NEW YORK (WABC) — Novavax, a biotechnology company developing a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine, has released its product’s efficacy.
The vaccine provides 100% protection against severe disease resulting in hospitalization and death and has 96.4% efficacy against the original virus strain. It’s also effective against the U.K. and South African coronavirus variants, the company said in a news release.We are very encouraged by the data showing that NVX-CoV2373 not only provided complete protection against the most severe forms of disease, but also dramatically reduced mild and moderate disease across both trials. Importantly, both studies confirmed efficacy against the variant strains,” said Stanley C. Erck, president and CEO of Novavax.
The United Kingdom Phase 3 Trial enrolled more than 15,000 participants between 18-84 years of age, including 27% over the age of 65, the company said. Efficacy was 96.4% against the original virus strain and 86.3% against the U.K. strain.Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi was vaccinated on Friday by Dr. Jane R. Zucker, who has led the Health Department’s Bureau of Immunization for the last 16 years. Chokshi, who also battled the coronavirus, received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. “Today I’m feeling grateful to have received the COVID-19 vaccine. Not just for myself and my loved ones, but also because I know that every shot brings us closer to a city that is protected from COVID-19,” Chokshi said.Employed New Yorkers, both public and private, will be eligible to receive paid time off when they get the COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday. Cuomo said workers will be eligible for four hours of paid time off for each vaccine.The new, New York City will just look a little bit different,” said Barbara Denham, a senior commercial real estate economist with Moody’s Analytics.
Hundreds of thousands of families moved out of the city in the months after the lockdown started. Many of them won’t return, but others are coming back along with new people who are looking for new opportunities.Mayor calls Cuomo ending NY mandatory domestic travel quarantine ‘April Fool’s joke’
Mayor Bill de Blasio is blasting the state’s decision to end the mandatory quarantine for domestic travelers entering New York starting April 1. While no longer required, the NYS Department of Health still recommends quarantine after domestic travel as an added precaution. Mandatory quarantine remains in effect for international travelers. All travelers must continue to fill out the Traveler Health Form. Individuals should continue strict adherence to all safety guidelines to stop the spread – wearing masks, socially distancing, and avoiding gatherings.
“This is great news, but it is not an all-clear for New Yorkers to let their guard down,” Cuomo said. “To beat this virus once and for all we all must continue doing what we know works to stop the spread, including wearing masks, washing our hands, and practicing social distancing.”
Joe Biden, Kamala Harris celebrate after signing COVID stimulus bill
One year after the nation was brought to a near-standstill by the coronavirus, President Joe Biden pledged in his first prime-time address to make all adults eligible for vaccines by May 1 and raised the possibility of beginning to “mark our independence from this virus” by the Fourth of July. He offered Americans fresh hope and appealed anew for their help. Speaking in the White House East Room Thursday night, Biden honored the “collective suffering” of Americans over the past year in his 24-minute address and then offered them a vision for a return to a modicum of normalcy this summer.
“We are bound together by the loss and the pain of the days that have gone by,” he said. “We are also bound together by the hope and the possibilities in the days in front of us.”
Broadway reunites in Times Square for pop-up performance 1 year after shutdown
The theater community reunited in Times Square Friday, exactly one year to the day since the Broadway shutdown, for “We Will Be Back,” a live pop-up experience and commemoration of Broadway’s lost year. The event aims to provide a sense of hope as the industry and city move forward from the challenges of the past year by shining a spotlight on the arts workers who suffered during the theatre’s literal darkest hours. It also celebrates the sense of community and diversity within the arts environment that mirrors that of New York City itself.
“Live theater is crucial to the lifeblood of the city,” Times Square Alliance acting President and COO Tom Harris said. “Times Square sits at the main artery of the city. Together, Broadway and Times Square represent a crucial economic and cultural center of New York, and without these two thriving, the city can not rebuild.”
Here’s how NJ families will benefit from the COVID relief bill
We now know how New Jersey will benefit from the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill that was signed into law by President Joe Biden Thursday. Gov. Phil Murphy was joined by Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker in Elizabeth Friday morning to discuss how billions in federal funding are being allocated to the state. The COVID relief will help state and local communities not only combat the coronavirus pandemic but will also help New Jersey families recover from the devastating economic impact the crisis has caused.”A family of four in New Jersey with two children will see, at a minimum, a minimum from this bill, $8,200 to their families,” Sen. Cory Booker said.
Biden must spend average of $43,000 every second in 2021
To pay out his coronavirus relief package, President Joe Biden must spend an average of $3.7 billion every day for the rest of this year. That’s $43,000 every second of every day until midnight chimes on 2022. For the amount of time that readers took to reach this sentence, Biden needs to disburse nearly $800,000 to stay on track. That’s according to Congressional Budget Office estimates, and even then, the Biden administration would still have plenty of the $1.9 trillion to spend in later years as a vaccinated country battles back to economic health. The president signed the aid package into law Thursday without a comprehensive plan in place to distribute all of the funds, which will be a core focus of the administration in coming weeks.
Watch the newscast from the night the world changed – March 11, 2020
On March 11, 2020, everything changed. It was the date that former President Trump suspended travel from 26 European countries. New York City became a ghost town, with many of the streets seemingly empty. The NBA had also decided to suspend its season after a player tested positive for COVID-19. That player was Utah Jazz Center Rudy Gobert. He has since recovered. The NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2020 was also announced at postponed on March 11, 2020.
When did you realize the COVID pandemic changed everything?
Many of us had a moment, most often occurring in March 2020, when we realized that COVID-19 had completely changed our lives forever. Even though we’ve managed to move forward and adapt to a new normal, that memory still sticks with us. Tell us: What was that moment to you?
Top 7 COVID vaccine questions answered
You had questions about COVID-19 vaccines and 7 On Your Side is getting you answers from doctors on the front line of the pandemic.
SOURCE: abc7ny