Joe Biden's virus plan: 100 million shots just the start

A registered nurse administers the COVID-19 vaccine into the arm of a woman at the Corona High School gymnasium in the Riverside County city of Corona, California. Pic/AFP

President-elect Joe Biden unveiled a $1.9 trillion Coronavirus plan to end "a crisis of deep human suffering" by speeding up vaccines and pumping out financial help to those struggling with the pandemic's prolonged economic fallout.

Called the "American Rescue Plan," the legislative proposal would meet Biden's goal of administering 100 million vaccines by the 100th day of his administration, and advance his objective of reopening most schools by the spring. On a parallel track, it delivers another round of aid to stabilise the economy while the public health effort seeks the upper hand on the pandemic.

"You have my word: We will manage the hell out of this operation," Biden said. "This is not a political issue. This is about saving lives. I know it's become a partisan issue, but what a stupid, stupid thing to happen," he added.

Norway probes 23 elderly patients' death after Pfize-BioNTech vaccination
After the news broke that 23 elderly patients died in Norway following their immunisation with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the country has launched a detailed investigation into the fatalities that shocked the world. Doctors in Norway have been asked to conduct thorough evaluations of every elderly patient in line to receive the vaccine. Health authorities have said the vaccines may
be too risky for the very old and terminally ill.

China honours ‘bat woman'
China has honoured a virologist of a controversial Wuhan-based bio-lab, which was at the centre of COVID-19 storm, as a WHO team arrived at the Chinese city to probe the origins of the Coronavirus. Shi Zhengli from the Wuhan Institute of Virology who has earned the moniker of "bat woman" for her passionate research into bats and viruses was honoured as an "advanced worker of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)", the state-run Global Times reported. Outgoing US President Donald Trump has alleged that the virus emanated from WIV before it spread across the world.

9,44,03,854
TOTAL Number OF CORONAVIRUS

CASES IN THE WORLD

20,19,916
Number OF DEATHS WORLDWIDE

6,74,47,533
Number OF RECOVERED PATIENTS