Today is Tuesday, May 19 and the biotechnology company Moderna is a step closer to making a vaccine against Covid-19. The company announced the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared it to begin with Phase 2 in developing a COVID-19 vaccine, which should begin shortly. This phase is expected to include experimenting with 600 people. Phase 3 is PLANNED to begin later in the summer. Although commercializing the vaccine would not be possible until 2021, it MIGHT be available for emergencies by Fall 2020.
The Florida Department of Health has maintained a dashboard that tracks Covid-19 related data. (In fact, it is the source for the data in the above graphic.) But the state official in charge of creating and managing this data portal said she has been removed from the project entirely, the Miami Herald reported.
Rebekah Jones, the official formerly in charge, also offered some “words of caution”: she does not expect the new team to uphold the transparency that she always did. She is not aware of who will be on the new team.
Good morning from the https://t.co/nZ1pQkNjsG is Tuesday’s front page. Keep up with the news at https://t.co/SUDth1TjN2 … And subscribe for all the digital coverage: https://t.co/E20veYt9mF pic.twitter.com/PPt7m7AwXH
— Miami Herald (@MiamiHerald) May 19, 2020
Groups of people in Volusia County, Florida got together for a block party. It is estimated that 3,000 were present at this party. Deputies reported objects were thrown at them. There were also firearm exchanges and “agitated crowds.” The night resulted in multiple arrests.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office estimated 3,000 people were at the outdoor party. https://t.co/DsIydJlSxu
— News4JAX (@wjxt4) May 19, 2020
UPDATE: We learned this afternoon that an Orlando man who was at the DeLand block party admitted himself to the hospital in Altamonte Springs with a gunshot wound to the foot after a shooting at the party. He declined to cooperate in any investigation.
— Volusia Sheriff (@VolusiaSheriff) May 17, 2020
