Outside Iona
November 4, 2021
Throughout our hectic student lives, we should always remain aware of what is happening around us. In this column, I find some of the most significant things around us and provide you with a small blurb and nitty-gritty details. Here are some of the major events that have been taking place:
General COVID-19 Update.
The FDA has authorized the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, which would make the vaccine available to 28 million kids in the U.S. Children will be able to receive the vaccine after the CDC signs off on authorization.
Approximately 6.3 million children have tested positive for COVID since the beginning of the pandemic as of Oct. 21. According to a CDC official, it is the eighth-highest killer of kids ages 5 to 11 over the past year. There have been more than 2,000 COVID-related school closures nationwide. As of last week, 8,300 children ages 5 to 11 were hospitalized with at least 170 of them having died.
According to the Biden administration, vaccines will be easily accessible at pediatrician offices, community health centers, children’s hospitals and pharmacies. There are 15 million doses ready to ship immediately.
Information from CNBC and New York Times.
G20 Summit update.
On Saturday, thousands of climate activists and anti-G20 campaigners marched outside the street in Rome. Protesters claimed that governments are not doing enough to combat climate change.
Meeting for the first time in two years in Italy, G20 leaders spoke about climate change, a tax deal and global economic concerns.
They pledged to reach a target of net zero carbon emissions by or around the midcentury and have agreed to stop funding new dirty coal plants abroad by the end of 2021. A new tax deal was agreed that will subject multinationals to a minimum 15% tax for a fairer international tax system. G20 leaders declared to support the WHO’s goal of vaccinating at least 40% of the world’s population against COVID-19 by 2021, and 70% by midyear through increasing the supply of vaccines in developing countries and eliminating supply and financial constraints. A new target has been set for channeling $100 billion toward developing countries, coming from the $650 billion pot made accessible by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from an issuance of its Special Drawing Rights (SDR). Though SDRs are not a currency, they can be employed either as a reverse currency or converted into stronger currencies to finance investments.
Information from the Guardian and Euronews.
La Palma Volcano erupting.
For six weeks, La Palma Volcano has been exploding in the Canary Islands. Last Sunday, volcanic ash reached an altitude of 15,000 feet. Many have been left homeless, however, there have been no victims. The European Union’s satellite monitoring service demonstrated that lava flows from the Atlantic Ocean from a volcanic ridge have covered 2,400 acres of land since it began on Sept. 19. Experts are unsure when the volcano will stop exploding as it has been difficult to manage since the lava, ash, and gases reflect complicated geological activity.
Information from BBC News and New York Post.
Sources:
General COVID-19 Update.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/29/pfizer-covid-vaccine-fda-authorizes-for-kids-ages-5-to-11.html
G20 Summit Update.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/01/g20-what-did-world-leaders-agree-at-the-summit-in-rome
La Palam Volcano Erupting.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59076157
https://nypost.com/2021/10/31/with-no-sign-of-eruptions-end-ash-blankets-la-palma-island/
