The Latest: Biden says he’s ‘bringing back the pros’ for virus briefings
The latest on the coronavirus pandemic from around the U.S. and the world.
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WASHINGTON For nearly a year it was the Trump show. Now President Joe Biden is calling up the nation’s top scientists and public health experts to regularly brief the American public about the pandemic that has claimed more than 425,000 U.S. lives.
President Biden holds his face mask as he speaks about the pandemic Tuesday at the White House. Beginning Wednesday, top experts will host briefings three times a week on the state of the outbreak and efforts to control it.
Colombian defense minister dies of Covid-19 complications: official
Issued on:
26/01/2021 - 13:43 1 min
Bogota (AFP)
Colombia s Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo died Tuesday of complications stemming from Covid-19, the country s president said. Carlos Holmes Trujillo died at dawn today, after complications in his health while he was battling Covid-19, President Ivan Duque said in a video posted on Twitter.
Trujillo, 69, had first been hospitalized January 11.
Four days later, he was taken into intensive care at a Bogota military hospital suffering acute lung function deterioration, the defense ministry said in a statement.
Trujillo has been replaced by Fernando Navarro, who was previously head of the Colombian armed forces.
He was 69.
Mr Trujillo is one of about a dozen sitting cabinet ministers worldwide to have succumbed to the virus that has killed at least 2.1 million people since the outbreak began in China in December 2019.
He was hospitalised in Bogota on January 11 and admitted to intensive care four days later after suffering acute lung function deterioration, according to the defence ministry.
Colombian President Ivan Duque said on Twitter that Mr Trujillo had died at dawn from complications due to Covid-19. Thank you, friend; thank you, partner; thank you, minister, thank you @CarlosHolmesTru. Your life was the purest reflection of vocation and public service, Mr Duque wrote.
U.K. is first country in Europe to pass 100K deaths. EU demands vaccine makers honor their commitments. Virus variant brings new dimension to Europe’s pandemic fight. Some hospitals near capacity in hard-hit areas as Indonesia hits 1 million virus cases. Taiwan quarantines 5,000 people while looking for source of hospital cluster. Follow all of AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic, https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
LOS ANGELES California is revamping its vaccine delivery system mid-stride, centralizing what has been a hodgepodge of county systems and streamlining appointment sign-up, notification and eligibility for its 40 million residents.
RALEIGH, N.C. An increasing number of COVID-19 vaccination sites around the U.S. are canceling appointments because of vaccine shortages.
States are expected to find out their latest weekly allocation of vaccines on Tuesday. The White House plans to hold a call with governors to discuss the vaccine supply.
Governors and top health officials have been concerned about inadequate supplies and the need for more reliable estimates of how much is on the way so that they can plan accordingly.
On Tuesday, the CDC reported just over half of the 41 million doses distributed to states have been put in people’s arms. Some vaccination sites have canceled appointments for first-dose shots. Many are likely holding large quantities of vaccine in reserve to make sure people who have already gotten their first shot receive the required second shot on schedule, three to four weeks later.