COVID Pandemic March 2021

  March 1, 2021: Day 353 of COVID-19: 

Wolf puppy

COVID-19

• Johnson & Johnson's single-dose coronavirus vaccine, the third Covid-19 shot authorized for use in the US, started to be distributed across the country.
• The US House passed a version of the Covid-19 stimulus bill, a key part of President Biden’s agenda to combat the pandemic’s economic impacts. It now moves to the Senate.
• New Zealand imposed a seven-day lockdown in its most populous city, Auckland, on Sunday after two local cases of unknown origin were detected.

  March 2, 2021: Day 354 of COVID-19:  

COVID-19

• Johnson & Johnson's single-dose coronavirus vaccine, the third Covid-19 shot authorized for use in the US, will start being administered this week.
• The US House passed a version of President Biden's massive Covid-19 stimulus bill. The legislation now moves to the Senate. Follow the latest on the bill here.
• The director of the US CDC warned that variants could wipe out all the recent progress made to curb the number of new cases.

  March 3, 2021: Day 355 of COVID-19: .

COVID-19

• Johnson & Johnson's single-dose coronavirus vaccine, the third Covid-19 shot authorized for use in the US, is being administered this week.
• The US House passed a version of President Biden's massive Covid-19 stimulus bill. The legislation now moves to the Senate.
• Brazil recorded its highest daily number of Covid-related deaths, as hospitals across the country approach breaking point.

  March 4, 2021: Day 356 of COVID-19: 

First day of tennis again.

Athena is getting a sleep study

COVID-19

• Johnson & Johnson's single-dose coronavirus vaccine, the third Covid-19 shot authorized for use in the US, is being administered this week.
• The US House passed a version of President Biden's massive Covid-19 stimulus bill. The legislation now moves to the Senate.
• India's home-grown Covaxin vaccine is 81% effective, early data shows

  March 5, 2021: Day 357 of COVID-19: 

Study went well. 

Date with Layden

COVID-19

• A deal about the path forward on the Covid-19 stimulus bill is coming soon, after being at a standstill for hours, a source says.
• Moderate Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin stalled the passage as Republicans urged him to support a less generous unemployment benefits plan.
• If the bill passes, it will have to go back to the House before Biden can sign it into law because it has undergone major changes in the Senate after the House passed it last week.

  March 6, 2021: Day 358 of COVID-19: 

Date with Chris

I got a gym membership

Ryleigh is painting a chalk board

COVID-19

• The Senate passed President Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill by a 50-49 vote on Saturday.
• The bill, which includes checks for many Americans, will now go back to the House for a separate vote before Biden signs it into law.
• Biden called the bill's Senate passage a "giant step forward" on providing help to families and businesses during the pandemic.

  March 7, 2021: Day 359 of COVID-19: 

We got our first vaccine

  March 8, 2021: Day 360 of COVID-19: 

Enjoying the Gym

COVID-19

• The US CDC has released guidelines for fully vaccinated Americans, saying they can safely visit other vaccinated people and small groups of unvaccinated people in some circumstances.
• President Biden's Covid-19 relief package is on the cusp of being approved by Congress, with the legislation expected to face a final House vote on Tuesday.
• China is planning to launch a new program to vaccinate Chinese people living overseas, according to the country's Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

  March 9, 2021: Day 361 of COVID-19: 

COVID-19

• The US House is expected to vote tomorrow on a massive coronavirus relief package. The bill includes up to $1,400 stimulus checks for some Americans.
• WHO's director-general warned against squandering the progress made fighting Covid-19, nearly one year after the UN health agency declared a pandemic.
• Italy has become the sixth country to surpass 100,000 Covid-19 deaths

  March 10, 2021: Day 362 of COVID-19: 

Saying good bye. She going to a new home. 

Amy is in need and we are blessed and able to help. 

COVID-19

• The US House voted on Wednesday to approve a massive coronavirus relief package, which will include up to $1,400 stimulus checks for some Americans.
• A vaccine watchdog group has warned that while rich nations are vaccinating one person per second, most poorer nations have yet to give a single shot.
• Brazil has reported its highest daily death toll of the pandemic, with nearly 2,000 fatalities recorded in 24 hours.
• 
  

  March 11, 2021: Day 363 of COVID-19: Happy 311 Day

Memoring 311 Day in Vegas 2020

Issiah making us proud

311 Day Celebration

COVID-19

• President Biden addressed the nation in a speech commemorating one year since Covid-19 shut down much of the US. 
• Earlier today, Biden signed the Covid-19 relief bill into law.
• It's been one year since the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus a global pandemic

  March 12, 2021: Day 364 of COVID-19: 

Went to play tennis with Fabi but I got hurt. 

More 311

Snow is coming

COVID-19

• All adult Americans will be eligible to get a vaccine no later than May 1, President Biden said. Americans, meanwhile, can expect stimulus payments as soon as this weekend.
• More than 598,000 Americans will have died of Covid-19 by July 1, according to a prominent model. The figure has risen from previous forecasts due to declining mask use and more contagious variants.
• A growing list of countries are suspending the AstraZeneca vaccine following reports that people in Europe experienced blood clot side effects after receiving it.

  March 13, 2021: Day 363 of COVID-19: 

Fabi and Issiah are making the family ripas for breakfast.  So yummy.

I'm loving all the 311 pictures from 311 Day 2020

COVID-19-   10 lessons learned in a year of Covid-19 lockdown

1. On resilience

It wasn't always pretty. The pandemic has exposed our swagger, and also our naivete and divisions, but we learned to adapt to the most devastating episode in recent history.

Not only did we acclimate to the jarring disruptions that came with pandemic life -- at work, at school, in our social lives -- we did it while navigating the busiest hurricane season on record and a long-simmering racial reckoning.

It was far from a uniform effort, but by all accounts, we showed our mettle, our resilience. The overwhelming majority of us kept donning masks and avoiding large gatherings to keep ourselves and others safe until the cavalry arrived in the form of vaccines.

Recovery appears near, but we would do well to remember those among us who lost loved ones and livelihoods. They could have been any of us, and for them, the effects of the pandemic will linger long after the final vaccination phase. The best prescription? Some collective compassion.

2. On sacrifice

What we're willing to sacrifice in a catastrophe runs the gamut from almost nothing to just about everything.

Even the leaders most vocal on the virtues of masks, distancing and staying home couldn't help heading to the hair salon or a Michelin-star restaurant. They set a terrible example, but their temptations aren't foreign. Who among us didn't want an inch or two trimmed off, or some expertly prepared surf and turf?

Still, many of us decided we could wait. Super-spreader events snared the headlines, but beneath the media spotlight were tens of millions of people giving up the favorite parts of their lives to save others.

Not everything was a choice, of course. Many businesses shut down. Hospitals and nursing homes banned visitation. Events were canceled and travel banned, but we would be remiss to ignore the accompanying sacrifices that amounted to tiny acts of heroism and doubtless saved myriad lives.

3. On our elders

Knowing a loved one is dying alone is excruciating, as is not being there to help ease their pain. Saying farewell via Zoom or from a parking lot is heartbreaking.

Before the pandemic, there was an epidemic of isolation and depression among seniors, and the nation got low marks in general for how it cared for its elderly. Older Americans were already missing physical touch and seeing people's faces more than most. The pandemic magnified these shortcomings in profound ways.

Coronavirus homed in on the elderly with particularly deadly effect, and Americans were slow to step up and protect them. Take Gov. Andrew Cuomo, initially considered a stalwart and model of Covid-19 response: He now faces allegations he obscured the death toll among New York's nursing homes.

America isn't exceptional here. In September, many months into the pandemic, the World Health Organization director-general expressed disappointment in hearing a colleague say the massive global death toll was "fine" because the victims were mostly old.

"No, when the elderly are dying, it's not fine. It's a moral bankruptcy," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. "Every life, whether it's young or old, is precious and we have to do everything to save it."

The takeaway: We can take much better care of our elders.

4. On who's essential

Covid-19 highlighted the necessity of many professions. At the top of the list, health care professionals and teachers are underpaid, while doctors take their Hippocratic Oath seriously, too often at their peril.

Those employed in agriculture and the restaurant and grocery industries, as well as delivery drivers, are vital to keeping people healthy in times like these. Janitors, police and social workers also put their safety on the line.

In a nation that places immense, some might say lopsided, value on athletes and celebrities, the pandemic forced a re-evaluation of priorities, of who is essential. Now that Covid-19 has laid that bare, will it stick?

5. On versatility

This was supposed to last only a few weeks. For all the detriment the pandemic delivered, we showed we can pivot.

We now know just about anything can be delivered to our doors. We've learned how to socialize online, or on a porch or yard -- BYOB, of course. Work from home and remote learning haven't been ideal -- in fact, they've been quite taxing for many -- but we've found ways to make them work, and in some cases, better.

Living rooms, dining rooms, basements, spare bedrooms and backyard sheds have become (almost) functioning office spaces. Neighbors have banded together to form pods, where children can connect with their teachers from afar, while easing the burden on parents who still have to work and pay bills, no matter the state of the world.

At the same time, the effects of the lockdown preyed on the same racial and socioeconomic disparities as many of society's ills. Many feel the education gap has widened. Though we've all felt like tearing our hair out, we're still assessing the pandemic's actual influence on mental health, and experts worry about the ripple effects on Generation C, the Covid generation.

6. On technology

Technology has been immensely helpful, whether it's leading us to the nearest vaccine clinic, sending a grocery list to a delivery service, entertaining ourselves, remotely seeing doctors and therapists, educating our kids or connecting with our friends, family and coworkers. We also learned a lot of those meetings could've been emails.

But it hasn't all been smooth.

The tech landscape tilted away from the have-nots, denying many access to important innovations. Social media is a blessing and a curse. Video conferencing get old quickly. Ordering in isn't as gratifying as dining out. In-person worship trumps watching services on a laptop. "Wonder Woman 1984" and "Tenet" would've been more fun in the theater. And while we owe D-Nice, Post Malone, Norah Jones and others our gratitude for the distractions they offered us, nothing replicates live music.

7. On science

Science is amazing and, in many ways, is the only thing that can save us, regardless of whether we believe in it. Science, of course, yielded several vaccines in record time and provided us with vital guidance on how to protect ourselves.

Too many opted to ignore the latter, but those who heeded the science can take some credit for helping save lives.

We learned, however, that science doesn't always move as hastily as the problems it aims to solve. More worrisome is that when science is emerging, some will exploit uncertainties for political ends, and even our best experts can get the guidance wrong when the science is new and fuzzy.

8. On truth

In the Age of Internet, when most of the answers to life's questions are a few keystrokes away, some of us still struggle to reach truth and facts. This isn't new. In 2017, CNN felt the need to launch a house ad campaign targeting those who peddle in disinformation.

The struggle to find truth has dealt us deadly consequences during the pandemic. Exacerbating matters have been those of us who feel so strongly about our civil liberties we are willing to risk hurting ourselves and others. Add to that scurrilous characters who will politicize anything, cheered on by the leaders they put into power and others who put the economy over lives, and you have a toxic recipe for handling a deadly outbreak.

This has put on exclamation point on something many already knew: The truth cannot be chosen, but many think it can.

9. On strength and coming together

We can put politics aside when disasters, such as the aforementioned hurricanes or the snowstorm that almost knocked out Texas' power grid, leave us in danger.

We often can't rely on politicians to bail us out (not like corporate America can). Some leaders may jet off to Utah or Cancun when calamity strikes or dither over relief checks while people are getting sicker, getting hungrier or the power bill's due, but in many ways, we can rely on our fellow Americans.

Amid the headlines chronicling bad behavior were stories of selflessness and triumph: restaurateurs feeding the hungry, doctors treating the poor, musicians offering respite from the chaos, volunteers aiding ex-convicts or addicts, among so many others.

It raises an important question about how we, as a country, define strength: Is it clinging to our freedom, consequences be damned, or reaching out and sacrificing -- even enduring a cumbersome mask -- to ensure the safety of our fellow Americans?

10. On lessons

There's an old saying about history repeating itself, and there's no reason to believe it won't apply in post-pandemic life.

If we engage in denial or fail to heed the lessons handed us, we could do this all over again -- and maybe sooner than we'd like.

  March 14, 2021: Day 364 of COVID-19: 

News Highline:  The Rocky Mountains and western Plains were digging out after heavy snow and blizzard conditions on Monday while people in Texas cleaned up from tornado damage.

With any snow day, especially a blizzard, we love to start off with family board games. 

It's crazy but the snow is just getting started. 

Stormie's first blizzard and they want outside to play.

Chris thinks he can keep up with the snow. Maybe if the drive way wasn't so big. 

Layden braving the snow in a robe and no shoes. 

Can't have a blizzard and not play in it. The only problem is the snow is so cold that it's hard as a rock. 

Fabi jumped into the snow thinking it would be soft but nope... it was hard as a rock. 

Huge snow draft. 

Heading to the back to slide.

They spent about hour and then they were frozen.

It was so hard to walk in the snow... what a work out. 

Coming in to warm up.

COVID- 19: News

• Germany, France and Italy are the latest countries to suspend use of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine following reports of possible side effects.
• Dr. Anthony Fauci says federal Covid-19 guidelines "will be much more liberal" by July 4th if US cases drop as more Americans are vaccinated. So far, about 1 in 5 Americans have had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
• Meanwhile, much of Italy will be under new lockdown orders starting Monday as coronavirus variants spread.

  March 15, 2021: Day 365 of COVID-19:  1 Year of COVID

The day after tomorrow and we need out for tennis but the snow is deep.

It took about 3 hours with 6 adults to dig us out. 

Fabi might not be going anywhere. 

Too tired to walk

Tennis. I'm to protective so rather than letting them drive in the snow covered roads I'm driving them to tennis. 

I get to watch Athena. 

These roads are crazy. A day a go there was no snow at all. 

COVID-19:

Vice President Harris lays out Covid-19 relief plan and urges vaccinations in Nevada

Vice President Kamala Harris broke down the benefits Americans will receive from the American Rescue Plan in her most formal but still brief remarks of the trip, kicking off the Biden administration’s “Help is here” tour at the Culinary Academy in North Las Vegas.

“Help is here,” Harris declared, noting that President Biden once said, "Help is on the way," and has now signed the bill into law.

“So, I'm here to also make sure we get the word out, so folks know what they are entitled to receive,” she said. “And also, by extension, they remember, this is supposed to be the job of your government. Which is when you're suffering, when you need a helping hand, when you need a little assistance, to just get over a moment of crisis you didn't create. That's when leaders are supposed to kick in to say, "I'm here I see you and I will help you.'"

Standing in front of boxed produce, Harris broke down the benefits of the bill from the direct payments, child tax credits to COBRA subsidies. She spoke about the administration’s efforts to make sure the bill provided equity, describing at one point the difference between charity and duty.    

She also talked with employees today about how many union members are getting vaccines and vaccine hesitancy in communities of color.

“Whatever vaccine you are offered, you need to take,” Harris told employees at a fulfillment center, after reiterating that she, Biden and Nevada’s governor all got different vaccines.

  March 16, 2021: Day 366 of COVID-19: 

I hurt my hand in tennis. I think it's broken. 

COVID-19 News

• Cyprus, Luxembourg, Latvia and Sweden are the latest countries to suspend use of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine following reports of possible side effects. The suspensions go against the advice of international medical agencies, which say there's no evidence the vaccine is linked to clotting.
• In Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro has appointed the country's fourth health minister since the pandemic began.
• In the US, the White House is racing to prevent and prepare for a potential fourth coronavirus surge, as more transmissible variants spread across the country.

  March 17, 2021: Day 367 of COVID-19: 

COVID-19 News:

• Two coronavirus strains first detected in California are now officially "variants of concern," according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• The CDC's key forecast now projects there will be 554,000 to 574,000 coronavirus deaths in the US by April 10.
• Europe has attempted to calm panic regarding the AstraZeneca vaccine. France said the vaccine is as effective as Pfizer, while Italy said vaccines are the way out of the pandemic.

  March 18, 2021: Day 368 of COVID-19: 

• COVID-19 News:
• President Biden said his administration is on track to hit 100 million Covid-19 vaccines doses administered by tomorrow as the US continues to race against variants.
• The European Union's medicines regulator said its investigation found the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe but it could not definitively rule out a link to a rare blood clotting disorder.
• Brazil has reported its highest daily increase of infections since the pandemic began, a day after its daily Covid-19 death toll hit a new high.

  March 19, 2021: Day 369 of COVID-19: 

I'm in the process of creating my planner and I'm taking inspiration for this planner. 

COVID-19 News:

• US cases soared by more than 40% in just 24 hours.
• New York's governor announced a 90-day mortgage relief.
• The US is preparing for the pandemic to last up to 18 months or longer.
• Jobless claims spiked to highest level in 2.5 years.
• China reported no new locally transmitted infections for the first time.
• Have a question or a story about coronavirus? 

  March 20, 2021: Day 370 of COVID-19: 

Beautiful sun rise.

Family lunch at Blake's Taphouse. Oh how I missed this place. 

COVID- 19 News:

• The California governor put the entire state on lockdown.
• New York's governor mandated that all non-essential workers stay home.
• New York City is expected to run out of medical supplies in 2 to 3 weeks.
• Italy's coronavirus death toll has surpassed China's.
• 
  

  March 21, 2021: Day 371 of COVID-19: 

I took the girls to have a girls date at snooze. I love time with the girls. 

COVID-19 News:

• The numbers worldwide: More than 300,000 people have contracted the novel coronavirus and at least 12,944 have died, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
• Threat of severe economic downturn: A global recession is on us and experts believe coronavirus could drag the world economy into a depression.
• US death toll rises: More than 302 people have now died from the virus in the United States.

  March 22, 2021: Day 372 of COVID-19: 

Breakfast with Ryleigh. Yay. My favorite. 

Crazy girls. How much cake can they fit in their mouth. 

Tennis

COVDI-19 News:

• The global outlook: More than 335,000 people have contracted the novel coronavirus and at least 14,641 have died, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
• Threat of severe economic downturn: A global recession is looming as businesses down tools and send workers home to stop the spread of the virus.
• US death toll rises: More than 400 people have died from the virus in the United States, according to CNN's tally of cases.

  March 23, 2021: Day 373 of COVID-19: 

Ryleigh is getting his first COVID vaccine shot today.

After the vaccine Ryleigh and I got lunch together. 

Lazy girls. 

COVID-19 News:

• The Biden administration will loan about 4 million of its AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Canada and Mexico as the company awaits official usage approval in the US.
• US safety board expresses concern AstraZeneca may have included outdated information in its latest vaccine trial announcement.
• Germany will go into hard lockdown over Easter as Covid-19 infections soar.

  March 24, 2021: Day 374 of COVID-19: 

Healthy eating at Fabi's house.

COVID News:

• The Biden administration will loan about 4 million of its AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Canada and Mexico as the company awaits official usage approval in the US.
• A US safety board has expressed concern AstraZeneca may have included outdated information in its latest vaccine trial announcement.
• Hong Kong and Macao have suspended the rollout of BioNTech's vaccine citing a packaging defect found in their first batch of doses.

  March 25, 2021: Day 375 of COVID-19: 

Asa is in town and invited Layden and Tony to go to Bodocks. 

COVID-19 News

• The CDC director is concerned about a new surge in Covid-19 cases, as the US surpasses 30 million coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic.
• Five US states have expanded Covid-19 vaccine eligibility to anyone age 16 and older and at least 22 more plan to do so by the end of April.
• AstraZeneca updated its data on how well its Covid-19 vaccine works, saying the vaccine showed 76% efficacy against symptomatic disease.

  March 26, 2021: Day 376 of COVID-19: 

Issiah is spending some time with Fabi and Viviana, which is great because Viviana gets Issiah to eat green. And Viviana gets to enjoy family game night. 

Green drinks. Staying Healthy

COVID- News

• JUST IN: Former CDC head Dr. Robert Redfield says he believes the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic is a lab in China — a controversial theory without evidence.
• The current CDC director is concerned about a new surge in Covid-19 cases, as the US surpassed 30 million infections since the start of the pandemic.
• AstraZeneca updated its data on how well its Covid-19 vaccine works, saying the vaccine showed 76% efficacy against symptomatic disease.
• 
  

  March 27, 2021: Day 377 of COVID-19: 

Fabi got her first COVID Vaccine. 

I'm getting in a day of scrapbooking. Yay.

Just hanging out and having family vacation. 

COVID-19 News;

• The US now has the most known cases worldwide, surpassing China and Italy.
• A total of 3.3 million unemployment claims were filed in the US — the highest number of initial jobless claims in history.
• The US House approved a historic $2 trillion coronavirus response stimulus package.
• UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tested positive for Covid-19.
• Nearly a third of the world’s population are living under coronavirus-related restrictions.

  March 28, 2021: Day 378 of COVID-19: 

I wanted a picture of Fabiana with her card. The day after but I got it. 

Updatea on Kellen, He's killing butt. 

Issiah and Fabi's brother are playing a competive game. Issiah Won. 

COVID- News: 

• Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaks with the medical leaders of the war on Covid during a CNN special report "COVID WAR – The Pandemic Doctors Speak Out."

  March 29, 2021: Day 379 of COVID-19: 

Issiah is getting his first vaccine shot. An other step closer to moving forward.

Issiah didn't like getting a shot. 

COVID-19 News

• A upcoming WHO report on the origins of Covid-19 will say it's extremely unlikely that Covid-19 leaked from a Wuhan lab, according to a source with knowledge of the report.
• The US CDC has extended a moratorium on evictions of tenants who are unable to make rental payments.
• About 143 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in the United States, according to data from the CDC, but the current CDC director is concerned about a new surge in Covid-19 cases in the US.

  March 30, 2021: Day 380 of COVID-19: 

I'm working on our 311 Day Vegas trip. I'm so happy Ryleigh is helping me. 

Stormie just wants to play

Nana and Papa got their 2nd shot. So Awesome. 

She's getting bigger. 

Yummy healthy breakfast. 

I'm working on my book. This isn't it as a book cover. 

COVID-19 News

• The novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19 probably spread to people through an animal, not a lab, according to WHO's final report on the origins of the virus. The report recommends more study.
• Canada has become the latest country to halt the AstraZeneca vaccine for some groups, as a precaution, while rare cases of blood clots after vaccination are probed.
• More than 145 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the US, according to CDC data, but the agency's director is concerned about surging cases.

  March 31, 2021: Day 381 of COVID-19: 

COVID- 19 News

• Beijing accuses Washington of "political manipulation" as the US, along with 13 other nations, raised concerns over WHO's report into the origins of Covid-19.
• Clinical trial results of Pfizer/BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine showed its efficacy is 100% and it is well tolerated in youths ages 12 to 15, the companies said.
• The UK defends widespread use of the AstraZeneca vaccine as Germany limits its use to people over the age of 60 as a precautionary measure, following reports of more than 30 blood clots in younger age groups.