Former President Donald Trump falsely declared in a weekend rally that public health authorities are denying the COVID-19 vaccine to white people because of their race.
Trump, speaking Saturday night in Florence, Arizona, accused liberals of "discriminating against and denigrating" white Americans.
"If you’re white, you don’t get the vaccine, or if you’re white you don’t get therapeutics," Trump said. "In New York state, if you’re white, you have to go to the back of the line to get medical health.”
Vaccines are easily obtained in the U.S. and the government is urging everyone to be vaccinated and boosted. And New York policy allows for race to be one consideration when dispensing oral antiviral treatments, which are in limited supply, in an attempt to steer treatments to people facing the highest risk of severe disease from the coronavirus.
Also in the news:
►Nursing homes reported a near-record of about 32,000 COVID-19 cases among residents in the week ending Jan. 9, an almost sevenfold increase from a month earlier, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
►Rep. David Trone, D-Md., said he tested positive. He said he's fully vaccinated and boosted and was experiencing mild symptoms.
►Las Vegas schools are offering retention bonuses of up to $2,000 for full-time employees who remain at work during the coronavirus pandemic in response to staffing shortages.
📈 Today's numbers: The U.S. has recorded more than 65 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 850,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Global totals: More than 328 million cases and over 5.5 million deaths. More than 208 million Americans – 62.9% – are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
📘 What we're reading: They got rich off "COVID money" and flaunted it. Now they're under investigation. How did a wedding photographer and a failed doughnut shop owner get $124 million in federal cash for COVID-19 testing? Read more here.
Keep refreshing this page for the latest news. Want more? Sign up for USA TODAY's free Coronavirus Watch newsletter to receive updates directly to your inbox and join our Facebook group.
Novak Djokovic lands in Serbia after deportation from Australia
Novak Djokovic arrived in his native Serbia on Monday after being deported from Australia because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19, ending his hopes of defending his Australian Open title. The tennis star now faces questions over whether he would be barred from the next Grand Slam tournament, the French Open.
Djokovic had argued in an Australian court he should be allowed to stay and compete because a recent coronavirus infection meant he was exempt from strict vaccination rules. But Australian authorities said his presence could stir up anti-vaccine sentiments and that kicking him out was necessary to keep Australians safe.
The next major tennis tournament is the French Open, which begins play in Paris in four months. France passed a law Sunday that will exclude unvaccinated people from all restaurants, sports arenas and other venues, one of the strictest measures taken by a country to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Omicron variant closing day care centers in droves
If you’re a working parent with young kids, chances are the new year hasn’t been as happy as you’d hoped. Omicron is raging, guidance is constantly changing, vaccines aren't approved for little children, and coronavirus test kits are in short supply.
Reliable, affordable child care options are scarce. Centers cancel classes or close altogether as employees call in sick or leave their jobs. COVID-19 cases crop up at day cares, where internal spread used to be somewhat limited.
“You had so many programs that were under the impression that they weathered the worst of the storm,” said Rhian Evans Allvin, CEO of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. “Now they're back in program-delivery crisis, and they're back in economic crisis.” Read more here.
– Alia Wong, USA TODAY
Contributing: The Associated Press
Source link
