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Pedophilia: pandemic on the net

Technology

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2021.03.02

Pedophilia: pandemic in the network. For grooming and sexual abuse of children and adolescents on digital platforms, especially social networks.

Gloria Sánchez Aguilar. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

The following information is the result of research conducted by a team of journalists, members of the Diploma in Data Journalism and Investigative Techniques -focused on organized crime-, which was given by the Carlos Septién García School of Journalism in Mexico City.

Child exploitation is a form of organized crime that profits from the recruitment and sexual abuse of children and adolescents on various digital platforms, especially social networks.

Often, the person behind a profile is not a person, but an "impressive child pornography" network. It all starts by asking for a photograph of the child to blackmail the family.

"If you don't give me a certain amount of money, I'll show the photo or do something to your child," said María Isabel Christensen, head of Research and Prevention at the NGO Mamá en Línea, an organization based in Argentina, dedicated to prevention and training to combat drug trafficking. grooming and online bullying.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the systemic economic and social inequalities that are among the underlying causes of the crime of trafficking in persons.

The risk of being a victim of these crimes increases just as much for teens who begin to practice sexting -The practice of sending messages, photos or videos with erotic and personal sexual content via mobile phone - a practice that continues to grow during the quarantine period.

The sale of child abuse and exploitation material makes a lot of money, so much so that it is one of the three most lucrative activities for criminal organizations after drugs and arms trafficking.

How do pornography groups operate?

These organizations and groups also create the didactics of getting what each consumer wants, according to their tastes: the selection of a victim by age, characteristic, skin tone, etc., gives rise to other crimes such as human trafficking and kidnapping.

One of the main strategies of perpetrators and criminal organizations is to simulate an identity different from their own. Usually, they pretend to have the same age, tastes and preferences as the victims they have selected. Even an innocent photo next to a door, park or any location gives them enough material to study in detail their victim, who naively continues to upload material ignoring the intentions behind every sexual predator surfing the Internet.

"The moment the mother or father is distracted, the pedophile captures the attention of that child, attracts him and that's when they take them. What does he do first? He sits in front of the computer and knows where to find minors on social networks like Facebook, Instagram or the most popular among young people. He searches for minors or goes to the profiles that are open, checks the pictures. It may be the profile of an adult. Most of them have their children in the profiles, there he goes looking and realizes that he has a daughter, for example. So he searches and selects information about when he tagged her, he already has a piece of information. In another photograph, she finds the girl celebrating her birthday, she has another piece of information, which is her age. Then, the aunt uploads another photo of the girl leaving school and adds another piece of information and she already knows the school she goes to. Once she has the information and the photographs, she creates a profile of another girl that relates her to that girl and she already has her possible victim and that's when she starts to manipulate her to contact her: "Hello, what's your name", and ask her questions to build trust," explained María Isabel.

Recruitment or the search for potential victims has been facilitated, among other things, because both children and adolescents have Internet classes that lead them to be connected to a type of messaging, which allows social interaction - chat rooms, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, etc. -.

"That's where the criminals go to try to recruit, to seduce. The common criterion is that they are usually kids who are looking for attention. Some are not well at home, they have no communication with their parents and are looking for attention, affection because they are alone," he said.

"The victims take videos of themselves in bathing suits, behind their house, they announce where they are going, the location, where they have been (...) That's when the perpetrator can know their location, there is the danger because they will reach them and they will contact them," said Soto, who is part of a community of hackers, who work hand in hand with the law and the support of the authorities to prevent cybercrime in the United States.

Open chat rooms, a source of danger

Child predators are also active on the most popular online video game platforms or on anime sites. In these spaces, communities can be recreated to generate interaction, using techniques such as the grooming -pedophile deception-:

"I, an adult of a certain age, pretend to be another child, but, in addition, I've been listening to him in video games, I know what day he connects, at what time; I've heard what he talks about, because he does it over the Internet. And many times the victims can share information, for example: "I'm alone", "my mom went to work as a nurse", "my dad is not here either". Finally, these conversations make a profile of the child with whom the aggressor generates that bond of trust, several days pass until trust is achieved with expressions like: "I know you can't go to the next level", "I'll help you", "I can give you advice" and the child believes that he is a friend, that he is a good person and that he is six years old like him", the risks for children and adolescents rise when parents stop supervising the activities of their children both in social networks and when they play online with chats, where they connect with strangers.

"The pedophile searches on Google and knows what are the most popular games, he starts searching in those games and once he gets in as a user he selects the minor. He throws a bait with something that children like a lot to look for the one who can violate. When they already have the victim, they invite the child to private places such as WhatsApp, where the adult is already alone with the child".

Online games include those based on anime and manga (a Japanese comic book genre). Some of them include rules where the youngsters must play roles that the adult can access and manipulate. Players must do everything they are ordered to do as if they were a kind of teacher and where the aim is to sexualize the minor.

The experts consulted in this research emphasize that all social networks with chat are synonymous with contact and, therefore, danger for children and adolescents.

"Everything that allows that child to interact means a risk (...) a pedophile with a chat room has more chances of finding a minor, because they are open, no one is watching and the child does not differentiate what is a contact from a friend or a criminal," said the member of the organization Mamá en Línea.

Gateway to human trafficking

The link between the abuse and exploitation of children and adolescents and organized crime includes the dark chapter of kidnapping, human trafficking and trafficking of children under 18 years of age who may be contacted through a comment, videos, music or chats through which sexual predators navigate with the purpose, later, of trying to take the victims.

Children and adolescents continue to be at high risk of exploitation, especially with the closure of schools that not only hindered access to education, but also took away a source of refuge for victims who were once more likely to come forward and report an abusive situation for help, but which has now been lost due to the global quarantine.

You can read the full document at:

This is how they look for girls and boys; they hook them, trick them and turn them into sexual merchandise.

Gloria Sánchez Aguilar has a degree in Psychology, works as a psychotherapist and lives in Mexico.

COVID-19: California budgets $6.6 billion dollars for face-to-face back-to-schools

Peninsula 360 Press

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2021.03.02

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COVID-19: California budgets $6.6 billion dollars for face-to-face back-to-schools

COVID-19: California anticipates $6.6 billion for face-to-face back-to-school budget. They will receive under the budget package.

COVID-19: California budget face-to-face classes

Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate President Pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon announced an agreement Monday on a $6.6 billion budget package to accelerate the safe return to face-to-face classes across California and empower schools to immediately expand academic and mental health and social-emotional support, including during the summer.

"Now, our collective responsibility is to build on that momentum and local leadership and, equally critically, to do whatever it takes to meet the academic and mental health needs of our students, including during the summer," Newsom said.

The state's fifth-largest public school district was among the first to close for in-person instruction last year. But last week, based on a deep partnership between school staff and leaders, the district announced plans to reopen grades K-6 in mid-March and grades 7-12 in early April.

Elk Grove Unified and public schools statewide will receive $6.6 billion under the proposed budget package.

In that regard, $2 billion would fund safety measures to support in-person instruction, such as personal protective equipment, ventilation upgrades, and COVID-19 testing.

While $4.6 billion would fund expanded learning opportunities, such as summer school, tutoring, and mental health services.

Officials said all public schools would be required to offer in-person instruction for grades K-2 to all students and for all high-needs students in all grades by the end of the month, losing 1 percent of eligible funds every day thereafter if they fail to do so.

In addition, schools at "Level Red" or below would be required to offer in-person instruction to all students in all elementary grades and at least one middle or high school grade, or face the same risk of the above sanction.

As students return to face-to-face instruction, all public schools will also be empowered to meet the needs of the whole child.

Expanded Learning Opportunity Grants allocate $4.6 billion to local educational agencies under the equity-based Local Control Funding Formula, with an additional $1,000 per homeless student.

These funds would be for supplemental instruction and social and emotional wellness support.

Schools could use the funds to provide more instructional time, such as summer school, and accelerate progress in closing learning gaps through tutoring, remedial learning programs, mental health services, access to school meal programs, programs to address student trauma and social issues.

As well as for emotional learning and supports for credit deficient students and more.

The package would also codify multiple successful state programs to support the safe reopening of schools, such as prioritizing vaccinations for K-12 school staff.

Thus, the package codifies the governor's commitment to set aside 10 percent of vaccines for education workers.

This commitment ensures that the statewide prioritization of school staffing, in effect since January, becomes a reality in all 58 counties.

It will also help generate a data report for schools to report reopening status and COVID-19 safety measures. These legal requirements will help leverage efforts to increase transparency, including interactive geospatial maps displayed on Safe Schools Hub.

The package also appropriates $25 million for the state's Safe Schools Team, which serves to provide technical assistance, oversight, and accountability to California's more than 10,000 public schools.

These are the 10 books you can't miss in 2021 (Part 2)

Peninsula 360 Press

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2021.03.01

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These are the 10 books you can't miss in 2021 (Part 2)

These are the 10 books you can't miss in 2021. Arbitrary recommendations for 2021, as the end of writing arrives.

Rober Diaz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

Read the first part.

Perhaps, one day literature will disappear and it will do so when communication through words is no longer necessary, when there are machines that can transmit thought.

It seems incredible, but since the 19th century, and thanks to the case of Phineas P. Gage (1823-1860) - who was pierced by an iron bar that went through his cheek, came out of his forehead and miraculously survived - neuroscience acquired the dimensions in which it is today because, by studying that case, it became clear that parts of the brain could be analyzed in order to find the specific places where sensations such as love, religion, God, fears, happiness, etc. are stored.

The BRAIN initiative of 2013 set out to map the brains of human beings. Neuron by neuron. An unprecedented effort that could result in knowing if something hurts a person mentally, find it physically and change it through drugs or therapies.

From this perspective, the aim has been to relate people's thoughts and decode them so that they can be translated into mechanical movements. Since the year 2000, there have been results in this area that have given serious hope for the feasibility of a machine being able to transmit what we think. If we can send what we think, will it be necessary to speak? The answer is an unknown that the future of science will elucidate. In the meantime, in that uncertain future for literature and speech itself, these are arbitrary recommendations for reading in 2021, as the end of writing arrives:

6. The great friendby Elena Ferrante. DeBolsillo.

Elena Ferrante has raised a whole search around her. They don't know for sure who she is. It has been presumed that it is in fact her husband Domenecio Starnone who writes her novels - an obviously sexist view - but Claudio Catti's research has revealed that she is the freelance translator Anita Raja, the daughter of a German mother who escaped the Holocaust and a Neapolitan judge.

Another element that led us to suspect her is that Raja works for Edizioni, the publishing house in charge of publishing Ferrante in her native Italy and that, after the worldwide success of this novel, the translator's income increased tenfold. In reality, we don't really care who this celebrated writer is, what is really worthwhile is her prose, the depth of the situations in which her characters, mainly two women, and the way in which their friendship develops in an Italy that suffered greatly after the post-war period.

The vicissitudes that they go through since their childhood and that, as the tetralogy progresses, increase the level of demand on the reader who goes from situations - to call them in a way - easy to more complex circumstances.

7. The friendby Singrid Nunez. Anagrama.

The friend by Nunez, is a work that unfolds after the death of a teacher, who is also a friend and possible lover of the writer, who achieves a novel without the greatest of setbacks.

The novel works as an essay on literature itself, but it also works as a very personal story in which the characters do not need a great presence, but rely on the discourse of its narrator who goes into the context of her life in a little more than brilliant way and launches different links where she catches the passage of the dogs in literature and the function of the writers or characters of them. All these relationships, apparently irrelevant, take on a different and, in many cases, decisive connotation to give a new contour to that inner voice that continues to grow until it encompasses the whole story.

Ingrid Nunez was once the mother-in-law of the late Susan Sontang and this is relevant because of some similarities that exist between the two, especially the essayistic, lucid and concrete tone of her narratives.

8. Lincoln in the Bardoby George Sunders. Seix Barrial

Master of short stories, George Sunders surprised both friends and strangers with this novel that is a historical journey through the life of one of the most important men in the history of the United States: Abraham Lincoln, where he looks at a decisive moment in the course of his life: the death of his young son.

The novel is a journey through this moment where a series of choruses appear and lead the scene through multitudes of dark and light places where spirits interact with the characters.

The paragraphs are brief, concise and beautiful in their economy, but not because of what they describe - which have to do with very deep areas of reflections on life, death, friendship, honor and, in itself, the meaning of the decisions that are made or not - but because of the economy of his words that, with little, say a lot. A story full of rich experimentation without it feeling like an element of unfamiliarity, Sanders shows us that great literature can also be a brief score.

9. Sapiens: From Animals to Godsby Yuval Noah Harari. Debate.

One of the sins that the Hebrew philosopher Yuval Noah Harari commits in this book is, perhaps, to believe that mankind will get rid of all its evils by the same force in which the market has delivered its evils during its history; However, the deployment of knowledge that he makes about the historical facts and the way in which he uses them to prove his hypotheses, makes his account of the history of humanity a historical line that, homogeneously, has served to note how the intelligence of mankind has been imposing itself and, uninterruptedly, has overcome the obstacles that disparity and selfishness have imposed on it.

For Yuval, all conflagrations have been due to humanity's lack of integration, its lack of collaboration and its primitive state in which even nations look out for their own interests and interpose their sovereignties to the idea that, inexorably, will come where the world will be one big village.

10. Ragtimeby E. L. Doctorrow. Grijalvo.

Ragtime is, shall we say, the father of Jazz or at least a rhythm that precedes it, this novel is set in the early 20th century and is, in another way, a Forrest Gump style novel where a character, in this case an entire family, intersects with the history of the United States and the intersection of characters like escapist Harry Haudini, revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, banker P. J. Morgan or feminist and social fighter Emma Goldman.

They interact with various characters who are otherwise an archetype that the writer deploys to serve as a backdrop against which the story and the narrative itself move at a dizzying pace.

Within its pages, the turn of the century in the United States is seen as a series of events that take on relevance and congruence thanks to the mastery with which Doctorrow makes the fictional and the non-fictional amalgamate. Doctorrow is one of the most gifted writers in the United States who, nevertheless, have not achieved fame. In keeping with the enormous quality he demonstrates, he may be largely forgotten, but not one to lose his vigor with the passage of time.

Epilogue

Perhaps, one day literature will disappear, as will painting and all the other fine arts, replaced by robots and, however technology threatens, art will still be there.

Even if it is a machine or a program that initiates a stroke or composes a song, the human element will still be present in some form.

At the beginning of the last century, it was thought that, with the invention of the cinematograph, other arts would perish and it was not so; instead, there was an enrichment where all the fine arts could be enriched. Technology is not a fatal destiny where everything homogeneous will be lost; it is, instead, an opportunity to experiment with what is new, with what does not exist and always offers us the opportunity to reinvent ourselves.

For the record, with Governor Gavin Newsom: A Shot in the Arm against COVID-19

Peninsula 360 Press

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2021.03.01

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For the record, with Governor Gavin Newsom: A Shot in the Arm against COVID-19

Ethnic Media Services [EMS].

Governor Gavin Newsom:

After one of the most difficult years of our lives, there is light at the end of the tunnel - the COVID-19 vaccines are here, and my government is working to make sure that no community is left behind.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. They are our best hope for ending the pandemic. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is free, even if you are undocumented or uninsured.

After the federal government licensed the vaccines last December, our own Western States Scientific Safety Assessment Panel confirmed that the vaccines are safe. The Panel includes nationally recognized scientists, many from California, with expertise in public health.

While vaccine stocks are low at the moment, we are working closely with the federal government to get more vaccine to the state. And we are working hard to build a system to quickly and safely vaccinate Californians with equity at the forefront.

Because vaccine supply is limited, we are prioritizing vaccines for Californians most at risk - including health care workers, people over 65, education and child care workers, and emergency services and food and agriculture workers. That means supermarket workers, farm workers, those who work in food processing facilities and many others can now be prioritized. And we're doing what we can to make sure that the communities most impacted by COVID-19 - which are often communities of color and the essential workers who have been sustaining us during this crisis - can access the vaccine.

We are investing in community-based organizations and partnering with trusted messengers who have been providing critical services and information to California's diverse communities throughout the pandemic so they can help educate, motivate and activate people to get vaccinated when it's their turn. We are also building messaging through a public education campaign, creating in-language content with cultural humility, and meeting Californians where they are - literally, through mobile vaccination sites that have been deployed across the state to community centers, places of worship, and health clinics.

Vaccination sites are being established across the state, and we are working closely with community partners to ensure that vaccines are distributed to those who have been most affected by this virus.

You may see people in uniform or police guarding vaccination sites. They are here to help Californians get vaccinated and to help them no are immigration authorities.

The federal government, under President Biden, has confirmed that no will conduct immigration enforcement operations at or near vaccination sites or clinics. You should not be asked about your immigration status when you receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

Also, your medical information is private and cannot be shared with immigration authorities. And vaccinations do not count under the public charge rules.

All Californians can register at myturn.ca.gov to be notified when they are eligible for an immunization. Eligible individuals in several counties, including Los Angeles, San Diego, Fresno, and San Francisco, can also use My Turn to schedule an appointment, and it is expected that more counties will begin using My Turn for scheduling in the coming weeks. My Turn can also be accessed through a toll-free hotline at 1-833-422-4255. Operators speak English and Spanish, and third-party interpretation is also available in more than 250 languages. You can also ask your doctor or pharmacy about scheduling a vaccination appointment.

After getting vaccinated, it will still be important to wear a mask, wash your hands frequently, and continue to maintain a six-foot distance to protect those in your community who have not yet been vaccinated.

I encourage all Californians to get vaccinated when it's their turn. Together we can end the pandemic.

FDA Approves Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 Vaccine for Emergency Use

Peninsula 360 Press

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2021.03.01

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FDA Approves Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 Vaccine for Emergency Use

FDA approves emergency use of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, which may be given to people 18 years of age and older.

Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

The U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationFDAJanssen's COVID-19 vaccine, manufactured by Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals, was approved Saturday on an emergency basis and can be given to people 18 and older.

This vaccine is the first single-dose immunization vaccine to be licensed by the U.S. government to counter the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic.

The statement issued by the FDA said that Janssen's vaccine meets the legal criteria for use in the country.

"The totality of available data provides clear evidence that Janssen's COVID-19 vaccine can be effective in preventing the disease," the agency reported.

Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock noted that the licensing of this vaccine expands the availability of vaccines, "the best method of medical prevention for COVID-19, to help us in the fight against this pandemic, which has claimed more than half a million lives in the United States.

The trial for the Janssen vaccine involved 44,000 people, and found the vaccine to be 66 percent effective in preventing moderate to severe COVID-19 four weeks after inoculation, and 100 percent effective in preventing hospitalization and death from the virus.

The document also details that there are very few serious side effects from the vaccine, and shows preliminary evidence that immunization reduced asymptomatic infections. However, more data from the vaccine is awaited, as according to the FDA there is no data on how long the vaccine's protection lasts.

It should be noted that the distribution and storage of this vaccine is much more effective and safer when using a normal refrigeration system, unlike the immunizations made by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, which must be transported and stored in special conditions at temperatures below 70 degrees Celsius.

The U.S. government, which has purchased 100 million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, plans to distribute about 4 million doses this week.

This would be in addition to the approximately 16 million doses of Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines that are expected to be distributed throughout the United States.

For his part, President Joseph Biden said, "This is exciting news for all Americans, and it will encourage developments in our efforts to end the crisis. But I want to be clear: this fight is far from over. While we celebrate this news today, he called on all Americans to continue to wash their hands, keep their social distance, and keep wearing masks.

"There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but we cannot let our guard down now or assume that victory is inevitable. We must remain vigilant, act quickly and aggressively and look out for each other, that's how we will reach that light together," he said in his statement.

Johnson & Johnson's vaccine joins Pfizer/BioNtech and Moderna's biologics, both of which have two applications.

U.S. and Mexican Presidents meet virtually

Pamela Cruz

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2021.03.01

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U.S. and Mexican Presidents meet virtually

Presidents of the United States and Mexico meet virtually to discuss various issues involving both nations.

Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

U.S. President Joseph Biden and his Mexican counterpart Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador are scheduled to meet on March 1, where they will discuss various issues involving both nations.

The meeting will be part of the follow-up to the various talks between the leaders, said the Mexican Foreign Ministry in a brief statement.

Likewise, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs -SER- noted that Presidents Lopez Obrador and Biden will discuss the shared vision and objectives of the bilateral agenda.

In the virtual meeting, both presidents will give special attention to address cooperation mechanisms to address the structural causes of migration in northern Central America and southern Mexico.

In addition, they will discuss the ravages of COVID-19 and the areas of opportunity presented by the T-MEC towards a sustainable and more equitable economic recovery in North America.

It is recalled that the first time that Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Joseph Biden engaged in a conversation was on December 19, 2020, after the U.S. president was recognized by the U.S. Congress as the president of the United States.

Subsequently, on January 22 of this year, the presidents held another conversation, in which Lopez Obrador stressed that the dialogue was "friendly and respectful".

"We discussed issues related to migration, COVID-19 and cooperation for development and welfare. Everything indicates that relations will be good for the good of our peoples and nations," said the Mexican president through his Twitter account.

COVID-19: Pfizer-BioNTech Tests Third Dose of Vaccine for New Variants of SARS-CoV-2

Peninsula 360 Press

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2021.02.26

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COVID-19: Pfizer-BioNTech Tests Third Dose of Vaccine for New Variants of SARS-CoV-2

COVID-19: Pfizer-BioNTech test third dose of vaccine against new variants of SARS-CoV-2. The study is part of clinical development.

COVID-19 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine SARS-CoV-2

Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

Pfizer and BioNTech announced Thursday that they have initiated an evaluation of the safety and ability of their antigen to activate the immune system and induce an immune response - immunogenicity - with a third dose of their COVID-19 vaccine, following strong concerns about variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

In a statement, Pfizer said that these tests "will serve to understand the effect of a boost in immunity against COVID-19 caused by circulating and potential emerging variants".

The study will be based on U.S. Phase 1 study participants who will be offered the opportunity to receive a 30-microgram booster of the current vaccine 6 to 12 months after receiving their initial two-dose regimen.

The study is part of the companies' clinical development strategy to determine the efficacy of a third dose against evolving variants.

Separately, in order to be prepared for any potential future strain changes, Pfizer and BioNTech are in discussions with regulatory authorities, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency, regarding a clinical study to allow registration to evaluate a variant-specific vaccine that has a modified mRNA sequence.

This study would use a new Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine construct based on the B.1.351 lineage, first identified in South Africa.

With such studies, the company could quickly update the current vaccine if the need arises to protect against COVID-19 from circulating strains.

Thus, in accordance with the updated guidance issued by the FDA regarding the emergency use of vaccines to prevent COVID-19, which provides recommendations for evaluating a modified vaccine to address variants, the companies expect to continue validation of future modified mRNA vaccines with a regulatory pathway similar to that which currently exists for influenza vaccines.

"While we have not seen any evidence that circulating variants result in a loss of the protection provided by our vaccine, we are taking multiple steps to act decisively and be ready should a strain become resistant to the protection provided by the vaccine. This booster study is critical to understanding the safety of a third dose and immunity against circulating strains," said Albert Bourla, president and CEO of Pfizer.

The executive added that, at the same time, it is making the right investments and engaging in the necessary discussions with regulators to help it position, develop and seek licensing for an updated mRNA vaccine or a booster if needed.

"Our proactive clinical development strategy aims to create the foundation today, which will enable us to address tomorrow's challenges. We want to be prepared for different scenarios," said Ugur Sahin, CEO and co-founder of BioNTech.

"We will therefore evaluate a second booster in the current regimen and prepare for a possible rapid adaptation of the vaccine to address new variants that might escape the current version of our mRNA-based vaccine," he stressed.

In that regard, he noted that the flexibility of their proprietary mRNA vaccine platform allows them to technically develop booster vaccines within weeks, if needed.

This study will evaluate up to 144 Phase 1 participants in two age cohorts, 18-55 and 65-85 years. The study will include trial participants who received both doses in the Phase 1 study 6 to 12 months ago to assess the boosting ability of BNT162b2.

Therefore, the study will assess the safety and tolerability of a third vaccine regardless of the trial participant's level of antibody titers. Participants will be evaluated at the time they receive the third dose, then one week and one month later, and Pfizer and BioNTech plan to study the ability of those participants' sera to neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 strains of interest.

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has not been approved or licensed by the FDA, but has been cleared for emergency use by the FDA, under a license, to prevent COVID-19 disease for use in people 16 years of age and older.

Contra Costa authorities search for coyote that attacked at least 5 people

Peninsula 360 Press

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2021.02.26

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Contra Costa authorities search for coyote that attacked at least 5 people

Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

Authorities of the Contra Costa County are still searching for a coyote that has attacked at least five people, including two minors, which is why an alert has been issued for people to take precautions when walking in the area.

The latest case involved a man who was bitten in front of the Kwik Stop convenience store on Golden Gate Way in Lafayette, CBS SF Bay Area media reported.

The person attacked by the animal was interviewed by Contra Costa Animal Services, who also clipped his clothing was collected for DNA testing, which showed it was "the same coyote responsible for the other four bite incidents," authorities said in a news release.

The latest report of bites came just three days after a child was bitten in an attack around 8:30 a.m. near the intersection of Campolindo Drive and Calle la Montana in Moraga.

Of note, local agencies are working with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, which is the lead organization in investigating bite reports and partners with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Wildlife Services.

Authorities said a round-the-clock effort is underway to eliminate the coyote.

"A detailed survey of the surrounding terrain, including the use of game tracking cameras and field tracking, has been conducted to determine specific areas of coyote activity and patterns," officials said.

Lafayette and Moraga police asked the public to report any coyote sightings, and to call Moraga police dispatch at (925) 284-5010 and the Lafayette office at (925) 284-5010.

Also, authorities advised those who see a coyote to make loud noises and use noise-making devices such as a whistle or horn or even throw rocks if necessary, and they should never be fed.

Coyotes, being wild animals, are unpredictable in their behavior, so be aware of your surroundings when outdoors and do not leave small children or pets unattended outside.

In addition, special care should be taken at dusk and dawn when coyotes are known to be most active, officials said.

Authorities Investigate Stabbing in San Carlos

Peninsula

Peninsula 360 Press

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2021.02.25

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Authorities Investigate Stabbing in San Carlos

Bay City News [BCN]. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

As of Tuesday night, San Carlos County representatives are searching for a suspect in the stabbing of a 39-year-old man, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said. Authorities are investigating a stabbing in San Carlos, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday night.

The man was found in a parking lot and severely bleeding from a laceration to his right arm about 5:30 p.m. at 1100 Old County Road, authorities reported.

Authorities are investigating a stabbing in San Carlos, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday night. The man was experiencing episodes of unconsciousness and was given trauma care while other sheriff's deputies searched unsuccessfully for suspects and witnesses.

Firefighters and medical crews attended to the man before he was hospitalized. His condition is reported to be stable.

"The victim indicated she knew the suspect; however, investigators are looking for additional witnesses who may have seen the crime," the sheriff's office said.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office anonymous tip line at (800) 547-2700.

COVID-19: San Mateo Restaurants and Breweries Could Get Up to $10K Grant

Peninsula 360 Press

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2021.02.25

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COVID-19: San Mateo Restaurants and Breweries Could Get Up to $10K Grant

COVID-19: San Mateo restaurants and breweries could get grant of up to $10K, establishments have closed their doors.

COVID-19 Restaurants breweries San Mateo subsidy

Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

The economic impact generated by the COVID-19 pandemic that prompted the closures in the local food and beverage industry has been significant, to the extent that many of these establishments have closed their doors permanently.

Currently, there is a one-of-a-kind grant program in San Mateo County that focuses on restaurants, breweries and wineries, with funding of more than $2 million to help businesses that have not qualified for previous grants.

Thus, the San Mateo County Emergency Fund's Restaurant, Brewery, and Winery Assistance Grant Program will provide these establishments with grants of up to $10,000 each for eligible establishments to ensure continued operation and help cover the businesses' ongoing operating expenses.

Operating expenses to be covered include, for example: rent, payroll, and modifications needed to the facility to provide indoor and outdoor food services on site.

San Mateo County said it is keeping the grant application process as simple as possible by eliminating the first-come, first-served system and instead giving businesses two weeks to apply.

The application portal began this Monday, February 22 and will remain open until Monday, March 8, 2021 at 12 noon, for more information and to apply you can access to the website www.smcstrong.org.

After applicants answer about 20 questions to determine program eligibility, a lottery system will choose about 200 businesses for grants of up to $10,000.

Businesses will be able to use the money to pay rent, buy equipment, and pay employees. They will not need to show proof of how they spent the grant funds or return it at any time. The application will be available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Tagalog.

It should be noted that the applicant does not need to be a U.S. citizen or legal resident to submit an application, they just need to provide evidence of eligibility and the required documentation, the county notes.

And that is, despite San Mateo County returning to purple at the end of January 2021, the economic impact of the closures, according to the National Restaurant Association's fifth national membership survey, completed in early December 2020, 87 percent of full-service restaurants - independents, chains and franchises - report an average 36 percent drop in sales revenue.

In that sense, for an industry with an average profit margin of 5.0 to 6.0 percent, the situation is simply unsustainable.

The vast majority of the restaurants that closed their doors permanently were well-established businesses that were part of the landscape of their communities. On average, these restaurants had been in business for 16 years, and 16 percent had been open for at least 30 years.

In December 2020, the San Mateo County Economic Development Partnership, the San Mateo County Chamber, the San Mateo Credit Union Community Fund, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative began discussions around the establishment of a "Restaurant Assistance Grant Program" for independently owned restaurants in South San Mateo and Palo Alto County that have been negatively impacted by the public health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.