Delta variant | Aug. 4, 2021

 White House News in Chinese - About (weebly.com)

1 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

Delta Variant is Different - It's the NEW COVID
Aug 2, 2021

Vaccinated people who get infected with Delta variant almost as contagious as unvaccinated

​A leaked document from the US health protection agency deals a blow to hopes that jabbed people rarely pass on the virus

Aug. 4 - ...“I think people need to understand that we’re not crying wolf here. This is serious. It’s one of the most transmissible viruses we know about. Measles, chickenpox, this – they’re all up there,” CDC director Rochelle Walensky told CNN News.

Dr Walensky emphasised that students, staff and visitors in schools should wear masks at all times.

“The measures we need to get this under control – they’re extreme. The measures you need are extreme,” she said.

The new findings CDC is using suggest fully vaccinated people who become infected with the Delta variant can carry substantial quantities of Covid-19 in the nose and throat. It is not known who conducted the research...     quoted from

---

AUGUST 3, 2021
President Biden Remarks on COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts
President Biden delivered remarks from the White House to provide an update on the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The president urged the unvaccinated to get vaccinated, saying that those who have yet to be vaccinated are at a greater risk of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death. In response to a question, the President said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo should resign, after the state attorney general released her report outlining sexual harassment allegations against the governor. 

Remarks by President Biden on Fighting the COVID-⁠19 Pandemic

AUGUST 03, 2021•SPEECHES AND REMARKS

THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon.  Last week, I laid out what we need to do to beat the COVID-19 vi- — pandemic and the challenges posed by the Delta variant.

This is a very different variant than what we’ve dealt with previously.  It’s highly transmissible, and it’s causing a new wave of cases.  It accounts for over 80 percent of all COVID-19 cases in the United States today.  Experts tell us that we’re going to see these cases rise in the weeks ahead — a largely preventable tragedy that will get worse before it gets better.

What’s different about this surge from previous ones is we have the tools to prevent this rise in cases from shutting down
our businesses, our schools, our society, as we saw what happened last year.

And while cases are on the rise, it’s important to note we’ve not seen a comparable rise in hospitalizations or deaths in most areas of the country.

That’s because 165 million Americans are fully vaccinated, including 80 percent of the most vulnerable Americans — our seniors...     more

---

AUGUST 3, 2021
NY Governor Cuomo Statement on Sexual Harassment Investigation Findings
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) responded to a newly released report outlining sexual harassment allegations against him. Governor Cuomo said, 'I never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances." In taped response the governor responded to several specific claims of harassment and explained what his office is doing broadly to address sexual assault and harassment. 

​Tahe Cuomo brothers: Report places a new spotlight on a unique relationship

​Aug. 4 - ...Governor Andrew Cuomo's alleged sexual harassment and abuse of power -- documented in excruciating detail by NY AG Letitia James' report -- is leading him down an impeachment track. Chris Cuomo's role as a member of his brother's inner circle, a role that raises serious questions about journalistic responsibilities and ethics, is also detailed in the report. Chris surely has a lot to say about his brother. But for the time being he is staying silent: He did not mention the scandal on "Cuomo Prime Time" Tuesday night...      quoted from
​

​Related Articles:

Key findings of the Andrew Cuomo sexual harassment report -- and what's next
Chris Cuomo Completely Ignores Brother’s Scandal on First Show After Report Drops

---

Dr. Anthony Fauci has admitted that COVID-19 vaccines don't work against the Delta variant.

Aug. 4 - A clip of Dr. Anthony Fauci – White House chief medical advisor and expert on infectious diseases – has been doing the rounds on Facebook. The clip is taken from an interview with an MSNBC news anchor. In the interview, Fauci talks about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on mask-wearing in the U.S.

​"We have a Delta variant that has changed the entire landscape," Fauci says, adding: "When you look at the level of virus in the nasal pharynx of a vaccinated person who gets a breakthrough infection with Delta, it is exactly the same as the level of virus in an unvaccinated person who's infected." Fauci then says that this is what triggered the change in the CDC's guidelines on masks.

​Social media users are alleging that this clip proves that Dr. Fauci has admitted that COVID-19 vaccines don't work against the Delta variant. This is not so. Dr. Fauci has consistently advocated for COVID-19 vaccines. As Bloomberg has reported, Fauci has said that the likelihood of getting a severe outcome of the infection is very low when a person is fully inoculated.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fauci has been the target of many false and misleading claims. In this instance, Fauci's comment has been taken out of context. In the five-minute-long interview, Fauci explains that the Delta variant is more transmissible and is now the most dominant variant in the U.S.

A week before the guidance update, CNBC reported that 99.5 percent of COVID deaths were among unvaccinated people. As of July 27, 2021, the CDC now states: "To maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others, wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission." This guidance also applies to people who have been fully vaccinated.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19, including symptoms, prevention, and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organization or your national healthcare authority.     source from

---

AUGUST 3, 2021
White House Daily Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki spoke about the president’s agenda with reporters. Topics discussed included infrastructure, eviction moratorium, COVID-19 restrictions in other states and cities, and the new report on sexual harassment allegations against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D)

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, August 3, 2021

AUGUST 03, 2021•PRESS BRIEFINGS

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
 
MS. PSAKI:  Hi, everyone.  I have a couple of items for all of you at the top.  I wanted to take a moment to recognize the passing of Metropolitan Police Officer Gunther Hashida and Officer Kyle DeFreytag — two officers who bravely defended the Capitol, both during and after the insurrection on January 6th.  Their deaths are a sad reminder of that shameful day in our country’s history and of the physical and mental scars left the officers who risked their lives to protect our Capitol and our democracy. 
 
We heard firsthand, last week, from tho- — from some of those who served on that day, and their testimony reaffirmed the incredible bravery they showed in the worst possible circumstances.  Their passing also reminds us of the remarkable courage of the men and women in law enforcement who serve with honor and leave home each day not knowing what risk they may face but are determined to protect their communities.  We’re indebted to their services, and our thoughts go out to the friends, family, and loved ones of the two officers.
 
And we want to remind those who are struggling that help is available 24/7.  Please reach out to the Suicide Prevention line — Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255...     more 

Eviction Prevention | Aug. 3, 2021

 White House News in Chinese - About (weebly.com)

1 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

White House tells states to prevent evictions, as House Democrats press Biden administration to act

Congress is pressuring the White House while the Supreme Court said only Congress could take action.

​Aug. 3 - The White House told state and local governments that they have the power to prevent evictions, following the end of the eviction moratorium.

The Biden administration said in a statement on Monday that while the federal government provided $46.5 billion to prevent renters from being evicted, some states and cities have been "too slow to act" by not providing the money to tenants.

There is "no excuse for any State or locality not to promptly deploy the resources that Congress appropriated to meet the critical need of so many Americans," the statement continued. "This assistance provides the funding to pay landlords current and back rent so tenants can remain in their homes or apartments, not be evicted."

The ban on evictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic expired over the weekend, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was unable to extend it following the Supreme Court's ruling on June 29 that said only Congress could do so through new legislation...     more

AOC calls fellow Democrats "cowards" on the eviction moratorium

The House has been dismissed for a seven week recess without extending the eviction moratorium.
​
Aug. 2 - New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is calling fellow Washington Democrats "cowards" for failing to extend a moratorium on evicting Americans during the pandemic, which after roughly 8 months of protection has put a reported 11 million Americans in jeopardy of losing shelter.

"The House and House leadership had the opportunity to vote to extend the moratorium and there was, frankly, a handful of conservative Democrats in the House that threatened to get on planes rather than hold this vote," Cortez said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union." "We have to call a spade a spade. We cannot in good faith blame the Republican Party when House Democrats have a majority."

​The White House has said it didn't have the authority to extend the moratorium past August 31 and asked Congress to address the issue legislatively...     more 

---

00:00

/

01:21

Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Eviction Prevention Efforts

AUGUST 02, 2021•STATEMENTS AND RELEASES

Today, President Biden is taking further action to prevent Americans from experiencing the heartbreak of eviction. Thanks to State eviction moratoria, almost 33% of the country will be spared evictions for the rest of this month. But in the remaining States, action is needed.

Thanks to the bipartisan COVID relief act Congress passed in December 2020 and the American Rescue Plan Congress and the Biden Administration enacted in March 2021, State and local governments long ago received Emergency Rental Assistance—a $46.5 billion plan to protect millions of Americans facing deep rental debt and potential eviction during the pandemic. Some cities and States have demonstrated their ability to release these funds efficiently to tenants and landlords in need. But even though funds began to be distributed in February by the Biden Administration, too many States and cities have been too slow to act...     more

AUGUST 2, 2021
​White House Daily Briefing
White House COVID-19 Economic Relief Coordinator Gene Sperling joined White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki to discuss the administration’s policy priorities. Mr. Sperling addressed the White House’s stance on eviction moratoriums and what it’s doing to prevent evictions. The press secretary responded to a variety of questions on eviction moratoriums, COVID-19 vaccine mandates, concerns about breakthrough cases and U.S. travel restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and White House American Rescue Plan Coordinator and Senior Advisor to the President Gene Sperling, August 2, 2021

AUGUST 02, 2021•PRESS BRIEFINGS

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

MS. PSAKI:  Hi, everyone.  Hello.

Q    Welcome back, Jen.

MS. PSAKI:  Thank you.  Well, thank you.  I know it’s a later briefing this afternoon.  Good things are worth the wait.

And with that, we are — I’m pleased to be joined today by Gene Sperling, who probably doesn’t need a great introduction as the former NEC Director in two administrations and the person who’s overseeing our American Rescue Plan implementation.  He’s going to talk a little bit about where we are on housing, take a few questions, and then we will proceed with our normal series of events.

With that, go ahead, Gene.

MR. SPERLING:  Thank you.  It’s good to be back.

You know, our President so deeply believes that every avoidable eviction of an American family hurt by this pandemic is an avoidable heartbreak and harm to a family’s economic security and dignity.  And he has worked and instructed us, from day one, to do everything within our power to prevent unnecessary evictions for those who have been hurt through this pandemic.

What I wanted to do today is just give you a little background on the statement that is coming out today that deals with both evictions, our executive actions, and the emerge- — Emergency Rental Assistance Plan for state and local governments...     more

---

Remarks by President Biden at a Virtual Fundraising Reception for the Democratic National Committee

AUGUST 02, 2021•SPEECHES AND REMARKS

Via Teleconference

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Tom.  Thanks for that introduction and for your generous support.  And I want to thank you all.  And, Jaime, for your support as well and being willing to take on the chairmanship. 

You know, I didn’t have it like you did, but I remember when my dad — when things died up in Scranton; the coal dried up.  He wasn’t a coalminer; my great grandfather was.  But he wasn’t a coalminer, but everything else dried up.  And he said — I remember him going home to my grandpop, who had four sons and a daughter, and asking him is it okay if his wife — my mother, Jean — and the three kids move in with him for a year or so until they got straightened away down in northern Delaware — a little town called Claymont. 

And so that — and he said — I’ll never forget it.  He said, “I’ll come home every weekend, Joey.  Every weekend.  There’s only 147 — 157 miles.”  And I thought, “My God, that’s a million miles.”  I was going — I was in third grade, going into fourth.  And you know, it’s a --

​They used to have an expression — and that’s never — and this is the God’s truth.  We got down to Delaware, as he worked his way through, after five years, being able to buy a small three-bedroom home.  He used to say, “Joey, a job is a lot more than a paycheck.  It’s about — it’s about your pride.  It’s about your place in the community.  It’s about your ability to look your kids in the eye.  It’s about your dignity.”  And so it’s much — so much more...     more 

White House spokesperson: Israel will make its own decisions

​White House press secretary says the Iranian attack on Israeli-managed ship will not affect nuclear negotiations with Iran.

Aug. 3 - White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday that the Iranian attack on an Israeli-managed ship near the coast of Oman would not affect US negotiations with Iran on a return to the 2015 nuclear deal.

“As a sovereign country, Israel is going to make their own decisions” regarding a possible retaliation to the attack, Psaki told reporters.

“But I will say that as it relates to our own engagement in nuclear talks — which we, of course, do have authorities over or do have decisions to make there — our view is that every single challenge and threat we face from Iran would be made more pronounced and dangerous by an unconstrained nuclear program,” she added.

“So, put another way, constraining Iran’s nuclear program by returning to the JCPOA will put us in a better position to address these other problems. It doesn’t mean that it will take care of the other issues that had been ongoing concerns we’ve had with Iran. They are a bad actor on the global stage. They have threatened our own military, as we all know. But we continue to believe that pursuing a diplomatic path forward, that pursuing an opportunity to make sure we have greater visibility into what their nuclear capabilities are is in our national interest,” continued Psaki.

Earlier on Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised a "collective response" to Iran following the attack on the Japanese-owned, Israeli-managed MV Mercer Street last Friday.

Blinken said that US was "working with UK, Romania, Israel, and others on determining the response." He added that the US was confident Iran carried out the attack, calling it "tremendously irresponsible."

A spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry on Monday vehemently denied claims that his country was behind the attack.

The spokesman called the accusations "baseless and provocative," and warned that Iran would respond to any retaliatory action against it, "immediately and determinedly".

Israel accused the Iranian government of carrying out the attack, and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett hinted at a possible Israeli response.

“We know how to convey the message to Iran in our own way," he said.

On Sunday, Britain condemned Iran and accused it of carrying out Friday’s deadly attack, saying it has concluded that Iran is likely to blame for the drone bombing.

“UK assessments have concluded that it is highly likely that Iran attacked the MV MERCER STREET in international waters off Oman using one or more Unmanned Aerial Vehicles,” the UK said.

Related Articles:
US pessimistic about chances of restoring Iran nuclear deal
Report: US to sanction Iran’s drones and guided missiles
Blinken: Talks with Iran cannot go on indefinitely
US official: Iran won't get a better deal

COVID-19 origins | Aug. 2, 2021

 White House News in Chinese - About (weebly.com)

1 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

U.S. will not lock down despite surge driven by Delta variant, Fauci says

Aug 2 - The United States will not lock down again to curb COVID-19 but "things are going to get worse" as the Delta variant fuels a surge in cases, mostly among the unvaccinated, top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Sunday.
A sufficient percentage of Americans have now been vaccinated to avoid lockdowns, Fauci said on ABC's "This Week".

"Not enough to crush the outbreak, but I believe enough to not allow us to get into the situation we were in last winter," he said.

​The average number of new coronavirus cases reported nationwide has nearly doubled in the past 10 days, according to a Reuters analysis.
Even if states do not resort to lockdowns again, the spread of the Delta variant could still threaten the economy...     more

What Is A Breakthrough Infection? 6 Questions Answered About Catching COVID-19 After Vaccination

​Aug. 2 - ...
What is ‘breakthrough infection?’
​No vaccine is 100% effective. Dr. Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine was 80%-90% effective in preventing paralytic disease. Even for the gold standard measles vaccine, the efficacy was 94% among a highly vaccinated population during large outbreaks.

Comparably, clinical trials found the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna were 94%–95% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 – much more protective than initially hoped.

A quick reminder: A vaccine efficacy of 95% does not mean that the shot protects 95% of people while the other 5% will contract the virus. Vaccine efficacy is a measure of relative risk – you need to compare a group of vaccinated people to a group of unvaccinated people under the same exposure conditions. So consider a three-month study period during which 100 out of 10,000 unvaccinated people got COVID-19. You’d expect five vaccinated people to get sick during that same time. That’s 5% of the 100 unvaccinated people who fell ill, not 5% of the whole group of 10,000.

Top ArticlesREAD MOREWhy COVID Cases Are Now Falling In The UK – AndWhat Could Happen NextWhen people get infected after vaccination, scientists call these cases “breakthrough” infections because the virus broke through the protective barrier the vaccine provides...     more

Citizens line up at a Covid-19 testing site in Yuhuatai district of Nanjing, in eastern China's Jiangsu province, on August 2, 2021.

Delta variant challenges China's zero Covid strategy — and raises questions over its vaccine efficacy​

Aug. 2 - China's hardline zero Covid strategy is facing a fresh challenge from the rapid spread of the Delta variant, amid concerns over the efficacy of Chinese vaccines against the highly contagious strain.

The Delta variant, which appears to cause more severe illness and spreads as easily as chickenpox according to an internal document from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has wreaked havoc across the world. Now, it is causing China's worst outbreak in months.


China reported 328 local Covid-19 infections in July, close to the total from the previous five months, according to the National Health Commission. Although that's only a fraction of the cases reported in countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, it is perceived as a serious threat in China, where authorities attempt to keep local infections at zero.

The latest outbreak started two weeks ago in the eastern city of Nanjing, where nine airport cleaners were found to be infected during a routine test. Since then, the cluster has spread to at least 26 cities across China, including a tourist hot spot in the southern province of Hunan and the capital Beijing...     more

People get off a plane at Nanjing Lukou International Airport, Jiangsu Province, September 19, 2019.

How did COVID-19 Delta variant spread from Nanjing across China?


Date published on July 30, 2021
...The 'patient-zero' of the latest outbreak
Cases in the initial stages of the outbreak were among workers at Nanjing Lukou International Airport. 

"The genetic sequence of the virus isolated from the infected cleaning staff was consistent with that of an imported case detected on flight CA910 from Russia on July 10," said Ding Jie, deputy director at the city's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at a press conference.
Previously, the flight had been suspended 10 times due to imported cases. Seven of the suspensions occurred in 2021, including three times in July alone.

The cluster, according to local health officials, resulted from ineffective management and a lack of strict hygiene and sanitation measures in the airport.

A cleaner surnamed Li, who contracted the virus at the airport, told the media that there's no separation of cleaning personnel or tools between domestic and international flights. As the workers come into contact with the garbage on the planes, it's possible to get infected if the litter is contaminated, Li claimed...     quoted from

  Rubio, Risch, Menendez, Warner Call on POTUS to Pursue Investigation into COVID Origins


Jul 28 - U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jim Risch (R-ID), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Mark Warner (D-VA) sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking the administration to take three crucial steps to get to the bottom of the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, Rubio introduced the COVID Act of 2021, which would authorize sanctions and other restrictions if, within 90 days after enactment, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to refuse to allow a credible and comprehensive investigation into the origins of COVID-19 to be conducted at suspect laboratories in Wuhan. Investigating the origins of COVID is crucial to preventing a similar calamity in the future.

​“The PRC’s refusal to cooperate with the World Health Organization (WHO) investigation into COVID-19 origins, the gag order it imposed on Chinese scientists and medical personnel, and its ongoing obfuscation and disinformation campaign regarding the pandemic have caused severe hardship worldwide,” the senators wrote. “As the United States emerges from the pandemic, we believe that, in addition to addressing gaps in international pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, including within our own government, three crucial steps are necessary to prevent a similar calamity in the future.”

These steps include:

• Directing the intelligence community to continue prioritizing a thorough investigation into the origins of COVID-19 until there is a conclusion in which the United States has a high degree of confidence;
• Working with allies and partners to use all available resources and tools to pressure Beijing into permitting a transparent forensic investigation in the People’s Republic of China; and
• Completing a thorough review of existing and prior U.S. government support or funding for research collaboration with the PRC related to gain-of-function, synthetic biology, biotechnology, or other research areas that pose dual-use concerns.

“We expect that Congress will remain fully informed of and consulted on your efforts to reach definitive conclusions regarding the origins of this pandemic, as well as any concrete policy recommendations,” the senators concluded. “We stand ready to work with your administration in a bipartisan manner to seek answers to these important questions.”

Rubio is Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a senior member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

The full text of the letter is below...     more

NBC Nightly News Broadcast (Full) - August 1st, 2021
Aug 2, 2021

---