Tag: delay

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Business

Virgin Galactic inventory drops after doable delay to spaceflight exams

Virgin Galactic stock drops after possible delay to spaceflight tests

The Virgin Galactic spaceship outside of Spaceport America in New Mexico.

Virgo Galactic

Virgin Galactic’s stock fell Tuesday on high trading volume, with the company’s next space flight test – and its broader path to launching commercial flights – potentially further delayed.

The space tourism company gave an overview of the progress in repeating the space test, which was canceled in-flight in December. While the company says it has now completed repairs to an issue with its VSS Unity spacecraft, an unexpected potential maintenance issue was identified with the VMS Eve carrier aircraft after test flights last week.

Virgin Galactic said the issue in question is scheduled for maintenance in October, but the company is currently analyzing whether maintenance needs to be done now – which would likely further delay the space test schedule. The company planned to rerun the spaceflight in May but now says the timing is “currently under evaluation”.

“We’ll be back in the market next week with an update on the flight schedule for our next flight,” said Mike Moses, president of space missions and security for Virgin Galactic, during the company’s conference call.

Virgin Galactic’s stock fell as much as 20% in trading from its previous closing price of $ 17.95 per share before recovering some of the losses to trade 9%. The stock, which was halted by the NYSE for five minutes due to volatility shortly after opening, exceeded its daily average volume within the first half hour of trading on Tuesday.

The lows of the decline took Virgin Galactic stock below $ 15 per share – its lowest level in nearly a year – and continued to add to the stock losses since hitting a high of over $ 60 per share in February.

Virgin Galactic has four test flights left before development of its SpaceShipTwo system is complete.

Meanwhile, stock losses have accelerated after delays in the first of these four space flights, as well as after sales of shares by Chairman Chamath Palihapitiya, founder Richard Branson and Cathie Wood’s new space ETF. The stock also fell after Jeff Bezos’ company Blue Origin announced plans to launch the first crew flight of its space tourism rocket on July 20. UBS cautioned against removing Virgin Galactic’s first mover advantage.

The start of Virgin Galactic’s commercial service, which is expected to begin in 2020 when the company completed its SPAC merger, has been postponed to early 2022.

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Categories
Entertainment

Virus Circumstances Delay Effort to Deliver Indoor Dance Again to New York

Virus Cases Delay Effort to Bring Indoor Dance Back to New York

It was one of the most famous experiments to bring indoor live performances back to New York City.

The Park Avenue Armory decided to use the cavernous, flexible space of their 55,000 square foot drilling hall to hold a short season called the Social Distance Hall. It received permission from state health officials to re-invite an extremely limited audience and planned to do all rapid tests for the coronavirus. To kick off, one of the great choreographers of the day, Bill T. Jones, turned to “Afterwardsness,” a new piece that explores the coronavirus pandemic and violence against blacks.

However, the highly anticipated performances, due to begin Wednesday for a sold out seven-day run, had to be postponed after several members of the Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Company, Rebecca Robertson, tested positive for the virus, president and executive producer of the Armory said on Saturday in an email to ticket holders.

“The artists concerned are, thank goodness, comfortable,” wrote Robertson.

“While this is very disappointing to the artists, the armory and our audiences, this shift is a necessary part of the process of collectively returning to personal appearances in a responsible and safe manner,” she added.

Kyle Maude, director of production for the Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Company, said three members of the company who had received a rapid antigen test tested positive on Thursday and that those results were later confirmed when they became more reliable in PCR -Test for which the results came back on Saturday.

The scheduled opening in March had brought the Armory ahead of the April 2nd opening date announced by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo for reduced-capacity performances in New York, but state officials had agreed to the early opening. Robertson told the New York Times earlier this month that the decision was made in part because the armory had tested its security procedures back in October when Afterwardsness was filmed in front of a live audience of volunteers in their drill hall.

The armory, whose spacious drilling hall holds a huge volume of air, seemed an ideal place to experiment with indoor performance. The plan was to limit the audience to 100, which is only about 10 percent of the capacity of the hall, and to accommodate people at a distance of at least two meters. A number of precautionary measures are in place for the spring season, including masks, quick on-site tests for all spectators, electronic ticketing and temperature checks.

The armory announced that all ticket holders for “Afterwardsness” would be reimbursed and that they would have early access to book tickets for the newly planned performances when dates are announced.

“Afterwardsness” should be “Social! the Social Distance Dance Club ”, conceived by the choreographer Steven Hoggett, the set designer Christine Jones and the musician David Byrne. Dates for this will be announced shortly, said the armory.

Categories
Business

‘Dangerous’ to delay second Covid vaccine photographs within the UK: ex-FDA director

'Risky' to delay second Covid vaccine shots in the UK: ex-FDA director

Postponing the second dose of Covid-19 vaccines is “very risky” because the efficacy data was based on a specific dosage schedule, a former FDA director told CNBC on Thursday.

His comments came after the UK’s decision to give a second shot of the coronavirus vaccine 12 weeks after the first dose, contrary to vaccine manufacturers’ recommendations. Germany is reportedly considering a similar move, while Denmark approves a six-week gap between doses.

The vaccines approved for use in the UK both require two doses.

American pharmaceutical company Pfizer and German biotechnology company BioNTech recommended giving the second dose of their vaccine 21 days after the first. British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said the vaccine, jointly developed with Oxford, requires two doses to be given one month apart. The UK initially said it would follow this timetable.

It’s a very risky endeavor because if it fails, you will be worse off.

Norman Baylor

Former FDA director

Any decision to change dosing schedules should be based on data, said Norman Baylor, a former director in the US Food and Drug Administration’s bureau of vaccine research and testing.

“It is very risky to try to extend [the gap between two doses] or give a dose if there is no data, “he told CNBC’s Street Signs Asia on Thursday.

“I can see some reasons for this, but again, it’s not really data-driven,” said Baylor, who is also president and chief executive officer of Biologics Consulting. “It’s a very risky endeavor because if it fails, you will be worse.”

The UK’s controversial decision came as the country continued to grapple with a new strain of the coronavirus that is spreading faster, despite no evidence that it is more severe or deadly. 62,322 cases were reported on Wednesday, and more than 2.8 million people have tested positive for the virus to date, according to government figures.

A nurse prepares the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine at Pontcae medical practice in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales on January 4, 2021.

Matthew Horwood | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Delaying the second dose of the vaccine means more people can get their first dose. However, Baylor said it was ideal to follow the dosing regimen from the vaccine’s effectiveness studies.

“If you don’t have the data, you are taking a risk there,” he said. “That is the point, the risk you are taking.”

Weigh vaccine manufacturers

Categories
Health

UK choice to delay second Covid vaccine shot endorsed by advisors

West Virginia mistakenly gives 42 people Regeneron IV Covid treatment instead of vaccine shot

A pharmacist dilutes the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as he prepares it for administration to staff and residents at Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads, a senior community in Falls Church, Virginia, on December 30, 2020.

Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images

LONDON – Health experts have condemned the UK’s decision to delay the administration of a second dose of the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, warning that the need to suppress the new strain of coronavirus “cannot be overstated “.

Shortly after the UK announced that the second dose of the Pfizer BioNTech jab, in addition to the newly approved Covid-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, will now be given up to 12 weeks after the first dose.

The National Health Service had previously planned to give a second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine three weeks after the first to ensure a high level of protection against the virus.

The UK’s Independent Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE) said in a statement released on Sunday that it was “a very difficult and balanced decision” but was in favor of the UK government’s move to cover as high a proportion of the population as possible.

However, the change in policy would have to go hand in hand with several other measures. These included: publishing a detailed and compelling strategy to scale up vaccination, developing a rigorous assessment process, real-time assessment of ongoing virus variation, and the need to restrict movement to and from the UK to the rest of the world.

SAGE is made up of health professionals and scientists and is jointly managed by the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor and Chief Medical Officer.

Meghana Pandit, Chief Medical Officer of the NHS Trust, Oxford University, right, speaks to Trevor Cowlett, 88, before receiving the Oxford University AstraZeneca Plc and Covid-19 vaccine at Churchill Hospital in Oxford, UK on Monday. January 4, 2021. UK regulators approved the shot last week, giving it its first approval anywhere in the world.

Steve Parsons | PA wire | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The comments come despite the British Medical Association criticizing the UK’s decision to postpone the second dose of Pfizer BioNTech vaccine. It described the move as “grossly unfair” to thousands of high-risk patients in England.

“The BMA is of the opinion that the existing commitment of the NHS and local doctors to these patients should be respected. If the GPs decide to keep these booked appointments in January, the BMA will support them,” said Dr. Richard Vautre, Chairman of the BMA GP Committee. said in a statement on December 31.

In response to these concerns, the SAGE Committee said, “Under normal circumstances, we would advocate continuing our previous plans of administering two doses of Pfizer BioNTech vaccine 21 days apart. However, these are not normal circumstances and it is are other important public health considerations. “

The German Ministry of Health asked an independent vaccination commission for advice on Monday whether it should follow in the UK’s footsteps.

A ministry spokesman confirmed to CNBC that the federal government had asked the Robert Koch Institute’s Standing Committee on Vaccination if the country should delay a second vaccination with the Pfizer vaccine. “Such a decision requires scientific consideration,” they added.

“Hard” measures required

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday the government could soon announce stricter public health measures to prevent the coronavirus from spreading.

Johnson said “tough” measures could come for weeks. Currently, more than three quarters of the UK population is in Tier 4 – the highest level of restrictions.

The opposition Labor Party said the government must impose a national lockdown within 24 hours and warned the virus was “clearly out of control”.

The UK recorded more than 50,000 new confirmed Covid-19 infections for the sixth consecutive year on Sunday. The country continues to fight a new strain of the virus that is spreading faster.

To date, the UK has reported more than 2.6 million coronavirus cases with 75,137 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

“It is now clear that the new variant of the virus that appears to have surfaced in south-east England is 40-80% significantly more transmissible than previous variants,” SAGE said in a Jan. 3 statement.

“It is also clear that the current Tier 4 restrictions cannot contain their spread even if schools and universities are closed.”

“The pandemic is now out of control and the NHS is struggling with some hospitals being forced to cease non-COVID activity. The NHS is no longer protected. For these reasons, there is a strong case for maximizing population coverage with at least one dose of vaccine although this requires a change in the dosage regimen, “added the group.

Categories
Politics

11 Republican senators push to delay certification of Biden victory

11 Republican senators push to delay certification of Biden victory

Eleven GOP senators and elected senators will press for the delay in confirming President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over President Donald Trump in the electoral college during a formal joint session of Congress on Wednesday, they said in a statement.

The Senators, led by Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, cited allegations of fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election for which they presented no evidence and which have been repeatedly rejected by courts across the country.

The Justice Department said it found no evidence of widespread fraud in the elections.

Efforts to reverse the latest of dozen Republican attempts to undo Trump’s loss are unlikely to change the electoral college’s record, which Biden won between 306 and 232. Biden is expected to be inaugurated on January 20th.

In their statement, the senators said they would object to the certification of voters from “controversial states” unless Congress sets up a commission to review those states’ elections. The commission would conduct a “10-day emergency audit,” they wrote.

“Once completed, individual states would evaluate the results of the commission and, if necessary, could convene a special legislative session to confirm a change in their vote,” the senators said in the statement.

Mike Gwin, a spokesman for the Biden campaign, said in a statement: “This stunt will not change the fact that President-elect Biden will be sworn in on Jan. 20. These unsubstantiated claims have already been examined and rejected by Trump’s own.” Attorney General, dozens of courts and election officials from both parties. “

Marc Elias, a Democratic election attorney who has overseen the Biden campaign’s response to many of the lawsuits against the 2020 election, wrote in a post on Twitter that there is “no way” that the GOP efforts will “change the election result.” .

The Senators who signed the declaration are Cruz, Ron Johnson, R-Wis., James Lankford, R-Okla., Steve Daines, R-Mont., John Kennedy, R-La., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn . and Mike Braun, R-Ind.

The elected Senators who signed it are Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama. The elected senators will officially take office on Sunday.

Wednesday’s joint congressional session, usually a formality, takes place when lawmakers are required to officially count the electoral college votes given to each presidential candidate and announce the winner. Vice President Mike Pence will chair the session as President of the Senate.

If at least one senator and one member of the House of Representatives object to the results of a state, the joint session is suspended and the House and Senate meet separately for a maximum of two hours to consider the objection. A majority of both houses of Congress must approve the objection and reject the votes of the electoral college.

While the Republicans control the 100-member Senate, the Democrats hold a majority in the House of Representatives, making it virtually impossible for an objection to have a realistic chance of success.

In their statement, the senators acknowledge that their plan has little chance of success and that they “expect most, if not all, Democrats and perhaps more than a few Republicans” to vote against them.

In a post on Twitter, the campaign wrote “THANK YOU!” and listed the names of all eleven current and incoming Senators, as well as Senator Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who previously said he would object to electoral college certification.

“It is encouraging to see so many patriots emerge calling for an investigation into the rampant electoral fraud and irregularities we saw on November 3rd,” Jenna Ellis, senior legal advisor for the campaign, said in a statement.

Efforts to reverse Biden’s victory have drawn fire from the Democrats and an increasing number of Republicans. In December, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Urged his party not to object to the results of the electoral college.

“The electoral college has spoken. So today I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden,” McConnell said on December 15, after the electoral college officially confirmed Biden’s victory and weeks after NBC News and other major media outlets announced the outcome of the race.

John Thune, RS.D., has repeatedly said that Trump’s efforts to ditch the results are likely to go down like a “shot dog”.

Senator Mitt Romney, R-Utah, the 2012 GOP presidential candidate, said Hawley’s move was “disappointing and destructive”.

Following Saturday’s announcement, Senator Pat Toomey, R-Penn. Said that Hawley and Cruz “are undermining the right of the people to choose their own leaders”.

“The senators justify their intention by saying that there have been many allegations of fraud. But allegations of fraud from a losing campaign cannot justify overturning an election,” Toomey said. “They do not acknowledge that these allegations were heard in courtrooms across America and not supported by evidence.”

Toomey added that he voted for Trump and approved him for re-election. “But on Wednesday I intend to vigorously defend our form of government by opposing these efforts to disenfranchise millions of voters in my state and others,” he said.

Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said in a statement earlier in the day that she would vote to count the electoral college’s votes.

“I took an oath to support and defend the United States Constitution, and I will do it on January 6 – just as I want to do every day as I serve the people of Alaska,” Murkowski said.

“The courts and state lawmakers have all done their duty to hear legal allegations and have found nothing to justify reversing the results,” she added. “I urge my colleagues from both parties to acknowledge this and, together with me, maintain confidence in the electoral college and our elections so that we can ensure that we continue to have the confidence of the American people.”

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Categories
Health

California’s Covid surge forces trial delay of Theranos Elizabeth Holmes

California's Covid surge forces trial delay of Theranos Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes, founder and former executive director of Theranos, arrives for a hearing in the U.S. District Court in the Federal Building of Robert F. Peckham in San Jose, California on Monday, November 4, 2019.

Yichuan Cao | NurPhoto | Getty Images

A surge in coronavirus cases in California has resulted in a four-month delay in criminal proceedings against Elizabeth Holmes, the former CEO and founder of the competitive health tech company Theranos.

In an order late Friday evening, US District Judge Edward Davila set a new hearing for the case for July 13, 2021.

“The court was vigilant to keep abreast of the nation and state impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as daily life on San Francisco Bay,” the tripartite ruling reads. “Unfortunately, the court finds that the impact on our lives is grave. California is in the midst of an unprecedented increase in cases and hospitalizations.”

The judge found that California had more than 1.76 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 22,160 deaths as of Friday. He also indicated that the Santa Clara County hospitals where the trial would take place are nearing maximum capacity.

Davila said these terms would “affect the jury and public confidence in a personal process that is expected to take several months”.

The move comes two weeks after the judge established a reconfigured courtroom, face mask requirements for study participants, and air filtration systems to move Holmes’ trial forward.

Prosecutors say they have ample evidence that Holmes ran a multi-million dollar program to scam investors, doctors and patients about the accuracy of Theranos’ blood testing technology.

Holmes, once hailed as the next Steve Jobs, pleaded guilty to a dozen criminal offenses – expecting 20 years in prison if convicted.

“The court recognizes that continuation of the trial will cause great inconvenience to victims who wish to spend their day in court, as well as to the defendant who wants a speedy defense against the charges,” he said.

The verdict came in the wake of Holmes’ struggle to prevent prosecutors from using their personal communications with their former lawyer, David Boies, while in Theranos.