Day: April 18, 2022

The White House has announced the United States will co-host the second global COVID-19 summit virtually on May 12 to discuss increasing efforts to end the pandemic internationally and prepare for future variants of the coronavirus.

“The emergence and spread of new variants, like omicron, have reinforced the need for a strategy aimed at controlling COVID-19 worldwide,” the White House said in a joint news release.

The U.S. will host the summit with Belize, chair of the Caribbean Community, or CARICOM, Germany, the current president of the Group of Seven leading economies, or G-7; Indonesia, which currently holds the presidency of the Group of 20 largest economies, or G-20; and Senegal as African Union chair.

The news comes amid concerns regarding a resurgence of the pandemic after recent COVID-19 restrictions in China, and the rise of a new BA.2 variant of the coronavirus in the U.S., where Philadelphia has reinforced an indoor mask mandate, making it the first big American city to do so.

“The Summit will redouble our collective efforts to end the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for future health threats,” the five countries said in the statement.

They emphasized supporting locally-led solutions that include “getting shots into arms; deploying tests and treatments, especially for the highest-risk populations; and expanding and protecting the health workforce.”

U.S. President Joe Biden, who called for international cooperation to end the pandemic, convened the first global COVID-19 summit last September. The delta and omicron variants of the coronavirus spread soon after.

“We know we must prepare now to build, sustain, and finance the global capacity we need, not only for emerging COVID-19 variants, but also future health crises,” the joint statement said.

The summit is calling on world leaders, philanthropists, NGOs, and the private sector to support their mission to increase the vaccination rate internationally and sustain health security.

Source: Voice of America

A U.S. federal judge has ruled a national mask mandate on airplanes and other public transportation is not lawful, overturning a Biden administration policy.

The ruling Monday by U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa, Florida, said health officials had exceeded their authority in issuing the mandate.

The judge said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) failed to properly justify its decision and did not follow procedures in issuing the mandate.

Earlier this month, the CDC extended its mask mandate on public transportation by 15 days until May 3. Health authorities said they needed time to assess the impact of the BA.2 omicron subvariant of the coronavirus, which is causing cases to rise in some parts of the country.

The mask mandate, which was first issued in February 2021, covers airplanes, trains, transit hubs, taxis and ride-share vehicles.

Mizelle was appointed by former President Donald Trump. The lawsuit against the mask mandate was filed last year in Florida by a group called the Health Freedom Defense Fund.

Airlines had lobbied for months for federal officials to end the mask mandate, arguing that advanced filters on planes make transmission of the coronavirus on flights unlikely.

It is not clear if the judge’s order would take immediate effect or if the Biden administration would attempt to block the ruling.

The White House and the CDC did not immediately comment on the judge’s decision.

Source: Voice of America