COVID-19 Update, April 16, 2021: Speed Bumps

The monumental effort to get vaccines rolled out hits some bumps in the road, most notably the fracas over a possible link between the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and blood clots. The CDC says it is acting out an abundance of caution; others worry that the wrong message is being sent to those who are already vaccine-hesitant. Time will tell who is right. Meanwhile, hot spots are breaking out around the US, most notably Michigan, and infection numbers in other locations, including Florida, remain stubbornly high. Globally, the picture remains mixed at best, with Brazil standing out as a rolling calamity. Still, the economy is bouncing back, and the live events industry is starting to stir. We can do this, but patience is indicated.

The latest:

The CDC pauses the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, because of a small number of patients experiencing blood clots: tinyurl.com/tzwbhenj. Federal health officials say they need more information: tinyurl.com/ytbv57x3. The risk, if it exists, is tiny: tinyurl.com/tachxmdh. But, just in case, here are the symptoms to watch for: tinyurl.com/5b8y9r3b. And thanks to that abundance of caution, the European rollout of the vaccine is being delayed: tinyurl.com/2hn32ene. The White House adds that the pause will not slow the US rollout, as J&J accounts for only 5% of the current dosage: tinyurl.com/2x3rk8r9.

Meanwhile, new coronavirus hot spots are springing up around the country: tinyurl.com/3b3ka3hd.

New data shows that the Modera vaccine remains 90% effective against COVID -- and 95% effective against severe COVID -- six months after the second jab: tinyurl.com/377dh3wr.

The CEO of Pfizer says that his company's vaccine will probably require a booster shot in 12 months: tinyurl.com/ft2aa48w.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warns that reopening too quickly, without quashing the pandemic, could further damage the economy: tinyurl.com/k3axd2v6.

With nearly 4.5 million cases reported last week, the World Health Organization warns that the pandemic is still growing exponentially: tinyurl.com/y47haw2z.

As Broadway national tours gear up for the 2021 - 22 season, here's a guide to what is planned for each city: tinyurl.com/usxxu68.

Retail sales make a big jump in March, rising 9.8% against an expected 6.1%: tinyurl.com/5fv49jrt.

The Shuttered Venues Operator Grant program, made a disastrous debut last week, is still not ready to reopen: tinyurl.com/6ewmnfn4.

Food for thought:

Would delaying second vaccine shots speed up mass inoculation? Or would it lead to new coronavirus variants? tinyurl.com/yhntmhd6.

Should/will colleges and universities required students to be vaccinated next fall? tinyurl.com/cdb3re2c.

Is the US hoarding vaccines? tinyurl.com/k6swjf2r.

One restaurant's experiment in safe dining using air purifiers: tinyurl.com/ba5bj9zv.

Your questions answered about vaccines and variants: tinyurl.com/w2ax5vpa.

Around the country:

In California:

The state releases detailed guidelines for performers and crew at indoor concerts and theatre: tinyurl.com/bnau7wa2.

The Arclight Cinemas/Pacific Theatres chain will close permanently, a victim of the pandemic: tinyurl.com/2cfrv38w.

Paramount Pictures delays the release of the Top Gun remake, Mission Impossible 7, and other tentpole releases: tinyurl.com/z3nub446.

Paula Abdul steps in as a guest judge on American Idol while Luke Bryan recovers from COVID-19: tinyurl.com/4an4c42p.

In the District of Columbia:

Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott introduce a bill to override the CDC and allow the cruise industry to start up again: tinyurl.com/m8frh62a.

The Kennedy Center plans a "massive" season of in-person theatre: tinyurl.com/54f4hw69.

In Florida:

The state sees more than 7,000 new infections for the second day in a row: tinyurl.com/v3brytxa. But on Monday, they drop below 2,000 for the first time since October: tinyurl.com/5d7vn4ht. On Tuesday, 9,068 new cases: tinyurl.com/7tx6ryhu.

Miami Gardens, in Miami-Dade Country, revs up the vaccination process, opening up to anyone over 18 (and 16 or 17-year-olds with guardians), no appointment necessary: tinyurl.com/p7umf8a3.

Cruise industry executives and local politicians call on the CDC to let ships return to sailing: tinyurl.com/daaryfx4.

Interestingly, many residents of Orlando are getting vaccinated at their workplaces: tinyurl.com/78c72bvu.

Miami Beach's hottest club, LIV, reopens tonight: tinyurl.com/m8frh62a.

Despite FDA warnings, a company peddles a fraudulent bleach cure for the UK variant: tinyurl.com/ym5z9urj.

As theme parks open up, Orlando's convention workers still struggle: tinyurl.com/38v8aevm.

In Michigan:

The coronavirus is once again surging in the state, but Governor Gretchen Whitman, mindful of last year's controversies, isn't rushing to lock down: tinyurl.com/y65hd3yp. She does, however, press the federal government for additional vaccine doses, ASAP: tinyurl.com/5feb32y6. But the state ends up in conflict with the White House, which wants Michigan to go under another lockdown: tinyurl.com/yma3dbza.

In Minnesota:

A new COVID outbreak is traced to a youth wrestling tournament in South Dakota: tinyurl.com/uzcx78a4.

In New Hampshire:

Governor Chris Sununu lifts the state's mask mandate: tinyurl.com/8ejchwhn.

In New York:

New infections and hospitalizations reach a four-month low: tinyurl.com/dbvh8k6w.

The New York City vaccination site reserved for members of the Broadway community opens: tinyurl.com/42hn45xj.

The much-reviled, strangely long-running thriller Perfect Crime will reopen on April 18, becoming the first Equity-approved in-person production in New York since lockdown last year: https://tinyurl.com/w87jsvwu.

Around the world:

In Brazil:

Doctors Without Borders condemns the country's "humanitarian catastrophe," saying that the negligence of the government is costing thousands of lives: tinyurl.com/j5epwew7.

An influx of patients under 35 and a spike in infant mortality are driving the country's latest COVID surge: tinyurl.com/st26npem.

In Canada:

A British Columbia ski resort is shut down after it is linked to the biggest outbreak of the P1 variant outside of Brazil: tinyurl.com/2nv2xyhz.

In China:

On the whole, vaccines manufactured in the country are proving to be a major disappointment: tinyurl.com/fuckc9tj.

In Germany:

The head of the country's disease control agency says that drastic measures are needed to fight the third wave of the coronavirus: tinyurl.com/3amfyr4v.

In Haiti:

Even as so many others move forward, the country has yet to receive any vaccine: tinyurl.com/9h6b6w8d.

In India:

The country surpasses Brazil, the previous hot spot, in new coronavirus infections: tinyurl.com/29r97dp8.

In Japan:

A dedicated COVID hotel will house anyone who tests positive for the coronavirus during the Olympics: tinyurl.com/ypjexwzm.

Canceling the Olympics remains an option, says a senior member of the country's ruling party: https://tinyurl.com/5c865mrj.

In Sweden:

The country has the highest number of new cases in the last week and the most people in intensive care since the first wave of the pandemic: tinyurl.com/z8d5skum.

In Thailand:

A COVID outbreak related to Bangkok's nightclubs is fueling a new surge: tinyurl.com/ypbvmnu7.

In the UK:

It's "Manic Monday," as crowds flock to pubs and restaurants following the easing of lockdown: tinyurl.com/uu6k3fym.

It's pretty nippy in Scotland, even in August, but the Edinburgh Festival will happen this summer, outdoors and online: tinyurl.com/6emur3pa.

Education:

New webinar from Green Hippo: Design Starts Here: Get Started with Hippotizer v4.6. For designers, integrators, and end users new to Hippotizer media servers, this webinar is an introduction to the next step in collaborative video design, production, and content delivery from the soon to be released v4.6 software. It takes place April 22 at 10m ET; register at tinyurl.com/ndavtubx.

Obsidian Control Systems presents its NX2 training series. Hosted by David Henry, of Learn Stage Lighting (learnstagelighting.com), nearly two hours of content is condensed into short, segmented videos to watch at your own pace: tinyurl.com/564ce74w.

Global design and BIM software provider Vectorworks, Inc. will host its first-ever open house for all users on April 21 from 9am - 7pm ET. This interactive virtual event will provide customers in the architecture, landscape architecture, and entertainment design industries the opportunity to meet the minds behind the software, ask questions of product experts and dive into new and improved software features. A wide range of topics will be covered. Register at tinyurl.com/w77xhd9c.

As part of its open house, Vectorworks presents Powering Billie Eilish's World Tour with GDTF/MVR. Lighting designer, programmer, and director at Infinitus Vox, Tony Caporale hosts Vectorworks' next webinar on April 21 at 2:00 pm ET. He will discuss how GDTF helped cut down the complexity of constantly learning new lighting devices and how MVR made sharing information across platforms as easy as possible; register at tinyurl.com/xfwr3r4.

New webinar from Walters Storyk Design Group: Size and Sound -- Optimizing Acoustics for The World's Largest Rooms April 20, 2021, 1pm ET, Hosted by: Gabriel Hauser -- WSDG partner, director of acoustics - and Professor Wolfgang Ahnert - founding director ADA-AMC (a WSDG Company). Register at tinyurl.com/n2ckdtvu.

Entertainment:

From Boston Symphony Orchestra: Thursday, April 29, at noon; available through May 29: Andris Nelsons leads an all-Strauss program, including Serenade in E-flat for Thirteen Wind Instruments and three Interludes from the opera Intermezzo; chamber music performance to feature Jennifer Higdon's Autumn Music for wind quintet, with BSO musicians Cynthia Meyers, flute; Robert Sheena, oboe; Thomas Martin, clarinet; Richard Ranti, bassoon; and Rachel Childers, horn: www.bso.org/now .

The theatre company Clubbed Thumb presents The Woman's Party by Rinne Groff. It is divided into three 30-minute episodes, the first of which will be released April 22, with subsequent episodes available on Thursday, April 29 and Thursday, May 6. All three episodes will remain available to stream through August. A drama about the Equal Rights Amendment, it features, among others, Alma Cuervo, Marga Gomez, Laura Esterman, Emily Kuroda, Lizan Mithell, Socorro Santiago, and Rebecca Shull: tinyurl.com/54zzzbew .

Keen Company presents a newly commissioned audio play Radio Nowhere by Kate Cortesi, beginning Friday, April 23 at 7pm ET. It is free and can be round on apps like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, and more: search "Keen Company Hear/Now" wherever you listen. The cast includes Alfredo Narciso, George Salazar, and Amelia Workman.

Now through April 25: Manhattan Theatre Club presents Neat, written and performed by Charlayne Woodard and featuring original music by Rolling Stones bassist Darryl Jones. It is one of the actress' well-received autobiographical solo shows, in this case focusing on her disabled aunt. The production streams on demand. The stream is free; tickets can be reserved at tinyurl.com/yp34js2w.

Metropolitan Playhouse presents a new free "screened" reading, so enormous it must be presented over two weekends, live-streamed at no charge, with a talkback to follow: Bertha, the Sewing Machine Girl -- Part One, by Charles Foster. It runs April 17 at 8pm ET through April 22 at 10pm ET. Running time is one hour. MetropolitanPlayhouse.org/watchchipwomansfortune.

Molière in the Park, in partnership with the Prospect Park Alliance and LeFrak Center at Lakeside, will present seven free live virtual performances of Christina Anderson's pen/man/ship, April 16 - 24. The cast includes Crystal Lucas-Perry and Kevin Mambo: moliereinthepark.org.

San Francisco Opera's 2016 revival of Giuseppe Verdi's Don Carlo streams April 17 - 18. Emilio Sagi directs a cast that includes Michael Fabiano, Ana María Martínez, René Pape, Mariusz Kwiecien, and Nadia Krasteva. Production design by Zack Brown with lighting by Gary Marder: www.sfopera.com.

York Theatre Company streams its gala benefit performance of The Musical of Musicals (The Musical)...and More! beginning April 18 at 7:00pm ET and running on demand through April 21. The show, a spoof of various musical theatre styles, includes appearances by Christy Altomare, Betty Buckley, André De Shields, Richard Kind, Telly Leung, Jose Llana, Kelvin Moon Loh, Patti LuPone, Lesli Magherita, Andrea McArdle, Donna Murphy, Brad Oscar, Christine Pedi, Randy Rainbow, Chita Rivera, Ethan Slater, Michael West, and Lillias White. Also on hand will be Matthew Broderick, Lewis Black, Giancarlo Esposito Jane Krakowski, Audra McDonald, Debra Messing, Isaac Mizrahi, Mandy Patinkin, Martha, Plimpton, and Mercedes Ruehl, with a special guest appearance by Hillary Rodham Clinton. Viewing is free at YorkTheatre.org, and donations are cheerfully accepted; all donations up to $50,000 will be matched by a York supporter; the theatre is recovering from flood damage.

Weekend Playlist:

Telly Leung takes on Stephen Sondheim's "Being Alive:" tinyurl.com/wcypzn8p.

Rock out with Mick Jagger and Dave Grohl in a song of the times, "Easy Sleazy;" tinyurl.com/2y6y8p43.

Audra McDonald presents "Stars and the Moon," by Jason Robert Brown: tinyurl.com/d7jtawup.

Ramin Karimloo offers his anthemic single, "From Now On:" tinyurl.com/24jrfd75.

Brian Stokes Mitchell makes the most of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "I Have Dreamed:" tinyurl.com/4mcncntk.

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

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