Tylor Brummett

(CNN) — The European Union is seeking to resume “transatlantic travel as soon as it is safe to do so,” and is urging member nations to take a unified approach to opening borders to U.S. citizens.

EU officials have been “following very closely the progress of vaccination in the United States” and the speedy rollout there is promising in terms of lifting travel restrictions on Americans, European Commission spokesperson Adalbert Jahnz said at a press conference Monday.

Regarding an interview European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gave to The New York Times in which she said Americans would be able to have summer vacations in the bloc, Jahnz said the use of European Medicines Agency-approved vaccines in the United States “will help to enable travel to the EU.”

All three vaccines in use in the United States are European Medicines Agency-approved.

The EU halted all nonessential travel to the bloc more than a year ago in an attempt to limit the spread of coronavirus.

Jahnz told journalists that talks are under way between the EU and the United States to ensure “coherence and compatibility” on vaccination certification that could facilitate transatlantic travel.

The European Commission is preparing a proposal for member states to “amend the recommendation on the external travel restriction, in order to take into account the recent developments.”

Jahnz stressed that the lifting of travel restrictions depends on the epidemiological situation in the countries involved.

“The spread of variants remains a concern, which is why from our perspective a coordinated approach on a European level remains essential,” he said.

However, the final decision on whether to allow travel to an EU member state will come from each country individually, as decisions about borders are made by the member state, and not the European Commission, according to EU guidelines.

Greece, for example, has already announced plans to lift quarantine requirements for vaccinated travelers and those testing negative for Covid-19 from some tourism markets, including Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.

But, Jahnz underlined the need for coordination.

“This coordinated approach is set out in a council recommendation, which was agreed by all member states and it should be followed, which is in the interest of all member states and of the EU in general, and member states themselves have underlined the need to have such a common approach,” he said.

“Unilateral approaches from our perspective should be avoided.”

Italy welcomed the proposal to open up to non-EU travelers, and the tourism minister said in a statement to CNN that it already has plans to start lifting restrictions.

Non-EU tourists “will not be obliged to follow the quarantine if they are vaccinated, or immune or with negative swab test, carried out 48 hours prior entry. This rule will become effective very soon,” said Tourism Minister Massimo Garavaglia.

White House senior COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt told CNN’s Pamela Brown that von der Leyen’s comments Sunday to The Times are an affirmation of the U.S. vaccination program.

“What the world is basically saying is, they’re looking at the U.S., they’re looking at the success of our vaccination program, they’re looking at the reduction of disease, and while they know we’re not done yet, they’re saying those Americans are safe to come to our country without risk of spreading COVID-19,” Slavitt said.

Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates about 28% of Americans are now fully vaccinated.

(CNN) — A growing number of Americans have missed their scheduled second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The vaccines by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna require two doses — administered three and four weeks apart, respectively — to be considered fully effective. But data shows about 8% of Americans have missed that important second dose — up from about 3.4% in March.

It’s not an exact count. The CDC is collecting data on vaccinations, but states don’t report information immediately and must gather it from mass vaccination sites, retail pharmacies and various other vaccination efforts.

“If a person received the two doses from different reporting entities, those two doses may not have been linked together,” a CDC spokesperson said.

“For example, if a person received their first dose at a clinic run by the state, and second dose from a tribal health clinic, they might not be linked and it could look like they missed the second dose.”

The news comes as the United States continues its effort to vaccinate as many Americans as quickly as possible. The CDC reported Sunday that 95 million people — about 28.5% of the population — have been fully vaccinated. About 140 million people — 42.2% of the population — have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN’s Jim Acosta on Sunday he was not surprised some people are missing the second dose, saying it happens frequently with multi-dose vaccines.

“Obviously whenever you have a two-dose vaccine, you’re going to see people who for one reason or other — convenience, forgetting, a number of other things — just don’t show up for the second vaccine,” Fauci said.

“I’d like it to be a 0%,” he said, “but I’m not surprised that there are some people who do that.”

Similarly, the CDC said Americans missing second doses was expected. Groups initially prioritized for vaccination, such as health care workers, were more likely to get vaccinated at their work site, “potentially reducing barriers and increasing adherence to the recommended vaccine schedule,” a spokesperson said.

“The reasons behind the delayed or missed second doses, however, require further analysis,” the spokesperson said, and officials should work to understand whether this is due to access or vaccine hesitancy.

COVID-19 vaccinations declined last week

About 229 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the United States, according to CDC data published Sunday — about 3 million more administered doses reported since Saturday.

That puts the seven-day average of administered doses at about 2.8 million doses per day, a slight drop from earlier in the month, when the average pace of new doses administered peaked at 3.4 million shots per day on April 13.

Saturday, the CDC’s Dr. Amanda Cohn said the recent pause on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine had contributed to the decline.

“Last week was the first week that we saw a decline in vaccination, in terms of the total number of people who got vaccinated over the course of the week, and there is clearly the contributory factor of the pause in the J&J vaccine,” Cohn said.

The CDC and the US Food and Drug Administration paused use of the vaccine following reports of a rare blood clotting syndrome among six women who were recently vaccinated.

Further search turned up a total of 15 cases out of nearly 7 million people vaccinated, and Friday, the agencies gave the OK for use of the vaccine to continue, saying the vaccine label would be updated to warm of blood clot risks.

Some place see ‘unsettling gaps’ in vaccine coverage

After several weeks of reporting concerning COVID-19 case increases, the United States could be seeing the beginning of a hopeful trend, a leading health official says.

The country’s seven-day average of new reported infections is going down, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at a White House COVID-19 briefing Friday.

Former US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb believes that decline could stick this time, telling CBS’s “Face the Nation” Sunday that even hard-hit areas such as Michigan are starting to see cases come down.

“Right now, the declines that we’re seeing we can take to the bank,” he said. “I think we can feel more assured because they’re being driven by vaccinations and greater levels of population-wide immunity — not just from vaccination, but also from prior infection.”

What’s concerning officials now, Walensky said Friday, are the “unsettling gaps” in COVID-19 vaccine coverage in different parts of the country.

“Some areas are doing very well with greater than 65% coverage for those over the age of 65 … but many areas have far less coverage, less than 47%,” she said. “Because this virus is an opportunist, we anticipate that the areas of lightest vaccine coverage now might be where the virus strikes next.”

Experts have stressed for months that the best way Americans can protect themselves — and their communities — is through COVID-19 vaccinations which can, when enough people are vaccinated, suppress the spread of the virus.

“I think it’s really important to understand that vaccines work best at a population level, not at the individual level,” infectious diseases specialist and epidemiologist Dr. Celine Gounder told CNN on Saturday. “If you’re in a community that is swimming with virus, 95% reduction is good, but you’re still at risk.”

“Really the best way to reduce the risk for all of us is for as many people to get vaccinated as possible,” Gounder added.

Reports warn of vaccine ‘tipping point’

But in some parts of the country, local officials are reporting drops in demand for COVID-19 shots.

And in just a few weeks’ time, the US could hit a “tipping point” on vaccine enthusiasm and supply will likely outstrip demand, a Kaiser Family Foundation report said.

“Once this happens, efforts to encourage vaccination will become much harder, presenting a challenge to reaching the levels of herd immunity that are expected to be needed,” the report said.

Some experts, including Fauci, have estimated somewhere between 70% to 85% of Americans need to have immunity to the virus — either through vaccination or previous infection — to control its spread.

Behind the slowing vaccine demand are several factors, experts say, including vaccine hesitancy.

In its latest COVID-19 briefing, the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation wrote that the “slow erosion of vaccine confidence unfolding over the last two or more months is cause for concern.”

“Facebook runs a survey every day, and we look at that data on a daily basis and that’s shown that vaccine confidence in the US has been slowly but steadily going down since February,” IHME Director Dr. Chris Murray told CNN on Friday.

“There’s a lot of people out there, and it’s a growing fraction of people, who are not sure they want to get the vaccine, and that’s really important that we overcome that,” he added.

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SUWANEE, Ga. (AP) — Police in Georgia say a van carrying 16 people crashed onto its side and was engulfed in flames on an interstate, killing at least six people and injuring 10.

Police said six people died at the scene and 10 were taken to hospitals around the metro Atlanta area, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Passersby stopped to pull people from the burning vehicle Saturday evening along I-85 near the I-985 split, Gwinnett County police Sgt. Michele Pihera said in a news release. The area is about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northeast of downtown Atlanta.

One bystander suffered a minor injury but declined to be transported, police said.

The news release said details about the people in the van would be announced in the coming days.

The occupants were members of a sober living group, Gwinnett County police told WXIA-TV on Sunday.

Investigators were working to determine the cause of the crash. Information at the scene led police to believe another vehicle may have been involved. Witnesses were asked to call the police department’s accident investigation tip line with any information.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Omega Psi Phi Fraternity is sponsoring a COVID-19 vaccination site at the IndyGo building on the city’s east side.

People can schedule appointments now to get the Moderna vaccine on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the IndyGo building located at 9503 E. 33rd St., the fraternity said in a release to News 8.

The vaccine will be given for free by the Marion County Health Department, according to the fraternity.

People can schedule their vaccination appointments online or by calling 211.

BANYUWANGI, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s navy on Saturday declared its missing submarine had sunk and cracked open after finding items from the vessel over the past two days, apparently ending hope of finding any of the 53 crew members alive.

Military chief Hadi Tjahjanto said the presence of an oil slick as well as debris near the site where the submarine last dove Wednesday off the island of Bali were clear proof the KRI Nanggala 402 had sunk. Indonesian officials earlier considered the vessel to be only missing, but said the submarine’s oxygen supply would have run out early Saturday.

Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Yudo Margono said at a press conference in Bali, “If it’s an explosion, it will be in pieces. The cracks happened gradually in some parts when it went down from 300 meters to 400 meters to 500 meters. … If there was an explosion, it would be heard by the sonar.”

The navy previously said it believes the submarine sank to a depth of 600-700 meters (2,000-2,300 feet), much deeper than its collapse depth of 200 meters (655 feet), at which point water pressure would be greater than the hull could withstand.

“With the authentic evidence we found believed to be from the submarine, we have now moved from the ‘sub miss’ phase to ‘sub sunk,’” Margono said at the press conference, in which the found items were displayed.

The cause of the disappearance was still uncertain. The navy had previously said an electrical failure could have left the submarine unable to execute emergency procedures to resurface.

Margono said that in the past two days, searchers found parts of a torpedo straightener, a grease bottle believed to be used to oil the periscope, debris from prayer rugs and a broken piece from a coolant pipe that was refitted on the submarine in South Korea in 2012.

Margono said rescue teams from Indonesia and other countries will evaluate the findings. He said no bodies have been found so far.

An American reconnaissance plane, a P-8 Poseidon, landed early Saturday and had been set to join the search, along with 20 Indonesian ships, a sonar-equipped Australian warship and four Indonesian aircraft.

Singaporean rescue ships were also expected Saturday, while Malaysian rescue vessels were due to arrive Sunday, bolstering the underwater hunt, officials said earlier Saturday.

Family members had held out hopes for survivors but there were no sign of life from the vessel. Indonesian President Joko Widodo had ordered all-out efforts to locate the submarine and asked Indonesians to pray for the crew’s safe return.

The German-built diesel-powered KRI Nanggala 402 had been in service in Indonesia since 1981 and was carrying 49 crew members and three gunners as well as its commander, the Indonesian Defense Ministry said.

Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago nation with more than 17,000 islands, has faced growing challenges to its maritime claims in recent years, including numerous incidents involving Chinese vessels near the Natuna islands.

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Tarigan reported from Jakarta, Indonesia. Associated Press writer Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, contributed to this report.

NEW YORK (AP) — Rapper DMX is being mourned at a memorial with family and close friends at the Barclays Center in New York.

Saturday’s memorial at the Brooklyn arena was closed to the public and restricted to only close friends and family because of the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers said in a statement they will follow New York’s COVID-19 testing guidelines and protocols.

The ceremony, which was being livestreamed on DMX’s YouTube channel, began more than two hours late.

Kanye West’s Sunday Service Choir kicked off the ceremony with gospel. The hoodie sweatshirt-wearing ensemble performed a few songs including classics “Oh Lord, How Excellent” and “Keep On Movin’.” The choir took the stage during other moments of the ceremony performing “Ultralight Beam” and the Whitney Houston-assisted hymn “Jesus Loves Me.”

In a touching moment, DMX’s 15 children gathered on stage to talk — and sometimes rap — about the star as a father who taught them such lessons as “always say thank you,” “be kind to everyone” and that being afraid can sometimes show a person how to be brave. Relatives emphasized his love of Jesus and his drive to make his fans happy, giving audiences the best show he could every time.

Nas reminisced about having a conversation with a teary-eyed DMX during filming a scene of “Belly,” a crime drama. He said DMX became emotional knowing the rapper was about to embark on a journey to become a “hip-hop icon.”

“It’s a sad day as well as a glorious day,” said Nas, who starred with DMX in the 1998 film. “That was my brother. We did a great movie together. On that movie, he was just rising up as a star. His first album didn’t even come out yet, but he knew his journey was starting.”

Eve said she was still having a hard time with DMX’s death, remembering him as a “man, a father, a friend.” She stood on stage with the Ruff Ryders collective, which included several members such as Swizz Beatz, Jadakiss, Styles P and Drag-On.

After Eve spoke, Styles P spoke about a time when he and DMX were both in the same jail. He said and DMX fetched him from his cell then took him to a part of the jail where he had a band set up and a string of MCs.

“DMX was the ghetto-est person that ever existed,” Styles P said. “What he means to us is indescribable. … Whenever you seen him, that man was in pain, but he was built of out of love.”

Jadakiss said DMX was the “happiest he ever been in life” during the last couple years.

A massive black big-wheel truck with the words “LONG LIVE DMX” on side of the vehicle carried DMX’s shiny red casket for more than 15 miles from Yonkers, New York — where the rapper grew up — to the Barclays Center. A plethora of motorcycles trailed the truck during the procession before arriving at the arena, where thousands of people crowded the streets.

Thousands of motorcycle riders surrounded the monster truck, revving up their engines. Others gathered at the arena while some of biggest songs from “Where The Hood At” and “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” played from the crowd.

Cynthia Roberts, a 57-year-old Brooklyn resident, said she has been a fan of DMX since his Ruff Ryders days. She showed up at the arena to pay homage to the rapper, saying she was struck by his rhymes, voice and musicianship.

“He was a true guy. He spoke his truth. He touched my soul,” said Roberts, who was sporting a DMX T-shirt. She called the rapper’s music “timeless.”

“I tell myself he was put here for that,” she continued. “We all have a job to do, and he did his job.”

DMX, whose birth name is Earl Simmons, died April 9 after suffering a “catastrophic cardiac arrest.” He spent several days on life support after being rushed to a New York hospital from his home April 2.

Programs with images of DMX were handed out to service attendees. The four-page booklet had different images of the rapper, including one with his arms folded with wings and another photo of him standing on stage during a performance.

No details were given about who may be appearing, performing or speaking.

The 50-year-old Grammy-nominated rapper delivered iconic hip-hop songs such as “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” and “Party Up (Up in Here).” He also starred in several films including “Belly” and “Romeo Must Die.”

DMX arrived on the rap scene around the same time as Jay-Z, Ja Rule and others who dominated the charts and emerged as platinum-selling acts. They were all part of rap crews, too: DMX fronted the Ruff Ryders collective, which helped launch the careers of Grammy winners Eve and Swizz Beatz, and relaunch The Lox, formerly signed to Bad Boy Records. Ruff Ryders had success on the charts and on radio with its “Ryde or Die” compilation albums.

Along with his musical career, DMX paved his way as an actor. He starred in the 1998 film “Belly” and appeared in 2000′s “Romeo Must Die” with Jet Li and Aaliyah. DMX and Aaliyah teamed up for “Come Back in One Piece” on the film’s soundtrack.

His funeral service will be held at 2:30 p.m. EDT Sunday. It will be broadcast live on BET and the network’s YouTube channel.

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Landrum reported from Los Angeles.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett and her husband have sold their northern Indiana home to a University of Notre Dame professor as their large family prepares for a move to the Washington, D.C., area.

Jesse Barrett says he and the couple’s seven children plan to join Coney Barrett in the Washington area in time for the start of the coming school year, leaving their longtime South Bend home behind.

The couple’s broker with Irish Realty, Pat McCullough, tells the South Bend Tribune that the Barretts accepted a Notre Dame professor’s purchase offer within about two weeks of listing the brick, six-bedroom, 4,232-square-foot home for $899,900.

(CNN) — A turtle crashed through a car’s windshield in a story that seems on-brand with the weird news that comes out of Florida.

What may surprise you though, is this bizarre accident has happened around here before.

A 71-year-old woman was riding with her daughter on Interstate 95 near Port Orange, Florida, on Wednesday when a turtle smashed through the windshield, hitting the elderly woman in the head, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

“She’s got so much blood coming out of her head,” the daughter is heard saying in a 911 call obtained by CNN affiliate WKMG.

The daughter didn’t realize it was a turtle that came through the window, suggesting to the dispatcher it may have been a piece of concrete.

“An actual turtle?” the daughter exclaimed after another driver who stopped to help said that’s what it was.

While she had to go to the hospital, the woman was OK, the Daytona Beach News-Journal said. The turtle survived too, only suffering a few scratches on its shell.

It’s not clear how the turtle became airborne, but it may have gotten knocked in the air by another vehicle, which has happened in the past.

In 2016, a woman suffered a small bump on the head and minor cuts after a vehicle clipped a turtle on the highway, sending it through her car’s windshield. This was on Interstate 4 near Deltona. That turtle also survived the crash.

A similar situation happened in Georgia too. Last year, a turtle nearly hit a passenger in the face after it crashed through a woman’s windshield in Savannah.

(AP) — A piece of copper that was struck by the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia in 1794 and was a prototype for the fledgling nation’s money was auctioned off for $840,000, considerably more than expected, an official said.

Heritage auctions spokesman Eric Bradley said the “No Stars Flowing Hair Dollar” opened at $312,000 when it was put up Friday evening but “in less than a minute, intense bidding quickly pushed the coin to its final auction price of $840,000.”

The coin, formerly owned by businessman and Texas Rangers co-chairman Bob Simpson, had been expected to sell for $350,000 to $500,000, Bradley said.

While it closely resembles silver dollars that were later minted in Philadelphia, it gets its name because it is missing stars. Jacob Lipson of Heritage Auctions said earlier that starless coins are considered by collectors and institutions as “one-of-a-kind prototypes for the silver examples that would follow,.”

Known as a pattern, the front features the flowing hair portrait of Liberty and the date 1794, while the reverse side shows a small eagle on a rock within a wreath. Similar starless examples are part of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Numismatic Collection.

The pattern was forgotten as the Mint continued the process of creating the nation’s first silver dollars.

“Coin collecting lore states the unique rarity was excavated from the site of the first Philadelphia Mint before 1876,” Lipson said. That was how the coin’s first owner described its history at its first auction appearance in 1890.

The pattern is corroded and not in perfect condition, Lipson said, likely because it was buried at the site of the original Mint. There are some scratches and other marks on its brown surfaces. It has traded hands eight times, according to the auction house.

Simpson, 73, purchased it along with other patterns in 2008 to add to his large collection.

“I think coins should be appreciated almost as artwork,” he said. “I have gotten more than enough joy from them.”

MONTICELLO, Ind. (WISH) — Indiana Beach will host what’s being billed as the first-known craft beer, wine and spirits festival to happen in a major amusement park.

The inaugural Hops & Coaster Drops will be from 2-6 p.m Sept. 11 in partnership with Indiana On Tap, according to Indiana Beach. It will feature more than 50 breweries, distilleries and wineries throughout the amusement park.

Organizers say unlimited samples, live music, and access to rides and games throughout the park will be part of the fun.

Tickets run from $50-$75 and are available online.

The park will be closed to the public for the event, Indiana Beach said.

Indiana Beach is scheduled to reopen May 22.