The unique perspective and provocative opinions of Joe O’Neill
COVID Bits
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he backs measures to pressure his people into getting vaccinated—as the pandemic spreads in Russia.
“For a year and a half, (the WHO) have been stonewalled by China, and it’s very clear they won’t get to the bottom of (the coronavirus origin).”—Lawrence Gostin, director of the WHO Collaborating Center on Public Health Law and Human Rights at Georgetown University.
The Maldives and San Marino are explicitly pitching themselves as destinations for, yes, vaccine tourism.
The CDC has identified about 1,000 counties where fewer than 30 percent of residents are fully vaccinated.
According to a Washington Post/ABC poll, 74 percent of people who haven’t been vaccinated say they probably or definitely won’t get vaccinated.
“When you talk about the avoidability of hospitalization and death, it’s really sad and tragic that most all of these are avoidable and preventable.” That was Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious-disease expert.
The number of people flying each day has regained 80 percent of its pre-COVID levels.
Unemployment rate: It rose from 5.8 percent in May to 5.9 percent in June. Despite the job market’s steady gains, unemployment remains well above the 3.5 percent rate that prevailed before the pandemic.
Nevada: Currently reporting the highest-in-the-nation rate of new COVID-19 cases—with almost 112 new cases per 100,000 residents. The update comes as Las Vegas is seeing a surge in visitors.
Six firefighters—part of the Surfside search-and-rescue crews—have tested positive for COVID-19.