LOS ANGELES, Calif. Oct 14 – Today and tomorrow, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is meeting to discuss the need for boosters for those vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson or Moderna, and the committee today recommended approval of the Moderna booster dose. The committee will also review data on the safety and efficacy of ‘mixing and matching’ with a booster dose, which would involve receiving a different brand vaccine for the booster than that received for the original series.
Los Angeles County is prepared to administer Johnson & Johnson and Moderna boosters once the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approves and determines eligibility.
In Los Angeles County, 947,664 individuals completed the Moderna two-dose series and 298,497 completed the Johnson & Johnson single dose by April 10. Most of these individuals will be eligible for boosters once approved by the CDC.
With final CDC approval for boosters, the vast county-wide network is prepared to begin administering these additional boosters to all eligible as determined by the CDC directive.
Today, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) confirms 19 new deaths and 1,142 new cases of COVID-19. Of the 19 new deaths reported today, seven people who passed away were over the age of 80, two people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, three people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and seven people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49. To date, Public Health has identified 1,474,518 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 26,372 deaths.
There are 698 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 28% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for nearly 8,833,000 individuals with 15% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 1.0%.
The slight downward trend across all metrics has continued, with the County’s daily average case numbers decreasing 18% from 1,000 as of October 5, to now 925. Meanwhile, daily average hospitalizations are down to below 750, a 14% reduction from the prior week, and deaths decreased 25% to an average of 12 people passing away every day. Although we are thankful to see these numbers declining, we still have substantial transmission and will need to be vigilant if we want to reduce spread of the virus.
Given there is substantial transmission in L.A. County, K-12 schools remain focused on providing as much safety as possible for in-person learning. While there is a lot of evidence showing the protection vaccines offer, data on school cases and close contacts demonstrates the protective impact of other preventive measures, especially masking.
Last week, there were 591 student cases and nearly 2,400 student close contacts identified, a decrease of about 45% in both groups from the previous week. Among staff, there were 88 cases and 171 close contacts. Taking into account that the County has more than 1.7 million children and staff attending or working at over 3,000 schools countywide, these are strikingly low numbers. This amounts to 0.04% of students and staff testing positive and 0.2% identified as close contacts. The very low numbers represent a lot of hard work by superintendents, staff, parents, and students to consistently implement mitigation strategies. These efforts are making it possible to keep school communities safe.
Since August 16, the County has seen a total of 21 outbreaks in youth sports programs. Sixteen of those outbreaks have been associated with football, four were associated with cheerleading and dance teams, and one was associated with baseball. Overall, these outbreaks involved 394 cases and 1,527 contacts. Most of the infected individuals have been unvaccinated. Public Health continues to find that factors associated with spread include inconsistent masking, socialization on and off campus, inconsistent distancing in locker rooms and weight rooms, and shared transportation to and from events.
With the urgent need to avoid another devastating winter surge, new Health Officer Orders went into effect last week to create additional protections at high risk settings across the county. Bars, breweries, wineries, distilleries, nightclubs and lounges, along with outdoor mega events with more than 10,000 people, are all implementing vaccine verification requirements. As a reminder masks are still required for everyone indoors and at all indoor and outdoor mega events.
“To everyone who has lost friends and family during this difficult time, we are wishing you peace and comfort, and our prayers remain with you,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “We have seen excellent compliance with the new Health Officer Order to date and thank both the establishments and the patrons for taking this extra step to help us avoid a disastrous winter. I want to acknowledge that the operational challenges at large event venues are significant and we are grateful for their continued partnership. As the fall sports season gets into full swing, I know many of you will be headed to sports bars and our amazing local arenas to watch the big games. The best way to enjoy yourself safely is to be vaccinated and prepared to comply with the public health directives.”
Before going to your favorite sports bar, ensure you and any teens coming with you have had at least one dose of vaccine, if before November 4, or are fully vaccinated, if on or after November 4. Bring proof of vaccination and a photo ID for everyone in your party, and plan to wear masks indoors except when actively eating or drinking. Consider using the outdoor areas of the establishment to be extra safe.
If you’re headed to a local venue to see a live game, make sure you and any accompanying teens are fully vaccinated or have had a recent negative COVID-19 test. Plan to bring proof of vaccination or negative testing for everyone in your party, and photo identification for everyone 18 and over. And once you’re at the game, please wear masks except when actively eating or drinking.
Public Health encourages everyone unvaccinated for COVID-19 to get vaccinated now to be fully protected for the holidays. Vaccinations are widely available throughout L.A. County and are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Appointments are not needed at many sites and all Public Health vaccination sites where first, second, and third doses are available.
Vaccinated middle and high school students are eligible for free UCLA football tickets. UCLA has partnered with Public Health to give away free tickets to a UCLA football game at the Rose Bowl to middle or high school students in L.A. County who’ve received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while tickets last. Students aged 12 to 18 who’ve received at least one dose can sign up for the free tickets online by visiting: http://ph.lacounty.gov/DPHUCLAVaxforTix.
Anyone 12 and older living or working in L.A. County can get vaccinated.
6月29日纽约讯，在大型零售商亚马逊（Amazon）、沃尔玛（Walmart）、塔吉特（Target）和抖音商城（TikTok Shop ）等主要在线零售商处销售的两款有机辣木（moringa）膳食补充剂正在全美范围内被召回，此前一家供应商发现其存在潜在的沙门氏菌污染风险。 总部位于纽约的全方位营养公司（Total Nutrition Inc. ）自愿召回了两款 TNVitamins 品牌的有机辣木产品，此前其供应商因原料可能受到沙门氏菌污染而召回了有机辣木原料。该公司表示，目前尚未收到与此次召回相关的任何患病报告。 此次召回的产品包括 TNVitamins 100% 有机辣木，1200 毫克胶囊（产品编号 AB9917，批号…
6月29日华盛顿讯，美国最高法院今天驳回了特朗普总统针对纽约专栏女作家卡罗尔（E. Jean Carroll）的上诉。该裁决意味着特朗普总统须支付在2022年卡罗尔对特朗普总统提起的诽谤诉讼中，陪审团裁定500万美元赔偿金的判决维持有效，他必须支付这笔赔偿金。 2023年，纽约一个陪审团裁定卡罗尔获赔500万美元。该陪审团认定，特朗普总统在20世纪90年代中期于曼哈顿伯格多夫·古德曼（Bergdorf Goodman）百货公司的试衣间内对卡罗尔实施了性虐待，并于2022年因否认指控，称其为“骗局和谎言”并声称“这个女人不是我的菜”，而构成了诽谤。卡罗尔曾请求最高法院驳回特朗普关于复审其500万美元诽谤案的请求。 针对最高法院今天的裁决，卡罗尔的律师罗伯塔·卡普兰（Roberta Kaplan）发表声明称：“最高法院今天的决定彻底确认了陪审团的一致裁决，即特朗普总统对卡罗尔实施了性侵犯并进行了诽谤。他多次试图推翻该裁决的努力均告失败，今天的裁决终结了他试图逃避自身行为责任的企图。” 卡普兰指出：“该上诉请求并未质疑——甚至根本未提及——第二巡回上诉法院的裁定，即即便此处存在任何错误，也并未损害上诉人的利益。” 特朗普总统此前表示，该案法官不应允许陪审团观看那段臭名昭著的《走进好莱坞》(Access Hollywood）录像片段；在该片段中，特朗普总统描述了他当年的行为，并将这些言论轻描淡写地称为“更衣室闲聊”。 特朗普总统还曾指责主审法官允许两名女性，杰西卡·利兹（Jessica Leeds）和娜塔莎·斯托伊诺夫（Natasha Stoynoff）出庭作证；这两名女性声称曾遭特朗普总统性侵。特朗普总统对此予以坚决否认。 一家联邦上诉法院表示，相关证据的采纳是恰当的；即便存在不当之处，也未对特朗普总统造成重大损害。 特朗普总统还正在就另一起涉及卡罗尔且互相关联的诽谤案判决提出上诉；在该起案中，他曾被判须赔偿8300万美元。
6月29日华盛顿讯，美国最高法院今天裁定，特朗普总统确实有权解雇联邦贸易委员会（FTC）委员丽贝卡·斯劳特（Rebecca Slaughter)。 这项以6票对3票通过的裁决赋予了特朗普总统及未来历任总统权力，可以罢免那些隶属于行政部门、履行相关职能但被视为独立的联邦机构的成员。 由全部6位保守派大法官组成的多数派裁定，联邦贸易委员会关于“总统仅能因正当理由罢免委员”的规定，“违背了宪法所确立的权力分立原则”。 首席大法官约翰·罗伯茨（John Roberts）在今天撰写的多数意见书中写道：“总统可以随意解雇其下属，联邦贸易委员会无疑行使着行政权力，因此必须受行政首脑的控制。” 保守派大法官尼尔·戈萨奇（Neil Gorsuch）也在支持多数派裁决的协同意见书中写道：“看来，独立机构终究并非那么‘独立’。” 这项裁决实际上推翻了最高法院一项名为“汉弗莱遗嘱执行人案”（Humphrey’s Executor）的关键先例；该先例此前一直保护着独立机构的成员免遭总统解雇。 特朗普总统在社交媒体平台“真实社交”（Truth Social）上发帖评论最高法院的此项裁决时，称其为一场“重大胜利”。 特朗普总统写道：“美国历任总统，追溯至20世纪30年代，都曾长期寻求这一裁决。作为赢得这一具有历史意义且史无前例裁决的现任总统，我深感荣幸；这是涉及总统权力的最重要的裁决之一。” 特朗普总统下令解雇的联邦贸易委员会委员斯劳特表示对该裁决感到“失望”：“我认为关键在于特朗普总统所说的那样：这是史无前例的，它剥夺了国会的大量权力，转而赋予总统塑造经济决策的能力，从而使富人和权势阶层受益，却以牺牲普通美国人的利益为代价。” 民主党籍联邦贸易委员会委员斯劳特表示，受此裁决影响，联邦贸易委员会的政策“毫无疑问”将变得更具政治色彩。…
6月28日伊朗德黑兰讯，伊朗外交部长阿巴斯·阿拉格齐（Abbas Araghchi）今天宣布，霍尔木兹海峡将在伊朗控制下保持30天。只有伊朗负责重新开放霍尔木兹海峡并将航运交通恢复至战前水平。 阿拉格希今天与新闻发布会时表示：“这些安排正在被采纳并付诸实施，相关责任由伊朗伊斯兰共和国承担。其他任何机构或国家均不对此承担责任。” 阿拉格奇表示：“我相信，鉴于出现的新形势，波斯湾的安全以及该地区的安全必须由该地区所有国家重新考虑。我们必须达成一个新的框架，该框架包括该地区所有国家，并排除该地区以外任何国家的存在或干涉。” 本周，美军再次对伊朗目标实施了大规模打击；在此之前，美国指责伊朗在海峡内袭击了一艘油轮。近几周来，美国和伊朗均声称自己控制着该海峡。 美国总统特朗普总统于2月28日发动对伊朗“重大作战行动”，美以两国先发制人对伊朗发动大规模联合打击，袭击了涵盖伊朗的军事、政府及基础设施的广泛目标。 上周末，美国和伊朗代表团在瑞士比尔根山（Bürgenstock）度假村会晤，并展开谈判，旨在达成一项旨在结束战争的协议，该谈判基于两国上周签署的一份谅解备忘录，原订6月19日举行的面对面签署协议仪式被取消，伊朗代表团曾突然中止谈判和离开谈判会场，理由是美方违背了停火承诺。 以色列停止进攻黎巴嫰和从黎巴嫩撒军是美伊实现停火的关键条件之一，自美伊签署谅解备忘录以来，以色列军队一直对黎巴嫩实施持续打击，并没有任何停火迹象。 以色列军方今天称，其部队击毙了一名黎巴嫩真主党武装人员，并指控该武装人员应对黎巴嫩南部代尔西里扬（Deir Siryan）地区发生的一起事件负责，该事件导致一名以色列士兵丧生。 以军在一份声明中表示：“来自戈拉尼旅（Golani Brigade）战斗群的以军士兵在进入黎巴嫩南部代尔西里扬地区的一处可疑建筑物时，与一名真主党恐怖分子遭遇。在交火中，大卫·哈祖特（David Hazutt）上尉阵亡，另有一名以军士兵受轻伤。” 该声明还说：“以军士兵在该地区进行了大规模搜查，随后在交火地点附近的一处建筑物内发现了这名恐怖分子并将其击毙。” 该声明还补充称，以军“将继续采取行动消除对以军士兵构成的任何威胁，绝不允许真主党恐怖组织伤害以色列平民及以军士兵。”
6月28日加州圣地亚哥讯，美国海军表示，一名在“安克雷奇”号（USS Anchorage）上服役的美国海军陆战队队员在南加州海岸附近的一次训练演习中失踪，引发了多部门参与的大规模搜救行动，美国海军于6月26日晚9点左右已将行动从搜救转为搜寻与打捞。 美国海军在6月27日发布的新闻稿中表示：“在这个艰难时刻，我们的思念与祈祷与遇难者家属及所有受影响的人同在。”美国海军表示，在通知其近亲属后的24小时内，暂不公布该名队员的身份信息。 据美国海军方面消息，在一名海军陆战队队员于与第13海军陆战队远征部队进行的联合训练期间失踪后，“马金岛”号（Makin Island）两栖戒备群于6月25日凌晨约1时21分展开了搜救行动。 据美国海军称，在此次搜救行动历时43小时，覆盖面积约2400平方英里，涉及来自美国海军、海军陆战队、海岸警卫队和空军的3艘水面舰艇及12架航空器的搜救行动之后，随后转入搜寻遗体行动。 美国海军的安克雷奇”号是一艘隶属于“马金岛”号两栖戒备群的两栖船坞运输舰。
6月27日纽约讯，据美国福克斯新闻（Fox News）报道，美国一家智库的一项的新模型显示，如果韩国通过一项备受争议将监管与部分美国企业的交易的立法，美国企业将遭受毁灭性的经济损失；与此同时，美国国会议员们警告称，韩国领导层目前正“与中国紧密结盟”。 由韩国公平交易委员会（KFTC）主导的《在线平台公平法案》(Online Platform Fairness Act）在韩国国内推进迅速，并得到了韩国极左翼总统李在明（Lee Jae-myung）的支持。 这项尚待韩国国会审议的法案将扩大韩国公平交易委员会（KFTC）的权力，而该委员会正是因被指不公平对待美国企业而受到美国国会议员批评的机构。 总部位于美国弗吉尼亚州的非营利性智库“贸易与竞争政策基金会”（Competere）的一项模型估算称，未来十年内，美国各州将因此损失5250亿美元的经济活动，包括加利福尼亚州损失1230亿美元、得克萨斯州损失487亿美元、纽约州损失339亿美元和华盛顿州损失274亿美元。 据报道，来自加利福尼亚州的共和党众议员达雷尔·伊萨（Darrell Issa）表示：“韩国是美国的盟友，也是经济成功的典范；正因如此，其近期及持续针对美国企业的限制举措，例如长达20年禁止谷歌地图（Google Maps）服务，才格外令人担忧。我依然担心，韩国目前的公平交易委员会行事风格更像莉娜·汗（Lina Khan）治下那个最糟糕的美国联邦贸易委员会（FTC），而非那个曾促成首尔与华盛顿紧密联系的自由市场传统。” 伊萨众议员在今年4月在媒体上表示，韩国领导层以及该国民主派多数势力的性质都“与中国紧密一致”。 来自“国民力量党”的韩国保守派人士尹锡悦（Yoon…