if you may be contagious and wear a high-quality mask in indoor settings, especially if you’re around people with unknown vaccination status.”
ABC News’ Sasha Pezenik contributed to this report.
Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — An at-home treatment for COVID-19 that can prevent serious illness was authorized by the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday, offering a note of optimism for the future of the pandemic as the world faces the omicron variant.
When taken early, Pfizer’s pill was 89% effective at reducing the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19, according to the company, and was effective against omicron.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla estimated that 1,200 deaths and 6,000 hospitalizations would be prevented for every 100,000 COVID-19 patients who take the pills.
The FDA said the pill, Paxlovid, was authorized for the treatment of mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease in anyone 12 years and older who weighs at least about 88 pounds. Patients must test positive and be at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death.
Paxlovid will be available by prescription only and should be started as soon as possible, ideally within five days of symptom onset, the FDA said.
“This authorization provides a new tool to combat COVID-19 at a crucial time in the pandemic as new variants emerge and promises to make antiviral treatment more accessible to patients who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19,” Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a press release.
The treatment course requires taking several pills, twice per day, for five days.
The government has ordered 10 million pills of Pfizer’s Paxlovid and another treatment pill, Merck’s Molnupiravir, which has yet to be authorized.
The order will come in as it’s produced, with some doses available upon FDA authorization, White House COVID coordinator Jeff Zients told governors on a call Tuesday.
The federal government has already contracted with Pfizer to purchase the pills at $530 a course, or $5.3 billion.
There is not expected to be any direct cost to patients.
The pills offer hope, particularly as the omicron variant spreads rapidly across the U.S.
Vaccination and booster shots are the best defense against omicron, offering up to 80% protection by some estimates, and unvaccinated Americans will be hit hardest by the surge. But there will also be more breakthrough infections among vaccinated people because of omicron’s mutations.
“While not a replacement for vaccines, the emergence of new variants has highlighted the need for new therapeutic lines of defense,” said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and ABC News contributor.
“The combination of low friction access and high efficacy means that we finally have a therapy that can make a real impact on the trajectory of this pandemic,” he said.
Public health experts and the pharmaceutical companies who make the pills also have been firm that the treatments alleviate illness — they do not prevent it. Vaccines do, and they’re still the safest, most effective option to stay out of the hospital.
“I want to emphasize that no one should use the existence of the pill as an excuse to avoid vaccination,” Bourla, Pfizer’s CEO, said.
The U.S. will also likely face some hurdles in the initial rollout — another reason they shouldn’t be relied upon as an alternative to vaccination.
One concern is that the pills need to be taken early, which means patients will need a positive test and a doctor’s appointment very soon after they get sick. Testing delays and overburdened hospital systems could make that more challenging.
They are most effective “before a person becomes critically ill,” said Dr. Paul Currier, director of the Respiratory Acute Care Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Once a patient becomes critically ill, the virus has already caused a lot of inflammation in the body that likely cannot be stopped by medicines that only target the virus itself.”
But pharmaceutical executives are optimistic that the pills will make a significant dent in the pandemic.
Pfizer’s pill has the “potential to save the lives of patients around the world,” Bourla said.
ABC News’ Dr. Navjot Kaur Sobti contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — As Afghanistan spirals further toward a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, the international community is allowing greater exemptions to aid groups to try to alleviate the suffering.
The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution Wednesday to grant humanitarian exemptions to their sanctions on the Taliban, which seized control of Afghanistan this summer after nearly two decades of war with the U.S.-backed government.
In addition, the U.S. Treasury Department announced it has expanded its general licenses to more explicitly allow aid groups to work in Afghanistan, including to support civil society, human rights, and education.
But while both steps were welcomed, many aid groups, U.N. agencies, and U.S. lawmakers, including Democrats, say it is not enough, as more than half of Afghanistan’s 39 million people face acute hunger.
“While this move will enable an essential increase in humanitarian aid, this alone is not sufficient to stave off economic collapse and humanitarian unraveling,” David Miliband, president and CEO of the aid group International Rescue Committee, said after the U.N. vote.
The Biden administration has defended U.S. sanctions against the Taliban — designated by the Treasury as a terrorist organization — and instead blamed Afghanistan’s economic woes on decades of dependence on humanitarian aid, an ongoing drought and COVID-19, and the militant group’s takeover of the country.
A senior administration official said the U.S. was working to mitigate the crisis, but said it is on the Taliban to govern now, address the country’s economic challenges, and meet its commitments if it wants international aid, including on securing women’s and girl’s rights, halting reprisal killings, and countering terrorism.
The Taliban have said international sanctions must be lifted, calling them “punishment of the common people,” in the words of Suhail Shaheen — a longtime spokesperson who the Taliban have cast as their U.N. ambassador, although the group’s government is not recognized.
Afghanistan’s economy has contracted by 40 percent, according to some estimates, with inflation now putting everyday items out of reach for many. Foreign aid, which accounted for some 75 percent of the collapsed former government’s funding and 40 percent of the country’s GDP, has been halted and the government accounts, frozen. Banks have shut down or limited access to funds, with many global financial institutions afraid to run afoul of U.S. and U.N. sanctions. That means salaries, especially for public sector employees like teachers, have not been paid for months, and unemployment has skyrocketed.
With this economic collapse comes real suffering. The U.N. has warned as many as 90 percent of Afghans could be in poverty by next year, and as many as one million children could die this winter from starvation.
Among them could be Mohammed, who at two-years old weighs just 11 pounds — the bones in his face visible as he struggles to eat in a Kabul hospital. His mother unable to afford the medicine he needs, he is one boy among the many Afghans struggling across the country.
“The previous government was bad, but this government is even worse because they have cut our food. Nobody has mercy on us,” a former shopkeeper waiting in line to access food aid told ABC News last week.
That government has done little to deal with U.S. and international concerns about its violent tactics, repression of women and other minorities, and even its ability to govern.
But it’s also clear that U.S. and U.N. sanctions have slowed cash flowing into the country, including the former government’s funds at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
Last week, the U.S. and others facilitated a deal to transfer $280 million from the World Bank’s funds to UNICEF and the World Health Organization to provide humanitarian aid — the first of its kind transfer that could set an example for future transactions, but a drop in the bucket compared to the need, per aid groups.
“To ensure that humanitarian work can continue to scale, it is critical that sanction regimes do not hold back operations. Transactions on which humanitarian activities depend must be safeguarded,” the U.N.’s relief chief Martin Griffiths tweeted Wednesday.
Democratic lawmakers have joined those criticisms, with over three dozen urging the Biden administration in a letter Monday to reverse policies that “could cause more civilian deaths in the coming year than were lost in 20 years of war.” They called for the U.S. to provide Afghanistan’s central bank access to the $9.8 billion of Afghanistan’s currency reserves held in the U.S. and “more explicit reassurances” to give aid groups space to operate.
But so far, Biden’s team has shown no interest in doing so. The senior administration official told reporters the U.S. will maintain financial pressure on the Taliban and its leadership, as it seeks to ensure money gets to the Afghan people instead.
ABC News’s Ian Pannell contributed to this report from Kabul.
(ALBANY, N.Y.) — With COVID-19 cases in New York state reaching all-time highs, demand for testing has increased as well, bringing with it concerns of price gouging and falsely advertised turnaround times.
New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office issued an alert Tuesday asking consumers to report any potential price gouging of at-home testing kits after the office received some reports of testing kits being sold for double or triple their retail price.
The office said it has received reports of BinaxNOW brand tests being “unlawfully” sold for between $40 to $70 per package, when the tests typically cost between $14 to $24 at stores such as Walgreens.
“As New York sees an exponential rise in COVID-19 cases, more and more New Yorkers are looking for at-home tests and other tools in the fight against the coronavirus,” James said in a statement. “If New Yorkers see exorbitant price increases on testing kits or other goods vital and necessary for health, safety and welfare, they are encouraged to report it [to] my office immediately. And fraudsters are on notice that if they attempt to price gouge during this new surge, we will not hesitate to take action.”
New York law prohibits merchants from taking unfair advantage of consumers by selling products “vital to their health, safety or welfare for an ‘unconscionably excessive’ price,” according to James’ office.
The attorney general also announced Tuesday it issued a warning to Brooklyn-based LabQ Diagnostics for allegedly misrepresenting its COVID-19 test turnaround time.
In a letter to the lab, which has mobile locations throughout New York City, the attorney general said some consumers have reportedly been waiting over 96 hours for COVID-19 test results to come back, even though the lab advertised that results would come back within 48 hours.
The letter, dated Monday, instructed the lab to update its website and signage at its test sites “immediately” to reflect how long people can expect to wait before they receive their test results.
“LabQ’s own website states, ‘Turnaround Time Matters,’ but so does being honest with consumers,” James said. “LabQ and all other labs should ensure that they are giving consumers accurate information about when to expect test results.”
LabQ did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
As of Tuesday afternoon, LabQ’s website says consumers can expect their results within one to five days, “due to a significant increase in COVID testing.” Earlier on Tuesday, it had stated that consumers could expect their results within one to four days.
The attorney general’s office also asked LabQ to contact all customers currently awaiting test results to inform them when they should expect to get them, according to the letter addressed to LabQ.
“We appreciate that there is undoubtedly an increase in demand for COVID-19 testing due to the holidays and omicron variant. However, it remains important, especially during the holidays, to advertise and otherwise convey accurate information to consumers about when they can receive their test results so that they can plan accordingly,” Mary Alestra, special counsel for the attorney general’s office, said in the letter.
(NEW YORK) — With on-site work in a state of flux due to the pandemic, small towns, big towns, regions and even states, have launched programs to incentivize people to move.
Anela Malik and Ahmed Zuhairy have worked from their home in Washington, D.C., for over a year. They say that over the course of the pandemic, what they were looking for in a hometown, has changed.
“Though we loved our apartments, our various apartments over the years, they were all really small. With two people and two cats that were now working from home, fighting for space on calls, and trying not to interrupt each other’s Zooms,” said Malik. “Our life shifted dramatically during the last year.”
Anela Malik is a social media influencer and her husband, Ahmed Zuhairy, is a financial crimes analyst. They said they were looking to find more space, a good community and a place that suited their other interests outside of work.
“[My husband] really wants to be in a place with a great cycling infrastructure. We both really like nature,” said Malik. “I was looking for a place that had a thriving or at least a growing food scene. When we started our Google searches, Northwest Arkansas came up every single time.”
The couple decided to take advantage of an incentive program in Northwest Arkansas called, “Life Works Here,” that offered $10,000 and a credit that can be used at any local shop that piques interest. The two were chosen for the program out of more than 35,000 applicants.
“I filled out the application late at night on a whim and then we booked a trip here and right before we came, they notified us we were selected,” said Zuhairy. “So that was on our minds when we visited, but I would say that, in my view, it was the people here that made up our minds for us.”
Malik and Zuhairy signed a lease in October for their new home in Lowell, Arkansas, a town with a population less than 10,000.
The “Life Works Here” program was launched in November 2020 and only 64 applicants have been accepted, according to Nelson Peacock, the CEO and president of the Northwest Arkansas Council.
“People are finding that they can come here, have an exciting employment opportunity, just live their life and excel here,” said Peacock, who oversees the program. “And so I think that’s what we’re taking advantage of.”
Peacock said that the program focuses on accepting three different categories of professionals: remote workers, STEM workers and creative entrepreneurs.
“We also want to bring in these entrepreneurs so they can build, grow, and scale their companies to help us with job growth in the future,” said Peacock. “And then the creatives to help us build out a well-rounded quality of life here.”
Northwest Arkansas isn’t the only place taking advantage of newfound remote-work flexibility and offering incentives to urge people to relocate.
Tyler Jaggers, a 41-year-old video game designer, moved from his home in San Jose, California, to Topeka, Kansas, in October 2020.
He said the high cost of housing in Silicon Valley was a wake-up call.
After applying to the “Choose Topeka” relocation incentive grant, Jaggers was awarded $10,000 and decided to trade in his small rented California apartments for a house that he owns.
“There would be almost 20 people living in the same house where people were renting couches,” said Jaggers. “For me, when I saw that, I was like, ‘It’s time to start investing in my own personal, long-erm existence.'”
“Why would someone give you $10,000 if they don’t want you there, right?” he added.
Jaggers bought a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Topeka for $47,000.
“The real part of the move that was so exciting to me was the idea of home ownership,” said Jaggers.
In order to keep the awarded $10,000, relocated residents have to stay in Topeka for a minimum of a year.
It’s been a little over a year since Jaggers made the move, and he said he has no plans to leave anytime soon.
“I’m not planning on flipping this house, ever. I’m not planning on moving ever. It’s the best living experience I’ve ever had in my life,” said Jaggers, who is almost finished renovating his new home and continues to work remotely for a video game company.
Jaggers said that the pandemic forced him to rethink about what he values in a home.
“The pandemic years made me make the best decisions I’ve ever made and actually gave me that nudge to grow up in a sense,” said Jaggers.
Back in Arkansas, for Anela Malik and Ahmed Zuhairy it’s still too early to tell whether or not the move was the best decision for them, but they said they’re only optimistic.
“I think a lot of young people right now, especially, are thinking about leaving the bigger cities, because our work has changed so much, so our home lives also need to change to accommodate that,” said Malik.
She said one of the most important things to think about when thinking about relocating is to consider the community.
“I would say just make sure that you could imagine your life in that community and there are a lot of incentive programs out there,” she said. “And that is an opportunity. But just make sure you could imagine your life in that place.”
