The Haves and the Have-Nots (Pandemic Part XXIV)

A time goes on, the world becomes increasingly divided by the pandemic. Globally, there are those with access to life-saving vaccines (chiefly the U.S., Europe, and other developed countries) and those without (especially Africa and South America).

Within the U.S., although communities of color didn't get vaccines as early as white areas, it's now a matter of those who are willing to be vaccinated--mostly educated, urban, and Democratic--and those who are not--chiefly uneducated, rural, Republican, and Evangelical. 

Yes, here in America, people are refusing to take advantage of a privilege the rest of the world is literally dying for. And, in so doing, they're not only prolonging the pandemic but increasing the chances that a coronavirus variant that isn't suppressed by current vaccines develops. What a country.

Sun., Jun. 6

• A bipartisan group of U.S. senators flew to Taiwan to promise 750,000 vaccine doses. China had been blocking vaccine access; only 3% of Taiwanese had received a shot.

Mon., Jun. 7

• New England states were held up as examples of vaccination, with all having reached 70%. However, Springfield, Mass., a highly diverse community, had a low rate, while Newton, Mass., mostly white, was nearly all vaccinated. 

Tues., Jun. 8

• The Mastercard Foundation donated $1.3 billion to boost Africa’s pandemic response by buying vaccines for more than 50 million people, increasing vaccine manufacturing capacity, and strengthening public health institutions.
• The U.S. averaged about 1 million shots per day, a decrease of more than two-thirds from its peak of 3.4 million doses in April, with the slowdown particularly apparent in the South and the Midwest.
• The coronavirus variant called “delta,” first detected in India, had become the dominant strain in the United Kingdom, despite that country's highly successful vaccination campaign. Six percent of COVID cases in the U.S. were delta.

Wed., Jun. 9

• The U.S. purchased 500 million Pfizer vaccines to send to low- and middle-income countries. 

Thurs., Jun. 10

• U.S. heart disease and other deaths rose during the pandemic, possibly because people avoided hospitals. 
• After further testing, the FDA extended the expiration date on Johnson & Johnson vaccines from 90 days to 135 days.
• In India, the worst of the latest wave seemed to be over, but officials were preparing for the next.
• Home prices had risen 95% during the pandemic, fueled by the Fed's cut in interest rates and stimulus payments in 2020. Housing inequality was increasing.
• The CDC warned of an increase in cases of measles and whooping cough because children were behind on immunizations due to pandemic lockdowns.

Fri., Jun. 11

• A shortage of semiconductors had caused a shortage of new cars, which drove up prices and caused a shortage of used cars. 
• Pres. Biden announced federal offices no longer needed to restrict capacity to 25% but flexible work options were still encouraged.

Mon., Jun. 14

• A judge threw out a lawsuit by employees of Houston Methodist Hospital that required staff to be vaccinated. 
• The state of emergency was lifted in Massachusetts.
• The Novavax vaccine tested 100% effective against the original strain of coronavirus and 93% effective against variants.
• Vermont hit 80% of eligible residents getting at least one shot and lifted all restrictions. 
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was back in the studio with a live audience for the first time in 15 months.
• Britain delayed reopening from June 21 to July 19 due to the Delta variant, which made up roughly 90% of new cases.

Tues., Jun 15

• When I drove back from North Hero, there was no port-a-potty at the White River Junction rest area.
• A new NIH study showed the coronavirus could have been in the U.S. as early as December 2019.
• There were 600,000 American deaths due to COVID, equal to annual deaths from cancer.
• More than 50% of Americans had had one dose of vaccine; 40% were fully vaccinated.
• Sarah went to the 7th grade celebration outside the school.

Wed., Jun. 16

• The CDC declared the Delta variant a variant of concern; it's more easily transmissible and causes more severe disease.
• Eight crew members working on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship tested positive for the coronavirus, postponing the ship's first voyage for weeks.

Thurs., Jun. 17

• Sarah was fully vaccinated.
• I hosted some members of the Petticoat Hill book group by our fire pit.

Fri., Jun. 18

• We went to Julia's graduation party at JJ's Tavern in Florence--our first time at an inside gathering without masks in more than 15 months.

• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau extended the U.S./Canada border closing to July 21. He said 75% of Canadians would have to have received the first vaccine dose before the border would open.

Mon., Jun. 21

• There were an estimated 9.7 million job openings according to job site Indeed--a record, and several million more than the nation had seen before.
• Housing prices were up dramatically; houses were selling within days, and often for tens of thousands of dollars more than asking price. First-time home buyers were being priced out of the market and had to continue renting, leading to a shortage of rental properties and a possible increase in homelessness.
• There were ongoing shortages of furniture, appliances, and building materials. Lumber prices were three times higher than pre-pandemic.
• Inflation hit 5%, the highest in 13 years.
• 65% of eligible Americans had received at least one shot; 16 states had hit 70%.
• Daily COVID deaths were down to 300/day, the lowest since March 2020.
• The Biden Administration was falling short on delivering 800 million vaccines to other countries by the end of June.

Tues., Jun. 22

• More than 150 people resigned or were fired from the Houston Methodist Hospital system for refusing to get vaccinated.
• Since President Biden’s original goal of getting coronavirus shots to at least 70% of adults by July 4 was not going to happen, the White House announced a new goal: ensuring that 70 percent of Americans age 27 and up receive at least one shot by the July 4th holiday weekend.

Wed., Jun. 23

• Results from a new Pew Research Center survey showed that 88 percent of people in the United States say the country is more divided than before the pandemic.

Thurs., Jun. 24

• We were at the cabin for 10 days. Not a bad place to work....

Fri., Jun. 25

• Sydney, Australia, began a partial lockdown Friday because a cluster of the Delta variant broke out there. 
• Prices were 3.9 percent higher than they were in May 2020, in part because demand was rebounding faster than supply chains could return to pre-pandemic speed.

Tues., Jun. 29

• The world was largely without a plan to vaccinate roughly half the population, which lived outside the richest countries, where vaccine supplies were abundant.

Wed., Jun. 30

• The newest mRNA vaccine, by German company CureVac, tested only 48% effective.
• Australia was moving aggressively to halt the spread of the virus and the Delta variant in particular. Many residents were in lockdown. Airlines were ceasing flights. Officials were limiting the number of people able to enter the country to 3,000 people per week, starting July 14.
• After dropping its mask mandate, Los Angeles recommended people wear them indoors in crowded spaces, due to an increase in the Delta variant.

Thurs., Jul. 1

• The Delta variant represented about 25% of the country’s confirmed infections. The White House had formed “surge response” teams to deploy extra supplies such as testing and therapeutics to areas experiencing Delta outbreaks, including Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri and Utah.
•  There was an increase in coronavirus infections across Europe — the first such rise in 10 weeks according to the World Health Organization. Increased socialization, summer travel, and the spread of the Delta variant were counteracting any gains by vaccination.
• The Congressional Budget Office said the federal deficit would reach $3 trillion this year, largely because of pandemic relief spending.
• More than 80 teens and adults were infected with the coronavirus after attending a summer camp that did not verify vaccination status or require face masks indoors.
• There's evidence the Johnson & Johnson vaccine can protect people against the Delta variant.
• India’s official death toll from the pandemic surpassed 400,000, though experts said the figure was unlikely to include all of those who had died from the virus. New cases in India appeared to have peaked.

Fri., Jul. 2

• Roughly 48 million Americans were traveling over the holiday weekend, the second highest number ever, and up 40% from 2020.
• A new variant of the Delta variant was found in Louisiana and named Delta+.
• The U.S. economy added 850,000 jobs in June as the pace of the recovery surged — quieting fears, at least temporarily, of more lasting harm from labor and supply shortages.

Sat., Jul. 3

• COVID cases were up 10% in the U.S. over the last week.
• Southern Europe was shutting down again.
• COVID wards in the Washington, D.C., area were almost empty, and some doctors were taking time off for the first time since March 2020.
• President Biden would not reach his goal of getting 70% of American adults at least one vaccine shot before the holiday weekend. He had specifically said his goal was to have 160 million Americans fully vaccinated. The 70% goal was reached for ages 30 and up, but younger people weren't getting vaccinated as quickly as experts had hoped. Just over 156.3 million Americans had been fully vaccinated, less than 56 percent of the eligible population.
• Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Hawaii had reached more than 80% of adults with at least one shot.

Sun., Jul. 4

• A third Olympic athlete tested positive for coronavirus after arriving in Japan.
• It's an extremely quiet 4th of July. The Chesterfield parade was reduced to a bunch of old cars, with no spectators, and the Amherst fireworks were canceled.

It's strange going about my business without a mask, like in the before-times. With the Delta variant surging, the CDC has said it wouldn't be a bad idea to wear one, depending on the situation where you live.

I feel safe here in liberal New England, though. Vermont and Massachusetts have the highest rates of vaccination in the country. And, in Los Angeles, 99% of the deaths from COVID are in unvaccinated people. It's not as if I go to crowded places. I choose to believe in the science, while not taking crazy chances.