United States (US) Coronavirus - Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association

The Biden administration is developing a national coronavirus ‘vaccine passport’ scheme for Americans

Thomas Colson - Business Insider via MSN — Sun, 15 Aug 2021 16:41:29 +0000

The Biden administration is reportedly working on a national vaccine passport program.
The scheme will enable people to prove they have received a coronavirus vaccination in order to enter some private venues and businesses.
Possession of a vaccine passport could be an entry requirement to some sports arenas, music venues, or restaurants.
See more stories on Insider’s business page.

The Biden administration is working on a vaccine passport program that would allow people to prove they have received a coronavirus vaccination, in order to enter venues which have been closed due to social distancing requirements, such as offices or movie theatres. The Washington Post and CNN reported.

Five officials, who spoke anonymously, told the Post that the White House is pushing efforts by federal agencies and private companies to develop the scheme.

Vaccine passports have been widely touted around the world as a way for various industries to start returning to normal whilst minimising the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks and could be an entry requirement for anything from sports arenas, music venues, or restaurants, to international travel.

The passports will likely take the form of a scannable code displayed on smartphones, private developers told the Post, while users without smartphones will be able to print codes onto paper.

New York has already announced an app called the Excelsior Pass which will allow a user to prove they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have recently tested negative, Forbes reported.

One official suggested to CNN that vaccine passports could be required for people returning to work.

The White House declined to comment to the Post on record but pointed to comments made by Jeffrey Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, who said at a press briefing in March: “As we increase the number of people vaccinated, we know some people may have a need to demonstrate that they are vaccinated.

“The private sector and not-for-profit coalitions are already beginning to work on this.

“Our role is to help ensure that any solutions in this area should be simple, free, open source, accessible to people both digitally and on paper, and designed from the start to protect people’s privacy.”

The idea of vaccine passports is gathering momentum worldwide, too.

Similar schemes are being considered by the United Kingdom’s government and the European Union has announced plans for a “Digital Green Certificate” which will prove whether a carrier has been vaccinated, tested negative, or recovered from the virus.

“With this certificate, we aim to help member states reinstate freedom of movement in a safe, responsible, and trusted manner,” European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said at a press conference earlier in March.

The Ada Lovelace Institute, an NGO, said 30 countries around the world including China and the UAE are considering or already using a vaccine passport scheme as they seek to return to normal life, Insider’s Marianna Guenot reported.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/the-biden-administration-is-developing-a-national-coronavirus-vaccine-passport-scheme-for-americans/ar-BB1f5bwa

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The coronavirus will cost the economy nearly $8 trillion, Congressional Budget Office says

Jeff Cox — Sun, 09 Aug 2020 10:09:48 +0000

KEY POINTS

The coronavirus is likely to reduce GDP by $7.9 trillion, or 3%, through fiscal 2030, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Sen. Chuck Schumer said the estimate shows the urgency of getting more rescue funding passed.
Nominal GDP is projected to be $15.7 trillion less due to the virus.

New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy hands out bags containing meals, face masks, and other personal protective supplies to residents in need outside the NAN Newark Tech World during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Newark, New Jersey, May 6, 2020. –Mike Segar | Reuters

The coronavirus likely will sap about $7.9 trillion of economic activity over the next decade-plus even with all of the rescue funding being poured in to offset the pandemic’s impact, according to a government estimate Monday.

Through fiscal 2030, the virus will reduce real economic output — nominal GDP adjusted for inflation — by 3% from initial economic estimates in January before the pandemic hit, the Congressional Budget Office said.

“Business closures and social distancing measures are expected to curtail consumer spending, while the recent drop in energy prices is projected to severely reduce U.S. investment in the energy sector,” CBO Director Phillip L. Swagel said in a written response to an inquiry from Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “Recent legislation will, in CBO’s assessment, partially mitigate the deterioration in economic conditions.”

Nominal GDP is expected to be $15.7 trillion, or 5.3%, less than originally forecast due to the coronavirus.

Congress has passed the $2.2 trillion CARES Act aimed at cushioning the pandemic’s blow and is debating another measure that could reach $3 trillion.

However, the second quarter is still likely to see the biggest GDP drop in U.S. history while the unemployment rate for May is expected to be near 20%, the highest since the Great Depression.

Schumer said the CBO estimates emphasize the case for quick action on another spending bill.

“In order to avoid the risk of another Great Depression, the Senate must act with a fierce sense of urgency to make sure that everyone in America has the income they need to feed their families and put a roof over their heads,” the senator said in a statement.

The CBO said it was marking down its longer-run estimate for growth due to expected low levels of inflation, despite all of the public spending and further rescue lending from the Federal Reserve. The office also cautioned that further adjustments to its projections are likely as more is known about the coronavirus’s path, its ultimate economic damage, and the impact of congressional funding measures.

“An unusually high degree of uncertainty surrounds these economic projections, particularly because of uncertainty about how the pandemic will unfold this year and next year, how the pandemic and social distancing will affect the economy, how recent policy actions will affect the economy, and how economic data will ultimately be recorded for a period when extreme changes have disrupted standard estimation methods and data sources,” Swagel wrote.

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/01/the-coronavirus-will-cost-the-economy-nearly-8-trillion-congressional-budget-office-says.html
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