CHICAGO (WLS) — Illinois health officials reported 3,667 new COVID-19 cases and 87 deaths Tuesday.
This comes as Illinois officials announced that Region 8 (DuPage and Kane counties) and Region 9 (Lake and McHenry counties) have moved into Tier 1 mitigations, which allows for indoor dining to resume.
All Illinois regions are now in either Tier 1 mitigations or in Phase 4 of reopening except for Region 4 near St. Louis.
The total number of cases in Illinois now stands at 1,108,430, with a total of 18,883 deaths, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 69,285 specimens for a total of 15,553,319.
As of Monday night, 3,001 patients in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 608 patients were in the ICU and 320 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
RELATED: Illinois COVID vaccine map shows how many residents vaccinated by county
The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from Jan. 19-25 is 5.7%.
The test positivity rate is a metric the state began providing in late October. It is calculated by using the total number of positive tests over the total number of tests. This is the metric being used to by state health officials to make decisions about mitigations.
Find out how many people may get a COVID-19 vaccine before you
A total of 1,227,625 doses of vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago, with an additional 537,050 doses allocated to federal government partners for long-term care facilities, bringing the total number delivered in Illinois to 1,764,675.
RELATED: Illinois coronavirus testing: Where to get tested for COVID-19 in Illinois, Chicago area
IDPH reports that a total of 719,995 vaccine doses have been administered, including 110,403 at long-term facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered is 30,180 .
Illinois is now reporting eight more cases of the new, potentially more contagious COVID-19 variant first identified in the United Kingdom. Before now, there was just one case confirmed here. All nine of these cases are within Cook County.
The IDPH says that vaccine distribution numbers are reported in real-time and vaccine administration numbers lag by as much as 72 hours.
With Illinois now in Phase 1B, people over 65 and many essential workers are now eligible to get the vaccine. That includes approximately an additional 3.2 million people.
The Illinois National Guard will be assisting with vaccinations at Cook County Health Centers in half a dozen suburbs. There are more deployments planned throughout the state. Officials said that beginning Monday, those guard-supported sites will take 1B appointments as will pharmacies at hundreds of Walgreens, CVS and Jewel locations.
Walgreens is providing vaccines at 92 sites across the state and appointments can be made on their website while Jewel-Osco will begin vaccinating eligible residents Tuesday, with appointments available on their website.
Governor JB Pritzker said there are plans to launch walk-in locations once the supple of vaccine increases.
On Monday, Governor Pritzker and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle toured the Tinley Park Convention Center, which is preparing to become a mass vaccination site.
Governor Pritzker announced the creation of a new portal, coronavirus.illinois.gov, to provide the latest information on vaccines.
“Today, as we launch the newest phase of our Vaccine Administration Plan for frontline essential workers and those 65 and over, I’m proud to announce our statewide vaccination site locator, searchable by zip code and city, at coronavirus.illinois.gov,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This site will serve as a hub of all vaccine-related information, directing residents to the appointment booking homepages of our 97 local health departments and our pharmacy partners, which will total hundreds of locations statewide. That also includes information on our first Illinois National Guard mass vaccination site, opening tomorrow at Tinley Park Convention Center, and will be updated as more state-run sites and hundreds of additional local options come online. As federal supply is currently limited and every state in the nation is facing a shortage, I urge all eligible Illinoisans to check back regularly for available appointments – and in the meantime, mask up, keep our distance, wash our hands, and remember we’ll stay healthy and safe if we look out for each other.”
The deaths reported Tuesday include: – Adams County: 2 males 70s – Alexander County: 1 female 60s – Bond County: 1 female 80s – Brown County: 1 male 70s – Calhoun County: 1 female 80s – Champaign County: 1 male 70s – Clay County: 1 male 70s – Cook County: 2 males 40s, 1 female 50s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s – Crawford County: 1 male 70s – DeWitt County: 1 male 70s – DuPage County: 2 males 70s, 3 males 80s, 1 female 90s – Edgar County: 1 female 60s – Effingham County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 70s – Franklin County: 1 male 60s – Hancock County: 1 female 90s – Hardin County: 1 male 70s – Jefferson County: 1 female 60s – Jersey County: 1 female 70s – Kane County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s – Kankakee County: 1 female 60s – Kendall County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 80s
– Lake County: 3 males 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s – Lawrence County: 1 female 70s – Livingston County: 1 female 80s – Logan County: 1 female 70s – Macon County: 1 female 90s – Madison County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s – McLean County: 1 male 90s – Mercer County: 1 female 60s – Montgomery County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s – Ogle County: 1 male 80s – Peoria County: 1 female 40s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s – Perry County: 1 female 90s – Putnam County: 1 female 70s – Randolph County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s – Rock Island County: 1 female 70s – Saline County: 1 female 90s – St. Clair County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s – Tazewell County: 1 male 60s – Vermilion County: 1 male 80s – Warren County: 1 male 70s – Will County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s – Winnebago County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
File photo of an Apple store in BeijingPhoto: Nicolas Asfouri (Getty Images)
Do you have an iPhone or iPad? You should update your device right now to iOS 14.4. No, not later today or after lunch or whatever. Update now.
Why is it so crucial to update your iOS software as soon as possible? As TechCrunch first reported, Apple is reporting three security vulnerabilities that “may have been actively exploited” by hackers.
We don’t have any real details yet, but Apple rarely has to admit such stunning vulnerabilities. The researchers who reported the security flaws have been granted anonymity by Apple.
As Apple explains:
Kernel
Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: A malicious application may be able to elevate privileges. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.
Description: A race condition was addressed with improved locking.
CVE-2021-1782: an anonymous researcher
WebKit
Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: A remote attacker may be able to cause arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.
Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved restrictions.
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
Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise has set sail in the park’s Adventureland area consistently since 1955 and stands today as one of the remaining opening day attractions overseen by Walt Disney himself.
But culture often moves faster than decades-old mechanical hippos.
On Monday, the Walt Disney Co. announced that it’s embarking on what many view as a long-overdue course correction for the Jungle Cruise. Numerous changes are planned to make the attraction feel more inclusive and less racially insensitive in its depiction of other cultures.
The move follows numerous updates to older attractions such as Splash Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean, all of which were done to remove now-outdated tableaus that can be cringe-inducing at best and racist at worst. Already this year, the company revealed that Splash Mountain, originally inspired by the critters in the racist film “Song of the South,” will receive a makeover themed to “The Princess and the Frog,” the movie that featured Disney’s first Black princess.
The Jungle Cruise, as one of Disneyland’s opening day attractions envisioned by the park’s patriarch, is likely to be viewed with a more protective lens by the company’s vast fanbase. Yet the ride has also been one under near-constant evolution since its inception. Its early influence was taken from Disney’s own nature documentaries and the 1951 film “The African Queen,” a favorite of early Disneyland designer Harper Goff.
Its initial conception as “The Jungle Rivers of the World” leaned slightly more educational than today’s more humor-driven take. The ride’s unsavory tribal depictions, largely inspired by images from Papua New Guinea, were added in the years after its opening. These vignettes of the Jungle Cruise essentially depict indigenous people as either tourist attraction, attackers or cannibals.
Concept art for the re-imagined “trapped safari” scene of the Jungle Cruise.
(Walt Disney Imagineering)
“Horrifyingly racist” was a description from one of Disney’s own peers in the theme park design community. That was how various Jungle Cruise scenes were characterized in an essay from the themed entertainment design firm the Thinkwell Group that was published shortly after Disney announced the changes to Splash Mountain.
A spear-waving war party was added to the Jungle Cruise in 1957, as was the “Trader Sam” character, a dark-skinned man today outfitted in straw tribal wear. Disney tiki bars — one on each coast — are named for the character that traffics in stereotypes. He’ll trade you “two of his heads for one of yours.”
“As Imagineers, it is our responsibility to ensure experiences we create and stories we share reflect the voices and perspectives of the world around us,” Carmen Smith said in a statement provided by Disney. Smith is the creative development and inclusion strategies executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, the company’s division responsible for theme park experiences.
Concept art previewed by Disney showed a reworking of the “trapped safari” scene, in which adventurers scurry up a tree to avoid the horn of a rhinoceros. In its current state at Disneyland, a white traveler is at top while native safari guides are in a more perilous position. The re-imagined scene, one initially dreamed up by master Disney animator-designer Marc Davis as an advertisement for the ride, solely features hapless participants of a previous Jungle Cruise boat tour.
Changes, Disney stressed, are being made independent of an upcoming Jungle Cruise-inspired film starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. Expect all scenes that feature unsavory depictions of indigenous characters to be updated, said a Disney spokesperson, although details on potential tweaks to the war party scene and the Trader Sam finale have not yet been shared.
As silly and overly pun-filled as the Jungle Cruise may be, it has long been criticized as viewing adventure through an imperialist lens. Non-Americans are depicted as either subservient or savages. While the ride is meant to be a collage of Asia, Africa and South America, human figures of the regions are presented as exotic, violent and dim-witted, humor that in the 1950s and 1960s was troublesome and today reeks of racism.
It’s also a point of view that clashes with the the broader cultural Disney theme park mission, which over the decades has shifted from cartoonish and simplistic depictions of other cultures to a brand with a more global perspective. When Walt Disney World opened Animal Kingdom in 1998, Africa and Asia were shown in a more revered light, which only served to heighten the outdated cultural depictions of the Jungle Cruise.
Disney expects the changes to be completed this year at both Disneyland and Florida’s Walt Disney World, where the ride is currently open. The company adds that timelines could be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic since Disneyland has been closed for nearly a year. Even with Gov. Newsom’s lifting of stay-at-home orders this week, Disneyland may remain closed for some time.
When finished, the story of the attraction will be tweaked. Guests will follow the exploits of a Jungle Cruise tour gone awry and throughout the ride catch glimpses of this past expedition. Expect, for instance, to see an old Jungle Cruise boat overtaken by monkeys, as the new scenes are designed to add fresh life, activity and characters to the attraction, while also fueling more corny jokes from the ride’s tour guides.
“When we consider making changes to a classic attraction, we focus on ways to ‘plus’ the experience,” said Chris Beatty, creative executive at Walt Disney Imagineering. “The skippers of the Jungle Cruise bring irreverent humor to guests of all ages, and we’re excited to be adding to that legacy — along with a new animated skipper figure — by celebrating their adventures and influence.”
While the ride has long featured nods to past excursions that ended poorly, Disney is planning to add figurines that will represent other tourists and, as Beatty noted, a not-so accomplished skipper. This move will help accomplish Disney’s goal of removing tribal caricatures and, in the words of Disney, “negative depictions of native people.”
“For the first time ever, the skipper role will not only be that of a live, experienced and witty guide, but also represented by a show figure within the attraction itself,” said Kevin Lively, a story editor with Walt Disney Imagineering.
To those who follow the parks, the changes shouldn’t be entirely unexpected, especially with a movie starring Johnson and Blunt destined for theatrical distribution. “The Jungle Cruise,” like many recent films affected by pandemic-related closures, was postponed from its 2020 release date to one next summer.
Worth noting, however, is that in this instance, Disney is not waiting to see how audiences respond to the picture. Consider it an indication that Disney is aware that the ride’s cultural makeover is a necessity more urgent than what marketing calendars may allow. Additionally, a Disney spokesperson says the new figurines will not represent characters in the film.
None of the amended scenes were in the Jungle Cruise on Disneyland’s July 1955 opening, although that ride would look vastly different to today’s audiences.
Animals were then scarce — just seven hippos and eight crocodiles were present in the water, according documentation of the park’s opening year — and the vast vegetation had not yet grown to mask nearby buildings. Many of the ride’s most beloved scenes, such as the elaborate elephant bathing pool, were dreamed by animator-turned-Imagineer Davis and added in the 1960s.
Longtime fans of the attraction can expect to see some nods to retired boats in the new scenes, but the goal is a more inclusive ride that doubles-down on silliness. Says Lively, “Ultimately, the jungle gets the last laugh.”
Cyberpunk 2077’s 1.1 update was supposed to set the troubled game on the path toward redemption. Instead, it seems to have come with its own set of problems. Per Eurogamer, players have discovered a game-breaking bug involving Cyberpunk 2077’s “Down on the Street” quest. To move the mission forward, your character is supposed to receive a call from an NPC named Goro Takemura (pictured above). Unfortunately, as things stand, Takemura will call V but won’t say anything, making you unable to progress the quest, and subsequently move the main storyline forward.
We’re working on the issue where the conversation with Takemura may not start during the quest “Down on the Street” for @CyberpunkGame and plan to release a Hotfix to address it as soon as possible. In the meantime, here’s a potential workaround👇https://t.co/ujjxb8snGu
— CD PROJEKT RED CS (@CDPRED_Support) January 25, 2021
CDPR said it’s working on a hotfix to address the issue it plans to release “as soon as possible.” We’ll update this article once it’s live. In the meantime, the studio has shared a workaround you can use to bypass the problem, but you’ll need an earlier save. As you might imagine, the Takemura bug is one of the reasons 1.1 hasn’t gone down well with Cyberpunk 2077 players. When CDPR detailed its schedule of updates earlier in the month, it said the game’s upcoming 1.2 update would include more significant fixes and improvements.
A new Red Dead Online leak is making the rounds that possibly reveals what is coming to the popular video game later this year. Since it released Red Dead Online in Beta a month after Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar Games has been relatively slow to support it, especially compared to GTA Online, which clearly has priority due to its larger number of players. However, it looks like Rockstar may be cooking up some big things for the online western such as bank robberies and more
Over on YouTube, Silentc0re relays word of some new files added to the game with the recent update. Of course, this by itself isn’t notable nor exciting, but the content of these files have players talking. For one, brand new files for various driveable boats have been found in the files. Meanwhile, there are files that range from new to newly updated that point to bank robberies coming to the game, including files with assets for money bonds, jewelry bags, safes, strong boxes. Of course, bank robberies are something players have been begging for since launch, and it’s something you’d assume Rockstar Games will eventually add, especially considering how popular heists are in GTA Online.
Lastly, there are files that seem to indicate that Rockstar Games has been doing work involving Guarma, the island from the game’s campaign. Right now, the speculation is that a legendary bounty could take players back to the island, much like the Cayo Perico update takes players to an island that is locked to just the mission.
That said, right now, there’s some contention over the leak, with some suggesting these files have been in the game since before launch, which in turn suggests they are nothing more than cut content. However, this wouldn’t explain why Rockstar Games is updating them.
For now, take everything here with a grain of salt. While datamining leaks are typically quite reliable, they can routinely spawn false conclusions and misconceptions.
At the moment of publishing, Rockstar Games has not commented on this leak in any capacity nor has it revealed what it has in store for the game for this year. If either of these things change, we will be sure to update the story. In the meantime, for more coverage on all things Red Dead Redemption 2, click here.
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — Both New York City and New York state have run completely dry of covid vaccines with the next shipment not expected until early next week.
The news comes as more and more hospitals cancel vaccination appointments with no new appointments scheduled through Monday.
15 vaccine centers have also closed.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is blaming the now-former Trump administration for opening up too many categories of eligibility, without increasing supply.
“It should have been opened as you had allocation. Anyway, that is not what we did, it’s not what they did. And now you have a period of confusion and anxiety because you’re trying to hit seven million people at 250,000 a week,” Cuomo said.
Another quarter-million doses will arrive in time for next week, but state officials say that’s far from enough.
Some have suggested using second doses, which are in storage, as first doses.
During a visit to a COVID-19 vaccine pop-up site at a NYCHA complex in Brooklyn Saturday, Cuomo said that would only be possible with collaboration from the federal government.
“The reason why the federal government has to agree is because they have to agree that they’re then going to send you enough second doses in the future. Otherwise, you want them giving people first dosages and then you don’t have a second dosage for them,” Cuomo said.
Health experts say administering the second dose of the vaccine within the timeframe outlined by federal guidelines is critical to ensuring long-term protection.
So far more than one million people in the state have gotten their first dose of the vaccine.
At a Friday briefing, Cuomo said deliveries of the week six allocations, about 250,400 doses, are on the way, but those deliveries “are delivered by the federal government by various means and they arrive at different times throughout the week.”
The state is able to administer about 80,000 doses per day and could easily do 100,000 per day, Cuomo said.
“The moment the vaccines arrive, our goal is to get them in arms as soon as possible. 250,400 doses per week is not enough,” Cuomo said.
COVID NEWS | Dr. Fauci’s message to MTA workers: Get vaccinated
MORE CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 COVERAGE
Positive COVID-19 cases by zip code – New York City
New York City COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker
New Jersey COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker Find out if you are eligible and where you can go to get your vaccine Do you have coronavirus symptoms? Where to get tested in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut WATCH: Eyewitness to a Pandemic Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on coronavirus
