COVID Updates: Pfizer CEO pushes back against Trump claim on vaccine timing – WABC

NEW YORK (WABC) — Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Friday that coronavirus hot spots are a significant problem in New York state and have a positivity rate at around 6.4%. Without the clusters, the rest of the state averages a positivity rate of 1.03%.

The governor again hammered home the importance of local governments enforcing mask and social distancing regulations.

He said if a municipality doesn’t properly enforce the measures, the state will fine them $10,000.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that New York City’s daily positivity rate was at 1.53% with a seven-day rolling average of 1.52%.

What to know about coronavirus:
Back to school information
How coronavirus changed the New York region
Do you have coronavirus symptoms?
What’s Open, What’s Closed in the Tri-State area

Here are more of today’s headlines:

President Trump, First Lady test positive for COVID-19
President Donald Trump said early Friday that he and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus, a stunning announcement that plunges the country deeper into uncertainty just a month before the presidential election. Trump, who has spent much of the year downplaying the threat of a virus that has killed more than 205,000 Americans, said he and Mrs. Trump were quarantining. The president and first lady’s son, Barron Trump, is also at the White House with his parents. He has reportedly tested negative for the virus. The White House physician said the president is expected to continue carrying out his duties “without disruption” while recovering.

Bidens test negative for coronavirus
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has tested negative for the coronavirus in the wake of President Donald Trump’s diagnosis. The former vice president’s wife, Dr. Jill Biden, has also tested negative. Trump shared his positive COVID-19 results just days after taking the debate stage with his Democratic rival.

“Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery. We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family,” Biden tweeted.

President Trump visited NJ hours before positive test
President Trump visited Bedminster, New Jersey for a fundraiser just hours before he tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is urging anyone who attended to self-quarantine and get tested for the virus.

Pfizer on vaccine pressure
The head of Pfizer, one of the drugmakers racing to develop a coronavirus vaccine, told employees on Thursday he was disappointed that its work was politicized during the presidential debate and tried to reassure U.S. staff that the company won’t bend to pressure to move more quickly. CEO Albert Bourla told the employees that the company is “moving at the speed of science,” rather than under any political timing, according to a staff letter obtained by The Associated Press. Despite top U.S. federal health officials repeatedly stating that a vaccine is unlikely to be available widely until mid-2021, President Donald Trump has insisted that a vaccine will be ready before Election Day.

“The only pressure we feel – and it weighs heavy – are the billions of people, millions of businesses and hundreds of government officials that are depending on us,” Bourla wrote.

Markets plunge with news of Trump’s positive COVID test
Global shares and U.S. stock futures have fallen President Donald Trump said he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for the new coronavirus. Earlier, Dow and SP futures dropped nearly 2%, but several hours later were trading 1.2% lower. Oil prices tumbled about 3%. Shares are down in Paris, Frankfurt, London and Tokyo. Many markets in Asia were closed for holidays.

US hiring slows for 3rd month but jobless rate falls to 7.9%
America’s employers added 661,000 jobs in September, the third straight month of slower hiring and evidence from the final jobs report before the presidential election that the economic recovery has weakened. With September’s hiring gain, the economy has recovered only slightly more than half the 22 million jobs that were wiped out by the viral pandemic. The roughly 10 million jobs that remain lost exceed the number that the nation shed during the entire 2008-2009 Great Recession. The unemployment rate for September fell to 7.9%, down from 8.4% in August, the Labor Department said Friday. Since April, the jobless rate has tumbled from a peak of 14.7%.

House passes $2.2 trillion COVID stimulus relief bill
The House passed a $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus relief bill late Thursday. The final vote tally was 214-207. Eighteen Democrats voted no on the bill, many of them are moderates who are very unhappy with Nancy Pelosi and leadership for staging what they call a “show” vote on a bill that will never become law. The Republican-led Senate is not expected to take up the measure.

These recommendations could reduce COVID-19 spread on campus
As colleges and universities are dealing with the coronavirus outbreaks on campuses, the CDC announced a new approach that could help prevent or reduce the transmission. The CDC issued their initial guidance last June, which stated that it “does not recommend entre testing of all returning students, faculty, and staff.” At the time the guidance was released, people reported not getting their results for several days or weeks. But now, testing has been more advanced, and the CDC is saying, “In an IHE (Institutions of higher education) setting, with frequent movement of faculty, staff and students between the IHE and the community, a strategy of entry screening combined with regular serial testing might prevent or reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission.”

Stay informed with ABC7’s NYC COVID-19 positivity rate tracker
As New York City public schools inch closer to reopening in-person learning, much of the success will rely heavily on schools keeping the COVID rate of infection in check. According to the city, public schools can only stay open if the COVID positivity rate stays below 3%. To stay informed, you can follow ABC7’s NYC COVID-19 positivity rate tracker.

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