Due to Governor Northam amending Executive Order 72 last week, which allowed for some easing of state
restrictions, the Town of Cape Charles will follow suit and start to relax its pandemic protocol.
Beginning on Monday, April 5th, the Town will move to the first step of our recovery phase. This recovery will involve an incremental process to return to normal operations.
Limited numbers of citizens will again be able to enter Town facilities to conduct their business.
The primary public facing facilities affected are Town Hall, the Harbor, and the Library. Patrons will be allowed in these facilities by appointment or by contacting the office upon arrival.
Only one person per department will be allowed in most facilities at a time.
Details
Town Hall
• Only one person per department will be permitted in Town Hall at a time
• Appointments will be accepted by contacting the desired department
• Walk-ups are welcome by using the green call box at the front door to request entry. If
there is already someone at the department you wish to visit, you will be asked to wait
outside or make an appointment to return
• All visitors must wear face masks for entry
• There are no public restrooms available in Town Hall
• Normal business hours apply
Harbor
• Only one person will be permitted in the Harbor office at a time
• Appointments accepted by email (dockmaster@ccyachtcenter.com) or phone at 757-331-3100
• Walk-ups are welcome by knocking at the front door to request entry. If there is already
someone in the Harbor office, you will be asked to wait outside or make an
appointment to return
• All visitors must wear face masks for entry
• There is a restroom available for marina customers only in the Harbor office
Library
• Patrons will be allowed in the Library between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm
• Only two people will be allowed in the Library at a time, for up to 30 minutes each
• Appointments will be accepted by contacting the Library
• Walk-ups are welcome by knocking at the inside door to request entry. If there are already
two patrons in the Library, you will be asked to wait outside or make an appointment
• All visitors must wear face masks for entry
• Curbside service will also continue, contact the Library to use this service
• There is a public restroom available just inside the front outside the door of the Library
Oooooooo! I feel so SAFE!
LMAO!
CNBC
“Covid variant from South Africa was able to ‘break through’ Pfizer vaccine in Israeli study”
Berkeley Lovelace Jr. @BERKELEYJR
UPDATED MON, APR 12 2021
The coronavirus variant first discovered in South Africa is able to evade some of the protection of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, according to a new Israeli study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed.
The data, published online over the weekend, suggest the B.1.351 is better able to “break through” the protection of the vaccine than the original strain, the researchers wrote in the study.
The new data comes as public health officials grow concerned that highly contagious variants, which studies have shown can reduce the effectiveness of vaccines, could stall the world’s progress on the pandemic.
Last month, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky issued a dire warning, telling reporters that she worried the United States is facing great peril as variants spread and daily Covid-19 cases begin to rebound once again, threatening to send more people to the hospital.
“I’m going to pause here, I’m going to lose the script, and I’m going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom,” she said March 29.
“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.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/11/covid-variant-from-south-africa-was-able-to-break-through-pfizer-vaccine-in-israeli-study.html
CNBC
“Researchers identify five new cases of ‘double mutant’ Covid variant in California”
Rich Mendez @RICHMENDEZCNBC
PUBLISHED THU, APR 8 2021
Stanford University researchers have identified five new cases of a “double mutant” Covid-19 strain that was recently discovered in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Doctors suspect it could be more contagious than earlier strains and may be resistant to existing vaccines.
The new variant originated in India where it’s credited with a recent 55% surge in cases in the state of Maharashtra, home to Mumbai, after months of declining cases.
It contains two key mutations, which scientists call E484Q and L452R, that have been found separately in other variants but not together in a single strain, according to Dr. Benjamin Pinsky, medical director of Stanford’s clinical virology laboratory, which discovered the new variant in the U.S.
“There’s a decent amount of information of how these mutations behave in viruses on their own, but not in combination,” Pinsky said in an interview.
In other variants, the L452R mutation has been shown to make the virus more transmissible.
There is also evidence that antibodies don’t recognize that mutation, which has been found in other strains to reduce the effectiveness of vaccines.
If the mutation makes the virus more resistant to antibodies, that could reduce the effectiveness of both vaccines as well as antibody treatments that have become a critical tool for doctors in fighting Covid-19, according to Pinsky.
The double mutant variant “has known mutations in the scariest place to have a mutation — the receptor binding domain, where the virus uses to latch on to cells in our bodies in order to enter,” said Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases expert at the University of California San Francisco.
“The mutations are either identical or eerily similar to mutations in variants that we already know about that have been scientifically proven to be more transmissible and/or evade vaccines.”
“Hence many believe that this Indian variant will also have these superpowers.”
Walensky has warned of “impending doom” in the U.S. as states roll back Covid-19 restrictions.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/08/researchers-identify-five-new-cases-of-double-mutant-covid-variant-in-california-.html?recirc=taboolainternal
CNN
“CDC and FDA recommend US pause use of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine over blood clot concerns”
By Jacqueline Howard, CNN
Updated 3:40 PM ET, Tue April 13, 2021
(CNN)The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Food and Drug Administration are recommending that the United States pause the use of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine over six reported US cases of a “rare and severe” type of blood clot.
One of the cases was fatal and one is currently in critical condition.
For people who have received the Johnson & Johnson shot, those who have developed severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider, according to the statement.
The agencies made the recommendation to pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine quickly — even without giving states a heads up — because of concern that rare blood clot incidents might be treated inappropriately.
“The issue here with these types of blood clots is that if one administers the standard treatment that we as doctors have learned to give for blood clots, one can cause tremendous harm,” Marks said in Tuesday’s briefing.
The rare type of blood clots observed in association with the vaccine require unique treatment.
For instance, the anticoagulant drug heparin should not be used to treat these types of blood clots, Marks said, adding that health care providers had to be made aware of the pause immediately in case they see patients with possible blood clot symptoms.
“Treatment for this specific type of blood clot is different from typical treatments for other types of blood clots, which usually involve an anticoagulant called heparin,” he said.
“With cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, heparin may be dangerous and alternative treatments need to be given, preferably under the guidance of physicians experienced in the treatment of blood clots.”
CNBC
“Dr. Fauci: ‘We very well may need to get booster shots’ for Covid — here’s when”
Cory Stieg @CORYSTIEG
Published Thu, Apr 15 2021
White House chief advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said people may need to get booster shots for the Covid vaccines in a year, during an interview with MSNBC’s Medhi Hasan Monday.
Recent data suggests that Pfizer and Moderna’s Covid vaccines provide protection for at least six months, Fauci said.
Pfizer released data on April 1 showing that its mRNA vaccine is highly effective six months after the second dose.
Moderna said Tuesday that its Covid vaccine, which uses similar technology, was more than 90% effective at protecting against Covid and more than 95% effective against severe disease up to six months after the second dose.
“We know for sure it’s effective for six months and highly likely that it will be effective for considerably longer period of time,” Fauci said.
The Pfizer study only measured to the six-month mark, and more research needs to be done to determine when or how vaccine protection wanes.
“The way to get the answer is to just follow people closely enough to determine when that level of efficacy or protection diminishes, both with regard to the level of the antibodies as well as clinical data with regard to breakthrough infections,” Fauci said.
Ultimately, “if it turns out [to last] a year or a year and a half, we very well may need to get booster shots to keep up the level of protection,” Fauci said.
Moderna plans to have booster shots ready by the fall, CEO Stephane Bancel told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Wednesday.
Pfizer said in February that it was testing a third booster dose of its vaccine.
More infectious Covid mutations could also necessitate regular boosters.
“We may have cycles where we have to keep boosting people — either boosting them with the original vaccine, which gives you enough antibodies to spill over to the variants, or develop a vaccine that’s specific for one or more of the variants,” Fauci told MSNBC in March.
CNBC
“Pfizer CEO says third Covid vaccine dose likely needed within 12 months”
Berkeley Lovelace Jr. @BERKELEYJR
PUBLISHED THU, APR 15 2021
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said people will “likely” need a third dose of a Covid-19 vaccine within 12 months of getting fully vaccinated.
Bourla said it’s possible people will need to get vaccinated against the coronavirus annually.
“A likely scenario is that there will be likely a need for a third dose, somewhere between six and 12 months and then from there, there will be an annual revaccination, but all of that needs to be confirmed.”
Researchers still don’t know how long protection against the virus lasts once someone has been fully vaccinated.
Earlier Thursday, the Biden administration’s Covid response chief science officer, David Kessler, said Americans should expect to receive booster shots to protect against coronavirus variants.
Kessler told U.S. lawmakers that currently authorized vaccines are highly protective but noted new variants could “challenge” the effectiveness of the shots.
“We don’t know everything at this moment,” he told the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis.
“We are studying the durability of the antibody response,” he said.
“It seems strong but there is some waning of that and no doubt the variants challenge … they make these vaccines work harder.”
“So I think for planning purposes, planning purposes only, I think we should expect that we may have to boost.”