President Joe Biden predicted that by the end of the year life in the United States would start to resemble conditions prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, largely based on his pledge to make vaccines available for the entire population by July.
"With the grace of God and the goodwill of neighbours, then by next Christmas we'll be in a very different circumstance – God willing – than where we are today," Mr Biden said in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
“A year from now, there will be significantly fewer people having to be socially distanced, having to wear a mask, but we don’t know. So, I don’t want to overpromise anything here.”
In the meantime, Mr Biden stressed the importance of precautionary measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing to avoid spreading the virus.
"It matters whether you continue to wear that mask," Mr Biden said. "It matters that you continue to socially distance. It matters whether you continue to wash your hands with hot water. Those things matter. They matter. And they can save a lot of lives while we get to this point of herd immunity."
The president’s estimate was based on his vaccine distribution plan. He confidently repeated his assertion that his administration would ensure that 600 million Covid-19 shots – enough to vaccinate 300 million Americans – would be available by the end of July.
"[When] we came into office, there were only 50 million doses that were available," Mr Biden said. "Now by the end of July, we'll have over 600 million doses, enough to vaccinate every single American."
The president also said that teachers should move up higher in the prioritisation line to receive the vaccine, although this is largely at the discretion of individual states.
He predicted that most US schools would reopen by the end of his first 100 days in office, and he floated the idea to eliminate the traditional summer break this year to allow for more in-person instruction.
“We’ve had a significant percentage of them be able to open,” Mr Biden said. “My guess is they’re going to be pushing to be open all summer to continue like it’s a different semester.”
He said that elementary and middle schools would be easier to open than high schools because older teenagers are much more likely to spread the virus than younger children.
Mr Biden laid out some mitigating steps to prevent the spread of the virus in schools as they reopen, including mandatory protective gear for pupils, teachers and employees. He also said that classrooms would be organised into “smaller pods”, which would require schools to hire more teachers.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
LAST 16
SEEDS
Liverpool, Manchester City, Barcelona, Paris St-Germain, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Valencia, Juventus
PLUS
Real Madrid, Tottenham, Atalanta, Atletico Madrid, Napoli, Borussia Dortmund, Lyon, Chelsea
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
A general guide to how active you are:
Less than 5,000 steps - sedentary
5,000 - 9,999 steps - lightly active
10,000 - 12,500 steps - active
12,500 - highly active
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
BIG SPENDERS
Premier League clubs spent £230 million (Dh1.15 billion) on January transfers, the second-highest total for the mid-season window, the Sports Business Group at Deloitte said in a report.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
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On sale: via special order
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
