
<p id="h-topline"><strong>TOPLINE</strong> Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine staved off illness and death for over 95% of Israeli patients, according to government figures released Saturday from a report reviewed by multiple news outlets, encouraging news from the world’s most heavily vaccinated country.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<ul><li>Israel’s Ministry of Health studied the roughly 1.7 million Israelis who had received both shots of Pfizer’s vaccine as of the end of last month, and released a report later obtained by <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-israel-vaccine/covid-infections-dropped-95-8-after-both-pfizer-shots-israeli-health-ministry-idUSKBN2AK0NC" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reuters</a> and several <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/vaccine-close-to-99-percent-effective-in-preventing-death-latest-israeli-data-shows-1.9555313" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">local</a> <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-says-vaccine-dramatically-effective-prevents-98-9-of-covid-deaths/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">news</a> <a href="https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/1613844321-israel-coronavirus-vaccine-almost-96-percent-effective-in-preventing-disease" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">outlets</a>. </li></ul>



<ul><li>Two weeks after receiving both doses, vaccinated Israelis were 95.8% less likely to fall ill from Covid-19 and 98.9% less likely to face hospitalization or death, Reuters reported.</li></ul>



<ul><li>This report follows a spate of good news from Israel: The country’s main healthcare provider <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-israel-vaccine-idUSKBN2AE0Q2?taid=60298276a77dbd00013d1f6c&amp;utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&amp;utm_medium=trueAnthem&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said Sunday</a> vaccinated patients are 92% less likely to end up with serious Covid-19 cases than their unvaccinated peers, and a <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2821%2900448-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">non-peer reviewed study</a> Thursday found just one dose of the vaccine reduces the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/02/19/single-shot-of-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-is-85-effective-study-finds/?sh=52725c173969">risk of infection</a> by 75% after two weeks.</li></ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h3>



<p>32.4%. That’s the share of Israelis who are fully vaccinated as of Saturday, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/covid-vaccinations-tracker.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>New York Times</em></a>’ tracker. The country ranks first in the world for vaccinations, compared to the United States’ 5.1% immunization rate.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



<p>Israel is leading the worldwide vaccination race, partly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/01/04/why-israel-is-leading-the-world-in-covid-vaccinations-and-the-us-is-trailing/?sh=6408ca0b1592">due to</a>&nbsp;the country’s small size,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/01/why-israels-vaccine-success-might-be-hard-replicate/617780/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">speed</a>&nbsp;in buying up doses and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/31/covid-vaccine-israel-says-its-inoculated-7percent-of-its-population-its-less-than-1percent-in-us.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">comprehensive network</a>&nbsp;of HMOs (the effort&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/04/world/middleeast/israel-palestinians-vaccine.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">controversially</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/55800921" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">doesn’t include</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/pa-says-israel-has-agreed-to-vaccinate-palestinian-workers-against-covid-1.9553781" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">most</a>&nbsp;residents of the West Bank and Gaza Strip). Public health authorities around the world are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/world/middleeast/israel-virus-vaccination.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">watching Israel’s progress closely</a>, making the country the planet’s largest test case for the impact of mass-vaccination. So far, experts say there’s reason for cautious optimism: cases and hospitalizations have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-05/israel-s-pioneering-covid-vaccination-program-offers-key-lessons" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">declined for</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/region/israel" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">several weeks</a>.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h3>



<p>“Israel has a remarkable diminution in cases associated with the efficiency of their vaccine,” U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2021/02/17/press-briefing-by-white-house-covid-19-response-team-and-public-health-officials-4/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said Wednesday</a>.</p>



<p><em>By Joe Walsh, Forbes Staff</em></p>


ISRAEL-HEALTH-VIRUS-VACCINE

Pfizer’s Covid Vaccine Over 95% Effective In Israel, New Study Reportedly Shows


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong>: The number of new Covid-19 cases around the world fell for the fifth consecutive week last week, the World Health Organization <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/weekly-epidemiological-update---16-february-2021" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>, dropping 16% to 2.7 million new cases, though infectious new variants of the virus continue to spread to new regions of the world. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<ul><li>In the space of five weeks, the number of new Covid-19 cases reported around the world has almost halved, the WHO said in its weekly epidemiological report Tuesday. </li></ul>



<ul><li>Of the six regions the WHO divides the world into, only one, the Eastern Mediterranean, reported a (7%) rise in cases last week, with all others reporting double digit declines.   </li></ul>



<ul><li>The number of new deaths reported around the world also fell 10% from last week to 81,000, the WHO said, which used figures up to Sunday.</li></ul>



<ul><li>WHO chief Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus <a href="https://twitter.com/DrTedros/status/1361401367743655942?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a> Monday the global progress “shows that simple public health measures work, even in the presence of variants.” </li></ul>



<ul><li>“What matters now is how we respond to this trend,” he said, stressing that the “fire is not out… (and that) if we stop fighting it on any front, it will come roaring back.”</li></ul>



<ul><li>The agency is still monitoring the spread of numerous Covid-19 variants—including those first identified in South Africa, the U.K. and Brazil—which have each spread to new countries.  </li></ul>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This shows that simple public health measures work against <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a>, even in the presence of variants. What matters now is how we respond to this trend. The fire is not out, but we have reduced its size. If we stop fighting it on any front, it will come roaring back.</p>&mdash; Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrTedros/status/1361401367743655942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h3>



<p>By a substantial margin, the United States recorded the highest number of new cases (673,670) and deaths (21,412) from the virus last week, although these figures were down 23% and 5% from the previous week respectively.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



<p>Many countries around the world are starting to ramp up vaccination drives, with Israel and the United Arab Emirates having&nbsp;<a href="https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">inoculated</a>&nbsp;a significant portion of the population. There are fears that poorer countries will be left without supplies as the rich hoard them—something Tedros has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2020/10/26/who-warns-of-dangerous-moment-amid-spike-in-covid-19-cases/?sh=4cd61d56244c">termed</a>&nbsp;vaccine nationalism—though the WHO’s recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/02/15/astrazeneca-oxford-covid-19-vaccine-gets-emergency-approval-from-who/?sh=4bc5cd3c3953">approval</a>&nbsp;of AstraZeneca’s shot, a much cheaper and more easily transported product, is cause for optimism.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h3>



<p>The WHO is keeping an eye on new variants of the novel coronavirus, though warned that approximately 70% of its genomic sequences come from just three countries (U.S., U.K. and Denmark).</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/17/new-global-covid-cases-fell-16-last-week-says-who" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New global Covid cases fell 16% last week, says WHO</a>&nbsp;(Guardian)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/weekly-epidemiological-update---16-february-2021" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Weekly epidemiological update &#8211; 16 February 2021</a>&nbsp;(WHO)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/02/14/why-coronavirus-cases-are-dropping/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Four reasons experts say coronavirus cases are dropping in the United States</a> (Washington Post)</p>



<p><em>By Robert Hart,Forbes Staff</em></p>


SWITZERLAND-VIRUS-HEALTH-FOUNTAIN

New Covid-19 Cases Around The World Dropped 16% Last Week, World Health Organization Says


<p id="h-topline"><strong>TOPLINE</strong> Someone who is fully vaccinated who’s exposed to coronavirus doesn’t have to quarantine, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/clinical-considerations.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said&nbsp;</a>Wednesday, offering clarity into how vaccinated people should go about their lives as the rest of the country waits to get inoculated.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h4>



<ul><li>In the new guidance, the CDC said people who have received both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and are currently asymptomatic are no longer required to quarantine for two weeks.</li></ul>



<ul><li>It can take up to two weeks to develop immunity after the last dose, so the CDC says people should still quarantine if it has been less than two weeks since their last shot.</li></ul>



<ul><li>However, the free pass on quarantining only applies to those who received their second shot within the last three months, since it’s unclear as of yet how long protection lasts.</li></ul>



<ul><li>The CDC still says that vaccinated people should continue to wear masks and social distance because the vaccine isn’t 100% effective and it&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/vaccines/vaccines-faq" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">doesn’t prevent</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2021/01/16/rand-paul-says-throw-your-mask-away-after-covid-19-vaccination-dont-do-that/?sh=6dc3f0b07ccf">asymptomatic&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/02/health/covid-19-vaccine-why-people-still-test-positive/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">illness</a>.</li></ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h4>



<p>“Individual and societal benefits of avoiding unnecessary quarantine may outweigh the potential but unknown risk of transmission, and facilitate the direction of public health resources to persons at highest risk for transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to others,” the CDC said.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h4>



<p>There have been a few publicized cases of individuals testing positive for the virus even after they have been vaccinated, including Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stephen-lynch-covid-19-positive-vaccine/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Steve Lynch</a>&nbsp;(D-Ma.) and a California man who&nbsp;<a href="https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2021/02/09/orange-county-man-tests-positive-covid-19-vaccine/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tested&nbsp;</a>positive three weeks after getting his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Still,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/leahrosenbaum/2021/01/29/some-experts-claim-covid-19-reinfections-are-not-a-huge-problem-but-nobodys-tracking-the-numbers/?sh=368ea41b1915">no one</a>&nbsp;is keeping track of reinfections, so it’s unclear how widespread the issue is.</p>



<p><em>By Rachel Sandler, Forbes Staff</em></p>


PALESTINIAN-HEALTH-VIRUS-VACCINE

Fully Vaccinated People Don’t Have To Quarantine If They’re Exposed To Coronavirus, CDC Says


<p id="h-topline"><strong>TOPLINE</strong> South Africa has dropped plans to roll out the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine after a new analysis suggests the shot provides “minimal protection” against mild disease from the new variant circulating in the country—the country will possibly sell the doses and instead distribute the unauthorized Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine to frontline healthcare workers, a move that runs counter to advice from experts who believe the shot is still of value in preventing severe disease.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h4>



<ul><li>Health Minister Zweli Mkhize <a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-news-coronavirus-pandemic-africa-south-africa-coronavirus-vaccine-3f54526ca5bfca84eadfaeaea5ade5d5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a> South Africa had abandoned plans to use the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as it “does not prevent mild to moderate disease” caused by the variant circulating in the country.</li></ul>



<ul><li>The rollout was first suspended Sunday after a small study that had not undergone peer review and did not evaluate the vaccine’s protection against severe disease, a key metric of success, suggested it provided “minimal protection” against mild disease from the variant.</li></ul>



<ul><li>Instead, Mkhize said South Africa might <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-safrica-idUSKBN2AA0G2?taid=602387f7496f1e00010ad0aa&amp;utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_medium=trueanthem&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sell</a> or swap its 1.5 million Oxford-AstraZeneca shots—something he said has been discussed with the Covax alliance for equitable vaccine distribution worldwide, through which South Africa has acquired some of its shots—and deploy the Johnson &amp; Johnson single-shot vaccine to frontline healthcare workers.</li></ul>



<ul><li>The World Health Organization, along with the study’s lead author and a number of other health organizations, has <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-08/astra-s-covid-shot-still-useful-in-variant-hit-areas-who-says" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">urged</a> South Africa not to dismiss the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot too soon, stressing its ability to help prevent severe cases of the disease. </li></ul>



<ul><li>Though the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine has not been authorized for use in any country yet, Mkhize said it is safe and was in the process of being approved in South Africa and would be initially distributed as part of an “implementation study.”</li></ul>



<ul><li>“The Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine has been proven effective against the 501Y.V2 variant and the necessary approval processes for use in South Africa are underway,” Mkhize said.</li></ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chief-critic">CHIEF CRITIC&nbsp;</h4>



<p>Shabir Madhi, lead investigator of the study prompting the policy change and a professor at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-09/s-africa-s-madhi-says-astrazeneca-vaccine-should-be-used" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">urged</a>&nbsp;the country not to be “reckless” in how it deals with the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot. “It’s going to have global repercussions,” he added.&nbsp;“The toss-up is going to be between no vaccine or a vaccine that’s got a high likelihood of preventing severe disease and death,” he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/02/08/965390228/why-south-africa-is-putting-the-astrozeneca-vaccine-on-hold" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h4>



<p>A new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/02/03/astrazeneca-vaccine-helps-slow-covid-19-transmission-first-dose-76-effective-for-at-least-three-months-study-finds/?sh=14c3d9de1745">study</a>&nbsp;has found that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine could lead to a significant drop in the spread of Covid-19 in the U.K.. As well as slowing the spread of the virus, scientists found a single dose of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine is 76% effective in preventing symptomatic infection after three months of receiving the shot, a finding that validates the U.K. government’s current approach of delaying the second dose.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h4>



<p>The emergence of new Covid-19 variants capable of evading, at least partially, the protection conferred by vaccines is another indication the novel coronavirus could be a permanent fixture in the future. World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-news-vaccine-may-not-work-variants-7950427023f7883e0c2d33998aafb279" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;Monday that South Africa’s decision is “a reminder that we need to do everything we can to reduce circulation of the virus with proven public health measures” and that vaccine manufacturers will need to adjust their vaccines going forward. Several, Oxford-AstraZeneca included, are already&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/02/03/next-gen-vaccine-for-covid-19-mutants-will-be-ready-by-fall-astrazeneca-says/?sh=3a78fd947b94">developing</a>&nbsp;booster shots to account for the new variants.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h4>



<p>Other countries in the region may follow South Africa’s lead in swapping the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for something else. On Tuesday, the health minister for neighboring eSwatini&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-eswatini/update-1-eswatini-will-not-use-astrazeneca-vaccine-after-safrica-trial-data-idUSL1N2KF2DZ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;it would no longer use the vaccine.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h4>



<p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-news-coronavirus-pandemic-africa-south-africa-coronavirus-vaccine-3f54526ca5bfca84eadfaeaea5ade5d5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">South Africa scraps AstraZeneca vaccine, will give J&amp;J jabs</a>&nbsp;(AP)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/02/08/south-africa-halts-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-after-study-shows-minimal-protection-against-local-variant/?sh=2016bf78461a">South Africa Halts AstraZeneca Covid-19 Vaccine After Study Shows ‘Minimal Protection’ Against Local Variant</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/02/08/965390228/why-south-africa-is-putting-the-astrozeneca-vaccine-on-hold" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Why South Africa Is Putting The AstraZeneca Vaccine On Hold</a>&nbsp;(NPR)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-safrica-idUSKBN2AA0G2?taid=602387f7496f1e00010ad0aa&amp;utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_medium=trueanthem&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">South Africa says selling or swapping AstraZeneca doses are options</a> (Reuters)</p>



<p><em>By Robert Hart, Forbes Staff</em></p>


South African Minister Zweli Mkhize conducts an inspection of King Dinuzulu Hospital

South Africa Abandons Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 Vaccine In Favor Of Unapproved Johnson & Johnson Shot


<p id="h-topline"><strong>TOPLINE</strong> The World Health Organization team investigating the origins of Covid-19 has not been able to uncover the source of the virus or meaningfully change our understanding of the pandemic, the group said Tuesday, though it did rule out the idea commonly touted by former President Trump that the virus escaped from a Wuhan laboratory. </p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h4>



<ul><li>In a joint press conference led by members of WHO and Chinese delegations, experts said their two weeks in the field had uncovered new information but had not dramatically changed the picture of the pandemic. </li></ul>



<ul><li>Peter Ben Embarek, who chaired the WHO team, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/09/wuhan-laboratory-leak-covid-origin-theory-unlikely-says-who-team" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a> the theory that the virus escaped from a Wuhan lab is “extremely unlikely” and does not merit further study, pointing to a lack of work on similar viruses “anywhere in the world” and a strong set of lab procedures making it “very unlikely that anything could escape from that place.”</li></ul>



<ul><li>Embarek said the most likely hypothesis remains the virus entering humans through an intermediary species—evidence suggests this could be bats or pangolins—but said the group was unable to identify a natural animal reservoir for the virus and further research would be needed.  </li></ul>



<ul><li>Embarek said further work was also needed to evaluate two other theories, such as whether the virus could have entered into humans from an animal reservoir directly or if frozen products were involved “in the introduction of the virus over a distance”. </li></ul>



<ul><li>According to the <em>Guardian</em>, the Chinese delegation, which spoke first, heavily emphasized the latter theory, in fitting with ongoing efforts by officials to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/29/a-year-after-wuhan-alarm-china-seeks-to-change-covid-origin-story" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">relocate</a> the virus’ origins overseas.  </li></ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-we-don-t-know">WHAT WE DON’T KNOW</h4>



<p>After months of tense buildup and diplomatic back and forth to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/01/11/china-finally-green-lights-who-investigation-into-coronavirus-origins-as-daily-covid-19-cases-spike-to-five-month-high/?sh=3f87ad3b6511">greenlight</a>&nbsp;the WHO investigation, the origins of Covid-19 remain a mystery. It is unclear whether further investigations will receive approval from the authorities, and despite its continued claims of cooperation for the mission, China repeatedly refused to authorize a visit and even&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/01/06/who-chief-very-disappointed-as-china-blocks-entry-of-experts-studying-origins-of-covid-19/?sh=7ee973c347d4">blocked</a>&nbsp;the team’s arrival as they were leaving their home countries. It now says its side of the investigation is over, adding that this is just the “first part” of the WHO’s “global origin tracing work.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h4>



<p>Amid manifold failures and mounting criticism, China became a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2020/04/25/republicans-see-attacks-on-china-as-a-winning-strategy-for-2020/#52bc901a3473">target</a>&nbsp;for Trump and Republicans looking to cast blame for the Covid-19 crisis in the United States. Beyond the virus being first detected there, the former President and his officials repeatedly pushed, without evidence, the idea that the virus also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackbrewster/2020/05/10/a-timeline-of-the-covid-19-wuhan-lab-origin-theory/?sh=7589d49b5aba">leaked</a>&nbsp;from a lab in Wuhan. Trump once said he had a “high degree of confidence” in the Wuhan lab theory, while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said there was “enormous evidence” the claim was true.&nbsp;</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h4>



<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/09/wuhan-laboratory-leak-covid-origin-theory-unlikely-says-who-team" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wuhan laboratory leak Covid origin theory &#8216;unlikely&#8217;, says WHO team</a>&nbsp;(Guardian)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackbrewster/2020/05/10/a-timeline-of-the-covid-19-wuhan-lab-origin-theory/?sh=7589d49b5aba">A Timeline Of The COVID-19 Wuhan Lab Origin Theory</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/01/11/china-finally-green-lights-who-investigation-into-coronavirus-origins-as-daily-covid-19-cases-spike-to-five-month-high/?sh=3f87ad3b6511">China Finally Green Lights WHO Investigation Into Coronavirus Origins As Daily Covid-19 Cases Spike To Five-Month High</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><em>By Robert Hart, Forbes Staff</em></p>


CHINA-HEALTH-VIRUS

Wuhan Lab Theory ‘Extremely Unlikely’ Covid-19 Source, WHO Concludes—Correcting A Trump White House Claim


<p><strong>Topline</strong>: A more placid Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Monday evening. Only three weeks ago, the South African president had banned alcohol sales and closed borders at the peak of the second wave of the pandemic. In his address, he also presented a clearer picture related to Covid-19 vaccines, having personally received the first batch that landed earlier in the day.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Good morning 🇿🇦. President <a href="https://twitter.com/CyrilRamaphosa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CyrilRamaphosa</a> will receive the country&#39;s 1-million doses of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> vaccine, AstraZeneca, today. The first consignment of the vaccine will target frontline workers. <br><br>Read more: tps://bit.ly/3cuFJQa  <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VaccineforSouthAfrica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VaccineforSouthAfrica</a> <a href="https://t.co/ssmuds8thH">pic.twitter.com/ssmuds8thH</a></p>&mdash; South African Government (@GovernmentZA) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernmentZA/status/1356116939299577859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h4>



<p>● On February 1, South Africa watched as an Emirates flight carrying the first consignment of Covid-19 vaccines arrived at OR Tambo International Airport with one million AstraZeneca doses. In addition to that, another 500,000 doses are expected to arrive later this month, also from the Serum Institute of India. The country has also secured 12 million doses in total from the global COVAX facility, which has indicated that it will release approximately 2 million doses by March. Johnson &amp; Johnson will commence with the delivery of 9 million doses by the second quarter of 2021.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The first consignment of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> vaccine touched down on South African soil today. Working together, we can beat the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VaccinesforSouthAfrica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VaccinesforSouthAfrica</a> <a href="https://t.co/0H7349fALP">pic.twitter.com/0H7349fALP</a></p>&mdash; South African Government (@GovernmentZA) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernmentZA/status/1356291010939248646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>● Ramaphosa also announced, as the African Union (AU) Chairperson, that through the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team of the AU, one billion doses of the vaccine have been secured for the entire African continent.</p>



<p>● “Seven hundred million of these will come from the global COVAX facility and 300 million have been facilitated by the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team,” Ramaphosa said in his address.</p>



<p>● The president has reiterated that no one will be forced to take the vaccine against their will.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-easing-of-restrictions">The Easing of Restrictions?</h4>



<p>● Alongside news regarding the distribution of vaccines in South Africa, the president also announced the easing of restrictions put in place on January 11.</p>



<p>● “We are pleased that across the country, most people are adhering to the restrictions we have had to impose and are diligently observing the basic health measures needed to prevent infection,” Ramaphosa said.</p>



<p>● The country will stay at Alert Level Three of the lockdown but the following changes will be made to the restrictions:</p>



<p>○ The curfew will now be from 11PM to 4AM.</p>



<p>○ However, establishments will need to close by 10PM to allow customers and staff to return home by curfew.</p>



<p>○ Faith-based gatherings will be permitted, but may not exceed 50 people for indoor venues and 100 persons for outdoor venues.</p>



<p>○ Public places such as beaches, dams, rivers, parks, and public swimming pools will be reopened.</p>



<p>○ The sale of alcohol by licensed premises for off-site consumption will be permitted from Mondays to Thursdays, from 10AM to 6PM.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote"><strong>Crucial quote</strong></h4>



<p>The president was happy to report that South Africa has recorded the lowest daily increase in infections since the beginning of December last year.</p>



<p>“In fact, the average rate of new infections has been steadily coming down over the last three weeks, indicating that we have now passed the peak of the second wave,” Ramaphosa said.</p>


Covid-19 Vaccinations In Wolverhampton

Africa Secures A Billion Covid-19 Vaccine Doses, Says AU Chair Ramaphosa


<p id="h-topline"><strong>TOPLINE</strong> Johnson &amp; Johnson’s single-dose Covid-19 vaccine has demonstrated 66% effectiveness in preventing moderate and severe disease, the company said in a <a href="https://www.jnj.com/johnson-johnson-announces-single-shot-janssen-covid-19-vaccine-candidate-met-primary-endpoints-in-interim-analysis-of-its-phase-3-ensemble-trial" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">press release</a> on Friday, noting that the overall number was dragged down by the 57% efficacy rate in South Africa which is seeing the spread of the more contagious B.1.351 variant.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h4>



<p>The vaccine is 85% effective against severe disease and the drugmaker reported that there were no cases with hospitalizations or deaths 28 days after vaccination, suggesting that the vaccine’s effectiveness rises over time.</p>



<p>Unlike vaccines that have currently been approved for use, Johnson &amp; Johnson’s shot has been trialed as a single dose shot which could significantly simplify the logistics around its rollout.</p>



<p>The large-scale phase three trial data is based on results from 43,783 participants across eight countries of whom 463 people got symptomatic cases of Covid-19.</p>



<p>Unlike vaccines that have currently been approved for use, Johnson &amp; Johnson’s shot has been trialed as a single dose shot which could significantly simplify the logistics around its rollout.</p>



<p>According to both&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/29/health/johnson-coronavirus-vaccine-results/index.html?utm_content=2021-01-29T13%3A11%3A48&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_term=link&amp;utm_source=twCNNi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CNN</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/29/health/covid-vaccine-johnson-and-johnson-variants.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>New York Times</em></a>, Johnson &amp; Johnson is planning to apply for emergency use authorization of the vaccine from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as soon as next week, which then may be granted later in February.</p>



<p>Once approved, the drugmaker will launch the vaccine on a not-for-profit basis for emergency pandemic use.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-suprising-fact">SUPRISING FACT</h4>



<p>Unlike the presently approved Pfizer and Moderna vaccines which use a new mRNA technology, Johnson &amp; Johnson’s shot relies on a more established technique of using an adenovirus — a weakened common cold virus — to carry the genetic instructions into the body to prompt an immune response.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h4>



<p>100 million. That’s the number of vaccine doses that Johnson &amp; Johnson has pledged to deliver to the federal government by June. Since this vaccine is administered as a single dose, it could be used to immunize 100 million people.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h4>



<p>Emergency approval of the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine will be key to the Biden administration’s plans to swiftly ramp up inoculations against the coronavirus in the U.S. The trial results also highlight the need for a speedy rollout as newer, more contagious strains of the virus emerge in the U.K., Brazil, and South Africa. As with Johnson and Johnson, other vaccines from Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax have also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2021/01/28/novavax-covid-vaccine-is-highly-effective-against-uk-variant-but-struggled-in-south-africa-data-shows/?sh=390bc474d327">reported</a>&nbsp;a reduction in effectiveness against the South African variant. Moderna has also started&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/01/25/moderna-launches-trial-for-covid-19-vaccine-booster-to-tackle-south-african-strain/?sh=307cf56d737b">trialing</a>&nbsp;a booster shot to improve people’s immunity against the more contagious strain.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h4>



<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/29/health/covid-vaccine-johnson-and-johnson-variants.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Johnson &amp; Johnson’s Vaccine Offers Strong Protection but Fuels Concern About Variants</a>&nbsp;(New York Times)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2021/01/28/novavax-covid-vaccine-is-highly-effective-against-uk-variant-but-struggled-in-south-africa-data-shows/?sh=2ca5a86dd327">Novavax Covid Vaccine Is Highly Effective Against U.K. Variant But Struggled In South Africa, Data Shows</a> (Forbes)</p>



<p><em>By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff</em></p>


In this photo illustration a close up of a hand holding a

J&J’s Covid-19 Vaccine Is 66% Effective Against Disease And Prevents Hospitalizations, Deaths


<p><strong>Only 27, Ofentse Pitse owns and conducts an orchestra in South Africa, rewriting the soundtrack for the region’s abundant though overlooked musical talent. But the pandemic has made performing together a logistical conundrum.</strong></p>



<p class="has-drop-cap">IF IT REQUIRES 10,000 HOURS OF dedication to master an instrument, it takes someone of harmonic resolve to become the conductor of a 45-piece orchestra, and 30-member choir, by the age of 27. Ofentse Pitse is the owner of Anchored Sound, the Johannesburg-based, all-black phenomenon rewriting aspiration’s soundtrack for the region’s abundant but overlooked musical talent.</p>



<p>The first black South African woman to own and conduct an orchestra was playing the flugelhorn, a gift from an uncle, by the age of 12 (her grandfather was the trumpeter and jazz conductor Otto Pitse); her nascent talent and determination were nurtured by the Salvation Army band in her home town of Mabopane, Pretoria, the capital of South Africa.</p>



<p>“In the beginning, the dream was a silent dream,” she says. “I didn’t really share my ideas, I was just thinking of how far I wanted to go. I didn’t see enough representation in the brass band at church. I thought to myself, ‘hang on, I’ve not seen enough girls’! That was a leadership step.”</p>



<p>A formative experience at school then sparked a natural instinct for transgressive innovation.</p>



<p>“I remember one day just wanting to touch the piano in the music department,” she says. “And being told, ‘no, you can’t touch the piano’. That made me feel so small. My argument will always be that you have to<br>be what you want to see; you cannot fight a system if you are not willing to challenge it yourself.”</p>



<p>Out of this frustration, Anchored Sound was born, named after the Biblical metaphor of hope as the anchor of the soul. The choir and orchestra, supported by Pitse, with funds from her own architectural practice, perform everything from Sibelius to Vivaldi to Dvořák, with Pitse’s leadership in turn bolstered by mentorship from the University of Pretoria Symphony Orchestra conductor, Gerben Grooten.</p>



<p>“I told him that if we need to do the very hard pieces, we are going to do the very hard pieces,” she says. “So we do. It’s always a challenge, every single week. He always emphasizes the leadership required. How you stand, or how you enter a rehearsal space, influences how you are treated. Because being a woman, sometimes when they see me enter the space they think, ‘ah, what does she know’!”</p>



<p>The obstacles she faces are financial as well as cultural; funding is scarce and difficult to obtain. “Sometimes people see your pictures and you look like money, they hear interviews, you sound like money,” she says. “But there’s not one single person investing in Anchored Sound, the brand, or myself as a conductor. It’s challenging to keep the ship afloat. I learned early on that if you want something to happen, you cannot wait for the government, or whatever, because then I would complain for years without having anything done.”</p>



<p>Central to her role is her support for her members, many of whom lack the resources to purchase their own instruments or fulfil their own ambitions alone.</p>



<p>“I empower my members by first of all being great – or at least a good enough! – example,” she says. “So beyond just the musicianship, I always encourage them to study, even if it’s not music. Education<br>is the tool for opening up many doors mentally, not just in terms<br>of opportunities. In the beginning, I would help them with their registration at school, with their tuition, with their accommodation.</p>



<p>Whenever we book concerts, the funds go straight into their education. Most of them are very talented, but they come from homes that are disenfranchized.”</p>



<p>The pandemic has also made rehearsing and performing together a logistical conundrum that is difficult to solve for members from disadvantaged communities.</p>



<p>“Technology doesn’t come as second nature to some of us, so it has been difficult to facilitate how we go digital,” she says. “All the major orchestras have the infrastructure to have your good cameras, your good clip-on mics. For us, it’s very challenging, because you have players in remote areas, some in very small houses. If you ask them to record using their phone, you find in the other room there’s a baby sister making noise. So I’ve been looking at new ways of thinking as conductors, because we are so used to meeting up in spaces that are enclosed; how do we live with this new norm? How do we create a new world symphony?”</p>



<p>For Pitse, the unexplored musical frontier that emerges after the pandemic will be unapologetically, dynamically African.</p>



<p>“My second dream is to create an African orchestra, with African instruments like the <em>marimba </em>and the <em>balafon </em>(gourd- resonated xylophone),” she says. “Most musicians who play African instruments don’t know how to read music, so it would be such a spiritual exchange. These musicians know how to be guided by the spirit of music. And that’s the beauty of all things African – it really is the spirit! I’m eagerly excited to make that happen in the near future, to find out how the spirit of Africa can come alive within this new world of what an orchestra can be.”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2-Photo-credit-Hymie-Sokupha-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49775" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2-Photo-credit-Hymie-Sokupha-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2-Photo-credit-Hymie-Sokupha-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2-Photo-credit-Hymie-Sokupha-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2-Photo-credit-Hymie-Sokupha-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2-Photo-credit-Hymie-Sokupha-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Photo by Hymie Sokupha</figcaption></figure>



<p><em>&#8211;<strong>BY ALASTAIR HAGGER</strong></em></p>


5 Photo credit Media24 copy

The Musician Who is Conducting Inspiration Even During Covid


<p id="h-topline"><strong>TOPLINE</strong> Evidence is growing that reopening schools with proper precautions will not increase the spread of Covid-19, with the Centers for Disease Control concluding Tuesday that in-person learning is not causing significant outbreaks—but the agency warned indoor athletics may derail efforts for safe in-person schooling.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h4>



<p>The CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7004e3.htm?s_cid=mm7004e3_w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evaluated&nbsp;</a>17 schools in rural Wisconsin from August and November, and found only seven students (3.7%)—no staff—contracted the virus from school.</p>



<p>Those schools were able to limit Covid-19 by wearing masks, separating students into groups of 11-20, social distancing and having established quarantine measures when a student did become infected, the study says.</p>



<p>Another study released by the CDC Tuesday found that an indoor wrestling tournament in Florida caused 30% of attendees to become infected, leading the researchers to&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2775875" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">note&nbsp;</a>that indoor athletics lacking proper social distancing and other safety measures “could jeopardize” school Covid-19 safety precautions.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Several recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6950e3.htm?s_cid=mm6950e3_w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a>, both in the U.S. and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/children-and-school-settings-covid-19-transmission" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">abroad</a>, have reached similar conclusions, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2021/01/06/peds.2020-048090.full.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study&nbsp;</a>in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics finding in-school transmission was “extremely limited” during the first nine weeks of in-person instruction in North Carolina.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h4>



<p>&nbsp;“As many schools have reopened for in-person instruction in some parts of the US as well as internationally, school-related cases of COVID-19 have been reported, but there has been little evidence that schools have contributed meaningfully to increased community transmission,” the CDC researchers&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2775875" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wrote&nbsp;</a>in the Journal of the American Medical Association.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h4>



<p>The school reopening debate has gripped districts across the country for the entirety of the pandemic. For the fall 2020 term, 24% of school public districts were fully online, while 51% were using a hybrid model and 17% were fully open for in-person instruction,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mchdata.com/covid19/schoolclosings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according&nbsp;</a>to data firm MCH. Though large school districts and local officials, recognizing the harms of distance learning on students, are starting to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/school-districts-reopening-coronavirus/2020/10/19/3791c952-0ffb-11eb-8074-0e943a91bf08_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">push&nbsp;</a>for full in-person instruction, they are at times at odds with teachers unions, who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/25/nyregion/montclair-schools-covid.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">argue&nbsp;</a>that districts aren’t taking strong enough measures to protect teachers.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h4>



<p>There was a large outbreak linked to school reopenings in Israel last spring. But the CDC researchers say the outbreak was tied to crowded classrooms, exemption from face mask use and “continuous air conditioning that recycled interior air in closed rooms during a heat wave.”</p>



<p><em>By Rachel Sandler, Forbes Staff</em></p>


Empty classroom at a school in central Naples. After the

Covid-19 Doesn’t Spread In Schools With Safety Precautions, CDC Reports—But Sports Are A Different Story


<p><strong>Topline</strong>: Reversing a directive by the Trump administration, President Joe Biden on Monday will sign an executive order that keeps in place restrictions barring entry by most non-U.S. citizens traveling from the United Kingdom, Brazil, and 26 countries in Europe, and that also bars most travelers from South Africa beginning Saturday, a Biden administration official told <em>Forbes</em> Sunday, aiming to curb the spread of new more infectious—and <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-u-k-covid-19-variant-could-be-more-deadly-british-officials-say-11611338370" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">possibly more deadly</a>—coronavirus variants.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h4>



<p>The order, which was first reported by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-travel-exclusi/exclusive-biden-to-impose-south-africa-travel-ban-to-combat-new-covid-19-variant-cdc-idUSKBN29T0P6?il=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reuters</a>, comes nearly one week after President Donald Trump sought to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2021/01/18/trump-lifted-covid-travel-bans-for-next-week---but-bidens-team-plans-on-keeping-them-in-place/?sh=7f4f47c94da7">lift the restrictions</a>&nbsp;he imposed in one of the final moves of his administration.</p>



<p>Hours after Trump announced he would lift the restrictions January 26, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the Biden administration would not follow Trump’s order, asserting that with the “pandemic worsening” it was “not the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel.”</p>



<p>Case numbers and hospitalizations around the U.S. have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/22/world/covid-19-coronavirus" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dropped</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks, but cases derived from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/transmission/variant-cases.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new variant</a>&nbsp;could alter that trajectory.&nbsp;</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h4>



<p>“We are adding South Africa to the restricted list because of the concerning variant present that has already spread beyond South Africa,” Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC’s principal deputy director,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-travel-exclusi/exclusive-biden-to-impose-south-africa-travel-ban-to-combat-new-covid-19-variant-cdc-idUSKBN29T0P6?il=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;Reuters Sunday.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h4>



<p>Vaccines may not be as effective against the Covid-19 variant found in South Africa, three preliminary<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/21/health/coronavirus-variant-problem-vaccines/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;studies have suggested</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h4>



<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=16640458%5BPMID%5D+OR+16675989%5BPMID%5D+OR+18335060%5BPMID%5D" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">It’s not clear</a>&nbsp;how effective travel restrictions are in curbing the spread of the virus and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.statnews.com/2021/01/22/travel-bans-should-be-based-on-evidence-not-politics-or-fear/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">scientists are split</a>&nbsp;about whether it’s a good idea to implement bans at all. Trump repeatedly touted his administration’s “ban” on travel from China during the 2020 campaign, but the restrictions were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/10/01/debate-early-travel-bans-china/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">permeable, late and ineffective</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h4>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2021/01/18/trump-lifted-covid-travel-bans-for-next-week---but-bidens-team-plans-on-keeping-them-in-place/?sh=7f4f47c94da7">Trump Lifted Covid Travel Bans For Next Week — But Biden’s Team Plans On Keeping Them In Place</a> (<em>Forbes</em>)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-travel-exclusi/exclusive-biden-to-impose-south-africa-travel-ban-to-combat-new-covid-19-variant-cdc-idUSKBN29T0P6?il=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Exclusive: Biden to impose South Africa travel ban to combat new COVID-19 variant &#8211; CDC </a>(<em>Reuters</em>)</p>



<p><em>by Jack Brewster, Forbes Staff</em></p>


President Biden Delivers Remarks On Response To Economic Crisis From White House

Biden To Impose Covid Travel Restrictions On South Africa, Reinstate Ban On Other Countries Lifted By Trump


<p class="has-drop-cap">THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS ALSO BROUGHT with its opportunities, and according to South Africa-based futurists Graeme Codrington and John Sanei, it’s time to embrace the change and rather see it as a chance to try and rebuild your business, even if it is on the brink of falling apart.</p>



<ol><li><strong>“STOP WAITING FOR THINGS TO GO BACK TO NORMAL, IT’S NOT GOING TO”</strong></li></ol>



<p>Don’t press the “huge pause button” on life. Codrington, a futurist who tracks disruptions through history, states that the era of the coronavirus could be with us longer than we think.</p>



<p>“The disruption that Covid is causing is going to be with us, I think for at least two more years. Even in the best-case scenarios, Africa will only get a vaccine [in 2021]. And it will take a few months, maybe the whole year to produce it, distribute around the world and convince people to take it.”</p>



<p>He adds that even once vaccines are made available, the level of comfort people felt previously doing ‘normal’ stuff every day will change.</p>



<p>“People are going to be nervous to fly, to travel, nervous to go out to restaurants to eat, nervous to go into public spaces. So you know, tourism, entertainment, hospitality is going to really struggle. In any scenario, you know, even the best scenario, you’re going to be struggling.</p>



<p>“So what we’ve got to realize is this deep disruption going on here.”</p>



<ol start="2"><li><strong>“UNDERSTAND SEAMLESSNESS AND YOU CAN BECOME VERY SUCCESSFUL”</strong></li></ol>



<p>Sanei, a futurist who categorizes and contextualizes the future through human instinct, believes that businesses need to find a more seamless way to give consumers what they want. It can be an average idea, but as long as it’s something that could accommodate the consumers of today, who will likely not want to leave the confines of their home, you can be successful.</p>



<p>“The example I will use is Domino’s Pizza,” Sanei explains.</p>



<p>“They may not have the most amazing pizza but they’ve understood seamlessness getting a pizza to you as quickly as possible because they have the Ten Second App.”<br><br>The basis of understanding seamlessness is understanding what people want, especially during this time.</p>



<p>“And of course, that is going to differ depending on what industry you are in and depending on where you are, but this is where entrepreneurs can step up because the smaller your business is, the more local it is, the easier it is for you to make adjustments and shift and think ‘what can I do for my clients, my customers, what else can I do for them’?” says Codrington.</p>



<p><strong>3. “REINVENT”</strong></p>



<p>It has been reiterated by economists that businesses may have to close their doors and millions of people will find themselves unemployed if they haven’t already. However, futurists are certain that in situations like this, it’s best to either reinvent your business model – or reinvent yourself.</p>



<p>“Any advice I give to entrepreneurs is based on this principle that they must look for a gap. Ask yourself the question ‘what makes you most excited, and what can you bring to the world that’s uniquely yours, what is uniquely, and authentically me?’ And in that process, what we do is we add value to the world based on what we are here to do,” Sanei says.</p>



<p>“This is what every entrepreneur does and knows every single day,” Codrington adds. “If you add real value, and people see the value that you’re adding, they’ll buy from you. And so it obviously isn’t that simple for everybody. Because it’s tough. You know this is a tough economy. It’s a tough situation. But whether it’s tough or easy, that’s the right mindset. ‘What do people need, why should they buy it from me?’ If you ask those two questions and find answers, you’ll get through this.”</p>



<p><strong>4. “GO BACK TO BASICS”</strong></p>



<p>Codrington believes that this would be a perfect time to reeducate yourself on the basic structures of running a business. However, this can only happen after you have accepted that your business has suffered during this time but there is light at the end of the tunnel.</p>



<p>“Because now you basically don’t cry about what could have been any more, but you say ‘what is and what exists now’. That’s what I think distinguishes entrepreneurs from corporate people anyway. Because entrepreneurs get up every morning saying, ‘I’ve got to make something happen today’,” Codrington says. It always comes back to what the consumer needs, and that is the main focus that gives the entrepreneur drive, Codrington says. </p>



<p>He further adds that during this crisis, adapting your business model to suit the time is what could preserve your business in the long haul. A practical example is how some hotels around the world have turned their businesses into ‘work from home’ offices.</p>



<p>“So they are saying, ‘you can’t go into the office, but you don’t want to be stuck at home, so why don’t you rent a room in our hotel, we’ll give you free bottomless coffee, we’ll give you room service’. You’re comfortable with the hotel. There’s no bed, you’re not sleeping at the hotel. You arrive in the morning. You go into a room, it’ll be your room only,” says Codrington.</p>



<p><strong>5.“LEAVE THE OLD WORLD AND EMBRACE CHANGE”</strong></p>



<p>Business models, such as supply and demand models, are not needed anymore. Having to expect people to walk into a shop and buy something is an old model that needs to be eradicated. Sanei further adds that because the world has “this thing called the internet”, passion for your business is all that is necessary.</p>



<p>“If your business is taking strain, and your business is dying, and you are nervous about it, it means that you haven’t understood a digital-first world. Which means that you haven’t understood that the world we’re going into has new rules attached. You need to understand that if your business is dying, the reason is because it’s not really for this world,” Sanai says.</p>



<p>As daunting as this time may be, endless opportunities await entrepreneurs. What guarantees your success during this time will be your behavior.</p>



<p>“And so the entrepreneurs of the future are the ones that understand that they are the machine, they are the business, and that they are the ones who are going to be making things happen. Not the ones relying on a sector, or a subject or a technology, because you have no idea and cannot guarantee and hedge your bets on anything that’s coming in the future,” Sanei says.</p>



<p><br></p>


Asian entrepreneur closing business due to Covid-19 outbreak

How The Covid Carnage Can Help Create The Entrepreneurs Of The Future


<p id="h-topline"><strong>TOPLINE</strong> In a bid to contain a more contagious strain of coronavirus that is spreading rapidly, Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed a new lockdown on England on Monday that will last until at least mid-February.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h4>



<ul><li>Coronavirus is again surging in the U.K. because of a new, more transmissible mutation of Covid-19 <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2020/12/23/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-englands-new-covid-19-variant/?sh=908bf27aeb3b">called</a> B.1.1.7.</li></ul>



<ul><li>The lockdown will close most non-essential businesses, and restaurants will be required to limit service to takeout orders—but outdoor playgrounds and houses of worship will stay <a href="https://twitter.com/DanielHewittITV/status/1346189520170070017?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">open</a> as long as social distancing is maintained.</li></ul>



<ul><li>Schools will be closed except to the children of essential workers and vulnerable students.</li></ul>



<ul><li>Residents may not leave their homes except for essential work, essential shopping, medical assistance, exercise, as well as meeting with <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/making-a-support-bubble-with-another-household" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">support</a> or <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/making-a-childcare-bubble-with-another-household" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">childcare</a> “bubbles,” which are pairs of households allowed to mix under certain circumstances.</li></ul>



<ul><li>Johnson’s announcement comes after Scotland <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-55531069" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">imposed</a> a similar lockdown earlier Monday.</li></ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h4>



<p>“There’s no doubt in that fighting the old variant to the virus, our collective efforts were working and would have continued to work. But we now have a new variant, and it’s been both frustrating and alarming to see the speed with which the new variant is spreading,” Johnson said.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h4>



<p>The number of patients in hospitals has increased by nearly a third in the last week, Johnson said, and the number of deaths has increased 20%. Though there isn’t any evidence the U.K. mutation is more deadly than previous strains, early research has suggested it’s 75% more contagious, making the virus harder to control even as England begins to vaccinate its population.&nbsp;</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h4>



<p>40%. That’s how many more patients are in hospitals now compared to the first peak earlier this year, Johnson said.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h4>



<p>Unlike the previous lockdown, takeaway alcohol is banned this time around.</p>



<p>&#8211;<em>By Rachel Sandler, Forbes Staff</em></p>


Tag: covid-19 second wave

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