Here’s Why You Should Skip the Covid Vaccine The Bitter Tiers of Mutant England

 Sunday, Jan. 3rd, 2021 

New York surpasses one million cases of COVID-19, becoming the fourth state to do so after Texas, California, and Florida. (Bloomberg) The homes of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are vandalized after the government failed to pass the CASH Act, a bill that would increase direct payments from $600 to $2,000. (Business Insider)

117th Congress to be sworn in  The 117th Congress will be sworn in on Sunday with several new lawmakers in both chambers getting ready to settle in at the Capitol. Democrats retained a majority in the House in November’s election despite significant gains from the Republicans who narrowed the margin to 11 seats. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is expected to win re-election Sunday, though the vote could be close. The Senate majority, meanwhile, still hangs in the balance with the Georgia runoffs set for next week. If one or both of the GOP incumbents, Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) and John Ossoff (R-Ga.), hold off their Democratic challengers, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, Republicans will hold the fort. But if Warnock and Ossoff unseat Loeffler and Perdue, Democrats will even things up, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would hold the tie-breaker, giving her party the advantage in close votes. Source: CNN

U.S. COVID-19 death toll surpasses 350,000  The United States surpassed 350,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths Sunday, data compiled by Johns Hopkins University shows. There have been more than 20 million recorded infections in the country. Both figures lead the world. December saw the highest number of coronavirus cases and fatalities of any month since the pandemic began in the U.S., and experts anticipate numbers will continue to go up in the coming weeks following recent holiday gatherings. The expected surge comes amid a major vaccination drive. The rollout of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines has been under way for multiple weeks now, and as of Saturday night, Bloomberg had tallied 4.3 million doses have been administered, which is well shy of the federal government’s goal of inoculating 20 million Americans by the end of 2020. Source:  Fox News

GOP senators criticize colleagues’ plan to oppose Electoral College certification  Several Republican senators on Saturday reacted strongly to news that as many as 12 of their GOP colleagues, led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), intend to object to the Electoral College certification on Jan. 6 because of allegations of widespread voter fraud. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) said “evidence is overwhelming” that President-elect Joe Biden defeated President Trump in the November election, and he accused Cruz and the others of directly undermining “the right of the people to elect their own leaders.” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) also confirmed she’ll “vote to affirm” Biden’s victory, as did Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who said he “could never have imagined seeing these things in the greatest democracy in the world.” Vice President Mike Pence, on the other hand, “welcomes the efforts” of Republican lawmakers who intend “to use the authority they have under the law to raise objections,” his chief of staff, Marc Short, said in a statement. Source: Slate

Germany, U.K. expect to prolong, tighten coronavirus restrictions  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Sunday he’s “fully reconciled” with the fact that his government may “need to do things in the next few weeks that will be tougher” in “many parts of the country” as the coronavirus, including a newly-identified, potentially more transmissible variant, continues to surge. Johnson didn’t get too specific on possible restriction enhancements, but he did say school closures may be on the horizon, even though “it’s not something we necessarily want to do.” Germany, meanwhile, is preparing to extend its national COVID-19 lockdown beyond Jan. 10. “The numbers are still too high, so we will have to prolong restrictions,” Health Minister Jens Spahn said Saturday night. It’s unclear how long the extension would last, though an answer will likely come Tuesday when Chancellor Angela Merkel and regional leaders are expected to meet. Source: Reuters

 

Saturday,  Jan. 2nd, 2021 

The United Kingdom reports a record 57,725 new cases in the past 24 hours, the highest daily total since the beginning of the pandemic. Another 445 deaths from COVID-19 are also reported, bringing the country’s death toll to 74,570. (Sky News)

The UK reactivates emergency critical-care COVID-19 hospitals amid a surge in both cases and hospitalizations. (Reuters)

Over 800,000 people in Russia have received the Sputnik V vaccine. (The Hill)

The government announces a one-week closure of all shops that were allowed to reopen during the holiday season, as well as all places of worship beginning tomorrow in order to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases ahead of the reopening of schools on January 11. A curfew from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. local time will also be imposed. (Ekathimerini)

Palau receives 2,800 doses of the Moderna vaccine in a special contribution from the United States. The government announced that it will vaccinate healthcare workers first and then vaccinate seniors and people with medical conditions. (RNZ)

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office releases footage of deputies executing a search warrant on the last known address of Dolal Idd, as well as a raid on his family’s house. (WCCO-TV)

 

Friday,  Jan 1st, 2021 

World welcomes 2021 with muted celebrations  People around the world happily bid adieu to 2020, with cities celebrating the arrival of 2021 with scaled-back events. In Sydney, a fireworks display over the Opera House and harbor bridge dazzled those watching from home, while in Hanoi, there were fireworks to celebrate that Vietnam has been one of the most successful countries at containing the arrival and spread of the coronavirus. In New York City, the throngs of people who usually crowd Times Square weren’t there — instead, the few revelers who watched the ball drop were invited frontline and essential workers. Several countries and cities canceled their normal events, due to curfews put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic. In France, 100,000 extra police officers were mobilized to ensure people weren’t out after a 7 p.m. curfew and to break up gatherings of more than 10 people,  Source: NBC News

California reports a record 585 new deaths in the past 24 hours. (KABC-TV)

The United States surpasses 20 million cases of COVID-19. (CBS News) In the wake of a violent New Year’s Eve protest that was declared a riot in Portland, Oregon, police orders all people in the area to leave immediately. Authorities have not stated the number of protesters arrested. (The Hill) The authorities arrested dozens of protesters in Minneapolis as they demanded answers into the fatal police shooting of 23-year-old Dolal Bayle Idd on December 30. The protests came after the body camera footage from a deadly traffic stop was released. At least 15 people were detained for allegedly rioting and 21 people were cited and released. (ABC)

The Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announces that all primary schools in London will remain closed for at least two weeks at the start of the new term on January 4. It was previously announced that only schools in 23 of the 32 boroughs would be closed. (BBC)

India officially approves the emergency use of a COVID-19 vaccine made by AstraZeneca and University of Oxford, which is to be manufactured locally by Serum Institute of India, and another made by Bharat Biotech. (BBC)

The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran has notified them of its intention to enrich uranium to 20% purity, in accordance with a law recently passed by the Islamic Consultative Assembly. Iran reportedly did not specify when this enrichment would begin. The December 2020 bill, adopted after the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, instructs the government to increase uranium enrichment if sanctions against Iran are not eased within two months. (BBC)

The United States Senate votes 81–13 to override President Donald Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. This is the first successful veto override of the Trump presidency. (Business Insider)

Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. (Formula One)

Russian-led consortium Nord Stream AG says it has completed the construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline in Germany’s exclusive economic zone in the Baltic Sea. The U.S. had previously threatened to impose wider sanctions on the project if work continued. (Reuters)

Scientists at the Russian Academy of Sciences announce the discovery of a “well-preserved” woolly rhinoceros carcass in Abyysky District, Sakha, Russia, which was revealed by melting permafrost in August. The Russian Academy of Sciences says that the woolly rhinoceros was likely 3 or 4 years old when it died by drowning in the river, and could be anywhere from 20,000 to 50,000 years old. (ABC News)

Gun Stores Overwhelmed By People Returning $600 Guns For $2000 Guns

United States surpasses 20 million COVID-19 cases On Friday, the United States topped 20 million recorded COVID-19 cases. There is also a record number of people hospitalized with the virus; Covid Tracking Project data shows that on Thursday, there were more than 125,370 coronavirus patients in U.S. hospitals. It took 292 days for the U.S. to reach its first 10 million cases, but only 54 more days to double it, CNN reports. December was the country’s worst month of the pandemic, with more than 6.1 million coronavirus cases recorded and 74,147 people dying of the virus. Public health experts believe this is due to people traveling for the holidays and gathering inside because of cold weather. Source: CNN

 Israel becomes the first country to vaccinate at least 10% of their population against COVID-19, with around 950,000 doses administered. (The Jerusalem Post)

France tightens the curfew in 15 worst-affected departments from tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. local time in order to combat the spread of COVID-19. (France 24)

Because of government “U-turn”, London mayor Sadiq Khan says that all primary schools in London will have to remain closed at the start of new term on January 4. (BBC)

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen says that she is ready to have talks with China and urges the country to have dialogues. (Bloomberg.com)

Initiative 190 comes into effect in Montana, making it the 13th state to legalize recreational cannabis. (Great Falls Tribune)

Pharmacist arrested, accused of intentionally allowing COVID-19 vaccines to spoil  A pharmacist in Wisconsin was arrested on Thursday after police say he intentionally spoiled more than 500 doses of coronavirus vaccine. Authorities say the incident took place at a hospital in Grafton, outside Milwaukee. The pharmacist, who has not been publicly identified, was arrested on recommended charges of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, criminal damage to property, and adulterating a prescription drug. Authorities say the pharmacist, who worked for Aurora Health Care, wrote that he removed 57 vials from refrigeration “knowing that if not properly stored the vaccine would be ineffective.” This will delay vaccinations for hundreds of people in Wisconsin, which reported 3,810 new coronavirus cases and 42 deaths on Thursday. Source: The Washington Post

 

Thursday, Dec. 31st, 2020  GOP Sen. Josh Hawley says he’ll object to Electoral College certification process  Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) on Wednesday announced he’ll object during the Electoral College certification process, which is expected to seal President-elect Joe Biden’s victory on Jan. 6. Hawley said he plans to do so because he’s concerned about allegations that “some states, particularly Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own state election laws” and because of what he described as “the unprecedented effort of mega corporations, including Facebook and Twitter, to interfere in this election, in support of” Biden, boosting President Trump’s unfounded claims that the election was stolen from him. State election officials and Attorney General William Barr previously affirmed there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud. Several House Republicans are preparing to object, and Hawley is the first senator to join them. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) previously asked his caucus to refrain from joining the House effort. Source: Sen. Josh Hawley The World Health Organization lists the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use. (Reuters)

Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. The patient is a 23-year-old woman from Shanghai who arrived from the United Kingdom on December 14 and tested positive for COVID-19. (France 24)

Tokyo reports a record 1,337 new cases in the past 24 hours, surpasses 1,000 daily cases for the first time in any prefecture since the beginning of the pandemic. (The Asahi Shimbun)

The United Kingdom reports a record 55,892 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,488,780. (ITV)

The Czech Republic reports a record 16,939 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 718,661 as the positivity rate reaches 52%. (Irozhlas)

Nationwide, a record 4,515 new cases are reported in Japan in the past 24 hours. It is the first time that the country has reported more than 4,000 daily cases since the beginning of the pandemic. (NHK World)

South Korea imposes the highest level of social distancing measures at prison facilities nationwide. These restrictions will remain in effect until January 13. (Yonhap News Agency)

Florida confirms its first new case of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that originated in the United Kingdom. The individual is a Martin County man with no history of travel. (The Hill)

Brazil detects their first two cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that originated in the United Kingdom. (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

The EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement enters into force at 23:00 GMT, formally ending the Brexit transition period. (BBC) (The Independent)

A further 20 million people in England are placed into Tier 4, the level with the strictest COVID-19 restrictions. All secondary schools in England are to remain closed for a further two weeks. (BBC)

South Korea imposes the highest level of social distancing measures (Level 3) on prison facilities nationwide. The restrictions will remain in effect until January 13. (Yonhap News Agency)

McConnell says there is ‘no realistic path’ for a quick Senate vote on $2,000 checks  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Wednesday said the Senate will not consider approving $2,000 stimulus checks for Americans as a stand-alone issue, saying the matter must be considered as part of a package that includes a repeal of legal protections for tech companies and investigation of election security — demands made by President Trump. By itself, McConnell said the Democratic proposal to approve $2,000 stimulus checks “has no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate.” Trump, Senate Democrats, and some Senate Republicans have said they want the $600 checks increased to $2,000, and Trump warned that if the measure doesn’t pass it will be a “death wish” for the GOP. McConnell knows that while Senate Democrats support bigger checks, they don’t agree with Trump’s demands to repeal liability protections for social media companies and investigate baseless claims of election fraud. Source: The Washington Post

The Czech Republic reports a record 16,939 new confirmed cases in past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 718,661 as the positivity rate reaches 52%. (Irozhlas)

 

Wednesday, Dec. 30th, 2020 

Biden criticizes Trump’s coronavirus response, warns next few weeks will be ‘very tough’  President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday criticized the Trump administration’s rollout of coronavirus vaccines, saying if doses are administered at their current rate, “it will take years, not months, to vaccinate the American people.” 

Federal officials had promised that 20 million people would be vaccinated by the end of this year, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says only about 2.1 million Americans have so far received their initial vaccine dose. The vaccine shows that “brighter days are coming,” Biden said, but with coronavirus cases surging and more than 334,000 Americans dead, this isn’t a jubilant time. “We need to be honest: The next few weeks and months are going to be very tough, a very tough period for our nation — maybe the toughest during this entire pandemic,” Biden said. “I know it’s hard to hear, but it’s the truth.” Source: NPR Argentina legalizes abortion by a Senate vote of 38 to 29, with one abstention. President Alberto Fernández has indicated that he will sign the bill into law. (The New York Times) The United Kingdom approves a vaccine made by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca for use in the country. Health Secretary Matt Hancock says that the rollout of this vaccine will begin on January 4. (BBC)

Germany reports a record 1,129 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute, marking the first time that the country has surpassed 1,000 daily deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. (DW)

Turkey receives their first shipment of three million doses of Sinovac’s vaccine. (Hurriyet Daily News)

Ukraine signs an agreement to buy up to 1.8 million doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says the first shipment of vaccines could arrive in February. (Business Times) California reports its first case of a more contagious variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom in a patient from Southern California. (ABC News)

California reports a record 442 deaths on Tuesday, bringing the statewide death toll to 24,987. (The Hill)

Argentina approves a vaccine made by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca for use in the country, becoming the second country after the UK to approve this vaccine. (France 24)

Bolivia signs a deal with Russia’s Russian Direct Investment Fund to secure 2.6 million Sputnik V vaccine. (Sputnik V) Los Angeles County surpasses 10,000 deaths from COVID-19 and is averaging 150 daily deaths. (KABC-TV)

Singapore officially begins its vaccination campaign, with healthcare workers among the first to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran. (CNA) The United States announces plans to impose additional tariffs on certain products from France and Germany, particularly aircraft parts, in retaliation to tariffs imposed by the European Union on similar U.S. products this year. (AFP via The Straits Times)

The United Kingdom’s House of Commons approves the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the European Union by 521 votes to 73. (BBC)

Prime Minister Boris Johnson formally signs the agreement into law. (Sky News)

Taiwan reports its first case of new variant of SARS-CoV-2 after a teenager who returned from the United Kingdom on Sunday tested positive for COVID-19 a day later. (Focus Taiwan News Channel)

As a result of first case of new variant, Taiwan will ban all non-resident foreigners from entering the country from January 1. Aside from legal residents, exception to a ban also be applies to those who give a special permission such as businesspeople, spouse and children of Taiwanese nationals. (Radio Taiwan International)

McConnell blocks initial Senate vote on $2,000 stimulus checks  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) blocked a Tuesday vote on whether the Senate should approve $2,000 stimulus checks for qualifying Americans, rather than the $600 direct payments included in the $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill passed last week. The House passed the legislation with a narrow two-thirds majority vote on Monday. President Trump opposed the $600 checks and appeared at some points ready to veto the entire relief bill unless the figure jumped to $2,000. While Democratic lawmakers agree the checks should be larger, many Republicans have been hesitant, with some citing concerns about rising national debt. Without providing details about if or when a vote on the measure would happen, McConnell said the Senate would tie in a debate over an unrelated repeal of liability protections for tech companies, and investigating the sanctity of elections, two Trump priorities. Source: Bloomberg

U.K. approves Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use  Britain on Wednesday granted emergency approval for a coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and the British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca, the first nation in the world to do so. The move gave the U.K. a second vaccine to help fight a spike in coronavirus cases fueled by a highly infectious new coronavirus variant, and the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is being heralded as a cheaper and easier distribute alternative to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine approved earlier this month. Researchers published interim results from clinical trials that showed the new vaccine to be roughly 62% effective in preventing symptomatic cases of COVID-19, and no one who received the vaccine has been hospitalized. The Oxford-AstraZeneca formulation is intended to be administered in two doses, but the British government said it would prioritize giving as many people as possible a single dose, which has been shown to provide significant resistance. Source: Axios, Associated Press

Mnuchin says stimulus payments are on the way for many Americans  Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin tweeted on Tuesday evening that the second round of stimulus payments “may begin arriving as early as tonight” for Americans who have set up direct deposit with the Internal Revenue Service. The government will begin mailing out paper checks on Wednesday. In a statement, Mnuchin said the Treasury Department and IRS “are working with unprecedented speed to issue a second round of Economic Impact Payments to eligible Americans and their families. These payments are an integral part of our commitment to providing vital additional economic relief to the American people during this unprecedented time.” Last week, Congress voted to give out $600 direct payments to Americans, down from the $1,200 stimulus checks sent in the spring. Source: CNBC

 

Tuesday,  Dec. 29th, 2020 

California’s COVID-19 surge brings hospitals to capacity  California has emerged as the latest U.S. COVID-19 hot spot as cases surge, especially in southern California. “The state has added more than 300,000 cases in the seven-day period ending Dec. 22, including records around Los Angeles, San Diego and Fresno,” The New York Times writes. The rapid spike in cases has brought the state’s per capita numbers above those of Florida and some Midwestern states, where numbers have also recently surged. As of most recent data, Tennessee is recording the highest per capita rate of infections. At one Los Angeles hospital, five overflow tents outside have been filled, leaving staffers to also put gurneys in the hospital’s gift shop, chapel, and conference room. COVID-19 hospitalizations across the U.S. reached a record high on Monday, with 121,235 patients in the hospital.  Source: The New York Times The Investigative Committee of Russia accuses opposition leader and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny of fraud for allegedly using public funds from his organization for personal needs. The accusation comes after the federal prison service demanded that Navalny report to its office today or face jail time. (DW)

Jonathan Pollard, a convicted spy who spent 30 years in prison in the United States for spying, returns to Israel. (The Times of Israel) (Politico)

The first commercial Boeing 737 MAX flight in the United States since worldwide groundings began in March 2019 occurs. The flight, between New York City’s LaGuardia Airport and Miami International Airport, was operated by American Airlines. (CNBC)

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff receive the Moderna vaccine. (CBS News)

President-elect Joe Biden announces that three more officials will join his COVID-19 Advisory Board. (Politico)

California extends a regional stay-at-home order in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley due to rise of hospitalizations in the state. (NBC News)

Belarus begins vaccinations with Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. (The Moscow Times)

United States Forces Korea begins a vaccination programme against COVID-19 using the Moderna vaccine. Healthcare providers and first responders are among those who will initially receive the vaccine. (Stars and Stripes)

Argentina begins a vaccination campaign using the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. (Europa Press)

The United Kingdom and Vietnam sign a free trade agreement, which will take effect on December 31, following a meeting between UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh at the State Guest House in Hanoi, Vietnam. (Reuters)

The United States Department of Justice announces that there will be no charges against the two Cleveland officers who are accused of killing Tamir Rice. (NBC News)

The Louisville Metro Police Department announces that they will fire Joshua Jaynes and Myles Cosgrove, two of the officers involved in the botched raid of Breonna Taylor’s home. (The New York Times)

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune returns to Algeria following treatment in Germany for his COVID-19 diagnosis since November. (AFP via Barron’s)

 

 

Monday,  Dec. 28th, 2020

The shop owner that began the Hunter Biden laptop story filed a $500 million lawsuit against Twitter. (Fox News)

 The United States House of Representatives passes the CASH Act, a bill that increases direct payments from $600 to $2,000, with a vote of 275–134. The bill is expected to head to the United States Senate for a vote. (Newsweek)

Belgium officially begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19, with a 96-year-old Flemish man from Antwerp becoming the first person to receive Pfizer-BioNTech’s tozinameran vaccine. (Euronews)

Novavax announces it will begin phase 3 trials of its vaccine candidate in the United States and Mexico. (NBC News)

European Union ambassadors unanimously approve the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the United Kingdom. (BBC)

The European Union announces that it is close to reaching an investment deal with China. (AFP via ABS-CBN News)

The United States Forces Japan announces that American troops in the country will begin vaccinations and prioritize front-line medical workers. (The Japan Times)

A court in China sentences a citizen journalist to four years in prison for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” while reporting during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year in Wuhan. The journalist’s lawyer says that they will “probably” appeal the verdict. (Reuters), (BBC)

 

 

Sunday, Dec. 27th, 2020 

The Solar Orbiter spacecraft makes its closest approach to Venus. (Space.com)

President Donald Trump signs the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which contains a $900 billion COVID-19 relief package, before Monday’s deadline, in order to avert a government shutdown. This comes after Trump called the bill a “disgrace” last week. (The Washington Post) (Politico)

The U.S. surpasses 19 million cases of COVID-19, having averaged 185,000 daily cases over the past week. (The Hill)

Oman officially begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The country is the last Gulf Cooperation Council member state to begin vaccinations. Health Minister Ahmed Al-Saidi is one of the first citizens to receive a dose of the vaccine. (Arab News)

Austria begins administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran to its citizens. An 84-year-old woman becomes the first Austrian to be vaccinated against COVID-19 at the Medical University of Vienna. (ORF)

The Czech Republic begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran, with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and World War II veteran Emilie Řepíková among the first people to get vaccinated. (Expats.cz)

Greece officially begins a vaccination programme against COVID-19, with ICU nurse Efstathia Kambissiouli, President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis among the first people to get vaccinated. (The National Herald)

Romania begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran. The first person vaccinated is a 26-year-old doctor from Bucharest. (Digi24)

The European Union begins a mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19. (NBC News)

Authorities officially identify the perpetrator of Friday’s suicide bombing in Nashville, Tennessee, as 63-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner and conclude that he had been acting alone. (The Tennessean)

The End