The Latest: Pfizer aims for full FDA approval of vaccine
The Associated Press
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1of17FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2020, file photo, a vial of the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19 sits on a table at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Conn. Many parents and educators are excited over the news that the Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine soon for youngsters ages 12 to 15.Jessica Hill/APShow MoreShow Less
2of17Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, speaks during a press conference Friday, May 7, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Hashimoto said Friday that a planned visit to Japan this month by IOC President Thomas Bach seemed unlikely with a state of emergency order being extended by the government to Tokyo and other areas until May 31.(Kyodo News via AP)APShow MoreShow Less
Lawmakers criticize Inslee for reopening pause while Pierce County remains in Phase 2
Eight Democrats and four Republicans sent a letter to Gov. Jay Inslee calling his recent pause on reopening unfair to Pierce County, which still remains in Phase 2. Author: Associated Press, KING 5 Staff Published: 8:08 PM PDT May 6, 2021 Updated: 10:08 PM PDT May 6, 2021
OLYMPIA, Wash. A group of Pierce County Democratic legislators is threatening the possibility of a special legislative session following Gov. Jay Inslee s recent implementation of a pause that left their county stuck in Phase 2 with tighter COVID-19 restrictions.
The letter, sent Thursday afternoon, was signed by eight Democrats in the House and Senate and four Republicans. The lawmakers claim Inslee s decision was unfair to Pierce County and that the governor s reopening plan only worked while all Washington counties were held to the same standards.
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LOS ANGELES Los Angeles and San Francisco are reopening for more business under Californiaâs least restrictive coronavirus safety rules, even though these counties have more infections than many others.
State data shows nearby Orange and San Bernardino counties have similarly low coronavirus case and positivity rates to Los Angeles but canât reopen further because they arenât conducting as much testing.
It wasnât immediately clear why some counties were conducting so much more coronavirus testing and others, much less. But those that do are rewarded under the stateâs color-coded tier system by being allowed to expand business activity.
By RACHEL LA CORTE
Associated Press
OLYMPIA Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is receiving criticism from lawmakers in his own party over his shifting economic reopening plan, with a group of Pierce County Democrats threatening the possibility of a special legislative session following the governor s recent implementation of a pause that left their county stuck in a phase with tighter COVID-19 restrictions.
The letter, sent Thursday afternoon, was signed by eight Democrats in the House and Senate and four House Republicans. It comes the same day that the Washington Hospitality Association launched a petition to follow California s lead and fully reopen the state on June 15. Dozens of other states have already set plans to fully reopen their economies, include including New York and New Jersey, which have set a May 19 goal.
HARTFORD, Conn. Of the more than 1.4 million Connecticut residents who are now fully vaccinated, 242 later became infected with COVID-19, according to data released Friday from the state Department of Public Health.
Among the 242 so-called âvaccine breakthrough cases,â 109 people had no symptoms of the disease. DPH reported three deaths among vaccinated individuals who were confirmed to have had underlying medical conditions. They were between the ages of 55-64, 65-74, and 75 years and older.
Nationally, there have been 132 vaccine breakthrough deaths, DPH said.
âThe main takeaway is that COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective and cases of infection after a person is fully vaccinated are very rare,â Dr. Deidre Gifford, the stateâs acting public health commissioner, said in a statement. Cases of COVID-19 in fully vaccinated individuals in Connecticut is less than 0.1%, according to the DPH data.