Home fingers over $ 1.9 trillion in coronavirus stimulus invoice

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speaks at a weekly press conference at the U.S. Capitol on February 18, 2021 in Washington, DC.

Tasos Katopodis | Getty Images

Parliament passed its $ 1.9 trillion Coronavirus Ease Act early Saturday and sent the massive proposal to the Senate as Democrats rush to approve more aid before unemployment programs expire.

It is President Joe Biden’s first major legislative initiative. The House agreed to this in a vote between 219 and 212 as two Democrats joined all Republicans in opposing it.

Senators will consider the pandemic support plan next week. Legislators will propose changes, and the House will likely pass a different version of the bill, which means the House would have to pass the Senate’s plan or the Houses would have to work out a final proposal in a conference committee.

Democrats, who have a close majority in the House and Senate, chose to pass the legislation through budget balancing alone, rather than working out a smaller bailout with Republicans. The procedure enables a law to be passed with a simple majority in the Senate.

The house plan includes:

  • Payments of $ 1,400 to most people, along with the same amount for each dependent. Checks begin to expire on income of $ 75,000 and go to zero for those earning $ 100,000
  • A $ 400 weekly unemployment benefit through August 29, plus an expansion of programs to increase the number of millions of people eligible for unemployment benefits
  • An extension of the child tax credit to give families up to $ 3,600 per child over a year
  • $ 20 billion for distribution of Covid-19 vaccines and $ 50 billion for testing and tracking efforts
  • $ 350 billion for state, local, and tribal government
  • $ 25 billion to help cover rental payments
  • $ 170 billion for K-12 schools and higher education institutions to cover reopening costs and student support
  • A minimum wage of $ 15 an hour that the Senate MP does not allow in the Atonement Act on the other side of the Capitol

Democrats have named the bill needed to speed up vaccinations – a crucial step in resuming a certain amount of pre-pandemic life – and feed households at a time when around 19 million people are receiving unemployment benefits.

“The time for decisive action is long overdue” House spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Said Friday night before the vote. “President Biden’s American bailout is that crucial move.”

Republicans questioned the need for such a large proposal, particularly critical of the size of direct payments, state and local support, and school funding. Earlier on Friday, House Minority Chairman Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. Claimed the legislation was “not an auxiliary bill” and “does not deliver for American families.”

The Biden government and Democratic leaders in Congress said the country had a greater risk of doing too little than putting too much money into responding. Some economists have also questioned the scope of the bill.

Senate Democrats face greater challenges than the House in getting the laws passed. While the party can approve the law itself, every Democrat must endorse it in the Senate, which is 50% split.

Democrats also need to decide how to proceed with minimum wage policy without losing any support. After the Senate MP ruled that under the reconciliation rules, the bill could not include a lower wage limit of $ 15, Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., and Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., And Bernie Sanders, I-Vt searched for a workaround to impose a tax penalty on large corporations that don’t pay workers at least $ 15 an hour.

It’s unclear whether the proposal would meet the Senate’s budget constraints.

Vice President Kamala Harris also appears to be opposed to overriding MEP Elizabeth MacDonough, which some progressives have suggested.

Pelosi said earlier Friday that she believes the House will “absolutely” pass the relief bill if it comes back from the Senate without a minimum wage increase. She told reporters that the Democrats will try to pass the wage increase through a separate plan if necessary.

“We won’t rest until we pass the $ 15 minimum wage,” she said.

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February’s job report may result in a tsunami of gross sales.

CNBC’s Jim Cramer said he was encouraged by the trading activity he saw in technology and growth stocks as the market continued to grapple with fears that inflation would rise on Friday.

He cautioned, however, that investors should be prepared for how the market might react to the February work report due out late next week.

“If we get any strength here at all, please be prepared for another tsunami of sales when interest rates rise and stocks fall,” said the host of Mad Money, predicting this will be a major interest rate move on the bond is market would shoot. “Without ugly numbers, growth stocks are in trouble.”

Cramer commented after the market closed lower for the second straight week as the bond sale turned into stocks.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell nearly 470 points on Friday, falling 1.5% to 30,932.37. The index also ended the week down 1.78%.

The S&P 500 fell 0.48% to 3,811.15, down 2.45% this week.

Though the day ended up 0.56%, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite suffered the most this week after falling nearly 5% to 13,192,345. Friday’s surge was due to a rebound in big tech stocks.

“I don’t know if the growth names can withstand the pain, but today’s meeting gave us a glimmer of hope that they can still make some profit amid inflation fears,” said Cramer. “If you don’t like the pain … you might want to take advantage of moments like this on the Nasdaq, take profits and prepare for a Friday swoon and be ready to buy stocks like Costco.”

The US Treasury’s 10-year return, a key metric in consumer credit interest rates, fell nearly 1.4% on Friday, after surpassing 1.6% the previous day for the first time in about a year. The increase was due to the sale of bonds.

If rates fall, major industrials will lose momentum, as seen in the Dow’s fall, but cloud, semiconductor and cybersecurity stocks have been positive, Cramer said.

Bond investors who cut their holdings are betting that the Federal Reserve could change their minds and raise the policy rate from near zero when the economy recovers from the pandemic-triggered recession, he added.

“Inflation is a nightmare for people who own bonds. Who wants a piece of paper that pays 1.5% when inflation could break 2%? They lose every day,” Cramer said. “That’s why these people dumped bonds and their wholesale sales always shatter the stock market.”

Cramer announced his schedule for the coming week. The earnings per share forecasts are based on FactSet estimates:

Monday: Zoom video, lemonade

Zoom video

  • Q4 2021 Results publication: After Market; Conference call: 5 p.m.
  • Projected EPS: 81 cents
  • Estimated Revenue: $ 910 million

lemonade

  • Publication of results for the fourth quarter: after market entry; Conference call: 8 a.m.
  • Estimated losses per share: 64 cents
  • Estimated Revenue: $ 19.2 million

Tuesday: Destination, Nordstrom

target

  • Q4 results published: before the market; Conference call: 9 a.m.
  • Projected earnings per share: $ 2.54
  • Estimated Revenue: $ 27.4 billion

Nordstrom

  • Publication of results for the fourth quarter: after market entry; Conference call: 4:45 p.m.
  • Projected EPS: 14 cents
  • Estimated Revenue: $ 3.58 billion

Wednesday: Dollar Tree, Wendy’s, American Eagle Outfitters

Money tree

  • Q4 results published: before the market; Conference call: 9 a.m.
  • Projected earnings per share: $ 2.12
  • Estimated Revenue: $ 6.8 billion

Wendy’s

  • Q4 results published: before the market; Conference call: 8:30 a.m.
  • Projected EPS: 18 cents
  • Estimated Revenue: $ 477 million

American Eagle Outfitter

  • Fourth quarter results to be published: 4:15 pm; Conference call: 4:30 p.m.
  • Projected EPS: 36 cents
  • Estimated Revenue: $ 1.28 billion

Snowflake

  • Publication of results for the fourth quarter: after market entry; Conference call: 5 p.m.
  • Estimated losses per share: 16 cents
  • Estimated Revenue: $ 332 million

Thursday: Kroger, Costco

Kroger

  • Q4 results published: before the market; Conference call: 10 a.m.
  • Projected EPS: 69 cents
  • Estimated Revenue: $ 30.86 billion

Costco

  • Q2 2021 results to be published: 4:15 p.m.; Conference call: 5 p.m.
  • Projected earnings per share: $ 2.44
  • Estimated Revenue: $ 43.72 billion

Disclosure: Cramer’s charitable foundation owns shares in Costco.

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Correction: This article has been updated to accurately reflect that projected revenue for Zoom Video is $ 910 million and projected revenue for Lemonade is $ 19.2 million. An earlier version of this story gave an incorrect projection for both of them.

Democrats criticize Biden for launching air strikes in Syria with out asking Congress

The U.S. Air Force F-22 fighter jets fly in formation during a military aircraft flyover along the Hudson River and New York Harbor, past York City and New Jersey, the United States, on July 4, 2020.

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Some Senate Democrats on Friday criticized President Joe Biden’s decision to launch an air strike in Syria on Thursday evening without speaking to Congress as a whole.

According to a spokesman for the National Security Council, the Pentagon informed the congressional leadership before the action. House spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi was notified prior to the strike, according to a Democratic adviser.

Senator Tim Kaine, D-Va., On Friday requested the Biden government for a briefing on the decision-making behind the airstrikes.

“The American people deserve to hear the government’s reasons for these strikes and their legal justification for acting without coming to Congress. Offensive military action without the approval of Congress is unconstitutional without exceptional circumstances,” a statement said from Caine’s office. Kaine is a member of the Senate Armed Forces Committee.

There will be a fully classified briefing early next week, the NSC spokesman said.

Senator Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Chair of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee, also called for transparency.

“Congress should keep this government on par with previous administrations and require clear legal justifications for military action, especially in theaters like Syria where Congress has not specifically approved American military action,” Murphy said in a statement Friday.

A representative from New York City Senator Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Biden on Thursday directed US military air strikes in eastern Syria against facilities that the Pentagon said were Iran-backed militias in response to recent missile strikes on US targets in Iraq.

In a February 15 attack, missiles struck the US military base in Irbil in the Kurdish-led region, killing a non-US contractor and injuring a number of US contractors and a US service member. Another volley days later hit a base where US forces were stationed north of Baghdad, injuring at least one contractor. On Monday, missiles hit the Baghdad Green Zone, where the US embassy and other diplomatic missions are located.

“It’s hard to say for sure if there is some strategic computation driving this … recent surge in attacks, or if this is just a continuation of the kind of attacks we have seen in the past,” said John Kirby, Pentagon press secretary gave a briefing Monday.

“We will hold Iran responsible for the attacks and the provocations of its deputies,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ned Price said in a separate briefing on Monday. The missile attack in Irbil “continues to be actively investigated,” he said.

Thursday’s US air strikes earned Biden rare praise from across the aisle. Senator Lindsey Graham, RS.C., thanked Biden for moving.

In 2018, then President Donald Trump ordered military strikes in Syria. The move also sparked criticism from Democrats.

“The president needs to come to Congress and secure authorization to use military force by proposing a comprehensive strategy with clear objectives that will protect our military,” Pelosi tweeted at the time.

– Reuters contributed to this report.

In keeping with J&J board member, 20 million Covid vaccine doses will likely be disbursed by the top of March

According to Dr. Johnson & Johnson board member Mark McClellan expects the company to have 20 million doses by the end of March as the US is just one step away from adding a third safe and effective vaccine to its arsenal.

“There will be a ramp-up, so 4 million doses are expected next week, rising in March, with 20 million doses dispensed by the end of March,” the former FDA commissioner said in an interview Friday night on The News with Shepard Smith. ” “So that’s 20 million people who are fully vaccinated because it’s just one dose of the vaccine.”

A panel of advisors to the Food and Drug Administration unanimously voted late Friday to recommend Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose shot for approval for emergency use. The FDA will decide on Saturday whether the vaccine will be approved. A recommendation from advisors to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would enable three to four million doses to be delivered next week.

McClellan told The News with Shepard Smith that the addition of the J&J vaccine will take the US a big step forward in fighting the coronavirus pandemic and protecting millions of people from the virus.

“That comes on top of some additions to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine offering. They expect almost 90 million, 100 million doses … it’s a two-dose vaccine, but it all adds up to that we can get this far. ” At least 100 million people here in the US had been vaccinated by the end of March, “said McClellan, a health policy expert at Duke University.

Nationwide, average daily cases, hospitalizations and deaths have been going down for weeks, but Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said recent declines could flatten out.

“We may be through with the virus, but the virus clearly isn’t through with us,” Walensky said. “We cannot take it easy or give in to a false sense of security that the worst pandemic is behind us. Not now, not when mass vaccination is so close.”

The CDC director added that we may begin to see the effects of the new, contagious variants of Covid that are spreading across the country. McClellan agreed with Walensky, warning that “we should be concerned” when it comes to the new variants, but doubled the importance of vaccinations.

“The good news is that the vaccines offer really strong protection against the variants. The best way to contain the variants is to get as many people as possible vaccinated as soon as possible,” said McClellan.

Woman Gaga’s canines recovered safely 2 days after the armed theft

Lady GagaFrench bulldogs have been found.

On Friday, February 26, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to NBC News that the canines were returned around 6 p.m. According to NBC Los Angeles, a woman took the unharmed dogs to the Olympic Community Police Station.

The point of sale reports that a member of Gaga’s team and investigators identified the dogs as belonging to her. Further details were not immediately available.

Koji and Gustav were stolen on the evening of February 24th by an unknown assailant who shot and killed the pop star’s dog walker before he fled by car. The dog walker who has since been identified as Ryan Fischeris expected to do a full recovery.

Shortly after news of the armed robbery broke, Gaga offered a $ 500,000 reward for safely returning her animals.

In her first public statement on the incident, released just hours before the dogs recovered, Gaga sought the public’s help in locating the pups.

Affirm’s new debit card is really the “anti-credit card,” says the CEO

Max Levchin, CEO of Affirm, touted the company’s new physical debt card offering on Friday, telling CNBC that it would offer customers similar benefits as a credit card, but with greater clarity upfront.

“It certainly shouldn’t be called a credit card, not even because it’s some kind of anti-credit card. I don’t want to be provocative,” Levchin told Closing Bell, criticizing what he sees as a lack of transparency regarding credit card interest payments and late fees.

“Literally every one of these things is the exact opposite of Affirm’s card,” added Levchin. “You know exactly what you’re going to pay. You know exactly what the payment schedule is, and there will be no late fees under any circumstances. I think it’s the opposite in many ways. It serves the same purpose.” Purpose: You can pay for things now or over time. “

Affirm announced its debit card offering on Thursday, and the company expects to make the card generally available later in 2021. Affirm, which Levchin founded in 2012, offers so-called “buy now, pay later” services. It works with a number of merchants such as Peloton and offers customers point-of-sale loans that can be repaid in fixed monthly installments. The interest rates on the loans can vary between 0% and 30%, but Affirm does not charge compound interest.

Affirm has usually been associated with online purchases. Levchin told CNBC that the company’s debit card offering is a recognition of various customer preferences and the role offline purchases continue to play.

“I know our users, mostly Millennials and Gen Zers, love their debit cards. They love trading them offline, and the purpose of this product was to provide the ‘buy now, pay later’ functionality that they do really loved online – and also with us really offline, but never had in a map – to where they are. “

“The debit card form factor is a metaphor for everyday expenses. This is where we are trying to arrive,” added Levchin, co-founder of PayPal and former CEO of Yelp.

According to a press release, Affirm Card users can pay for a purchase in full from their bank account. The press release said they can choose to pay in installments using what the company calls a “unique after-purchase feature”. Affirm says on its website that users can manage the purchases through its mobile app.

Affirm went public in mid-January, gaining 98% on the first day to close at $ 97.24. The stock ended Friday’s session at $ 93.06 below that level, giving the company a market cap of approximately $ 24 billion. The shares traded up to $ 146.90 apiece in early February.

Prior to Affirm’s first deal in January, Levchin told CNBC that his “goal is to be a viable alternative to credit cards.”

Affirm, which ranked 23rd on CNBC Disruptor 50’s 2020 list, has been a beneficiary of the stay-at-home economy as more people shopped online and turned to their services. Levchin said Affirm’s debit card is well positioned to capitalize on as the economic reopening expands and shoppers spend money in different ways.

“There will be a lot of interesting challenges when the country reopens, but the dominant thread it will reopen will create a lot more opportunities for this product, which we have proven to be what our customers want and need,” Levchin said .

2 folks had extreme allergic reactions after receiving the Covid vaccine

Empty vials containing a dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine against the COVID-19 coronavirus lie on a table as South Africa resumes its vaccination campaign at Klerksdorp Hospital on February 18, 2021.

Phill Magakoe | AFP | Getty Images

Two study participants suffered severe allergic reactions shortly after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, a J&J scientist told an FDA panel on Friday.

J&J was first briefed on the allergic reactions on Wednesday, Macaya Douoguih, director of clinical development and medical affairs for the vaccines division at J&J, Janssen, told the FDA’s Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Related Biological Products.

One of the people took part in an ongoing study in South Africa and developed anaphylaxis, a severe and life-threatening allergic reaction, after receiving the vaccine.

She did not provide details on the second person’s reaction.

“We will continue to monitor these events closely,” she told the panel.

To date, there have been no reports of anaphylaxis in J & J’s clinical study. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently overseeing events such as the introduction of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines by states and pharmacies.

There were 46 reports of anaphylaxis in patients who received Pfizer’s vaccine and 16 cases in patients who received Moderna’s vaccine, according to a CDC report released on February 16. The agency said the incidence of the reaction is within the range of cases reported for the influenza vaccine.

The CDC urges healthcare providers to monitor patients for 15 minutes after vaccination and for 30 minutes for patients with a history of allergic reactions.

If someone has a severe allergic reaction after the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, the CDC recommends not receiving the second dose, even if the allergic reaction wasn’t severe enough to require emergency care.

Kanye West spent greater than $ 12 million of his personal cash in 2020

According to @people, #KanyeWest spent a nice coin on his failed presidential attempt in 2020.

In a Federal Election Commission report, the rapper contributed $ 12.5 million of his own money and raised just over $ 2 million from outside donors.

People also report that West “raised a total of $ 14.5 million to fund its late offer”.

The report also breaks down a total of 278 Kanye 2020 campaign expenses. It is reported that $ 7.5 million was used to advertise his name, $ 918,130 was spent on campaign clothing, and a two-page ad in the New York Times was purchased for $ 210,544, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Kanye spent hundreds of thousands on campaign video costs, in addition to total consulting and legal costs totaling millions.

West was on the ballot in 12 states. He would eventually admit with a tweet that read, “WELP. KANYE 2024. “

As previously reported, Kanye and Kim Kardashian are facing a divorce, according to TMZ.

Kim asks for joint legal and physical custody of the couple’s four children. Sources also tell TMZ that Kanye agrees to the joint custody agreement, and both of them pledge to become parents together.

There is a prenup in which neither of the two takes part. An agreement, including ownership and custody, has already been reached. The documents were filed by prominent divorce attorney Laura Wasser, but the date of the separation is not listed.

As we reported back in January, sources near Kanye West provided details of what led to the downfall of their marriage. Sources close to Kanye said at the time that he was checked out of his marriage to Kim Kardashian because of her family’s “madness”.

Hemphill Brothers allows cellular residence leases from rock stars to vacationers throughout Covid

The Hemphill Brothers Coach Company knows a thing or two about how celebrities live on the streets. The Nashville-based RV company, run by brothers Joey and Trent Hemphill, has been building and equipping luxury tour buses for 40 years, promoting an A-list of megastars ranging from Taylor Swift, Oprah, Dolly Parton and Beyonce to former US presidents.

“2020 was our best year yet. It has already been booked as our biggest year in our company’s history,” said Trent Hemphill when CNBC first caught up with Hemphill in October.

When the coronavirus pandemic led to the sudden cancellation of concerts across the country in early March 2020, RV rentals booked with them totaling $ 30 million for musicians on tour went out the door. “My brother and I have been through many things together in this business, but none of the above,” said Trent Hemphill.

American Bus Association data estimates that the 75% to 80% decline in tour bus journeys since mid-March 2020 has been canceled due to the pandemic, a loss of nearly $ 5 billion to the US entertainment bus industry, which includes tour buses Organizers and tour operators.

The Hemphills grew up touring as a successful family gospel group before borrowing money from their father in 1980 to buy their first bus for rent. Now they have over 100 buses. The Hemphill Brothers Coach Company is located in Nashville, Tenn.

Brothers Joey and Trent Hemphill entered the RV business in 1980 with just one bus. The Nashville-based fleet now includes more than 100 coaches and over 200 employees, and has a long list of celebrity A-list customers.

Hemphill Brothers Coach Company

Business was booming in the first five months of 2019, with 95% of the Hemphill fleet on the open road. But in early 2020, “not a single RV left the lot for three months,” said Joey Hemphill. “We were seen as essential transportation for the government. But there was no business.”

“The most painful thing we ever had to do was lay off employees. We had to be very nimble and cut costs immediately and find a way to get to the other side,” he added.

So the brothers put their heads together and decided to do something they had never done before: create a social media presence and start marketing their buses to the masses.

“We’re dealing with tour managers. Dealing with the public is something we’ve never done in our 40 years. So it was all new to us,” said Joey Hemphill.

“We said our equipment can be used by the public who don’t even know we exist. We just need to get the message across,” added Trent Hemphill.

To cause a stir, the brothers came up with the idea of ​​”Travel Like a Rock Star” to market their luxury RVs to American tourists and travelers looking for an alternative to air travel during the pandemic.

“This has not only generated revenue for the company, but also for our employees and drivers,” said Trent Hemphill. The “Rockstar Experience” went viral – and the Hemphills said they had closed dozen of tourist road trip rentals in the past year and through 2021.

The buses resemble a rolling five-star hotel, and drivers can choose between several layouts. The “Sternbus” offers space for up to 12 people and even for pets. Every part of the bus can be closed for privacy reasons. The brothers said that every bus is “extremely bespoke” and “no two buses are the same”.

The famous Hemphill Brothers motorhomes are equipped with high quality materials and decorations such as real leather, hardwood floors, granite, marble and quartz. The lavish buses are aimed at luxury travelers looking for the ultimate in comfort on the road.

Hemphill Brothers Coach Company

Hemphill buses offer travelers a ride in luxury: each motorhome is fitted with high quality finishes, including real leather, hardwood floors, granite, marble and quartz.

The cost of renting the camper starts between $ 1,200 and $ 1,500 per day, depending on the mileage. Driver, fuel, and utilities are included, and drivers can meet travelers in their homes anywhere in the Americas

Trent Hemphill said the advantages of traveling by road over an airplane are numerous. “You only have to pack once,” and passengers wake up at their next destination in the morning while the bus travels overnight, “he added.” Our drivers are so good at giving you such a smooth ride. They don’t even know you’re moving. “

“Personally, I sleep better on a bus than at home,” said Joey Hemphill.

Who else slept on a Hemphill bus? The same company that made superstar Taylor Swift’s first tour bus made the last built by country legend Merle Haggard.

The buses are sterilized before each trip and the drivers are tested for Covid before each trip and spend the night in pre-arranged accommodations between the destinations. Prices may vary based on a person’s schedule and itinerary, or travelers can opt for a tailored itinerary.

The Calderon family said when their South Africa trip derailed due to the pandemic, one of the best decisions would be to rent a Hemphill bus for the same amount of money and take a tour overland.

“We have been all over the world and had some great vacations. I think we had no idea that we would come back and say of all the trips we have made in our lives that this was our favorite,” said Karla Calderon.

Karla, her husband Rafael, and their two young children rode their Hemphill bus west for 12 days, starting in Nashville and ending in Yosemite National Park. “We always want to travel outside of the US and see all of these things. This [trip] reminded me that this country is amazing, “said Rafael Calderon.

The Hemphill Brothers said they have also increased other revenue streams through sales of used equipment and custom interior modifications and remodeling for outside customers. The company said this helped offset some of the loss in rental income during the pandemic and enabled them to get employees back to work.

Even if live concerts return, the Hemphills plan to keep part of their fleet for tourists.

“We experienced a storm and had to take control of the company again. And we realized that we can still do that.” said Trent Hemphill. “It was a challenge, but it also enlivened him and me a little to see that the decisions we make every day can affect the bottom line of our business. Just like in the beginning. It makes you feel young again.”

CDC scientists say the US is “nowhere shut” to herd immunity

People await vaccinations against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in Willowbrook, Los Angeles, California on February 25, 2021.

Lucy Nicholson

The US is “far from” achieving herd immunity to Covid, and more communicable variants mean even more people will need to be vaccinated to reach them, a CDC scientist said Friday.

Herd immunity occurs when enough people in a particular community have antibodies to a particular disease, either through vaccination or through previous exposure to the virus. That makes it difficult to spread from person to person and protects even people who don’t have immunity.

“Currently we know that the majority of the US population is not immune to SARS-CoV-2 and variants can cause that portion of the population that is not immune to gain weight,” said Adam MacNeil, epidemiologist at Centers for Disease Control and Contraception.

Reaching the herd immunity threshold in combating new, contagious strains of the virus requires vaccinating a higher proportion of the population, MacNeil said at a meeting of the Food and Drug Administration at which Johnson & Johnson’s application for approval of the Covid-19- Emergency vaccine checked for use.

Scientists don’t believe that immunity lasts forever. It weakens over time, and that could make the outbreak worse as previously protected people become vulnerable to infection, MacNeil said.

His comments come a week after a Wall Street Journal statement claimed the U.S. would achieve herd immunity by April.

While virus variants have been shown to reduce the effectiveness of a Covid vaccine at protecting against infection, vaccines have been shown to be effective at preventing serious illness and hospitalization against the more infectious strains.

Increased vaccination would significantly slow current development of a highly contagious variant of Covid, first identified in the UK, as it became the dominant strain of virus in the US by March, MacNeil said.

He said increased vaccination was critical for the country to hit the benchmark.

“Vaccination has started and hopefully this brings us closer to closing the herd immunity gap.”