What We're Reading: Relief Package Talks Stagnant; Potential COVID-19 Vaccine Prices; International Travel Warning Rescinded

Talks on New COVID-19 Relief Package Stagnant

As US weekly jobless claims reached an all-time high at 1.186 million amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, negotiations between the White House and Democratic congressional leaders on a new COVID-19 relief package were reported to be on the brink of failure. According to POLITICO, the lack of progress in the high-level talks may spur action from President Donald Trump, who said he would issue a series of executive orders to tackle the economic crisis if no deal can be reached. According to senior administration officials, Trump could issue these orders as early as today.

Potential COVID-19 Vaccine Prices

As more than 100 COVID-19 vaccine candidates continue to be examined in clinical trials, some hints on pricing have emerged among those leading in progress, according to NPR. Moderna, whose vaccine known as mRNA-1273 is now in a phase 3 clinical trial, has already made deals at between $32 and $37 per dose with some foreign countries. This has eased some concern among consumer advocates that US taxpayers may not reach fair deals, as Moderna said these indicated prices reflected agreements for smaller volumes and the price would decrease for larger-volume agreements. However, some advocates are still worried, as the US government has invested millions of dollars in developing the vaccine.

“Do Not Travel” COVID-19 Warning Rescinded by Trump Administration

Yesterday, the Trump administration removed its warning against all international travel to Americans amid COVID-19, saying conditions no longer warrant a worldwide alert. As reported by The Associated Press, the State Department’s decision to lift its level 4 health advisory worldwide came shortly after the CDC revised its COVID-19 travel advisory information to focus on 20 countries of concern. Similar to the CDC, the State Department will now issue country-specific warnings, which can be accessed here.