| Case counts rise in Europe, Facebook plans new vaccine initiatives, and air travel is on the rise. Here's what you should know: Headlines Case counts rise in Europe as parts of Italy return to lockdown Countries are mulling or imposing new restrictions as cases surge in Europe. Starting today, three-quarters of Italians will not be allowed to leave their homes, except for a handful of reasons, after cases rose by 15 percent last week. Italy just released its vaccination plan, and officials say speeding up shots will be the best way to avoid future lockdowns. The slow rollout of vaccines in Europe has stalled further still, amid allegations that the AstraZeneca vaccine could cause blood clots, despite assurances from the drugmaker and other health authorities that the shot is safe. Facebook announces new plans to help users avoid misinformation and get vaccinated Today, Facebook announced that it will launch a new initiative to help more users get vaccinated. In partnership with Boston Children's Hospital, the platform is creating a tool that will help Americans find nearby vaccine sites and make appointments. Facebook also said it has made a new label for informational posts about Covid-19 shots that it hopes will curb the spread of vaccine misinformation. America has its highest number of air travelers since the start of the pandemic Last weekend, air travel in the US hit its highest level since the WHO declared Covid-19 a pandemic a year ago. That number was still 45 percent lower than it had been in 2019, indicating that airlines have a long way to go before returning to where they were. But some companies have said that bookings are on the rise, with more people making travel plans as vaccination rates go up, despite CDC guidance that even vaccinated people avoid unnecessary travel. Daily Distraction This year many of us have sought solace and dealt with grief, often at the same time. Playing video games can help with both. Something to Read Over the last decade, thousands of advances in deep learning were made possible, at least in part, by a massive set of images called ImageNet. Last week, every human face in the data set was blurred amid a new push in the world of AI to protect people's privacy. Sanity Check Google Maps can do so much more than get you from point A to point B. Here's how to use it like a social network. One Question How is the government planning to prepare for future pandemics? As part of his Covid-19 plan, President Biden has stressed the need to improve America's preparedness for future pandemics and called for the creation of a National Center for Epidemic Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics. It would be like a National Weather Service but for predicting and studying pandemics rather than natural disasters. It could model diseases, serve as a central place to gather data and disseminate information to health care workers, and provide resources for leaders and public health officials. No one knows yet when or how this plan might come to fruition, but the need for a pandemic prediction agency is clearly there. If there's one thing the last year has proven, it's that pandemics can happen, and will again. Covid-19 Care Package 📦 The Covid-19 virus can linger on objects for as little as a few hours or as long as a couple of days, depending on the surface. Here's a look at the research. 😷 If you're planning to go out in public anytime soon, you're going to need a mask. Here are the best ones you can buy, or how to make one at home. 🧼 It's not just your hands that need washing—your gadgets, clothes, and home need it too. Here's how to properly disinfect your stuff. 💻 Whether or not you're a work-from-home pro, here's how to stay productive without losing your mind. 😔 It's hard not to be anxious about a global pandemic, but here's how you can protect yourself and your family without spiraling and how to not hate the loved ones you're quarantined with. ✂️ It may still be a while before you can see your hairstylist, so here's how to cut your hair at home, plus other ways to keep yourself lookin' fresh. 🦠 Read all of our coronavirus coverage here. | 
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