WASHINGTON – The government’s foremost infectious disease expert says families can feel safe outdoors this Halloween this year as COVID-19 cases in the US decline, especially for those who are vaccinated.
Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday that this was an important time of year for children, so “get out there and” enjoy it.
He added that people looking to enjoy Halloween on October 31st should consider getting injected for this “extra protection” if they are not already vaccinated.
COVID-19 vaccines have so far been approved for people aged 12 and over. The Food and Drug Administration plans to meet in late October to review Pfizer’s application for approval of its emergency vaccine for children ages 5-11.
Nationwide there are around 95,000 new COVID-19 cases every day. Calling the downtrend “good news,” Fauci cautioned against declaring an early win as cases have rebounded in the past.
He said he would like to see cases drop to less than 10,000 a day before the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions such as putting off masks indoors in public places are dropped.
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MORE ABOUT PANDEMIC:
– Doctors claim Brazilian hospitals gave shady COVID treatment
– Lawyers, lawmakers urge hospitals to help more with bills
– Russians are flocking to Serbia for West-made COVID-19 vaccines
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– Check out all of AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
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WHAT ELSE HAPPENS:
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – The Malaysian leader says state borders will be reopened after a month-long ban to rejuvenate tourism and the economy.
Over 90% of the country’s adults are now fully vaccinated. Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob says the travel ban between states will be lifted from Monday. He says fully vaccinated Malaysians can now travel to other states on vacation and return to their hometowns.
According to Ismail, Malaysians can now travel abroad without a permit, but will still have to undergo virus tests and quarantine when they return. He said on a national broadcast on Sunday that the government is still evaluating the situation to decide whether it is safe to reopen the country’s borders to foreigners.
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PLANO, Texas – Tea party brand Allen West, a candidate for the Republican nomination for Texas governor, was hospitalized with COVID-19 on Sunday but said he was “doing great”.
“No complaints. I just relax,” West told the Associated Press during a brief telephone interview from a hospital in Plano, a suburb of Dallas. He said he had a good night’s sleep and was waiting for the results of an early morning chest x-ray .
West and his wife Angela West were diagnosed with the virus after participating in a fundraiser in Seabrook, Texas last week. He said Saturday that he “is suspending personal events until the all clear is given.”
Both Wests received monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19 and Angela, who was vaccinated against the virus, was released home, Allen West said on Twitter. The Republican candidate said he hadn’t received a coronavirus vaccination and doctors were concerned on Saturday about the lower level of oxygen saturation in his blood.
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CLAYTON, Missouri – The acting chief of St. Louis County Police Department has issued an order requiring all officers to follow a district mandate to either receive the COVID-19 vaccine or undergo weekly tests.
The order was issued despite an official filing a lawsuit contesting whether the county mandate should apply to the police agency, headed primarily by its chief and the St. Louis County Board of Police Commissioners.
Officer Jared Lindeman’s motion for a restraining order argued that according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the county council and St. Louis County Executive Sam Page do not have the sole authority to make demands on the officers.
A scheduled hearing on Friday at Lindeman’s request was canceled after acting St. Louis County Police Chief Kenneth Gregory issued his order. Lindeman’s attorney Christopher Graville said he was considering how to proceed with Lindeman’s lawsuit following the ruling.
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