US President Joe Biden said he will meet his goal of 100 million Covid-19 shots into people's arms within the first 100 days of his presidency sometime Friday.
He announced the projected milestone as part of remarks he gave from the White House on Thursday afternoon, while encouraging people not to let their guard down amid the spread of new Covid variants.
“I’m proud to announce that tomorrow, 58 days into our administration, we will have met my goal of administering 100 million shots to our fellow Americans. That’s weeks ahead of schedule,” Mr Biden said.
Aside from his presidential goal, the US earlier in March reached 100 million vaccinations after two vaccines were federally approved in December, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Eight weeks ago, only eight per cent of seniors, those most vulnerable to Covid-19, had received a vaccination," Mr Biden declared. "Today, 65 per cent of people age 65 or older have received at least one shot and 36 per cent are fully vaccinated.
"And that’s key, because this is the population that represents 80 per cent of the well over 500,000 Covid-19 deaths that have occurred in America."
Mr Biden said he will announce a new goal for US vaccinations in the near future. He also reiterated that the country will have enough doses for all adults in the US by the end of May, with a goal for "closer to normal" life by July 4.
Meanwhile, the pace of vaccinations has ramped up after a rocky start. But 2.47 million doses were given per day over the last week, according to a Bloomberg vaccine tracker.
Overall, 113 million shots have been administered nationwide since December, according to the US health agency.
The agency says at least 22 per cent of people have had at least one dose, while over 12 per cent are fully vaccinated.
However, Mr Biden emphasised continued caution and pointed to a rise of coronavirus cases in more than a dozen states, with concern over new variants.
“In the last week, we’ve seen increases in the number of cases in several states," he said.
"Scientists have made clear that things may get worse as new variants of this virus spread. Getting vaccinated is the best thing we can do to fight back against these variants. While millions of people are vaccinated, we need millions more to be vaccinated. And again, I need you to get vaccinated when it comes, when it’s your turn. You’re able to do that."
The country is currently averaging 54,000 new cases each day, according to health authorities.
All three "variants of concern", so labelled by the World Health Organisation, are spreading uncontrolled and undetected in the US. The agency also has its eye on home-grown variants in New York and California.
Mr Biden referred to the current situation in Europe – with rising cases and new lockdowns in countries like France and Italy – as a cautionary tale for Americans to be cautious and work towards herd immunity via vaccinations.
His chief medical adviser, Dr Anthony Fauci, agreed that the US is in a race between variants and vaccines.
“There still are challenges ahead, particularly with regard to the variants that have now become very familiar to us," he said in a Senate hearing on Thursday.
“They are mutational changes in the virus strains that challenge us both from the standpoint of spreading more rapidly, having a greater degree of pathogenesis and even evading some of our monoclonal antibodies.”
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Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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JERSEY INFO
Red Jersey
General Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the leader of the General Classification by time.
Green Jersey
Points Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the fastest sprinter, who has obtained the best positions in each stage and intermediate sprints.
White Jersey
Young Rider Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the best young rider born after January 1, 1995 in the overall classification by time (U25).
Black Jersey
Intermediate Sprint Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the rider who has gained the most Intermediate Sprint Points.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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The specs
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German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
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What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
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The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo and dual electric motors
Power: 300hp at 6,000rpm
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Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.0L/100km
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