Miami officials announced that more than 1,000 people have already been taken into custody and about 80 guns have been seized since early February, when spring breakers started pouring into the Florida city famous for its nightlife and beaches.
“Since Friday [March 19], we have made over 50 arrests and confiscated eight firearms,” the Miami Beach Police Department stated on Twitter.
The curfews are intended to effectively shut down a famous hotspot for spring breakers in one of the few states nationwide that has already fully reopened from lockdowns over the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic.
2.5 Million Getting COVID-19 Vaccines per Day in US, CDC Warns New Variants May Cause ‘Avoidable Surge’
About 2.5 million people are receiving COVID-19 vaccines per day in the United States, according to the Biden administration, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns of an “avoidable surge” amid increases in cases attributed to new variants of the CCP virus.
Andrew Slavitt, acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service, told reporters at a virtual press conference that the 2.5 million figure was an increase from 900,000 per day at the start of the Biden administration.
“This weekend was the first time that the U.S. reported vaccinating more than 3 million people on consecutive days,” he said Monday.
Schools Canceled After Teachers, Staff ‘Ill From the Effects of the Vaccine’: Superintendent
A school district in New Hampshire canceled school on Monday when too many staff called in sick after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine the day before, Superintendent Kathleen Murphy said in a message to parents.
“Early this morning, after receiving communication from our building Principals, I made the decision to close school for the day,” Murphy said. “This decision was the result of a significant number of staff who became ill from the effects of the vaccine they received on Sunday.”
“The District just did not have enough substitutes or personnel to cover classrooms and common areas,” she added.
National Anthem Singers Silenced by COVID-19 Guidelines as Athletes Play
Saddleback Valley Unified School District recently cleared its schools to resume sports and performing arts—only to later cancel live musical acts due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Natalie Moreta, a senior at Mission Viejo High School (MVHS), was selected to sing the national anthem before an upcoming football game, only to have her performance canceled March 19. The performances of other students who were set to sing at different games were also canceled.
Natalie’s mother, Sarah Moreta, told The Epoch Times she is frustrated with COVID-19 rules that seem contradictory.
Senior Fox News Producer Dies From COVID-19
Senior Fox News and Fox Business producer Eric Spinato has died from COVID-19, according to his family.
Spinato’s brother, Dean, wrote on social media that the CCP virus was his cause of death.
“COVID took my brother today,” he wrote, referring to the disease caused by the CCP virus. “He was a gem and one of a kind. I’m so broken and lost for words.”
A letter sent by Fox News managers to staffers also confirmed his death.
UK Daily Death Toll Falls to 6-Month Low
The United Kingdom’s daily death toll from the CCP virus fell to 17 on Monday, the lowest figure in about six months, official data showed.
Figures showed 17 people had died within 28 days of having received a positive test for the disease, and that deaths in the last seven days were down 42 percent on the week before.
While deaths have dropped sharply in recent weeks, daily new cases have remained steady at around 5,000 to 6,000 this month. The data showed 5,342 new cases were recorded on Monday. The seven-day figure was down 4.7 percent.
Jailed Alberta Pastor to Be Released From Jail With $1,500 Fine
A judge has ruled a jailed Edmonton-area pastor can be released immediately but has to pay a $1,500 fine.
James Coates, who preaches at GraceLife Church, was charged after officials said the church violated public-health measures meant to help contain the spread of the CCP virus.
Putin to Receive Vaccine Shot in Russia on Tuesday
President Vladimir Putin said he will get a COVID-19 vaccine shot on Tuesday, several months after widespread vaccination started in Russia.
Kremlin opponents have criticized Putin for not getting vaccinated amid a comparatively slow rollout of the shot in Russia, arguing that his reluctance is contributing to the already extensive hesitance about the vaccine. In Russia, 4.3 percent of the 146-million population have received at least one dose.
AstraZeneca Says Vaccine Effective, ‘No Safety Concerns’
AstraZeneca said its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective following an interim analysis of data from a U.S.-based Phase 3 trial involving more than 32,000 participants.
The company said that the U.S. Phase 3 trial of the vaccine showed that it is 79 percent effective at preventing symptomatic illness, and 100 percent effective against severe or critical disease and hospitalization.
Last week, more than a dozen nations suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, called AZD1222, after a few dozen people who received the vaccine developed blood clots. The European Union’s drug regulatory agency subsequently carried out a review and concluded that, while it couldn’t rule out a direct link to thrombotic events—or blood clotting—the benefits of using the vaccine outweigh the possible risks.
New York Lowers Vaccine Eligibility Age to 50
New York will join a handful of U.S. states that have lowered their eligibility age for COVID-19 vaccines to 50, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday.
With the change, which takes effect on Tuesday, New York joins Florida, the third-largest state, which lowered its eligibility age on Monday, and a handful of other states that have made vaccines available to healthy people who are 50 years old or younger.
US Air Travelers Top 1.5 Million for First Time Since March 2020
The number of U.S. air passengers screened topped 1.5 million Sunday for the first time since March 2020, as air travel continues to rebound from a pandemic-related drop, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said Monday.
The CCP virus devastated air travel demand, with U.S. airline passengers down 60 percent in 2020. TSA said it screened 1.54 million people Sunday, the highest single day since March 13, 2020, and the 11th consecutive day screening volume exceeding 1 million per day.
Lebanon Reopens Restaurants With Precautions
Lebanon has eased its nearly two-month lockdown because of the CCP virus, with restaurants opening to the public for the first time in two months amid strict measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
Restaurants will be allowed to have a 50 percent capacity indoor with a 6-foot distance between each table while outdoors they will be allowed to have a 75 percent capacity.
Bells Toll to Honor Czech Victims
Bells tolled across the Czech Republic at noon on Monday to honor those who have died of COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus. Czech Republic in one of the hardest-hit European Union countries.
The death toll has reached almost 25,000 since the start of the pandemic in the nation of 10.7 million and has almost 1.5 million confirmed cases.
Crowds Protest Restrictions Across Europe
Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in cities across Europe over the weekend as part of rallies against restrictive lockdowns implemented to combat COVID-19.
Demonstrations against lockdown measures were seen continent-wide on March 20, including in Austria, the UK, Finland, the Netherlands, Romania, and Switzerland.
LA Teachers Union Agrees to Reopen Schools From April
Public schools in Los Angeles are set to reopen from next month after a teachers union approved a plan for a physical and hybrid return to classes.
Many schools continue to teach students remotely more than a year after the CCP virus prompted widespread closures across the United States, and the Biden administration has been aiming to reopen in-person learning for millions of public school students without sparking COVID-19 outbreaks.
Education officials at the Los Angeles Unified School district are tentatively planning for physical classes to restart at elementary and preschools by mid-April, while grades 7-12 are scheduled to return by about the end of April.
Lorenz Duchamps, Mimi Nguyen Ly, Meiling Lee, Drew van Voorhis, Isabel van Brugen, Tom Ozimek, The Canadian Press, Reuters, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
