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What happened last week?
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At the end of Wednesday, the United States reached a milestone: 1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in 10 days.
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This week brought a closer look at Alibaba and Ant Group leader Jack Ma, both inside and outside China.
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After being closed for days, the border between the UK and the EU was reopened. Of 2,637 drivers who were tested by noon on Thursday, only three tests were positive, said the UK transport secretary. on twitter.
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What happened last week?
The COVID-19 pandemic did not subside during the holiday week. Instead, it accelerated in the United States and worldwide. By midweek, nearly 79 million cases have been reported worldwide, with about 18.5 million in the United States, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
The country of Los Angeles remained the epicenter of the United States, although new daily cases in the state dropped to about 40,000, compared to a record 63,817 new cases on December 16.
Only 1.1% of beds were available in California intensive care units, Governor Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday Twitter. Frontline officials in the state begged people to stay home for the Christmas holidays.
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines continued to be launched
Doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were delivered to hospitals and clinics in the United States last week. People who receive doses will not be able to choose what they will receive, although there are some ways to know which injection you will receive.
On Monday, some frontline employees shared their experience of receiving the vaccine with Business Insider. While lawmakers in Washington were also beginning to receive their shots, Congressman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Rand Paul disagreed on Monday over whether Washington should be prioritized.
At the end of Wednesday, the United States reached a milestone: 1 million doses of the vaccine were administered in 10 days.
In a statement announcing the milestone, Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the vaccine was a “critical tool”, but more work needed to be done.
He said: “But until every person in the U.S. is able to get a COVID-19 vaccine, we continue to ask Americans to adopt proven public health strategies, including social distance, good hand hygiene and wearing a mask in public to reduce the risk of transmission and protect our communities. “
China extended its investigation into the Jack Ma empire
The Chinese government continued its investigations into the business empire built by Jack Ma, the richest man in the country.
Alibaba founder Ma planned to take Ant Group to public markets this year, with plans to raise about $ 34.5 billion. In November, these plans were suspended and subsequent reports said the IPO might not happen in 2021 either.
On Monday, reports said Ma tried to deceive China’s government by dismembering Grupo Formiga and handing over parts to the government.
This week brought yet another scrutiny from Ma, both inside and outside China. On Wednesday, a report said that China required Alibaba to process data stolen from the United States.
On Thursday, Chinese regulators said they launched an anti-monopoly investigation of Alibaba. Other government groups said they hoped to hold talks with Ant Group, an affiliate.
Shipments were stored at the UK-EU border
Last Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron closed the UK’s border with the EU, citing concerns about a new coronavirus strain in the UK.
Earlier this week, thousands of trucks waiting to cross the border lined up outside the checkpoints. Salvation Army volunteers fed drivers and Tesco warned of a shortage of fruits and vegetables. On Wednesday, a small group of drivers fought over police offers at the port.
The port reopened on Wednesday night, with field officers conducting COVID-19 tests on the thousands of drivers waiting to cross.
On Thursday, Grant Shapps, transport secretary, said 2,637 people had been tested by noon. Only three tests were positive, he said on twitter.
“As the EU Transport Commissioner tweeted, testing transporters is not recommended. Spending days in a truck alone puts you in an extremely low risk category,” he said.
Here’s what happened last week.
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