"COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis" 7th May 2021
Overnight NewsRoundUp
COVID - Concern increases over Indian variant in the UK
- Public health experts have recommended a version of the Indian COVID variant found in the UK to be made 'a variant of concern,' the BBC has been told.
- Public Health England (PHE) has been tracking a variant known as B.1.617.2, which appears to have been spreading more quickly in the UK than others.
- Scientists believe it is more transmissable than the version of COVID first discovered in Wuhan, China. A spokesperson for PHE said it would not comment on leaked data.
- Viruses mutate all the time, producing different versions of themselves. Most of these mutations are insignificant - and some may even make the virus less dangerous - but others can make it more contagious and harder to vaccinate against.
- The Kent, South Africa and Brazil strains have all been demed 'variants of concern' in the UK. These versions, along with the Indian variant, have all undergone changes to their spike protein - the part of the virus which attaches to human cells.
- The original Indian variant - known as B.1.617 - was first detected in the country in October. That version has now been recharacterised as three different subtypes, all with slightly different genetic mutations.
- The UK has seen a sharp increase in one version in particular, known as B.1.617.2, which now makes up the majority of all Indian variant cases and appears to be growing faster than other versions.
- PHE scientists think with 'moderate confidence' that it spreads at least as quickly as the version of the virus first found in Kent last year - known as the B.1.1.7 - which is currently dominant in the UK.
- But a source has told the BBC there is no evidence this version of the Indian variant is resistant to current vaccines.
- It does not feature the E.484K mutation found in the South African variant of the virus, which could help the virus dodge a person's immune system and may well affect how vaccines work.
- It is believed that more than 500 cases of B.1.617.2 have now been detected across England with the highest levels in London and the north-west of England. That would represent a sharp rise from the 202 cases officially recorded by PHE in the UK as of 28 April.
- It is not known how many of the current infections in the UK can be linked back to international travel, However, it is thought there has already been some evidence of 'significant' community transmission, mainly linked to workplaces and religious gatherings.
Covid: Concern increases over India variant in UK
Covid: Concern increases over India variant in UK
Public health experts have recommended a version of the Indian Covid variant found in the UK to be made a "variant of concern", the BBC has been told. Public Health England (PHE) has been tracking a variant known as B.1.617.2, which appears to have been spreading more quickly in the UK than others. Scientists believe it is more transmissible than the version of Covid first discovered in Wuhan, China. A spokesman for PHE said it would not comment on leaked data. Viruses mutate all the time, producing different versions of themselves. Most of these mutations are insignificant - and some may even make the virus less dangerous - but others can make it more contagious and harder to vaccinate against.
How a 'double mutant' Indian Covid strain could pose a massive threat to Sydney
How a 'double mutant' Indian Covid strain could pose a massive threat to Sydney
The Sydney couple who have mysteriously tested positive to coronavirus are infected by the 'double mutant' Indian variant of the disease. The B.1.617 strain was identified in the subcontinent in October, with two key mutations to the outer-spike protein that helps the virus bind and enter cells. The couple have the second of three subvariants known as B.1.617.2. Scientists are not yet sure if the strain is more infectious or more deadly than original Covid, but many fear it probably is.
Covid-19: Seven cases of Indian variant found in NI
Covid-19: Seven cases of Indian variant found in NI
Seven cases of the Indian variant of Covid-19 have been detected in Northern Ireland. It is the first time it has been confirmed in the country. Three cases were detected in the Republic of Ireland last month.
Covid: Germany rejects US-backed proposal to waive vaccine patents
Covid: Germany rejects US-backed proposal to waive vaccine patents
Germany has voiced opposition to a US-backed proposal to waive patents on Covid-19 vaccines, saying they were not hindering production of the jabs. Its government said "the protection of intellectual property is a source of innovation and must remain so". The European Union earlier said it was ready to talk about the proposal, and some states gave it their full backing. Supporters of the plan say it will allow more manufactures to produce the life-saving vaccines. They argue that this will increase access to jabs in poorer countries. But opponents, including drug makers, say it may not have the desired effect.
Government and big pharma face clash on Covid-19 vaccine patent waiver
Government and big pharma face clash on Covid-19 vaccine patent waiver
The Government could be on a collision course with the State’s powerful pharmaceutical industry over support for US backing of a move to lift patent protection on Covid-19 vaccines. The Biden administration has thrown its support behind the move that would allow other companies to make the jabs but reduce the profits of the pharmaceutical giants behind the vaccines. US trade representative Katherine Tai said that it would support the waiver of intellectual property protections on vaccines “to help end the pandemic” and that the US would participate in negotiations on the move at the World Trade Organisation, which sets the rules for global trade.
More support easing vaccine patent rules, but hurdles remain
More support easing vaccine patent rules, but hurdles remain
Several world leaders Thursday praised the U.S. call to remove patent protections on COVID-19 vaccines to help poor countries obtain shots. But the proposal faces a multitude of hurdles, including resistance from the pharmaceutical industry. Nor is it clear what effect such a step might have on the campaign to vanquish the outbreak. Activists and humanitarian institutions cheered after the U.S. reversed course Wednesday and called for a waiver of intellectual property protections on the vaccine. The decision ultimately is up to the 164-member World Trade Organization, and if just one country votes against a waiver, the proposal will fail.
Macron backs waiving IP rights for COVID-19 vaccines
Macron backs waiving IP rights for COVID-19 vaccines
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed support on Thursday for waiving intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, hours after U.S. President Joe Biden threw his support behind the idea
Waiver of patent rights on Covid-19 vaccines, in near term, may be more symbolic than substantive
Waiver of patent rights on Covid-19 vaccines, in near term, may be more symbolic than substantive
The U.S.’s stunning endorsement of a proposal to waive Covid-19 vaccine patents has won plaudits for President Biden and roiled the global pharmaceutical industry. But, at least in the short term, it’s likely to be more of a symbolic milestone than a turning point in the pandemic. For months, proponents of the proposal have argued that the need to waive intellectual property protections was urgent given the growth of Covid cases in low- and middle-income countries, which have been largely left without the huge shipments of vaccine already purchased by wealthy countries. But patents alone don’t magically produce vaccines. Experts suggested the earliest the world could expect to see additional capacity flowing from the waiver — if it’s approved at the World Trade Organization — would be in 2022.
India welcomes US support over patent access for COVID-19 vaccines
India welcomes US support over patent access for COVID-19 vaccines
India on Thursday welcomed U.S. President Joe Biden's support for a proposal to waive intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines to help make them available to more people more quickly. India and South Africa have led a proposal at the WTO to waive protections for some patents and technology and boost vaccine production in developing countries. "We are appreciative of U.S. support," foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said.
U.S. backs giving poorer countries access to COVID-19 vaccine patents, reversing stance
U.S. backs giving poorer countries access to COVID-19 vaccine patents, reversing stance
President Joe Biden on Wednesday threw his support behind waiving intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, bowing to mounting pressure from Democratic lawmakers and more than 100 other countries, but angering pharmaceutical companies. Biden voiced his support for a waiver - a sharp reversal of the previous U.S. position - in remarks to reporters, followed swiftly by a statement from his top trade negotiator, Katherine Tai, who backed negotiations at the World Trade Organization. “This is a global health crisis, and the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures,” Tai said in a statement, amid growing concern that big outbreaks in India could allow the rise of vaccine-resistant strains of the deadly virus, undermining a global recovery.
Pfizer and BioNTech to donate vaccines for Olympic athletes
Pfizer and BioNTech to donate vaccines for Olympic athletes
Vaccine developers Pfizer and BioNTech will donate doses to inoculate athletes and officials preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, the IOC said Thursday. Delivery of doses is set to begin this month to give Olympic delegations time to be fully vaccinated with a second shot before arriving in Tokyo for the games, which open on July 23.
It’s the second major vaccination deal for the International Olympic Committee. An agreement was announced in March between the IOC and Olympic officials in China to buy and distribute Chinese vaccines ahead of the Tokyo Games and next year’s Beijing Winter Games. The new Pfizer offer gives the IOC greater coverage worldwide ahead of Tokyo with most countries yet to authorize emergency use of Chinese vaccines.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic athletes to receive coronavirus vaccine in boost for Team GB
The British Olympic Association has been handed a boost in its bid to vaccinate all its athletes and support staff prior to the start of the Olympic Games in Tokyo in less than 12 weeks’ time. Under a deal struck between the International Olympic Committee and pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, vaccines will be made available to athletes in nations not in a position to prioritise jabs for those heading to the Japanese capital. Following moves by the respective governments of Italy and South Korea last week, Britain found itself in the position of being the only one of the top 10 medal-winning nations from Rio 2016, besides Japan, not to guarantee its athletes priority doses.
EU proposes joint approach to develop COVID-19 drugs
EU proposes joint approach to develop COVID-19 drugs
The European Commission proposed Thursday that EU nations join forces to develop and deploy COVID-19 drugs across the 27-nation bloc. In addition to the vaccine contracts already secured through a similar joint procurement, the EU’s executive arm said it will set up a portfolio of 10 potential COVID-19 treatments, with the aim of authorizing three new ones to treat COVID-19 by October. So far, the antiviral medicine remdesivir is the only drug authorized across the EU for treating coronavirus patients. “Vaccinations save lives, but they cannot yet eradicate COVID-19. We need a strong push on treatments to limit the need for hospitalization, speed up recovery times and reduce mortality,” said Stella Kyriakides, the bloc’s Health and Food Safety commissioner.
Serbians queue to get COVID-19 vaccine and with it a shopping voucher
Serbians queue to get COVID-19 vaccine and with it a shopping voucher
Dozens of people gathered at a major mall in Belgrade on Thursday hoping to be among the first to get a COVID-19 vaccine and with it a shopping voucher, in the latest initiative by authorities to encourage more Serbians to get inoculated. Since last December, Serbia has vaccinated 29.81% of its population of around 7 million with at least one dose. The government now wants to accelerate the programme, including drop-in vaccination centres and facilities in shopping malls. "People should be responsible ... and seize the opportunity (to have a vaccine) ... as we reach out to them," said doctor Zoran Vekic, who coordinated Thursday's event.
Covid-19 booster could be given with flu jab in Northern Ireland
Covid-19 booster could be given with flu jab in Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, public health officials are hopeful a campaign for Covid-19 booster vaccines will be combined with the regular winter flu jab programme. A Stormont committee was told combining the two campaigns would be more effective.
The head of NI's vaccination campaign, Patricia Donnelly, said guidance would come from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
Covid-19 herd immunity is a difficult target, experts warn, but vaccinating teens could be key to protecting us this fall
Covid-19 herd immunity is a difficult target, experts warn, but vaccinating teens could be key to protecting us this fall
The United States is offering up freebies, expanding the pool of those eligible and shifting access to local pharmacies in its attempts to encourage vaccine holdouts to get inoculated against Covid-19. In the last six months, nearly 150 million people in the US have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine in what is the fastest and largest mass vaccination effort in world history. Still, the US vaccination rate has declined from its peak last month, pushing officials to offer new incentives, known as carrots, to further encourage the wary, hesitant and inaccessible to get vaccinated. Some of those carrots are access to cultural events.
Turkey welcomes foreign tourists while locking down locals
Turkey welcomes foreign tourists while locking down locals
"Turkey Unlimited. Now available without Turks," reads a mock tourism advert on social media, poking fun at the sight of foreign tourists roaming quiet streets while most Turks are confined to home by a coronavirus lockdown. The government has exempted foreign holidaymakers from the 2-1/2-week long lockdown in an effort to revitalise tourism, a critical sector of the Turkish economy. Those arriving in Turkey must show proof of negative COVID-19 tests. But Turks on social media have voiced indignation at images of tourists partying on the country's Mediterranean coast or locals slapped with fines for being outdoors while foreign visitors can wander around as they wish.
COVID-19: Leaked reports show B.C. health authorities withholding data from the public
COVID-19: Leaked reports show B.C. health authorities withholding data from the public
A pair of internal reports leaked from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control highlights that health authorities in B.C. are only releasing a fraction of their available COVID-19 information to the public. The internal reports — each of which runs over 45 pages — are four times longer than the weekly reports published by the Centre. They delve into the details of COVID-19 case counts and vaccinations at the neighbourhood level, breakdowns about variants of concern, and more.
Nurses report 'not feeling safe to share concerns or needs' during Covid-19
Nurses report 'not feeling safe to share concerns or needs' during Covid-19
Almost a third of female nurses have not felt safe sharing their personal concerns or needs around the impact of Covid-19 with their manager since the crisis began, a new survey has shown. In addition, the majority of female nurses feel working during the pandemic has had a negative impact on both their mental and physical wellbeing. The results come as part of a report published by the NHS Confederation’s Health and Care Women Leaders Network earlier this week, which explored the impact of the pandemic on female health and care workers.
New study shows importance of second dose of coronavirus vaccine
New study shows importance of second dose of coronavirus vaccine
The second dose of Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine can reduce the risk of both hospitalisation and death by more than 95% from seven days after vaccination, a nationwide study by Israel’s Ministry of Health and the pharmaceutical giant found. The real-world research found a significant increase in effectiveness from the first dose, which offers 58% protection against infection, 76% against hospitalisation and is 77% effective at preventing death as a result of the virus. “Two doses of the Pfizer vaccine are highly effective across all age groups in preventing symptomatic and asymptomatic coronavirus infection and coronavirus-related hospitalisations, severe disease, and death, including those caused by the British variant,” the report, published in The Lancet journal, stated.
Early data shows Moderna coronavirus vaccine 96% effective in teens
Early data shows Moderna coronavirus vaccine 96% effective in teens
The efficacy rate of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine in adolescents aged 12 to 17 years proved to be 96%, according to early data from the trial on this age group.
The follow-up after 35 days found the vaccine was generally well-tolerated in teens, and no serious safety concerns were identified, a press release from Moderna on Thursday stated. “An initial analysis of 3,235 participants showed a vaccine efficacy rate of 96% in participants who received at least one injection. The analysis included 12 cases starting 14 days after the first dose and based on the United States’ Centre for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition of the coronavirus,” the statement read. It added that, because the incidence rate of Covid-19 is lower in adolescents, the case definition is less strict than that for the trials of adults, resulting in vaccine efficacy against milder cases of the virus.
Moderna vaccine booster 'effective against Covid variants in trials'
Moderna's tweaked coronavirus vaccine has been found to neutralise both the Brazil and South Africa variants in laboratory trials. The company behind the jab announced that a single dose of one of its vaccines given as a booster to previously vaccinated people increased neutralising antibody titer responses against SARS-CoV-2 and both the South Africa and Brazil variants. The currently authorised Moderna Covid-19 vaccine is mRNA-1273 which was developed to protect against the ancestral strain of the virus first identified in Wuhan, China, while mRNA-1273.351 was developed to protect against the B.1.351 virus first identified in South Africa. Moderna said a booster dose of mRNA-1273.351 achieved higher neutralising antibody titers against the South Africa variant than a booster dose of mRNA-1273. The initial data is from a study involving 40 people.
Moderna CEO says he's not losing any sleep over Biden's support for COVID-19 vaccine waiver
Moderna CEO says he's not losing any sleep over Biden's support for COVID-19 vaccine waiver
Moderna shares plummeted overnight alongside fellow COVID-19 drugmakers after the Biden administration came out in favor of temporarily waiving intellectual property rights for their vaccines. But to Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel, the newly U.S.-backed measure is not a concern. “I didn’t lose a minute of sleep over the news during the night,” Bancel told analysts following the company’s first-quarter earnings release Thursday. The pharma industry, lobbying groups and some nations have fiercely opposed a controversial IP waiver presented before the World Trade Organization that would temporarily suspend patent rights for COVID-19 vaccines. The idea, first presented by South Africa and India last fall, is intended to boost supply so developing nations would have faster access to the life-saving shots.
Moderna pulled in $1.7B with its COVID-19 vaccine rollout, but it's just getting started
Moderna pulled in $1.7B with its COVID-19 vaccine rollout, but it's just getting started
With Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine having reached tens of millions of Americans in recent months, the company reported its first big sales haul more than a decade after its founding. But the biotech is just getting started, execs stressed. The Massachusetts-based biotech generated $1.94 billion in revenue during the first quarter, with $1.73 billion coming from its COVID-19 shot. After the company's founding in 2010 and appointment of CEO Stéphane Bancel in 2011, the chief exec took a chance to reflect on Thursday's conference call with analysts. "Twelve months ago in Q1 2020, Moderna had never run a phase 3 clinical study, never got a product authorized by a regulator, and never made 100 million doses in a single quarter," Bancel said. "I am very proud of what the Moderna team has achieved."
Moderna says its COVID-19 vaccine is 96% effective in teens
Moderna says its COVID-19 vaccine is 96% effective in teens
Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is 96% effective in teenagers 12- to 17-years-old, the drugmaker said Thursday. The company announced results of the Phase 2 trial in reporting first-quarter earnings. Its vaccine generated $1.7 billion in revenue in its fiscal first quarter. Evidence that Moderna's vaccine is effective in teens comes as rival Pfizer is expected to receive federal authorization by early next week to use its COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents. Federal approval of one or more vaccines against the disease could enable many American middle and high school students to be vaccinated before the start of the 2021-22 school year.
COVID-19: First nationwide data from Israel shows 95% protection from infection after two doses of Pfizer jab
COVID-19: First nationwide data from Israel shows 95% protection from infection after two doses of Pfizer jab
Two doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine can provide more than 95% protection against infection, severe illness, and death, according to the first nationwide data from Israel. A single dose of the jab, meanwhile, is associated with 58% protection against infection, 76% against hospital admission, and 77% against death, research published in The Lancet suggests.
Giving 2 Doses Of Different COVID-19 Vaccines Could Boost Immune Response
Giving 2 Doses Of Different COVID-19 Vaccines Could Boost Immune Response
Typically, if you get a COVID-19 vaccine that requires two doses, you should get two of the same vaccine. Two Pfizer shots, or two Moderna shots. Not one and then the other. But in the future, that could change, either by necessity or by design.
This idea of using two types of vaccines isn't a new concept. It's known as heterologous vaccination, although there's a more colloquial term. "In the U.K. at the moment, we're sort of calling it 'mix and match,' " says Helen Fletcher, a professor of immunology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. She says shortages of a vaccine or concerns about side effects may induce health officials to adopt a mix-and-match strategy.
India’s gov’t eases hospital oxygen shortage as demand jumps
India’s gov’t eases hospital oxygen shortage as demand jumps
Under order by the Supreme Court, India’s government on Thursday agreed to provide more medical oxygen to hospitals in the capital city of New Delhi, potentially easing a 2-week-old shortage that worsened the country’s exploding coronavirus crisis. Government officials also denied reports that they have been slow in distributing life-saving medical supplies donated from abroad. The government raised the oxygen supply to 730 tons from 490 tons per day in New Delhi as ordered by the Supreme Court. The court intervened after 12 COVID-19 patients, including a doctor, died last week at New Delhi’s Batra Hospital when it ran out of medical oxygen for 80 minutes. On Wednesday night, 11 other COVID-19 patients died when pressure in an oxygen supply line stopped working at a government medical college hospital in Chengalpet in southern India, possibly because of a faulty valve, The Times of India newspaper reported.
Doctor in COVID-hit India forced to decide who lives and who dies
Doctor in COVID-hit India forced to decide who lives and who dies
Rohan Aggarwal is 26 years old. He doesn’t even complete his medical training until next year. And yet, at one of the best hospitals in India, he is the doctor who must decide who will live and who will die when patients come to him gasping for breath, their family members begging for mercy. As India’s healthcare system teeters on the verge of collapse during a brutal second wave of the coronavirus, Aggarwal makes those decisions during a 27-hour workday that includes a grim overnight shift in charge of the emergency room at his New Delhi hospital. Everyone at Holy Family Hospital – patients, relatives and staff – knows there aren’t enough beds, not enough oxygen or ventilators to keep everyone who arrives at the hospital’s front gates alive
Pleas for help in India as COVID-19 leaves children without carers
Pleas for help in India as COVID-19 leaves children without carers
When an Indian children's rights group tracked down two boys aged 6 and 8 after it was told that their parents were both severely ill with COVID-19 and unable to care for them, the children had not eaten for days. The case, reported by the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) group which located the boys in a small town in India's rural heartland, was one of a growing number of emergencies involving children affected by India's devastating coronavirus crisis. The exponential rise in infections and deaths has left some children, particularly in poor communities, without a carer because their parents or other relatives are too ill to cope or have died.
Global Fund fast-tracks $75 million for India's COVID battle
Global Fund fast-tracks $75 million for India's COVID battle
Against the backdrop of the world's second most populous country in the grips of a catastrophic COVID-19 surge, the Global Fund today said it approved $75 million to help India buy oxygen concentrators and oxygen plants. In other developments, several groups and leaders praised the United States' statement yesterday supporting a temporary waiver of intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, but others warned that the step could hamstring vaccine production.
Peru’s COVID crisis: ‘Almost all Peruvians know someone who died’
Peru’s COVID crisis: ‘Almost all Peruvians know someone who died’
State health officials say a small number of Nebraskans who have been vaccinated for the coronavirus later developed COVID-19. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said that 343 people have tested positive for COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated. But that represents just 0.05% of the 689,561 people who have been fully vaccinated in the state. So far, 46.5% of Nebraska’s population over 16 has been vaccinated for the coronavirus although the pace of vaccinations has slowed in recent weeks as demand for the shots waned. The state reported 1,397 new virus cases in the past week to give Nebraska a total of 220,933 cases since the pandemic began. There have also been 2,249 deaths in the state. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska decreased over the past two weeks, going from 360.29 new cases per day on April 20 to 197 new cases per day on Tuesday.
Five more suffer blood clotting after receiving AstraZeneca jab
Five more suffer blood clotting after receiving AstraZeneca jab
Five more people are being treated for serious blood clots linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine, the Therapeutic Goods Administration has said. The cases are in a 74-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman from Victoria, a 66-year-old man from Queensland, a 64-year-old woman from Western Australia and a 70-year-old man from Tasmania. Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeanette Young said the 66-year-old is in intensive care as a "direct result" of receiving the COVID jab on March 30.
New analysis finds global Covid death toll is double official estimates
New analysis finds global Covid death toll is double official estimates
A new analysis of the toll of the Covid-19 pandemic suggests 6.9 million people worldwide have died from the disease, more than twice as many people as has been officially reported. In the United States, the analysis estimates, 905,000 people have died of Covid since the start of the pandemic. That is about 38% higher than the current death estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 561,594. The new figure also surpasses the estimated number of U.S. deaths in the 1918 flu pandemic, which was estimated to have killed approximately 675,000 Americans. The analysis was conducted by scientists at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
Covid-19 vaccine rates lower among ethnic minorities, disabled people and in deprived areas
Covid-19 vaccine rates lower among ethnic minorities, disabled people and in deprived areas
Take-up of a Covid-19 vaccine has been lower among all ethnic minority groups compared with the White British population, figures show. Lower uptake has also been seen among some religious groups, disabled people and those living in more deprived areas, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. Reasons for lower vaccination rates are likely to be complex but modelling showed could not be fully explained by geography, socio-demographic factors or underlying health conditions, the ONS report concluded. It comes as other figures show vaccine hesitancy in England remains low overall but is higher in younger age groups, people in deprived areas and Black adults. A study exploring the reasons for vaccine refusal and uncertainty in more depth is due to be published soon, the ONS said.
Nebraska says small number of vaccinated people got COVID-19
Nebraska says small number of vaccinated people got COVID-19
State health officials say a small number of Nebraskans who have been vaccinated for the coronavirus later developed COVID-19. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said that 343 people have tested positive for COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated. But that represents just 0.05% of the 689,561 people who have been fully vaccinated in the state. So far, 46.5% of Nebraska’s population over 16 has been vaccinated for the coronavirus although the pace of vaccinations has slowed in recent weeks as demand for the shots waned. The state reported 1,397 new virus cases in the past week to give Nebraska a total of 220,933 cases since the pandemic began. There have also been 2,249 deaths in the state. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska decreased over the past two weeks, going from 360.29 new cases per day on April 20 to 197 new cases per day on Tuesday.