COVID-19 Update: March 19, 2020: Vaccine Hesitancy

Two steps forward and one step back: In the US, vaccines are rolling out at a faster rate than ever. We have so many doses that we're starting to share them with other countries. The live events industry is beginning to look at opening up again. The path is increasingly clear for schools to reopen. There's plenty of reason for optimism. But new cases are plateauing here and Europe, which has largely bollixed its vaccine rollout, is in a mess. (Don't even ask about Brazil.) Here and elsewhere, too many people are worried about getting vaccinated. We've got to get past this before we get back to normal.

The latest:

As of today, the US reaches the goal of 100 million vaccinations, ahead of schedule: tinyurl.com/xezaphjc. The race is on to expand access to vaccines in many states: tinyurl.com/u4tpsu3n. Even so, more than four in ten healthcare workers have not been vaccinated: tinyurl.com/5fdz7p39.

The US has purchased so much vaccine that it is now being pressured to share its wealth with the rest of the world: tinyurl.com/4sjz3uk6. The government will share vaccine with Canada and Mexico: tinyurl.com/5c8pasyt.

Europe sees a third wave of COVID-19, driven by variants of the coronavirus: tinyurl.com/2bjdp5u5.

As Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain join other countries in suspending the AstraZeneca vaccine, fearing that it causes blood clots, Europe's medicine regulator says that vaccine Is safe: tinyurl.com/khb65pw6t

A disturbing number of supporters of former President Trump refuse to get vaccinated; Dr. Anthony Fauci says Trump should urge them to do so: tinyurl.com/3h3zausd. The problem, it seems, is getting them to take advice from a Democratic administration: tinyurl.com/4szcuyhh.

New hot spots are emerging Upper Midwest and New York City: tinyurl.com/45dwbw7z.

The CDC shortens social distancing rules for kids in school from six feet to three: tinyurl.com/bh5hhd8.

The NCAA changes its coronavirus rules for tournament play: tinyurl.com/7h9skwxs.

US retail sales dropped 3% in February, rather more than expected: tinyurl.com/y3hv394u.

New unemployment claims this week reach 770,000, worse than expected: tinyurl.com/6u6jxnka.

The Save Our Stages program gains additional funding: tinyurl.com/5h5766e9.

The EU introduces a vaccine passport to facilitate summer travel: tinyurl.com/3cat2nkz.

Food for thought:

How Taiwan has largely escaped the effects of the pandemic: tinyurl.com/pn4d4uwk.

The return of Shakespeare to Central Park this summer solidifies the trend towards outdoor performance as the way back for the performing arts: tinyurl.com/s386vw.

A road map for a Broadway opening begins to appear, and the path isn't short: tinyurl.com/ys6yuhfr.

Around the country:

In California:

Two new variants in the state are cause for concern: tinyurl.com/hmp3azjk.

San Diego County extends vaccine eligibility to anyone overweight: tinyurl.com/6capa539.

Vaccine distribution in the state is the most unequal in the country, a new study finds: tinyurl.com/b56ven4r.

LA County reopens cinemas, gyms, and restaurants with restrictions: tinyurl.com/rmw73fhd.

The state issues guidelines for live performances and it doesn't look like they will happen anytime soon: tinyurl.com/3uayzy4p.

The Fox Corp. office will reopen "no earlier than September 7:" tinyurl.com/eh37ern/.

Disneyland will reopen April 30: tinyurl.com/9vvkv9bj.

The Coachella Festival postpones again, until April 2022: tinyurl.com/6f6uj8hn.

In the District of Columbia:

Why has 25% of the House of Representatives declined to get vaccinated? tinyurl.com/jyknzb25.

In Florida:

Coronavirus? What coronavirus? Spring breakers party on: tinyurl.com/kh2f2e8e. Miami Beach turns overcrowded and chaotic with the party scene: tinyurl.com/pwh2czn5.

Governor Ron DeSantis, angry at Orlando's decision to lower vaccination eligibility to anyone over 40, officially lowers the bar to anyone over 50 tinyurl.com/uyrxj4yr.

Meanwhile, Miami/Dade County will open up vaccination to anyone over 40 beginning March 29: tinyurl.com/4jd48drz.

A woman gives birth to the first baby known to have COVID-19 antibodies: tinyurl.com/25vy3uvw.

In Illinois:

"The difference between a life preserver and a life raft;" that's what one theatre owner calls the state's new relaxed COVID-19 capacity restrictions: tinyurl.com/3kctxm9t.

Chicago's Royal George Theatre is closing for good: tinyurl.com/4pxuf7mz.

In Indiana:

Here's what the pandemic edition of March Madness will be like: tinyurl.com/tsv64teh.

In Massachusetts:

New COVID-19 cases have plateaued at an "unacceptably high" level: tinyurl.com/yfvcs5tz.

The state's new vaccine preregistration program is streamlining the process and reaching underserved communities https://tinyurl.com/4tytv6zw.

Hundreds of the state police, offered vaccine, have declined: tinyurl.com/x9j4k88a.

Vaccines will be available to the general public in the state starting April 19: tinyurl.com/ny94tjyj.

In Missouri:

All Missourians can get vaccinated starting April 9: tinyurl.com/y33xc9pz.

In Nevada:

It's back to business, as Vegas casinos open at 50% capacity: tinyurl.com/b4ftevd4.

In New York:

Inside the struggles of the Metropolitan Opera musicians, unpaid for a year and facing salary cuts when they return: tinyurl.com/4uvterh2. The musicians received temporary salary payments (at a highly reduced rate) for agreeing to enter into salary negotiations: tinyurl.com/waxzx7nv.

Members of Actors' Equity push back against what they see as the union's slow pace in getting them working again: tinyurl.com/9u3js7tz.

The Actors Fund reports it distributed $19 million in the last year: tinyurl.com/5rz4xkjx.

Shakespeare in the Park will return this summer: tinyurl.com/3w3ssnw2.

The Mets and the Yankees can host 8,000 and 10,000 fans respectively at home games this season: tinyurl.com/ckkvzvy2.

In Texas:

The battle is joined as the state sues Austin and Travis counties for refusing to drop their mask mandates: tinyurl.com/b3fywjhz.

Around the world:

In Brazil:

The country faces its greatest health crisis, with intensive care units basically filled: tinyurl.com/294478c2.

In Canada:

Quebec's Culture Minister says theatres and concert halls can reopen March 28: tinyurl.com/3p5d22bz.

In Chile:

The country surpasses its neighbors, and most of the world, in getting vaccine into arms: tinyurl.com/ue3bdrzu.

In France:

Disneyland Paris, which was set to open April 2, postpones indefinitely: https://tinyurl.com/rfbs5e4d.

In Italy:

The country faces another lockdown as COVID-19 cases rise: tinyurl.com/33zckrsu.

In the UK:

West end producer Sonia Friedman announces an aggressive slate of three new plays for the spring: tinyurl.com/yf58u7ye.

The musical Back to the Future, which closed during its Manchester tryout because of the pandemic, will open in London in August: tinyurl.com/4pdcdu2z. The popular farce The Play That Goes Wrong will return to the West End in June: tinyurl.com/2r7pnpwy. The London revival of Anything Goes will open in July: tinyurl.com/4w5trvk7. Cruise, a new solo play, will play the West End in May and June. Education:

New webinar from JBL: Switching from Analog Audio and Video to IP Workflows - Why Fix What Isn't Broken w/ Cameron O'Neill, March 24 at 7pm CDT; register at tinyurl.com/24rb5c52.

Entertainment:

From Boston Symphony Orchestra, March 25, at noon; available through April 24: Andris Nelsons leads the BSO in an all-Russian program to feature Stravinsky's Symphonies of Wind Instruments and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 1 and Tahiti Trot; chamber music performance to feature American composer Eda Rapoport's Poem, Op. 14, for viola and piano, with BSO violist Michael Zaretsky and pianist Randall Hodgkinson: tinyurl.com/284kwmc9.

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis will be joined by a roster of special guest vocalists including Melanie Charles, Shenel Johns, and Ashley Pezzotti for Voices of Freedom, under the music direction of JLCO trombonist and vocalist Chris Crenshaw, this brand-new program looks back at four great performers: Betty Carter, Billie Holiday, Abbey Lincoln, and Nina Simone. It is available March 26 at 7:30 ET through March 31. Tickets are $20, $15 for members: tinyurl.com/3fjmss5t.

Obie Award winner Metropolitan Playhouse presents a new free reading, live-streamed, with talkback to follow: Winter's Night, by Neith Boyce. It starts March 20 at 8pm ET and runs through March 24 at 10pm ET. Running time is one hour: www.MetropolitanPlayhouse.org/watchwintersnight.

The Mint Theatre presents Yours Unfaithfully, a 1933 play by Miles Malleson. It got a very belated -- and well-received -- premiere in 2017, thanks to the Mint. Director Jonathan Bank directs a cast that features Todd Cerveris, Mikaela Izquierdo, Elisabeth Gray, John Hutton, and Max von Essen. It begins streaming March 22: minttheater.org/.

Playwrights Horizons presents The MS Phoenix Rising, a serial dark comedy fiction podcast created by writer Trish Harnetiaux and director Katie Brook. The cast includes Anthony Arkin, Jess Barbagallo, Eric Berryman, Susan Blommaert, Adam Greenfield, Jeremy O. Harris, André Holland, Haruna Lee, April Matthis, Emily Cass McDonnell, Estelle Parsons, Danielle Skraastad, and Corey Stoll. Playwrights Horizons Soundstage is available for free to listeners on all major podcasting platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Stitcher. For more information: playwrightshorizons.org/watch-listen/soundstage/ms-phoenix-rising/.

Weekend Playlist:

Jessie Mueller, Keala Settle, and Lillias White find the soul in "Natural Woman:" tinyurl.com/5xdmxed.

Brittany Howard, accompanied by Chris Martin, offers Rodgers and Hammerstein's "You'll Never Walk Alone:" tinyurl.com/2j3rd89v.

Eartha Kitt asserts, "I Want to Be Evil:" tinyurl.com/28sw3s3d.

Julie Andrews and Richard Burton in "What Do the Simple Folk Do?" from Camelot: tinyurl.com/2y4mkd3d.

Broadway performers put the world on notice that they're "Still Standin':" tinyurl.com/rewtv979.

That's all for this week. Have a good weekend. Stay safe. Vaccinate. -DB

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