Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said that the six-foot social distancing mandate that was employed across much of the United States and the world to deal with the CCP virus pandemic “wasn’t based on clear science.”
“This six-foot distancing requirement has probably been the single costliest mitigation tactic that we’ve employed in response to COVID … and it really wasn’t based on clear science. … We should have re-adjudicated this much earlier,” he said in an interview with CNBC.
There were no scientific studies on the optimal conditions for COVID-19 social distancing at the early stages of the pandemic.
Texas Roadhouse CEO ‘Took His Own Life’ After COVID-19-Related Symptoms: Family
Texas Roadhouse CEO and co-founder Kent Taylor allegedly died from suicide due to CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus-related symptoms, his family said over the weekend. He was 65.Taylor’s family and the restaurant chain told The Hill and other news outlets that he “took his own life this week” after “a battle with post-COVID related symptoms, including severe tinnitus,” referring to COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus.
Tokyo Olympics Organizers Bar Overseas Spectators
At last, it’s official after countless unsourced news reports and speculation: spectators from abroad will be barred from the postponed Tokyo Olympics when they open in four months.The decision was announced March 20 after an online meeting of the International Olympic Committee, the Japanese government, the Tokyo government, the International Paralympic Committee, and local organizers.
Romania Sets Record for Virus Patients in ICUs
Romania on Sunday recorded its highest number of CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus patients in intensive care units since the pandemic began.The increasing pressure on ICU wards—where 1,334 people are currently receiving care—comes amid a surge of virus cases in the country. Over the past week, Romania has been recording its highest number of infections in three months—on some days more than 6,000 new daily cases.
Infections Continue to Climb in Turkey
Turkey’s weekly regional CCP virus figures keep increasing.Health ministry statistics released late Saturday showed the rate of infection is more than 251 cases per 100,000 in Istanbul, the country’s largest city—up 41 percent since last week. That means about 40,000 new infections in Istanbul alone, which has quadrupled from numbers first released six weeks ago.
Republic of Congo Polls Open; Candidate Sick With Virus
Republic of Congo pressed ahead Sunday with an election in which President Denis Sassou N'Guesso is widely expected to extend his 36 years in power, while the leading opposition candidate was flown to France after suffering virus complications.The watchdog group NetBlocks reported an internet blackout that began in the Central African country around midnight on election day.
France Pushes Vaccines as Leaders Debate Jabs for All
French health workers soldiered on with the country’s CCP virus vaccination drive on Sunday on the second day of a new lockdown in parts of France and amid differing views among leaders over whether inoculations should be open to everyone.France resumed use of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Friday, a day after the European Union’s drug watchdog said it was convinced that the shot’s benefits outweighed any risks. More than a dozen nations including France had suspended its use following an investigation into reports of blood disorders.
Israeli Court Upholds School’s Barring of Teacher Who Refused Vaccine
An Israeli court on Sunday upheld a school’s decision to bar a teaching assistant who had refused to show proof she had been vaccinated or tested for the CCP virus.The teaching assistant, Sigal Avishai, had argued that the school’s policy was an unlawful breach of her medical privacy and that she was being “pressured to get vaccinated against her beliefs,” the court said.
2 in Denmark Suffer Brain Hemorrhage After Vaccines, 1 Dies
Denmark said on Saturday that one person had died and another fell seriously ill with blood clots and cerebral hemorrhage after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccination.The two, both hospital staff members, had both received the AstraZeneca vaccine less than 14 days before getting ill, the authority that runs public hospitals in Copenhagen said.
Jack Phillips, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report