PLUS: The Covid-19 headlines you need to know, a distraction, and something to read.
By Eve Sneider | 02.10.22 | Apologies if you already received today's Coronavirus Update. Due to a system error, only some people got this newsletter. We're sending it again to ensure it reaches everyone.
Half of the world is fully vaccinated, Covid hits the Pacific Islands, and blue states end precautionary measures. But first, here's this week's big story: |  | For two weeks, truckers in Canada have been protesting a new mandate that they must be vaccinated to cross the border with the US. The demonstrations have now expanded to include many more people and political issues. Ottawa declared a state of emergency earlier this week and traffic at key roads and bridges along the border is at a standstill. Yesterday, this meant that important parts couldn't be delivered to a Ford auto plant in Ontario, and it was forced to shut down. The protests have spread beyond North America, as well. New Zealand police recently arrested more than 100 protesters in the capital who were inspired by the Canadian truckers. A French convoy of cars and motorcycles is also following in their footsteps. The international scope of these demonstrations is thanks, at least in part, to the attention they've received on social media, especially from American alt-right mainstays. Now, it's almost as though there are two protests happening simultaneously: One is an on-the-ground effort run by a small subset of the Canadian trucking industry, and the other is an online conversation being fomented by prominent right-wing voices. | | Nearly 54 percent of the world's population is now fully vaccinated, but less than 11 percent of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose, highlighting persistent global vaccine inequity. (Washington Post) For almost two years, many Pacific Island nations avoided Covid-19 by keeping their borders shut. But soon after some began reopening this year, Covid cases started to soar. (WIRED) Democratic politicians and officials who have reinforced pandemic restrictions for much of the pandemic are starting to dial them back, forecasting the imminent arrival of a "new normal." (Politico) Cases have increased tenfold in Hong Kong since the start of February, a particularly worrying surge given that more than 50 percent of the city's elderly have still not gotten vaccinated. (Reuters) Prince Charles is self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19 for a second time. He first contracted the virus in March of 2020. (Associated Press) | | The Bored Ape Yacht Club is made up of NFTs corresponding to cartoon apes, each with their own colors schemes, facial expressions, and outfits. If you think that sounds silly, you're not alone. So how did the phenomenon generate so much hype? | | Within the world of sci-fi, writer Ada Palmer is a true original. She doesn't believe the future will be terrible or great, and she isn't interested in dystopias. Life, she says, is less about altering the course of history and more about playing well with the weird hand you're dealt. | | The 2022 Oscar nominees were announced earlier this week. Here's where to stream all of the year's most vaunted films. | |
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