US President Joe Biden visits a coronavirus vaccination site at the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, on April 6, 2021. EPA
US President Joe Biden visits a coronavirus vaccination site at the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, on April 6, 2021. EPA
US President Joe Biden visits a coronavirus vaccination site at the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, on April 6, 2021. EPA
US President Joe Biden visits a coronavirus vaccination site at the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, on April 6, 2021. EPA

Biden says widespread US adult Covid vaccine eligibility will arrive earlier


Patrick deHahn
  • English
  • Arabic

US President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that all adults should be eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine by April 19, bringing forward his May 1 deadline for all states and territories.

"By no later than April 19, in every part of this country, every adult 18 or over will be eligible to be vaccinated," Mr Biden said.

He made his remarks after a visit to a vaccination site in Alexandria, Virginia, just a short drive from Washington, DC.

"No more confusing rules. No more confusing restrictions," Mr Biden said. "Every adult is eligible to get in line."

Eligibility varied by state or territory, and largely gave priority to elderly and vulnerable at-risk populations such as the immuno-compromised.

Essential workers were also among the first groups vaccinated.

The accelerated pace of eligibility comes as supplies of the three federally approved vaccines – those developed by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson – have increased.

Mr Biden has promised there will be enough vaccines for all US adults by the end of May.

He says 150 million shots have been given in his first 75 days, and 200 million will be given when he reaches the 100th day of his presidency.

It surpasses his initial goal of 100 million vaccinations in 100 days.

On Monday, the Centres for Disease Prevention and Control registered 62 million people who have been fully vaccinated, along with more than 106 million who have had at least one dose.

"We're the first country to vaccinate over 62 million people," Mr Biden said.

The country is averaging about 3 million immunisations daily.

On Saturday, April 3, a record 4.1 million vaccines were administered in 24 hours.

The US vaccination programme is accelerating while the country is recording 63,000 cases daily, along with the spread of variants that are more transmissible or can cause severe illness.

Mr Biden's decision to move up the eligibility deadline may be influenced by growing concern that a fourth surge in cases is taking hold.

"We're making incredible progress," he said. "There's a lot of good news but there's also some bad news. New variants of the virus are spreading and they're moving quickly."

The White House Covid-19 Task Force has continued to advise caution amid weeks of rising cases after a dramatic decrease that came after the worst surge in winter.

"We aren't at the finish line, we still have a lot of work to do," Mr Biden said. "We're still in a life-and-death race against this virus."

Scientists say the country may need about 80 per cent of the population to be inoculated for herd immunity to be reached.

"We're not even halfway through vaccinating 300 million Americans," Mr Biden said, referring to the country's population. "This is going to take time."

He still hopes to have most US adults immunised by July 4, the nation's Independence Day holiday.

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How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

THE LOWDOWN

Photograph

Rating: 4/5

Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies

Director: Ritesh Batra

Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz

Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes

Company profile

Name: Fruitful Day

Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie

Based: Dubai, UAE

Founded: 2015

Number of employees: 30

Sector: F&B

Funding so far: Dh3 million

Future funding plans: None at present

Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries

Juliet, Naked
Dir: Jesse Peretz
Starring: Chris O'Dowd, Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​Two stars

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The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo

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Engine: 5.6-litre V8

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm

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Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km

Top tips

Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
 

The President's Cake

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Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory