Viral origins
Reporting Tuesday
Team hit the ground one year after outbreak
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/who-wuhan-report-/2021/03/29/cb6ca64e-7778-11eb-9489-8f7dacd51e75_story.html
Joint World Health Organization-China report
Coronavirus most likely jumped from animals to humans via an intermediate animal host
Downplays the possibility it leaked from a lab
Recommends further study, path of transmission between animals and humans
Transmission through frozen food
Does not recommend additional research on the lab leak hypothesis
US Secretary of State Antony Blinke
Concerns about the methodology and the process
the fact that the government in Beijing apparently helped to write it
Jake Sullivan, national security
It is imperative that this report be independent, with expert findings free from intervention or alteration by the Chinese government
To better understand this pandemic and prepare for the next one, China must make available it’s data from the earliest days of the outbreak
Much data collected by Chinese scientists, ahead of visit, then analyzed by the joint team
Dominic Dwyer, Australian microbiologist team member
I mean, yes, we did a three-hour visit.
And it was sort of managed in the sense that there’s a lot of people there, and we do a tour.
But we did get to ask questions
You could do, if so desired, a more detailed forensic examination
But that is another whole negotiation and discussion
CDC, Right now, I’m scared
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/03/29/coronavirus-covid-live-updates-us/
Rochelle Walensky
7 day average, about + 60,000 per day
Up 10%
Death rate up 3%
I’m going to lose the script and I’m going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom
We have so much to look forward to, so much promise and potential of where we are and so much reason for hope. But right now, I’m scared
Infectious diseases physician at Massachusetts General Hospital
U.S. trajectory mirrors the trends a few weeks ago in Europe
Please hold on a little while longer. I so badly want to be done
We are just almost there, but not quite yet
Country does not have the luxury of inaction
WH working on standardized vaccine passport
UK government update
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/slides-and-datasets-to-accompany-coronavirus-press-conference-29-march-2021
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/974356/2021-03-29_COVID-19_Press_Conference_Slides__for_publication_.pdf
UK roadmap
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-52530518
The coronavirus vaccine programme continues to go to plan
Vaccines are sufficiently reducing the number of people dying or needing hospital treatment
Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospital admissions
New coronavirus variants do not fundamentally change the risk of lifting restrictions
Source