April 1 coronavirus news

By Joshua Berlinger, CNN

Updated 6:38 a.m. ET, April 2, 2021
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7:05 a.m. ET, April 1, 2021

Quality problem at Johnson & Johnson plant could ruin millions of vaccine doses

By Jen Christensen, CNN

Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday it had found a quality problem at a Baltimore plant helping manufacture its single-dose coronavirus vaccine.

The New York Times reported Wednesday that workers at Emergent BioSolutions, the Baltimore plant that has been making Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine, accidentally mixed up some of the ingredients, ruining as many as 15 million potential doses of vaccine and delaying US Food and Drug Administration authorization of the plant.

Emergent is also making the AstraZeneca vaccine, which has yet to be authorized for use in this country.

Johnson & Johnson said in a statement to CNN that the quality control process at the plant identified "one batch" of drug substance that did not meet quality standards. The batch in question was part of a test run and quality check. The site is not yet authorized by the FDA to make the drug substance used in the vaccine.

"This batch was never advanced to the filling and finishing stages of our manufacturing process," the emailed statement from the company said.

None of the lost doses impact the company's goal of delivering 20 million Covid-19 vaccine doses in March. For that, the company said Wednesday, it is on track. Those doses come from J&J's Janssen vaccine plant in the Netherlands.

8:00 a.m. ET, April 1, 2021

UK variant accounts for nearly 9 in 10 new infections in Germany

From Nadine Schmidt, CNN Berlin

An employee takes a swab from a woman for a Covid-19 test during a trial run for a drive-through Covid-19 testing center at the airport in Hamburg, Germany, on March 31.
An employee takes a swab from a woman for a Covid-19 test during a trial run for a drive-through Covid-19 testing center at the airport in Hamburg, Germany, on March 31. Daniel Bockwoldt/picture alliance/Getty Images

The coronavirus variant B.1.1.7 -- which was first identified in the UK -- has been found in nearly nine in 10 of all new Covid-19 infections in Germany, according to a report from the country’s public health authority the Robert Koch Institute, published on Wednesday night.

The RKI report shows that the UK variant accounted for 88% of new coronavirus infections for tests conducted between March 22 and 28.

''This is concerning because B.1.1.7 is more contagious than other variants, according to previous findings',' the report said.

It added that because of the high proportions of B.1.1.7, the overall increase is “not expected to slow down'' and hospitalizations are set to continue to rise.

On Thursday, Germany recorded 24,300 new coronavirus infections, a rise of 1,643 cases compared to the same day last week, according to RKI data.

Germany's coronavirus deaths stood at 201 within the last 24 hours, bringing the total tally of deaths to 76,543. The latest data from RKI indicates that the number of new infections per 100,000 residents has risen to 134, more than double in just four weeks.

6:18 a.m. ET, April 1, 2021

WHO says Europe’s vaccine rollout is “unacceptably slow” amid "worrying" surge

From CNN's Zahid Mahmood and Schams Elwazer

A medical staff member prepares the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, on March 19.
A medical staff member prepares the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, on March 19. Christophe Ena/AP

The World Health Organization said Wednesday that the European vaccine rollout is “unacceptably slow” and that the surge in coronavirus infections within the continent was “worrying.”

In a statement, the WHO said that vaccines were the best way out of the pandemic, but the slow rollout was prolonging it.

“Let me be clear: we must speed up the process by ramping up manufacturing, reducing barriers to administering vaccines, and using every single vial we have in stock, now,” WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr. Hans Kluge said in the statement.

Dr. Dorit Nitzan, regional emergency director for the WHO Europe, warned that it was only five weeks ago that new cases in Europe had dipped to under 1 million, but now with more mobility, gatherings over religious holidays and the presence of the B.1.1.7 variant -- first identified in the UK -- there is a greater public risk.

“This variant is more transmissible and can increase the risk of hospitalization, it has a greater public health impact and additional actions are required to control it,” Dr. Nitzan said.

As the vaccination rollout grows across Europe, the WHO are calling for early action to implement public health and social measures.

The statement added that 27 countries in Europe are in a partial or full nationwide lockdown, with 21 imposing night time curfews. In the past 2 weeks, 23 countries have intensified restrictions while 13 have eased measures, with an additional nine to follow suit.

6:42 a.m. ET, April 1, 2021

Lockdown begins in parts of Austria over Easter break

From Nadine Schmidt in Berlin

People sit on benches in downtown Vienna, Austria, on March 22.
People sit on benches in downtown Vienna, Austria, on March 22. Ronald Zak/AP

Parts of Austria are entering lockdown from Thursday until at least April 10 -- coinciding with the Easter holiday -- in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus and prevent an overburdened healthcare system.

The lockdown would apply to nearly four million people living in Vienna, Burgenland and lower Austria, where shops -- excluding grocery stores and pharmacies -- museums and zoos will be closed.

According to the rules introduced by Vienna, curfews will also be implemented as people are only allowed to leave their homes for essential shopping trips, walk their pets or exercise.

Church services over the Easter holidays are permitted however, while being subject to very strict hygiene rules.

On Thursday, Austria recorded 3,687 new coronavirus infections -- with Vienna reporting nearly 1,000 new cases and more than 800 in Lower Austria, according to data from the Austrian public health authority. This brings the total number of new infections in the country to 545,965.

According to Austria’s health authorities 2,323 people are being treated in hospital due to coronavirus infections, of which 540 are in intensive care. The country's death toll stands at 9,339.

4:59 a.m. ET, April 1, 2021

Mass religious festival goes ahead in India, despite Covid fears as country enters second wave

From CNN's Jessie Yeung, Esha Mitra and Manveena Suri

Hindu devotees gather for evening prayers after taking a holy dip in the waters of the River Ganges on the eve of Shahi Snan (grand bath) on Maha Shivratri festival during the ongoing religious Kumbh Mela festival in Haridwar, India, on March 10
Hindu devotees gather for evening prayers after taking a holy dip in the waters of the River Ganges on the eve of Shahi Snan (grand bath) on Maha Shivratri festival during the ongoing religious Kumbh Mela festival in Haridwar, India, on March 10 Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images

Massive crowds of Hindus began arriving in the northern Indian city of Haridwar on Thursday for the largest religious pilgrimage on Earth, even as experts warned it could cause a surge in Covid-19 cases as the country grapples with a second wave.

The months-long Kumbh Mela festival, one of the most important Hindu celebrations, typically takes place every 12 years and draws tens of millions of pilgrims to four rotating sites.

This year, it takes place in Haridwar, in the foothills of the outer Himalayas in Uttarakhand state, where devotees attend prayers, and wash their sins away in the sacred waters of the Ganges River. According to some myths associated with the festival, the river water turns into "amrita," or the nectar of immortality, on particular days.

But this year, Covid-19 measures have seen the festival postponed and then scaled back. The traditional start date, called Makar Sankranti, was in January, but people were not authorized to take holy baths in the river until the government's formal launch in April.

Although authorities moved the start date, and shortened the pilgrimage from three and a half months to just one month, many people have chosen to disregard the official guidelines, said Oommen Kurian, senior fellow and head of health initiative at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been flocking to Haridwar since Makar Sankranti in January anyway -- congregating in close quarters for hours a day, sharing public facilities and having meals together. Photos show people washing their faces and taking full body dips into the sacred waters, then attending evening prayers by the banks of the river, lighting candles and making religious offerings.

Thursday saw the first ceremonies and holy baths take place by the banks of the Ganges, with holy men carrying out prayer rituals, said festival officer Harbeer Singh. Religious flags were hoisted ahead of their arrival, marking the formal start of the celebrations.

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2:22 a.m. ET, April 1, 2021

Queensland lifts lockdown early for Greater Brisbane

From CNN's Chandler Thornton

The government of the Australian state of Queensland said a three-day lockdown for Greater Brisbane would end a few hours early Wednesday, after the state reported only one new local Covid-19 case overnight.

The snap lockdown was set to end at 5 p.m. Thursday but will be lifted at noon instead to prepare for Easter weekend travel, Queensland State Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

"Easter is good to go," Palaszczuk said.

Some restrictions will remain in place for Queensland until April 15. Queenslanders must still carry a mask when leaving home and wear masks in indoor places and stay seated in pubs and restaurants. Gatherings are limited to 30 people and dancing is not allowed in public venues.

2:18 a.m. ET, April 1, 2021

US nursing homes see a 96% decline in Covid-19 cases since vaccines rolled out in late December

From CNN’s Jen Christensen

Executive Director Patricia Gustin greets residents entering the dining room at a nursing home in Anaheim, California, on March 8.
Executive Director Patricia Gustin greets residents entering the dining room at a nursing home in Anaheim, California, on March 8. Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register/Getty Images

Nursing homes have seen a 96% decline in new Covid-19 cases since vaccines started rolling out in late December, according to a new analysis from the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL).

By March 7, the country saw the lowest number of weekly cases and deaths since Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has been tracking them, according to the report published Tuesday. With 547 deaths the week of March 7, deaths were down 91% since December.

Since December, nursing home cases have been declining at a much faster rate than community cases, the group’s analysis showed.

“We are not out of the woods yet, but these numbers are incredibly encouraging and a major morale booster for frontline caregivers who have been working tirelessly for more than a year to protect our residents,” Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of AHCA/NCAL, said in a statement. “This trend shows that when long term care is prioritized, as with the national vaccine rollout, we can protect our vulnerable elderly population.”

AHCA/NCAL represents more than 14,000 nursing homes and long-term care facilities around the country. The facilities provide care for about 5 million people a year. 

2:16 a.m. ET, April 1, 2021

CDC warned the UK variant would become dominant by March, and there's evidence it has

From CNN’s Michael Nedelman and Christopher Rios

People spend time in the sun near the Daytona Beach fishing pier in Florida, on March 24.
People spend time in the sun near the Daytona Beach fishing pier in Florida, on March 24. Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/Sipa USA

Mounting evidence suggests the more contagious coronavirus variant first identified in the UK, which experts believe is partly driving an uptick of cases in places like Michigan, may already be dominant across the US.

“I think we are there,” said William Lee, vice president of science at Helix, a company whose tests have identified a large share of variant cases across the country. “But at the end of the day, it's hard to say for sure,” given gaps and delays in the data.

Lee is one of the authors of a study published Tuesday in the journal Cell estimating that the variant, known as B.1.1.7, would cause the majority of Covid-19 cases in the US by March 19. 

According to that study, B.1.1.7 cases are expected to double every week and a half as a percentage of the country’s total coronavirus cases. The study also concluded the variant was introduced several different times to the US, as early as late November. The study’s conclusions were based on testing data through February.

Lee said that there’s strong evidence the variant is already responsible for a majority of cases in states like Florida, Michigan and Georgia -- with a number of others close on their heels, like Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Texas and Southern California. However, Helix’s data does not include robust samples from a number of other states, particularly in the Northeast and Midwest regions.

While officials with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention won’t yet say whether the variant is dominant, its scientists previously predicted this would be the case by now. 

In January, a CDC study predicted that the variant would exhibit “rapid growth in early 2021, becoming the predominant variant in March.” At the time, the variant was assumed to account for less than 0.5% of cases. 

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