Arc System Works will host an open beta test for Guilty Gear: Strive from February 18 at 7:00 p.m. PT / 10:00 p.m. ET to February 21 at 6:59 a.m. PT / 9:59 a.m. ET on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, the publisher and developer announced.
Users who pre-order Guilty Gear: Strive via the PlayStation Store will be able to access the open beta test a day early strting February 17 at 7:00 p.m. PT / 10:00 p.m. ET.
The open beta test will feature 13 playable characters (Anji Mito and the 15th unannounced character are not playable), as well as Versus Mode, Tutorial Mode, Training Mode, and Network Mode. Online matches use rollback netcode. Read more here.
Guilty Gear: Strive is due out for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam on April 9. The Deluxe and Ultimate Editions will launch for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 three days in advance on April 6. Read more about the game here and here.
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A Falcon 9 rocket climbs into a moonlit sky over Cape Canaveral after liftoff at 1:19 a.m. EST (0619 GMT) Thursday. Credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now
Sixty more SpaceX-owned Starlink internet satellites rocketed through a moonlit winter sky over Cape Canaveral aboard a Falcon 9 launcher early Thursday, while another Falcon 9 stood on a different launch pad a few miles away to loft another 60 Starlink payloads Friday.
Nine Merlin 1D engines flashed to life and sent a rumble across Florida’s Space Coast at 1:19 a.m. EST (0619 GMT) Thursday. Hold-down clamps released to allow the 229-foot-tall (70-meter) Falcon 9 rocket to climb off pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The Falcon 9’s guidance system steered the rocket northeast from Cape Canaveral to align with planned orbital inclination of the Starlink satellites.
After surpassing the speed of sound, the Falcon 9 soared into the rarefied uppermost layers of the atmosphere and shed its 15-story first stage booster around two-and-a-half minutes into the flight. An upper stage engine ignited to continue accelerating into orbit with the 60 Starlink satellites, while the first stage — designed B1060 in SpaceX’s reusable rocket inventory — descended to an on-target landing on SpaceX’s drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” nearly 400 miles (630 kilometers) downrange in the Atlantic Ocean.
The first stage’s landing punctuated the fifth trip to space and back for this booster, and it broke a record for the fastest turnaround between flights of a SpaceX booster, besting the previous mark of 38 days set last month.
Here’s a replay of the Falcon 9 rocket launching minutes ago from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
This was the fourth Falcon 9 launch of the year, and the 107th Falcon 9 flight overall since 2010.https://t.co/TyXGKQ0Tf3 pic.twitter.com/7zhgSix4m9
— Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) February 4, 2021
The booster on Thursday’s mission last flew Jan. 7 with the Turksat 5A communications satellite, just 27 days ago.
The Falcon 9’s upper stage reached a preliminary orbit with the 60 Starlink satellites about nine minutes after liftoff Tuesday, then reignited its engine for one second to maneuver into a targeted orbit ranging between 155 miles and 180 miles (250-by-291 kilometers) in altitude.
The 60 Starlink satellites deployed from the rocket a little more than an hour after liftoff, while flying over the Pacific Ocean near New Zealand.
With the fresh broadband relay stations launched Thursday, SpaceX’s Starlink fleet appears to have grown to more 1,000 active satellites, according to data gathered by Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics who tracks global satellite and launch activity.
In total, the company has launched 1,085 satellites to date, including prototypes and failed spacecraft that are no longer in orbit.
Another 60 Starlink satellites are mounted on a Falcon 9 rocket awaiting liftoff from pad 39A, a few miles north of pad 40 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. That launch has been grounded several days to await better weather conditions in the offshore booster landing zone in the Atlantic Ocean.
SpaceX briefly planned to launch both Falcon 9 rockets less than five hours apart early Thursday, but the company said Wednesday afternoon that the mission from pad 39A would be pushed back until Friday morning at 5:14 a.m. EST (1014 GMT) “to allow additional time for pre-launch checks.”
Flying 170 miles above Earth near New Zealand, the Falcon 9 rocket’s upper stage just deployed 60 more Starlink internet satellites to join SpaceX’s ever-growing fleet of broadband relay platforms in orbit. https://t.co/TyXGKQ0Tf3 pic.twitter.com/TARFqiuqf6
— Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) February 4, 2021
SpaceX has both of its ocean-going rocket landing platforms, or drone ships, deployed in the Atlantic Ocean for the two Starlink missions.
The two missions will be the 18th and 19th dedicated Falcon 9 flights for the Starlink network, which SpaceX is building out to provide broadband internet services around the world. Thursday’s mission was SpaceX’s fourth Falcon 9 launch of the year, and the 107th Falcon 9 flight overall since 2010.
SpaceX says the Starlink network is providing preliminary low-latency internet service to users in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom through a beta testing program. Commercial service will begin after SpaceX has its initial network of around 1,584 satellites in orbit, including spares.
The quarter-ton Starlink satellites are built by SpaceX technicians and engineers in Redmond, Washington.
The initial block of Starlink satellites, including the 60 launched Thursday, fly in mid-inclination orbits tilted 53 degrees to the equator. The new Starlink satellites will unfurl their solar panels and activate their automated krypton ion thrusters to reach their final operating positions in the network.
Once operational, they will orbit at an altitude of 341 miles, or 550 kilometers, to provide broadband coverage over nearly all of the populated world.
SpaceX plans to launch more Starlink satellites into polar orbit to enable global coverage for maritime and aviation customers, including the U.S. military. The company has regulatory approval to launch around 12,000 Starlink satellites.
Three people on a film set were critically hurt in an explosion that sparked a grass fire near Los Angeles on Tuesday, authorities said. The blast was reported around 4:45 p.m. in a mixed-use industrial neighborhood of Santa Clarita, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Abraham Bedoyan. Ambulances took three critical patients to hospitals, according to Supervisor Martin Rangel with the LA County Fire Department. Fire spread to a grassy hillside but firefighters were able to quickly douse the flames, Rangel said. Aerial TV news footage showed fire crews at a large lot with multiple cargo containers. Sheriff’s officials advised residents to stay clear of the area about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of downtown Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES —
Three people on a film set were critically hurt in an explosion that sparked a grass fire near Los Angeles on Tuesday, authorities said.
The blast was reported around 4:45 p.m. in a mixed-use industrial neighborhood of Santa Clarita, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Abraham Bedoyan.
Ambulances took three critical patients to hospitals, according to Supervisor Martin Rangel with the LA County Fire Department.
Fire spread to a grassy hillside but firefighters were able to quickly douse the flames, Rangel said. Aerial TV news footage showed fire crews at a large lot with multiple cargo containers.
Sheriff’s officials advised residents to stay clear of the area about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of downtown Los Angeles.
Updated 6:15 p.m.: Revised to include data from Dallas County.
Dallas County on Saturday reported 1,407 new coronavirus cases and 20 more deaths from COVID-19.
This marked the deadliest week of the pandemic so far, with 183 deaths, County Judge Clay Jenkins said. That shatters the previous high of 138 set only the week before.
The latest victims — mostly in their 60s or older — included 10 people from Dallas, two each from Farmers Branch, Garland and Irving, and one each from Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville and Richardson. Nearly all had been hospitalized, and all but one had underlying health conditions.
Jenkins said while COVID-19 hospitalizations have fallen slightly over the last few weeks, county health officials are concerned about the most recent projections from UT Southwestern. Their forecast model predicts between 910 and 1,390 people will be hospitalized in Dallas County by Feb. 9.
That’s lower than past projections but will still be an “immense strain” on health care systems, the county said in a news release.
Of the new cases reported Saturday, 1,170 were confirmed and 237 were probable.
The county has reported 256,900 cases overall, including 226,452 confirmed and 30,448 probable. The death toll is 2,179.
Health officials use hospitalizations, intensive-care admissions and emergency room visits as key metrics to track the real-time impact of COVID-19 in the county. In the 24-hour period that ended Friday, 989 COVID-19 patients were in acute care in hospitals in the county. During the same period, 512 ER visits were for symptoms of the disease.
According to the state’s data, 136,028 people in Dallas County have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 30,650 are fully vaccinated.
Texas
Across the state, 19,569 more COVID-19 cases were reported Saturday, including 18,109 new cases and 1,460 older cases that were recently reported by labs.
The state also reported 332 COVID-19 deaths, raising its toll to 36,320.
Of the new cases, 14,969 were confirmed and 3,140 were probable. Of the older cases, 1,068 were confirmed and 392 were probable.
The state has now reported 2,349,262 cases overall, including 2,049,055 confirmed and 300,207 probable. (The state also removed 335 cases from the total confirmed cases due to a data audit in Hays County.)
There are 11,473 COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals, including 3,173 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. On Friday, 19% of patients in the hospital region covering the Dallas-Fort Worth area were COVID-19 patients — above the 15% threshold the state has used to define high hospitalizations.
The seven-day average positivity rate statewide for molecular tests, based on the date of test specimen collection, was 14.77% as of Friday. For antigen tests, the positivity rate for the same period was 7.93%. A molecular test is considered more accurate and is sometimes also called a PCR test; an antigen test is also called a rapid test. Gov. Greg Abbott has said a positivity rate above 10% is cause for concern.
State expects big influx of vaccine
Texas is set to receive a significantly higher number of COVID-19 vaccines in the coming week, the state health department said. Providers will receive 520,425 first doses of the vaccine and 188,225 second doses for people vaccinated a few weeks ago.
The additional doses are largely due to a 30% increase in the number of Moderna vaccines being provided by the federal government, the state said.
The increase is also due to an additional 126,750 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which were initially set aside for the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program, being returned to the state. The program overestimated how many doses it would need, the state health department said.
The state said it is working with providers to ensure they have enough second doses for patients vaccinated a few weeks ago. People should be able to return to the provider that gave them their first dose, the state said.
According to the state’s data, 1,842,287 people in Texas have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 448,649 are fully vaccinated.
Tarrant County
Tarrant County reported 1,862 coronavirus cases and 16 deaths Saturday.
The latest victims — mostly in their 60s or older — included seven people from Fort Worth, two from North Richland Hills and one each from Arlington, Euless, Haltom City, Hurst, Mansfield, Saginaw and Watauga. All had underlying health conditions, the county said.
Of the new cases, 1,560 were confirmed and 302 were probable.
The county has now reported 216,910 cases overall, including 187,038 confirmed and 29,872 probable. The death toll is 2,176.
According to the county, 1,177 people were hospitalized with the virus as of Friday.
According to the state, 104,775 people in Tarrant County have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 17,729 are fully vaccinated.
Collin County
The state added 505 coronavirus cases and seven deaths to Collin County’s totals Saturday.
No details about the latest victims were available.
Of the new cases, 331 were confirmed and 174 were probable.
The county has reported 72,370 cases total, including 61,854 confirmed and 10,516 probable. The death toll is 573.
According to the county, 496 people are hospitalized with the virus.
According to the state, 51,046 people in Collin County have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 13,339 are fully vaccinated.
Denton County
Denton County reported 306 coronavirus cases and no deaths Saturday.
The county has reported 53,554 cases overall, including 42,349 confirmed and 11,205 probable. The death toll is 318.
According to the county, 171 people are hospitalized with the virus.
According to the state, 28,383 people in Denton County have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 7,953 are fully vaccinated.
Other counties
The Texas Department of State Health Services has taken over reporting for these other North Texas counties. In some counties, new data may not be reported every day.
The fire broke out on Friday at the Napier Barracks, a decommissioned military complex that now houses asylum-seekers and has been at the center of a recent row between Home Secretary Priti Patel and refugee charities who have called on her to close the facility.
Charities have claimed that the estimated 400 asylum-seekers at the facility have been living in poor conditions in overcrowded dormitories and that a recent Covid-19 outbreak has infected at least 120 people, PA Media reported.
Kent police Saturday said enquiries into the incident were continuing and that “no serious injuries were reported as a result of the incident, however a significant amount of damage was caused to one part of the site following a fire — which is believed to have been started deliberately.”
On Friday, the home secretary took to Twitter to condemn the “shocking scenes” from Napier Barracks where the Home Office said windows were smashed and a building set on fire.
“The damage and destruction at Napier Barracks is not only appalling but deeply offensive to the taxpayers of this country who are providing accommodation while asylum claims are being processed,” Patel tweeted.
“This site has previously accommodated our brave soldiers and army personnel — it is an insult to say that it is not good enough for these individuals,” she added.
Patel’s comments drew some criticism, with the founder of one refugee charity saying the home secretary “should be ashamed of herself” for so quickly pointing the finger at asylum-seekers.
“For a British home secretary to accuse and castigate ordinary people when the facts of this incident are not yet even known is shocking and disturbing,” Clare Mosley, founder of the charity Care4Calais, said in statement sent to CNN.
“This is not simply a careless, off-the-cuff emotional response. It is a misleading, opportunistic smoke screen concocted to deflect attention from the multiple warnings she has had about what was clearly going to happen at Napier barracks,” Mosley added.
Care4Calais, in a Facebook post on Friday, said Napier residents they had spoken to “tell us they are simply terrified.”
“Their future remains uncertain and today’s events create more distress and fear,” it added.
The Amazon Echo has some new home security features that are now going live. Among other things, your Amazon Echo can make it sound like a dog is barking inside your house if your security cameras sense movement when you’re not home.
The feature is part of Alexa Guard Plus, a subscription service that costs $4.99 per month or $49 per year after a 30-day free trial. It’s another way Amazon is using the Echo to generate recurring revenue from its hardware, but it’s also useful for folks who may not want to pay for a full-blown security system.
Guard Plus can also alert you to any sounds in your home using your Amazon Echo and sound a siren if activity is detected inside. You can also ask your Echo to call an emergency helpline if you’re home and there’s an intruder.
Here’s how to set it up:
How to set up Alexa Guard Plus on Amazon Echo
Amazon Alexa Guard
Todd Haselton | CNBC
First you have to sign up for the trial on Amazon’s website, or say “Alexa, try Guard Plus” near your Amazon Echo.
Open the Alexa app on your phone.
Tap “More” on the bottom right.
Choose Settings.
Tap “Guard” toward the bottom of the page.
You’ll see an option to set up Guard with your existing devices, but it’s easier to tap the Settings icon on the top right of the page to move through all of the options.
Choose “Dog barking sounds” under “Deter” to set your Echo to attempt to scare off intruders while you’re away. This requires cameras that are either outdoors or facing outdoors. Select the cameras you want to use.
Choose “Activity Sounds with Siren” to have your Echo sound a siren if you’re away from home and it hears someone inside. Amazon warns that a pet can trigger this, so consider that.
Lastly, tap “Emergency Helpline.” This is where you’ll enter in your address in case you need to reach out for help. If you have an emergency, just say “Alexa, call for help.” It will dial “trained agents who can request the dispatch of emergency responders — such as police, the fire department or an ambulance, on your behalf.” Note this isn’t 911 and is only available in the U.S. Agents are available 24/7.
If you don’t want to pay, there’s also a free tier of Alexa Guard that’s pretty useful.
For instance, you can select “Away Lighting” under “Deter,” which turns your smart lights on and off when you’re away to make it look like you’re home. Amazon says it learns from your regular patterns, so it’s not just random.
The free tier can also alert you to smoke and carbon monoxide alarm sounds, or if your Echo hears glass breaking. Just choose “Sound Detection” under “Detect.”
Once you’re set up, just say “Alexa, I’m leaving,” to turn on away mode.
You can also set Alexa to guard from your phone when you leave the house. When you get home, just say “Alexa, I’m home.”
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Here are the latest updates about COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in North Carolina.
Have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine? Send them to us here
9 a.m. Duke University’s COVID-19 testing continued last week, netting 82 positive results after testing 27,865 students and 2.716 faculty and staff.
There were 62 positive results among students, who recently started classes for the spring semester. Students are required to be tested before starting classes and on-campus activities. The total positivity rate is 0.27 percent.
More data about Duke’s testing can be found here.
8:45 a.m. The Moderna company is reporting its supplied 30.4 million doses of its brand of the COVID-19 vaccine to the U.S. government so far
In a release, Moderna said its trajectory of 100 million doses by the end of March is on target as well as its track to deliver 200 million doses to the government by the end of June. Around 10.1 million doses have been administered so far, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
TUESDAY MORNING STORYLINES
A newly-conceived mass vaccination site in Durham will be able to vaccinate as many as 45,000 people per week.
“We are delighted to report the state of North Carolina and Fidelity have reached an agreement as far as hosting a mass vaccination site,” Durham County Health Director Rodney Jenkins said at a county commissioners’ meeting on Monday night. Dr. Mandy Cohen requested the site be placed in Durham.
Jenkins told the county that he’ll work with the state and Durham Public Schools to scout out possible locations for the site. More details on the site are forthcoming.
The North Carolina Healthcare Association is calling on Gov. Roy Cooper to do more when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccine in the state. The group wants more regular vaccine allocations to deal with the surge in demand. They feel the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services gave providers little to no advance notice when they decided to move forward with vaccinating adults 65 and older.
“At the end of the day, we’re taking directives, which in many cases is last minute, and we’re doing the best we can with it,” said Steve Lawler with the NCHA.
NCDHHS is giving an update on its effort Tuesday and asking providers to “aggressively provide opportunities” for vaccinations. NCDHHS said as of Sunday night, providers have administered 88% of all available doses. Meanwhile, suppliers are struggling with getting enough doses from the state.
The Governor said the state’s top priority is getting vaccines out quickly and equitably. Federal officials are being urged to make more vaccines available. There’s a drive-thru clinic at the Crown Expo Center today in Fayetteville, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A food drive is happening Tuesday in Raleigh at PNC Arena to help families put food on the table. The North Carolina Community Action Association is holding the event, which starts at 10 a.m. A box with food, drinks and home goods will be given away while supplies last.
Cape Fear Valley Health clinics will no longer be able to accommodate walk-in vaccines for first-dose vaccinations at any of its four clinics. Appointments can still be made online.
Vice President Kamala Harris will receive her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday. Harris will get the shot at the National Institutes of Health.
MONDAY
11 p.m. Duke University has identified a cluster of COVID-19 cases at Berkshire Ninth Street apartment complex.
A “cluster” is defined by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services as five or more related cases that are deemed to be in close proximity of time and location, such as a residential hall or apartment complex.
Duke said the five students in this cluster have been identified and are now isolating in a separate location.
6:19 p.m.
As of Monday, Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point (NHCCP) began vaccinating authorized TRICARE beneficiaries aged 75 years and older.
Beneficiaries aged 75 years and older should call the NHCCP Appointment Line at (252) 466-0921 (Option 3). The clinic will coordinate appointment times with command officials of active duty and frontline personnel who are eligible according the phase definition.
The Naval Clinic is NOT accepting patients for walk-in vaccinations at this time.
4:49 p.m. For the third week in a row, the Orange County Health Department has not received any first dose allotment of COVID-19 vaccines from the NCDHHS. The lack of first dose allotment will not affect or delay the second vaccines for community members who have already received their first shot, the health department said. Anyone who has received their first vaccine from the Orange County Health Department will be contacted to make an appointment for their second dose by phone or email.
“As of January 24, 2021, all first doses of vaccine have been exhausted and it is not clear when we will be receiving more vaccine from the state.” said Orange County Health Director, Quintana Stewart. “Until the vaccine supply is significantly increased it will be weeks or perhaps months until we can complete vaccinations for Phases One and Two. We understand this must be frustrating for our community members to hear and we want let you know that we share in your frustration.”
The Health Department is scheduling health care workers, long-term care residents and staff and older adults ages 65 and older for appointments (Phase One and Two). There are 1.6 million people older than 65 in North Carolina. In Orange County there are approximately 22,000 people who are 65 years of age or older.
4:45 p.m. In response to a letter the North Carolina Healthcare Association sent to Gov. Roy Cooper with several specific requests to improve the COVID-19 vaccination efforts in the state, the governor’s office responded, saying there’s simply not enough vaccine in the state to meet demands.
“The Governor’s top priority is getting vaccines out quickly and equitably,” the statement said. “The state has directed vaccines to all 100 counties and deployed high-throughput sites. Unused vaccine here could lead federal authorities to cut future allotments, so NCDHHS has pushed providers to exhaust North Carolina’s supply of first doses. However, the reality is that there is not enough vaccine here for those eligible and we need more. North Carolina providers have shown they can distribute more than double the state’s current weekly allotment and the Governor will continue to urge federal officials to make more vaccine available.”
READ THE FULL LETTER BELOW:
NCHA President Steve Lawler said the letter was a result of various conversations he’s had with Cooper and Cohen but didn’t want the concerns of hospitals and health systems he’s representing to get buried.
Among those issues expressed in the letter, Lawler called for more transparency and better communication.
“What we’ve asked, specifically is, one, involve us. Let us help you make good decisions because no one knows our patients and our communities as well as we do,” he said. “I think there’s a difference between providing directives and asking the people that are doing the work to participate in the design and development so that it’s done well. Because at the end of the day we’re taking directives- hospitals, health systems, community providers, health departments are taking this directive, which in many cases is last minute and we’re doing the best we can with it.”
4:45 p.m. The Cumberland County Department of Public Health will be giving second doses only of the COVID-19 vaccine during a drive-thru clinic scheduled for Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be available and appointments are not needed for second doses. First and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine and second doses of the Moderna vaccine will be available at clinics scheduled on Wednesday, and Friday at the Crown from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., while supplies last. People seeking second doses will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis or by appointment this week.
The Health Department will receive 975 first doses of Pfizer this week. Because of the limited supply of first doses and already scheduled first-dose appointments for the week, there will be reduced first-come, first-served opportunities on Wednesday and Friday.
Visit the County’s vaccine website for information on how to request an appointment block.
4:45 p.m. A drive-thru COVID-19 testing event has been scheduled for next week in Moore County on January 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Morganton Road Sports Complex at 190 Fire Lane in Southern Pines.
The testing event is open to all residents of Moore County with no physician referral required. Testing is sponsored by the Moore County Health Department and Goshen Medical Center.
Everyone who wishes to participate in testing should register by calling (910) 267-2044.
There will be no out of pocket cost for testing.
All testing participants are instructed to remain in their vehicle throughout the testing.
4:20 p.m. Lee County health officials announced six more COVID-19 deaths, bringing the county death total to 56 since March. The county said 253 more COVID-19 cases have been reported since last Monday, bringing the total to 4,682.
3:25 p.m.
NCDHHS launched a new online tool for North Carolinians to know when they are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.
Find My Vaccine asks a few questions to help determine what group you are in.
“Given the very limited supplies we currently have, there may be wait times, but every North Carolinian has a spot. A spot for accurate information. A spot in line. A spot to take their shot,” said NCDHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy K. Cohen.
As of Sunday evening, 88 percent of all first doses have been reported as being administered, according to NCDHHS.
Providers reported administering more than 260,000 doses this past week. As of Monday, the CDC ranked North Carolina 10th in total vaccines administered and 29th in vaccines administered per 100,000 people. Beginning on Jan. 27, North Carolina will have only 120,000 doses to allocate across the entire state. A large portion of those doses are committed to the large-scale events planned several weeks ago to address the backlog in vaccine. As a result, many providers are getting small or no allocations for the coming week. Through no fault of their own, they will be postponing appointments.
Answering your questions about when & where you can get a COVID-19 vaccine in NC
2:43 p.m. Wake County is inviting health-care workers and anyone age 65 or older to join its COVID-19 vaccine waiting list. The county also is holding free, drive-thru COVID-19 testing events at Lake Benson Park through January 31.
1:47 p.m. Because of a change in the number of COVID-19 vaccines that Cape Fear Valley Health has been allotted by the State of North Carolina, the health system has had to reconfigure the way in which it runs its COVID-19 vaccination clinics.
Effective Tuesday, the health system will no longer be able to accommodate walk-ins for first-dose vaccinations at any of the four vaccine clinics in operation at Cape Fear Valley Rehabilitation Center, Health Pavilion North, Hoke Hospital and Bladen County Hospital.
Appointments can be scheduled online to receive a first-dose vaccination. Appointments will be opened for a given week the Saturday before.
At this time, no appointment is required for the second dose, but this may change as supply levels fluctuate. Cape Fear asks that people return to the same location where they received their first dose to receive the second dose.
1:40 p.m. The North Carolina Healthcare Association sent a letter to Gov. Roy Cooper with several specific requests to improve the COVID-19 vaccination efforts in the state.
The letter includes seven different bullet points that the group believes would help improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the vaccine rollout.
READ THE FULL LETTER BELOW:
1:10 p.m. Sampson County reports 16 new cases for a total of 6,076 positive cases.
There have been three additional deaths since Friday for a countywide total of 78.
12:53 p.m. The Halifax County Health Department said that because of the limited allowance of vaccination from the state, it will vaccinate on Wednesday only this week. COVID 19 vaccinations will be offered at Halifax Community College Building 700 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. for group 1 and group 2 only.
If you are unable to walk, a health department worker will come and vaccinate you while you remain in your car.
Halifax County also reports 87 new cases and four additional deaths.
The county now has 4,058 total positive COVID 19 cases and 74 deaths.
Daily Lab Confirmed Cases 12:05 p.m. Wake County Health Department reports it received less than 1,000 new doses of the COVID-19 vaccine this week.
The department said it requested 3,000 doses, but instead only received one case of the Pfizer vaccine (975 doses).
Earlier today, UNC Health reported receiving just 10,000 doses of the vaccine, despite preparing for as many as 30,000.
ABC11 is working to see if other local agencies also received fewer vaccines than requested, and to get a comment from NCDHHS about the allocation decisions for this week.
12 p.m. COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped yet again in Monday’s report–marking the lowest count of 2021.
The number of people hospitalized with the virus is listed at 3,287. That’s the lowest since Dec. 27.
The daily percent positive also decreased, falling to 10.2%. That number remains well above the state’s 5% goal, which we were achieving at times during the summer.
Since the start of the pandemic, 8,720 people have died from the virus in North Carolina. For a full look at the state’s latest numbers, click here.
10:50 a.m. The Carolina Hurricanes have rescheduled another game due to COVID-19.
The Hurricanes’ home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning originally scheduled for Tuesday will now be played Feb. 22. Last week, Carolina postponed games against Nashville and Florida due to COVID-19 safety measures.
10:30 a.m. UNC Health will get 10,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the state this week, with that number being less than half of what was expected.
The UNC Health system said it would not cancel or postpone any appointments based on the news. The lower allocation meant fewer appointments were scheduled.
“We understand the frustration and disappointment of not being able to get an appointment for a vaccination more quickly,” said Dr. Ian Buchanan, UNC Health President of Ambulatory and Post-Acute Care. “This is truly an issue of supply and demand. We are very aware of the angst this is causing everyone who is eligible now to receive a vaccine and cannot get an appointment or who spends hours online trying to get one.”
UNC Health asks that patients call the state’s COVID-19 at 1-877-490-6642 or look online to find a vaccination location. UNC has given out more than 75,000 shots since the vaccination program started in December.
10:20 a.m. Wake County has declared a COVID-19 outbreak at an assisted living home in Cary, the second one at the facility since September.
Brookdale MacArthur Park, on MacArthur Drive, has had its second outbreak of the pandemic. An outbreak is defined as a situation where two or more people – residents or employees – tested positive. No other information about the residents or employees was disclosed.
10:15 a.m. The state has rolled out a COVID-19 Community Readiness toolkit to help those with disabilities and mental health issues. The toolkit contains resources for parents helping their children through remote learning as well as family-based needs.
The toolkit can be found here.
“These are unprecedented, stressful times, and we know families and individuals are being faced with existing and new mental health challenges,” said Victor Armstrong, Director of the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, Substance Abuse Services. “We want to provide North Carolinians with this toolkit to give them all the support they need to navigate these difficult times to stay healthy physically and mentally.”
MONDAY MORNING STORYLINES
Three new COVID-19 testing sties will open in Wake County on Monday.
Jaycee Park and Sertoma Arts Center in Raleigh along with Lake Benson Park in Garner will be open for testing. All sites are reachable by public transportation and begin at 11 a.m. You don’t need an appointment, insurance or ID to get tested.
For the full, up-to-date list of Wake County testing sites (including hours of operation), click here.
Sunday marked the fourth straight day of more than 100 COVID-19-related deaths in North Carolina. Over the weekend, the U.S. passed 25 million cases, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
In Chatham County, more than 400 people (healthcare workers and those over 65) are expected to get vaccinated at the Chatham County Agricultural and Conference Center on Monday.
President Joe Biden is expected to reinstate the COVID-19 travel restrictions on non-US citizens who have been in Brazil, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and much of Europe
SUNDAY
6 p.m. The grim numbers released over the weekend are cause for concern: 100 COVID-19 deaths for four days in a row. Wake County Health authorities recommend tests for anyone who notices signs of possible exposure.
“So if you have a fever, you develop a fever, you have nausea, you are vomiting, headache, and you lose sense of smell or taste. Those are typical signs of someone who may be symptomatic of COVID,” said Wake County Health testing clear Eugene Chalwe. “The county’s goal is to maintain six testing sites each week. So we are maintaining our three static sites, at Swinburne in Wake Forest at Departure Drive, and still doing a revolving three sites in each park.”
Wake County Health’s working with Raleigh and Garner to make those sites available on Monday: Jaycee Park and Sertoma Arts Center in Raleigh along with Lake Benson Park in Garner. They’re located in areas that are reachable by public transportation.
“Because their positivity rates are still very high throughout the county,” Chalwe said. “So we want people to respond to this access that they have and know the focus has turned onto the vaccine. They still need to be tested if exposed. We only know what your status is if you test. So if you do not test, and you’ve been in close contact and you’ve been contacted by the case evaluators, you need to test.”
The tests are free and you don’t need, insurance or ID to get tested. Check here for the latest location of testing sites.
12:15 p.m. North Carolina is reporting 6,096 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 718,812 statewide.
Throughout the state, there are 3,303 people hospitalized with COVID-19. That is down 113 from Saturday.
In North Carolina, 109 more people have died from COVID-19. That brings the total to 8,695. This is the fourth straight day where more than 100 people in North Carolina died from the virus. The state’s daily percent positive test rate is 10.5%. That is down from Saturday’s 10.9%.
11:04 a.m. According to Johns Hopkins University, there have been 25,003,695 COVID-19 in the United States.
COVID in US: 40% of Americans live in areas running out of ICU space
NEW DELHI — As pomp and color of military parades go, India’s Republic Day celebrations rank among the most eye-catching.
But on Tuesday, just as the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepared to celebrate the anniversary of the inception of the country’s Constitution with another parade by the armed forces, an unlikely force was preparing to upstage the show.
India’s protesting farmers, who have been camped out at the gates of New Delhi for two months demanding that Mr. Modi repeal laws that would reshape Indian agriculture, were preparing to march into the capital with thousands of tractors.
The show of force, after the central government failed in its frantic efforts to prevent the tractor march, dramatically illustrated how deeply the deadlock with the farmers has embarrassed Mr. Modi. Though he has emerged as India’s most dominant figure after crushing his political opposition, the farmers have been persistently defiant.
Mr. Modi in September rushed through the Parliament three farming laws that he hopes will inject private investment into a sector that has been troubled with inefficiency and a lack of money for decades. But farmers quickly rose up against them, saying the government’s easing of regulations had left them at the mercy of corporate giants that would take over their businesses.
As their protests have grown in size and anger, with tens of thousands of farmers camped out in the cold for two months and dozens of deaths among them, the government has offered to amend some parts of the laws to include their demands. The country’s Supreme Court also intervened, ordering the government to suspend the laws until it reaches a resolution with the farmers.
But the farmers say they will not stop short of a repeal, and they have begun increasing pressure. In addition to their tractor march on Tuesday, they have announced plans to hold a march by foot to the Indian Parliament on Feb. 1, when the country’s new budget will be presented.
Tensions were high leading up to Tuesday, with some officials claiming the protests had been infiltrated by insurgent elements who would resort to violence if the farmers were allowed inside the city. Just days before the tractor march, the farmers’ leaders brought in front of the media a young man they claimed they had arrested on suspicion of a plot to shoot the leaders on Tuesday to disrupt the rally. Neither set of claims could be independently verified.
There was some confusion about the scope and size of the tractor march before it was to begin. Reports in the local media, citing documents from the Delhi police, said the march would begin only after the high-profile Republic Day parade in the heart of New Delhi had culminated. The reports also said the number of tractors and how long they could stay inside the city had been capped.
But farm leaders at a news conference on Monday said there were no limitations on time and number of tractors as long as they stuck to the routes set out by the Delhi police. Maps of the routes suggested a compromise between the farmers and the police that could allow the protesters to enter the city but not get close to sensitive institutions of power.
The leaders said that about 150,000 tractors had gathered at the borders of the capital for the march, that about 3,000 volunteers would try to help the police in keeping order, and that 100 ambulances were on standby.
The farm leaders, both in statements given to the marchers as well as during the news conference, repeatedly appealed for peace as they carried out the tractor march.
“Remember, our aim is not to conquer Delhi, but to win over the hearts of the people of this country,” they said in instructions posted online for marchers, who were told not to carry weapons — “not even sticks” — during the march and to avoid provocative slogans and banners.
“The trademark of this agitation has been that it’s peaceful,” Balbir Singh Rajewal, one of the main leaders of the movement, said. “My request to our farmer brothers, to our youth, is that they keep this movement peaceful. The government is spreading rumors, the agencies have started misguiding people. Beware of it.
“If we remain peaceful, we’ve won. If we turn violent, Modi will win.”
While most of us are now more fastidious about keeping our homes and workplaces clean, on board the International Space Station, cleanliness is imperative.
Of high importance is anti-bacterial measures, since bacteria tend to build up in the constantly-recycled air inside the ISS.
Every Saturday in space is “cleaning day” where surfaces are wiped down, and the astronauts vacuum and collect trash.
But there’s one spot on board the station where cleaning is a no-no. But don’t worry, its all for science!
The MatISS experiment, or the Microbial Aerosol Tethering on Innovative Surfaces in the International Space Station tests out five advanced materials and how well they can prevent illness-causing microorganisms from settling and growing in microgravity.
MatISS also has provided insight into how biofilms attach to surfaces in microgravity conditions.
The experiment is sponsored by the French space agency CNES and was conceived of in 2016. Three iterations of the experiment have been used on the ISS.
The first was MatISS-1, and it had four sample holders set up in for six months in three different locations in the European Columbus laboratory module.
This provided some baseline data points for researchers, as when they were returned to Earth, researchers characterized the deposits on each surface and used the control material to establish a reference for the level and type of contamination.
MatISS-2 had four identical sample holders containing three different types of materials, installed in a single location in Columbus. This study aimed to better understand how contamination spreads over time across the hydrophobic (water-repellant) and control surfaces.
The upgraded Matiss-2.5 was set up to study how contamination spreads – this time spatially – across the hydrophobic surfaces using patterned samples. This experiment ran for a year and recently the samples were returned to Earth and are now undergoing analysis.
The samples are made of a diverse mix of advanced materials, such as self-assembly monolayers, green polymers, ceramic polymers, and water-repellent hybrid silica.
The smart materials should stop bacteria from sticking and growing over large areas, and effectively making them easier to clean and more hygienic. The experiment hopes to figure out which materials work the best.
ESA says that “understanding the effectiveness and potential use of these materials will be essential to the design of future spacecraft, especially those carrying humans father out in space.”
Long-duration human space missions will certainly need to limit biocontamination of astronaut habitats.
This article was originally published by Universe Today. Read the original article.
By Wonderwall.com Editors 2:33pm PST, Jan 22, 2021
Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles’ romance was apparently no secret on set
Within the “tight-knit group” working on the set of Olivia Wilde’s upcoming thriller, “Don’t Worry Darling,” the director’s romance with leading man, Harry Styles, was apparently not something the two kept under wraps. In a new report from ET, an insider explains that between Olivia’s penchant for creating “a little community” on her sets and the social limitations involved in working on any production during the coronavirus pandemic, the cast and crew have become extremely close. Given the communal vibe, the blossoming relationship between Olivia, 36, and Harry, 26, was “not a secret on set,” according to ET’s source. The insider also assures the outlet the couple isn’t letting their romance interfere with their work. “Don’t Worry Darling,” stars Florence Pugh as the “unhappy housewife” of Harry’s devoted husband character, who nonetheless has a “dark secret” he’s hiding. No release date has been announced yet, but multiple outlets have reported we can expect a late 2021 premiere.
Keep reading to find out which veteran journalist is retiring after 55 years and more …
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Tom Brokaw retires from NBC after 55 years
After 55 years with NBC News, Tom Brokaw is moving on. The award-winning, veteran journalist announced his retirement on Friday, Jan. 22, in a press release. “During one of the most complex and consequential eras in American history, a new generation of NBC News journalists, producers and technicians is providing America with timely, insightful and critically important information, 24/7. I could not be more proud of them,” he said in a statement, per People. Tom, 80, began his NBC career in 1966 as an anchor for KNBC in Los Angeles. From 1976 until 1981, he co-anchored the “Today” show, then moved to “NBC Nightly News” in 1982, staying on the program until 2004. Also a former “Meet the Press” host, Tom most recently served as a senior correspondent for NBC News. Looking ahead, his retirement announcement said Tom, “will continue to be active in print journalism, authoring books and articles, and spend time with his wife, Meredith, three daughters and grandchildren.”
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Ricky Martin shows off a new look
“When bored, bleach.” That’s how Ricky Martin captioned an easy-on-the-eyes selfie that showed off his newly platinum-ified beard on Instagram on Thursday, Jan. 21. The new look quickly earned the singer a whole lot of thumbs up, as family, friends and followers — including Ricky’s husband, Jwan Yosef, and pal, Melanie Griffith — chimed in with their stamps of approval. Ricky’s not the only celeb, of course, who’s adopted the “when bored …” approach to styling. Since the coronavirus pandemic sparked lockdowns around the world last spring, celebs like Sarah Hyland and Sarah Michelle Gellar have gone pink, Hilary Duff’s tried out turquoise locks and Chris Noth and Colton Underwood have experimented with DIY head shaving.
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Zayn Malik gets his new daughter’s name tattooed on his wrist
This week, Gigi Hadid shared her new daughter’s name in the most low-key way when she added “Khai’s mom” to her Instagram bio. The tweak apparently prompted fans to pore over the details of an Instagram Live session Khai’s dad, Zayn Malik, appeared in a few days prior. That’s where they noticed a new addition to the singer’s abundance of tattoos. Written in Arabic in red ink, the new art reads, “Khai,” according to multiple fan-sleuths. Another user chimed in to note that the Arabic word “khai” translates to “crown” or “crowned.” And as still other fans later pointed out on Twitter, Gigi’s paternal grandmother’s name is Khairiah and her sister, Bella Hadid’s middle name is Khair.
Britney Spears’ conservatorship is the focus of a new documentary from the New York Times Presents
Next month, a judge will decide who should manage Britney Spears’ financial, career, health and other affairs as her current conservatorship either comes to an end or is once again extended. As its expiration date nears, FX’s The New York Times Presents series is taking a closer look at the situation, which has kept the 39-year-old pop star under the thumb of her father, Jamie Spears, for more than a decade. In “Framing Britney Spears,” out Feb. 5, “People close to” the singer “and lawyers tied to her conservatorship … reassess her career as she battles her father in court over who should control her life,” according to a FX’s teaser description. Last year, Britney told the court she’s “strongly opposed” to having her father continue on in the role he assumed after she was hospitalized for psychiatric reasons in 2008. Jamie is currently sharing co-conservator duties with the financial company Bessemer Trust, which Britney requested to have put in charge. But she’s still fighting to have her father removed entirely. Meanwhile, a legion of the singer’s fans have taken to posting under the hashtag, #FreeBritney, and occasionally protesting on her behalf in the streets.
Garth Brooks thanks Lady Gaga’s glam team for their inauguration hair and makeup help
Even cowboys need glam teams — and Lady Gaga’s hair and makeup stylists were apparently happy to jump in and give Garth Brooks a little spiff-up before he performed at Joe Biden’s inauguration this week. “@LadyGaga, you were fabulous today and everyday. A national treasure,” Garth gushed on Twitter on Wednesday, Jan. 20, after she sang the National Anthem on Inauguration Day. “Please tell Frederick and Miss Sarah thank you for me! They saved a cowboy today. Oh, and tell Miss Sarah to hug her momma for me! love, g.” Turns out Frederic is Gaga’s hair guru, Frederic Aspiras, and Sarah is her makeup artist, Sarah Tanno-Stewart, both of whom reposted the country star’s kind words. “It was an honor helping you with hair for your beautiful inauguration performance,” Frederic wrote. Sarah, meanwhile, captioned her retweet, “BTW, making this a shirt.”
John Krasinski to host ‘SNL’ for Jan. 30 return
Nearly a year after his planned hosting gig on “Saturday Night Live” was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns, John Krasinski is set to helm the “SNL” when the returns on Jan. 30, Deadline reported this week. John, who’s an “SNL” hosting newbie, will be joined by musical guest Machine Gun Kelly. After that, Dan Levy takes over the stage at 30 Rock, with some help from singer-songwriter, Phoebe Bridgers, followed by a Regina King hosting slot, accompanied by musical guest Nathaniel Rateliff. Like John, Dan and Regina will be first-time hosts.
Gabourey Sidibe gets candid about how depression fueled her eating disorder
For Gabourey Sidibe, bulimia was once the self-defense mechanism she used to survive depression. In a new sneak peek for Taraji P. Henson’s next edition of “Peace of Mind with Taraji” on Facebook Watch, Gabourey speaks candidly about how one illness fueled the other. “It wasn’t even about other people. It was about me surviving the day. I was so embarrassed and I hated crying so much. I hated it,” she explains in the clip. “I found a fun little button. I found a button and on top of that, people were like, ‘You’re looking good.’ So I’m like, ‘Why would I stop?'” The actress goes on to say her eating disorder was never “about losing weight.” Instead, she says, “It truly was about how it stopped me from crying.” Eventually, though, she says things became “out of control,” even as she believed she was “controlling” her depression. “I was getting worse,” she recalls. “Being depressed is one thing. If you add an eating disorder to that, that’s a whole other monster that you have to fight.” Gabourey’s “Peace of Mind” appearance airs on Facebook Watch on Monday, Jan. 25.
Priyanka Chopra jokes that she still likes her husband, Nick Jonas, after months of quarantine
After spending much of her second year of marriage in lockdown with her husband, Nick Jonas, Priyanka Chopra Jonas is pleased to be able to say, “we still like each other,” as she joked to Stephen Colbert this week on “The Late Show.” “That’s important,” she noted. “We both have had such individual careers that I don’t think we would’ve had six months with each other ever, so that’s really a blessing,” Priyanka explained. “I was really happy to be able to have that time with each other.” Priyanka and Nick tied the knot twice in 2018 — once in a Christian ceremony and a second time in a traditional Hindu ceremony, both of which followed a week of pre-wedding events in India.
Jennifer Lopez shares advice for fans on finding their calling
Jennifer Lopez is still working to achieve her best version of self-love. “I remember when I was going through therapy, in the beginning, kind of in my late 30s, and there was a lot of talk about loving yourself,” she recently told Jay Shetty on the Coach Conversations series, “What’s Your Calling?” (via ET). “And I was like, ‘I love myself.’ But obviously I was doing all these things, like my personal relationships didn’t seem like I was loving myself. I didn’t even understand the concept of it. It took time and it’s a journey and it’s still a journey for me.” J.Lo also opened up about her goals for 2021 and how what she sees as her “calling” fits into that picture. “My dream is that together, this year, we can make a more unified, more loving, more accepting, more understanding world,” she said. “I always want to inspire, inspire different things in people … and in these times, where all of us can feel lost, I want to give people some hope and some direction.” While she said she knows her “calling is to empower, inspire and entertain,” the singer and actress acknowledged the “pressure” people feel when it comes to determining what path to take in life to fulfill their purpose. “The most important thing is you have to listen to yourself, and the words that you tell yourself,” she said. “What you say and what you think — and I tell this to my kids all the time — becomes your reality.”
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