Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 28th Nov 2022
View this newsletter in fullChina's Covid Cases Jump to a Record as Outbreaks Persist
China’s daily Covid infections climbed to a record high, exceeding the previous peak in April, as it battles an outbreak that has grown since the country adopted a more targeted approach to containing the virus. The country reported 29,754 new cases for Wednesday, more than the 28,973 infections recorded in mid-April when the financial hub of Shanghai was in the midst of a grueling two-month lockdown that saw residents struggle to access food and medical services. China’s official figures separately report symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, which can lead to inflated numbers when people are re-classified after developing symptoms.
25th Nov 2022 - Bloomberg
China Covid Cases Hit Record, Topping Shanghai Omicron Outbreak
China’s daily Covid infections climbed to a record high, exceeding the previous peak in April, as it battles an outbreak that has grown since the country adopted a more targeted approach to containing the virus. The country reported 29,754 new cases for Wednesday, more than the 28,973 infections recorded in mid-April when the financial hub of Shanghai was in the midst of a grueling two-month lockdown that saw residents struggle to access food and medical services. China’s official figures separately report symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, which can lead to inflated numbers when people are re-classified after developing symptoms. The Bloomberg News tally counts all local cases, regardless of symptoms, and removes the double-counting issue.
24th Nov 2022 - Bloomberg
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 21st Nov 2022
View this newsletter in fullFlu, RSV and Covid-19 Add to Crunch on Pediatric Hospitals
Flu activity continued to rise across the U.S. in the past week, adding to a crunch on emergency departments and pediatric hospitals from an early surge in respiratory viruses. Flu has caused an estimated 4.4 million illnesses, 38,000 hospitalizations and 2,100 deaths so far this season including seven pediatric deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. The highest flu hospitalization rates are among adults ages 65 and older, followed by children under the age of 5, the CDC said. Pediatric hospitals across the U.S. have been under strain for weeks from a rush of patients with RSV and other respiratory viruses. RSV amounts to a cold in most people, but the virus can be dangerous for younger children and older adults, especially those with other health concerns.
18th Nov 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 14th Nov 2022
View this newsletter in fullAfrica CDC commends China over partnership in vaccine manufacturing
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Friday commended China for partnering with African countries in the manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines on the continent. Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, the acting director of Africa CDC, said the partnership with countries such as Egypt, Algeria and Morocco has provided the continent with alternative sources of COVID-19 vaccines, particularly at the height of the pandemic in the middle of 2021.
12th Nov 2022 - Xinhua
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 7th Nov 2022
View this newsletter in fullChina to make 'substantial' COVID policy changes soon - ex-govt expert
China will make substantial changes to its "dynamic-zero" COVID-19 policy in coming months, a former Chinese disease control official told a conference hosted by Citi on Friday, according to a recording of the session heard by Reuters. Separately, three sources familiar with the matter said China may soon further shorten quarantine requirements for inbound travellers. Zeng Guang, former chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention who has remained outspoken on China's COVID fight, said the conditions for China opening up were "accumulating", citing new vaccines and progress the country had made in antiviral drug research.
6th Nov 2022 - Reuters
‘Vaccine apathy’ slowing down London’s Covid booster rollout
Vaccine “apathy” is slowing down the rollout of London's Covid-19 booster jab, a top health professor has warned, as figures revealed that the capital continues to lag behind other regions on vaccination. Just over a third (33.2 per cent) of people aged 50 and over had received their autumn booster jab in London as of October 26, by far the lowest proportion in England. In comparison, over half of adults aged over 50 in the South West had received their booster. London was at least ten per cent behind every other region, according to Government statistics. Azeem Majeed, professor of primary care and public health at Imperial College London, warned that patients were displaying signs of “vaccine apathy” and had complained they have “already had enough” Covid-19 jabs.
5th Nov 2022 - Evening Standard
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 31st Oct 2022
View this newsletter in fullItaly to end ban on health workers not vaccinated against Covid
Italian doctors and nurses suspended from work because they are not vaccinated against Covid-19 will soon be reinstated, new Health Minister Orazio Schillaci said on Friday. The move is motivated by a worrying shortage of medical personnel together with declining cases of Covid-19. The new government will also cancel fines imposed on all people aged over 50 who had not got vaccinated, he added.
"A measure is being finalised that will allow the reintegration into service of health staff subject to suspension proceedings for non-compliance with compulsory vaccination before the expiry date of the suspension," he said in a statement posted on the ministry's website.
29th Oct 2022 - Reuters
Experts Pessimistic on China Exiting Covid Zero Any Time Soon
Three years into the pandemic, China is sticking to its Covid Zero policy despite heavy economic costs, growing unrest and isolation from the rest of the world. Many expected President Xi Jinping to signal a pivot away from what has become a signature policy when he took the podium at the Communist Party’s congress this month. Instead, he defended the zero-tolerance strategy as one that saves lives, but offered no steer on when it’s likely to end. Xi’s absolute control over the party leadership and China has left experts debating what that means for the future of an approach that’s brought misery to millions. The brutal Shanghai lockdown earlier this year, overseen by Li Qiang — a Xi loyalist and China’s likely premier from 2023 — saw businesses upended and the city’s 25 million residents struggle to get even basic necessities.
28th Oct 2022 - Bloomberg
COVID disrupted measles vaccinations in Africa and now cases are surging
Fall waited with dozens of mothers and babies in the flooded courtyard of Bundung Hospital. Then a doctor emerged with bad news. The hospital had run out of measles vaccines, and it wasn't clear when they would receive more. After what health experts call the biggest backslide in a generation, 26 large or disruptive measles outbreaks have sprung up worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. A devastating outbreak in Zimbabwe has killed more than 700 children this year, chiefly among religious sects that do not believe in vaccinations.
Now African health systems remain especially vulnerable due to a lack of funds and manpower, particularly in countries where conflict and malnutrition make children more vulnerable to deadly infection, according to Reuters interviews with more than a dozen disease experts, doctors and global health officials.
24th Oct 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 24th Oct 2022
View this newsletter in fullChina’s COVID lockdowns spell relief for Europe’s energy security worries
China’s President Xi Jinping has some good news for Europe — his country's draconian zero-COVID policies aren't likely to be dropped. That's a relief for European buyers of liquefied natural gas, as China's economic slowdown has freed up LNG cargos crucial to replacing the Russian gas that used to supply about 40 percent of European demand. “Regardless of what you think about the Chinese zero-COVID policy, simply looking at it only from the perspective of European gas supplies, it would be very helpful if China continued this policy,” said Dennis Hesseling, head of gas at the EU’s energy regulator agency ACER.
23rd Oct 2022 - POLITICO Europe
‘Fractured’ pandemic response failed the most vulnerable, independent report finds
An independent review of Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has found ill-conceived policies, politically driven health orders and excessive use of lockdowns failed to protect the old, disregarded the young and abandoned some of the nation’s most disadvantaged communities. The review, led by former top public servant Peter Shergold, urges federal and state governments to learn from mistakes and overhaul planning, to broaden the advice provided to national cabinet and restore trust in how decisions are made.
22nd Oct 2022 - Sydney Morning Herald
Swiss to destroy 9 million expired Moderna COVID-19 jabs
Switzerland will destroy 9 million doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine that have reached their expiry date, with another 5.1 million vaccine jabs set to meet the same fate by February, the government said on Wednesday. The wastage reflects the Swiss strategy of ordering more vaccines than it needed to ensure its population of around 8.7 million would get sufficient supplies even in the event of supply bottlenecks or quality issues.
19th Oct 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 17th Oct 2022
View this newsletter in fullLong COVID at 12 months persists at 18 months, study shows
Most patients with COVID-19 who have lingering symptoms at 12 months are likely to still have symptoms at 18 months, new data suggest. The findings are drawn from a large study of 33,281 people in Scotland who tested positive for the coronavirus. Most of the results are in line with those from earlier, smaller studies.
Among a subset of 197 survivors of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections who completed surveys at 12 months and 18 months, most reported lingering symptoms at both time points, researchers reported in Nature Communications.
14th Oct 2022 - Reuters
World Faces New Threats From Fast-Mutating Omicron Variants
The subvariants known as BQ.1.1, BQ.1, BQ.1.3, BA.2.3.20 and XBB are among the fastest-spreading of the main omicron lineages. Based on UK data, the BQ variants, as well as BA.2.75.2 and BF.7 are the most concerning due to their growth advantage and immune evasiveness, the country’s health security agency said on Oct. 7. BF.7 has also been gaining ground in the US, where it accounted for 4.6% of Covid cases in the week ending Oct. 8, from 3.3% the week before, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Atlanta-based agency noted BA4.6 was the most prevalent after BA.5, accounting for 13.6% of cases in the first week of October, from 12.7% the week before. In Bangladesh and Singapore, the XBB strain has been linked to a small surge in cases.
14th Oct 2022 - Bloomberg
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 10th Oct 2022
View this newsletter in fullEuropeans face big mental health issues despite COVID easing - survey
The number of Europeans reporting "bad" or "very bad" mental health soared during the COVID-19 pandemic, even beyond the end of lockdowns, new polling showed on Thursday. European Union agency Eurofound's surveys of 200,000 people found that those reporting "bad" or "very bad" mental health doubled from 6.4% in March 2020 at the onset of the crisis to 12.7% two years later even as restrictions were eased.
7th Oct 2022 - Reuters
Covid-19 Cases and Hospitalizations Climb Again in England
Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations are rising again in England, with officials warning of climbing case numbers in hospitals and care homes. The number of suspected outbreaks increased 61% last week, while the hospital admission rate climbed 45% to 10.83 per 100,000 population, the UK Health Security Agency said on Thursday. Hospital admission rates were highest in southwest England after soaring 250% since mid-September.
9th Oct 2022 - Bloomberg
No Covid restrictions mean flu is set for a big comeback
It’s strongly advised that people in the UK get the flu vaccine and ensure they are up to date with their COVID vaccine boosters. Scientists aren’t sure how these viruses will dovetail, but evidence suggests that being infected with both viruses simultaneously greatly increases the risk of severe disease and death. About 33 million people in the UK are eligible for a free flu vaccine, including those aged 50 or older, pregnant women, people in residential care, and frontline healthcare workers. There is also a nasal-spray vaccine for children aged two years and older, with many vaccine rollouts delivered in schools.
9th Oct 2022 - Belfast Live
COVID wave looms in Europe as booster campaign makes slow start
A new COVID-19 wave appears to be brewing in Europe as cooler weather arrives, with public health experts warning that vaccine fatigue and confusion over types of available vaccines will likely limit booster uptake.
8th Oct 2022 - Reuters
Seniors died from COVID-19 at a higher rate than any other age group this summer: analysis
More seniors than any other age group died from COVID-19 this past summer amid a disease surge fueled by new subvariants, according to a new analysis published Thursday from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The foundation analyzed COVID-19 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and found that death rates rose much faster for Americans older than 65, despite widespread vaccine coverage within the group. Between April and July 2022, the number of coronavirus-related deaths among seniors grew at a faster rate for older adults, topping 11,000 in July and August. While deaths totals rose for those under 65 as well, the total was about five to six times smaller for younger Americans.
6th Oct 2022 - The Hill
South West sees Covid-19 surge as hospital admissions rocket to highest in country
There has been a surge in Covid-19 hospital admissions across the South West, latest figures show. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the region has seen a 250 per cent increase in admissions since the middle of September. Recent Government data shows that the South West has a current hospital admission rate for coronavirus of 16.67 per 100,000 people - the highest out of any region in the nation. This regional figure was 4.79 per 100,000 in September. The national average for hospital admissions is 10.83 per 100,000, according to data from the last seven days. This marks a 45 per cent increase from the previous week.
6th Oct 2022 - Bristol Post
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 3rd Oct 2022
View this newsletter in fullIf you think scrapping COVID isolation periods will get us back to work and past the pandemic, think again
COVID is an exceptional disease and was at its deadliest this year, causing more deaths in Australia between June and August 2022 than at any other time. There have been 288 deaths from influenza so far this year compared to more than 12,000 deaths from COVID. The number of deaths from COVID in Australia in the first nine months of 2022 is more than ten times the annual national road toll of just over 1,000 – but we are not rushing to remove seat belts or drink-driving laws so people can have more freedom. Isolation flattens the COVID curve by stopping infectious people from infecting others, and is a key pillar of COVID control.
30th Sep 2022 - The Conversation
Covid testing rules in Northern Ireland to change for healthcare workers and hospital visitors
Covid-19 testing to identify asymptomatic healthcare workers and hospital visitors is set to be paused in Northern Ireland. Relatives of care home residents and hospice patients will no longer be automatically required to take a test as of Monday. However, those who are displaying symptoms will still have to take a test and are not permitted to visit a care setting. The Department of Health said the move is in line with the Test, Trace and Protect Transition plan. The strategy, published in March 2022, committing to keeping arrangements under review and focused on introducing proportionate and targeted rules.
30th Sep 2022 - Belfast Telegraph
Millions urged to get flu and Covid jabs amid fears of winter ‘twindemic’ in UK
Tens of millions of people in the UK are being urged to have flu and Covid vaccines as soon as possible amid fears of a winter “twindemic” that poses a serious risk to public health. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) officials are braced for a resurgence in flu infections capable of causing severe disease in the coming months, and are concerned it will coincide with the major wave of coronavirus that is already building. While Covid restrictions kept influenza at extremely low levels in the past three years, the return to almost pre-pandemic levels of mixing in the UK means the virus is ripe to bounce back this season, when immunity in the population is low.
30th Sep 2022 - The Guardian
Physician Burnout Has Reached Distressing Levels, New Research Finds
Physician Burnout in the United States Has Reached Distressing Levels, New Research Finds
30th Sep 2022 - The New York Times
Covid fourth wave fears as hospital admissions surge 48% in a week
The UK is feared to be in the midst of another Covid wave as hospital admissions have jumped almost double in a week. Latest figures show the number of patients testing positive for coronavirus is up 48%, compared to seven days ago. Fears have already been raised among the medical community the approaching colder weather could boost numbers. Now, a total of 7,024 people with coronavirus were in hospital as of 8am on September 28, according to NHS England. The number is half the 14,000 in mid-July at the peak of the wave of infections caused by the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the virus.
29th Sep 2022 - The Mirror
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 26th Sep 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid: First rise in infections in UK since July
Covid infection rates have increased in the UK for the first time since the middle of July, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). One in 70 tested positive, with the largest rise in secondary school children in the week to 14 September. Infections increased in England and Wales while rates fell in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The ONS says it will closely monitor the data to see the impact of schools returning over the coming weeks. Infections rose by 5% in the most recent period covered by the survey, although the total number testing positive is still close to its lowest point of the year. Booster jabs are now being offered to the most vulnerable, to help protection over the winter.
23rd Sep 2022 - BBC News
U.S. CDC expects Omicron COVID boosters for kids by mid-October
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expects COVID-19 vaccine boosters targeting circulating variants of the virus to be available for children aged 5-11 years by mid-October. The CDC said in a document released on Tuesday that it expects to make a recommendation in early- to mid-October on the use of the new bivalent vaccines in the group, if they are authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
22nd Sep 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 18th Sep 2022
View this newsletter in fullNew bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine doses expected to be available in Singapore by end-Sep: Moderna
Moderna’s new bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine is expected to be available in Singapore by end of this month. “We hope to have hundreds of thousands of doses available in Singapore before the end of the month,” the pharmaceutical firm’s senior vice president of commercial vaccines Patrick Bergstedt told CNA on Wednesday (Sep 14). His comments came after the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) announced that it granted interim authorisation for Moderna’s Spikevax Bivalent Original/Omicron jab, the first bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine in the country. Official vaccination recommendations using this booster will be issued by the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination and the Ministry of Health (MOH) in due time, HSA said.
15th Sep 2022 - CNA
Singapore to begin giving Covid-19 vaccines to children under 5
Roll-out expected to be timed for end-October or early November given. Singapore’s ‘relatively low’ caseload, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung says
City state also plans to introduce bivalent jabs targeting both the wildtype virus and its circulating variants, Ong adds
18th Sep 2022 - South China Morning Post
Another new COVID variant is spreading – here's what we know about omicron BA.4.6
BA.4.6, a subvariant of the omicron COVID variant which has been quickly gaining traction in the US, is now confirmed to be spreading in the UK. The latest briefing document on COVID variants from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) noted that during the week beginning August 14, BA.4.6 accounted for 3.3% of samples in the UK. It has since grown to make up around 9% of sequenced cases. Similarly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, BA.4.6 now accounts for more than 9% of recent cases across the US. The variant has also been identified in several other countries around the world.
14th Sep 2022 - The Conversation Indonesia
Nigeria Strikes Deal with Serum Institute of India
Nigeria will start building a vaccine plant by end of the year after signing a contract manufacturing agreement with the Serum Institute of India for local production of the jabs, the country’s health minister said. The country struck the deal with the world’s biggest vaccine manufacturer on Wednesday, Health Minister Osagie Ehanire said at a briefing in the capital, Abuja. The plant should be producing routine vaccines -- initially against polio, measles and yellow fever, among others -- by 2028, he added.
14th Sep 2022 - Bloomberg
'Understaffed and overworked': Thousands of Minnesota nurses go on strike
Some 15,000 nurses in Minnesota walked off the job on Monday to protest hospital understaffing that their union says has harmed patient care and exhausted health workers as they negotiate a new contract with hospital executives. The strike, slated to last three days and described by the Minnesota Nurses Association as one of the largest in United States history, highlights nationwide health worker shortages that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
12th Sep 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 12th Sep 2022
View this newsletter in fullCOVID rules cast clouds over Hong Kong schools
In Hong Kong, stringent COVID-19 curbs have long made life for school students extremely hard. Now, a new rule requiring higher vaccination levels could upend what progress has been made towards resuming full-day in-person classes. Further delays to normal school life are likely to exacerbate youth mental health problems as well as give more people reason to leave the city, further undermining its status as an Asian financial hub, educators and business leaders warn.
11th Sep 2022 - Reuters
China Restricts Domestic Travel as Covid Outbreaks Grow
Article reports that China is stepping up its Covid defenses as a key Communist Party meeting looms, restricting internal travel further as swathes of the country remain under tight lockdowns. The National Health Commission on Thursday announced a raft of measures that will be in place until the end of next month to fight a virus that shows little sign of slowing. Authorities told citizens to minimize travel during the mid-Autumn festival next week and National Day holidays in October, ordinarily key periods for domestic tourism, and asked local governments to test all residents regularly for Covid regardless of infection levels.
10th Sep 2022 - Bloomberg
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 5th Sep 2022
View this newsletter in fullWalgreens Now Offering Appointments for Updated COVID-19 Pfizer and Moderna Boosters
Walgreens now offers updated COVID-19 Pfizer and Moderna boosters to eligible individuals aged 12 years and older following authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Scheduling an appointment is preferred and is available via the Walgreens app, 1-800-WALGREENS, or online at Walgreens.com/ScheduleVaccine starting today for vaccinations. Additional appointments will be added daily as select Walgreens stores begin to receive the updated COVID-19 boosters.
2nd Sep 2022 - The Associated Press
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 2nd Sep 2022
View this newsletter in fullSerious Covid case numbers declining
Small waves of new Covid-19 cases are being seen locally and globally but the number of severely ill patients and fatalities is not rising, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The number of severely ill patients and fatalities is stable worldwide and has been declining steadily in Thailand, CCSA spokeswoman Sumanee Watcharasin said on Thursday.
2nd Sep 2022 - Bangkok Post
Covid-19 booster vaccination roll-out starts in Wales
The autumn Covid-19 booster roll-out has started in Wales as care home residents and staff become the first in line to get their next jab. The vaccine has been made available to all those eligible from September 1 as the Welsh Government looks to keep Covid rates down for the coming winter. Care home residents, frontline health and social care workers and all those aged over 50, will be called for a vaccination by their health boards. Invitations will be issued in order of vulnerability, with everyone eligible being offered a booster vaccine by the end of the year. The vaccines will be administered in a variety of settings including GP surgeries and vaccination centres
1st Sep 2022 - Wales Online
Macau plans to gradually reopen the city to foreign travelers
Macau is planning to gradually reopen the city to foreign travellers from certain countries who meet its COVID-19 criteria, its government said on Thursday.
1st Sep 2022 - Reuters
Germany to start Omicron-adapted COVID vaccinations next week - minister
Germany can next week start using COVID-19 vaccines which have been adapted for the Omicron variant and got approval for use in the European Union on Thursday, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said. He said approval of the BA.1 vaccine was a quantum leap in the fight against the pandemic as vaccines were now available that work well against all previously known virus variants. "From next week, vaccinations can begin with the new doses. Now is the optimal time to close the gaps in vaccination for the autumn," he said in a statement.
1st Sep 2022 - Reuters
Covid-19 booster vaccines offered to healthcare staff and those with health conditions
Healthcare workers and people aged 12 to 49 with long term health conditions have been invited to make an appointment for their second Covid-19 booster jab by the Health Service Executive (HSE). HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry said appointments are available from Thursday. “We know that those who have long-term health conditions are at greater risk from serious illness from Covid-19,” he said. “Getting a second booster vaccine now will help protect these people, particularly as we come in to the autumn. We are now also calling healthcare workers for their next Covid-19 booster.
1st Sep 2022 - The Irish Times
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 1st Sep 2022
View this newsletter in fullS.Korea to end pre-departure COVID test requirement for overseas travellers
South Korea will from Saturday no longer require travellers to the country to test for COVID-19 before departure, although they will still need to take a PCR test within 24 hours of arrival. The latest relaxing of rules comes amid an easing in case numbers with daily COVID infections hovering around 100,000 in recent weeks compared with more than 180,000 in mid-August. "The weekly number of infections have declined for the first time in nine weeks and the virus is showing signs of slowing down," Lee Ki-il, the country's second vice health minister, told reporters.
30th Aug 2022 - Reuters
Covid Vaccines Are Free in the US Now, by Jan 2023 You May Have to Pay
The US government anticipates that it will stop purchasing and providing Covid-19 shots as soon as January due to a lack of funds, leaving Americans to obtain vaccines through insurers or pay for them out-of-pocket. US health officials convened a meeting of more than 100 representatives from drugmakers, state and local health departments, health providers and insurers on Tuesday to discuss the government’s plans to transition sales of Covid vaccines and therapeutics to the commercial market, according to Dawn O’Connell, who heads the Health and Human Services Department’s Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response.
31st Aug 2022 - Bloomberg
Autumn Covid-19 booster jabs available in Jersey from September
Islanders in Jersey who are eligible for a Covid-19 booster jab will be able to book another vaccination from tomorrow (Thursday 1 September). The extra dose of the vaccine is intended to protect the most vulnerable islanders during the autumn and winter months. The government's Autumn Booster programme is open to:
Care home residents and staff; Health and social workers; All adults over the age of 50; Anyone aged under 50 who is clinically 'at risk', lives in the same home as someone who's immunosuppressed, or is a carer
31st Aug 2022 - ITV News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 31st Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullAs Americans ditch Covid measures, pandemic worsens for the vulnerable
In the last few months, Dr Jeannina Smith has seen organ transplant recipients who have been very careful throughout the pandemic venture out for one activity, contract Covid-19 and lose their transplant. ‘Most have thrown their hands up’: has the US forgotten about Covid? “I have been at the bedside of a transplant recipient” who “was very ill and in the hospital, and she got Covid the second time in a healthcare setting”, said Smith, medical director of the infectious disease program at University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics. “She was sobbing because she said, ‘It’s so hard for me to see that people care so little about my life that wearing a mask is too much for them.’”
30th Aug 2022 - The Guardian
Japan weighs September rollout for omicron-targeting COVID-19 shots
The Japanese government is considering a September start for new COVID-19 vaccines targeting the omicron variant, earlier than the initially planned mid-October rollout, sources said Tuesday. With the country now facing its seventh wave of COVID-19 infections, the government is hoping to introduce more effective vaccines.
The improved vaccines developed by U.S. drugmakers Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. are currently being evaluated by Japanese authorities.
30th Aug 2022 - The Japan Times
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 30th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullTop Thai Hospital Bets on Tourists to Counter Covid Revenue Dip
Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Pcl, Thailand’s biggest private hospital operator, expects a rebound in international patient arrivals to make up for an expected decline in revenue from Covid-19 treatment and services. Foreign patients seeking treatment at Bangkok Dusit’s 53 hospitals in the Thai capital and other tourist hotspots have reached about 90% of the pre-pandemic level, Chief Executive Officer Poramaporn Prasarttong-Osoth said. The recovery in fly-in patients are led by those from the Middle East, Australia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
But a slower-than-expected return of European tourists may still weigh on earnings in the second half, especially of hospitals in places such as Phuket, Koh Samui and Pattaya as they serve visitors from the region, she said.
28th Aug 2022 - Bloomberg
Cambodia to build factory to produce 104 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from 2024 to 2026
A pharmaceutical company in Cambodia signed a memorandum with Chinese company Sinovac Biotech to build a factory for filling and packaging vaccines in that country. The factory is expected to produce around 104 million COVID-19 doses from 2024 to 2026 and explore the possibility of making other vaccines. China has become a reliable, stable and indispensable provider of COVID-19 vaccine supplies to the developing world, experts and officials from several countries said.
27th Aug 2022 - Khmer Times
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 26th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullAutumn Covid booster jabs: Who is eligible in Wales and how to book?
The autumn coronavirus booster vaccination programme is starting in Wales, with the first jabs being administered on September 1. The roll-out is designed to give extra protection to those who are at increased risk of serious illness if they contract the disease. The Welsh Government says it will also help protect the NHS over winter 2022-23, by easing pressure on the service.
25th Aug 2022 - ITV News
Twitter labeled factual information about covid-19 as misinformation
Over the past week, Twitter has flagged dozens of tweets with factual information about covid-19 as misinformation and in some cases has suspended the accounts of doctors, scientists, and patient advocates in response to their posts warning people about the illness’s dangers. Many of the tweets have since had the misinformation labels removed, and the suspended accounts have been restored. But the episode has shaken many scientific and medical professionals, who say Twitter is a key way they try to publicize the continuing risk of covid to a population that has grown weary of more than two years of shifting claims about the illness.
In interviews with The Post, Twitter acknowledged the problem. The company removed the labels and restored the accounts after queries about 10 specific tweets and accounts.
25th Aug 2022 - The Washington Post
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 25th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullOver 2 Million Americans Aren't Working Due to Long Covid, Says Brookings
Between two million and four million Americans aren’t working due to the long-term effects of Covid-19, according to a new Brookings Institution report released Wednesday. The inability to work translates to roughly $170 billion a year in lost wages, the report estimates. It follows a January Brookings Institution report that estimated long Covid was potentially causing 15% of the country’s labor shortage.
The report estimates that roughly 16 million Americans of working age—between 18 and 65—have long Covid, which most groups and doctors define as wide-ranging symptoms that persist for months following an infection and can include shortness of breath, extreme fatigue and neurocognitive issues.
24th Aug 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
China reopens doors for foreign students as pandemic concerns ease
China is easing its tight restrictions on visas after it largely suspended issuing them to foreign students and others more than two years ago at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The website of the Chinese Embassy in India said the updated procedures would take effect from Wednesday, without making a specific mention of vaccine requirements or proof of a negative test for the virus. China still requires those arriving from abroad be quarantined at a hotel or private home and proof of a negative test is required for entry to many public and commercial spaces.
24th Aug 2022 - The Independent
Leaving no one behind in the fight against COVID-19
Domestic travel in Europe this summer is projected to fully return to 2019 levels, and many countries have been easing COVID-19 restrictions since spring. While this state of “normality” is a huge relief for many, it is a cause for greater concern among the immunocompromised community. COVID-19 continues to circulate, with infections increasing in many European countries — including Germany, France, Italy, Greece and Austria.
24th Aug 2022 - POLITICO Europe
COVAX offers Mexico 10 mln COVID shots for kids after president protests delays
The United Nations-backed COVAX vaccine program has offered Mexico 10 million doses of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 shots for children after the country's president vowed to complain to the U.N. over delays, a senior Mexican official said on Tuesday. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador this week said Mexico was owed $75 million after it received less than half the 52 million vaccine doses it was allocated under the COVAX program, which aims to distribute shots equitably worldwide
24th Aug 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 24th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in full47% Of U.S. Adults Took An At-Home COVID-19 Test In The Past 3 Months, Survey Reveals
Despite the recent ease of COVID-19 restrictions, nearly half of U.S. adults (47%) say they took an at-home COVID-19 test at some point in the past three months after feeling sick, according to new data from the Forbes Health-Ipsos Monthly Health Tracker survey. Additionally, of the 1,120 U.S. adults polled between August 16 and 17, 65% stayed home or away from people they don’t live with if they felt ill, 44% isolated from people inside their household and 27% took a PCR COVID-19 test from a doctor or testing site. (Respondents could choose multiple answers.)
If you’re experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, such as a cough, fever or chills, or just want peace of mind when traveling and gathering with others, there are many testing avenues available.
23rd Aug 2022 - Forbes
China says COVID has exacerbated decline in births, marriages
China's National Health Commission said COVID-19 has contributed to the decline in the country's marriage and birth rates that has accelerated in recent years due to the high costs of education and child-rearing. Many women are continuing to delay their plans to marry or have children, it said, adding that rapid economic and social developments have led to "profound changes". Young people relocating to urban areas, more time spent on education and high-pressure working environments have also played their part, it added.
23rd Aug 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 23rd Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 remains an issue as South Florida students start new school year
Students across South Florida are settling into their second week of school and while this is the most normal start to the school year since the start of the 2019 school year, COVID-19 does remain an issue for students to deal with.
22nd Aug 2022 - CBS News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 22nd Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullThailand to Allow Foreign Tourists to Extend Stay as Covid Eases
Thailand will permit an extended length of stay for foreign tourists between October and March in a bid to support its economic recovery as pressures from Covid-19 ease. Foreigners from 18 territories coming to Thailand under the visa on arrival category will be allowed to double their length of stay for up to 30 days, Taweesilp Visanuyothin, a spokesman for Thailand’s main Covid task force said on Friday. Those from more than 50 places that currently get 30 days will be able to stay for up to 45 days.
20th Aug 2022 - Bloomberg
Covid-19 booster jabs to be rolled out in England from early September
Nurses will be offered a flu vaccination alongside a Covid-19 booster jab this autumn where possible, NHS England has said as it outlined details of the latest stage of the coronavirus vaccination programme. The autumn Covid-19 vaccination booster programme is to start in the week beginning 5 September, with care home residents and housebound people being given the jab by NHS staff. The National Booking Service will also open that week, allowing people aged over 75 and the most clinically vulnerable, to book a vaccination from 12 September. Individuals will be offered the new bivalent Moderna vaccine, which targets the original Covid-19 virus strain and the omicron variant, “where appropriate and subject to sufficient supply”
19th Aug 2022 - Nursing Times
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 19th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullQuebec COVID-19 booster rates stay low as province launches new vaccination campaign
As Quebec prepares to launch a provincewide COVID-19 vaccination campaign ahead of a potential new fall wave, it's unclear whether it will be enough to prompt a pandemic-weary public to roll up their sleeves for another booster. As of Wednesday, only 56 per cent of Quebecers aged five and older had received a third vaccine dose -- a number that has hardly budged in months. Government officials have said that the low booster uptake is due to the fact that more than a million Quebecers have caught the novel coronavirus and consider themselves adequately protected. Health experts, meanwhile, say pandemic fatigue and government communication have also played a role.
18th Aug 2022 - CTV News Montreal
Time to Stop Using Ineffective Covid-19 Drugs
In this issue of the Journal, Bramante et al.6 report the results of the COVID-OUT randomized, controlled trial of oral metformin, ivermectin, and fluvoxamine for the early treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection in 1323 outpatients. The investigators found no reductions in hypoxemia, emergency department visits, hospitalization, or death associated with any of the three drugs. A strength of the trial is the selection of adults between the ages of 30 and 85 years who were at high risk for severe Covid-19 because of overweight or obesity. However, as a result, the trial may not be readily generalizable to patients at lower risk for severe disease. One secondary analysis, which should be interpreted with caution, suggested that metformin may reduce a composite of emergency department visit, hospitalization, or death in this population with overweight or obesity, a finding that indicates no more than the need for further investigation at this time.
18th Aug 2022 - nejm.org
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 18th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid vaccine volunteer army set for autumn rollout return as thousands of extra helpers sought
Thousands of extra volunteer vaccination staff will be recruited across the country to assist with the autumn booster rollout. St John Ambulance said it was looking for around 5,000 volunteers to help meet demand and is already training hundreds of people ahead of the booster campaign starting next month. It played a leading role in the delivery of the initial Covid vaccination campaign and is now stepping up its resources as it anticipates a surge in demand over autumn and winter.
17th Aug 2022 - iNews
Quebec will offer 5th dose of COVID-19 vaccine to all adults as of Aug. 29
With the upcoming school year and the return to work looming for many Quebecers, the province is launching a new COVID-19 vaccination campaign. In his first appearance at a COVID-19 news conference in six months, Premier François Legault said life is almost back to normal thanks to the vaccine. He's urging people who have not had a dose in the past five months or more to get another shot. "More people will be inside, there will be more contagion," Legault said. "So it's a really good time to be launching a massive vaccination campaign."
17th Aug 2022 - CBC.ca
BMA raises 'serious concerns' about GP workload and funding for autumn COVID boosters
The BMA has raised 'serious concerns' about the workload implications of this autumn's COVID-19 booster programme and argued that practices will be underpaid for the work they are doing.
17th Aug 2022 - GP Online
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 17th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullChina's service sector sustains recovery amid COVID-19 resurgence
China's service sector, a key driver of its economic growth, has sustained recovery momentum in July despite a resurgence of sporadic COVID-19 cases and a weak property market. The services production index grew 0.6 percent year on year last month, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed. In the first seven months, the index dropped by 0.3 percent year on year, narrowing 0.1 percentage points from that of the first six months.
16th Aug 2022 - Xinhua
Health DG: Paxlovid for high-risk Covid-19 patients, not for mild cases or prevention
The country’s policy on the usage of Covid-19 antiviral drug Paxlovid does not include low-risk, asymptomatic patients, says Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah. The medication was also not for prevention of Covid-19, he said. The ministry’s policy on administration of Paxlovid for Covid-19 was in line with the intent to reduce hospitalisation and deaths, he said. "The Malaysian policy on the usage of Paxlovid has not included low risk patients who have no symptoms or usage for prevention of infection. "Paxlovid is an antiviral and thus has to be started early when the illness is still in the mild category. "The usage of Paxlovid is based on risk stratification from real Covid-19 patients’ data, who are determined as at high risk of deterioration.
16th Aug 2022 - The Star Online
Western Trust eases Covid-19 restrictions for Altnagelvin, South West Acute and Omagh Hospital
The Western Trust has eased Covid-19 visiting rules in hospitals in Derry, Tyrone and Fermanagh by increasing the number of people allowed to visit their loved ones. The new guidance will now allow for two visitors to visit at the same time, for one hour per day, per patient from four nominated visitors. The Northern Ireland trust said that e xceptions would continue to apply in some areas, but it's hoped that a move to a further ‘gradual easing’ of restrictions would continue during the next review on September 5.
16th Aug 2022 - Belfast Live
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 16th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullStudents throughout Southland return to school without strict COVID-19 protocols in place
Article reports that LAUSD has faced a noted decrease in enrollment this year versus those in the past. Experts say this is because of the cost of living in L.A., prompting families to move elsewhere, as well as opting to make different schooling choices for a variety of reasons both related to and unrelated to coronavirus. In an effort to bring numbers back up, Carvalho and other district employees set out to door knock throughout Los Angeles County to find children who needed to return to education. "We have progressively identified the 'Lost Children of Los Angeles. That's my name for them.
15th Aug 2022 - CBS News
Student exchange programs resume with caution after COVID-19 disruption, but some delays persist
Exchange programs were thrown into turmoil due to COVID-19 and related travel bans. Some programs have recently resumed but hold-ups persist in some regions such as WA. Students in the first cohort of post-COVID exchanges were relieved they did not miss out
15th Aug 2022 - ABC News
Pandemic pushed millions more into poverty in the Philippines, government says
About 2.3 million people in the Philippines were pushed into poverty between 2018 and 2021, largely due to the economic downturn caused by the pandemic, the statistics agency said on Monday. The number of people living in poverty in 2021 rose to a total of almost 20 million or 18.1% of the population from 16.7% in 2018, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said, overshooting the government's target of 15.5%-17.5%. Recently inaugurated President Ferdinand Marcos Jr aims to slash the poverty rate to 9% by the end of his single six-year term in 2028 - a target that remains achievable despite soaring inflation, according to Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.
15th Aug 2022 - Reuters
Pandemic-Era Free School Meals Expire, Leaving Some Districts Seeking Solutions
Millions of school children are heading back to class this month without free breakfast or lunch for the first time in two years, to the disappointment of many parents and school administrators who are facing rising costs of food and supplies due to inflation. Some federal pandemic-era provisions that allowed schools to serve universal free meals will expire when districts start school for the fall, leaving many districts unprepared to make up the difference and urging parents to apply for a free or reduced-price lunch. While the provisions were always meant to be temporary, the expiration comes as supply-chain disruptions and rising food prices are pushing school-meal prices higher.
14th Aug 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 15th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in full'Eligibility criteria' required for free Covid-19 Lateral Flow Kits as Manx care to stop PCR tests
The Isle of Man is changing its Covid-19 testing providers and policies. From 31 August Manx Care will no longer deliver PCR testing as part of the Island's approach to "living with the virus". People may still get a PCR test, for example if needed for travel, through private providers on Island. In addition, from 15 August Lateral Flow Tests will no longer be free for all. From Monday people will also no longer be required to perform a Lateral Flow Test before entering a health and social care setting. This includes patients attending day clinics, visitors to Noble's Hospital and visitors to residential or care homes operated by Manx Care.
12th Aug 2022 - ITV News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 12th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullAfrica CDC hopeful Aspen will get COVID vaccine orders
Africa's top public health body said on Thursday it was hopeful South African pharmaceutical firm Aspen Pharmacare would get orders for its own brand COVID-19 vaccine. Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said last month that it is in detailed discussions with buyers to generate demand for Aspen's COVID-19 vaccine Aspenovax. Just one fifth of adults in Africa are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but demand has fallen across the continent which already receives donated vaccines from Western countries and has supplies to hand from earlier purchases.
11th Aug 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 11th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullPharmacies, GPs at odds over antivirals
A push to allow access to COVID-19 treatments without a prescription could jeopardise patient safety, the general practitioners body warns. There are two oral antivirals available in Australia, and while early treatment is critical to lessen the effects of the virus, access is restricted. All Australians over 70 and those over 50 at risk of severe disease from COVID-19 are eligible to access the treatments, with patients requiring a prescription from a GP or a nurse practitioner.
11th Aug 2022 - The West Australian
Californians are staying infected with the coronavirus for a long time. Here’s why
Health officials recommend that anyone infected with the coronavirus isolate for at least five days. But for many, that timeline is becoming overly optimistic. The isolation period, which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shortened in December from 10 days to five, is more a starting point than a hard-and-fast rule in California. According to the state Department of Public Health, exiting isolation after five days requires a negative result from a rapid test on or after the fifth day following the onset of symptoms or first positive test — a step not included in federal guidelines. But many people don’t start testing negative that early. “If your test turns out to be positive after five days, don’t be upset because the majority of people still test positive until at least Day 7, to Day 10 even,” Dr. Clayton Chau, director of the Orange County Health Care Agency, said during a briefing Thursday. “So that’s the majority. That’s the norm.”
The isolation period, which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shortened in December from 10 days to five, is more a starting point than a hard-and-fast rule in California. According to the state Department of Public Health, exiting isolation after five days requires a negative result from a rapid test on or after the fifth day following the onset of symptoms or first positive test — a step not included in federal guidelines.
10th Aug 2022 - LA Times
Pharmacies to get £15 per consultation in pilot to tackle COVID-19 jab fears
Reported COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is “high for some groups in Tower Hamlets” and “significant numbers of residents remain unvaccinated”, the borough’s council revealed in the service specification. As of May 1, just 68% of those eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination in Tower Hamlets had received a first dose, with 61.7% of that group opting to have a second dose. Just 40.1% of those eligible have had a booster dose. “Evidence clearly indicates that patients value talking directly to a trusted health professional when considering whether or not to have a COVID-19 vaccine,” Tower Hamlets Council acknowledged. “Community pharmacists in Tower Hamlets are well placed to provide that support”.
10th Aug 2022 - Chemist+Druggist
Vaccine and drug development boosted by new CSIRO lab
Australia’s national science agency will open the doors of a new $23.1 million national vaccine and drug laboratory in Melbourne on Thursday, after six years of planning and delays. The CSIRO National Vaccine and Therapeutics Lab, based in the south-eastern Melbourne suburb of Clayton, is designed to help turn vaccine and drug candidates into products that can be manufactured onshore in large quantities for clinical trials and will be available for use by companies and researchers around the country.
11th Aug 2022 - Australian Financial Review
Covid-19 Northern Ireland: Expert 'optimistic' autumn wave can be avoided
A leading immunology expert believes high Omicron infection rates should protect the general population against an autumn wave of Covid — unless a new variant emerges. Professor of Experimental Immunology, Kingston Mills, has also said it would be a mistake to offer vaccine booster doses before an updated, and more effective vaccine, becomes available in Europe over the coming months. During the most recent study week between July 14–July 20, the Department of Health estimated that 113,400 people in Northern Ireland had Covid-19 — around 1 in 16 people. In the week ending July 29, the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) reported 22 Covid-related deaths, taking the total to 4,774 since the pandemic began.
10th Aug 2022 - Belfast Telegraph
S.Africa's Aspen to halt COVID vaccine output as J&J orders dry up
South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare will stop making COVID-19 vaccines from the end of this month due to a lack of orders, a senior executive said, further undermining Africa's already meager capacity to produce doses. Aspen currently produces vaccines for Johnson & Johnson. In March, it struck a deal to produce, price, and sell its own-brand version of the shot for African markets.
10th Aug 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 10th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullPfizer readies ‘robust’ manufacturing capabilities to deliver 2 COVID-19 variant vaccines
Pfizer is planning to deliver COVID-19 vaccines against two sets of omicron subvariants in the autumn in the belief its “robust manufacturing capabilities” are up to the task.
9th Aug 2022 - BioPharma-Reporter
Health experts urge making fourth COVID vaccine more available
As Mexico’s fifth wave of coronavirus infections continues, two health experts have criticized the federal government for its slow and limited rollout of fourth shots of COVID-19 vaccines. The government has offered second booster shots to seniors, people with existing medical conditions that make them vulnerable to serious illness and health workers, but not all younger adults have had access to a fourth dose.
According to The New York Times vaccinations tracker, 72% of Mexicans (adults and children) are vaccinated and 63% are fully vaccinated, but only 44% have had additional shots. Most of the booster shots administered to date have been third doses. Francisco Moreno, an infectious disease specialist and head of COVID-19 care at the ABC Hospital in Mexico City, said that Mexico is behind where it should be in terms of fourth-dose coverage.
8th Aug 2022 - Mexico News Daily
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 9th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullChile's Easter Island reopens to tourists after pandemic shutdown
Chile's Easter Island received its first group of tourists on Thursday after closing its borders for more than two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. Easter Island, over 2,000 miles (3,219 km) from the coast of Chile, has over a thousand stone statues -- giant heads that were carved centuries ago by the island's inhabitants -- which have brought it fame and UNESCO World Heritage Site status. "(Easter Island) is the biggest open air museum in the world," said Pedro Edmunds, the mayor of Easter Island, adding that it was time to open the island after it shut its borders 868 days ago.
8th Aug 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 8th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullDesperately seeking nurses: What can be done to retain them?
The pandemic has taken a toll on nurses. Across nations, nurses are quitting in large numbers. In Singapore, they are resigning in record numbers, causing a severe shortage at the hospitals. The Straits Times looks at why they quit and where some of them have gone to.
6th Aug 2022 - The Straits Times
All Manitoba kids 6 months and older can get COVID-19 vaccine starting Friday
Articlee reports that all kids in Manitoba six months and older will be eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine starting Friday morning, the province says in a news release. Previously, only Indigenous kids and those with certain health conditions were eligible to get their shots. Parents and caregivers can start booking appointments for newly eligible kids at 9 a.m. Children need to be at least six months old at the time of their appointment, the release said. Health Canada approved the two-dose Moderna vaccine for kids ages six months to four years old in July. So far, Manitoba has gotten 14,900 doses, the release said. It's shipped more than 3,700 of them to regional vaccine sites and medical clinics and another 2,100 to First Nations medical leadership to distribute in their communities.
5th Aug 2022 - CBC.ca
Hospitalizations, deaths tied to COVID-19 up slightly, latest report says
The latest provincial report on COVID-19 in Manitoba suggests an uptick in some severe outcomes for the second week in a row, including more people landing in hospital due to the coronavirus. The report says 53 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized during the week ending July 30, compared to 45 one week earlier. Slightly fewer people ended up in intensive care units: there were seven ICU admissions, down from eight ICU admissions during the week ending July 23. There were six deaths associated with coronavirus, up from five the week before. So far, 2,067 people have died due to COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.
5th Aug 2022 - CBC.ca
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 5th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullLilly Plans to Sell Covid-19 Antibody Directly to Health-Care Providers
Eli Lilly & Co. plans to sell its Covid-19 antibody directly to health providers, states and territories in a bid to keep the drug available even as US government funding and purchases dry up. The US is working with Lilly to allow it to sell the antibody, bebtelovimab, through commercial channels, representatives for the Indianapolis-based drugmaker and the Health and Human Services Department said Wednesday. The government’s supply of the therapy will run out as early as the week of Aug. 22, according to Lilly spokeswoman Dani Barnhizer. Concern about the pandemic has ebbed as vaccines have prevented high numbers of severe cases and deaths that accompanied the outbreak’s early stages. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has been frustrated by unwillingness in Congress to provide more funds to continue buying Covid drugs and shots.
4th Aug 2022 - Bloomberg
Covid-19: Unprecedented levels of chronic absence in schools
The impact of the Covid pandemic has resulted in "unprecedented" numbers of children chronically absent from school, the Department of Education (DE) has said. It said the rate of absences was evident from figures it collected during the 2021-22 school year. Chronic absence is classed as missing more than 10% of the year. The children's commissioner in England is concerned some pupils never fully returned to school after lockdowns. An investigation by Dame Rachel de Souza suggested persistent absence from school was at a rate in England almost twice as high as before the pandemic. Previous reports from the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY) also said that the pandemic and restrictions had "a severe impact" on children and young people. Most pupils in Northern Ireland were taught remotely out of school for months in 2020 and in early 2021.
4th Aug 2022 - BBC News
Economically inactive Britons with long Covid has ‘doubled’ in a year
One in 20 people in the UK who are neither employed nor seeking paid work are suffering from long Covid, with the figure more than doubling in the past year, official data has revealed. The proportion is far higher than for the one in 29 people who are unemployed but seeking work who have long Covid symptoms, or the one in 30 employed people who are sufferers, data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows.
4th Aug 2022 - The Guardian
'Permanent shock' to nursing homes? Facilities fail to replace workers who quit after COVID outbreaks
Before pandemic, 82% of facilities did not meet recommended staffing levels. Pay levels are low and competition from hospitals is steep. Industry says inadequate government funding impacts recruitment and retention
4th Aug 2022 - USA Today
Photo exposes stark difference in China’s Covid-19 lockdown rules
One photo has summed up the mind-boggling difference in Covid rules between two neighboring Chinese districts. The image, shared on social media by Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow for global health Yanzhong Huang, shows locals on one side of a street lining up for Covid tests, while on the other, diners are enjoying their restaurant meals. Dr Huang said the photo represented a “tale of two districts in Chengdu, (a city in) Sichuan province”. “Residents of Chenghua district (left) line up to be tested on Covid, while residents of Jinniu district (right) wait to get a nice meal,” he wrote. He said the Chenghua district was currently under strict lockdown rules after a concentration of Covid cases in the area.
4th Aug 2022 - New York Post
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 4th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullCOVID deaths: US stuck in 'horrible plateau,' experts say. Here's why.
"COVID is over" might trend within social media circles, but weekly U.S. death tolls tell a different story. The pace of COVID-19 deaths has remained relatively steady since May, despite an uptick in July to about 400 a day, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins University data. “We’re sitting on this horrible plateau,” said Dr. Daniel Griffin, an infectious disease specialist with Pro Health Care in New York and a clinical instructor of medicine at Columbia University. “It’s been this way for the past couple of months, and we’re getting used to it.”
3rd Aug 2022 - USA TODAY
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 3rd Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullMidwives ask officials to justify ongoing Covid vaccine mandate
Health officials are being asked to reconsider the evidence used to ban midwives from working if they are unvaccinated against Covid-19. In a letter to Minister of Health Andrew Little and then-minister for Covid-19 Response Chris Hipkins, dated May 11 2022 and obtained under the Official Information Act, College of Midwives chief executive Alison Eddy urged the government "to ensure a robust evidence review is undertaken as soon as possible". She wanted the review to inform decisions about the future of the Covid-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers, "given the critical nature of the midwifery workforce shortages". "This review needs to quantify the threat posed by unvaccinated health care workers who have access to daily pre-work RATs (rapid antigen tests) and PPE (personal protective equipment), against the risks posed by a lack of qualified health practitioners available to provide essential maternity care."
2nd Aug 2022 - New Zealand Herald
Health officials predict COVID-19 cases will rise once school starts, as millions of kids remain unvaccinated
Health officials predict COVID-19 cases will rise once school starts, fueling community spread, as millions of kids remain unvaccinated and the BA.5 omicron subvariant remains the dominant strain.
2nd Aug 2022 - YAHOO!News
Covid-19: Two months of 'substantially lower infections' ahead
New Zealand is likely in for “a couple of months” of lower Covid-19 infections now the second Omicron peak has passed, experts say. However, there are plenty of other viruses circulating and people should keep up health measures, such as wearing masks and staying home when sick, they say. A panel of health experts answered reader questions on all things Covid-19 – including what we should expect in the next six months – in a live discussion on Stuff.
2nd Aug 2022 - Stuff.co.nz
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 2nd Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullHow Covid-19 has changed the world's view on education
Coronavirus was a transformative global event. The Covid-19 pandemic affected the whole world and with it came many significant changes. It disrupted and influenced the education sector drastically and affected all students and educators, not just in regard to academics but also in their broader health and wellbeing.
Overall, education has become increasingly more flexible and accessible for those across the world. We know now that every curriculum can be taught online – whilst still allowing students to learn alongside their peers meaning that they don’t feel isolated. After the historic period of disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic, most schools across the globe are back to operating again. But the education industry is still massively in recovery and assessing the damage and lessons learned during the global pandemic. The Covid-19 pandemic affected more than 1.5 billion students worldwide, with the most vulnerable learners having the greatest impact.
1st Aug 2022 - Independent Education Today
Covid-19: Ontario hospitals close wards as nursing shortage bites
At least 14 hospitals in Canada’s most populous province are operating without key services this weekend as exhausted and depleted nursing staff struggle to cope with a surge in patients with covid-19. The closures include the intensive care unit at Bowmanville’s hospital and emergency departments at Wingham and Listowel. Hospitals in Alexandria, Brampton, Clinton, and Perth have also shut their emergency departments at times in recent weeks. “This decision was not made lightly,” a spokeswoman for the Bowmanville hospital told CTV News, explaining that intensive care patients would be transferred to Ajax Pickering and Oshawa hospitals. “We recognise the impact of this temporary relocation on patients and their families.” Toronto’s University Health Network revealed this week that the emergency department of Toronto Western Hospital was so understaffed last weekend that nursing students were called in.
1st Aug 2022 - The BMJ
Covid-19: Staff absences in July surged amid ongoing pressure on hospitals
NHS staff absences in England reached the highest peak in July since mid-April, amid continuing high numbers of SARS-CoV-2 infections and unrelenting demand for hospital beds. In a joint editorial published last week the editors of The BMJ and Health Service Journal, Kamran Abbasi and Alastair McLellan, sounded the alarm at the current situation and lamented the government’s inaction in tackling the “covid-driven collapse in services.” They argued, “The constant pressure created by repeated covid waves is already the main reason that the NHS is nowhere near reaching the activity levels needed to begin to recover performance. “The nation’s attempt to ‘live with covid’ is the straw that is breaking the NHS’s back. The government must stop gaslighting the public and be honest about the threat the pandemic still poses to them and the NHS.” Given the current trends, the editors also questioned the government’s assertion that the link between infections and hospital admissions had been broken.
1st Aug 2022 - The BMJ
Covid: Families facing ‘postcode lottery’ of care home ‘lockdown’ restrictions
Families are still facing a “postcode lottery” of Covid restrictions in care homes, with some being forced to wear masks and see their loved ones through perspex screens, despite the official rules having been relaxed. Visits should be unrestricted unless there is a Covid outbreak in a home, when residents are allowed “to have one visitor at a time”, according to guidance from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). However, some homes are still imposing extra restrictions, leaving families at the mercy of individual providers.
1st Aug 2022 - The Independent
COVID in WA: Pressure eased on hospitals as virus admissions fall but AMA warns ‘worst still to come’
WA has reported a dip in COVID hospitalisations and continued its downward trend in active cases providing hope the worst of the winter Omicron wave may have passed. Speaking form Karratha, Premier Mark McGowan announced the number of West Australians in hospital with COVID fell to 418 on Thursday, down from 442 the previous day. There was also a slight fall in ICU patients from 17 to 16. Mr McGowan said both figures were “good news” while 4961 new infections were reported – down from 5422 on Wednesday. Five more West Australians died with COVID in the latest reporting period although the Premier did not detail their ages.
1st Aug 2022 - PerthNow
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 1st Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullGovernment's slow COVID-19 response worsened health inequalities, warns BMA
The final instalment of a BMA review that will be submitted to the public inquiry on the pandemic also said that disabled people across the UK were more likely to die of COVID-19 than non-disabled people, and also to experience worse mental health. The BMA said the UK entered the pandemic ‘on the back foot’ because of underfunding of public health and an absence of cross-government accountability exacerbating health inequalities. BMA chair Professor Philip Banfield blamed the tardiness of the government’s response to COVID-19 for worsening health inequalities.
29th Jul 2022 - GP online
Covid-19 infections drop for first time in two months
Covid-19 infections in the UK have dropped for the first time in two months, though prevalence of the virus remains high, new figures show. It is the first time total infections have fallen since the week ending May 28 and is the biggest sign so far that the current wave may have peaked. This comes as the number of hospital patients with Covid-19 has also started to fall. Estimates suggest 3.2 million people in private households in the UK have had the virus in the week to 20 July, down 16% from 3.8 million in the previous week, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). However, infections are not on a clear downwards trend in all parts of the country.
29th Jul 2022 - Liverpool Echo
COVID infections fall in New Zealand, worst case scenario likely avoided
New Zealand's government said on Wednesday new COVID-19 cases were trending down and it looked likely the country would avoid a feared worst-case scenario of 20,000 infections daily. In the last seven days there were on average 8,111 new cases daily of COVID, down from a seven-day rolling average of 9,367 new cases in the week prior, according to Health Ministry data released on Wednesday. Currently 808 people were in hospital with COVID, which was also a lower number than earlier, data showed.
29th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Japan urges regions to mount COVID fight as variant spreads
Japan is encouraging regional authorities to take steps to contain a new coronavirus variant that has sent cases to record levels, but there is no plan for sweeping national measures. A seventh wave of COVID-19 pushed the daily tally of new cases in Japan to a record 233,094 on Thursday as the BA.5 variant spreads, putting pressure on medical services and disrupting some company operations.
Japan has never imposed national lockdowns on the scale of some other countries and has instead periodically asked people to stay at home as much as possible and limited the opening hours of restaurants and bars.
29th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Japan's factory output zooms as China eases COVID curbs
Japan's factories ramped up output at the fastest pace in more than nine years in June as disruptions due to China's COVID-19 curbs eased, a welcome sign for policymakers hoping the economic outlook will improve. Separate data showed retail sales rose for the fourth straight month in June, supporting the view that rising consumption helped the economy return to growth in the second quarter after contracting in January-March
29th Jul 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullCityU researchers invents accurate rapid COVID-19 antibody level test
Vaccines have become the most important weapon in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, but antibody levels after vaccination decay quickly over time. Therefore, an accurate and affordable antibody rapid test is urgently needed to adjust the revaccination strategy. A research team led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) recently invented an accurate rapid-testing device that can quantify and display the antibody level as a length of a visual bar, like a mercury thermometer, in as few as 20 minutes, enabling convenient mass screening or individual monitoring of immune protection against COVID-19.
28th Jul 2022 - EurekAlert!
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View this newsletter in fullMillions of US children remain unvaccinated as BA.5 spreads and new school year looms
Millions of school-age children in the United States are still unvaccinated against Covid-19 as many prepare for a return to school. A new CNN analysis finds that less than half of children and teens are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, and only a tenth have been boosted. Many of the nation's largest school systems -- including Los Angeles Unified, City of Chicago, Miami-Dade County and Clark County in Nevada -- start school next month.
27th Jul 2022 - CNN
A global effort to stop COVID-19 in Africa is underway–and it starts with health care workers
The latest wave of infections across the world provides us with yet another reminder the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. For many in developing countries, this will come as no surprise. While three in four people living in high-income countries have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the vaccination rate falls to just one in six in low-income countries. This is particularly true in Africa, where less than a fifth of the continent’s population has been fully vaccinated. Africa’s vaccine rollout is lagging compared to wealthier regions even though there is an overabundance of supply across the globe. We need to recognize COVID-19 vaccine supply is not the only barrier to tackling the pandemic. For many African countries, the bigger issue is having enough trained health workers able to deliver life-saving vaccines into the arms of patients.
27th Jul 2022 - Fortune
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View this newsletter in fullFeds look ahead to next-generation COVID vaccines
The White House tomorrow will host a summit on the future of COVID-19 vaccines, which will be streamed online. One of the main topics is speeding development of a more broadly protective COVID-19 vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) vaccine advisory group recently recommended a bivalent booster shot that includes the original SARS-CoV-2 strain and an Omicron variant, and at the meeting, several members aired concerns that officials will more frequently face the challenge of tweaking the vaccine to keep up with the quickly evolving virus. At the global level, researchers are working on a roadmap for developing a new coronavirus vaccine to broadly protect against the most dangerous ones.
26th Jul 2022 - CIDRAP
Monkeypox Vaccine Maker Bavarian Nordic Considers 24-Hour Emergency Production
Bavarian Nordic A/S, the only company with a vaccine approved for monkeypox, said it’s preparing to run production through the night to meet surging demand after the virus outbreak was declared a global emergency. The flare-up of monkeypox, which has spread to about 16,000 people in more than 70 countries in just a few months, was declared a public-health emergency of international concern by the head of the World Health Organization over the weekend. This is the highest level of alert that aims to marshal more resources globally to curb the outbreak and is the first such ruling since coronavirus started sweeping around the world.
26th Jul 2022 - Bloomberg
China’s Zero-Covid Policy Drags on Vaccination Drive
China’s sluggish progress in vaccinating the elderly and vulnerable against Covid-19 is impeding any departure from the cycles of mass testing and lockdowns that are hobbling the world’s second-largest economy. While the government stepped up efforts to raise inoculation rates in recent months, tens of millions of Chinese over 60 remain entirely unvaccinated against Covid-19, and many more have yet to take booster shots needed to protect against the Omicron subvariants now fueling outbreaks. Officials have tried to overcome skepticism and inertia against vaccination, particularly among the elderly, by revealing that top Chinese leaders have taken domestically developed shots and lashing out at what they called irresponsible rumors alleging serious side effects from vaccines.
26th Jul 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Record number of COVID-hit Australians in hospital as Omicron surges
The number of Australians admitted to hospitals with COVID-19 hit a record of about 5,450 on Monday, official data showed, as the spread of highly contagious new Omicron sub-variants strains the healthcare system nationwide. The figure has grown since late June, as the BA.4 and BA.5 strains became dominant since they can evade immune protection, whether from vaccination or prior infection, while some experts say the latter can be as infectious as measles.
26th Jul 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullSlow uptake of Pfizer's Covid drug hints at end to sales boom
Sales of Pfizer’s antiviral drug Paxlovid have leapfrogged a rival pill developed by Merck and now dominate the Covid-19 treatments market, but slower than expected patient uptake could dent sales over the next six months and beyond. Airfinity, a health data analytics group, said recent data showed the whirlwind pace of new supply deals Pfizer signed had begun to slow because of the lacklustre rollout of a treatment billed as a key tool to help quell the pandemic. By the end of 2022 there could be a surplus of up to 70mn courses of Paxlovid on the global market following an increase in Pfizer’s production and weak demand for a treatment that US president Joe Biden is taking to fight his Covid infection.
25th Jul 2022 - Financial Times
Defence force to expand aged care support as COVID-19 wave hits sector
The federal government is expanding Defence force support for Australia's coronavirus-stricken aged care sector. More than 200 extra military medical personnel will be deployed to aged care homes in coming weeks, Defence Minister Richard Marles has announced. The move came after aged care providers and trade unions requested Defence force support for the sector be extended beyond the August 12 end date.
25th Jul 2022 - 9News
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View this newsletter in fullRecoveries greater than new cases as COVID total drops
After enjoying almost 2 months of being COVID free, Cambodia today again recorded new COVID cases. Today’s official daily new COVID case total (diagnosed by PCR test) was 20, bringing the COVID case total to 136,565 cases. Cambodia announced 0 new deaths, bringing the total to 3,056 direct deaths from COVID-19 in Cambodia.
23rd Jul 2022 - Khmer Times
South Australian COVID-19 acute commander appointed as new measures taken to free up hospital beds
A record number of people with COVID-19 are in South Australia's hospitals. New wards for patients with the virus are opening in Adelaide hospitals. Agency and student nurses will be recruited to replace some of the 1,200 infected SA Health staff.
22nd Jul 2022 - ABC News
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View this newsletter in fullActive COVID-19 cases hit 5-month high in West Virginia
Active cases of COVID-19 hit their highest levels in West Virginia in five months Thursday. There were at least 3,221 ongoing cases in the state, the highest since 3,339 on Feb. 24, according to the Department of Health and Human Resources’ COVID-19 dashboard. Active cases statewide had plunged to 263 on April 4 after surpassing 21,000 in January. Confirmed daily cases in West Virginia surpassed 480 on Tuesday and Wednesday after falling below 400 on each of the previous four days.
21st Jul 2022 - The Associated Press
Rise in Covid-19 hospital patients in England levels off
The latest rise in the number of hospital patients in England testing positive for Covid-19 looks to have come to a halt, with figures levelling off slightly below the previous peak. A total of 13,375 people with coronavirus were in hospital as of 8am on July 21, down 3% on the previous week. It is the second day in a row the total has shown a week-on-week fall. The rate of increase has been slowing steadily since the start of July, after rising as high as 39%. The figures suggest the impact of the current wave of Covid-19 may be starting to ease – and that patient levels will not reach the sort of levels seen during the surge in infections earlier this year.
21st Jul 2022 - The Independent on MSN.com
Australia battles fresh Omicron outbreak as COVID deaths rise
Australia reported one of its highest daily death tolls from the novel coronavirus on Thursday while hospital admissions hovered near record levels, as authorities struggle to get ahead of highly contagious Omicron variants. The BA.4/5 variants are good at evading immune protection from vaccination or prior infection and have been driving a surge of new infections globally. Australia is reporting the highest daily numbers since the first Omicron wave earlier this year, with 89 deaths from the coronavirus on Thursday and 90 on Wednesday. Just over 55,600 new cases were recorded on Thursday, the highest since May 18. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said state leaders and federal health officials have not recommended making masks mandatory in indoor venues, despite calls by some doctors to do so.
21st Jul 2022 - Yahoo News UK
Tokyo hits pandemic record on rise of new Covid-19 subvariants
The numbers show a resurgence has taken hold in the Japanese capital ahead of the summer holidays, when travel and activity levels typically soar. Rising cases are forcing leaders to reconsider what steps might be needed to contain the outbreak – may add pressure to slow the pace of reopening to tourists
21st Jul 2022 - South China Morning Post
Micronesia last of bigger nations to have COVID-19 outbreak
Micronesia has likely become the final nation in the world with a population of more than 100,000 to experience an outbreak of COVID-19. For more than two-and-a-half years, the Pacific archipelago managed to avoid any outbreaks thanks to its geographic isolation and border controls. Those people who flew into the country with the disease didn’t spread it because all new arrivals were required to quarantine. But as has been the case in several other Pacific nations this year, those defenses couldn’t keep out the more transmissible omicron variant forever.
21st Jul 2022 - Associated Press
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View this newsletter in fullMacau Casinos to Reopen Saturday After Covid-19 Shutdown
Casinos in the gambling hub of Macau will be allowed to reopen Saturday after a nearly two-week shutdown amid a Covid-19 outbreak, according to the government.
The citywide lockdown that began July 11 was the first shutdown of casinos in Macau since the early days of the pandemic in 2020. The government said most nonessential industries, companies and venues will be allowed to reopen starting Saturday through July 30. Las Vegas Sands Corp which operates several casinos in Macau, is scheduled to report quarterly earnings Wednesday, the first of the three U.S.-based operators in Macau to update investors since the closures this month. Industry executives have continued to express confidence in a Macau comeback, but analysts have lowered gambling revenue forecasts for the Chinese territory this year, and some predict a full recovery won’t come until 2024.
20th Jul 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
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View this newsletter in fullA riskier approach to new vaccines will pay off
The UK has been hit by three consecutive waves of Omicron variants, each one appearing in a matter of weeks. If a future variant proves much more dangerous, we will not have much time to brace for impact. So what can be done? The answer: develop better vaccines. The simplest approach is, as with flu, to try to predict where the virus will be four to six months ahead, and to make booster doses accordingly. That looks feasible. After scaling up to meet demand for vaccines in 2021, the world has “unprecedented production capacity”, says Rasmus Bech Hansen, founder of Airfinity, a health analytics company — enough to produce another 8bn doses this year. But better, if we can figure out how to do it, is to make a vaccine that targets all Sars-Cov-2 variants, or a wider family of coronaviruses including Sars or, even more ambitiously, all coronaviruses.
15th Jul 2022 - Financial Times
UK Covid-19 vaccine boosters to be expanded to all over-50s
Uk government said it is offering Covid-19 booster shots to the over 50s this fall in an effort to combat the number of deaths and hospitalisations,
15th Jul 2022 - The Financial Times
Covid-19: High prevalence and lack of hospital beds putting “intense pressure” on ambulances
All 11 ambulance services in England are working under extreme pressure because of rising rates of covid-19 and a lack of available hospital beds, and leaders are now asking the public to take extra precautions in the hot weather to avoid adding to the already overwhelming workload. In a statement issued on 12 July, Martin Flaherty, managing director of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives said that the NHS ambulance sector was “under intense pressure” and was now operating at the highest level of their local resource escalation action plans, which is normally reserved for “major incidents or short term periods of unusual demand.”
In their Resource Escalation Action Plan there are four levels used to describe the pressure that ambulance services are under, with level 1 being “steady state” and level 4 “extreme pressure.” Positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 rose 32% at the end of June, with an estimated 2.3 million people infected.2
15th Jul 2022 - The BMJ
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View this newsletter in fullU.S. FDA classifies recall of GE's ventilator batteries as most serious
U.S. health regulators on Tuesday classified the recall of some backup batteries of GE Healthcare's ventilators, which the company had initiated in mid-April, as the most serious type, saying that their use could lead to injuries or death. The CARESCAPE R860 ventilator's backup batteries, including replacement backup batteries, were recalled as they were running out earlier-than-expected, which could cause the device to shut down preventing the patient from receiving breathing support, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.
14th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Hospital staff absences due to Covid-19 highest for nearly three months
Staff absences at NHS hospitals in England due to Covid-19 have jumped to their highest level for nearly three months, putting further pressure on health teams struggling to clear a record backlog of treatment, new figures show. It comes as the number of patients testing positive for the virus continues to rise across the country, driven by the latest wave of infections. An average of 22,918 hospital staff in England were absent each day in the week to July 6, either because they were sick with Covid-19 or were self-isolating. This is up 30% on the previous week, and is the highest since 23,813 absences in the week to April 20.
14th Jul 2022 - The Independent
Summer COVID spike is less severe - but relentless pressure on emergency departments is taking its toll
The North West has seen a rise of between 50% and 200% in COVID infections in recent weeks. And this comes at a time when the Royal Preston Hospital emergency department is struggling to cope with the sheer number of patients coming through its doors.
14th Jul 2022 - Sky News
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View this newsletter in fullThree million people in England yet to get a Covid jab
Three million people remain unvaccinated against Covid as MPs call for renewed push on vaccine roll out. The Public Accounts Committee warned on Wednesday many of the unvaccinated individuals are “young city-dwellers” with just five cities accounting for a quarter of those not jabbed. MPs warned people remain at risk of death and hospitalisation, calling for the NHS and public health authorities to “redouble” efforts on vaccinations.
13th Jul 2022 - The Independent
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View this newsletter in fullWhat is the long-term protection against COVID-19?
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is known to cause many clinical manifestations. The protection conferred by prior infection or vaccination against infection over the long term is poorly understood. A new paper in Immunological Reviews describes the immunologic parameters associated with protection from COVID-19.
12th Jul 2022 - News-Medical.Net
Moderna unveils positive data on new booster candidate
Just a few weeks after the FDA recommended that COVID-19 vaccine manufactures tweak their boosters to zero in on the omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, Moderna has unveiled promising new data for its prospect. On Monday, the mRNA specialist said its omicron-containing bivalent booster elicited higher neutralizing antibody responses compared with the current booster. After one month, trial participants who received the bivalent booster had BA.4 and BA.5 neutralizing antibodies that were 1.69 times higher than those who received the original booster, the company said.
11th Jul 2022 - FiercePharma
Long Covid Patients Leave UK to Seek Unproven Cures, Report Says
Thousands of UK patients with long Covid are leaving the country to seek expensive unproven treatments such as “blood washing” abroad, according to a report. Many travel to private clinics in Cyprus, Germany and Switzerland for apheresis -- a blood-filtering procedure -- and anti-clotting therapy, according to the investigation published Tuesday in the BMJ medical journal. One patient reported paying more than 50,000 euros ($50,185) for apheresis, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and an intravenous vitamin drip at a center in Cyprus and returning home with no improvement. Researchers are still puzzled as to the exact cause of long Covid, which can appear with vastly different effects in various groups of patients.
13th Jul 2022 - Bloomberg
As New Zealand reopens, exodus worsens labour crunch
New Zealand's easing of its strict border curbs has triggered a rush of new departures among locals seeking fresh opportunities abroad, adding further pressure to the country's already tight employment market. A net 10,674 people left the country over the 12 months to May, according to government data released on Tuesday, extending a drain that ran over the past year and is expected to last until new immigrants arrive in greater numbers in 2023.
12th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Covid cases set to hit new record as experts call for return of free testing and school air filtration systems
Covid cases are about to hit a new record after daily symptomatic infections reached 348,001 – just a few hundred below the previous high in March. Cases have more than tripled in the last six weeks, largely because of the new Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, which are much better at overcoming immunity built up from vaccinations and prior infections. But public and government behaviours are also playing a key role, with many acting as if the pandemic is over when that is far from the case, scientists say. This has enabled cases to soar from 114,030 on 1 June to 348,001 on Saturday 9 July – barely a thousand daily infections below the record 349,011 set on 31 March, according to the ZOE Covid study app.
12th Jul 2022 - i on MSN.com
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View this newsletter in fullOmicron Strains Drive New Covid Wave in Europe as Measures Fall Away
A Covid-19 infection wave driven by two hyper-infectious Omicron subvariants is moving rapidly across Europe, leading to an uptick in cases and hospitalizations in countries that have dropped the majority of preventive measures against the virus ahead of the summer months. European governments have discarded many Covid-19 mitigation strategies like mask mandates, mass testing and so-called Covid passports as their focus shifts to economic recovery and the war in Ukraine. A recent survey by McKinsey shows that fewer than 12% of the public in Germany, France, the U.K., Italy and Spain count the pandemic as a primary concern. Scientists don’t expect that the wave of infections will lead to the high death tolls seen before vaccine rollouts. But they are concerned that public and national health systems are ill-prepared for fall and winter waves that some predict could see double the current infection figures.
11th Jul 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Future Covid Variants Can Be Predicted by AI, Startup Claims
As pharmaceutical companies struggle to keep up with the rapidly mutating coronavirus, a startup in Cambridge, Mass., says it can help them by using artificial intelligence to predict future variants. Apriori Bio models the ways a virus might change and predicts how it will behave. The company says it’s harnessing that information to design “variant-proof” vaccines and treatments that can fight current and future strains—and provide an early warning to governments, sort of like a hurricane alert, to guide the public-health response. After honing its technology, called Octavia, for more than two years, the fledgling company is formally launching with $50 million in funding from Flagship Pioneering Inc., the incubator behind Moderna Inc.
11th Jul 2022 - Bloomberg
Indonesia Requires Covid Test From Travelers Without Booster Vaccine
Indonesia will reimpose a Covid-19 testing requirement for travelers who haven’t received their booster vaccine in order to curb a resurgence in cases. Starting from July 17, domestic travelers who have received their booster shot are not required to take the test prior to departure, the Transport Ministry said in a statement. The rest must prove a negative rapid antigen test result at least 24 hours before departing or a negative PCR test within 3 days before leaving, according to the statement published on the ministry’s website. People are still required to wear a mask in crowded areas, especially in cities where infection rates are higher.
11th Jul 2022 - Bloomberg
Practice supervisors' and assessors' experiences in the Covid-19 pandemic
The pandemic placed additional pressures on nursing practice assessors and supervisors. This article explores their experiences of supporting students during this period
11th Jul 2022 - Nursing Times
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View this newsletter in fullAustralians aged 30 and older are eligible for fourth COVID-19 booster. What do we know about it and when can you get it?
As health authorities attempt to ward off a surge in Omicron cases, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has expanded the eligibility of a fourth COVID-19 vaccine to people over 30.
8th Jul 2022 - Australian Broadcasting Corporation
COVID-19: New wave of Omicron mutations spreading across Europe, EU Medicines Agency warns
A new wave of Covid-19 is sweeping across Europe driven by Omicron mutations, an EU Medicines Agency official has warned. Head of vaccines at the agency, Marco Cavaleri, has said "the increase in transmission among older age groups is starting to translate into severe disease". The increase in the number of people testing positive is being driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 mutations of the Omicron variant.
8th Jul 2022 - Sky News
China COVID monitoring app cuts travel history scrutiny
China's national authorities are reducing scrutiny of citizens' travel history for COVID-19 monitoring, requiring that a mandatory mobile app shows the previous seven days of travel, down from 14, an adjustment likely to boost domestic tourism.
The app, whose name translates to itinerary card, helped authorities to identify whether people visited areas with COVID infections, and to decide whether they should be tested for the virus or possibly placed in quarantine.
8th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Macau uses two more casino hotels for COVID medical facilities
Macau authorities have added two hotels in popular casino resorts to be used as COVID-19 medical facilities from Friday as they try to increase capacity to handle a surge of infections in the world's biggest gambling hub. The east wing of Grand Lisboa Palace owned by SJM Holdings and the Grand Hyatt hotel owned by Melco Resorts will together provide close to 800 rooms, they said. Sands China's Sheraton hotel and Londoner resort have already been used as quarantine facilities.
8th Jul 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullCOVID and bust: China's private health system hurt by tough coronavirus controls
On March 24, a court in the central Chinese city of Fuyang announced that a $1.5 billion hospital built just four years earlier had filed for bankruptcy because it was unable to pay its debts. For most of the last two years, the Fuyang Minsheng Hospital had been fully involved in mass coronavirus vaccination and testing programmes in the city, training almost 100 staff to perform throat swabs and setting up mobile vaccination facilities to go to schools and workplaces, at the order of city officials. The diversion of resources into what China calls its 'zero-COVID' approach to contain and eliminate the virus forced the hospital to suspend many services it relied upon for revenue, sealing its financial failure.
7th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Australia's Covid hospital admissions at highest level since summer
Covid hospital admissions have reached their highest level since early February when Australia’s health system faced great pressure at the end of the first Omicron wave. The surge has prompted calls from leading epidemiologists and the Australian Medical Association (AMA) for stronger mask mandates, with concerns there are double the number of infections silently spreading through the community than official figures suggest. The national total of hospital admissions reached 3,781 on Wednesday, up from 3,740 on Tuesday and 3,511 on Monday – the highest numbers have been since 8 February. The nation is recording on average 33,000 cases each day.
7th Jul 2022 - The Guardian
NHS staff criticise ‘incomprehensible’ scrapping of special Covid leave
Covid-related absences had been fully paid for all NHS workers, regardless of their length of service. However from July 7 staff terms and conditions in coronavirus workforce guidance will be withdrawn, meaning the immediate end to sick pay for new episodes of Covid-19 sickness, according to the Royal College of Nursing, and access to special leave for the purposes of self-isolation will also be withdrawn.
7th Jul 2022 - Peeblesshire News
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View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 Vaccine Doses, Once in High Demand, Now Thrown Away
Governments, drugmakers and vaccination sites are discarding tens of millions of unused Covid-19 vaccine doses amid sagging demand, a sharp reversal from the early days of the mass-vaccination campaign, when doses were scarce. Vaccine manufacturer Moderna Inc. recently discarded about 30 million doses of its Covid-19 shot after failing to find takers, while pharmacies and clinics have had to throw out unused doses from multi-dose vials from Moderna and from Pfizer Inc. and its partner BioNTech SE that have a short shelf life once they are opened.
7th Jul 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
After the long wait, US parents seeking under-5s’ vaccine face yet more hurdles
Ashley Comegys, a parent of two young children in Florida, was ecstatic when the Covid vaccines were authorized for children above the age of six months in the US. “We’ve been waiting for this for so long,” she said. “We can finally start to spread our wings again.” But then she learned that Florida had missed two deadlines to preorder vaccines and would not make them available through state and local health departments, delaying the rollout by several weeks and significantly limiting access. “Rage does not adequately describe how I felt that they were basically inhibiting me from being able to make a choice to protect my children,” Comegys said.
6th Jul 2022 - The Guardian
Canada Plans To Throw Out 13.6 Million Doses Of Coronavirus Vaccine
Canada is going to throw out about 13.6 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine because it couldn’t find any takers for it either at home or abroad. Canada signed a contract with AstraZeneca in 2020 to get 20 million doses of its vaccine, and 2.3 million Canadians received at least one dose of it, mostly between March and June 2021.
6th Jul 2022 - HuffPost
U.S. FDA allows pharmacists to prescribe Pfizer's COVID-19 pill
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday it had authorized state-licensed pharmacists to prescribe Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 pill to eligible patients to help improve access to the treatment. The antiviral drug, Paxlovid, has been cleared for use and available for free in the United States since December, but fewer than half of the nearly 4 million courses distributed to pharmacies by the government so far have been administered.
6th Jul 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullCOVID and bust: China's private health system hurt by tough coronavirus controls
On March 24, a court in the central Chinese city of Fuyang announced that a $1.5 billion hospital built just four years earlier had filed for bankruptcy because it was unable to pay its debts. For most of the last two years, the Fuyang Minsheng Hospital had been fully involved in mass coronavirus vaccination and testing programmes in the city, training almost 100 staff to perform throat swabs and setting up mobile vaccination facilities to go to schools and workplaces, at the order of city officials.
6th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Covid-19: GPs are asked to opt into next vaccination phase this autumn
General practices that wish to continue giving covid booster vaccinations from September have until 14 July to sign up, NHS England has said. In guidance setting out expectations for the autumn booster campaign it also states that general practices choosing to provide vaccinations must have sufficient workforce capacity to keep delivering other services. The updated enhanced service—now “phase 5” of the vaccination campaign—will start on 1 September and will initially run to 31 March 2023, but it could be extended by as much as six months depending on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. GPs will continue to be paid £10.06 for each vaccine administered and £10 for each housebound patient.
5th Jul 2022 - The BMJ
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View this newsletter in fullChina's New Covid Flareup Threatens Crucial Yangtze Delta Region
China is racing to quash a new virus flareup that risks spilling over into one of its most economically significant regions, raising the specter of disruptions that could roil global supply chains for solar panels, medicines and semiconductor chips. Infections have surged in Si county in the eastern province of Anhui, with officials reporting 287 cases for Sunday and nearly 1,000 since late last week. Authorities locked down Si and a neighboring county late last week to try and stop the virus from spreading to nearby Jiangsu, the second biggest contributor to China’s economic output and a globally important manufacturing hub for the solar sector.
4th Jul 2022 - Bloomberg
Practices have until 14 July to sign up for autumn COVID-19 booster campaign
The ES, which runs from 1 September 2022 until 31 March 2023, indicates that the booster programme will operate in a similar way to previous phases of the vaccination campaign. Practices will be expected to work in a 'PCN grouping' to deliver the vaccinations at scale. GP practices do not have to be a member of a network to sign up to the ES, but they will be expected to collaborate with other practices and networks, the ES says. In a key change from previous phases of the vaccination programme, the ES specifies that practices 'must ensure that they have in place suitable arrangements to prevent the disruption of other services or obligations' under their contract'.
4th Jul 2022 - GP Online
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View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 infections in UK jump by more than half a million in a week
Covid-19 infections in the UK have jumped by more than half a million in a week, with the rise likely to be driven by the latest Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5, figures show. Hospital numbers are also continuing to increase, with early signs of a rise in intensive care admissions among older age groups. A total of 2.3 million people in private households are estimated to have had the virus last week, up 32% from a week earlier, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is the highest estimate for total infections since late April, but is still some way below the record high of 4.9 million seen at the peak of the Omicron BA.2 wave at the end of March.
1st Jul 2022 - Evening Standard
UK Sees ICU Admissions Rise Among Elderly as Covid Cases Climb
UK hospital admissions linked to Covid are climbing again as omicron subvariants cause new outbreaks across the country. England’s hospital admission rate for the week through June 26 stood at 11.11 per 100,000 people, jumping nearly 40% from 7.98 in the previous week, according to the UK Health Security Agency, with intensive-care cases spreading among older age groups. “We continue to see an increase in Covid-19 data, with a rise in case rates and hospitalizations in those aged 65 years and over, and outbreaks in care homes,” said Mary Ramsay, director of clinical programs at the agency.
30th Jun 2022 - Bloomberg
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View this newsletter in fullFair Pharma Scorecard shows industry has a long way to go for COVID-19 products
How has the pharma industry weighed human rights during its marketing of COVID-19 drugs and vaccines? That’s what the Pharmaceutical Accountability Foundation (PAF) sought to answer, and the results might not be what the industry wants to hear. For its Fair Pharma Scorecard project, PAF ranked 26 companies involved in selling COVID-19 drugs, vaccine and diagnostics based on their compliance with 19 human rights principles. Not one company complied with all the criteria, and most "still need to take big steps" to make their products accessible and affordable, PAF said. In general, PAF noticed a weariness toward knowledge sharing, iffy transparency levels and differences between various products at the same companies. For example, Pfizer's compliance with the criteria scored at 65% for its oral antiviral Paxlovid and 50% for its vaccine.
30th Jun 2022 - FiercePharma
Parents of young kids feel 'left behind' as they await COVID-19 vaccine
Some Canadian parents say they've been left behind as they wait on Health Canada to authorize vaccines for children under five years old. "It's upsetting to see the whole world moving on and forgetting about all of the littles, basically," said Jaimie-Lyn Oldfield from Kingston, Ont. She said her family has made sacrifices to protect her nearly three-year-old daughter Rosslyn from contracting COVID-19. "We hardly see her grandparents," she said. "Everyone else got vaccinated and it's really disheartening and upsetting when they're like 'OK, we're going to remove all of these masking mandates.'"
30th Jun 2022 - CBC.ca
At the current rate, SA will hit its Covid-19 vaccination target in about September 2028
Covid-19 vaccination levels are dropping fast, putting South Africa's herd immunity target well out of reach. People are reading the end of pandemic restrictions as a signal that vaccination is no longer required, say government monitors.
On Wednesday, less than 6,000 people received a first jab. At that rate, it will take until just about September 2028 to reach the 67% coverage target. That is not counting getting people to show up for booster shots – or the continuing slowdown in the vaccination rate.
30th Jun 2022 - Business Insider South Africa
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View this newsletter in fullEli Lilly to supply additional doses of COVID antibody drug to U.S.
Eli Lilly and Co said on Wednesday it will supply additional doses of its COVID-19 antibody drug to the U.S. government in order to meet demand through late August. As per the modified supply agreement with the government, Lilly will provide an additional 150,000 doses of bebtelovimab for about $275 million. The drug has also shown effectiveness against the Omicron variant. The FDA authorized the drug earlier this year for emergency use in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk of progression to severe disease, including hospitalization or death.
29th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Ireland puts army on standby to help at Dublin airport amid COVID surge
Ireland agreed on Tuesday to put the army on standby to help with security at Dublin airport should staffing be hit by a resurgence of COVID-19 during the rest of the busy summer travel period. Ireland's main airport is one of many around Europe that has struggled to hire staff fast enough to deal with a sharp rebound in travel, although it has had relatively few issues since more than 1,000 passengers missed their flights in a single day last month
29th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Kids' vaccines are 'a game changer,' experts say—here's what else needs to happen to end the Covid pandemic
For months, the country has been waiting on a pandemic turning point — and it might be here, in the form of kids under age 5 becoming eligible for Covid vaccines.
Just don’t expect it to make Covid disappear overnight, experts say. Covid vaccines for small children are “absolutely a game changer for some families,” Andrew Noymer, an associate professor of population health and disease prevention at the University of California, Irvine, tells CNBC Make It. ”[But] this isn’t the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle, unfortunately.”
29th Jun 2022 - CNBC
Defectors in Seoul send balloons carrying medicine to COVID-19-struck North Korea
A North Korean defector group in Seoul claimed on Tuesday to have launched air balloons carrying medical supplies near the inter-Korean border. The Fighters for Free North Korea, an activist group of North Korean defectors who send anti-propaganda leaflets across the border, said they flew 20 air balloons carrying 50,000 pain relief pills, 30,000 vitamin C and 20,000 N-95 masks. Dispatching unauthorized materials at the border is against the law in South Korea.
29th Jun 2022 - ABC on MSN.com
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View this newsletter in fullAmref and AstraZeneca launch clinics to support Kenyan COVID-19 vaccinations
The mobile clinics will support communities with limited or no access to vaccines and other health services. Amref Health Africa and AstraZeneca – in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in Kenya – are launching a fleet of mobile vaccination clinics in an effort to protect last-mile communities from the pandemic. Ten movable clinics will bring COVID-19 vaccines and other health services into hard-to-reach communities across Kenya, increasing vaccine access and general uptake in Kenya. As of June 2022, only 31.4% of the adult population in Kenya were fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while Africa’s average vaccination rate is 17.7%, lagging behind other world regions. Each mobile clinic aims to vaccinate 70-100 people every day – reaching up to 1,000 people per day, once all ten mobile clinics are fully operational.
28th Jun 2022 - PharmaTimes
Ireland puts army on standby to help at Dublin airport amid COVID surge
Ireland agreed on Tuesday to put the army on standby to help with security at Dublin airport should staffing be hit by a resurgence of COVID-19 during the rest of the busy summer travel period. Ireland's main airport is one of many around Europe that has struggled to hire staff fast enough to deal with a sharp rebound in travel, although it has had relatively few issues since more than 1,000 passengers missed their flights in a single day last month.
28th Jun 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19's sixth wave hits Palestinian Territories
In a press statement sent to The New Arab, the ministry said it reported more than 1,000 new cases infected with the deadly coronavirus in the West Bank in a single day. The Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry announced on Monday that the sixth wave of the coronavirus has hit the region. In a press statement sent to The New Arab, the ministry said it reported more than 1,000 new cases infected with the deadly coronavirus in the West Bank in a single day. Mai al-Kaila, the health minister, expressed her concerns about the current health situation, urging the public to immediately receive booster vaccinations and abide by precautionary and preventive measures. The Palestinian minister warned that its ministry may call on local authorities to impose several strict measures to curb the virus's spread.
27th Jun 2022 - The New Arab
Peru facing fourth wave of COVID-19: government
Peru's government on Sunday declared that a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections had begun to hit the country, which has one of the highest mortality rates from the virus in the world. "We are currently in a fourth wave, as we have seen the increase (of cases)... in different provinces of our country, such as Junin, Arequipa, Cusco and the capital," Health Minister Jorge Lopez told local broadcaster RPP radio.
According to official figures, infections increased from 1,800 per week at the beginning of the month to more than 11,000 in the last week.
27th Jun 2022 - Medical Xpress
US Covid-19 vaccine rollout for under-fives must overcome hesitancy
For some American families, it was a much-anticipated and badly needed victory: Covid vaccines for children under five began rolling out in the US last week. “I’ve already been waiting a year and a half since I got my first dose, and that’s been intolerable,” says Dr Roby Bhattacharyya, an infectious diseases doctor at Massachusetts general hospital and parent of a four-year-old who received his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Tuesday. But others still have questions as America’s problem with vaccine hesitancy has not gone away. Less than one in five families want to get their children vaccinated as soon as possible, while the majority say they want to “wait and see” first. Only 18% of parents plan to have their children under five vaccinated right away, while 38% want to see how the vaccine rollout goes, according to an April survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). Another 11% say they will only get their kids vaccinated if they are required to, while 27% say they definitely won’t do it
27th Jun 2022 - The Guardian
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 27th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullShanghai businesses struggle to get back on their feet after Covid-19 lockdown
SHANGHAI - Weeks after emerging from a two-month lockdown, Shanghai's small and medium businesses have a lot of catching up to do. But some are still wary about ordering workers back to the office, fearing that the emergence of a Covid-19 cluster would result in lengthy quarantines and more business disruptions.
27th Jun 2022 - The Straits Times
Hong Kong’s Struggle to Lure Bankers Dims Its Role as a Global Finance Hub
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament was for years a highlight on Asia’s networking calendar for global bankers and their clients.
Now, organizers are pushing for a downsized version of the event this fall, reflecting the challenge the city faces to maintain its status as Asia’s leading financial hub.
The Hong Kong Rugby Union is still waiting for government approval for its proposed “closed loop” for the 16 teams and support staff, modeled on the system used at the Beijing Winter Olympics earlier this year that sealed off athletes and other participants from the public, said Robbie McRobbie, its chief executive. With seven days of quarantine for all arrivals, organizers are resigned to holding this year’s tournament while missing the thousands of overseas visitors who in years past thronged the three-day event, which coincided with major business conferences and meetings.
27th Jun 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 24th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullBiden team launches all-out push to vaccinate youngest children
The Biden administration pushed American families to immunize infants and small children for COVID-19 on Thursday, deploying ads intended to tug at heartstrings as it contends with Republicans and parents who are leery or outright opposed to shots for children as young as 6 months. The Department of Health and Human Services released a 30-second ad urging parents to protect children 4 and younger, who became eligible for shots this week, while the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said COVID-19 has been one of the top five causes of death in children since the start of the pandemic.
23rd Jun 2022 - Washington Times
COVID-19 vaccine scheme for world's poorest pushes for delivery slowdown
Leaders of the global scheme aiming to get COVID-19 vaccines to the world's poorest are pushing manufacturers including Pfizer and Moderna to cut or slow deliveries of about half a billion shots so doses are not wasted. COVAX, the World Health Organization-led scheme, wants between 400 and 600 million fewer vaccines doses than initially contracted from six pharmaceutical companies, according to internal documents seen by Reuters.
23rd Jun 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullUniversal Beijing Resort to reopen on June 25 as COVID cases drop
The Universal Beijing Resort said on Wednesday it will reopen on June 25 after being closed for nearly two months, as the number of new COVID-19 cases in the Chinese capital falls. The resort said on its official WeChat account that after it reopens, all visitors must show a negative PCR test taken within the past 72 hours and wear masks at all times.
22nd Jun 2022 - Reuters
Beijing city reports three local COVID cases on Wednesday as of 3 p.m.
Chinese capital Beijing reported three new local COVID-19 cases on Wednesday as of 3 p.m., all found during community screening, a local health official said. Uncertainty over Beijing city's COVID prevention and control situation has increased with new community cases emerging continuously, Liu Xiaofeng, deputy director at Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, told a news briefing. The three infections were found in the city's economic-technological development zone, Liu said.
22nd Jun 2022 - Reuters
Parents Struggle to Secure Covid-19 Vaccine Appointments for Young Kids
Anna Carvill had one thing on top of her to-do list this week: get a Covid-19 vaccine appointment for her 2-year-old son. She managed to get an appointment for Thursday at a mobile clinic in downtown Boulder, Colo. Vaccines became available Monday. She is one of millions of parents and caregivers who are seeking to get their children under 5 vaccinated against Covid-19. “We want him to be as protected as he can as soon as possible,” Ms. Carvill said. Federal health authorities on Saturday recommended Moderna Inc.’s two-dose vaccine as well as a three-dose regimen by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE for children as young as 6 months. It was a moment some parents and caregivers had been eagerly awaiting, yet some of them haven’t managed to book appointments for their children, while others are holding off.
22nd Jun 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
COVID-19: Infections rise by nearly half a million in a week
COVID-19 cases have surged by nearly half in a week, official figures show. Last week, an estimated 1,415,600 people had coronavirus in the UK, up 425,800 or 43%. This is the highest estimate for infections since the start of May, but is still well below the record high of 4.9 million at the end of March. Cases rose in all four nations of the UK - and increased across all age groups. In England, around one in 50 people had the virus, according to the coronavirus infection survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
22nd Jun 2022 - Yahoo UK & Ireland
New York City Lowers Covid-19 Risk Level to Medium as Cases Drop
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and health officials lowered the city’s Covid-19 alert level to medium from high Tuesday, citing declining case counts and hospitalization rates. The shift comes a little more than a month after the city moved the Covid-19 alert level to high as a wave of new cases spread throughout the city. “Day after day, New Yorkers are stepping up and doing their part, and because of our collective efforts we are winning the fight against Covid-19,” Adams and City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan said in a joint statement.
22nd Jun 2022 - Bloomberg
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 22nd Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullU.S. COVID vaccines start to roll out for young children
The United States has begun distributing COVID vaccines for children as young as six months around the country, and availability of the shots will improve in the coming days, according to White House COVID-19 response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha. U.S. regulators authorized Moderna Inc's two-dose vaccine for children aged six months to five years and the Pfizer-BioNTech three-shot regimen for children aged six months to four years late last week.
22nd Jun 2022 - Reuters
U.S. COVID vaccine rollout for young children will pick up pace
The United States has begun distributing COVID vaccines for children as young as six months around the country, and availability of the shots will improve in the coming days, according to White House COVID-19 response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha. U.S. regulators authorized Moderna Inc's (MRNA.O) two-dose vaccine for children aged six months to five years and the Pfizer (PFE.N)-BioNTech (22UAy.DE) three-shot regimen for children aged six months to four years late last week.
21st Jun 2022 - Reuters
Covid surges across Europe as experts warn not let guard down
Multiple European countries are experiencing a significant surge in new Covid-19 infections, as experts warn that with almost all restrictions lifted and booster take-up often low, cases could soar throughout the summer leading to more deaths. According to the Our World in Data scientific aggregator, the rolling seven-day average of confirmed new cases per million inhabitants is on the rise in countries including Portugal, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, the Netherlands and Denmark. Portugal has experienced the most dramatic wave, with infections per million remaining at a seven-day average of 2,043 on Monday – the second highest new case rate in the world, although down somewhat from an early June high of 2,878.
21st Jun 2022 - The Guardian
Covid hospitalisations in England up 24 per cent from last week
Coronavirus hospitalisations in England have surged by almost 25 per cent in the last week, as cases spread like wildfire once more across the globe. New figures released by the NHS this week highlight 5,726 beds occupied by Covid patients as of 20 June, up from 4,602 on the previous Monday. The spike in cases represents a 24 per cent increase in England, as the virus once more rears its ahead around the world. There was also a major spike in cases following the Platinum Jubilee half term break, and as the weather heats up, and Brits enjoy more socialising.
21st Jun 2022 - City AM
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 21st Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullEurope looks to next wave of COVID with coordinated supply plan
Following the adoption of a critical list of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, European Union member states and pharma companies will communicate to ensure sufficient supply to meet evolving demand.
20th Jun 2022 - BioPharma-Reporter
China Outbreaks Shift to South With Shenzhen, Macau on Alert
China’s Covid-19 outbreak is shifting to its south coast, with a flareup in technology hub Shenzhen triggering mass testing and a lockdown of some neighborhoods, while gambling enclave Macau -- an hour’s drive away -- is racing to stop its first outbreak in eight months. The new cases come as China’s two most important cities, Beijing and Shanghai, look to be subduing the virus after months of strict curbs and repeated testing. Shanghai reported nine local cases on Tuesday, while Beijing reported five. Nationwide, China posted 34 new infections on Tuesday.
21st Jun 2022 - Bloomberg
Covid Cases Surge, but Deaths Stay Near Lows
For two years, the coronavirus killed Americans on a brutal, predictable schedule: A few weeks after infections climbed so did deaths, cutting an unforgiving path across the country. But that pattern appears to have changed. Nearly three months since an ultra-contagious set of new Omicron variants launched a springtime resurgence of cases, people are nonetheless dying from Covid at a rate close to the lowest of the pandemic. The spread of the virus and the number of deaths in its wake, two measures that were once yoked together, have diverged more than ever before, epidemiologists said. Deaths have ticked up slowly in the northeastern United States, where the latest wave began, and are likely to do the same nationally as the surge pushes across the South and West.
20th Jun 2022 - The New York Times
New Omicron wave growing fast: 'We were wrong to think Covid was over and vaccination is not enough'
Covid-19 inflection rates in the UK and hospitalisations across Europe are on the rise. Meanwhile, new omicron sub-variants are growing more prevalent. Therefore, the Government’s panglossian messaging has undermined the public health response to a potential new Covid-19 wave, experts warn today. Dr Chris Papadopoulos, Principal Lecturer in Public Health at the University of Bedfordshire told City A.M. this morning that “in recent months the government has pushed the idea that we are past Covid-19 and that it isn’t something to be concerned about anymore, especially if we have been vaccinated.
20th Jun 2022 - City A.M.
British Ryanair pilots accept post-COVID pay restoration deal- union
In July 2020 BALPA members voted overwhelmingly to accept temporary pay cuts in order to avoid jobs losses due to COVID-19 groundings. Chief Executive Michael O'Leary in January then said that management had begun discussions with unions across its network about accelerating pay restoration in a deal he said might result in the extension pay agreements by a year or two. Asked how many pilots had accepted deals covering post-COVID pay restoration, a Ryanair spokesperson said over 70% of its pilots are covered by "newly renegotiated agreements". There are pay agreements in place for all pilots, the airline said.
20th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 20th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullCan We Develop a Covid-19 Vaccine That Lasts?
Though most vaccines take years to develop, the Covid shots now in use were created in record time—in a matter of months. For health authorities and a public desperate for tools to deal with the pandemic, their speedy arrival provided a huge lift, preventing hospitalizations and deaths while helping people to escape lockdowns and return to work, school and many other aspects of pre-Covid life. But the Covid vaccines don’t last nearly as long as shots given for other viral illnesses such as polio, mumps and hepatitis, which remain effective for years or decades. Even more worrisome to some scientists and public health officials, the current vaccines don’t fully protect against infections, which hurts their overall effectiveness and gives the virus an opportunity to mutate into more contagious and lethal strains.
18th Jun 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
West Australian aged care visitor limits expected to remain for some time, despite COVID-19 restrictions easing
Aged care visitor limits are among the last remaining COVID restrictions. Visitors are capped at two people each day, impacting larger families. A major aged care provider expects the limits will be in place for a while longer
18th Jun 2022 - Australian Broadcasting Corporation
COVID-19: Infections rise by nearly half a million in a week
COVID-19 cases have surged by nearly half in a week, official figures show. Last week, an estimated 1,415,600 people had coronavirus in the UK, up 425,800 or 43%. This is the highest estimate for infections since the start of May, but is still well below the record high of 4.9 million at the end of March. Cases rose in all four nations of the UK - and increased across all age groups. In England, around one in 50 people had the virus, according to the coronavirus infection survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
17th Jun 2022 - Sky News
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View this newsletter in fullTrends are shifting, but Covid-19 and its effects are still not equitable
Through the many phases of the Covid-19 pandemic -- nearly a dozen variants, the introduction of vaccines, the dropping of prevention measures and more -- one thing has remained constant: The virus and its effects are not one-size-fits-all. Over the past few months, two unique trends have emerged: For the first time in the pandemic, Covid-19 case rates in the United States are higher among Asian people, and death rates are higher among White people than any other racial or ethnic group. These trends are a marked shift among groups that, data suggests, have tended to fare better overall during the pandemic. But there are critical limitations in federal data that mask persistent inequities, experts say.
16th Jun 2022 - CNN
Covid care home restrictions in Scotland caused harm, says report
Severe restrictions imposed on care home residents in Scotland during the Covid pandemic caused "harm and distress" and may have contributed to some deaths, academics have said. A 143-page report has been produced by Edinburgh Napier University. It had been commissioned by the independent inquiry into the country's handling of the pandemic. The report says that the legal basis for confining residents to their rooms and banning visitors was "unclear". And it said care home residents were arguably discriminated against compared to other citizens.
16th Jun 2022 - BBC News
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View this newsletter in fullEurope's medicines watchdog publishes new report identifying COVID-19 lessons learned
In 2021, the European Commission, Parliament and Council gave the EMA greater tools enabling it to both support innovation and respond to emergencies, in an acknowledgement of the agency’s vital role in tackling the pandemic. The EMA approved five treatments and four new vaccines against COVID-19. It also passed regulation on medical devices—a year later than planned because of the pandemic—and took steps towards developing an information network designed to generate data about health patterns across the continent, called the Data Analysis and Real World Interrogation Network (DARWIN EU).
15th Jun 2022 - Healthcare IT News
UK to Roll Out Drugs From Pfizer, Shionogi to Fight Superbugs
England is rolling out a pair of antibiotics from Pfizer Inc. and Shionogi & Co. as part of a pioneering program aimed at stimulating a broken market and taking on the rising threat of superbugs. Under the deal announced Wednesday by the National Health Service, the drug companies will receive a fixed annual fee for their antibiotics. The payments in the program, the first of its kind, will be as much as £10 million ($12 million) a year for up to 10 years. About 1,700 patients a year with severe bacterial infections will be eligible for the drugs. With germs becoming increasingly resistant to current antibiotics, the NHS said the drugs will provide a lifeline to patients with life-threatening infections like sepsis or hospital or ventilator pneumonia.
15th Jun 2022 - Bloomberg
North Korea COVID-19 Vaccination Plan Facing Challenges
As North Korea faces a rising number of COVID-19 cases, simply having vaccines may be insufficient to roll out a countrywide immunization process that experts say needs to be accompanied by adequate cold storage units and trained medical and technical staff that the nation lacks. Pyongyang announced on Tuesday that "more than 32,810 fevered cases" were detected in the country from June 12 to 13, through its state media Korea Central News Agency (KCNA). The total, "since late April," surged past 4.5 million as of June 14, added the KCNA.
15th Jun 2022 - VOA Asia
How long is your COVID vaccine good for? You can soon find out, thanks to a new test that informs patients of their immunity’s ‘magnitude and duration’
Until recently, it’s been nearly impossible to say. Immunity, whether from vaccine or prior infection, is thought to wane after three or four months, but it varies by person. That knowledge is based on what’s known about typical antibody response—but antibodies are only half of the picture. The other half: T-cell response, which hasn’t been examined in patients nearly as often owing to technical challenges. Now that response can be tested affordably and en masse, researchers at Mount Sinai Health System in New York say. Along with researchers at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, they developed a rapid blood test called the dqTACT assay that measures the activation of such cells in response to COVID. The test will allow for mass monitoring of the population’s immunity and effectiveness of vaccines new and old, they said in a study published Tuesday in Nature Biotechnology.
14th Jun 2022 - Fortune
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 15th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullModerna COVID-19 vaccine's safety slightly bests Pfizer's
An observational study today in JAMA Internal Medicine reports a slightly better safety profile for the Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccine than for the Pfizer/BioNTech version in US veterans, but both vaccines had very good safety profiles. A team led by Harvard University researchers reviewed the electronic health records of 433,672 US Department of Veterans Affairs patients across the country who received their first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from Jan 4 to Sep 20, 2021, with a second dose scheduled for 21 to 28 days later, depending on the vaccine. Median patient age was 69 years, 93% were men, 20% were Black, and 8% were Hispanic. Median follow-up was 223 days.
14th Jun 2022 - CIDRAP
Moderna to invest 500 mln euros in Spain, PM Sanchez says
Moderna plans to invest around 500 million euros ($520.60 million) in a new laboratory in Spain to boost its production of vaccines, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday. Sanchez wrote on his Twitter account that he had a meeting with Moderna vice president, Dan Staner, and heard about the drugmaker's expansion plans in the country. Spanish pharmaceutical group Rovi agreed early in the year a 10-year extension to its deal with Moderna to manufacture future drugs developed with the mRNA technology used for the U.S. company's coronavirus vaccine.
14th Jun 2022 - Reuters
The next virus pandemic threat (and what the experts are doing about it)
Two years ago the first human trials of the University of Oxford’s game-changing Covid-19 vaccine were just under way, only five months after the pandemic virus was identified. Bill Gates has hailed this super-rapid progress as “miraculous”. The scientists responsible prefer to put it down to preparation. Back then no one was even sure that a vaccine against Covid-19 could work. Now, having succeeded in creating several of them, the knowledge accrued when developing such drugs is being put to good use on new projects. In America, for instance, scientists in collaboration with BioNTech, the German firm behind the Pfizer coronavirus jab, are trialling a vaccine to treat pancreatic cancer, the deadliest common cancer, using the same mRNA technology as was used in Covid jabs.
14th Jun 2022 - The Times
Two-thirds of hospital patients with Covid-19 there because of the virus, amid heavy demand
The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 continues to be about twice as high as what was modelled – roughly two-thirds of whom are in hospital with the virus as the primary cause, officials say. It comes as respiratory viruses are putting a “very significant burden” on not just the country’s hospitals, but also primary care. The rate of reported Covid-19 cases continues to decrease, to 8.3 per 1000 people this week, down from 9.3 the week before. As of Tuesday, 377 people are in hospital with the virus, including seven in intensive care.
14th Jun 2022 - Stuff
UK pubs giant takes on insurer trio in $1.2 bln COVID trial
Britain's biggest pubs group Stonegate, which is suing Zurich Insurance and two peers for 1 billion pounds ($1.2 billion) over lockdown losses, battled the COVID-19 pandemic "day by day, venue by venue", a London trial heard on Monday. Ben Lynch, a lawyer for Stonegate, said the company's 760 insured pubs, bars and night clubs at the centre of the case had each faced separate challenges, opening and shutting at differing times according to regional rules - and seeing business drop by up to 90% below projections.
14th Jun 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullBank of England to drop post-COVID capital buffer rule
The Bank of England said on Monday that it would remove a post-COVID capital buffer adjustment now that risks from the pandemic had subsided. "Removing a temporary capital adjustment that is no longer necessary aims to achieve simplicity and enhances proportionality, thereby facilitating effective competition," the BoE said in a statement. In July 2020, the BoE's Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) announced the temporary increase of the buffer for all firms that received a Pillar 2A reduction under its PS15/20 policy to reconcile capital requirements and macroprudential buffers
14th Jun 2022 - Reuters
‘Covid not over yet, increase vaccinations for schoolkids': Mandaviya to states
Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya interacted with health ministers of states and Union territories and urged them to focus on increasing Covid-19 vaccination coverage for schoolchildren, precaution dose for the elderly and strengthening genome sequencing, the health ministry said. “Covid-19 is not over yet. With rising Covid-19 cases in some states, it is important to be alert and not to forget Covid-appropriate behaviour,” Mandaviya told the states at the review meeting. Highlighting increased case positivity in some districts and states and reduced Covid-19 testing, Mandaviya said increased and timely testing will enable early identification of cases and help to curb the spread of the infection among the community. “He urged states/UTs to continue and strengthen the surveillance and focus on genome sequencing for identifying new mutants/variants in the country. He stated that the five-fold strategy of test, track, treat, vaccination and adherence to Covid Appropriate Behavior (CAB) needs to be continued and monitored by States/UTs,” the ministry said in a statement.
13th Jun 2022 - Hindustan Times
Japan Has Fewest Covid-19 Deaths Per Capita in OECD, New Data Show
Japan has the lowest number of Covid-19 deaths per capita among wealthy nations, according to new data, with health experts citing the country’s mask habit and low obesity rate as possible reasons. As of Sunday, Japan’s cumulative Covid-19 deaths per million population stood at 245, according to Our World in Data, a website that tallies Covid-19 statistics. That is the lowest figure among the 38 member states in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a club of wealthy nations that includes the U.S. and most of Europe. The Japanese rate compares with 2,469 Covid-19 deaths per million people in Europe and 3,038 per million in the U.S., which has the highest rate in the OECD. While the reasons for the U.S. rate aren’t well-understood, widespread obesity, less mask-wearing, disparities in access to healthcare and a lower vaccination rate than some other OECD countries likely played a role, public-health specialists have said.
13th Jun 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
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View this newsletter in fullCanada to suspend random COVID testing to reduce airport wait times
Canada is suspending random COVID-19 testing at all its airports for the rest of June to ease the long wait times that travelers have encountered in recent weeks, a government statement said on Friday. The random testing will be discontinued from Saturday and will resume "off-site" on July 1, the statement said. Random testing was blamed by some industry officials for lengthening already long wait times at airports. Toronto's Pearson airport has had planes stuck at gates and hours-long security lines because of staffing shortages.
12th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Ontario planning COVID-19 boosters for fall, most mask mandates ending Saturday
After years of daily COVID-19 data reporting from the province, Public Health Ontario (PHO) is moving to a weekly reporting system. In a news release issued late Friday afternoon, the province announced the change comes into effect as of June 11. Ontario will publish the latest COVID-19 data each Thursday, starting on June 16. "PHO will continue to monitor trends and determine if any additional changes to reporting are needed, including to frequency and content, in the coming weeks and months," the statement reads. Data will still be available through the province's Open Data Catalog, it notes, but it will not be on the provincial website.
10th Jun 2022 - CBC.ca
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 10th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullNew vaccine may be option for troops with religious concerns
A COVID-19 vaccine that could soon win federal authorization may offer a boost for the U.S. military: an opportunity to get shots into some of the thousands of service members who have refused other coronavirus vaccines for religious reasons.
At least 175 active duty and reserve service members have already received the Novavax vaccine, some even traveling overseas at their own expense to get it. The vaccine meets Defense Department requirements because it has the World Health Organization’s emergency use approval and is used in Europe and other regions. The Food and Drug Administration is considering giving it emergency use authorization in the U.S.
9th Jun 2022 - The Associated Press
BioNTech to soon start mRNA vaccine factory construction in Rwanda
COVID-19 vaccine maker BioNTech said construction of an mRNA vaccine factory to enable African nations to jump-start their own manufacturing network would start on June 23 in Rwanda. The groundbreaking ceremony in the capital city of Kigali is to be attended by Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, further heads of African states, as well as representatives from the European Union and the World Health Organization, the biotech firm said in a statement on Thursday. The German company's modular factory elements, to be assembled in Africa to so-called BioNTainers, would be delivered to the Kigali construction site by the end of 2022, it added. The company, which developed the western world's most widely used COVID-19 shot with U.S. partner Pfizer, earlier this year mapped out a plan to enable African countries to produce its Comirnaty-branded shot under BioNTech's supervision
10th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Black and Asian frontline staff faced racial harassment during Covid-19 pandemic, watchdog finds
Lower-paid health and social care workers, who played a pivotal front-line role during the Covid-19 pandemic, experienced bullying, racism and harassment at work according to their evidence to an inquiry conducted by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Poor data collection by their employers could also be masking the extent of discrimination against them, the watchdog also found.
Job insecurity in the health and adult social care sectors caused fear of victimisation among low-paid ethnic minority staff, particularly if they were to raise concerns, according to the inquiry which was launched in November 2020.
9th Jun 2022 - The Independent
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 9th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullWhat are the entry requirements for France?
On 31 March 2022, the French government relaxed Covid border restrictions to allow unvaccinated travellers entry to the country for leisure and work purposes. Previously, only vaccinated travellers were permitted entry for leisure and work, while unjabbed travellers could only visit the country if they had a compelling reason. Unvaccinated travellers should provide proof of a negative PCR test, taken no more than 72 hours prior to arrival in France, or an antigen test taken no more than 48 hours before arrival. They will no longer need to quarantine for seven days on entering the country. Rules for vaccinated travellers were also relaxed. They no longer need to submit a sworn declaration form stating that they show no Covid symptoms. They are only required to present proof of vaccination.
9th Jun 2022 - Evening Standard
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 8th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullFrench medics protest hospital crisis, deepened by COVID
Health workers protested Tuesday around France to demand more hiring and better salaries in public hospitals, after years of cost cuts that left medics submerged when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and are now forcing emergency rooms to cut services. Nine unions and collectives organized a day of protest, including a demonstration outside the Health Ministry in Paris and in dozens of other towns and cities, to call the government’s attention to growing concerns about staff shortages. President Emmanuel Macron has promised a rethink of the public hospital system and commissioned an urgent review by July 1. Protesters hope to pressure the government as France heads into two rounds of legislative elections starting Sunday.
8th Jun 2022 - The Independent
Flu cases rise in Canada amid eased COVID-19 restrictions
The easing of public health restrictions that were aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 has lead to a surge in cases of another virus, experts say. Since the start of April, Canada has seen a sharp increase in cases of influenza, something not typically seen in the spring. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada's (PHAC) most recent FluWatch report, there were 1,580 laboratory-confirmed cases of the flu between May 22 and May 28. This is down from the peak of 2,121 flu cases seen during the week of May 8 to 14, but PHAC warns that the number of flu cases "remains above the epidemic threshold." Last year, the period between May 23 and June 19 saw just one laboratory-confirmed flu case. Prior to the pandemic, a five-week period in May and June 2019 saw 864 laboratory-confirmed cases, an average of 172.8 cases per week.
7th Jun 2022 - CTV News
Washington hospitals again strained by COVID-19 spread
Hospital officials in Washington are warning that facilities are heading toward another COVID-19 case peak amid high spread in the community. Washington State Hospital Association CEO Cassie Sauer on Monday said at the end of last week, almost 600 people with COVID-19 were in hospitals across the state with about 20-25 patients a day on ventilators, The News Tribune reported. That compares with an average of around 230 hospitalized cases in the daily census in April and 1,700 in February during the Omicron wave. In response to the rising hospitalizations, officials on a media briefing call Monday implored people to wear high-quality masks indoors in crowded, public spaces, and to get COVID-19 booster shots on top of vaccinations. "It’s still something you don’t want to get and we want to urge you to do everything you can to protect yourself,” said Cassie Sauer, Washington State Hospital Association CEO. Community spread is also affecting health care workers and straining hospital staffing levels, officials said.
7th Jun 2022 - The Associated Press
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 7th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullPfizer to spend $120 mln to boost U.S. COVID pill manufacturing
Pfizer Inc said on Monday it would spend $120 million to expand manufacturing of its COVID-19 antiviral treatment at its Michigan plant, as demand ramps up. Use of the pill, Paxlovid, authorized to treat newly infected, at-risk people to prevent severe illness, has soared recently as infections rise. Biden administration officials have pushed for the wider use of Paxlovid, which the government distributes for free
6th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Beijing reopens restaurants as new COVID-19 cases drop
Diners returned to restaurants in most of Beijing for the first time in more than a month Monday as authorities further eased pandemic-related restrictions after largely eradicating a small COVID-19 outbreak in the capital under China's strict “zero-COVID” approach. Museums, cinemas and gyms were allowed to operate at up to 75% of capacity and delivery drivers could once again bring packages to a customer's door, rather than leave them to be picked up at the entrances to apartment compounds. The return to near-normal applied everywhere in Beijing except for one district and part of another, where the outbreak lingered. Schools, which partially reopened earlier, will fully do so on June 13, followed by kindergartens on June 20. Authorities conducted multiple rounds of mass testing and locked down buildings and complexes when infections were discovered to stamp out an outbreak that infected about 1,800 people over six weeks in a city of 22 million. The number of new cases dropped to six on Sunday. The ruling Communist Party remains wedded to a “zero-COVID” strategy that exacts an economic cost and inconveniences millions of people, even as many other countries adopt a more relaxed approach as vaccination rates rise and treatments become more widely available.
6th Jun 2022 - The Independent
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 6th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullBeijing to allow indoor dining, further easing COVID curbs
Beijing will further relax COVID-19 curbs by allowing indoor dining, as China's capital steadily returns to normal with inflections falling, state media said on Sunday. Beijing and the commercial hub Shanghai have been returning to normal in recent days after two months of painful lockdowns to crush outbreaks of the Omicron variant. Dine-in service in Beijing will resume on Monday, except for the Fengtai district and some parts of the Changping district, the Beijing Daily said. Restaurants and bars have been restricted to takeaway since early May.
5th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Airlines step up push to get U.S. to drop international COVID-19 testing rule
American Airlines Chief Executive Robert Isom said on Friday at a conference the testing requirements were "nonsensical" and were "depressing" leisure and business travel. Airlines say many Americans are not traveling internationally because of concerns they will test positive and be stranded abroad. International U.S. air travel remains down about 14% from pre-pandemic levels. Isom, who met with politicians in Washington on Thursday to discuss the issue, said 75% of countries American serves do not have testing requirements. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires travelers to test negative within one day before flights to the United States.
4th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Special Olympics Lifts Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate After Facing Fine
Special Olympics Inc. reversed course and dropped its Covid-19 vaccine requirement for staff and athletes attending the coming games in Orlando, Fla., after state officials there threatened the nonprofit with a $27.5 million fine. Florida’s health department said SOI would be fined $5,000 for every individual asked to provide proof of vaccination as a condition of attending, a Special Olympics spokeswoman said. The group had previously required proof. Its USA Games kick off Sunday and run through June 12. Roughly 5,500 people are expected to attend. Florida passed legislation last year banning businesses and agencies from mandating vaccines. Last October, the health department fined Leon County $3.57 million for requiring county staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
3rd Jun 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 1st Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullAfter Ontario's COVID-19 school closures, a responsive recovery plan is critical
Three years into the pandemic, it’s clear that Canada’s provinces have been hampered by a lack of a comparative cross-Canada analysis of school closures and the effects on students. What we do know about the disruptive impact of school closures on Ontario and other provinces comes largely from a June 2021 Ontario Science Table study documenting the extent of school closures from province-to-province.
31st May 2022 - The Conversation
As UK Covid cases fall to lowest level for a year, what could the future look like?
After enduring record-breaking levels of Covid in the past six months, Britain has seen cases fall to their lowest for a year. But as the country eases back into a life more normal, will the disease remain in the background – or is another resurgence on its way? Science editor Ian Sample explains how the virus is changing – and why one expert thinks infection rates “are not going to get down to very low numbers again in our lifetimes”.
31st May 2022 - The Guardian
Covid-19 weekly deaths lowest since last summer
The number of deaths involving coronavirus registered each week in England and Wales has fallen to its lowest level for nine months. A total of 547 deaths registered in the seven days to May 20 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is down 24% on the previous week and is the lowest total since early August 2021. It is the third week in a row that deaths have decreased, which suggests the figures are now on a downwards trend. There have been similarly sharp falls in recent months in the number of Covid-19 infections and patients in hospital with the virus. Infections in both England and Wales hit an all-time high at the end of March, but in England they have dropped to levels last seen in November 2021 and in Wales they are back to where they were in September.
31st May 2022 - Wales Online
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 31st May 2022
View this newsletter in fullFTSE 100 CEOs Salaries Rebound to Pre-Covid Levels in 2021
Top UK bosses are earning as much as they were before the pandemic after pay packages rebounded from a Covid-driven lull. Overall pay for chief executive officers in the FTSE 100 rose to a median average of £3.6 million ($4.6 million) in 2021, according to research by Deloitte LLP. The revival in higher pay packages was spurred by an increase in annual bonuses and stronger incentives for staff.
30th May 2022 - Bloomberg
China donates 10 mln COVID-19 vaccine doses to Myanmar
The Chinese embassy handed them over to Myanmar's Ministry of Health at the Yangon International Airport on Sunday. The China-donated COVID-19 vaccines and syringes arrived in Myanmar in separate batches starting from May 18 to May 29. China has been continuously providing medical supplies to Myanmar in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, and has helped Myanmar in filling and packing COVID-19 vaccines to boost the country's vaccination rate, Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Chen Hai said at the handover ceremony.
30th May 2022 - CCTV
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 30th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullU.S. doctors reconsider Pfizer's Paxlovid for lower-risk COVID patients
Use of Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 antiviral Paxlovid spiked this week, but some doctors are reconsidering the pills for lower-risk patients after a U.S. public health agency warned that symptoms can recur after people complete a course of the drug, and that they should then isolate a second time. More quarantine time "is not a crowd-pleaser," Dr. Sandra Kemmerly, an infectious disease specialist at Ochsner Health in New Orleans, told Reuters. "For those people who really aren't at risk ... I would recommend that they not take it."
28th May 2022 - Reuters
JBS U.S. units to adopt pandemic response plans after COVID outbreaks
Subsidiaries of meat processor JBS USA LLC have agreed to implement infectious disease preparedness plans at seven U.S. plants, in the wake of a U.S. congressional report finding that the industry largely failed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among workers. The agreement was announced on Friday by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which said the companies will work with teams of outside experts to develop and implement new policies on engineering, ventilation, visitor screening, cleaning, and personal protective equipment.
27th May 2022 - Reuters
Beijing city offers elderly COVID shot-related health insurance to ease hesitancy
China's capital is offering elderly residents state-backed insurance for "medical accidents" linked to COVID-19 shots to ease vaccination hesitancy among those most vulnerable, as Beijing ramps up inoculations during its worst outbreak. Chinese officials have pointed to relatively lower vaccination rates among the elderly as a key weakness in its "dynamic zero-COVID" strategy. The city of 22 million people had fully inoculated 97.7% of its adult residents as of September last year, but only 80.6% of people aged 60 and over had received their first dose by mid-April this year, according to city officials.
27th May 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 27th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullJapan starts 4th COVID vaccine shots for seniors, at-risk groups
Japan began offering fourth coronavirus vaccine shots Wednesday to older people, and those with underlying medical conditions. People eligible for fourth inoculations are those aged 60 and older as well as individuals between 18 and 59 with chronic health conditions, such as respiratory illnesses or heart conditions, or at high risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms if infected with the coronavirus, according to the health ministry. The ministry suggests people receive the booster shots at least five months after receiving their third inoculation. The majority of seniors began getting third shots in January, meaning that the fourth round of shots is expected to be in full swing from June onward.
26th May 2022 - Kyodo News Plus
Hospitals are exploring a way to pay for uninsured Covid-19 care
The federal health department shut down a program that paid hospitals and clinics for caring for uninsured Covid-19 patients, but some hospitals are now eyeing a backdoor option to get those costs paid for. Throughout much of the pandemic, the costs of testing, vaccinating, and treating uninsured patients were mostly funneled to a multi-billion-dollar program run by the Health Resources and Services Administration, but that program ran out of money and shut down in April. The program paid out more than $1 billion per month, which means its closure was a big hit for some facilities that serve large numbers of uninsured patients.
26th May 2022 - STAT News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 26th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid Lockdown Costs Shanghai Its China Currency Trading Crown
The fallout of China’s Covid Zero policy is starting to show in Shanghai’s financial markets, with the city losing its top currency trading hub title for the first time. Shanghai handled fewer currency deals than Beijing in April, to rank second among China’s 36 provinces and municipalities, according to the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. The decline points to another consequence of strict lockdowns and may serve as a case study for the possible implications of movement curbs in major Chinese cities, including Beijing, as Covid cases climb. Traders volunteering to stay in the office, sleeping on trading floors, did little keep up currency volumes. Settlement and sales by banks for their clients, dropped 30% from March to $61.8 billion. That’s 15% of the national tally, compared with a steady share of around 20% before the lockdown, as per data going back to 2019.
26th May 2022 - Bloomberg
‘They were laughing at us’: Covid families’ fury at revelations in Sue Gray report
In Britain, families bereaved by Covid-19 have said they are “sickened” by the revelations in Sue Gray’s Partygate report, and have accused Boris Johnson and his staff of “laughing at us”. A group of 4,000 families who lost loved ones from Covid-19 have hit out at the prime minister after his government was guilty of “a serious failure” to abide by the “standards expected of the entire British population”
25th May 2022 - The Independent
Platinum Jubilee celebrations could increase Covid infections by 50 per cent in summer spike, scientists warn
Covid infections will jump by up to 50 per cent following the Jubilee celebrations after falling by two-thirds in the past two months, leading scientists have warned.
New symptomatic infections have tumbled from a record 349,011 a day on 31 March to an estimated 117,136 cases today – with cases relatively stable over the past fortnight, according to the ZOE Covid study app. But Professor Tim Spector, who runs the ZOE app, believes greater social mixing over the extended bank holiday weekend, alongside waning immunity, will see infections rise sharply from their current level of 1 in 37 people across the UK.
25th May 2022 - iNews
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 25th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 Vaccine and Drug Sales, Once Booming, Plateau
The gold rush for drugmakers making Covid-19 vaccines and treatments might be over, as demand plateaus, supplies turn ample and the pandemic evolves. Merck & Co. and Johnson & Johnson are among the companies cutting sales expectations for pandemic products this year as they assess the outlook. Analysts, meantime, are lowering sales estimates for Covid-19 drugs such as Pfizer Inc.’s antiviral Paxlovid, citing softening demand and few new supply deals. The situation marks a new phase in the pandemic, according to analysts, one without the record sales that certain companies such as Pfizer and Moderna Inc. notched just a few months ago.
25th May 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Retailer Selloff Leaves Covid Slump in the Dust as Rout Widens
The darkest days of the pandemic might be long gone, but for chain stores and other merchants, it’s March 2020 all over again. And it’s getting worse. A selloff in Target Corp. and Walmart Inc. shares has pushed the SPDR S&P Retail exchange-traded fund (ticker XRT) down 44% from its November record high, outpacing the fund’s 41% rout during the pandemic. The $484 million ETF’s 16% slump in May would be the second-worst month since 2009, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Rising costs on everything from transportation to labor are eating into the profit margins of some of America’s best known retailers, stoking concerns over whether companies will be able to pass on the increased expenses to consumers.
25th May 2022 - Bloomberg
New York School Vaccine Mandate Survives as Supreme Court Rejects Appeal
The US Supreme Court turned away a challenge to New York’s requirement that schoolchildren be vaccinated against serious diseases, refusing to question the state’s 2019 repeal of its longstanding exemption for families with religious objections. The justices without comment left in place a state court ruling that said New York wasn’t targeting religion when it eliminated the exemption after the worst measles outbreak in a quarter century. The vaccine requirement applies to children under 18 in both public and private schools.
24th May 2022 - Bloomberg
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 24th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullIndian vaccine giant Serum plans African plant in global expansion
"It's never been a better time to be a vaccine manufacturer. I'm looking at expanding our manufacturing across the globe," SII Chief Executive Adar Poonawalla said during an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos. "There are some great countries out there: South Africa, Rwanda, you know, to name a few that we're looking at." Poonawalla said he was meeting some African officials in Davos to discuss his plans. Asked about possible investments, he said such projects typically required at least around $300 million.
24th May 2022 - Reuters
COVID: On the road with the 'vaccine convoys' critical to keeping up the fight against coronavirus
It is difficult to know what COVID is doing to the people of Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the death toll has been vastly undercounted in much of the world, but poor data collection in most African countries makes it difficult to assess the true impact on the continent. Evidence on COVID-related deaths in South Africa suggests there are serious grounds for concern. Experts at South Africa’s Medical Research Council believe hundreds of thousands of deaths have been lost in the paperwork. The real death toll is thought to be three times the official number of 101,000.
23rd May 2022 - Sky News
Monkeypox in Europe: Officials Call on Nations to Boost Efforts
As monkeypox cases climb in the UK, European health officials are calling on countries to review the availability of vaccines and step up efforts to identify and report new infections. Countries should check on supplies of smallpox vaccines, antiviral therapies and protective equipment for health workers, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said Monday. The recommendations come as England reported that cases almost tripled to 56 from 20. The cousin of the smallpox virus has previously been mostly confined to regions in Africa, but health authorities are concerned about cases ticking up in Europe and North America. The World Health Organization had said that 92 cases and 28 suspected cases had been identified in 12 countries outside of those African nations where it is endemic as of May 21.
23rd May 2022 - Bloomberg
Smallpox Vaccine Enters Wider Production Amid Monkeypox Outbreak
Danish vaccine maker Bavarian Nordic A/S is making more of a smallpox vaccine typically stockpiled in case of biological warfare, as governments seek doses that also offer protection against monkeypox amid an unusual outbreak around the world. Monkeypox, a viral illness that is only rarely detected outside of Africa, has been reported in recent weeks in at least 17 countries including the U.S., U.K., Spain, Portugal and Australia, according to nonprofit data platform Global.health. In the U.S., a case was confirmed in Massachusetts and at least five more are suspected—one each in Florida, New York and Washington and two in Utah, state officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.
23rd May 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 23rd May 2022
View this newsletter in fullApple Looks to Boost Production Outside China
Apple Inc. has told some of its contract manufacturers that it wants to boost production outside China, citing Beijing’s strict anti-Covid policy among other reasons, people involved in the discussions said. India and Vietnam, already sites for a small portion of Apple’s global production, are among the countries getting a closer look from the company as alternatives to China, the people said.
22nd May 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Senior, Nursing Homes Rocked By Covid Costs Struggle to Escape Closure
That’s a huge difference from the strongest financially performing nursing homes that saw up to 10% returns before the pandemic, said John Tishler, who specializes in transactions involving distressed and bankrupt health-care facilities at Nashville law firm Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis. The pandemic revealed and amplified long-existing shortcomings at the more than 15,000 nursing homes in the US, such as inadequate staffing, poor infection control and regulatory failures, according to an April report from the National Academy of Sciences. As of last month, more than 150,000 nursing home residents and 2,362 workers had died from Covid-19, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.
22nd May 2022 - Bloomberg
COVID-19 alert level in UK reduced - as Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 reclassified as variants of concern
The UK's coronavirus alert level has been reduced - as two rare types of Omicron have been reclassified as variants of concern. The level has moved from four to three after advice from the four nations' chief medical officers and the NHS England medical director. They said that "the current BA.2 driven Omicron wave is subsiding" and "direct COVID-19 healthcare pressures continue to decrease in all nations". Their statement added: "Whilst it is reasonable to expect the number of cases to increase due to BA.4, BA.5 or BA2.12.1, it is unlikely in the immediate future to lead to significant direct COVID pressures." The alert level was last raised on 12 December as Omicron spread rapidly.
21st May 2022 - Sky News
Shanghai economy hit on all sides in April by COVID lockdown
China's commercial hub of Shanghai reported on Friday a broad decline in its economy last month when a city-wide COVID lockdown shut factories and kept residents at home, sparking concerns among foreign firms over their presence in the country. Output of Shanghai's industries, located at the heart of manufacturing in the Yangtze River Delta, shrank 61.5% in April from a year earlier, the local statistics bureau said.
21st May 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 20th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullChina's zero-COVID policy dashes global hopes for quick economic return to normal
A sharp slowdown in China's economy caused by its strict zero-COVID rules and Beijing's shift away from a traditional reliance on external demand have cast doubts over how much the country will contribute to future global trade and investment. While China staged a remarkably quick recovery from its initial pandemic slump, thanks to bumper exports and factory production, analysts expect the current downturn will be harder to shake off than the one seen in early 2020
19th May 2022 - Reuters
Tea and infomercials: N. Korea fights COVID with few tools
“North Koreans know so many people around the world have died because of COVID-19, so they have fear that some of them could die, too,” said Kang Mi-jin, a North Korean defector, citing her phone calls with contacts in the northern North Korean city of Hyesan. She said people who can afford it are buying traditional medicine to deal with their anxieties. Since admitting what it called its first domestic COVID-19 outbreak one week ago, North Korea has been fighting to handle a soaring health crisis that has intensified public anxiety over a virus it previously claimed to have kept at bay.
20th May 2022 - The Associated Press
China's international schools hit by exodus of teachers dejected by COVID curbs
After teaching for three years at an international school in Shanghai, Michael is preparing to break his contract and leave, worn down by stringent measures against the coronavirus. Following two years of nearly-shut borders, onerous health checks and quarantine norms, a decision at the beginning of April to lock down China’s commercial centre proved the last straw for the 35-year-old. "It has reached a point where the economic benefits of working here don’t make up for the lack of freedom to come and go," the science teacher said, declining to give his full name for reasons of privacy.
20th May 2022 - Reuters
Uzbekistan produces over 6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine
Uzbekistan has produced 6.172 million doses of ZF-UZ-VAC 2001 coronavirus vaccine.
Since start of coronavirus pandemic, Uzbekistan received 69.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, including:
- 2.6 million doses of AstraZeneca;
- 48.1 million doses of ZF-UZ-VAC 2001;
- 1.34 million doses of Sputnik V;
- 10.68 million doses of Moderna;
- 4.62 million doses of Pfizer/BioNTech;
- 1.97 million doses of Sinovac;
- 343,000 doses of Sputnik Light.
More than 53 million doses of coronavirus vaccines were administered in Uzbekistan in total so far. 16.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines remain available.
19th May 2022 - AKIpress
On-campus COVID-19 measures couldn't contain Omicron
A study assessing Cornell University's COVID-19 surveillance and vaccination programs during the Omicron variant surge suggests that vaccination protected against severe infection, but it and other mitigation measures—including mass testing—didn't prevent rapid viral transmission. The study, published today in JAMA Network Open, describes the outcomes of the university's SARS-CoV-2 transmission-prevention programs implemented after the campus reopened for in-person instruction in fall 2021. Steps included mandatory vaccination for students, urging of vaccination for employees, and an on-campus mask requirement. In addition, isolation and contact tracing took place within hours of all COVID-19–positive tests.
19th May 2022 - CIDRAP
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 19th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullPandemic science hub will develop drugs for lung infections such as Covid-19
A new pandemic science hub is being created to develop treatments for lung infections such as Covid-19. The hub at the University of Edinburgh will use translational genomics – following clues from the human genome to identify and rapidly test new treatments – along with experimental medicine methods to quickly evaluate and develop drugs for lung inflammation and injury caused by infection.
Independent investment partnership Baillie Gifford is supporting the launch with a philanthropic gift of £14.7 million and the university aims to secure £100 million worth of investment in total. As well as accelerating discoveries of treatments for Covid-19 and other human lung diseases, the Baillie Gifford Pandemic Science Hub aims to help prepare for future pandemics.
18th May 2022 - The Independent
Where to Find Paxlovid Once You've Tested Positive for Covid
As Covid-19 again surges across the US, many people are going without time-sensitive therapeutics like Paxlovid because doctors worried about shortages are reluctant to prescribe the drugs. But the situation has changed and supplies are now abundant. Paxlovid, a combination of pills taken for five days, cuts the risk of hospitalization by nearly 90%, according to the manufacturer, Pfizer Inc. But to be effective, it must be taken within five days of the onset of symptoms—which include everything from a scratchy throat, runny nose, cough and chills to fever, body aches, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing and loss of taste or smell. The Food and Drug Administration has issued emergency-use authorizations for the drug to treat mild to moderate Covid-19 in people who are at high risk.
19th May 2022 - Bloomberg
From storage to transport, hurdles to getting COVID vaccine to North Koreans
As North Korea battles its first known COVID outbreak, a lack of storage, chronic power shortages and inadequately trained medical staff pose acute challenges to inoculating its 25 million people - even with outside help, analysts said. North Korea has not responded to offers of aid from South Korea and international vaccine-sharing programmes, but prefers U.S.-made Moderna and Pfizer over China's Sinovac or British-Swedish Astrazeneca shots, according to South Korean officials.
18th May 2022 - Reuters
Covid-19 wastewater surveillance is promising tool, but critical challenges remain
Covid-19 surveillance is at a crossroads in the United States. With at-home tests now outnumbering those done in laboratories, official case counts are more incomplete than ever as the nation -- and world -- faces down increasingly transmissible coronavirus variants. Wastewater surveillance is poised to fill in the gaps and help avoid the threats that an invisible wave of the virus could bring. This surveillance can help identify trends in transmission a week or two earlier than clinical testing, giving public health leaders the chance to focus messaging and resources. It can be used as a tool to sequence the virus and find new variants sooner, too. But eagerness to use this tool is stifled by uncertainty about exactly how to do so, along with a lack of resources and support to learn. Testing sewage for virus particles can provide early warning signs of increased transmission in a community, capturing even those who have asymptomatic infections or aren't being tested.
18th May 2022 - CNN
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 18th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullChina’s Economic Distress Deepens as Lockdowns Drag On
China’s economy descended deeper into a Covid-19-induced doldrums last month, raising questions about whether Beijing’s planned stimulus measures can prevent a prolonged downturn. Consumer spending and factory output tumbled in April, while growth in infrastructure investment—which Beijing has been counting on to prop up growth this year—slowed sharply, China’s National Bureau of Statistics reported Monday.
18th May 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Pfizer, BioNTech COVID vaccine deliveries delayed in Europe
As the EU gears up for a COVID-19 booster campaign this fall, the bloc has delayed vaccine deliveries from Pfizer and BioNTech. The change creates time for officials to secure potential variant-adapted shots that could score authorization in the months to come. Pfizer and BioNTech—which last year pledged to supply Europe with up to 1.8 billion doses of their mRNA vaccine Comirnaty through 2023—are pushing back deliveries scheduled for June through August by three months. The unspecified number of doses is now pegged to arrive in the EU starting in September through the fourth quarter of 2022, Pfizer and BioNTech said Monday. The delivery update shouldn’t crimp Pfizer and BioNTech’s 2022 revenue guidance or full-year delivery commitments to Europe, the companies said.
17th May 2022 - FiercePharma
Sniffer dogs detect coronavirus as effectively as PCR tests
Airport sniffer dogs are highly adept at detecting the coronavirus, according to the first published results from a trial in Finland. Researchers said that in future pandemics dogs could be used “as the sole testing method when other approaches are not yet available”. A team of dogs at an airport in Helsinki were able to match the results of PCR tests 98 per cent of the time. The team behind the study, published in the online journal BMJ Global Health, said it showed sniffer dogs could “provide a valuable tool to contain the pandemic”.
17th May 2022 - The Times
North Korean planes pick up medical supplies in China, media report
North Korea has sent aircraft to China to pick up medical supplies days after it confirmed its first COVID-19 outbreak, media reported on Tuesday. In some of its first international flights since the coronavirus pandemic began more than two years ago, three Air Koryo planes from North Korea flew to the Chinese city of Shenyang on Monday, and flew back with medical supplies later in the day, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said, citing unidentified sources.
17th May 2022 - Reuters
Beijing's retail, industry upended by COVID restrictions
The economy of China's capital Beijing took a hit in April as authorities wrestled with a new COVID outbreak, telling residents to avoid going out or work from home and halting many businesses. Retail sales in the city of nearly 22 million people, a key gauge of consumption, shrank 16.05% in April from a year earlier, according to Reuters calculations based on January-April data released by the city's statistics bureau on Tuesday, outpacing the nation's 11.1% contraction.
17th May 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullJersey's digital Covid vaccine certificates to show more doses and last longer
Jersey's digital Covid vaccine certificates have been upgraded. They will now show up to five doses rather than three and last for six months instead of one. The display has also been simplified for travel purposes to only include a single QR code showing the most recent vaccine.
16th May 2022 - ITV News
Tesla delays plan to restore Shanghai output to pre-lockdown levels
Tesla Inc has delayed a plan to restore production at its Shanghai plant to levels before the city's COVID-19 lockdown by at least a week, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters. The U.S. electric car maker originally aimed to increase output at its Shanghai plant to 2,600 cars a day from May 16, Reuters reported earlier this month citing another memo. But the latest memo said that it plans to stick to one shift for its Shanghai plant for the current week with a daily output of around 1,200 units. It also said that it would now aim to increase output to 2,600 units per day from May 23.
16th May 2022 - Reuters
Omicron Is Turning Out to Be a Weak Vaccine
With each new variant, that period of protection keeps getting shorter. In the past few weeks, studies out of South Africa, the US, and China have revealed that Omicron subvariants BA.2.12.1, BA.4 and BA.5 are alarmingly good at escaping immunity from a previous Omicron infection. In practical terms, this means that for the large swath of the US population that was first infected with Covid over the winter, the post-infection honeymoon may be over. Those people might wonder how safe it is to travel, attend large gatherings and have dinner with vulnerable friends and relatives. Unfortunately, there are no easy answers. “People want it to be, ‘Am I safe or not?,’” says Abraar Karan, an epidemiologist at Stanford University. But risk is a continuum.
16th May 2022 - Bloomberg
Dalian iron ore rebounds on supply woes, easing of China COVID curbs
Chinese iron ore futures rose on Monday, supported by supply concerns and shrinking portside inventories of the steelmaking ingredient, while the easing of some COVID-19 curbs in the world's top steel producer also lifted trader sentiment.
The most-traded September iron ore contract on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange ended daytime trade 3.9% higher at 834.50 yuan ($122.80) a tonne, after posting its biggest weekly loss in nearly three months on Friday.
16th May 2022 - Reuters
North Korea Covid Surge Accelerates as Unvaccinated Population Keeps Working
North Korea reported its biggest daily surge in fever cases during a nationwide outbreak of Covid-19 but didn’t respond to a South Korean offer of vaccines even as the North’s leader Kim Jong Un berated officials for failing to contain the disease. At the inter-Korean border, people could be seen walking around villages on the northern side Monday without face masks and working in groups in fields during the rice planting season, showing how unvaccinated North Korea is far from a strict lockdown that some nations have used to stop the spread of Covid.
16th May 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
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View this newsletter in fullThe Next Big COVID-Vaccine Gamble
Up here in the Northern Hemisphere, the spring weather’s just barely warming, but regulators in the United States are already wringing their hands over a tricksy fall brew: the contents of the COVID shot that vaccine makers are prepping for autumn, when all eligible Americans may be asked to dose up yet again (if, that is, Congress coughs up the money to actually buy the vaccines). In a recent advisory meeting convened by the FDA, Peter Marks, the director of the agency’s Center of Biologics Evaluation and Research, acknowledged the “very compressed time frame” in which experts will need to finalize the inoculation’s ingredients—probably, he said, by the end of June. Which is, for the record, right around the corner. A big choice is looming. And whatever version of the virus that scientists select for America’s next jab is “probably going to be the wrong one,” says Allie Greaney, who studies the push and pull between viruses and the immune system at the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.
13th May 2022 - The Atlantic
1000 people could be in hospital with Covid-19 daily during winter peak – Govt
Thousands of people could be hospitalised with respiratory illnesses daily over winter, including more than 1000 at a time with Covid-19 at what could potentially be a “quite high” peak, the Government is warning. On Friday, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield outlined modelling around planning for winter. It was expected Aotearoa would see a resurgence of Covid-19, alongside influenza and RSV outbreaks. New data showed while the Southern region was seeing the highest number of cases per 1000 people (particularly in Canterbury and Dunedin) and the seven-day rolling average remains steady overall, case numbers were “creeping up again” in Auckland.
13th May 2022 - Stuff.co.nz
Generic drugmakers to sell Pfizer's Paxlovid for $25 or less in low-income countries
Several generic drugmakers that will produce versions of Pfizer's (PFE.N) COVID-19 antiviral treatment Paxlovid have agreed to sell the medicine in low- and middle-income countries for $25 a course or less, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) said on Thursday. CHAI said it could not disclose the names of the manufacturers who have agreed to the price ceiling, because they are still in the early stage of product development and have not received regulatory approval.
13th May 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullNumber of Covid-19 hospital patients in England lowest since Christmas
The number of people with Covid-19 in hospital in England has fallen to its lowest level since last Christmas, new figures show. A total of 7,034 patients were in hospital as of 8am on May 11, down 21% week-on-week, according to NHS England. This is the lowest figure since December 21 2021, when it stood at 6,902. It was in late December that patient numbers started to rise sharply, driven by the spread of the original Omicron variant of coronavirus. They peaked at 17,120 on January 10 2022, then fell back – only to rise again due to the subsequent wave of infections caused by Omicron BA.2, hitting a slightly lower peak of 16,600 on April 7. Numbers have been dropping for the past month, with all regions of England now showing a steady decline. In south-east England, they have fallen to levels last seen in mid-October 2021. The trend reflects the large drop in the prevalence of the virus in recent weeks, as reported by the Office for National Statistics in its regular infection survey.
12th May 2022 - Wales Online
WHO: COVID-19 falling everywhere, except Americas and Africa
The number of new coronavirus cases reported worldwide has continued to fall except in the Americas and Africa, the World Health Organization said in its latest assessment of the pandemic. The decline comes as Europe marked a COVID-19 death milestone: 2 million on the continent. In its weekly pandemic report released late Tuesday, the U.N. health agency said about 3.5 million new cases and more than 25,000 deaths were reported globally, which respectively represent decreases of 12% and 25%.
12th May 2022 - The Associated Press
South African firm says it may close its COVID vaccine plant
The first factory to produce COVID-19 vaccines in Africa says it has not received enough orders and may stop production within weeks, in what a senior World Health Organization official described Thursday as a “failure” in efforts to achieve vaccine equity. South Africa’s Aspen Pharmacare said that it cannot let its large-scale sterile manufacturing facilities sit idle, and will return instead to making anesthetics. At the outset of the COVID pandemic, the company shifted its production and achieved capacity to produce more than 200 million doses annually of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. “It was widely hailed as a great achievement for Africa, a game-changer for the continent. But it has not been followed up with orders. We have not received any orders from the big multilateral agencies,” Stavros Nicolaou, senior executive for strategic trade development at Aspen Pharmacare, told The Associated Press Thursday.
12th May 2022 - The Associated Press
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View this newsletter in fullAfrica's COVID vaccine production line in jeopardy
A year ago, South Africa celebrated the opening of the continent's first COVID-19 vaccine production line. Now it's at risk of being shut down due to low demand. About 40% of adult South Africans are fully vaccinated. On the whole continent, just 15%. The World Health Organization has set a target of 70% coverage for all countries by June 2022. So far, only Mauritius and Seychelles reached that number in Africa. Most countries will likely miss it.
11th May 2022 - DW (English)
Emergent destroyed up to 400M COVID-19 vaccines, far more than previously known: report
Emergent's manufacturing setbacks forced the company to toss vaccine materials equivalent to nearly 400 million doses, according to a Tuesday report from the House of Representatives' Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. That's much more than the 85 million doses the company and U.S. officials previously disclosed, The Wall Street Journal reports. The report says Emergent had to toss 240 million doses in late 2020 and early 2021—before its COVID vaccine production issues became public knowledge. After Emergent's production pause in April 2021 through July 2021, the company tossed another 90 million doses. Expirations have forced the company to discard another 60 million doses, the report says.
11th May 2022 - FiercePharma
How China's lockdowns are taking a toll on global companies
International brands are revealing the damage to their bottom lines from China's "zero Covid" policy, where tens of millions of people remain in lockdown and almost every major business has been disrupted. In recent weeks, dozens of mainland Chinese cities, including the financial hub of Shanghai, have been locked down as authorities work to stamp out the coronavirus. For industries ranging from Big Tech to consumer goods, that's destroying both supply and demand — and giving executives another major headache. Many companies had just run up millions, or billions, of dollars in losses due to the war in Ukraine, which led to a massive — and costly — corporate exodus from Russia.
11th May 2022 - CNN
Untapped Global Vaccine Stash Raises Risks of New Covid Variants
The world finds itself awash in Covid-19 vaccines, but governments can’t get them into arms fast enough, as hesitancy and logistical hurdles threaten to indefinitely extend the pandemic. Shots that were once rare are now piling up and even expiring, a problem on the agenda of a second global Covid-19 summit the US is co-hosting on Thursday. President Joe Biden kicked off the first summit eight months ago by announcing the US would donate another 500 million doses to the international vaccination campaign, nearly doubling its total pledge. But now, vaccine makers are idling production or face shutdowns as demand for shots wanes, even with the world still far from a target of inoculating 70% of humanity. Republicans in Congress have so far blocked additional funding for the US and international vaccination campaigns.
11th May 2022 - Bloomberg
Lucid CEO concerned about chip supplies from China due to COVID-19
The chief executive of Lucid Group Inc on Wednesday expressed concern about chip supplies from China due to COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdowns, adding that the U.S. electric vehicle startup is taking measures to mitigate the impact.
"My biggest concern probably is semiconductors from China and the impact of COVID in that part of the world," Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson said at a conference held by the Financial Times.
11th May 2022 - Reuters
Telehealth aims to crack open Paxlovid’s prescription bottleneck
After months of shortages, pharmacies across the United States are being stocked with drugs to treat Covid-19. Now, the bottleneck has shifted to getting a prescription — and patients and public health agencies are looking to telehealth for help. Last week, Massachusetts launched free televisits for state residents who have tested positive for Covid-19, including home delivery of Paxlovid, Pfizer’s oral antiviral, if prescribed. New York City has filled more than 16,000 courses of the drug through its home delivery program, 2,100 of which started with a free telehealth visit with NYC Health + Hospitals. And a growing number of virtual care companies are promoting televisits as a first-line resource for patients who have tested positive, advertising against Google searches for “Paxlovid” and partnering with testing companies that route patients to their providers.
10th May 2022 - STAT News
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View this newsletter in fullEmployers requiring job applicants to have a Covid-19 vaccine is declining, study finds
The share of job ads that require candidates to have a Covid-19 vaccine seems to be on the decline. About 6.7% of U.S. job listings cited vaccination as a necessity for applicants as of April 29, according to a new analysis by AnnElizabeth Konkel, an economist at Indeed, a job site. The share has slowly fallen since March 12, when it touched a pandemic-era peak of 7.1%.
10th May 2022 - CNBC
South Africa Cuts Back Covid Vaccine Drive Amid Citizen Apathy
South Africa is scaling back its Covid-19 vaccination drive and may have to destroy doses because of a lack of demand from citizens even as the country heads into a fifth wave of infections. Take up has slowed to the point where keeping some sites running is unaffordable, said Nicholas Crisp, deputy director-general at the department of health and the person in charge of the program. Covid-19 vaccinations will need to be incorporated into South Africa’s standard medical programs, which means these specific shots will be less accessible, he said.
10th May 2022 - Bloomberg
Why a Covid Vaccine Mandate for N.Y.C. Schoolchildren Is Unlikely Soon
Teachers at New York City public schools are required to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Children involved in after-school activities that have a higher risk of spreading the virus — including many sports, as well as chorus and band — must be vaccinated, too. But while New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul have both said they support making Covid vaccination for all public school children mandatory, that does not necessarily mean it is happening soon.
Momentum on the issue, both in New York and across the country, has stalled, lawmakers and experts say. In part, this is because the F.D.A. has not yet granted full approval to a Covid-19 vaccine for children under 16. Another problem is the disappointing efficacy of the current Pfizer vaccine against preventing infection in children under 12. (The F.D.A. has granted emergency authorization for children 5 to 16.)
10th May 2022 - The New York Times
Emergent Hid Evidence of Covid Vaccine Problems at Plant, Report Says
Emergent BioSolutions, a longtime government contractor hired to produce hundreds of millions of coronavirus vaccine doses, hid evidence of quality control problems from Food and Drug Administration inspectors in February 2021 — six weeks before it alerted federal officials that 15 million doses had been contaminated. The disclosure came in a report released Tuesday by House Democrats, who said that all told, nearly 400 million doses of coronavirus vaccine manufactured by Emergent had to be destroyed “due to poor quality control.” Previous estimates of lost vaccine were far lower; no contaminated doses were ever released to the public. The report, issued jointly by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, is the product of an investigation that began last year, after The New York Times documented months of problems at Emergent’s troubled Bayview plant in Baltimore.
10th May 2022 - The New York Times
High-risk COVID-19 patients can now get two antiviral prescription drugs — but some are still missing out
For Australians at high risk of developing severe COVID-19, getting access to potentially lifesaving treatment recently became easier — but experts say some are still missing out. On May 1, COVID-19 antiviral drug Paxlovid — the most effective oral treatment to date — was listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), which means it can now be prescribed by a GP or nurse and dispensed at a community pharmacy. It's the second antiviral drug to be listed on the PBS for people at high risk of severe COVID-19, following the addition of molnupiravir (also known as "Lagevrio") back in March.
10th May 2022 - ABC.Net.au
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View this newsletter in fullPandemic pushes Spanish workers out of the shadows
For decades, a cash-filled envelope - or "sobre" - was how hundreds of thousands of Spaniards working without legal contracts in tourism, agriculture or construction collected their salaries. COVID-19, however, may finally be putting paid to the "sobre", economic data and workers' experiences suggest - accelerating a six-year-long crackdown in Spain on the shadow economy and providing a welcome boost to the country's public finances.
9th May 2022 - Reuters
Aptiv Shanghai plant suspends some shipments after COVID cases - sources
Aptiv stopped shipping over the weekend some parts from a Shanghai plant that supplies Tesla Inc and General Motors Co after COVID-19 infections were found among its workers, two people familiar with the matter said on Monday. The suspension of shipments from Aptiv could represent a setback to Tesla, which had planned to bring output in Shanghai back to the levels before the city locked down to control a wave of infections and forced a shutdown through much of April.
9th May 2022 - Reuters
China's April exports slow, imports unchanged amid expanding virus curbs
Article reports that China's export growth slowed to single digits, the weakest in almost two years, while imports barely changed in April as tighter and wider COVID-19 curbs halted factory production and crimped domestic demand, adding to wider economic woes. Exports in dollar terms grew 3.9% in April from a year earlier, dropping sharply from the 14.7% growth reported in March although slightly better than analysts' forecast of 3.2%. It was the slowest pace since June 2020.
Imports were broadly stable year-on-year, improving slightly from a 0.1% fall in March and a bit better than the 3.0% contraction tipped by the Reuters poll.
9th May 2022 - Reuters
Covid-19 guidance changes announced for universities and colleges
The Welsh Government has formally removed the Infection Control Framework for Higher and Further Education institutions from today. The change will bring higher and further education into line with the wider public health guidance followed by businesses, employers and event organisers. The advice covers control measures that could be implemented to reduce the risk of transmission of the most common communicable diseases, including Coronavirus, flu and norovirus.
9th May 2022 - Wales 247
Chaos at Apple supplier shows strains of Shanghai COVID lockdown
Quanta Shanghai Manufacturing City would seem like an ideal site to implement China's "closed-loop" management system to prevent the spread of COVID that requires staff to live and work on-site in a secure bubble. Sprawled over land the size of 20 football fields, the campus houses factories, living quarters for 40,000 workers, some living 12 per room, and even a supermarket. But as COVID-19 breeched Quanta's defences, the system broke down into chaos. Videos posted online showed more than a hundred Quanta workers physically overwhelming security guards in hazmat suits and vaulting over factory gates to escape being trapped inside the factory amid rumours that workers on the floor that day tested positive for COVID.
9th May 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullWisconsin is experiencing an increase in COVID-19 deaths, hospitalizations and cases
The state is experiencing an uptick in new reported deaths, hospitalizations and cases as new data analysis shows that this is not just a pandemic of the unvaccinated.
The pandemic’s toll is no longer falling almost exclusively on those who chose not to or could not get shots, a Washington Post analysis that was published late last month found.
During the omicron variant surge, the vaccinated made up 42% of deaths in January and February, compared with 23% of the dead in September, the peak of the delta wave, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
8th May 2022 - Yahoo
Pent-up demand prompts European travel recovery as COVID curbs ease
"There is a lot of pent-up demand. People want to see their families and travel again," said Phil Seymour, president of IBA Group, a UK-based consultancy and aircraft valuation firm. That echoes soaring domestic demand in the United States.
"The big overlay is that air travel demand is back and it is back in a massive way," Sean Egan, Chief Executive of the Egan-Jones Ratings Company, told the Airfinance Journal conference. Challenges remain in the form of rising costs and staff shortages causing flights to be cancelled. Some airlines have promised more than they can deliver this summer, delegates warned.
8th May 2022 - Reuters
Covid in Africa: Why the continent's only vaccine plant is struggling
Some experts blame concerns over the safety and efficacy of Covid vaccines for the slow uptake in many African countries. However others argue that after struggling to get vaccines, Africa experienced a glut of supply which was difficult to use in the required time,
7th May 2022 - BBC News
Universities Have Returned in Person, But Some Disabled Students Don't Want to Go Back
Mya Pol said it takes her about 30 minutes to get from her dorm at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst to her communications class. The trip across campus would take most of her peers less than half that time, she said. Ms. Pol, a 21-year-old senior communications major, uses a wheelchair. She said that every day she wonders how different her college experience would have been if she could have attended classes remotely, as she has during most of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Disabled people have been asking for remote access to work and education forever,” Ms. Pol said. “That sprung up pretty quickly with Covid and was fantastic. It created a lot more access for individuals who couldn’t make the class.”
7th May 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
War in Europe and China’s Battle With Covid Boost U.S.’s Business Appeal
European businesses are stepping up U.S. investment as executives search for growth and stability amid turbulence caused by the war in Ukraine and tough Covid-19 lockdowns in China. The U.S. economy has emerged strong from the pandemic, while Europe’s recovery prospects have been cast into doubt by the Ukraine war. Plus Beijing's stringent zero-Covid policy and regulatory crackdowns on technology companies and debt problems at large real estate businesses have raised questions about its commitment to economic growth. Exposure to the Chinese market has provided enormous growth and profits for European companies over the past decades. Few European executives are considering a wholesale withdrawal from China, but as its economy creaks, businesses are rethinking their investment strategies.
7th May 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
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View this newsletter in fullTravel industry, airlines urge end to COVID testing to enter U.S.
Major U.S. airlines, business and travel groups and other companies urged the White House on Thursday to abandon COVID-19 pre-departure testing requirements for vaccinated international passengers traveling to the United States. "Given the slow economic recovery of the business and international travel sectors, and in light of medical advancements and the improved public health metrics in the U.S., we encourage you to immediately remove the inbound testing requirement for vaccinated air travelers," said the letter signed by American Airlines, Carnival Corp, Marriott International, Walt Disney Co's Disney Parks, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Travel Association and others.
5th May 2022 - Reuters
Spain's tourist arrivals jump 8-fold in March, edge toward pre-COVID levels
Spain received 4 million tourists in March, more than eight times as many as in the same month last year, after most pandemic-related restrictions were lifted, data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) showed on Thursday. Foreign tourists spent 5.07 billion euros ($5.37 billion) while on holiday in the country in March, up from a mere 544 million euros a year earlier, the data showed. "Spain closes this first quarter with good data on arrivals and tourist spending, a trend that we hope will intensify in the summer period," Tourist Minister Reyes Maroto said on her Twitter account.
5th May 2022 - Reuters.com
COVID-hit Beijing returns to work after subdued Labour Day break
Beijing residents tentatively returned to work on Thursday after a muted five-day Labour Day holiday devoid of the usual trips across the country or lavish family dinners, as China pledged to fight any criticism of its uncompromising "zero-COVID" policy. The long break is usually one of the most lucrative times of the year for restaurants, hotels and other businesses in China. This year, travellers spent 43% less than in 2021, data showed on Thursday
5th May 2022 - Reuters.com
S.Africa's Aspen to slash COVID vaccine capacity within 6 weeks if no orders - CEO
Aspen Pharmacare will switch about half of its COVID-19 vaccine production capacity onto other products if demand doesn't pick up within six weeks, its CEO warned, as South Africa's president and health officials urged more Africans to take up the shots. Aspen completed a deal in March to package, sell and distribute Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine in what was considered a game-changing moment for an under-vaccinated continent frustrated by sluggish Western handouts.
5th May 2022 - Reuters.com
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View this newsletter in fullChina's Big Pledges Set to Test Covid-Weary Markets in Reopening
Article reports that Chinese markets will return to action Thursday after a three-day break, putting to test whether Beijing has done enough to convince investors that strict Covid lockdowns won’t hamper efforts to boost economic growth and pledges to go gentle on Big Tech are genuine. Stocks may come under pressure following losses in Hong Kong shares earlier this week, a reversal of Friday’s rally after Chinese leaders vowed to spur a faltering economy and signaled a softening stance toward private enterprise. Economic pessimism means the yuan will likely continue to struggle and bonds may be supported, although the outcome of a key Federal Reserve meeting Wednesday also will help shape their directions.
4th May 2022 - Bloomberg
Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Siouxsie Wiles - what we know about BA.4 and BA.5 variants
BA.4 and BA.5 are responsible for a new wave of Covid-19 cases in South Africa. At least one of them has arrived on our shores. So what does the science tell us about these new Omicron variants? While most countries are winding down their testing and sequencing efforts, South Africa has been doing an absolutely stellar job of detecting new Covid-19 virus variants. It was the country that first identified the three original Omicron lineages (BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3) back in November last year. Once other countries started to look, they found Omicron everywhere. BA.1 started the initial global Omicron wave, followed by the more infectious BA.2. In South Africa they only had one large BA.1 wave. Here in New Zealand, BA.1 and BA.2 arrived and seeded into the community very close together, so we had both at the same time – though BA.2 became the dominant lineage. BA.3 never really took off anywhere.
4th May 2022 - New Zealand Herald
Taiwan's Foxconn says no change to production in China's COVID-hit Zhengzhou
Major Taiwanese Apple Inc supplier Foxconn said on Wednesday that it is continuing production in China's Zhengzhou, which announced on Tuesday it would impose new COVID-19-related movement curbs for May 4-10. "Our park has maintained production unchanged," it said in a statement, referring to the industrial area where its facilities are located in the central Chinese city.
4th May 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullBeijing 'preparing 1000-bed hospital for new Covid spike'
Beijing is preparing thousands of hospital beds to deal with a spike in Covid-19 cases, according to local reports. A 1,000-bed hospital at Xiaotangshan in the northeastern suburbs, built for the 2003 Sars outbreak, has been refurbished in case it is needed,
4th May 2022 - The Independent
ACT to drop COVID-19 vaccine mandates for healthcare workers, teachers in Canberra
Workers in healthcare and education settings across Canberra will soon no longer be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the ACT Health Minister has announced. Speaking in the ACT Legislative Assembly, Rachel Stephen-Smith flagged the changes would come into place on May 13, and would no longer require healthcare workers or teachers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. She said the move was based on advice provided by Chief Health Officer Kerryn Coleman. But Ms Stephen-Smith said the mandatory vaccination requirements would still remain in place for workers in aged care and disability settings.
3rd May 2022 - ABC.Net.au
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View this newsletter in fullNew York City Raises Covid-19 Alert Level to 'Medium' as Case Numbers Rise
The recent uptick in Covid cases across New York City has prompted increased caution from the city. The city has moved to a “medium” alert level from “low” as new cases per 100,000 people over the last seven days has surpassed 200. The latest figure of 209.02 cases per 100,000 is the highest since early February. New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan and Mayor Eric Adams said they’ve seen an increase in hospitalizations from the latest wave. At an unrelated press conference on Monday, they repeated calls for vaccinations, boosters, indoor masking to help the city curb the rise in virus cases.
2nd May 2022 - Bloomberg
Covid Testing Stations to Disappear in Oslo as City Moves On
Norway’s capital is gradually closing its municipal testing stations as it removes a general recommendation for the city’s residents to test for Covid-19. May 9 will be the last day that people can test at the public stations, the Oslo municipality said in a statement on its website. People wishing to get checked before traveling internationally will need to use private providers, it said. Norway ranked first for a second month in Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking in April. The Nordic nation is among a growing group that no longer have Covid-related travel curbs in place, and has even scrapped a requirement to self-isolate after a positive result.
2nd May 2022 - Bloomberg
COVID threatens new U.S. Senate delays for Biden's Fed, FTC nominees
An effort by U.S. Senate Democrats to move forward on President Joe Biden's nominees for the Federal Reserve and Federal Trade Commission appeared headed for a second week of delay on Monday, after another Democratic lawmaker tested positive for COVID-19. Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado said on Twitter that he tested positive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 on Sunday, adding that he would quarantine at home in Denver for the week. "I'm experiencing minor, cold-like symptoms and plan to work virtually," Bennet said.
2nd May 2022 - Reuters
South Africa's Aspen COVID-19 vaccine plant risks closure after no orders, executive says
Africa's first COVID-19 vaccination plant, touted last year as a trailblazer for an under-vaccinated continent frustrated by sluggish Western handouts, risks shutting down after receiving not a single order, a company executive said on Saturday. South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare negotiated a licensing deal in November to package and sell Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine and distribute it across Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) called the deal a "transformative moment" in the drive towards levelling stark inequalities in access to COVID vaccines.
2nd May 2022 - Reuters
China Contagion Threatens to Derail the World’s Emerging Markets
A widespread selloff in China is rippling through emerging markets, threatening to snuff out growth and drag down everything from stocks to currencies and bonds.
Fresh Covid outbreaks -- and the government’s stringent policy to contain them -- are spooking global investors who fear shutdowns in China will echo across the world by lowering demand and disrupting supply chains. That’s pushing them to sell not just China’s currency, bonds and stocks but the assets of any developing nation which relies heavily on trade with the second-biggest economy. The result is the sharpest slide in emerging markets in two years, not unlike the meltdown in 2015 when China’s woes led to a rout in their bonds and currencies, besides wiping out $2 trillion from equity values. Since then, the country’s influence on the global economy has only grown: It’s now the largest buyer of commodities, meaning its slump may impact exporters of raw materials and their markets more than ever.
2nd May 2022 - Bloomberg
Chinese Omicron-specific mRNA COVID vaccine candidate to be trialed in UAE
China's Suzhou Abogen Biosciences Co said its COVID-19 vaccine candidate using the messenger RNA (mRNA) technology and targeting the Omicron variant has obtained clinical trial approval in the United Arab Emirates. With Friday's announcement, Abogen joins Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna in trialing candidates modified specifically against Omicron, a highly transmissible variant with increased resistance to antibodies elicited by existing shots.
1st May 2022 - Reuters
Shanghai factories scramble to reopen as COVID lockdown lingers
Companies reopening factories in locked-down Shanghai are booking hotel rooms to house workers and turning vacant workshops into on-site isolation facilities as authorities urge them to resume work while complying with tough COVID-19 curbs. Hundreds of companies including multinationals Tesla and 3M have reopened factories in the Chinese economic hub under local guidelines requiring them to isolate workers inside a "closed-loop".
30th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 29th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullA fight over coronavirus safety at journalists' gala event
More than 2,000 journalists, celebrities and politicians, including President Biden, are set to descend on the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner this weekend in what is shaping up to be a major test of whether large gatherings can be safely held at this stage of the pandemic. Organizers say they are committed to holding an event that significantly reduces the risk of coronavirus infections, pointing to vaccine and testing requirements that were strengthened after a dinner hosted by Washington’s Gridiron Club this month was linked to at least 85 infections that sickened Cabinet members, reporters and other guests. Yet some White House officials and experts worry that those measures are insufficient and that this weekend’s events may become another high-profile superspreader event, said three administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the issue. Behind the scenes, one prominent coronavirus expert is scrapping with party organizers hesitant to install devices that disinfect the air using ultraviolet light because of concerns the devices might interfere with the program.
28th Apr 2022 - The Washington Post
Nearly 60,000 COVID-19 rapid test kits sold in 2 hours
Nearly 60,000 COVID-19 rapid test kits were sold in two hours across Taiwan as the government launched its rapid test kit rationing scheme on Thursday. As of 9 a.m. on Thursday, 59,214 test kits had been sold at 2,323 stores and health centers, Director-General of the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) Lee Po-chang said.
28th Apr 2022 - Focus Taiwan News Channel
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 28th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullU.S. to widen COVID antiviral pill distribution
Pfizer's COVID-19 pill Paxlovid is packaged in Ascoli. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is aiming to expand access to COVID-19 oral antiviral treatments like Pfizer Inc's Paxlovid by doubling the number of locations at which they are available, the White House said on Tuesday. Pharmacies participating in the federal pharmacy program for distributing antiviral treatments will be able to order the free treatments directly from the U.S. government starting this week. Currently, pharmacies depend on states to obtain the pills. The government sends the treatments to select pharmacies, as well as directly to states and community centers. Under the current system, the treatments are available in around 20,000 locations. The administration expects to boost their direct distribution to more than 30,000 locations soon and reach 40,000 sites over the coming weeks, the White House said. "Treatments are really the next phase of this pandemic, where we have to make the treatments, these highly effective treatments, widely available," Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said in an interview on CNN. Demand for Paxlovid has been unexpectedly light due to complicated eligibility requirements, reduced COVID testing, and potential for drug interactions.
27th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Satellite Data Show Extent of China's Crippling Lockdowns
Chinese port activity fell below levels seen during the first coronavirus outbreak in 2020 and construction has plummeted, satellite data show, suggesting official economic figures will likely worsen as Covid lockdowns spread. Satellite images are becoming an important real-time data tool to measure the impact of China’s worst coronavirus outbreak since 2020. Official numbers are released only monthly, and are increasingly coming under scrutiny as Beijing sticks to its ambitious growth target of about 5.5% even though its Covid Zero approach has forced major hubs like Shanghai to shut down. New York-based SpaceKnow, which tracks activity at more than 1,300 factories from space, said manufacturing output remained strong through the lockdowns in March and early April, although inventories are building up. That’s likely a sign of logistical snarls as coronavirus restrictions cause major disruptions and shortages of trucks able to move goods to ports and around the country.
26th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 27th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullChina's Covid Crisis Threatens Global Supply Chain Chaos for Summer 2022
China’s stringent rules to curb Covid-19 are about to unleash another wave of summer chaos on supply chains between Asia, the U.S. and Europe. Beijing’s zero-tolerance approach amid an escalating virus outbreak brings the pandemic full circle, more than two years after its emergence in Wuhan upended the global economy. Shipping congestion at Chinese ports, combined with Russia’s war in Ukraine, risks a one-two punch that threatens to derail the recovery, already buffeted by inflation pressures and headwinds to growth. Even if the virus is reined in, the disruptions will ripple globally — and extend through the year — as bunched-up cargo vessels start sailing again.
26th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 26th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullWorld's Biggest Vaccine Maker Serum Halts Production Over Millions of Unused Doses
Serum Institute of India Ltd., the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer and a key supplier of Covid-19 inoculations to developing countries, has stopped making fresh batches of shots after its stockpile grew to 200 million doses amid a global supply glut. “We have got 200 million doses of stock. We had to shut down production in December,” Serum’s chief executive officer Adar Poonawalla said at the India Economic Conclave organized by Times Network on Friday, saying he was worried about wastage if the shots expired. “I have even offered to give free donations to whoever wanted to take it.”
25th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
Vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 infection and related hospitalization
In the present study, the researchers estimated the effectiveness of two and three doses of COVID-19 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variant infection and related hospitalization. The study population comprised Denmark residents aged 12 years or older in a time period where either the Alpha, Delta, or Omicron variants were dominant. The team included only the first SARS-CoV-2 positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test of a participant. They obtained information on all laboratory-confirmed positive reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) results from the Danish microbiology database (MiBa). COVID-19-related hospitalization was defined as a new hospital admission lasting at least 12 hours, occurring within two days prior to or 14 days after the diagnosis with either the SARS-CoV-2 Alpha, Delta, or Omicron variant infection.
25th Apr 2022 - News-Medical.Net
Covid-19 data reporting is becoming less frequent, making trends harder to track
Many states are scaling back on how often they report key Covid-19 statistics, a shift that some experts worry might hinder efforts to mitigate outbreaks and negative effects of the coronavirus. A year ago, all 50 states were reporting new Covid-19 cases on a daily basis. But that has gradually trailed off. This week, Pennsylvania will be the latest state to switch from daily to weekly updates, leaving just six states that will still be reporting new Covid-19 cases every day of the week.
About half of states now report just once a week, with Florida down to every two weeks.
25th Apr 2022 - CNN
China Covid Shock Sees Beijing Consider Risky Debt Option Again
China has signaled a willingness to allow local governments to increase off-balance sheet debt again after a crackdown in recent years to bring it under control. The People’s Bank of China said last week that banks should meet the “reasonable funding needs” of local government financing vehicles, or LGFVs, and not “blindly” suspend or withdraw loans from the companies. The measures were one of 23 listed by the central bank to help boost lending and support industries battered by Covid outbreaks and lockdowns. While Beijing still remains committed to debt control, the economy’s slump is forcing policy makers to ease up on some restrictions. To bolster growth, local governments have been instructed to boost investment in infrastructure, but since they face a cash crunch because of a property market slump, many will need financial help from LGFVs.
25th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 25th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullBeijing on alert after COVID-19 cases discovered in school
Beijing is on alert after 10 middle school students tested positive for COVID-19, in what city officials said was an initial round of testing. City officials suspended classes in the school for a week following the positive test results on Friday. The Chinese capital also reported four other confirmed cases that day that were counted separately. Mainland China reported 24,326 new community-transmitted infections on Saturday, with the vast majority of them asymptomatic cases in Shanghai, where enforcement of a strict “zero-COVID” strategy has drawn global attention. China has doubled down on the approach even in face of the highly transmissible omicron variant.
24th Apr 2022 - The Associated Press
NYC Suspends School Staff for Allegedly Using Fake Vaccine IDs
The New York City Department of Education suspended about 70 employees for allegedly using fake vaccination cards, the teachers’ union said. The department placed the employees on unpaid leave with benefits, effective April 25, and the Special Commissioner of Investigation for the New York City School District and law enforcement agencies are investigating the incident. “Fraudulent vaccination cards are not only illegal, they also undermine the best line of protection our schools have against Covid-19 – universal adult vaccination,” said Nathaniel Styer, a spokesperson for the DOE. It wasn’t immediately clear how the department discovered the alleged fake cards.
23rd Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 22nd Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullA prolonged China slowdown raises risks for global economy, IMF chief says
A prolonged slowdown in China would have substantial global spillovers, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Thursday, but added that Beijing has room to adjust policy to provide support. The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday cut its growth forecast for China this year to 4.4%, well below Beijing's target of around 5.5%, on the risks of widespread COVID-19 lockdowns and supply chain disruptions. In a video speech to the annual Boao Forum for Asia, Georgieva said China's actions to counter its economic slowdown are vital for the global recovery.
21st Apr 2022 - Reuters
Aspen In Talks With African Leaders on Low Covid Vaccine Orders
Article reports that Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd. is in talks with African leaders about how to raise demand for Covid-19 vaccines after the continent’s biggest drugmaker warned a lack of orders may force it to stop making the shots. Discussions are “underway and I assure you it’s been elevated to the highest level on the continent,” John Nkengasong, director of Africa CDC, said at a briefing on Thursday. “I’m sure more details will be provided in coming days, once we have more details from Africa’s political leadership.” Nkengasong last week appealed to African countries to place orders with local manufacturers including Durban, South Africa-based Aspen, which makes doses on behalf of Johnson & Johnson and in March said it agreed to make the shots under its own brand.
21st Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Northern Ireland: Health bosses take action due to poor uptake of vaccine in young kids
Only 1.39% of children aged five to 11 in Northern Ireland have been vaccinated against Covid-19, health bosses have said. The Public Health Agency (PHA) has created a vaccination toolkit to support uptake as it said safety concerns may be a driving factor for the low uptake in youngsters here. The vaccine has been available to children deemed to be at risk from the virus and those who live with someone who is immunocompromised since December but was opened up to all five to 11 year olds in February.
21st Apr 2022 - Belfast Telegraph
After rejecting COVID rule, Arizona could lose oversight of workplace safety
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Wednesday moved to revoke Arizona's ability to police workplace safety within the state after it refused to adopt a federal rule requiring COVID-19 protections for healthcare workers. OSHA in a proposal published in the Federal Register said Arizona's failure to enforce the emergency COVID-19 rule last year was the latest in a decade-long series of instances where the state shirked its duty to adopt safety standards at least as strict as comparable federal requirements.
21st Apr 2022 - Reuters.com
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 21st Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullBrazil meat exporters face hurdles shipping product via COVID-hit Shanghai -lobby group
Brazil's ABPA, a lobby group representing large pork and chicken processors like JBS SA and BRF SA, said on Wednesday its member companies are facing difficulties shipping products through the Port of Shanghai. The statement, sent in response to a question from Reuters about the effects of the COVID lockdown in the Chinese city, said cargoes are being redirected to other ports, such as Yantian.
"There are no reports of suspension of sales," the statement said, referring to rumors about potential contract cancellations.
21st Apr 2022 - Reuters
Awash in Covid Vaccines, Romania Faces Storage Headache
Romania is struggling to find storage for millions of Covid vaccine doses it hasn’t used, even as more are slated to arrive this year. More than two years into the pandemic, the country remains one of the European Union’s least vaccinated. Now the government is asking the EU for help and trying to sell or donate doses from Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. to resolve a storage headache that’s set to worsen while avoiding wasting the shots. About 6.5 million doses delivered in January and February have been sold to Germany and Hungary, but another 39 million are scheduled to arrive this year and next, according to Health Minister Alexandru Rafila. One country was offered 1.1 million doses for free and has “yet to show interest in picking them up.”
20th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
Hong Kong launches new platform for recovered Covid-19 patients
From April 19, people who've recovered from Covid-19 can now download a QR code issued by the government via the Covid-19 Electronic Vaccination and Testing Record System and use the electronic record when entering designated premises like restaurants, shopping malls, and supermarkets instead of the vaccine pass. The QR code is valid within six months from the date of recovery. Downloading the recovery record QR code will require recovered Covid-19 patients to provide the number and date of issue of their Hong Kong identity card, discharge date from the hospital, or positive test result for identification. The recovery QR code may also be downloaded using the iAM Smart app and the latest version of the eHealth app. Those who received isolation orders issued by the Department of Health (DH) will instantly get the recovery record QR code. The QR code may be saved in the LeaveHomeSafe mobile application to facilitate scanning when entering a Vaccine Pass premises.
20th Apr 2022 - Time Out
North Wales company to stop producing Covid-19 Vaccine
A pharmaceutical company that has helped in the production of the Covid-19 vaccine will 'right size' business as the wide-scale rollout comes to an end. Wockhardt, based on the Wrexham Industrial Estate, is a global pharmaceutical and biotechnology organisation that had a contract with the UK Government to help produce Covid- 19 vaccines during the mass roll-out. Now, the rollout is coming to an end, and the company will be scaling back the work, leading to job losses. A spokesperson for the company said: “Wockhardt is incredibly proud to have played a vital role in mitigating the global impact of COVID-19.
20th Apr 2022 - North Wales Chronicle
Taiwan firms in China hub make uneven restart from COVID curbs
Taiwan firms making chip and electronic components reported a mixed picture on Wednesday on work resumption in the eastern Chinese city of Kunshan after COVID-19 curbs, with some warning deliveries would be postponed until next month. China has put Shanghai under a tight lockdown since late March and neighbouring Kunshan has also tightened curbs to control the country's biggest COVID-19 outbreak since the coronavirus was discovered in late 2019 in the city of Wuhan
20th Apr 2022 - Reuters.com
In Shanghai lockdown, Carrefour staff sleeps at store to keep residents supplied
To prepare the 3,000-plus orders of vegetables, meat and essentials her Carrefour supermarket sends out every day to locked-in Shanghai residents, manager Zhang Wei wakes at 5 a.m. after a night in a sleeping bag on her office floor. Zhang and 43 colleagues have been hunkered down inside the store in Shanghai's western Xujing suburb since April 1, isolated from the outside world while working long days to fill online orders from neighbouring housing compounds. Her Carrefour branch is one of more than 1,000 grocery stores open during Shanghai's lockdown, albeit under stringent requirements to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The city government is trying to increase the number of stores open.
20th Apr 2022 - Reuters
IMF's Georgieva says China should stimulate consumption as lockdowns mount
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Wednesday that China should use fiscal space to stimulate consumption as it faces an economic slowdown prompted by renewed COVID-19 lockdowns. Georgieva said that China had ample fiscal and monetary policy space to counteract this, but it would be better to stimulate consumption. "What we see in China is that consumption is falling short, it is not recovering as strongly as necessary," Georgieva told a news conference at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings.
20th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 20th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullAnalysis: Demand for Pfizer's COVID pills lags around the world
Worldwide demand for Pfizer's oral COVID-19 antiviral treatment Paxlovid has been unexpectedly light due to complicated eligibility requirements, reduced testing, and potential for drug interactions, a Reuters review of data and interviews with experts has found. Demand also has been hampered by the perception that Omicron infections are not that severe. Paxlovid was expected to be a major tool in the fight against COVID after it reduced hospitalizations or deaths in high-risk patients by around 90% in a clinical trial.
19th Apr 2022 - Reuters
J&J pulls COVID vaccine sales forecast due to low demand, supply glut
Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday rescinded its forecast for sales of its COVID-19 vaccine, as hesitancy in low income countries has led to a glut of supply of a shot once hoped to be the inoculation of choice for the developing world. The company had previously predicted as much as $3.5 billion in 2022 sales from the single-dose vaccine, but demand has withered. Still, the company reported strong results for its medical devices business and raised its dividend, driving shares up around 3%.
20th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Taiwan faces tough choices as COVID-19 cases hit record levels
Last Tuesday, Taiwan’s health minister said the island could see 1,000 local COVID-19 cases a day by the end of the month. It hit that level just three days later, and must now choose between living with the virus like New Zealand or sticking with elimination strategies like in Hong Kong. Local cases hit a new record of 1,390 on Monday and have averaged 1,176 over the past five days. The surge rattled many of the island’s 23 million people, which has seen just 854 COVID-19 deaths from local infection over the entire pandemic.
“The scale of the pandemic right now is very large,” Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said at a briefing Friday, adding Taiwan may one day see tens of thousands — or even millions — of cases. “The point is not about the case counts, but about whether we can prevent a disastrous impact.”
19th Apr 2022 - The Japan Times
Cairo's Ramadan street feasts return after coronavirus suspension
Communal meals in which hundreds of people pack around long tables to break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan have returned to Egypt's streets after being widely suspended for the past two years due to COVID-19 restrictions. Egypt has been hit by successive waves of COVID-19 infections and imposed a nighttime curfew that coincided with Ramadan in 2020. Most restrictions have now been lifted.
19th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 19th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullSmall Businesses Object to Rerouting of Covid-19 Aid
Small-business owners are bristling over a congressional proposal that would redirect unspent money from Covid-19 programs to provide $10 billion for the federal government’s pandemic health response, including vaccines and therapeutics. At issue is about $5 billion that Congress allocated for three small-business aid programs but which hasn’t yet been spent. Some lawmakers want to repurpose those existing funds for healthcare, rather than allocate new money, because they are increasingly focused on reining in the federal deficit and spending amid a surge in inflation, which is at a 40-year high. The debate underscores the struggle to fulfill requests made by the Biden administration to address pandemic needs, while also accommodating Republican demands to not spend new money.
18th Apr 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Australia's Pandemic-Era Ban on Cruise Ships Comes to an End
Australia’s two-year long ban on cruise ships expires on Sunday, another step toward the rehabilitation of tourism from the damage wrought by the pandemic. The ban on foreign cruise ships -- imposed in March 2020 after a Covid outbreak aboard the Ruby Princess spilled into Sydney once the vessel docked -- cost the Australian economy more than A$10 billion ($7.4 billion), the Cruise Lines International Association estimates. Operators “are preparing for a carefully managed resumption of operations in a sector that previously supported more than 18,000 Australian jobs,” the association said in a statement ahead of the ban’s expiry.
18th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
Bangladesh, Nepal celebrate new years after pandemic pause
After a two-year break, thousands of people in Bangladesh and Nepal on Thursday celebrated their respective new years with colorful processions and musical soirees as the coronavirus pandemic eased and life swung back to normal. In Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, people clad in the traditional red attire ushered in the Bengali year 1429. They marched, sang and danced at a prominent arts college on the Dhaka University campus and in historic Ramna Park. Similar processions were organized in other parts of Dhaka and elsewhere in the country, but the celebration was subdued as the Muslim-majority Bangladesh was also observing the fasting month of Ramadan amid scorching heat.
15th Apr 2022 - The Associated Press
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 14th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullDiversifying supply chains from China 'probably good for everyone' -World Bank chief
Countries around the world are working to diversify their supply chains and reduce their dependence on China, which is "probably good for everyone," World Bank President David Malpass said on Tuesday. Malpass said cross-border trade would remain important to the global economy, and China - already the world's second largest economy and likely to become the largest - had a big role to play as both a consumer and producer of goods. But, speaking at an event in Warsaw, he said China also needed to be part of a value system shared by other countries in the global trading system, and added, "I don't know that that will happen."
14th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Mexico plans vaccinations for more children, presses for COVAX doses
Mexico will vaccinate more children against COVID-19, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday, urging global health authorities to deliver the doses it had ordered for the purpose. Mexico last year began inoculating some at-risk children, and children with disabilities, but has so far held back from rolling out a broader vaccination program for minors. Lopez Obrador said he was awaiting doses under the COVAX program, run by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI).
14th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine available in the NT, as testing rules ease for those recovering from the virus
In Australia, a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine is now available to eligible Territorians, Northern Territory Health Minister Natasha Fyles has announced. The dose is recommended as an extra booster shot for vulnerable people who are at greatest risk of severe illness from the coronavirus.
13th Apr 2022 - ABC.Net.au
Coronavirus: Pupil Covid absence rate falls to lowest level
In Northern Ireland, the number of school pupils absent due to Covid-19 has fallen to its lowest level of the 2021/22 school year. That is according to attendance data provided by schools and published by the Department of Education (DE). In the last full week before most schools broke up for Easter only 1 in every 200 pupils (0.5%) was off sick with Covid-19. However, pupil absences for other reasons are higher than they were pre-pandemic.
13th Apr 2022 - BBC News
How accurate are COVID-19 rapid antigen tests, and when is the best time to use them?
Rapid antigen tests, better known as RATs, have become an important tool in Australia's arsenal against COVID-19. While PCR tests are still available, many of us have turned to rapid tests out of convenience or as part of a requirement to return to work or school. RATs can provide results within minutes, but they also have their limitations: they're less accurate, cost money (unlike PCRs, which are free), and can provide false negative or false positive results.
13th Apr 2022 - ABC.Net.au
More Taiwan firms suspend production in China as COVID spreads
More than 30 Taiwan companies, many making electronics parts, said on Wednesday that government COVID-19 control measures in eastern China had led them to suspend production until at least next week, as disruption from the measures spreads. China has put Shanghai under a tight lockdown since late March and neighbouring Kunshan has also tightened curbs to control the country's biggest COVID-19 outbreak since the coronavirus was discovered in late 2019 in the city of Wuhan. Global companies, from mobile phone to chip makers, are highly dependent on China and Southeast Asia for production and have been diversifying their supply chains after the pandemic caused havoc.
13th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 13th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullJapan, US to exclude Russian COVID vaccines over Ukraine invasion
Japan and the United States are set to exclude Russian COVID-19 vaccines from a list of items subject to financial assistance when manufactured in developing countries, sources familiar with the plan said Tuesday. The move, which comes as Western nations step up sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, is especially aimed at dissuading India from fulfilling an agreement to produce Russian vaccines under the funding support scheme, the sources said. India has built close relations with Russia, including cooperation in the fields of energy and military technology. Japan and the United States are planning to gain India's understanding and make necessary arrangements ahead of a summit of the Quad nations, also involving Australia, according to the sources. Japan will host the summit, possibly in May.
12th Apr 2022 - Kyodo News Plus
U.S. Supreme Court to stop public access in April as COVID cases rise
The United States Supreme Court said on Monday it will stop allowing the public to attend courtroom sessions in person during the month of April as coronavirus cases rise in the District of Columbia. Despite infections remaining relatively flat nationwide, a number of high-profile political figures in Washington D.C. have tested positive for COVID-19 recently, including members of President Joe Biden's Cabinet and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
12th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Canada's Ontario in sixth COVID wave, hospitalizations likely to rise -official
Ontario is in the sixth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic driven by the highly transmissible BA.2 sub-variant of the Omicron coronavirus and hospitalizations are likely to rise over the coming weeks, the most populous Canadian province's top doctor said on Monday. "In the last few weeks we have seen an increase in the percent positivity and upward trend in wastewater surveillance and a rise in hospitalizations. These trends are likely to continue for the next several weeks," Ontario's chief medical officer Kieran Moore said at a briefing.
12th Apr 2022 - Reuters
French COVID-19 hospitalisations at a peak since early March
French health authorities said on Monday the number of patients hospitalised for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours jumped by 579 to 24,205, the highest level since March 1, as new cases are picking up again. On a week-on-week basis, daily COVID-19 infections have been rising again in the last three days after declining during the six previous days, prompting Health Minister Olivier Veran to say last week the current pandemic wave was past its peak. Most of the country's COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in early March.
12th Apr 2022 - Reuters
With aid to spend, schools look for students who need help
Schools across America are racing to make up for time they lost during the pandemic by budgeting billions of dollars for tutoring, summer camps and longer school days and trying to untangle which students need help most urgently after two years of disruptions. Many schools saw large numbers of students fall under the radar when learning went online for the pandemic. Many skipped class, tests and homework. Record numbers of families opted out of annual standardized tests, leaving some districts with little evidence of how students were doing in reading and math. Now districts are trying to address that lack of information by adding new tests, training teachers to spot learning gaps and exploring new ways to identify students who need help. In many districts, the findings are being used to guide the spending of billions of dollars in federal relief that’s meant to address learning loss and can be used in myriad ways.
12th Apr 2022 - The Associated Press
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 12th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullHeathrow, Gatwick Flight Status: Dozens Canceled Over Staff Shortages
Dozens of UK flights were cancelled on Monday as airlines continue to struggle with staff shortages. British Airways axed at least 64 domestic or European flights to or from Heathrow. Affected UK routes were between the west London airport and Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Manchester and Newcastle. Among the international routes affected were services to and from Berlin, Dublin, Geneva, Paris and Stockholm.
British Airways said passengers were given advanced warning of the cancellations.
11th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
China Banks Allow Shanghai Mortgage Delay as Covid Outbreak Worsens
China’s largest banks are allowing residents in Shanghai to delay their mortgage payments as part of the nation’s broader efforts to support the financial hub in its Covid fight. Lenders including Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd. and Bank of Communications Co. are offering Shanghai clients a payment holiday on their mortgage loans for as long as three months. China Construction Bank Corp. allowed clients to delay their payment on both mortgage and consumer loans for up to 28 days while Bank of China Ltd. said any records of overdue payment due to the pandemic will be removed.
11th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
Battery Giant CATL Isolates Workers to Avoid Covid Shutdown
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., the world’s biggest maker of electric-vehicle batteries, has implemented a so-called closed loop for workers at its main factory in China in a bid to avoid the kind of Covid-19 shutdowns hurting Tesla Inc. and Volkswagen AG. Workers will be shuttled between their dormitories and the factory in Ningde, where an outbreak of Covid cases has prompted the local government to tighten prevention and control measures, the company, better known as CATL, said in a statement Sunday. “To ensure market supply to the best of our capabilities, we have adopted strict grid management measures for the orderly operation of the Ningde production base,” the company said.
11th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
Covid-19: Hospital and ambulance services struggle with huge demand and staff illness
Hospitals and ambulance services in England are facing “extreme pressures” and a high volume of staff absences, forcing some to declare critical incidents and others to warn of 12 hour waits for patients in hospital emergency departments. Portsmouth’s Queen Alexandra Hospital and South Central Ambulance Service both declared critical incidents on 6 April, with the hospital warning, “Our beds are full and our emergency department remains full with patients requiring admission . . . We are only able to treat patients with life threatening conditions and injuries.”1 The ambulance service reported a “large volume of calls being received throughout the day and into the night and increased challenges in releasing some of our ambulances from busy acute hospitals
11th Apr 2022 - The BMJ
GM develops continuity plan amid China's COVID-19 outbreak
General Motors Co said it has developed a global continuity plan with its partners and suppliers to mitigate the uncertainty faced by the auto industry following China's COVID-19 outbreak. The Detroit-based automaker said it was on track to launch more than 20 new and refreshed models in the world's biggest auto market despite the pandemic's impact. The COVID-19 curbs introduced in China to fight the worst outbreak in two years caused auto sales in the country to plunge in March, with automakers like Tesla Inc feeling the pain of limits on production.
11th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Germany may have to junk 3 million COVID shots by late June
Germany’s health ministry said that the country may have to discard 3 million doses of expired COVID-19 vaccine by the end of June. Ministry spokesman Hanno Kautz told reporters in Berlin that “not many doses” have been destroyed so far, though he couldn’t give an exact figure. But Kautz said that “we have more vaccine available at the moment than is being used and than we can donate.” He added that the U.N.-backed program to distribute shots to poorer countries, COVAX, isn’t currently accepting donations.
11th Apr 2022 - Associated Press
India extends COVID-19 boosters to all adults; some must pay
India began offering booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine to all adults on Sunday but limited free shots at government centers to front-line workers and people over age 60. The doses, which India is calling a “precautionary” shot instead of a booster, are available to people nine months after they receive their second jab, the Health Ministry said in a statement Friday. Those outside the two priority categories will need to pay for the shots at privately run facilities, the ministry said.
11th Apr 2022 - Associated Press
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 11th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullChina’s Covid Lockdowns Hit Supplies to Companies Like Apple and Tesla
Manufacturers are struggling to keep some of their China operations going as extended and widening Covid-19 lockdowns choke off supplies and clog up truck routes and ports, heaping more pressure on the stretched global supply chain.
Stringent government measures to contain the country’s Covid-19 outbreak, the worst in more than two years, are locking down tens of millions of people, mostly in and around the industrial heartland of Shanghai. The curbs are keeping many workers at home, restricting output at some factories and closing others, including component makers for Apple Inc. and Tesla Inc.
Tesla, which suspended work at its factory in Shanghai on March 28, still hasn’t set a date for restarting production, according to people familiar with the matter. The electric-vehicle giant said it is implementing Covid-19 control requirements and setting work arrangements according to government policies.
9th Apr 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Covid Could Be Surging in the U.S. Right Now and We Might Not Even Know It
The rise of Covid cases in some regions of the U.S., just as testing efforts wane, has raised the specter that the next major wave of the virus may be difficult to detect. In fact, the country could be in the midst of a surge right now and we might not even know it. Testing and viral sequencing are critical to responding quickly to new outbreaks of Covid. And yet, as the country tries to move on from the pandemic, demand for lab-based testing has declined and federal funding priorities have shifted. The change has forced some testing centers to shutter while others have hiked up prices in response to the end of government-subsidized testing programs. People are increasingly relying on at-home rapid tests if they decide to test at all. But those results are rarely reported, giving public health officials little insight into how widespread the virus truly is.
10th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
COVID: Vulnerable coronavirus patients getting at-home treatment which improves symptoms 'within hours'
More than 32,000 vulnerable COVID patients in England have been treated with "cutting-edge" antiviral drugs which improve symptoms "within hours", the NHS has said. The health service has procured nearly five million doses of Pfizer's Paxlovid and other antivirals, such as Molnupiravir, via a deal struck by the government.
Paxlovid was found in trials to cut coronavirus hospital admissions and deaths by 88% and has been given to more than 6,000 patients already - 1,400 in the last seven days alone. Molnupiravir, which clinical trials suggest reduces the risk of hospital admission or death by 30%, was approved in November 2021 and has been used as an at-home treatment since December.
9th Apr 2022 - Sky News
Saudi Arabia expands Haj to 1 mln pilgrims, easing COVID curbs
Saudi Arabia will let up to 1 million people join the Haj pilgrimage this year, greatly expanding the key event to participants from outside the kingdom after two years of tight COVID restrictions, state media said on Saturday. Pilgrims to Mecca this year must be under age 65 and fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, the ministry of Hajj and Umrah said in a statement carried by the SPA news agency. Participants from abroad will be allowed this year but must present a recent negative COVID PCR test, and health precautions will be observed, it said.
9th Apr 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 health workers suffer combat-type moral trauma
A Duke University study shows that, amid COVID-19, US healthcare workers (HCWs) had similar rates of potential moral injury (PMI)—a type of trauma-induced wound to the psyche—as military combat veterans. The study, published yesterday in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, surveyed 2,099 HCWs in 2020 and 2021 and 618 military veterans deployed to a combat zone after the Sep 11, 2001, US terrorist attacks about PMIs they may have experienced. PMI is a distressing reaction to exposure to traumatic events that may have psychological, behavioral, social, and spiritual effects.
6th Apr 2022 - CIDRAP
Shanghai Racing to Build Hundreds of Thousands of Isolation Beds
Shanghai is transforming conference centers and conscripting neighboring provinces to create isolation facilities for hundreds of thousands of people, a sign of its commitment to a zero tolerance approach to Covid-19 amid China’s worst outbreak to date. The Chinese financial hub is adding tens of thousands of beds to what are already some of the world’s biggest isolation sites as it sticks to a policy of quarantining all those positive for the virus, regardless of severity, plus everyone they interacted with while infected. Nearly 150,000 people have been identified as close contacts and put into isolation. More than 100,000 others are considered secondary contacts and are being monitored, according to the government. It’s a strategy that grew out of the original outbreak in Wuhan, which China successfully quelled, but is proving more challenging to maintain in the face of ongoing outbreaks and more transmissible variants.
8th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
French hospital system not in danger as current COVID-19 wave reached peak - Veran
The current COVID-19 wave hitting France has now reached its peak, which means the country's hospital system is not in danger, Health Minister Olivier Veran said in an interview with RTL radio on Thursday. "We are still at a high level, with 150,000 new cases per day, but the trend is going down since five days," Veran said.
7th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Cyprus to lift COVID-19 travel conditions from April 18
Cyprus will lift COVID-19 conditions for travel to the island from April 18, authorities said on Thursday, ending two years of rules imposed by the pandemic. The island said it was scrapping a colour-coded assessment of other countries based on epidemiological risk, an inbound flight permission to travel and PCR or rapid lateral flow tests for those who were fully vaccinated against COVID-19. People who have not been vaccinated, or not completed their booster shots would still need a PCR test or a lateral flow test, the transport ministry said
7th Apr 2022 - Reuters
NHS under huge strain as A&Es turn away ambulances
Hospitals are under "enormous strain", with growing numbers so busy they are having to divert ambulances to other sites because they are unable to cope. Over the past week, 20 NHS Accident and Emergency departments in England issued diverts, with patients taken elsewhere. Those A&E departments still taking new patients have seen long delays, with more than 25% of ambulances waiting at least 30 minutes to handover patients. Hospital bosses said they were "very concerned" about the situation. All areas of the country are facing huge pressures, but NHS bosses in West Yorkshire and the south central area of England - covering Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire and Berkshire - have reported particularly severe strain.
7th Apr 2022 - BBC News
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View this newsletter in fullSanctioned Oil Piling Up Off China as Virus Outbreak Worsens
Tankers carrying 22 million barrels of Russian, Iranian and Venezuelan oil are piling up off China, according to Kpler, as the country battles a virus outbreak that’s sapping demand and causing logistics problems. China has been one of the only buyers of sanctioned Iranian and Venezuelan oil over the last few years. The world’s largest crude importer is also still taking Russian supplies that are being largely shunned since the invasion of Ukraine. The trade in the discounted oil is now being disrupted by the country’s worsening virus outbreak, with waiting times to unload ships increasing.
6th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
China's widening COVID curbs exact mounting economic toll
China's top European business group warned on Wednesday that its "zero-COVID" strategy was harming the attractiveness of Shanghai as a financial hub, echoing analysts voicing caution over the mounting economic toll of the country's coronavirus curbs. China has for the past month been tackling multiple outbreaks with an elimination strategy that seeks to test, trace and centrally quarantine all positive COVID-19 cases. Nomura estimated on Tuesday that a total of 23 Chinese cities have implemented either full or partial lockdowns, which collectively are home to an estimated 193 million people and contribute to 22% of China's GDP. The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said that the strategy was causing growing difficulties transporting goods across provinces and through ports, harming factory output.
6th Apr 2022 - Reuters on MSN.com
Worries of more school disruptions are rising alongside COVID-19 cases
As the spring weather improves, Montrealer Doug Bentley understands people feeling a pent-up desire to return to pre-pandemic normalcy. Still, as a parent with two kids attending elementary school, he remains "ill at ease" about classrooms amid COVID-19. "I don't feel particularly comfortable about the situation in the schools," he said. "There's a lot of denial going on about the sixth wave that has started." With capacity limits, mask mandates and other restrictions lingering in some areas but gone in others, Canadian regions remain in varying stages of easing pandemic mitigation measures. Yet as health experts warn again of rising new COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates in parts of the country, parents and school officials are bracing for what a sixth wave may bring to classrooms.
6th Apr 2022 - CBC.ca
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View this newsletter in fullBiden orders push on long COVID, pandemic’s shadowy mystery
Confronting the pandemic’s lasting shadow, President Joe Biden on Tuesday ordered a new national research push on long COVID, while also directing federal agencies to support patients dealing with the mysterious and debilitating condition.
Biden assigned the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate an urgent new initiative across federal agencies, building on research already under way at the National Institutes of Health. He also directed federal agencies to support patients and doctors by providing science-based best practices for treating long COVID, maintaining access to insurance coverage, and protecting the rights of workers coping with the uncertainties of the malaise. Of particular concern are effects on mental health.
6th Apr 2022 - The Associated Press
Prior COVID vaccination induces a more robust antibody response to Omicron
A recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server assessed the impact of prior severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination on the human immune response against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection. Various studies have reported lower susceptibility of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant against neutralizing antibodies. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the potential of previous SARS-CoV-2 infections in modifying the human immune response against the novel Omicron variant.
5th Apr 2022 - News-Medical.Net
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View this newsletter in fullChina joins race to build a better Covid-19 vaccine with circRNA tech
China has joined the race to build a better Covid-19 vaccine using engineered circular RNA, a form of biotechnology that scientists hope can lead to cheaper and more effective shots. A group of scientists from Peking University, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College in Beijing have been testing a circular RNA (circRNA) vaccine candidate targeting the tip of the coronavirus’s spike protein, which the virus uses to dock with the body’s receptors and cause infection. The team have released a preprint paper of the results of laboratory tests and animal trials and the study is being reviewed by scientific journal Cell. Companies and scientists are exploring the vaccine potential in transforming linear RNA into a circular shape.
4th Apr 2022 - South China Morning Post
How to book a Covid vaccine for children with 5 to 11-year-olds now eligible
The Covid-19 vaccine is being extended to children aged between 5 and 11, giving five million more Britons access to the jab. It comes with case numbers across the UK extremely high, due to the spread of the highly infectious BA.2 offshoot of the Omicron variant. The children will be given a dose of Pfizer a third of the size of that given to those aged 12 and over. There will be a follow-up jab 12 weeks later. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation approved the jab for under-12s in February, but the NHS has been prioritising fourth doses for the clinically vulnerable and over-75s.
4th Apr 2022 - iNews
Covid had devastating toll on poor and low-income communities in US
The devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on poor and low-income communities across America is laid bare in a new report released on Monday that concludes that while the virus did not discriminate between rich and poor, society and government did. As the US draws close to the terrible landmark of 1 million deaths from coronavirus, the glaringly disproportionate human toll that has been exacted is exposed by the Poor People’s Pandemic Report. Based on a data analysis of more than 3,000 counties across the US, it finds that people in poorer counties have died overall at almost twice the rate of those in richer counties. Looking at the most deadly surges of the virus, the disparity in death rates grows even more pronounced.
4th Apr 2022 - The Guardian
COVID-19: Despite the end of free testing, the virus is stronger than ever
You'd be forgiven for thinking the COVID pandemic was on its way out. But today's data show that, from the virus' perspective at least, it's stronger than ever. On the same day free COVID testing comes to an end in England, infection levels have reached the highest ever recorded.
4th Apr 2022 - Sky News
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View this newsletter in fullChina's farmers face fertiliser crunch as COVID measures hamper deliveries
China's COVID-19 curbs are disrupting the supply of fertiliser to the country's northeastern bread basket just a month away from spring planting, threatening this year's corn and soybean crops if not resolved soon. Farmers typically have fertiliser prepared in early April before applying to fields later in the month during planting. But China's worst outbreak of COVID since the pandemic began two years ago have triggered strict controls on movement of people and goods, sharply slowing deliveries. Fertiliser producers, dealers, analysts and associations said rules requiring truck drivers to take COVID tests every 24 hours, a need to obtain special passes to deliver goods and factory suspensions due to local COVID cases are all contributing to tight supplies.
1st Apr 2022 - Reuters
Rising Covid infections pile pressure on hospitals
Surging coronavirus infections are putting hospitals across the UK under mounting pressure and undermining efforts to get on top of waiting lists more than two years after the start of the pandemic. Several NHS trusts across England have been forced to declare critical incidents in recent weeks as the number of Covid-19 cases has increased. Ambulance services are reporting widespread delays at hospitals and in reaching those dialling 999.
4th Apr 2022 - The Times
‘One per cent of UK population’ newly infected with Covid-19 every day
Around one in every 100 people in the UK is likely to have been newly infected with Covid-19 per day during the current surge of the virus, figures suggest. Infections are estimated to have climbed as high as 657,300 every day by March 16, according to new modelling published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This is the equivalent of roughly 1% of the population. It is also more than double the number of daily infections that were occurring at the end of February.
The figures suggest that by mid-March the virus was circulating at levels higher even than those reached during the Omicron-led surge at the start of the year.
2nd Apr 2022 - Evening Standard
Number of COVID patients in US hospitals reaches record low
COVID-19 hospitalization numbers have plunged to their lowest levels since the early days of the pandemic, offering a much needed break to health care workers and patients alike following the omicron surge. The number of patients hospitalized with the coronavirus has fallen more than 90% in more than two months, and some hospitals are going days without a single COVID-19 patient in the ICU for the first time since early 2020. The freed up beds are expected to help U.S. hospitals retain exhausted staff, treat non-COVID-19 patients more quickly and cut down on inflated costs. More family members can visit loved ones. And doctors hope to see a correction to the slide in pediatric visits, yearly checkups and cancer screenings.
2nd Apr 2022 - The Associated Press
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View this newsletter in fullRokote Laboratories selects Exothera for GMP manufacturing of its second-generation coronavirus vaccine FINCoVac 2.0.
Rokote Laboratories Finland Ltd., a vaccine development company focussing on a second-generation COVID-19 vaccine, and Exothera S.A. will collaborate to bring the intranasal coronavirus vaccine FINCoVac 2.0 to clinical Phase I/II trials. Exothera will finetune the industrialization of the FINCOVAC 2.0 process and manufacture clinical material for Phase I/II trials. FINCoVac 2.0 is designed to address the most critical current coronavirus variants and it is based on adenoviral vector gene transfer technology. The FINCoVac vaccine is designed to program the nasopharyngeal cells to produce an immune response-inducing modified SARS-CoV-2-viral spike protein. FINCoVac 2.0 represents an easy-to-administer booster for those who are already fully vaccinated with other coronavirus vaccines.
31st Mar 2022 - BioSpace
Biden gets second booster shot, pushes for more COVID funding
U.S. President Joe Biden rolled up his sleeve for a second COVID-19 booster shot on Wednesday as his administration rolled out efforts to help Americans live with the coronavirus, including a new website and a renewed push for vaccinations and funding. "If we fail to invest, we leave ourselves vulnerable if another wave hits," Biden said in remarks at the White House to launch COVID.gov, a clearinghouse of information aimed at helping people manage the virus as they seek a return to normalcy.
31st Mar 2022 - Reuters
Global COVID cases ebb amid testing blind-spot worries
The world's COVID-19 cases dropped 14% last week, compared to the week before, with decreases seen across all of the WHO's regions. However, deaths rose 45%, primarily due to changes in how some countries define COVID deaths and retrospective adjustments from others. Overall, about 10 million cases were reported to the WHO last week. The five countries reporting the most cases were South Korea, Germany, Vietnam, France, and Italy. The WHO noted that recent case rises earlier this month occurred despite reduced testing in many countries, which it says is a sign that the virus is still circulating at very high levels. It warned that a decline in testing could lead to less robust data that makes it harder to track the virus and how it is spreading and evolving. The situation could impair how quickly countries can respond with targeted control measures to reduce hospitalizations and deaths. In its weekly report, the WHO said the Omicron variant makes up 99.5% of sequenced samples. Officials added that they're monitoring recombinant viruses, including a BA.1-BA.2 version that was first observed in the United Kingdom and appears to be about 10% more transmissible than the Omicron's BA.2 subvariant.
30th Mar 2022 - CIDRAP
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View this newsletter in fullU.K. Hospitalizations Rise After Covid Cases Edge Back Up
Covid-19 infections in the U.K. have edged back up following the easing of restrictions and rapid spread of a more-transmissible subvariant of omicron. In the U.K. more than 574,000 people have tested positive and about 15,530 hospitalized in the last week. Still, this wave may be close to peaking, according to Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance. While omicron has proven to be more mild in general compared to previous strains, it would be wrong to assume that the coronavirus will continue evolving into a less severe infection, Vallance told the Science and Technology parliamentary committee on Wednesday.
30th Mar 2022 - Bloomberg
NYC Covid Cases Are Rising Again, Mostly Among Those 25 to 34
New York City Covid-19 cases are rising again, particularly among people 25 to 34 years old, according to city officials. The surge appears to be concentrated in Manhattan, the most vaccinated borough. In an unusual move, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene posted a warning on Twitter on Wednesday, saying they “strongly recommend” New Yorkers mask-up indoors and get booster shots. The warning came in contrast to the city’s Covid alert system, which identifies the Covid alert level as ‘low risk.’
30th Mar 2022 - Bloomberg
Ghana to start producing own Covid-19 vaccines in January 2024
Ghana will start producing its own COVID-19 vaccines in January 2024, President Nana Akufo-Addo said on Wednesday in his State of the Nation Address in parliament. A National Vaccine Institute would be established to lay out a strategy for the West African country to begin the first phase of commercial production for the jabs, he said without providing further details. "A bill will shortly be brought to you, in this House, for your support and approval for the establishment of the National Vaccine Institute," he said. So far Ghana has fully vaccinated around 21.4% of its 30-million-odd inhabitants against coronavirus, according to Reuters data.
30th Mar 2022 - Reuters
People with cancer ‘risk being left behind’ under new Covid-19 testing guidance
Some cancer patients are at risk of being “left behind” under new guidance which sets out who is eligible for free Covid-19 tests, a charity has warned. Macmillan Cancer Support said it was welcome that people with symptoms of Covid-19 who are vulnerable to the effects of the disease will still be eligible for free tests. But it urged minister to extend the offer of free testing to include immunocompromised people without symptoms.
30th Mar 2022 - The Independent
Indonesia seeks longer shelf life donations as 19 mln COVID shots expired
Nineteen million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in Indonesia's national stockpile have expired this year and 1.5 million more are set to expire next month, as donated shots arrive with a short shelf life, a health official said on Wednesday. Indonesia and many other developing nations are ramping up their vaccination campaign, aided by donations from wealthy countries, but they have been calling for donations with a longer shelf life.
30th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Britain may be wasting nearly 3 billion pounds on COVID gear
Britain may be wasting nearly 3 billion pounds ($3.94 billion) on contracts for COVID-19 gear that have not given value for money, with millions spent each month storing unneeded and sometimes out-of-date kit, a watchdog said on Wednesday. The report by the parliament-supervised National Audit Office (NAO) will fuel opposition claims that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government was wasteful and nepotistic in its allocation of huge contracts during the two-year pandemic.
30th Mar 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullWest Lothian’s Valneva factory ‘could provide UK with Covid vaccines for years to come’
A state-of-the-art vaccine manufacturing facility in West Lothian could play a key role if the UK needs annual vaccines against coronavirus. The chief executive of Valneva, which is commissioning the site in Livingston, said he still hopes to supply the immunisation despite a UK Government contract for one hundred million doses being terminated last year. Thomas Lingelbach says it is one of only a handful worldwide able to make what are called ‘inactivated whole virus vaccines’. The CEO is now keeping a close eye on developments at the plant and told STV News this could be vital as covid evolves into the post pandemic era.
29th Mar 2022 - STV News
Virtual reality helps reduce COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy
Vaccine hesitancy can be affected by several factors such as lack of confidence in health authorities and experts who have developed the vaccine, constraints, complacency, the degree to which the personal costs and benefits of the vaccine are weighted, lack of compliance, lack of collective responsibility, and fake news regarding vaccines. However, informing people about community immunity has occasionally been shown to increase intentions for vaccination. Thus, using novel technologies that can help people understand the benefit of vaccination, as well as the impact of vaccination on other vulnerable individuals, can assist in reducing vaccine hesitancy. A new Scientific Reports study investigates whether intention for vaccination is increased by a gamified immersive virtual reality (VR) experience that shows how community immunity works.
29th Mar 2022 - News-Medical.Net
Covid-19 spring booster vaccination to begin in coming days
The Covid-19 spring booster vaccination is to begin in Northern Ireland in the coming days. People aged 75 years and over, residents in care homes for older people, and those aged 12 years and over with weakened immune systems will be offered a booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. The Public Health Agency (PHA) said the spring booster should be offered around six months after an individual received their first booster dose. The agency is now urging those eligible to book an appointment
29th Mar 2022 - The Irish News
Specialist nurse appointed for rare Covid-19 condition affecting children
A hospital in London has become one of the first in the UK to appoint a dedicated nurse for a rare inflammatory condition in children linked to Covid-19. Evelina London Children's Hospital has recruited Michael Bell into the role of clinical nurse specialist for paediatric cases
29th Mar 2022 - Nursing Times
Covid-19: Oxygen shortages two years into pandemic highlight pre-covid failures, says WHO
Two years into the covid-19 pandemic, access to oxygen is still a major problem in low and middle income countries, health leaders have warned. The shortages have highlighted the “abject failure” of the global community to develop and build up primary healthcare and universal health coverage over the past 20 years, said Michael Ryan, the World Health Organization’s health emergencies programme executive director. “Covid didn’t cause this, covid uncovered this. Covid laid bare, tore away the bandages from, some very, very old wounds,” Ryan told an Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator briefing. “No one was interested in oxygen,” he said, despite it being vital for the treatment of patients with covid-19 in the early stages of the pandemic. “I went to meeting after meeting and I spoke about oxygen, and nobody was listening because oxygen wasn’t sexy. It wasn’t new. It wasn’t some technological advance that could be delivered to the world. Oxygen was boring, oxygen was old,” Ryan said.
29th Mar 2022 - The BMJ
Capital of China's Jilin province apologises for food shortages due to COVID curbs
The Chinese city of Changchun, capital of the COVID-hit northeastern province of Jilin, on Tuesday apologised to its 8.5 million residents for food shortages related to shutdowns and disruption caused by COVID containment measures. Due to COVID-19, two major wholesale food markets in Changchun have shuttered, leading to a shortfall in food supply, said the city's deputy Communist Party secretary, Liu Renyuan, a problem aggravated by a shortage of workers that has delayed deliveries to homes.
29th Mar 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullEnd of free Covid testing could put vulnerable at risk, say UK experts
Come the end of March, the lights will dim on the UK’s Covid epidemic. Despite infection levels rising, cases will plummet, as free lateral flow and PCR tests are stopped for the majority of people in England, with other countries in the UK also set to reduce free testing in the coming weeks and months. But while the government has argued it is time to manage Covid as we do other infectious diseases such as flu, scientists have warned ending community testing could put vulnerable people at risk and undermine efforts to understand the virus.
28th Mar 2022 - The Guardian
The ‘zero-Covid’ approach got bad press, but it worked – and it could work again
Many people thought No-Covid was impossible, but the handful of places that embraced it proved them wrong. Now that some of those places are themselves shifting to a reduction or mitigation strategy, countries that opted for mitigation from the beginning are enjoying a “we told you so” moment. But No-Covid’s early champions had to shift in part because other countries let the virus rip. Even if their strategy didn’t remain the optimal one, it bought them time to prepare others. It’s important that we remember that when the next pandemic sidles along.
28th Mar 2022 - The Guardian
Scottish Covid-19 patient numbers increase again to another record high
Article reports that the number of coronavirus patients in Scotland’s hospitals has reached another record high – for the sixth time in the past eight days.Scottish Government figures showed that on Sunday there were 2,360 people with recently confirmed Covid-19 in hospital, the highest number since the start of the pandemic.
The latest peak in hospital numbers comes after a slight fall in the total.
28th Mar 2022 - Evening Standard
Covid-19: 'Huge stress' on health system as number in hospital tops 1600
Article reports that the Minister for Health has said the extra transmissibility of the BA.2 variant means “quite extreme measures” would be needed to contain it. Stephen Donnelly is understood to have told an online meeting of Fianna Fáil members on Monday night that there are likely several hundred thousand cases of Covid every week, with daily numbers several times higher than those being tracked by PCR and antigen tests. Sources indicated that Mr Donnelly told the meeting said that the current transmissibility of the variant meant that extremely restrictive measures would be needed, and said that he is told by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) that extra restrictions of this level are not currently advised.
28th Mar 2022 - The Irish Times
G20 chair Indonesia seeks standardised health requirements for travel
Group of 20 major economies (G20) chair Indonesia has started talks with members on standardising health protocols for travel, its health minister said, stressing the importance of harmonising rules and technology as global travel resumes. An aide to Indonesia's health minister, Setiaji, said countries were getting ready to roll out a global website to scan and verify travellers' vaccination status. All G20 members support the rollout, but China will not participate yet "due to technical reasons," he said without giving further details.
28th Mar 2022 - Reuters
UK study to test Pfizer's COVID pill in hospitalised patients
Pfizer's oral COVID-19 therapy will be evaluated as a potential treatment for patients hospitalised with the illness in a major British trial, scientists said on Monday, as cases rise in some parts of the world. The world's largest randomised study of potential medicines for COVID-19, dubbed the RECOVERY trial, will assess Paxlovid across hospitals in Britain, which has already approved the drug for early-stage treatment. "Paxlovid is a promising oral antiviral drug but we don't know if it can improve survival of patients with severe COVID-19," said Peter Horby, a professor at the University of Oxford and joint chief investigator of the RECOVERY trial.
28th Mar 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullAustralian Medical Association reveals full strain on the nation’s hospital system
Australia’s hospital system is “showing cracks” under the weight of increased demand and underfunding, according to the country’s peak professional body. The Australian Medical Association’s annual public health system report card has revealed just how dire the situation is nationwide, as emergency departments have buckled under the pressure of the Covid-19 pandemic. More than one in three people have waited longer than the clinically-recommended 30 minutes to receive urgent care. AMA president Omar Khorshid said only 63 per cent of patients had been seen within the recommended period in the past year. “One in three people who present to an ED will wait longer than four hours to be either discharged or admitted,” Dr Khorshid said.
27th Mar 2022 - Perth Now
Premier calls for pre-Songkran vaccine drive
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered authorities to speed up inoculation of vulnerable groups ahead of the Songkran festival next month, a spokesman says. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, government spokesman, said Gen Prayut has ordered state agencies to encourage people aged 60 and over, those suffering from underlying illnesses and pregnant women to receive their shots against Covid-19 before the holidays as a precautionary measure. The goal is to offer booster jabs to at least 70% of the elderly who have already been vaccinated at least twice, he said. The Songkran festival marks an important time when families return home and pay respects to the elderly.
27th Mar 2022 - ฺBangkok Post
Persistent cough 'may be TB rather than Covid' - and cases are on the rise
UK health leaders fear cases of tuberculosis (TB) are slipping under the radar. The potentially dangerous bacterial infection begins as a persistent cough, similar to many people’s experience of Covid-19. Incidents of TB have been falling since 2019 but appear to be on the rise once again, fuelling fears people may be dismissing the symptom as the coronavirus. Now anyone with a cough is being warned not to assume their illness is definitely caused by Covid-19.
27th Mar 2022 - Metro.co.uk
Costs of going unvaccinated in America are mounting for workers and companies
Nearly a year after COVID vaccines became freely available in the U.S., one fourth of American adults remain unvaccinated, and a picture of the economic cost of vaccine hesitancy is emerging. It points to financial risk for individuals, companies and publicly funded programs. Vaccine hesitancy likely already accounts for tens of billions of dollars in preventable U.S. hospitalization costs and up to hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths, say public health experts. For individuals forgoing vaccination, the risks can include layoffs and ineligibility to collect unemployment, higher insurance premiums, growing out-of-pocket medical costs or loss of academic scholarships.
25th Mar 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: More elderly people being admitted to hospital with coronavirus than at peak of Omicron wave, latest data shows
More elderly people are now being admitted to hospital with COVID than they were at the peak of the Omicron wave, according to the latest official data. The statistics from the UK Health Security Agency will add urgency to the new drive to vaccinate the over-75s with a "spring booster". Figures from the Weekly Flu and COVID Surveillance Report show that the admission rate in England for every 100,000 people over the age of 85 was 178.29 in the week to 20 March, compared with 158.43 at the turn of the year. The rate in people aged between 75 and 84 was 74.34 per 100,000 last week. At the beginning of January, it was 70.3. Although hospitalisation rates in younger patients are also rising, they are still below the level of the original Omicron surge.
25th Mar 2022 - Sky News
A fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose is on the horizon, but Victoria's booster rate remains stubbornly low
Experts have raised concerns about the "disappointing" rate at which Victorians are getting their booster COVID-19 vaccine doses, as the possibility of a fourth dose is considered. More than 93.7 per cent of eligible Victorians have had two doses of the vaccine, but the latest figures from the health department show 64 per cent of people aged 18 and up have now received three vaccine doses. That figure has risen by less than seven percentage points in a month — it stood at 57.1 per cent on February 23.
24th Mar 2022 - ABC News
One million Scots have not had a booster vaccine amid warnings over waning immunity
Figures from Public Health Scotland (PHS) show 983,875 adults have not received a third dose or booster, six months after the programme began. More than 500,000 of these are at least 12 weeks on from their second dose. The Scottish Government admitted fewer appointments had taken place than expected, after PHS reported that 21,000 vaccine doses were thrown away in February after reaching their expiry dates.
24th Mar 2022 - The Scotsman
Rich countries getting new COVID vaccine before poorer ones
The company behind a COVID-19 vaccine touted as a key tool for the developing world has sent tens of millions of doses to wealthy nations but provided none yet to the U.N.-backed effort to supply poorer countries, a sign that inequity persists in the global response to the pandemic. COVAX had planned to make available 250 million doses from Novavax by March, but the U.N. agency in charge of deliveries says the first shipments now likely won't be made until April or May.
24th Mar 2022 - The Independent
Two years on from UK's first Covid lockdown, cases may be rising but deaths remain low
Two years on from the start of the UK’s first Covid lockdown, when cases were rising rapidly and there was no timeline for a vaccine, the threat of the virus has changed significantly in the UK. Prime Minister Boris Johnson marked the milestone by paying tribute to the “heroic efforts” of the NHS on Wednesday, while giving sympathies to the families of those who died from Covid, and said Britain’s 187,000 coronavirus casualties “will never be out of our hearts and minds”. The UK is now one of the few places globally with nearly zero Covid restrictions in place despite a recent rise in cases driven by the Omicron variant, but Health Secretary Sajid Javid has insisted there is “no particular cause for concern”, with the “wall of defence” from vaccines keeping the situation stable.
24th Mar 2022 - iNews
Covid-19: Free PCR tests to end for most in April
In Northern Ireland, most people will no longer be able to access a free PCR test from 22 April, the health minister has said. Lateral flow tests (LFTs) will continue to be free, but only for people displaying Covid-19 symptoms and this policy continues to be reviewed. Routine contact tracing is also set to be phased out between the middle of April and the end of June. Health Minister Robin Swann said the changes reflected the "new realities of the pandemic".
24th Mar 2022 - BBC News
Australia to roll out fourth COVID vaccine shot ahead of winter
Australia will roll out a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccines to its most vulnerable population starting next month, authorities said on Friday, as the country looks to limit fresh outbreaks ahead of winter. The decision comes amid a steady rise in cases fuelled by the highly contagious BA.2 sub-variant of the Omicron strain and concerns of co-circulation of COVID-19 and flu viruses during colder months as most social distancing restrictions end. A second booster shot will be offered from April 4 to people who had their previous booster shot at least four months ago and are over 65 years, Indigenous Australians over 50, people with disability or severely immunocompromised, Health Minister Greg Hunt said during a media briefing.
24th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Global COVID-19 cases climb for second week in a row
Last week marked a turnaround in a 5-week decline in cases. In the continued rise this week, cases were up 7% compared to the week before, the WHO said. Cases were up 21% in the Western Pacific region, an area that includes locations experiencing surges, including South Korea, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. The European region's cases remained steady, while levels declined in the Eastern Mediterranean, Africa, South East Asia, and Americas regions. Deaths overall declined 23% compared to the week before, though they were up 5% in the Western Pacific region. The WHO received reports of 12 million cases last week. Countries reporting the most cases were South Korea, Vietnam, Germany, France, and Australia. Also, there were 33,000 deaths across the globe, with Russia nudging ahead of the United States in reporting the most weekly fatalities.
23rd Mar 2022 - CIDRAP
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View this newsletter in fullHong Kong schools need 90 per cent student jab rate to resume full-day classes
Schools must ensure 90 per cent of their students have received at least two vaccine shots against Covid-19 if they hope to resume whole-day lessons in the classroom next month, Hong Kong’s education minister has announced. Confirming a previous Post report, Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung also said that all teachers and school staff must have received at least two vaccine doses before returning to campus, unless they had a valid medical exemption.
23rd Mar 2022 - South China Morning Post
Ministers urged to ensure Covid-19 testing remains free for NHS staff
The NHS Confederation is leading a call for ministers to provide clarity over Covid-19 testing requirements for NHS staff and for access to free tests to remain in place for the workforce, especially for those who are patient-facing. The concerns from organisations representing NHS staff come as Covid-19 rates across the UK continue to spike, with hospital admissions also on the rise.
23rd Mar 2022 - Nursing Times
WHO: COVID-19 cases rise for 2nd straight week, deaths fall
Article reports that the number of new coronavirus cases globally increased by 7% in the last week, driven by rising infections in the Western Pacific, even as reported deaths from COVID-19 fell, the World Health Organization said. There were more than 12 million new weekly cases and just under 33,000 deaths, a 23% decline in mortality, according to the U.N. health agency’s report on the pandemic issued late Tuesday. Confirmed cases of the virus had been falling steadily worldwide since January but rose again last week, due to the more infectious omicron variant and the suspension of COVID-19 protocols in numerous countries in Europe, North America and elsewhere. Health officials have said repeatedly that omicron causes milder disease than previous versions of the coronavirus and that vaccination, including a booster, appears highly protective.
23rd Mar 2022 - The Independent
COVID-19: Soaring virus-related absences in England's state schools could 'seriously damage' exam grades, headteachers say
Levels of COVID-related pupil absences in state schools in England have more than tripled, leading to concerns over how it may impact grades. In total, 201,600 pupils were off for COVID-related reasons on 17 March, up from 45,100 on 3 March, the latest government figures show. The rate of COVID-linked absences rose to 2.5% of students on 17 March, up from 0.7% on 3 March. The rising COVID cases have prompted concerns from headteachers about the potential impact absences will have on grades.
23rd Mar 2022 - Sky News
Covid-19: 'Vaccine tracers' brought in as county Covid rate trebles
A team of "vaccine tracers" have been brought in as the number of Covid infections in a county almost trebled in three weeks. Latest data shows more than 11,045 cases were recorded in Hertfordshire in the seven days to 16 March, representing a rate of 923.7 per 100,000 of the population. It is almost three times the 328.6 case rate recorded on 28 February. The new team aims to boost vaccination levels across the county. Hertfordshire's director of public health Jim McManus warned that the case rate had changed "quite dramatically" in recent weeks, with cases increasing in most age groups, including the more vulnerable over-60s, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
23rd Mar 2022 - BBC News
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View this newsletter in fullFrance sees biggest jump in COVID cases since early February
France saw the biggest jump in new COVID-19 cases since February, health ministry data showed on Tuesday, with 180,777 new infections over 24 hours, and hospital numbers also rose for the third consecutive day. The new cases brought the cumulative number of registered infections to 24.3 million as the resumption of classes following two weeks of school holidays marked a sharp resurgence of the epidemic. The seven-day moving average of new cases rose further to just under 99,000, where it had been from end-December till mid-February, driven by the contagious Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus.
22nd Mar 2022 - Reuters
SA Premier says COVID-19 case numbers to jump in a 'significant way' with elective surgeries already cancelled
South Australian health officials quietly reintroduced a pause on some elective surgeries just one day before last Saturday's election, new Premier Peter Malinauskas has revealed. The ban was introduced but not announced amid a rise in the state's COVID numbers, with Mr Malinauskas warning new government modelling showed cases were set to "escalate in a rather significant way". He said the elective surgery ban impacted all non-urgent overnight elective surgery in public hospitals. "Needless to say, I was rather disappointed and somewhat shocked to learn that an elective surgery ban has now been reinstated in some instances here in South Australia," he said.
22nd Mar 2022 - ABC News
Covid school absences triple in two weeks as 202,000 pupils off sick or isolating in England
The number of pupils missing school in England because of Covid-19 has more than tripled in two weeks. Figures from the Department for Education show that last Thursday, 202,000 state school pupils were not in class because of reasons related to Covid, up from 58,000 pupils on 3 March. Among these students, there were 16,000 pupils with a suspected Covid case and 159,000 with a confirmed case.
22nd Mar 2022 - iNews
Covid-19 update: 'Risky to assume that the pandemic is over' - McKee
Europe faces a revival of a revival of virus risks as cases spread rapidly, accelerated by the emergence of the more-transmissible BA.2 Omicron strain. Germany is now setting fresh records for infection rates almost daily, while Austria has also reached new highs and cases in the Netherlands have doubled since lifting curbs on Feb. 25. “The messaging from politicians is encouraging many people who were taking precautions to mix with others,” says Martin McKee, professor of public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “It does seem very courageous, and indeed risky, to assume that the pandemic is over.”
22nd Mar 2022 - Pharmaceutical Technology
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View this newsletter in fullIndia considers widening COVID booster effort to all adults, sources say
Article reports that India is considering making all adults eligible for booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Monday, as infections grow in some countries and some Indians find it hard to travel abroad without a third dose. Only frontline workers and those older than 60 are currently allowed to take booster doses in India, whether free in government centres or paid for in private hospitals. The government is debating whether to provide boosters to other groups for free, said one of the sources, who both sought anonymity as the government has yet to make a decision.
21st Mar 2022 - Reuters
Spring Covid-19 booster campaign to get underway in a matter of weeks
Northern Ireland's spring Covid booster campaign is set to get underway within a matter of weeks. A further dose of the vaccine is to be made available to over 75s, immunosuppressed over the age of 12 and care home residents. Community pharmacies are due to administer the vaccine to care home residents, trusts will run clinics for immunocompromised patients and GP surgeries will run clinics for all patients over the age of 75. While appointments have not yet opened to the public, they are to coincide with the same timetable across the UK.
21st Mar 2022 - Belfast Telegraph
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View this newsletter in fullUkraine’s World-Class Drug-Molecule Industry Imperiled by Russia Invasion
Article reports that Russian attacks are endangering Ukraine’s world-leading medicinal chemistry industry, which supplies scientists across the globe with molecular building blocks needed for early drug development. Ukraine’s dominance in medicinal chemistry is little known beyond drug developers, who fine-tune a drug’s molecular design to give it the best chance of hitting the desired biological target in the body. Kyiv-based Enamine Ltd. has become a go-to supplier for drug-discovery scientists at academic laboratories and the largest pharmaceutical companies. “It’s a bit like Amazon for chemistry,” said Ed Griffen, a U.K.-based medicinal chemist working with closely held Enamine on a low-cost Covid-19 antiviral pill.
20th Mar 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Shanghai's Disney resort shut amid record daily local COVID infections
China's financial hub of Shanghai reported on Monday a record daily surge in local COVID-19 infections as authorities scrambled to test residents and rein in the Omicron variant, while closing its Disney (DIS.N) resort until further notice. Until recent weeks relatively unscathed by coronavirus, Shanghai reported 24 new domestically transmitted COVID cases with confirmed symptoms for Sunday and 734 local asymptomatic infections, official data showed on Monday. It is the fourth consecutive day that Shanghai's local asymptomatic infections have increased.
21st Mar 2022 - Reuters
Covid: Rise in UK infections driven by BA.2 Omicron variant
Covid cases have continued to rise in the UK, with an estimated one in every 20 people infected, figures from the Office for National Statistic suggest. All age groups are affected, including the 75s and over, who are due a spring booster jab to top up protection. Hospital cases are also rising, but vaccines are still helping to stop many severe cases, say experts. An easily spread sub-variant of Omicron, called BA.2, is now causing most cases. Recent easing of restrictions and waning immunity from the vaccines could be factors behind the rise too.
20th Mar 2022 - BBC News
Life During Hong Kong's Worst Covid-19 Outbreak: Full Hospitals, Quiet Streets
Hong Kong has faced a record surge in Covid-19 cases and the world’s highest death rate, prompting authorities to impose strict restrictions. WSJ’s Diana Chan reports on how everyday life has changed in the city, from panic buying to an exodus of residents
20th Mar 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Covid restrictions easing across Europe despite surge in cases
In Germany most pandemic controls will be lifted on Sunday after a heated parliamentary debate on Friday which led to both houses of parliament voting in favour. That was despite cases in Germany reaching a new daily record of almost 300,000 on Friday – a seven-day incidence rate of 1,706 cases per 100,000 residents – and a majority of the population expressing concern that the relaxations were coming too soon. Germany has been recording daily deaths of over 200 for several weeks.
20th Mar 2022 - The Guardian
China's factories opt for isolation bubbles to beat COVID curbs and keep running
To keep factory lines open in the face of COVID curbs Chinese firms are asking workers to eat, sleep and work in bubbles isolated from the wider world, sterilising premises as often as three times a day and testing for COVID daily. Dubbed "closed-loop management", this approach has been part of China's efforts over the past two years to keep local transmission extremely low by global standards. It was used for example at the Winter Olympics in Beijing to seal event personnel off from the public.
20th Mar 2022 - Reuters
EU health body recommends free COVID tests, vaccines for Ukrainian refugees
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said on Friday that countries should provide free COVID-19 testing for refugees from Ukraine to avoid outbreaks as more than three million people flee their war-stricken homeland.
Infectious diseases and conflict often go hand-in-hand, and the risk of infections spreading could be further exacerbated as COVID vaccination rates in Ukraine have been low overall at 35% versus the EU average of 71.7%. Those fleeing the country should be offered a full course of COVID-19 vaccines, and booster doses, if they do not have proof of prior inoculation, with an emphasis on those at greater risk of severe COVID-19, the ECDC said.
20th Mar 2022 - Reuters
WHO says global rise in COVID cases is 'tip of the iceberg'
Figures showing a global rise in COVID-19 cases could herald a much bigger problem as some countries also report a drop in testing rates, the WHO said on Tuesday, warning nations to remain vigilant against the virus. After more than a month of decline, COVID cases started to increase around the world last week, the WHO said, with lockdowns in Asia and China's Jilin province battling to contain an outbreak. A combination of factors was causing the increases, including the highly transmissible Omicron variant and its BA.2 sublineage, and the lifting of public health and social measures, the WHO said.
19th Mar 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullRising Covid cases mean we need to stay vigilant, but vaccines mean we don't need to panic
You’d think, now that there’s a war on, that we’ve had enough of pestilence. One horseman of the apocalypse at a time, please. But, inconsiderately, it appears that Covid-19 cases in the UK are on the rise again. Not anywhere near the levels of the Omicron peak two months ago, when about 200,000 new cases were being detected a day, but we are seeing as many cases as we did during the second wave in January 2021, and numbers are still going up. It’s reasonable to worry about it, and we should definitely keep an eye on it. But we don’t need to panic.
17th Mar 2022 - iNews
Scientists fear U.K. is easing coronavirus testing and monitoring too soon
After dropping nearly all coronavirus restrictions last month, Britain is now ending some of its most widespread testing and monitoring programs, a move some scientists fear will complicate efforts to track the virus and detect worrisome new variants. Officials have largely dismissed those concerns, despite a recent uptick in cases across Europe, insisting that high immunization rates will help dampen future waves of disease. Based on how quickly new variants have arisen, some experts suggest the next one could arrive as early as May. They warn that U.K. authorities should be using the time to prepare, rather than winding down their pandemic defenses. Mark Woolhouse, an epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh, called it “an unfortunate pattern” that has been seen repeatedly throughout the outbreak.
17th Mar 2022 - The New York Times
Generic drugmakers sign on to make cheap version of Pfizer COVID pill
Thirty five generic drugmakers around the world will make cheap versions of Pfizer Inc's highly effective COVID-19 oral antiviral Paxlovid to supply the treatment in 95 poorer countries, the U.N.-backed Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) said on Thursday. Pfizer struck a deal last year with the group to allow generic drugmakers to make the pills for 95 low- and middle-income countries. They have been working since then to select the drugmakers they will license. Paxlovid is expected to be an important tool in the fight against COVID-19 after it reduced hospitalizations in high-risk patients by around 90% in a clinical trial. The results were significantly better than those for Merck & Co's rival antiviral pill molnupiravir in its clinical trial.
17th Mar 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullIn Kharkiv, critical COVID patients at the mercy of Russian bombardment
In Kharkiv's regional infectious diseases hospital, doctors escort those COVID-19 patients they can down to the bomb shelter in the basement when the air raid sirens sound. But the most seriously ill, needing constant oxygen supply, cannot be moved, even if this means leaving them vulnerable to Russian bombardment. "The ones in critical condition remain in their rooms. If we bring them down here they will simply die," said Pavlo Nartov, the hospital's director. "Most of our patients are on oxygen supply all the time. They can't be cut off from the oxygen."
17th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Covid Scotland: 27000 doses of vaccine wasted in a single month as expiry dates reached
Some 13 per cent of doses given were wasted, compared to an average of just 1.5 per cent from September to January. Just half of those aged 18 to 29 have received a booster jag, while the figure for all adults is 78 per cent, below the Scottish Government benchmark of 80 per cent. In response to a “significant” increase in Covid patients, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has banned all but essential visiting in several wards at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Royal Alexandra Hospital from Thursday. NHS Lanarkshire has already taken this step. The majority of vaccine doses wasted in February – around 21,000 – were due to passing expiry dates, according to a new report from Public Health Scotland (PHS).
16th Mar 2022 - The Scotsman
Germany hits record Covid infection rate since start of pandemic
Germany has recorded its highest rate of Covid-19 infections since the start of the pandemic, as mask-wearing mandates in shops, restaurants and schools will come to an end in many parts of the country this weekend. The country’s disease control agency on Wednesday reported a record incidence rate of 1,607 new infections per 100,000 people over the past seven days, one of the highest in Europe. Germany’s Robert Koch Institute has recorded a total of 262,593 confirmed new cases and 269 new deaths over the past 24 hours. Experts say the true number of cases could be even higher as testing facilities have reached full capacity and those who test positive with a lateral flow test are no longer required to carry out a PCR test that would show up in the statistics.
16th Mar 2022 - The Guardian
India rolls out COVID vaccine doses for children aged 12-14
India on Wednesday started administering doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to young people aged 12 to 14 as public and private schools re-opened. The government aims to swiftly expand vaccine coverage by also dropping a restriction on booster doses for those older than 60 only if they had a co-morbidity condition.
"Today is an important day in India's efforts to vaccinate our citizens," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter. The children, estimated by the government to number 50 million, will receive the Corbevax vaccine, made by Biological E, a domestic firm that secured emergency approval for its use in children.
16th Mar 2022 - Reuters
COVID curbs bite at Chinese ports, threatening global supply chains
The queues of container ships outside major Chinese ports are lengthening by the day as COVID-19 outbreaks in manufacturing export hubs threaten to unleash a fresh wave of global supply chain shocks, ship owners, logistics firms and analysts say. China is experiencing its biggest spike in COVID-19 infections since an initial outbreak in the central city of Wuhan was contained in early 2020. The spread of the highly-infectious Omicron variant this month has led to movement controls across China, including in key manufacturing hubs of Shenzhen and Dongguan, paralysing factories making goods from flash drives to car parts
16th Mar 2022 - Reuters
WHO: New COVID deaths fell 17% last week, but cases rising
The number of new coronavirus deaths reported worldwide fell by 17% in the last week while COVID-19 infections rose, reversing a decline in cases that first began in January, according to the World Health Organization. In the U.N. health agency’s weekly report on the pandemic issued late Tuesday, WHO said there were more than 11 million new COVID-19 infections last week - about an 8% rise - and 43,000 new deaths. The number of COVID-19 deaths globally has been dropping for the past three weeks. The biggest increase in cases were seen in the Western Pacific and Africa, where infections rose by 29% and 12% respectively. Elsewhere, cases dropped by more than 20% in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Americas. In Europe, cases inched up by about 2%.
16th Mar 2022 - The Associated Press
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View this newsletter in fullDoctors should not fear liability for recommending Covid-19 vaccine
Medical practitioners in Hong Kong have been reluctant to recommend Covid-19 vaccines to patients with chronic health conditions for fear of the risk of adverse events. Significant numbers of doctors have also been hesitant about openly discussing or recommending vaccination even for those with no relevant health issues. These are the conclusions from a study by the Chinese University of Hong Kong that received little attention when published last November. The findings, which should have raised alarm bells, offer an explanation for the city’s stubbornly low vaccination rate among the elderly.
15th Mar 2022 - South China Morning Post
GP vaccine sites offering 'value for money' to continue Covid jabs until September
GP-led Covid vaccination sites will be able to continue delivering jabs until September if they have ‘sufficient capacity’, NHS England has said. But some may be asked to suspend the service if they are not delivering ‘value for money’, it added. The enhanced service was due to expire at the end of this month, but NHS England had indicated it was expected to be extended until September – as long as delivery did not impact on ‘core’ GP services.
15th Mar 2022 - Pulse
Scientists call for immediate rollout of Covid jab for UK primary school children
Scientists are calling for the immediate rollout of Covid vaccines to primary-aged children in the UK, as new data suggests that even a single dose of the Pfizer jab helps to prevent older children against infection, and shortens the duration and severity of symptoms if they do get infected. According to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics, 2- to 11-year-olds have the highest rate of infections of any UK age group, with 4.2% testing positive during the week ending 5 March. Secondary-aged children (up to Year 11) have the lowest rate of infections, with 2.4% testing positive.
15th Mar 2022 - The Guardian
Mexico to uphold existing agreements for Russian COVID vaccine
Mexico will uphold its existing agreements with Russia for its Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, as well as those made with other countries, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Monday. Speaking at a regular news conference, Lopez Obrador said he expected Mexico to have sufficient vaccines going forward, and reiterated that Mexico would not participate in sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine.
15th Mar 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 Outbreak Shuts Down Some China Factories, Including Apple Supplier
A surge in Covid-19 cases led Chinese manufacturing hubs Shenzhen and Changchun to lock down in recent days, halting production at many electronics and auto factories in the latest threat to the world’s battered supply chain. A number of manufacturers including Foxconn, Technology Group, a major assembler of Apple Inc.’s AAPL, iPhones, said they were halting operations in Shenzhen in compliance with the local government’s policy. The government placed the city into lockdown for at least a week and said everyone in the city would have to undergo three rounds of testing after 86 new cases of domestic Covid-19 infections were detected Sunday.
15th Mar 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
U.S. seeks to expand Trump-era COVID data collection under CDC
The Biden administration wants to expand a federal COVID-19 tracking system created during the pandemic to provide a more detailed view of how respiratory and other infectious diseases are affecting patients and hospital resources, according to a draft of proposed rules reviewed by Reuters. The plan would build upon a hospital data collection system designed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Trump administration. Management of the program was transferred last month to HHS's lead public health agency, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
14th Mar 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullFrench COVID-19 infections again up 25% week-on-week, trend upward again
New COVID-19 infections in France rose by more than 25% on Friday compared to a week ago after rising more than 24% on Thursday, as a downward trend that had started late January reversed. The health ministry registered 72,399 new infections on Friday, while the seven-day moving average of new infections also rose, for the fourth day in a row, by nearly 16% to more than 60,000. New hospitalisations with COVID-19 - which tend to lag new cases by about two weeks - continued falling, by 7% to just over 21,000.
12th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Covid cases and hospital admissions rising in England, data suggests
One in 25 people in England had Covid last week, figures show, causing a rise in the rates of hospital admissions. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, based on swabs from randomly selected households, reveal an estimated 2,073,900 people in the community in England had Covid in the week ending 5 March, equating to 3.8% of the population or about one in 25 people. The week before, the figure was about one in 30. In Scotland, the latest ONS figures suggest about one in 18 had Covid in the most recent week – continuing a rise in prevalence – while in Northern Ireland and Wales it was one in 13 and one in 30 respectively, suggesting infection levels are increasing in all countries in the UK.
11th Mar 2022 - The Guardian
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View this newsletter in fullAustralia leaders to meet amid Omicron sub-variant concerns, flood damage
Australia's national cabinet will meet on Friday against a backdrop of concerns about the spread of the new sub-variant of the Omicron strain of the coronavirus, while eastern states battle to clear tonnes of debris after devastating floods.
11th Mar 2022 - Reuters
UK Covid cases rising among those aged 55 and over
Covid cases appear to be rising in older people as increased socialising, waning immunity and a more transmissible version of the Omicron variant threaten to fuel a resurgence of the virus. Tests on nearly 100,000 swabs from homes across England reveal that, while infections have fallen overall since the January peak, one in 35 people tested positive between 8 February and 1 March, with cases either level or rising in those aged 55 and over. Scientists on Imperial College’s React-1 study said the R value – the average number of people an infected person passes the virus to – remained below 1 for those aged 54 and under, meaning cases were in decline. But for those aged 55 and over, R stood at 1.04. The suspected uptick has raised concerns as older people are more prone to severe Covid and have had more time for their immunity to wane, as many had their booster vaccines several months ago.
10th Mar 2022 - The Guardian
People Are Getting COVID Shots Despite Hesitation
It is easy to assume that most people who get the COVID-19 vaccine do so without a shred of trepidation, while those who are hesitant about it choose never to get vaccinated. But a recent set of findings blows up this binary and provides insights that could make vaccination campaigns more successful.The studies cut through toxic public discourse about the vaccine and focus on a significant group that is often overlooked by researchers, policy makers and the media: so-called hesitant adopters. Such people get vaccinated and report afterward that they felt some degree of hesitation about doing so. To look into this group, scientists at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest (UAMS Northwest) and their colleagues surveyed 1,475 adults at more than 30 COVID-19 vaccination sites in the state as they sat out their 15-minute wait time after receiving the shot.
10th Mar 2022 - Scientific American
Health Workers Plan for Years of Covid-19 Vaccine Outreach to Black People
Community health workers are redoubling their efforts to sustain Covid-19 vaccine coverage among Black people, saying that gaps remain between willingness to get the shots and the ability of some people to find them conveniently. Early in the U.S. vaccination drive, some Black people said they doubted the safety of the shots or couldn’t get to inoculation sites easily, and their coverage rate lagged that of the general population. Outreach and public-information campaigns helped close the gap by September, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, which found in a survey of 1,519 adults that month that the share of Black adults who said they had gotten an initial vaccination matched the rate for white adults.
10th Mar 2022 - Wall Street Journal
United Airlines to let unvaccinated workers return - WSJ
United Airlines will allow workers who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 for religious or medical reasons to return at the end of this month, the Wall Street Journal reported. The move permits staffers with exemptions from the carrier's vaccination requirement for its U.S. employees to return from unpaid leave or from the non-customer-facing roles they were allowed to apply for as an alternative to their regular jobs, the report said.
10th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Ukraine Covid Pill Development Project Disrupted by Russian Invasion
The night before Russia invaded Ukraine, chemist Tetiana Matviyuk worked late into the night at her Kyiv office. By 10:30 p.m., she had wrapped up after a Zoom meeting with a global team of scientists working on a new, experimental Covid-19 treatment. The day before, she had shipped crucial compounds to colleagues in the U.K. Her team was closing in on the project’s finish line and their moment of Champagne celebration. But instead of euphoria, Matviyuk was filled with dread. She called her husband on her drive home. “I said, ‘I’m feeling that something bad can happen,’” says Matviyuk, 35, principal scientist in medicinal chemistry and computer drug design at contract research group Enamine Ltd. “He was just laughing at me, that I’m crazy and too nervous, and keep calm, everything will be fine.”
10th Mar 2022 - Bloomberg
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View this newsletter in fullU.S. leaning toward ending COVID-era expulsions of migrants at Mexico border - sources
President Joe Biden's administration is leaning toward ending a COVID-era order that has blocked more than a million migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter, a major policy shift that would restore the U.S. asylum system but could provoke backlash from Republicans. A third official said the policy was being actively debated and a decision could come within weeks, though the outcome was not yet clear. All three requested anonymity to provide details on internal conversations. The discussions, which have not been previously reported, were prompted by recent U.S. court decisions that complicate the implementation of the so-called "Title 42" border order coupled with major moves by U.S. public health officials to loosen pandemic restrictions across the United States, the officials said
10th Mar 2022 - Reuters
First Covid-19 case arrives in Aiutaki
The case is an Aitutaki resident, and the person is isolating at home. Household contacts are currently being identified and are asked to quarantine. Like Rarotonga, the population on Aitutaki is highly vaccinated and Prime Minister Mark Brown said they are prepared for this. Over the weekend 24 new cases were confirmed, bringing the total number to 130. R-A-T tests will be used to diagnose new cases in the Cook islands as is occurring in New Zealand. No additional PCR test will be required except for clinical reasons.
9th Mar 2022 - RNZ
Shanghai steps up defences against wave of asymptomatic COVID cases
The Chinese financial hub of Shanghai is moving quickly to halt the spread of COVID-19 amid a rising wave of local symptomless cases, testing tens of thousands of people, delaying dozens of concerts and exhibitions and shutting some public venues. Shanghai reported 62 domestically transmitted asymptomatic infections for Tuesday, the seventh consecutive day of increases in such cases, official data showed on Wednesday. That was the highest daily count for the city since China started in late March 2020 to classify symptomless infections separately from confirmed cases.
9th Mar 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullCovid disappointments spur Africa’s homegrown vaccine makers
African countries had hoped the Covax vaccine-sharing scheme would guarantee them timely access to jabs, but a lack of regional vaccine production and a bidding war with richer, western nations meant much of the continent has been last in line for doses. According to the FT’s vaccine tracker, 73 per cent of EU residents have been fully vaccinated against Covid, compared with 13 per cent in Africa. Health authorities and scientific institutions in Africa have now set themselves a different target. By 2040 they want 60 per cent of all vaccines given on the continent to be manufactured in Africa, up from 1 per cent now.
8th Mar 2022 - Financial Times
Covid-19 cases creating burden on hospitals - minister
The number of people with Covid-19 in hospitals around the country has risen by over 30% in the last week. There were 803 Covid patients in hospital as of 8am this morning, with 51 of those in ICU. That figure is an increase of 187 compared to last Tuesday. However, it is down five on the same time yesterday, which is the first daily reduction in 10 days. The 808 people with the coronavirus in hospital on Monday, represented the highest level in six weeks, since 824 on 25 January.
8th Mar 2022 - RTE.ie
Unvaccinated Elderly Send Hong Kong’s Covid-19 Death Rate to World’s Highest
Almost a year ago, Rio Ling decided to hold off on vaccinating his 86-year-old father against the coronavirus because he was more worried about possible side effects than the virus itself, given that Hong Kong had kept cases low under its “Zero-Covid” policy. By the time he gave the go-ahead in January, after the Omicron variant had broken through the city’s defenses, it was too late. A few hours after finally receiving the inoculation in late February, Mr. Ling’s dad, who has high blood pressure and dementia, tested positive for Covid-19. Half a million people over 70 weren’t vaccinated when Omicron began surging through the city. Like other places, Hong Kong gave its elderly priority to get their shots, but persistent fears about vaccine safety, fueled by local media reports about deaths following vaccinations, and Hong Kong’s low case count led many to delay.
8th Mar 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Experts map out 'new normal' as US enters third pandemic year
As America enters the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic and approaches the 2-year anniversary of business and school shutdowns put in place when little was known about the novel coronavirus, a group of public health experts have published a new roadmap laying out how the country can enter the "new normal" stage of the pandemic and manage the virus without eliminating it. The roadmap recommends against future school closings, suggests the United States will need to manufacture 1 billion at-home COVID-19 tests per month, and says the nation can lift pandemic restrictions when it is tallying 165 or fewer deaths per day from the virus.
7th Mar 2022 - CIDRAP
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View this newsletter in fullHard for China to Exit Covid Zero With Unprepared Hospitals
When Covid-19 flared in the northern Chinese border region of Ejin late last year, it revealed a key impediment to the country charting an exit from its zero-tolerance pandemic strategy. The healthcare system is so unprepared that any major shift away from Covid Zero -- which in China has meant frequent mass testing, swift quarantines, lockdowns and sealed international borders -- risks a public health crisis. In Ejin, home to about 30,000 in the Chinese province that borders Mongolia, several dozen infections in mid-October quickly overwhelmed the two local hospitals. Authorities had to transfer more than 140 patients by train to the provincial capital of Hohhot, over 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) away, according to local media.
8th Mar 2022 - Bloomberg
Omicron infections contagious for at least 6 days; Takeda drug shows promise as COVID treatment
The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. Omicron infections are contagious for at least 6 days
Patients infected with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 remain contagious for just as long as patients infected with earlier variants, according to a small study.
Researchers took blood samples from 56 newly-diagnosed patients, including 37 with Delta infections and 19 with Omicron infections. All were mildly ill, such as with flu-like symptoms, but none were hospitalized. Regardless of which variant or whether or not they had been vaccinated or boosted, study participants "shed live virus for, on average, about 6 days after symptoms (began), and... about one in four people shed live virus for over 8 days," said Dr. Amy Barczak of the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, who coauthored a report posted on medRxiv ahead of peer review.
8th Mar 2022 - Reuters
COVID-19 vaccine rollout worsened existing health inequalities, study finds
The wide inequalities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake between people from ethnic minority groups and White British people are far greater than for the pre-pandemic flu jab, a study by University of Manchester health researchers has found. The findings, published in PLOS Medicine, overturns the prevailing view that ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake simply follow previous trends in people's willingness to take up vaccination. Instead, the researchers suggest, the COVID-19 vaccination program has created additional and different inequalities beyond pre-existing inequalities in vaccine uptake.
7th Mar 2022 - Medical Xpress
COVID-only Minnesota hospitals had lower death rates
A Minnesota health system that established two COVID-19 patient-only hospitals early in the pandemic had lower rates of coronavirus-related death than hospitals with mixed patient cohorts, according to a study published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. University of Minnesota at Minneapolis researchers studied the outcomes of 5,504 adult COVID-19 patients treated at M Health Fairview from Mar 1, 2020, to Jun 30, 2021, from 11 hospitals, including 2 reserved for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Median patient age in the entire cohort was 62.5 years, and 51.9% were women. Of the 5,504 patients, 2,077 (37.7%) were treated at one of the two dedicated hospitals in St. Paul, and 3,427 (62.3%) were cared for at the other hospitals.
4th Mar 2022 - CIDRAP
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View this newsletter in fullHong Kong retail chains ration staples to curb COVID panic buying
Two of Hong Kong's largest consumer retail chains started rationing some food and drug items on Friday to curb panic buying that has plagued the city over the past week amid fears of a citywide lockdown as COVID-19 cases soar. Health authorities reported 52,523 new COVID-19 cases on Friday and 136 deaths. This compares with about 100 infections at the start of February and a clean three-month streak of zero cases before the end of December.
6th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Ministry of Health urges caution over dropping Covid-19 case numbers
In New Zealand, there were 15,161 new community cases today, more than 3500 fewer than yesterday's total of 18,833. On Friday, it was 22,527. It is the third day running that case numbers have fallen. Covid-19 Modelling Aotearoa project leader Dion O'Neale said the shift to Rapid Antigen Tests and focus on personal reponsibility in reporting cases could be throwing numbers off. Urging caution, the ministry said: "The variation in reporting numbers each day means that the rolling average of cases gives a more reliable indicator of testing trends. The seven-day rolling average of cases is today 17,272, up from 16,687 yesterday".
6th Mar 2022 - RNZ
Hong Kong Mortuaries Bring in Mobile Fridges as Deaths Surge
Hong Kong’s mortuaries are so overwhelmed they’re deploying mobile refrigeration units to store bodies, as scenes reminiscent of the early days of the pandemic play out amid the city’s worst Covid-19 wave yet. Photos taken at the Fu Shan Public Mortuary show four refrigerated units in a car park. Nearby, bags of ice are stacked next to an empty coffin. Hong Kong’s resources are straining under the pressure of a record outbreak that’s pushed its death rate to one of the highest in the world. Fatalities have been concentrated in the under-vaccinated elderly, and the spread of the virus to more than 750 care facilities – including those that are home to disabled residents – has sparked concerns of worse to come.
5th Mar 2022 - Bloomberg
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View this newsletter in fullBrazil Is Now Producing Its Own Covid-19 Vaccine Doses
On Valentine’s Day, scientists in Brazil produced a special gift: the first Covid-19 vaccine doses produced fully within the country. These used active pharmaceutical ingredients from Brazil, drew on a technology-transfer agreement with AstraZeneca, and were produced in a new vaccine production facility run by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) and the Immunobiological Technology Institute (Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos, or Bio-Manguinhos). The new lab expects to produce 120 million Covid-19 doses by the middle of 2022. This would allow for one dose each for over half of Brazil’s population
3rd Mar 2022 - Forbes
Additional doses of covid-19 vaccine recommended for immunocompromised patients
Additional doses of covid-19 vaccine are recommended for immunocompromised patients, especially for organ transplant recipients who are least able to make antibodies to fight off coronavirus, say experts in The BMJ today. The findings reinforce the importance of additional doses of covid-19 vaccine to protect people with a weakened immune system. It is already known that after vaccination, people with a weakened immune system (immunocompromised) are less able to make antibodies to fight off viruses, such as influenza, than people with a healthy immune system (immunocompetent). But less is known about the response to covid-19 vaccines, particularly mRNA vaccines.
3rd Mar 2022 - News-Medical.Net
COVID-19: How ventilation, filtration, humidity prevent transmission
Researchers from the University of Oregon measured the amount of virus particles that 11 students with COVID-19 released during certain activities. The research team found higher ventilation, filtration, and humidity levels decreased the amount of virus particles in the air. Scientists believe their findings can assist building operators with creating safer indoor environments.
3rd Mar 2022 - Medical News Today
Regeneron must face patent lawsuit over COVID-19 treatment
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc on Wednesday failed to persuade a federal judge in New York to throw out a lawsuit over its alleged misuse of a patented protein to test its breakthrough COVID-19 treatment. U.S. District Judge Philip Halpern said during an oral argument that he could not grant Regeneron's request at an early stage of the case to find it immune from Allele Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Inc's infringement claims.
3rd Mar 2022 - Reuters
WHO sees little impact on COVID-19 vaccine supplies to Africa from Ukraine war
The World Health Organization does not expect any immediate impact on vaccine supply to Africa from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, senior officials on the continent said on Thursday. Russia's Sputnik vaccines are part of an effort by wealthier countries to plug the COVID-19 vaccine gap in Africa, but so far they remain a minimal component of imports to the continent. Russia's invasion entered its second week on Thursday and there are concerns that the focus on the war could interrupt vaccine shipments to Africa.
3rd Mar 2022 - Reuters
Why formally ending the pandemic is going to be a huge headache for the entire health care system
President Biden made it clear this week he wants to transition toward a new phase of the Covid-19 pandemic — one where people are “moving forward safely, back to more normal routines,” as he said this week.
3rd Mar 2022 - STAT News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 3rd Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullAmericans can order another round of free at-home Covid-19 tests next week
Americans can order additional free at-home Covid-19 tests supplied by the US government starting next week. "If you already ordered free tests, tonight, I'm announcing you can order another group of tests. Go to Covidtest.gov starting next week and you can get more tests," President Joe Biden said during his Tuesday State of the Union address. In January, the government launched its effort to provide free rapid antigen tests to any household that requested them through that website or by calling 800-232-0233. There was a limit of four tests per residential address.
2nd Mar 2022 - CNN
COVID-19 hospitalizations, cases and deaths start to plateau as provinces lift measures
The decline of COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations across Canada has led many provinces to aggressively lift public health restrictions — yet data shows those declines have begun to plateau. Ontario, Alberta and Manitoba ended several measures on Tuesday, including vaccination requirements for businesses and capacity limits. Other provinces, including Quebec, and Atlantic Canada, eased restrictions a day earlier, with Saskatchewan ending them entirely on Monday.
2nd Mar 2022 - Global News
India's output, exports of Russia's Sputnik vaccine at risk due to Ukraine crisis
India's production and exports of Russia's Sputnik COVID-19 vaccines are expected to slow further following U.S. sanctions on Russia's sovereign wealth fund that promotes the shot globally, three Indian pharmaceutical industry sources told Reuters. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) had billed India as one of Sputnik's biggest production hubs and markets, though local sales have stagnated at 1.2 million doses out of 1.8 billion doses of various vaccines administered in the country.
2nd Mar 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong government urges residents spooked by citywide lockdown not to panic
Hong Kong's government said any decision to impose a COVID-19 lockdown would take into account the global financial hub's status and ensure basic needs such as food and urged anxious residents who raided supermarkets this week not to panic.
The government said it was still planning and "refining" details for a compulsory mass COVID testing scheme and would announce details once they had been confirmed. The government statement, released late on Tuesday, comes amid widespread confusion and chaos with many residents fatigued and frustrated by the mixed messaging and almost daily tweaking of coronavirus rules.
2nd Mar 2022 - Reuters
Merck's Covid Antiviral Gets WHO Backing for High-Risk Patients
Merck & Co.’s Covid-19 antiviral pill was endorsed by a World Health Organization panel for patients in the early stages of disease who face high risk of hospitalization. The WHO panel of international experts, which looked at data from six randomized clinical trials involving more than 4,000 patients, found a moderate certainty that Merck’s molnupiravir reduces the risk of hospital admission and recovery time. The effect on mortality wasn’t so clear. The decision was published Thursday in the BMJ medical journal. Merck’s pill is used in the U.S. and U.K. to treat Covid patients at high risk of severe illness, but its mechanism of action and lesser efficacy have prompted a shift toward Pfizer Inc.’s Paxlovid and other drugs. U.S. National Institutes of Health guidelines specify that molnupiravir should be used only when other medications for outpatients can’t be given.
2nd Mar 2022 - Bloomberg
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View this newsletter in fullPfizer’s Covid-19 Vaccine Protected Kids During Omicron, CDC Study Finds
The Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and partner BioNTech SE was highly effective at reducing the risk of severe disease in children 17 years and younger during the Omicron surge but didn’t work as well at preventing infection, according to a new government study. The two-dose vaccine reduced the risk of Covid-19 hospitalization in children 5 to 11 years by 74% and by 92% or higher in children 12 to 17, according to the study published Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the vaccine was 51% effective at reducing the risk of infection among 5- to 11-year-olds, while Omicron was predominant, and between 34% and 45% effective in children 12 to 17 years, depending on the age, for the first five months after the second dose, according to the study. The vaccine was 90.7% effective at preventing symptomatic disease in the pivotal study that led to authorization. That study was conducted before Omicron emerged.
1st Mar 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
1 million Sputnik coronavirus vaccines expire in Guatemala
Health authorities in Guatemala say over a million doses of the Russian Sputnik coronavirus vaccine have expired, because nobody wanted to take the shot. Francisco Coma, the country’s health minister, said Monday that there was a “rejection” among the population toward the vaccine, even though a lot of Guatemalans remain unvaccinated.
1st Mar 2022 - ABC News
Hong Kong mortuaries hit capacity as Covid-19 deaths climb
Facilities for storing dead bodies at hospitals and public mortuaries in Hong Kong are at maximum capacity due to a record number of Covid-19 fatalities, the Hospital Authority said on Monday, as officials battle to control a surge in cases. The global financial hub reported a daily record high of 34,466 new coronavirus infections and 87 deaths on Monday, health authorities said. Separately, the city’s Education Secretary said international schools could maintain their original term dates, after widespread confusion over summer school holidays.
1st Mar 2022 - CNBC
Fears of medical shortages and disease in Ukraine after Russian invasion
Ukraine is running low on critical medical supplies and has had to halt urgent efforts to curb a polio outbreak since Russia invaded the country last week, public health experts say. Medical needs are already acute, with the World Health Organization warning on Sunday that oxygen supplies were running out. read more On Tuesday, WHO told a briefing that some facilities already had no oxygen left. Fears of a wider public health crisis are growing as people flee their homes, health services are interrupted and supplies fail to reach Ukraine, which has also been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic
1st Mar 2022 - Reuters
Indonesia extends AstraZeneca vaccine shelf life as 6 mln doses near expiry
Indonesia has extended the shelf life of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to nine months, as nearly six million doses it received in donations approached their expiration dates, a health ministry spokesperson told Reuters. The decision underscores the challenges many developing countries face in their slow inoculation campaigns, as vaccines donated by wealthy countries arrive with a relatively short shelf life of just a few months or weeks
1st Mar 2022 - Reuters
Study: 90% of young ECMO-eligible COVID patients at a US hospital died amid rationing
Nearly 90% of adult COVID-19 patients who were eligible for—but didn't receive—extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) during the height of the pandemic died in the hospital owing to a lack of resources, even though they were young and had few underlying health issues, according to a natural experiment published late last week in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
28th Feb 2022 - CIDRAP
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View this newsletter in fullS. Korea drops proof of vaccine, test to aid virus response
South Korea will no longer require people to show proof of vaccination or negative tests to enter any indoor space starting Tuesday, removing a key preventive measure during a fast-developing omicron surge that’s elevating hospitalizations and deaths. The Health Ministry’s announcement on Monday came as the country set another one-day record in COVID-19 deaths with 114, breaking the previous high of 112 set on Saturday. More than 710 COVID-19 patients were in critical or serious conditions, up from 200-300 in mid-February, while nearly half of the country’s intensive care units designated for COVID-19 were occupied. Park Hyang, a senior health ministry official, said rescinding the “anti-epidemic pass” would free more health workers to help monitor nearly 800,000 virus patients with mild or moderate symptoms who have been asked to isolate at home to save hospital space.
1st Mar 2022 - The Associated Press
Nearly third more Covid deaths among England’s poorest since turn of the year
At least 30 per cent more coronavirus deaths have occurred in the most deprived areas of England since the turn of the year, data shows, reinforcing concern that the poorest communities will carry the greatest burden of disease under the government’s plans for “living with Covid”. Of the 7,053 deaths registered in the six weeks after 1 January, 1,589 (22.5 per cent) were from the most deprived 20 per cent of the country, compared to 1,188 (16.8 per cent) in the least deprived 20 per cent. Ministers have been warned that these disparities will only widen as the government scales back free testing and mandated isolation, and removes sick payments for those ill with Covid.
1st Mar 2022 - The Independent
USAID boosts Jamaica's push to get COVID-19 vaccines to private health facilities
In Jamaica, eight private entities in the health sector have signed grants totalling US$600,000 with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to continue the roll-out of the health ministry's outsourcing of COVID-19 vaccines. The ministry is trying to administer 75,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines through private entities. So far, approximately 17,000 doses have been given outside of the public health system, state minister for health Juliet Cuthbert Flynn noted during a signing ceremony
28th Feb 2022 - The Jamaica Observer
Vaccination very essential, will help combat 4th Covid wave, UNICEF advisor says
Though the chances of severity in children infected with Covid-19 is very low, vaccination is very essential and it would help combat the fourth wave, said Dr Mrudula Phadke, senior advisor to Government of Maharashtra and UNICEF on Child Health. Speaking about Multiple Inflammatory Syndrome of Children, a syndrome that affects almost every organ, she said “Only 1 in 10,000 children may experience severe disease on being infected with Covid-19. But there is a condition called MIS-C, where almost every organ is affected. Hence our children should be vaccinated,” she insisted.
28th Feb 2022 - Deccan Herald
Covid-19 pills will ‘allow UK to fully reopen economy’ as pandemic impacts weigh
Landmark Covid-19 pills will “allow the UK to fully reopen its economy”, according to analysts, as the impacts of the pandemic continue to weigh on the economy.
Companies including famed vaccine maker Pfizer, which has won regulatory approval for its Paxlovid pill, and Merck, have revolutionized the global immunisation process with antiviral pills. “The acceleration of the roll out of new accessible medications against Covid-19 is expected to have a meaningful impact in terms of our ability to move beyond the pandemic and will help us to learn to live with the disease in the background,” Manx Financial Group CEO Douglas Grant told Business Matters. “Easy-to-take medication will be a catalyst for the return to business as usual and help remove these damaging blockages, unleashing a sector that is desperate to grow.” Grant added that it is “particularly good news for the UK’s SMEs” who have been disproportionately hit by the pandemic, and its longer-lasting impacts of rising costs of goods, utilities and labour, as inflation teeters on a 30-year high.
28th Feb 2022 - Business Matters
Agong encourages people to take Covid-19 booster shots
The process of transitioning Malaysia from the Covid-19 pandemic stage into endemicity must be made carefully although the country is increasingly ready to make such a transition. Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah cited several indicators which show that the country is ready to transition into the endemic phase. Among the indicators include the Nikkei Asia Covid-19 Recovery Index which ranked Malaysia at 13th spot out of 122 countries around the world. Al-Sultan Abdullah also noted that the Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme (NIP) has helped to inoculate 98 per cent of the adult population in the country.
28th Feb 2022 - New Straits Times
Covid-19: Is the government dismantling pandemic systems too hastily?
A last minute row over funding for free covid testing between the Treasury and the Department of Health and Social Care for England nearly derailed the government’s “living with covid” strategy launch last week.1 But the Cabinet eventually signed off drastic cuts to the estimated £15.7bn (€18.7bn; $21bn) testing budget as a key plank of the prime minister’s plan to scrap all remaining covid regulations in England. Duncan Robertson, a policy and strategy analytics academic at Loughborough University, told The BMJ that the latest row over ending restrictions showed that the “false equivalence of the virus versus the economy” was still rearing its head almost two years into the pandemic, even though it is known that “once people are infected, they can’t go to work, and the economy suffers.” It remains to be seen whether the right balance has now been struck and whether the short term gains to the exchequer from letting the public shoulder more responsibility for fighting SARS-CoV-2 are going to pay off, with long term benefits to health and society as a whole.
28th Feb 2022 - The BMJ
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 28th Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullArizona health agency reduces frequency of pandemic updates
Arizona’s public health agency on Saturday provided its last planned daily update of the state’s coronavirus dashboard of pandemic data such as additional COVID-19 cases, new deaths and hospitalization levels. The state Department of Health Services announced Feb. 18 that it would switch to weekly dashboard updates starting next Wednesday because the outbreak is slowing and to be consistent with other infectious disease that are reported. “It also will provide a clearer view of COVID-19 trends by smoothing the variability in daily reporting by labs and other sources,” the department’s announcement said.
27th Feb 2022 - Associated Press
How covid-19 has exposed the weaknesses in rural healthcare
Rural regions made vulnerable by limited healthcare infrastructure, lower rates of vaccination, and opposition to government policies are the new frontlines in the pandemic. Yet support systems have not adjusted to the growing rural needs for health education, testing, vaccination, and treatment. Michael Forster Rothbart, Kata Karáth, and Lungelo Ndhlovu report from the US, Ecuador, and Zimbabwe
25th Feb 2022 - The BMJ
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View this newsletter in fullAfrica CDC Urges Vaccine Donors to Stagger Deliveries of Shots
The African Union’s public health agency urged Covid-19 vaccine donors to help ensure that the distribution of shots is aligned with take-up so that all of them are used. “We have not asked them to pause the donations, but to coordinate with us so that the new donations arrive in a way so that countries can use them,” John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a webinar Thursday. “This is very different from saying don’t donate at all.”
24th Feb 2022 - Bloomberg
Novavax starts shipping COVID vaccine to EU states
Novavax Inc said on Wednesday it had started shipping doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to European Union member states, with France, Austria and Germany expected to be the first to receive the shots in the coming days. Shipments of Nuvaxovid to additional EU member states from the company's Netherlands distribution center are expected to quickly follow, adding to the stockpile of the region as it struggles with a surge in infections due to the Omicron variant.
24th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 24th Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullWHO plans second hub for training countries to make COVID vaccines
The World Health Organization said on Wednesday it has set up a hub in South Korea to train low- and middle-income countries to produce their own vaccines and therapies, and is expanding its COVID-19 vaccine project to a further five nations.
The new training hub comes after the U.N. agency set up a technology transfer hub in Cape Town, South Africa, last year to give companies from poor and middle-income countries the know-how to produce COVID-19 vaccines based on mRNA technology. The new hub outside Seoul will provide workforce training to all countries wishing to produce products such as vaccines, insulin, monoclonal antibodies, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press briefing.
23rd Feb 2022 - Reuters
Moderna, Thermo Fisher partner to manufacture COVID vaccine, other drugs
Moderna Inc has entered into a long-term agreement with Thermo Fisher Scientific for the manufacturing of its COVID-19 vaccine and other experimental medicines based on mRNA technology, the companies said on Wednesday. Thermo Fisher had already partnered with Moderna last year to help scale up production of its COVID vaccine, branded as Spikevax. As a part of the 15-year expanded deal, Thermo Fisher would provide dedicated manufacturing capacity in the United States for fill/finish services as well as labeling and packaging services for Spikevax and other mRNA drugs in Moderna's pipeline.
23rd Feb 2022 - Reuters
Deutsche Telekom to build global COVID vaccine verification app for WHO
The World Health Organization has signed a contract with Deutsche Telekom subsidiary T-Systems to build a software solution for global electronic verification of coronavirus vaccination certificates, the telecoms company said. The QR code-based software solution will be used for other vaccinations as well, such as polio or yellow fever, T-Systems said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that the WHO would support its 194 member states in building national and regional verification technology. The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. "Health is a strategic growth area for T-Systems," said T-Systems Chief Executive Officer Adel Al-Saleh.
23rd Feb 2022 - Reuters
EU countries agree to admit travellers vaccinated with WHO-approved shots
European Union countries agreed on Tuesday to open their borders to travellers from outside the bloc who have had shots against COVID-19 authorised by the World Health Organization, easing restrictions on those who received Indian and Chinese vaccines. The EU has so far authorised vaccines produced by Pfizer-BionTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca (when produced in Europe), Johnson & Johnson and Novavax. In addition to these shots, the WHO has also approved the vaccines produced by Chinese makers Sinopharm and Sinovac and by Indian company Bharat Biotech
23rd Feb 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 23rd Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid cost-cutting will put blinkers on our best Covid research
After a bruising two years in which the UK failed to prove its resilience to a pandemic, the government hopes to re-cast the nation as a scientific superpower: a country that has built on the lessons of the crisis to deliver better research, more precision healthcare, and a more streamlined pathway to new drugs and vaccines.
But the government’s decision to substantially cut back on free Covid testing, as part of Boris Johnson’s “living with Covid” strategy, already threatens to undermine pioneering trials and coronavirus surveillance that are the envy of other nations. Together, they are crucial for understanding how drugs keep patients out of hospital, how immunity is holding up in vulnerable care homes and hospitals and how the epidemic is unfolding around us.
22nd Feb 2022 - The Guardian
Parents of kids under 5 anxiously await coronavirus vaccine
In the US, parents of children younger than 5 say they feel forgotten and left behind, watching others reclaim normalcy while they stay home with kids who are too young to be vaccinated and have to quarantine when there is an exposure to the coronavirus at day care or school. Parents are now dealing with another twist in a two-year roller-coaster ride after a coronavirus vaccine for the youngest children was further delayed this month. The Food and Drug Administration said it would wait to make a decision on authorizing the vaccine until data on a third dose becomes available — opening up a host of new questions and concerns.
22nd Feb 2022 - The Washington Post
Britain to offer further COVID-19 boosters to elderly and immunosuppressed
Britain said it would offer further COVID-19 booster shots to the elderly, care home residents and immunosuppressed people as part of a plan to learn to live with the disease without legal restrictions. Britain's health minister Sajid Javid said he would accept the recommendation of the country's vaccine advisers, and said that all four nations of the United Kingdom would offer the extra shots.
22nd Feb 2022 - Reuters UK
State legislatures renew the push to roll back Covid-related public health measures
State legislators are mobilizing anew to roll back public health measures meant to contain the spread of Covid-19. They are introducing bills in both liberal and conservative states that target measures like vaccine and mask requirements, which have become political lightning rods throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Several state lawmakers are also pushing legislation that would prevent hospitals and nursing homes from restricting visitors during outbreaks. The legislative blitz comes on the heels of a similar push last year, when over half of U.S. states took some action to roll back public health powers
22nd Feb 2022 - STAT News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 22nd Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullUK needs 'early warning system' for new Covid variants says vaccine expert
The UK needs an 'early warning system' to track new variants when Covid restrictions are lifted, a leading vaccine expert has said. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to announce his living with Covid plan today (Monday, February 21) which will see the scrapping of regulations put in place to control the pandemic.
Professor Sir Andrew Pollard told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme there is a need to monitor variants to see if they are more dangerous than Omicron. The director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford said: “One of the key things is, whenever we do reduce restrictions, we need to have a number of measures in place for that period, and one of the most critical is surveillance for the virus, an early warning system if you like, which tells us about new variants emerging and gives an ability to monitor whether those new variants are indeed causing more severe disease than Omicron did.
21st Feb 2022 - Wales Online
Staff shortage concerns challenge Germany's vaccine mandate
Frank Vogel, a 64-year-old local politician from the eastern German Erzgebirge region, has been scrambling to find ways to keep nursing homes open when a vaccine mandate for healthcare workers takes effect next month. His region near the Czech border has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Germany. With only 57% of healthcare workers there having received two shots against the coronavirus, implementing the mandate would result in staff shortages that would force facilities to shut. "In the end, you have the question: How do you then deal with the people being cared for in these facilities?" Vogel told Reuters.
21st Feb 2022 - Reuters
Children aged 12-15 to be offered a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine
Children aged 12 to 15 years are to be offered a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine in a bid to reduce infection rates among this age group. The move follows a recommendation by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac), which has been accepted by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly. The go-ahead was given by Niac despite the lack of authorisation by the European Medicines Agency for boosters doses for this age group. The EMA is currently assessing an application by Pfizer/BioNTech for use of its booster vaccine in adolescents from 12 years. Because off-licence use is being allowed in Ireland, Mr Donnelly said special attention would be paid to the provision of support and guidance information as part of the informed consent process for children and young people and their parents.
21st Feb 2022 - The Irish Times
The Novavax vaccine is here. So who was waiting for it?
During the push last year to vaccinate the state against coronavirus, staff at Bay Centre Medical at Byron Bay, an area known for its lower vaccination rates, lost count of the number of patients “waiting for Novavax”. So, when their first order of 100 doses arrived last week, the practice’s doctors started calling around. They made a total of 10 bookings. “I don’t think we’ll order it again, really,” said practice manager Karina Masterson, adding unvaccinated people were now more commonly asking for vaccine exemption certificates because they caught the virus over summer. Monday marked the official first day of the Novavax coronavirus vaccine being available in Australia, the fourth brand of shot now obtainable, and the vaccine cited by a number of otherwise hesitant people as their entry to the rollout. (Some GPs and pharmacies started giving the shots last week after receiving shipments early.)
21st Feb 2022 - Sydney Morning Herald
Valneva receives 12.5 million pound COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing grant in Scotland
The Scottish unit of French vaccine maker Valneva (VLS.PA) has received a grant of up to 20 million pounds ($27 million) to partly fund the research and development (R&D) of manufacturing its COVID-19 vaccine VLA2001, the company said on Monday. Valneva will receive the funds from Scotland's national economic development agencyScottish Enterprise, which it has been in talks with since December. The funding will come in two tranches. The first grant of up to 12.5 million pounds will support the company's efforts on the VLA2001, its inactivated, whole virus COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The second round of up to 7.5 million pounds will be used for Valneva's other vaccines.
21st Feb 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullFDA to allow export of AstraZeneca COVID vaccine lots made at Emergent plant
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it had found four batches of AstraZeneca Plc's (AZN.L) COVID-19 vaccine manufactured at the troubled Emergent BioSolutions facility that were fit to be shipped outside the United States.
The health agency said it does not, however, expect to make any more decisions on the remaining lots of the vaccine manufactured at Emergent's Baltimore facility.
Last year, the FDA halted operations at the plant, which was producing vaccines for AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N), following a discovery that one vaccine was contaminated with material used in the other. There have been concerns over the shelf life of AstraZeneca's vaccines reaching the world's poorest nations for distribution, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
19th Feb 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 news: 5-to-11-year-olds in England to get vaccines from April
Children aged between five and 11 in England will be able to get a covid jab. All five to 11-year-olds in England will be offered a low-dose Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. It follows months of deliberations by the Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI reportedly decided that vaccinating children in this age group is beneficial, but of less benefit than for older age groups. This is partly because children are less likely to become severely ill from covid-19 and also because many children have already caught the virus. However, vaccinating children soon should prevent a certain number from developing severe illness in future waves of infection. The JCVI estimates that vaccinating one million children will prevent 98 hospitalisations if the next covid wave is severe, and about 17 hospitalisations if the next wave is relatively mild like omicron.
17th Feb 2022 - New Scientist
'Game-Changer' Pfizer Pill Is Easier to Find as Omicron Fades Away
As the omicron wave peaked in the U.S. last month, the first-line treatment for high-risk patients with early Covid dangled out of reach for most. Only a trickle of the new Paxlovid pill from Pfizer Inc. was reaching hospitals and pharmacies. Now, as cases plummet nationwide and the company continues to deliver hundreds of thousands of doses ordered by the federal government to pharmacies, Paxlovid is starting to look downright plentiful. Doctors and health officials in New York, Boston, Colorado and other areas where the omicron wave has receded report that supply seems to be meeting the softening demand. “We’ve seen such a rapid decline in Covid cases that it’s not as needed anymore,” said Asif Merchant, who chairs the Massachusetts Medical Society’s committee on geriatrics. “Having the availability three or four weeks ago would have made a tremendous amount of difference.”
17th Feb 2022 - Bloomberg
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View this newsletter in fullCovid: How new drugs are finally taming the virus
"Two years ago we had nothing,'" says Dr Matthias Schmid, head of infectious diseases at the RVI, who treated the UK's first Covid patient at the end of January 2020. "Now we have a range of treatments available which reduce the severity and prevent death in a huge number of patients." They include the cheap anti-inflammatory steroid dexamethasone, the first drug proven to save the lives of people seriously ill with Covid, which was discovered through a ground-breaking NHS trial. "It's feeling more normal for us," says Dr Miriam Baruch, intensive care medicine consultant. "It's really nice that we can train our doctors for the variety of patients that we get."
16th Feb 2022 - BBC News
Child Covid-19 hospitalizations rose amid Omicron, especially among children too young to be vaccinated
Covid-19 hospitalization rates among children increased as Omicron replaced Delta as the predominant coronavirus variant in the United States, especially among those under 5, who are not eligible to be vaccinated, according to a study published Tuesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At their peak, weekly pediatric Covid-19 hospitalization rates were four times higher during a period of Omicron dominance than during a period of Delta dominance. Children younger than 5 saw the largest increase, with hospitalization rates that were more than five times higher during Omicron than during Delta.
16th Feb 2022 - CNN
Clinically extremely vulnerable will no longer be offered Covid guidance by Government as restrictions end
The Government is set to end all guidance for millions of people previously considered “clinically extremely vulnerable” as part of plans to start living with Covid, i has learned. Around 3.7 million people in England were identified as clinically extremely vulnerable at the start of the pandemic and told to “shield” themselves from the heightened risk of Covid infection. People on the shielding list were offered specific guidance telling them to stay at home and avoid face-to-face contact during the first wave of coronavirus infections and subsequent national lockdowns
16th Feb 2022 - iNews
BioNTech plans modular vaccine factories in Africa
German vaccine maker BioNTech, which developed the first widely approved shot against COVID-19 together with Pfizer, unveiled plans Wednesday to establish manufacturing facilities in Africa that would boost the availability of much-needed medicines on the continent. The modular design presented at a ceremony in Marburg, Germany, consists of shipping containers fitted with the equipment necessary to make the company’s mRNA-based vaccine, save for the final step of putting doses into bottles, a process known as fill and finish. “Our goal is to enable mRNA production on all continents,” BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin told The Associated Press. BioNTech has been criticized by some campaign groups for refusing to suspend its vaccine patents and let rivals manufacture the shots as part of an effort to make them more widely available, especially in poor countries. The company argues that the process of making mRNA vaccines is difficult and it prefers to work with local partners to ensure consistent quality of the shots worldwide.
16th Feb 2022 - The Associated Press
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View this newsletter in full‘Panicking’ Hong Kong parents rush to book Covid-19 shots for young children
Covid-19 vaccinations for children have risen sharply amid Hong Kong’s worsening fifth wave of coronavirus cases, with bookings boosted by an earlier government decision to lower the eligibility age for Sinovac shots to three years from Tuesday. Family doctors and paediatric experts have reported a surge in vaccinations for children, with one medical professional suggesting the recent coronavirus-related death of a four-year-old boy could have been a contributing factor. Paediatrician Dr Alvin Chan Yee-shing, co-chairman of the Medical Association’s advisory committee on communicable diseases, said parents had gone into “panic” mode.
15th Feb 2022 - South China Morning Post
COVID-19: Provision of free lateral flow tests under review as reports say they are due to end
The government has said it is keeping its provision of free lateral flow tests under review as reports say they are due to end. It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to announce the end of all coronavirus restrictions in England. Ministers hope plans to wind down COVID testing and payments for isolation will save more than £10bn, according to reports in The Guardian and The Times.
15th Feb 2022 - Sky News
Israel to offer AstraZeneca's Evusheld to immunocompromised people
Israel will start offering AstraZeneca's (AZN.L) antibody cocktail Evusheld, which is used to prevent COVID-19, to people with compromised immune systems who did not get a sufficient antibody boost from vaccines. Evusheld has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and has proven to be 83% effective in preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday. It is not a treatment for those already sick or a prevention for those already exposed to the virus, it said. Evusheld will be made available for people 12 and older who weigh more than 40 kg (88 lb), according to a Health Ministry statement.
15th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 15th Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullNew Covid jabs ad campaign aimed at unvaccinated Brits amid fears they are vulnerable to fresh waves of virus
The Government has launched a new advertising campaign aimed at convincing unvaccinated people to get a Covid-19 jab amid fears they may be vulnerable in future waves of coronavirus. Covid cases, hospitalisations and deaths have all been declining rapidly in the past week with the figures returning to levels seen before the start of the Omicron wave. However, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) has warned that if more people return to normal life, infections could soar again in the coming months.
14th Feb 2022 - iNews
Sweden recommends fourth COVID-19 jab for the elderly
Sweden's Health Agency recommended on Monday that people aged 80 or above should receive a second booster shot of COVID-19 vaccine, the fourth jab in total, to ward off waning immunity amid the rampant spread of the Omicron variant. The recommendation also covered all people living in nursing homes or who receive assisted living services at home. The second booster shot should be administered at least four months after the first booster jab, the agency said in a statement. Sweden hit record levels of infections earlier this year as Omicron spread rapidly across the country.
14th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Mainland China to help overwhelmed Hong Kong with COVID fight
China will help Hong Kong to cope with an expanding COVID-19 outbreak by providing testing, treatment and quarantine capacity, Chief Secretary John Lee said on Saturday, adding that there were no plans for a mainland-style lockdown for now. Hong Kong and mainland China are among few places in the world still aiming to suppress every COVID-19 outbreak, but the Omicron variant has proven tough to keep under control. Lee, Health Secretary Sophia Chan and Security Chief Chris Tang were part of a delegation who visited neighbouring Shenzhen on Friday and Saturday to discuss support measures with mainland Chinese officials.
14th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Police filter Brussels traffic to dilute trucker protests
Plans for a major trucker virus protest near the European Union headquarters in Brussels fizzled Monday, with police filtering traffic during the morning rush hour to leave only a few scattered demonstrators on foot instead. Police narrowed some highways and imposed go-slow traffic early Monday in and around the Belgian capital to keep control of what it feared could turn into a choking protest like those by horn-honking truckers in Canada. Early indications didn’t show a groundswell of support for the protest but police took extensive precautions. “We don’t actually think that Brussels has been paralyzed. Anyone who wanted to enter Brussels with good intentions was able to do so — with some delay, of course,” said federal police spokeswoman An Berger.
14th Feb 2022 - The Associated Press
Moderna eyes UK for next leg of mRNA vaccine manufacturing journey: report
Moderna has already seized domestic manufacturing opportunities in Canada, Australia and Africa. Now, the mRNA pioneer is setting its sights on the U.K.'s "Golden Triangle" for the next leg of its vaccine journey, the Financial Times reports. The company is in late-stage talks with the U.K. to invest in local research and manufacturing, the publication said Sunday. Under the deal, Moderna would also team up with the U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS) for clinical trial work, the FT added. The plan would see Moderna hire staffers to run clinical trials with the NHS, the FT says. Additionally, the biotech would help bolster the U.K.’s pandemic preparedness by building out a manufacturing facility that could swiftly pivot to tackle emerging health threats, the publication noted.
14th Feb 2022 - FiercePharma
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 14th Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullWhile 99% of NYC Workers Comply With Covid-19 Vaccine Rules, 3,000 Face Cuts
About 3,000 New York City workers are set to lose their jobs for not complying with Covid-19 vaccinate requirements for city employees, representing about 0.8% of a roughly 370,000-person workforce. The vaccine requirement—which encompassed the city’s teachers, police officers and firefighters—mandated that all new city workers as of Aug. 2, 2021, be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The policy went into effect under then-Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration. City agencies were told Monday that new hires who joined after that date had until Friday to show proof they received a second vaccine dose. About 3,000 employees were on leave without pay as of the end of January due to being unvaccinated. They were told they would be let go on Friday unless they got vaccinated.
12th Feb 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Beijing's ambitious Olympic COVID bubble: So far, so good
For a country determined to keep out the virus that first emerged within its borders, bringing in more than 15,000 people from all corners of the world was a serious gamble. It appears to be working. One week into the 17-day event, China seems to be meeting its formidable COVID-19 Olympic challenge with a so-called “bubble” that allows Beijing Games participants to skip quarantine but tightly restricts their movement so they don’t come in contact with the general population. There have been 490 confirmed cases — many of them positive tests on symptomless visitors — and no reports of any leaking out to date. Inside the bubble, Olympic organizers are employing a version of the government’s zero-tolerance approach. Everyone is tested daily for the virus, and anyone who tests positive is rapidly isolated to prevent any spread. Athletes and others are required to wear N95 face masks when not competing.
12th Feb 2022 - The Associated Press
COVID-19: Children over 12 can visit Spain without being fully vaccinated after rule scrapped
Children over 12 from non-EU countries will no longer have to be fully vaccinated against coronavirus to enter Spain. The country is scrapping the rule from Monday to line up with UK half term. Children aged 12 to 17 will now be able to visit by showing a negative PCR test taken in the past three days. It will make holidays easier for many families, some of whom had to cancel plans because of the rule.
Adults must still be fully vaccinated to go to Spain (the NHS COVID pass is acceptable) and travellers must also fill in a health control form before departure.
11th Feb 2022 - Sky News
Hong Kong's zero-COVID quest pushes medical facilities to the brink
Hong Kong's stubborn pursuit of zero COVID infections has stretched hospital and quarantine facilities nearly to their limit in the global financial hub, raising the near-term prospect of changes to admissions and isolation policies. Chinese-ruled Hong Kong is also grappling with the overload on doctors and nurses as it follows mainland authorities' strategy of curbing outbreaks as soon as possible, in contrast with many other places that aim to "live with COVID".
11th Feb 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullSouth Korea to roll out Novavax COVID-19 vaccine next week
South Korea will begin offering Novavax Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccine at hospitals, nursing homes and public health centers next week, officials said, adding another tool to fight a fast-developing omicron surge. The country reported a record 54,122 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, a 12-fold increase from daily levels seen in mid-January, when omicron first became the country’s dominant strain. But officials are expressing cautious hope that the country’s high vaccination rate will prevent an explosion in serious illnesses and deaths. As of Thursday, 86% of South Koreans were fully vaccinated and 56% had received booster shots under a mass immunization program that has been mainly dependent on Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines.
10th Feb 2022 - The Independent
Vietnam warns of hospitals strain as COVID-19 cases spike after holiday
Vietnam warned on Thursday that its healthcare system could become overloaded, after seeing a surge in new daily coronavirus infections following its week-long Lunar New Year holiday. The Southeast Asian country reported nearly 24,000 new cases on Wednesday, compared to about 15,000 per day in the week before the annual holiday, when millions of people travelled to their rural homes and to tourist hotspots. "Increased travelling will lead to the risk of more infections among the community, including the risk of spreading the Omicron variant," the health ministry said in a statement.
10th Feb 2022 - Reuters
U.S. plans to roll out COVID-19 shots for children under 5 years in February
The U.S. government is planning to roll out COVID-19 shots for children under the age of 5 as soon as Feb. 21, according to a document from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering authorizing the use of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine in the age group even though it did not meet a key target in a clinical trial of two- to four-year-olds.
10th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Palestinian authorities step up COVID measures as hospitals fill up
Palestinian authorities have ramped up COVID-19 testing and vaccinations in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip and warned that public indifference to their calls for masking and social distancing is hampering efforts to fight the pandemic.
The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry said the total number of active cases of COVID-19 in the two territories stood at 64,000 on Wednesday due to the highly infectious Omicron variant. "Three weeks ago we were recording up to 300 infections daily, but in the last few days we crossed the 11,000 mark," said Mahdi Rashed, director of health services in Ramallah. "It's clear this is a result of the Omicron variant spreading."
10th Feb 2022 - Reuters
India's pandemic recovery is in awkward full swing
Article reports that India’s cities are bustling and economic growth is humming along once more, thanks to officials taking a pragmatic approach to managing the recent wave of Covid-19. It’s a sharp contrast to China’s rigid approach. Still, rising impatience from bond markets over the government’s debt hangover puts the giant emerging market on an awkward trudge back to normality.
10th Feb 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullSecond doses of Covid-19 vaccine to be rolled out in Jersey secondary schools
In Jersey, second doses of the Covid-19 vaccine will be delivered in secondary schools in a bid to boost the levels of vaccination in the community. From Friday 11 February, children will be able to receive their first, second and booster doses in a school setting. Letters and leaflets are being sent to parents of all eligible students aged 12-18 about the programme. Health officials hope the move will encourage a higher take-up of the vaccine, with figures showing only around half of 12-15 year olds have had their first dose.
9th Feb 2022 - ITV News
Hospitals begin to limp out of the latest COVID-19 surge
As omicron numbers drop at Denver Health, Dr. Anuj Mehta is reminded of the scene in the 1980 comedy “The Blues Brothers” when John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd pile out of a battered car after a police chase. Suddenly, all the doors pop off the hinges, the front wheels fall off and smoke pours from the engine. “And that’s my fear,” said Mehta, a pulmonary and critical care physician. “I’m worried that as soon as we stop, everything’s just going to fall apart.” Across the U.S., the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 has tumbled more than 28% over the past three weeks to about 105,000 on average, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the ebbing of the omicron surge has left in its wake postponed surgeries, exhausted staff members and uncertainty over whether this is the last big wave or whether another one lies ahead.
9th Feb 2022 - The Associated Press
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View this newsletter in fullTravel Nurses Make Twice as Much as They Did Pre-Covid-19
Hospitals and lawmakers are pressing the Biden administration to review federal pandemic-relief programs that they say have distorted pay rates for travel nurses.
Many nurses are making twice what they did before the pandemic or more on assignments at hospitals paying top dollar to fill big holes in their workforces. Some hospitals are using federal Covid-19 relief funds to cover part of the difference between rates for travel nurses and staff salaries. Health-industry trade groups and some members of Congress say staffing agencies matching workers with hospitals are capitalizing on a tight labor market, as many nurses have left during the pandemic, often because of burnout and fatigue.
9th Feb 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
They knocked on strangers' doors and persuaded naysayers to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Here are their tips
When Armani Nightengale waited in the car last March to get vaccinated against COVID-19 at Chicago's United Center, her husband was more nervous than she was. Over the next couple of weeks, he carefully checked her arm to make sure nothing looked wrong. Then, the conversation shifted to when he would get the shot. That's when things got more "combative," Nightengale said, as she began asking why he was reluctant, especially given that they had three young children. Her husband, on the other hand, felt unsure about how signing up for the vaccine would affect his immigration status.
8th Feb 2022 - Medical Xpress
Social Media Is Wired to Spread Misinformation on Covid-19 and Everything Else
The right and left may not agree on what constitutes misinformation, but both would like to see less of it on social media. And as the world faces the third year of the Covid-19 pandemic, the threat medical misinformation poses to public health remains real. Companies like Twitter and Facebook have a stake in cleaning up their platforms — without relying on censoring or fact-checking. Censoring can engender distrust when social media companies expunge posts or delete accounts without explanation. It can even raise the profile of those who’ve been “canceled.”
And fact-checking isn’t a good solution for complex scientific concepts. That’s because science is not a set of immutable facts, but a system of inquiry that constructs provisional theories based on imperfect data.
8th Feb 2022 - Bloomberg
Quarter of UK employers cite long COVID as driving absences - survey
A quarter of British employers have cited long COVID as a main cause of long-term sickness absences, a survey by a professional body found on Tuesday, adding that it raised questions over how workers with the condition were being supported in their jobs. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is leading a strategy for the country to live with COVID, lifting restrictions as booster shots and the lower severity of the Omicron variant weaken the link between cases and death.
8th Feb 2022 - Reuters
N. Korea increases virus budget after partial border opening
North Korea plans to increase its government spending on pandemic measures by one-third this year to carry out leader Kim Jong Un’s calls for a more “advanced and people-oriented” virus response, state media said Tuesday. The budget plans were passed during a session of Pyongyang’s rubber-stamp parliament on Sunday and Monday, which came weeks after the North tentatively restarted its railroad freight traffic with China following two years of extreme border closures and economic decay. Kim had hinted at broader changes to the country’s pandemic response during a political conference in December, when he called for a transition toward advanced anti-virus measures based on a “scientific foundation.”
8th Feb 2022 - The Associated Press
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View this newsletter in fullPhilippines shifts election battle to social media as COVID-19 curbs campaigning
Campaigning for the Philippines' general election gets underway officially on Tuesday, with COVID-19 curtailing the traditional fanfare and big rallies and turning the focus to social media as the key battleground for the May 9 contest. As with the 2016 polls that catapulted Rodrigo Duterte to the presidency, social media will be crucial in the three-month election buildup, while platforms will be under pressure to combat the rampant misinformation that has intensified in the Philippines in recent years, driving hate campaigns and deepening social divisions.
7th Feb 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullNo large fluctuations in Olympics COVID cases expected, organisers say
A sharp drop in COVID-19 cases on Feb. 5 among Beijing Olympics-related personnel was due to fewer arrivals at the airport and organisers said on Sunday that they did not expect any more large fluctuations in infection numbers. China detected 10 new COVID cases among Olympic Games-related personnel on Feb. 5, the organising committee of the Games said. That was down from Feb. 4's 45 cases - the second highest daily tally since arrivals commenced last month.
6th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Health minister on gatherings, vaccine mandates and the end of masks in South Africa
In a media briefing on Friday (4 February), Phaahla said this is in line with previous trends, with vaccinations still seen as the country’s best form of protection. He added that the country could see an increase in cases earlier than expected should they be driven by a new Covid variant. South Africa has seen a plateau in the decline of new Covid-19 cases in the last two weeks, with an increase in infections reported in the Free State, Gauteng and Mpumalanga. Phaahla said this plateau can be linked to the opening of schools, with more people under 20 testing positive in recent weeks. It is also possible that increased movement after the December holidays has also contributed.
5th Feb 2022 - BusinessTech
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View this newsletter in fullS Africa’s Afrigen makes mRNA COVID vaccine using Moderna data
South Africa’s Afrigen Biologics has used the publicly available sequence of Moderna’s COVID-19 mRNA vaccine to make its own version of the shot, which could be tested in humans before the end of this year, Afrigen’s top executive said on Thursday. The vaccine candidate would be the first to be made based on a widely used vaccine without the assistance and approval of the developer. It is also the first mRNA vaccine designed, developed and produced at lab scale on the African continent. The White House declined to comment. Airlines for America, which represents American Airlines, Delta Air Lines Inc, United Airlines Holdings and others said as of last week international air travel was down 38% over 2019 levels. In December, the Biden administration imposed tougher new rules requiring international air travelers arriving in the United States to obtain a negative COVID-19 test within one day of travel.
3rd Feb 2022 - Al Jazeera English
Strained US hospitals seek foreign nurses amid visa windfall
With American hospitals facing a dire shortage of nurses amid a slogging pandemic, many are looking abroad for health care workers. And it could be just in time. There’s an unusually high number of green cards available this year for foreign professionals, including nurses, who want to move to the United States — twice as many as just a few years ago. That’s because U.S. consulates shut down during the coronavirus pandemic weren’t issuing visas to relatives of American citizens, and, by law, these unused slots now get transferred to eligible workers. Amy L. Erlbacher-Anderson, an immigration attorney in Omaha, Nebraska, said she has seen more demand for foreign nurses in two years than the rest of her 18-year career. And this year, she said, it’s more likely they’ll get approved to come, so long as U.S. consular offices can process all the applications.
3rd Feb 2022 - The Associated Press
Schools seek volunteer teachers amid COVID staffing crunch
The answer around the U.S. could be a local police officer, National Guard soldier, state budget analyst, parent or recent high school graduate — nearly anyone willing to help keep schools’ doors open through the omicron-driven staffing crunch. States have been loosening teaching requirements to give schools more flexibility on hiring as coronavirus exposures, illness and quarantines add to strains on schools that also have been tapping librarians, custodians and support staff to help cover classrooms during the pandemic. Brian McKinney, a parent with students in second and 10th grade in Hays County, Texas, spent part of this week as a substitute, helping sixth graders through a social studies assignment that had them writing essays about the Soviet Union. A former teacher, he decided he could help as he waited out a cold snap that has slowed business at the World War II-themed miniature golf course he and his wife now own.
3rd Feb 2022 - The Associated Press
Guernsey to offer Covid booster jabs to 16 and 17 year olds
All 16 and 17 year olds in Guernsey will be offered a booster dose of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine. The move brings the Bailiwick in line with the UK, following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Third jabs will be offered three months after the second dose, the Committee for Health and Social Care (HSC) said.
3rd Feb 2022 - BBC News
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View this newsletter in fullFighting COVID will help economy recover faster, lower inflation -IMF's Georgieva
The COVID-19 pandemic remains the biggest risk to the global economy, and is contributing to rising inflation in many countries, International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva said on Wednesday. Georgieva urged redoubled efforts to boost vaccinations and beef up defenses against the coronavirus, saying such moves -- coupled with interest rate increases now being eyed or executed by central banks -- would help ease supply chain disruptions and combat inflation. "Pandemic policy is economic policy," the IMF chief said. "The biggest risk for the performance of the world economy remains this year COVID and the disruption it causes."
2nd Feb 2022 - Reuters
Many countries yet to see peak in Omicron wave, should ease curbs slowly -WHO
Many countries have not reached their peak in cases of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus and measures imposed to curb its spread should be eased slowly, the World Health Organization's technical lead on COVID-19 said on Tuesday. "We are urging caution because many countries have not gone through the peak of Omicron yet. Many countries have low levels of vaccination coverage with very vulnerable individuals within their populations," Maria Van Kerkhove told an online briefing. "And so now is not the time to lift everything all at once. We have always urged, always (be) very cautious, in applying interventions as well as lifting those interventions in a steady and in a slow way, piece by piece
2nd Feb 2022 - Reuters
Omicron Sub-Variant May Cause New Surge of Infections in Current Wave
A sub-variant of the omicron coronavirus strain, known as BA.2, is spreading rapidly in South Africa and may cause a second surge of infections in the current wave, one of the country’s top scientists said. BA.2 is causing concern as studies show that it appears to be more transmissible than the original omicron strain, the discovery of which was announced by South Africa and Botswana in November.
Research also shows that getting a mild infection with either of the two strains may not give a robust enough immune response to protect against another omicron infection. There’s no indication that the sub-variant causes more severe disease from infection surges seen in Denmark and the U.K. The omicron wave of infections “may end up like a camel,” Tulio de Oliveira, a bio-informatics professor who runs gene-sequencing institutions and advises the government on the pandemic, said at a presentation at Stellenbosch University on Wednesday. “A wave with another hump.”
2nd Feb 2022 - Bloomberg
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View this newsletter in fullGilead COVID drug takes top spot for U.S. hospital spending -report
Gilead Sciences Inc's COVID-19 drug remdesivir last year overtook AbbVie Inc's 20-year-old arthritis drug Humira as the medicine that U.S. hospitals spent the most on, according to Vizient Inc, a purchasing group used by about half the nation's hospitals. Remdesivir, an intravenous antiviral approved early in the pandemic for hospitalized COVID patients and authorized last month for high-risk outpatients, could retain the top spot through mid-2023, according to Vizient's projections.
The group purchasing organization said Gilead's drug, sold as Veklury, made up 3.42% of total member spending on pharmaceuticals during October 2020 to September 2021.
1st Feb 2022 - Reuters
NHS vaccine mandate: Nurse who faced sack over staff Covid jab rules welcomes Government U-turn
A nurse who faced losing her job because she is not vaccinated against Covid-19 has welcomed the Government’s U-turn on mandatory jabs for frontline NHS staff. Concerns about the impact that dismissing about 80,000 unvaccinated NHS employees would have on an already stretched health service contributed to Health Secretary Sajid Javid’s policy change on Monday. The Government had previously set a 1 April deadline for double vaccination, meaning anyone in a patient-facing role who had not received their first dose by 3 February would be notified of their impending dismissal.
1st Feb 2022 - iNews
Covid-19: ‘Highest risk’ patients to get faster access to NHS treatment after testing rule change
Cancer patients and others at highest risk of dying from Covid-19 will have quicker access to life-saving antibody and antiviral treatments on the NHS after the Government quietly altered the rules over PCR tests. It comes after i revealed thousands of cancer and other patients with severely compromised immune systems fear they will die from the virus because delays and bureaucratic chaos is stopping them from getting fast-acting drugs in time for them to work. Around 1.3 million people the Government has classified as most at risk from Covid should have received a rapid PCR test and eligibility letter about the targeted NHS treatment programme by January 10, but charity helplines have been flooded with people complaining they have been left out.
1st Feb 2022 - iNews
Tokyo COVID hospitalisations mount, cross closely watched 50% threshold
More than half of Tokyo's hospital beds set aside for COVID-19 patients were occupied on Tuesday, a level that officials have previously flagged as a criterion for requesting a state of emergency. The capital and most of Japan are now under curbs to contain record coronavirus cases driven by the contagious Omicron variant. Tokyo has set aside almost 7,000 hospital beds for COVID patients, and admissions have risen sharply this month, reaching 50.7% on Tuesday. New infections numbered 14,445.
1st Feb 2022 - Reuters
As Israel learns to live with COVID, hospitals struggle to cope
A global leader in vaccine rollout during early waves of the coronavirus, Israel's government has adopted "Living with COVID" as its mantra since a few months before Omicron arrived. The variant is milder than previous incarnations of the virus, but that's scant consolation to the medics and nurses staffing COVID-19 wards whose workloads have soared again in parallel with case numbers. "The staff are exhausted," said Yoram Weiss, acting director general of Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem. "It's not like we're starting the first outbreak where everybody was full of energy."
1st Feb 2022 - Reuters
Huge volumes of COVID hospital waste threaten health - WHO
Discarded syringes, used test kits and old vaccine bottles from the COVID-19 pandemic have piled up to create tens of thousands of tonnes of medical waste, threatening human health and the environment, a World Health Organization report said on Tuesday. The material potentially exposes health workers to burns, needle-stick injuries and disease-causing germs, the report said. "We found that COVID-19 has increased healthcare waste loads in facilities to up to 10 times," Maggie Montgomery, a WHO technical officer, told Geneva-based journalists. She said the biggest risk for affected communities was air pollution caused by burning waste at insufficiently high temperatures leading to the release of carcinogens.
1st Feb 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullChina punishes cold-chain managers for 'obstructing' COVID prevention
Investigations into China's cold-chain sector have led to several managers, officials and business owners being punished for failing to meet COVID-19 prevention standards, the country's corruption watchdog said in a notice. The Beijing branch of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) accused several people involved in the cold storage business of management and supervisory failures when it came to controlling COVID-19. It accused one manager in an industrial park in southwest Beijing of "poor leadership and non-standard management that led to the spread of the epidemic".
31st Jan 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullMorocco starts construction of COVID vaccine plant
Morocco has inaugurated the construction of a COVID vaccine manufacturing plant in partnership with Swedish firm Recipharm, as the country also announced it would end a flight ban that has been in place since last November. The factory, to be known as Sensyo Pharmatech, will produce vaccines against coronavirus and other diseases, with production expected to reach 116 million units in 2024, the official news agency MAP reported on Thursday.
29th Jan 2022 - Al Jazeera English
U.S. orders 100 million additional COVID-19 tests to give out
The United States government has procured more than 100 million additional COVID-19 tests from testmaker iHealth Lab Inc. as part of the White House's plan to distribute 500 million free at-home tests across the country, the Department of Defense said Friday. Starting in January, the U.S. government has been allowing households to order four free at-home COVID-19 tests from the website COVIDTests.gov with shipping expected within seven to 12 days of ordering. The batch of free tests are aimed at easing a shortage of tests across the country amid increased demand during the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
29th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Britain to start rolling out Pfizer COVID pill next month
Britain will start rolling out Pfizer's COVID-19 pill to vulnerable people next month, the health ministry said on Friday, targeting the treatment at people with compromised immune systems for whom the vaccine can be less effective. The health ministry said that Pfizer's antiviral treatment Paxlovid, a combination of Pfizer's pill with an older antiviral ritonavir, will be made available to thousands of people from Feb. 10. "It is fantastic news that this new treatment, the latest cutting-edge drug that the NHS is rolling out through new COVID-19 medicine delivery units, will now be available to help those at highest risk of COVID-19," National Health Service medical director Stephen Powis said.
28th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Omicron Pushes Some Companies Back to Virtual Shareholder Meetings
Some companies are switching to virtual shareholder meetings again as the Omicron variant continues to spread through the U.S. and businesses take precautions to limit infections. Many companies shifted to meeting with their investors remotely as Covid-19 cases first surged in the U.S. in the spring of 2020—a trend that continued in 2021, when 65%, or 3,316, of shareholder meetings by publicly traded U.S. businesses were conducted remotely, according to Wall Street Horizon, a data provider. So far, about 400 listed U.S. companies have announced a date for their 2022 shareholder meeting, and of those, 68% are planning to host an in-person event, Wall Street Horizon said. But, in recent weeks, large corporations including meat producer Tyson Foods Inc. and medical technology company Becton Dickinson & Co. have altered their plans and moved to an online-only event, which some corporate advisers say is the prudent thing to do.
27th Jan 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
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View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: Sainsbury's and Waitrose advise shoppers and staff to keep wearing face coverings
Supermarket chains Sainsbury's and Waitrose will be asking people to continue to wear a face covering in their stores when restrictions ease in England on Thursday.
Mandatory wearing of face masks is being scrapped as part of the lifting of Plan B measures - with work from home guidance and COVID passports also being dropped. Sainsbury's told Sky News it will continue to have a number of safety measures in its stores in an effort to keep customers and staff safe. Its guidance will also apply to Argos and Habitat stores, which are part of the Sainsbury's business group. A spokesperson for Sainsbury's said: "Safety remains our highest priority.
27th Jan 2022 - Sky News
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View this newsletter in fullLufthansa Bans Freight From Transiting Frankfurt Due to Omicron
Deutsche Lufthansa banned cargo from moving through its Frankfurt hub due to surging Covid-19 infections and related staff shortages in the German city. The move will impact goods arriving from other parts of Germany, the rest of Europe and North America. Direct deliveries to Frankfurt -- a major transport hub for coronavirus vaccines -- are still possible, Lufthansa said.
26th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
COVID-19 booster drive is faltering in the US
The COVID-19 booster drive in the U.S. is losing steam, worrying health experts who have pleaded with Americans to get an extra shot to shore up their protection against the highly contagious omicron variant. Just 40% of fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention And the average number of booster shots dispensed per day in the U.S. has plummeted from a peak of 1 million in early December to about 490,000 as of last week. Also, a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that Americans are more likely to see the initial vaccinations — rather than a booster — as essential.
26th Jan 2022 - The Independent
Schools Struggle With Omicron-Fueled Teacher Shortages
A wave of Covid-19-related school staffing issues has led some states to take drastic steps to keep schools open, including enlisting state employees, retirees and National Guard members to fill in as substitute teachers.
26th Jan 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 26th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullNovavax Covid-19 vaccine to be rolled out in Australia from next month
Australia’s health minister has announced that Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine will be rolled out across the country from February 21. The news comes just days after the Australian drugs regulator Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) provisionally approved the jab,
25th Jan 2022 - Pharmaceutical Technology
Student nurses urged to have Covid-19 jab or risk ability to join register
Nursing students who have not been double vaccinated against Covid-19 by April will not be able to undertake clinical placements, risking their ability to complete their studies and join the register. New guidance published by Health Education England (HEE) on 21 January offers answers to frequently asked questions around what the upcoming change in vaccination rules will mean for the nursing student population. All patient-facing health and care workers in England, unless medically exempt, will be required to have two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine by April, or they risk being redeployed or losing their jobs altogether. Unvaccinated staff and students will need to have had their first dose by 3 February in order to meet the requirements. In recent weeks, nursing leaders have called for the government’s new mandate to be delayed amid concerns over the impact it will have on the workforce.
25th Jan 2022 - Nursing Times
Mandatory COVID shots could deepen German nurse shortage, say care companies
As Germany gears up to make COVID-19 vaccination compulsory in the healthcare sector, the industry fears that resistance among some workers will exacerbate staffing shortages and leave many families reliant on carers in the lurch. Around 90% of medical staff in Germany are vaccinated, compared to about 70% in the general population, but that still leaves hundreds of thousands not vaccinated. Institutions and families that are heavily reliant on workers from eastern Europe where vaccination rates are lower have particular reason to be worried, said Daniel Schloer, the owner of the SunaCare GmbH agency that matches German families with Polish carers looking for work abroad.
25th Jan 2022 - Reuters
German firms fear supply chain pain from China's battle with Omicron
German companies doing business in China are worried the Omicron coronavirus variant will trigger more strict lockdown measures from Beijing that could exacerbate supply chain problems, the DIHK Chamber of Commerce said on Tuesday. "The Chinese strategy with targeted lockdowns has been very efficient so far," Jens Hildebrandt, DIHK's executive board member in China, told Reuters in an interview. But the more contagious Omicron variant could challenge the zero-COVID approach by Chinese authorities, especially as more Chinese citizens will travel across the country due to the upcoming holiday season, Hildebrandt said.
25th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Hospitals Ask Congress for $25 Billion Amid Omicron's Onslaught
Hospitals are asking Congress to give them another $25 billion and hand out all previously allotted funds to shore up facilities ravaged by the omicron outbreak.
The money would pay for training and extra security as hospitals cope with staff shortages, higher costs and lost revenue, the American Hospital Association said in a letter to congressional leaders. “We are now in need of additional immediate support from Congress and the administration in order to continue standing strong and to be able to provide timely access to life-saving health care to your constituents,” AHA Executive Vice President Stacey Hughes wrote in a letter dated Jan. 20. “The current surge has impacted hospitals in ways not seen previously.”
25th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
Covid Outbreak Hits Australian Ship Heading to Virus-Free Tonga
Almost two dozen crew on board an Australian Navy ship on its way to provide relief to the Pacific island of Tonga have been diagnosed with coronavirus, potentially hampering aid efforts to the Covid-free nation. Australia’s Defence Minister Peter Dutton said 23 personnel on the HMAS Adelaide had been infected, in an interview on Sky News on Tuesday. The ship left from Brisbane on Friday with a 600-strong crew as well as humanitarian and medical supplies to assist Tonga in the wake of a volcanic eruption.
25th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 25th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullVaccine distribution is creating a new kind of vaccine inequality
As vaccine shipments finally surge into poorer countries, the world is in danger of trading in one form of vaccine inequality for another, with disparities in access replaced by disparities in the ability to distribute them on the ground. After a trying period of vaccine hoarding by wealthy countries, the last 40 days of 2021 saw more doses shipped to countries in need through the U.N.-backed Covax program than in the rest of last year combined, according to the World Health Organization’s vaccine director. But distribution campaigns on the ground can take months to ramp up, even in rich nations, and a host of developing countries now receiving shipments are facing a combination of rollout challenges.
24th Jan 2022 - The Washington Post
UK to begin testing Merck's COVID pill for hospitalised patients
British scientists will begin testing Merck (MRK.N) and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics' antiviral pill molnupiravir as a possible treatment for patients hospitalised with COVID-19, amid the worldwide spread of the Omicron variant. The pill is approved in Britain for use in people with mild to moderate COVID-19, but it is not known whether it would work in patients hospitalised with severe illness, researchers of the RECOVERY trial said on Monday. The study will compare 800 mg doses of molnupiravir, given twice daily for five days, with standard care for adult patients in hospitals because of COVID-19.
24th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Rich countries' access to foreign nurses during Omicron raises ethical concerns, group says
The Omicron-fuelled wave of COVID-19 infections has led wealthy countries to intensify their recruitment of nurses from poorer parts of the world, worsening dire staffing shortages in overstretched workforces there, the International Council of Nurses said. Sickness, burnout and staff departures amid surging Omicron cases have driven absentee rates to levels not yet seen during the two-year pandemic, said Howard Catton, CEO of the Geneva-based group that represents 27 million nurses and 130 national organisations. To plug the gap, Western countries have responded by hiring army personnel as well as volunteers and retirees but many have also stepped up international recruitment as part of a trend that is worsening health inequity, he continued.
24th Jan 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullIn Hospital Strained by Omicron, Weary Nurses Treat Too Many Patients
The fast-moving Omicron variant is straining U.S. hospitals on a scale not seen before in the two-year-old pandemic. The facilities are confronting record or near-record levels of patients while staff struggle with burnout and call in sick in large numbers due to the virus. Even hospitals in regions where the Omicron wave has begun easing say they couldn’t keep up, forcing them to make agonizing decisions about which desperate patients they can admit and which must wait, risking more severe illness. “With 1,100 new positive cases in our employees last week, you have no choice,” Ms. Schwartz said early this month while Houston Methodist Hospital was closing about 140 beds a day on average, more than one-tenth of its capacity, largely because of staffing.
23rd Jan 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Two Australian states to test school students twice weekly for COVID
Australia reported 58 deaths from COVID-19 on Sunday, as the two most populous states, New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria, said students would be tested twice weekly for the Omicron variant when classes resume next week. NSW reported 34 deaths of patients with COVID-19, while Victoria state saw 14 deaths, and Queensland reported 10 deaths. Health officials said they believe an Omicron outbreak has peaked in NSW and Victoria, which reported 20,324 and 13,091 new cases respectively on Sunday
23rd Jan 2022 - Reuters
FDA expands use of remdesivir to patients with high risk of hospitalization
The U.S. health regulator on Friday expanded its approval for the use of Gilead Sciences' (GILD.O) antiviral drug remdesivir to treat non-hospitalized patients 12 years and older for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 disease with high risk of hospitalization. Previously, the use of Veklury was limited to patients requiring hospitalization.
22nd Jan 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullHong Kong to shut secondary schools from Monday over COVID fears
Hong Kong will suspend face-to-face teaching in secondary schools from Monday until after the approaching Lunar New Year, authorities said, because of a rising number of coronavirus infections in several schools in the Chinese-ruled territory. The government halted classes in primary schools and kindergartens early this month, and imposed curbs, such as a ban on restaurant dining after 6 p.m. and the closure of venues such as gyms, cinemas and beauty salons.
20th Jan 2022 - Reuters
France to unveil timetable for easing COVID restrictions
France will unveil a timetable for easing COVID-19 restrictions later on Thursday, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said, though he cautioned the wave of Omicron infections tearing through the country had not reached its peak. Attal said France's new vaccine pass rules would help allow a softening of rules even as the incidence rate of infections continues to increase.
20th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Ontario schools reopening amid calls for more COVID measures
Schoolchildren in Canada’s most populous province are going back to their classrooms this week, after many parents said they were left scrambling to respond to the Ontario government’s decision earlier this month to delay in-person learning. Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced on January 3 that the province would push back the planned return to in-person classes from January 5 to January 17 due to rising COVID-19 infections and hospitalisations linked to the Omicron variant.
20th Jan 2022 - Al Jazeera
A Million Vaccine Shots Tossed in Indonesia on Short Expiry Date
More than a million Covid-19 vaccine shots expired in Indonesia before they could be given out, as most of them were donated with a short shelf life. Of the 1.1 million doses that were thrown out, about 98% were donated just one to three months away from expiry, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said in parliament.
20th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
New Mexico asks National Guard to teach as COVID shuts schools
New Mexico asked National Guard members and state employees to volunteer as substitute teachers to keep schools and daycare centers open during a surge in COVID-19 infections. State employees and Guard members who take up the call to teach will get their usual pay and be considered on administrative leave or active duty, respectively, according to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
20th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 20th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullUnitedHealth says Omicron-driven cost impact cushioned by healthcare deferrals
UnitedHealth Group Inc said added costs of testing and treatment related to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases are being offset by postponements of non-urgent healthcare procedures, and the health insurer maintained its 2022 profit forecast.
The comments should help allay investor concerns that the steep rise in COVID infections and hospitalizations driven by the Omicron variant of the virus in recent weeks would significantly drive up medical costs for health insurers. Adding to those concerns was a Biden administration initiative requiring insurers to reimburse Americans for up to eight at-home rapid COVID-19 tests per month, while setting no limit for tests, including at-home tests, that insurers must cover if they are ordered or administered by a healthcare provider.
19th Jan 2022 - Reuters
U.S. to distribute 400 million free N95 masks at CVS, Walgreens in COVID fight
The U.S. government will make 400 million non-surgical "N95" masks from its strategic national stockpile available for free to the public starting next week, a White House official said, as the Biden administration tries to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. Snug-fitting N95 face masks, so-called because they filter at least 95% of particulate matter from the air, will be shipped to pharmacies and community health centers this week, the official said, and will be available for pickup late next week. The U.S. government is leveraging the "federal retail pharmacy program" it used for vaccines, the White House said, as well as federally funded health clinics that serve minority groups hit hard by COVID infections and deaths.
19th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Surgeries fear an exodus of GPs as deadline for staff Covid jabs nears
GPs say an exodus of staff due to mandatory coronavirus vaccination is “a significant concern”, with the deadline for health workers to have a first jab just over a fortnight away. From April 1 everyone working in health or social care who has direct contact with patients must have had two doses of a coronavirus vaccine. In order to meet the deadline they must have received a first dose by February 3. Vaccination figures for NHS staff working in community settings such as GP surgeries have not been published, but figures based on trusts show that more than 10 per cent of staff in some areas are yet to receive a first dose. Across England 5.7 per cent of staff are unvaccinated.
19th Jan 2022 - The Times
Merck-Ridgeback to supply courses of Covid-19 oral antiviral to UNICEF
Merck (MSD) and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics have entered a supply agreement with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to aid in wider worldwide access for investigational oral antiviral, molnupiravir, for Covid-19. According to the long-term deal, Merck will allocate up to three million courses of the oral antiviral to UNICEF for supply in over 100 low and middle-income nations during the first half of this year on obtaining regulatory authorisations.
19th Jan 2022 - Pharmaceutical Technology
To Help Battle Covid-19, a Hospital Borrows Tactics From Combat Veterans
At Rush University Medical Center, nurses still talk about their feelings of guilt from the early months of treating Covid-19 patients. How they hadn’t known how to best treat desperate patients. How worried they were about bringing Covid-19 home to their families. Except now they report having more mental and emotional tools at their disposal than they did at the beginning of the pandemic, thanks in large part to the work of Mark Schimmelpfennig, a hospital chaplain who is also an Army veteran. Mr. Schimmelpfennig months ago noticed that phrases nurses were using in conversation sounded like what he had heard from troops who had served in combat zones. The same techniques veterans use to wrestle with combat trauma also could be used by the healthcare profession, he said.
19th Jan 2022 - Wall Street Journal
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View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 concerns force U.N. to prepare tsunami-hit Tonga relief aid at a distance
The United Nations is preparing for distanced relief operations in Tonga to avoid a COVID-19 outbreak in the Pacific island nation that is reeling under the impact of a volcanic eruption and tsunami, an official said on Wednesday. All the homes on one of Tonga's small outer islands have been destroyed and three people have so far been confirmed dead, the government said in its first statement after Saturday's devastating eruption. With communications badly hampered by the severing of an undersea cable, information on the scale of the devastation so far has mostly come from reconnaissance aircraft.
18th Jan 2022 - Reuters
French Covid Infections Hit Record as Patients Fill Up Hospitals
France registered a record number of daily Covid-19 infections as the omicron variant spreads across the country, sending a growing number of patients to hospitals. New cases totaled 464,769 Tuesday, according to data from the public health office. That far surpassed the previous high of 368,149 recorded a week ago. The surge comes as France is poised to require a complete vaccination regimen for many public activities -- from eating in restaurants to attending the theater or getting on an airplane -- saying a recent negative test isn’t good enough anymore
18th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
Covid-19 Infected Lions Prompt Variant Warning in South Africa
Lions and pumas at a zoo in the South African capital of Pretoria got severe Covid-19 from asymptomatic zoo handlers, raising concerns that new variants could emerge from animal reservoirs of the disease,
18th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
South American health networks struggling as Omicron cases rise
The rapid spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant has prompted dire warnings from healthcare workers across South America, as pressure builds at hospitals whose employees are taking sick leave, leaving facilities understaffed to cope with COVID-19. A major hospital in Bolivia’s largest city stopped admitting new patients due to a lack of personnel. One of Brazil’s most populous states cancelled scheduled surgeries for a month. And Argentina’s federation of private healthcare providers told the Associated Press news agency that it estimates about 15 percent of its health workers currently have the virus.
18th Jan 2022 - Al Jazeera
Rising Omicron Infections May Force Idaho to Return to Hospital Rationing
Rising Covid-19 omicron infections could force Idaho to start rationing hospital care again as health care workers fall ill, the state’s top health official warned Tuesday.
If the trend continues, “it is likely Idaho will enter crisis of standards of care for a second time,” Dave Jeppesen, director of the state Department of Health and Welfare, said during an online briefing. The state ended rationing Dec. 20.
One in four people tested for Covid-19 in Idaho are receiving positive results, the highest statewide positivity rate of the pandemic, Jeppesen said.
18th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
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View this newsletter in fullOmicron Fuels Fresh Surge, Threatening India’s Hospitals Anew
With less than half of India’s population fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and Omicron-variant infections rising rapidly, public-health experts warn that the healthcare system is again vulnerable—months after being overwhelmed by a surge of cases. India reported 141,986 new cases on Saturday, more than six times the number a week earlier. That official Covid-19 case count, like the government’s death tally—which stands at about 480,000—is a vast undercounting, many health experts say.
The reproduction rate of the virus—the number of new infections caused by a single contagious person—recently hit 2.69, exceeding last year’s peak of 1.69, a government adviser said Wednesday. The official case count is expected surpass its daily record of 414,000, set in May, before the surge peaks in February.
18th Jan 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
French COVID hospitalisations see biggest jump since Nov 2020
The number of people with COVID-19 in French hospitals rose by 888 to 25,775, the health ministry said on Monday, the biggest one-day increase since early November 2020 - before the start of the country's vaccination campaign. The last time the number of COVID patients was over 25,000 was on Dec. 17, 2020. Health ministry data on Monday also showed that the number of people with COVID-19 in intensive care units rose by 61 to 3,913, after being flat to stable for four days.
18th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Analysis: China's 'zero-COVID' campaign under strain as Omicron surges
China is doubling down on its "zero-COVID" strategy, saying the spread of the potentially milder Omicron variant is no reason to lower its guard amid warnings of economic disruptions and even public unrest as lockdowns drag into a third year.
As other countries talk about a transition from "pandemic" to "endemic", China has stepped up policies to stamp out any new outbreak as soon as it arises, sealing off cities, shutting transport links and launching mass testing programmes.
18th Jan 2022 - Reuters on MSN.com
US Covid-19 hospitalizations expected to substantially increase from an already record-high over the coming weeks, expert says
Areas that were among the first to get hit hard by the Omicron variant are starting to see their Covid-19 numbers level off or even improve. But that's not the case for much of the country, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said. "There are parts of the country -- New York, in particular, and other parts of the Northeast -- where we are starting to see a plateau, and in some cases, an early decline in cases," Murthy told CNN on Sunday.
18th Jan 2022 - CNN
Covid-19 news: Falling cases in UK suggests omicron wave has peaked
A fall in coronavirus cases and plateau in hospital admissions across the UK is ‘cautiously good news’ A fall in new coronavirus cases in the UK suggests the wave triggered by the highly-transmissible omicron variant may have passed its peak.
On Sunday, 70,924 people in the UK tested positive for coronavirus, according to UK government data. Within the past seven days, 754,054 new cases have been reported – a decrease of 463,043 on the previous seven days. “It does look like across the whole of the country cases do seem to be falling,” Mike Tildesley of the University of Warwick told BBC Breakfast today. “We have had… very, very high case numbers throughout late December and early January – we peaked above 200,000 at one point. We do now seem to be a little bit beyond that,” he said.
17th Jan 2022 - New Scientist
1st kids’ Omicron ward opens with classes, clowns, and doctors bracing for ‘war’
Preparing themselves for an influx of kids battling COVID-19, Israeli doctors have opened the country’s first pediatric Omicron unit. With Omicron spreading fast in schools and other places where kids mix, significant hospitalizations are inevitable, according to Dr. Moshe Ashkenazi, director of the new ward at Sheba Medical Center. “Omicron appears to be less virulent than other variants, but the sheer numbers being infected will mean children being hospitalized,” Ashkenazi told The Times of Israel, adding that the current spiraling numbers bring back vivid memories of the first wave in early 2020. “We have a sense of deja vu from the first wave, and we’re preparing ourselves for a war, just as we did in the first wave,” he said.
17th Jan 2022 - The Times of Israel
Hospital admissions climb as virus spreads - Cayman Islands
Public Health officials said that there are now nine patients in hospital as a result of COVID-19 after three more people were admitted over the last day, reflecting the anticipated knock-on effect from the continued uncontrolled spread of the virus through the community. Another 357 positive tests emerged during the latest results, and officials said that over 5% of the population is now infected with SARS-CoV-2. Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr Autilia Newton reported that eleven of the latest positive cases were among travellers and of the 346 community cases, 19 were in the Sister Islands. Rumours circulated on social media Wednesday of an islandwide lockdown for Cayman Brac because of the recent spike in cases, but officials said these were false.
17th Jan 2022 - Cayman News Service
Fighting Covid-19 in Kibera, one of Africa’s largest informal settlements
Nearly 10 months after a grandmother in England became the first person in the world to get vaccinated against Covid-19 outside of a clinical trial, we were finally able to start vaccinating residents of Kibera, one of Africa’s largest informal settlements. That first jab was a long time coming. In March 2021, the Kenyan government prioritized vaccination as one of the key measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, reduce community transmission, severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths. The informal employment sector had significantly closed, four out of five residents of Kibera and other informal settlements had lost their income, and a majority of households were facing hunger
17th Jan 2022 - STAT News
Australia regulator flags 'significant concerns' of price hike in COVID-19 antigen tests
Australia's competition regulator on Monday said it had "significant concerns" about reports of price gouging of COVID-19 rapid antigen tests and sought information from suppliers, retailers and pharmacy chains about rising costs. Australia is facing a shortage of at-home rapid antigen test kits after authorities urged asymptomatic close contacts to bypass government-funded testing hubs, where high volumes delayed results, and take their own tests. "In the middle of a significant outbreak of COVID-19 in a pandemic, the excessive pricing of rapid antigen tests required to diagnose the illness and protect other members of the public, is of significant concern," the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Chair Rod Sims said.
17th Jan 2022 - Reuters
COVID deaths and cases are rising again at US nursing homes
COVID-19 infections are soaring again at U.S. nursing homes because of the omicron wave, and deaths are climbing too, leading to new restrictions on family visits and a renewed push to get more residents and staff members vaccinated and boosted. Nursing homes were the lethal epicenter of the pandemic early on, before the vaccine allowed many of them to reopen to visitors last year. But the wildly contagious variant has dealt them a setback. Nursing homes reported a near-record of about 32,000 COVID-19 cases among residents in the week ending Jan. 9, an almost sevenfold increase from a month earlier, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
17th Jan 2022 - The Associated Press
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 17th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullOmicron hits Beijing: City records first local case of the highly transmissible variant
An Omicron case has been detected in Beijing, officials in the Chinese capital said Saturday, as the country battles multiple outbreaks of the highly transmissible coronavirus variant ahead of the Winter Olympics. Lab testing found 'mutations specific to the Omicron variant' in the person, Pang Xinghuo, an official at the city's disease control authority, told a news briefing. Officials have sealed up the infected person's residential compound and workplace, and collected 2,430 samples for testing from people linked to the two locations, a Haidian district official said.
16th Jan 2022 - Daily Mail
Exhausted parents navigate a patchwork of U.S. school COVID-19 policies
Jennifer Pierre speaks for millions of American parents when she sums up how it feels to navigate a patchwork of school COVID-19 policies as the pandemic enters a third year. "It's so exhausting," the Sacramento, California, mother said this week.
She is happy to see her 13-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son back in their classrooms after the long months of remote learning that hindered their social development. But even with her school district's strict safety protocols, she worries about whether the surging Omicron variant will lead to further closures and on what grounds those will be decided.
15th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Brazil reels as COVID-19 cases soar; hospitals, economy under pressure
Brazil is suffering a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases as the Omicron variant spreads through the country, putting pressure on health services and weighing on an already sputtering economy. Insufficient testing and a data blackout caused by hackers have made it harder for experts to track the spread of the highly contagious variant in Brazil, but there are increasingly clear signs it is hitting Latin America's largest nation hard. Confirmed cases have almost doubled since last week, with the rolling average for the past seven days surging to 52,500, from 27,267 last Wednesday.
15th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Number of French COVID-19 ICU patients falls, despite record infections
The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units in France has fallen for the second day in a row, despite a record infection rate, health ministry data showed on Friday. France reported 3,895 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care units on Friday, 44 fewer than Thursday, and the second consecutive fall, despite the seven-day moving average of new infections reaching a new high of nearly 294,000 on Thursday. The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 rose by 357 to 24,511, but the week-on-week increase of 13.5% was the lowest since the start of the year.
15th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Australia's worst-hit state says COVID-19 hospitalisations may plateau next week
COVID-19 hospitalisation rates in Australia's most populous state of New South Wales could plateau next week, a top health official said on Friday, as the state suffered record deaths from the virus for a third day. Pressure on hospitals will likely remain for "the next few weeks", the state's health deputy secretary, Susan Pearce, said, though hospitalisation numbers were tracking better than the best-case scenario in an official modelling a week ago. "That is pleasing, but that plateauing is obviously still at a relatively high level of COVID patients in our hospitals and in our (intensive care)," Pearce told a media briefing in Sydney, the state capital.
15th Jan 2022 - Reuters
UK seven-day COVID-19 infections down 33% on week before
The United Kingdom reported 81,713 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, leaving the seven-day tally down by nearly 33% on the previous week. It reported 287 deaths of people who had tested positive for the disease within the previous 28 days. The seven-day total for deaths was up 45% on the week before, following a record spike in infections in recent weeks.
15th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Omicron Slows in Early U.S. Hot Spots, Offering First Hopes of a Peak
The steep rise in new daily Covid-19 cases fueled by the Omicron variant is starting to slow in some early U.S. hot spots, including New York and Chicago, sparking some optimism that a record-breaking spike in cases may be plateauing. Public officials are viewing the data cautiously and aren’t yet declaring victory. Still, some are noting that the trend is appearing to follow similar trajectories that have played out in South Africa and the U.K., where Omicron hit earlier. “There seems to be a slowing down in the major cities that were most initially impacted by the Omicron variant,” said Enbal Shacham, an epidemiologist and associate director of the Geospatial Institute at St. Louis University. “This pattern is similar to what we saw in South Africa and what we were all kind of hoping to see.”
15th Jan 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Stretched Hospitals, Nursing Homes Fear Losing More Staff Over Vaccine Mandate
Strained hospitals and nursing homes said they fear losing workers but would require Covid-19 vaccinations for employees after the Supreme Court allowed federal officials to mandate the shots in healthcare. As the highly transmissible Omicron variant spreads across the U.S., sickening patients and workers alike, hospitals and nursing homes have struggled to maintain the staffing levels they need. The vaccination mandate could complicate those efforts if facilities are forced to let go of workers who don’t comply, said healthcare industry officials, who asked for some enforcement leniency to prevent staffing losses during the crunch. Hospitals will now work to balance the vaccine mandate with their staffing needs, said Rick Pollack, chief executive of the American Hospital Association, which is urging regulators to use enforcement discretion.
15th Jan 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Burned by COVID supply crunch, hospitals invest in U.S. mask-making
Two days before Christmas, a cargo ship left Mumbai with a mask-making machine bound for Illinois-based OSF HealthCare, which will use the equipment to make its own N95 masks. It isn't the hospital group's first foray into manufacturing. After COVID-19 border closures in early 2020 choked shipments from Asia, producer of about 80% of the world's medical masks and protective gear, OSF and some other hospital groups started investing in U.S. production of key supplies including masks, gowns and critical pharmaceuticals.
14th Jan 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullNHS leaders call for delay to mandatory Covid vaccine law
The most senior nurses and midwives in England have called for the government to delay its deadline for all NHS staff to be vaccinated against Covid, over fears it could “backfire”. From 1 April 2022 all NHS staff will be required by law to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, meaning all those who have yet to have a first dose will need to have it by February. The government has previously predicted the NHS could lose up to 73,000 staff following the jab deadline and, in an assessment published in December, warned patient care could be impacted.
13th Jan 2022 - The Independent
Hundreds of Millions of Covid Vaccine Doses Risk Going to Waste
Hundreds of millions of Covid-19 vaccine doses purchased by wealthy countries are at risk of going to waste, a new analysis shows, while large parts of the world remain unprotected amid the spread of the omicron variant. About 240 million doses purchased by the U.S., U.K., Japan, Canada and the European Union are expected to go unused and expire by March, London-based analytics firm Airfinity Ltd. said Thursday in a report. The number of potentially wasted doses could climb to 500 million by that point if other countries receiving donated doses don’t have enough time to administer them, it said.
“Even after successful booster rollouts, there are surplus doses available that risk going to waste if not shared very soon,” Rasmus Bech Hansen,
13th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
Britain's Next cuts sick pay for unvaccinated staff forced to self-isolate
British fashion retailer Next has cut sick pay for unvaccinated staff who must self-isolate due to exposure to COVID-19, it said on Thursday. "It's highly emotive but we have to balance the needs of the business with those of workers and shareholders," said a spokesperson for the group. He said unvaccinated workers who test positive will still receive Next's full rate of sick pay. Next's move follows a similar one by furniture retailer Ikea.
13th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Analysis: India's new COVID-19 rules aim to free up resources but carry risks
India has eased its COVID-19 rules on testing, quarantine and hospital admissions in a bid to free up resources for its neediest people, a strategy hailed by experts even though it carries the risk of a heavy undercount of infections and deaths. The moves will offer a breathing space for healthcare facilities, often overstretched in a far-flung nation of 1.4 billion, as they battle a 33-fold surge in infections over the past month from the highly contagious Omicron variant.
13th Jan 2022 - Reuters
First new COVID-19 tests to arrive in schools week of Jan. 24 - White House
U.S. schools should receive the first additional COVID-19 rapid tests being made available by the federal government in about two weeks, a White House official said, as Washington races to keep classes open amid a record-setting Omicron surge. The new tests must be ordered through state governments, but the White House is also making available lab capacity to support five million monthly PCR tests that schools can order themselves if their states are not being helpful, the official said. Those should arrive in seven to 10 days.
13th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Poorer nations dump millions of close-to-expiry COVID-19 vaccines - UNICEF
Poorer nations last month rejected more than 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines distributed by the global programme COVAX, mainly due to their rapid expiry date, a UNICEF official said on Thursday. The big figure shows the difficulties of vaccinating the world despite growing supplies of shots, with COVAX getting closer to delivering 1 billion doses to a total of nearly 150 countries. "More than a 100 million have been rejected just in December alone," Etleva Kadilli, director of Supply Division at U.N. agency UNICEF told lawmakers at the European Parliament. The main reason for rejection was the delivery of doses with a short shelf-life, she said.
13th Jan 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullOmicron Is Dominant US Variant, Hospitals Face Dark Days as Covid Cases Soar
The highly infectious omicron variant has flushed out the delta strain across the U.S., but the ascendance of the purportedly milder form of Covid-19 has done nothing so far to ease the burden on stretched hospitals. The omicron variant represents about 98% of cases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said Tuesday. That number is based on data for the week ending Jan. 8 and is a significant increase from just two weeks prior, when omicron accounted for 71.3% of cases. Omicron’s heightened transmissibility coupled with the immunity some have built to combat the delta through vaccination and exposure, have made conditions favor the “more mild” variant, said David Wohl, a professor at the Institute of Global Health and Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. But experts warn that for those who remain unvaccinated or who suffer from other health concerns, infection from any Covid-19 variant is a major concern.
13th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
'Community Champions' are key to increasing Covid vaccine uptake says minister
As areas of Newcastle city centre continue to see low vaccine uptake, the Government minister in charge of the Covid-19 jabs programme has said she hopes investing in "community champions" can help reach people who've previously been hesitant. Speaking to ChronicleLive, Maggie Throup MP - vaccines minister at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - said the Government was aware of "disparities" in vaccine uptake. She said: "We know there are areas of huge disparity across the country - and also in local geographical areas as well. This is why we have been investing in community champions to go out into their communities and give people advice from someone they can relate to.
12th Jan 2022 - Chronicle Live
Europe Slowly Starts to Consider Treating Covid Like the Flu
Spain is calling for Covid-19 to be treated as an endemic disease, like the flu, becoming the first major European nation to explicitly suggest that people live with it. The idea has gradually been gaining traction and could prompt a re-evaluation of government strategies on dealing with the virus. British Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi on Sunday told the BBC that the U.K. is “on a path towards transitioning from pandemic to endemic.” The omicron variant’s lower hospitalization and death rates despite record infections prompted Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to hold out the tantalizing prospect of Europe moving beyond pandemic-style restrictions on normal life.
12th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 12th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullVaccination in Africa: Countries Struggle to Give Shots Despite Improved Doses
As shipments of Covid shots ramp up for billions of people left behind last year, and new vaccines make their way to the public, dozens of countries are struggling to turn supplies into inoculations. A dearth of immunization sites in Cameroon, weak communication and Covid denial in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a syringe shortfall in Kenya are among the hurdles complicating rollouts. In Zimbabwe, which initially raced ahead of many peers, complacency and a perception of omicron as less serious have slowed the campaign. Starved for vaccines for most of last year, Covax, the World Health Organization-backed program that aims to tackle vaccine inequity, is now approaching 1 billion doses in shipments. As the focus shifts to increasing immunization in poorer countries, officials worry the rapid spread of the omicron variant could spur the emergence of more shot-evading variants.
12th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
Covid-19 hospitalizations reach record high, HHS data shows
The number of US patients hospitalized with Covid-19 has hit a record high, adding strain to health care networks and pushing states toward emergency staffing and other measures as they struggle to cope. More than 145,900 people were in US hospitals with Covid-19 as of Tuesday -- a number that surpasses the previous peak from mid-January 2021 (142,246), and is almost twice what it was two weeks ago, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services.
The hospitalization record comes amid a surge in cases fueled by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
11th Jan 2022 - CNN
Australia swamped by Omicron surge as pressure grows on hospitals
Australia's COVID-19 infections hovered near record levels on Tuesday as a surge of infections caused by the Omicron variant put a strain on hospitals already stretched by staff isolating after being exposed to the virus. After successfully containing the coronavirus for most of the pandemic, Australia has been swamped by the rapid spread of the Omicron variant after authorities eased mitigation measures as high vaccination rates were reached. Australia has reported about 1.1 million cases since the pandemic began, with more than half of those in the last two weeks, including nearly 86,000 cases on Tuesday, with two states due to report later.
11th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Omicron surge sweeps through US hospital staff
As COVID-19 cases in the United States soar in the wake of the holidays, led by the highly transmissible Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant, nearly a quarter of hospitals are reporting critical staffing shortages due to workers being sick or off work for quarantine. Meanwhile, federal and states are expanding vaccination activities and policies to protect more people.
11th Jan 2022 - CIDRAP
Health officials let COVID-infected staff stay on the job
Health authorities around the U.S. are increasingly taking the extraordinary step of allowing nurses and other workers infected with the coronavirus to stay on the job if they have mild symptoms or none at all. The move is a reaction to the severe hospital staffing shortages and crushing caseloads that the omicron variant is causing. California health authorities announced over the weekend that hospital staff members who test positive but are symptom-free can continue working. Some hospitals in Rhode Island and Arizona have likewise told employees they can stay on the job if they have no symptoms or just mild ones. The highly contagious omicron variant has sent new cases of COVID-19 exploding to over 700,000 a day in the U.S. on average, obliterating the record set a year ago. The number of Americans in the hospital with the virus is running at about 110,000, just short of the peak of 124,000 last January.
11th Jan 2022 - The Associated Press
From ambulance delays to transit disruptions, COVID-19 absences hit Canada's public services
From delayed ambulances to police shortages, Canadian public agencies hit hard by COVID-19 worker absences have cut back on service, rearranged staff or warned the public that emergency responses may be disrupted. Over the weekend, paramedics in Toronto, Canada's largest city, said there were briefly no ambulances available to respond to emergencies. The city said about 12.8% of its "essential and critical services" staff were off due to COVID-19 as of Monday.
10th Jan 2022 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullU.S. Covid-19 Cases Set to Triple Pre-Omicron Record
The seven-day average of newly reported Covid-19 infections in the U.S. is on track to triple the pre-Omicron record set a year ago, when America saw a quarter million daily cases, as concerns grow over access to and reliability of testing both in the U.S. and Europe, where the highly transmissible Omicron variant has also taken root. Growing demand for tests has led some laboratories to ration access, giving priority to people exhibiting symptoms or who have other underlying health concerns. The University of North Carolina’s microbiology lab, for instance, is restricting tests to those showing Covid-19 symptoms, employees and patients who need a test before undergoing surgery. The University of Washington temporarily closed some of its testing sites last week and is giving appointment priority to people with Covid-19 symptoms or a known exposure, amid growing demand, though health experts worry that asymptomatic people might continue to spread the virus if they are unable to access testing.
10th Jan 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Draghi Says Keeping Schools Open Is Italy's Pandemic Priority
Prime Minister Mario Draghi said the Italian government’s priority is to avoid closing schools and blamed those yet to get vaccinated against Covid-19 for the nation’s pandemic woes. “Most of the problems we have today stem from the fact that there are people who are not vaccinated,” Draghi said at a press conference in Rome on Monday. “It doesn’t make sense to close schools before everything else.” The government successfully challenged in court a decision by the southern Campania region to keep schools closed after the Christmas vacation amid rising infections. Italy recorded more than 100,000 new cases and over 700 new hospitalizations on Monday.
10th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
London hospital boss says he may lose 1000 staff over Covid vaccine mandate
A London hospital leader has said he may lose 1,000 staff to the Covid vaccination mandate, but hopes admissions from the Omicron wave have peaked in in the capital. The chief executive of King’s College hospital NHS trust, Prof Clive Kay, told the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme that his organisation was working urgently to encourage staff to come forward for vaccination to avoid redeploying or losing them.
10th Jan 2022 - The Guardian
Hospitals Cut Beds as Nurses Call In Sick With Covid-19
Rising numbers of nurses and other critical healthcare workers are calling in sick across the U.S. due to Covid-19, forcing hospitals to cut capacity just as the Omicron variant sends them more patients, industry officials say. The hospitals are leaving beds empty because the facilities don’t have enough staffers to safely care for the patients, and a tight labor market has made finding replacements difficult.
Staff shortages prompted the Mass General Brigham hospital system in Boston to keep 83 beds empty on Friday. The University Hospitals system in Ohio has closed as many as 16% of its intensive-care beds recently, while Parkland Health & Hospital System in Dallas has shut 30 of 900 beds. “It’s definitely a brutal situation,” said Dr. Joseph Chang, chief medical officer at Parkland, which had more than 500 out of 14,000 employees out sick one recent day.
10th Jan 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Britain puts private health firms on high alert as Omicron threatens NHS
Britain on Monday put the biggest private health companies on high alert to deliver crucial treatments such as cancer surgery should Omicron overwhelm National Health Service hospitals in England. The United Kingdom's death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic stands at 150,154, the world's seventh worst official COVID toll after the United States, Brazil, India, Russia, Mexico and Peru. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has bet on refraining from lockdowns to deal with the Omicron variant which in recent weeks has swept across the United Kingdom, albeit with death rates significantly lower than previous waves.
10th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Schools return amid Omicron havoc, but hopes flicker
European governments are relaxing COVID-19 rules to keep hospitals, schools and emergency services going as the much more contagious but less lethal Omicron variant changes their approach to the pandemic. Even though a record surge in infections has yet to peak in Europe, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the time was right to start evaluating the disease's evolution "with different parameters". The mass return of children to school after the Christmas holidays is evidence that few wish to see a return to the online-only learning that marked some of the early waves of infection. Even as France registered a record seven-day average of almost 270,000 cases a day, it eased testing protocols for schoolchildren, saying too many classes were closed
10th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 10th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullHUNDREDS of cars wait for up to three hours for covid tests in Arizona
Arizona citizens are waiting in three or more hour lines for COVID-19 testing. Nearly three in 10 tests are coming back positive statewide this wide, a pandemic high. Before, it has never reached over 20 per cent . Lines are so long that some citizens cannot access their neighborhoods and are being told to find other testing sites
8th Jan 2022 - Daily Mail
COVID: Record number of children admitted to hospital in a single day
A record number of children in England were admitted to hospital with COVID on 3 January, according to government data. Some 157 children were admitted on the Bank Holiday Monday, 110 of whom were aged 5 or younger. The figure surpasses the previous record on 145 admissions on 28 December. In the last seven days, a total of 567 children have been admitted to hospital with COVID.
8th Jan 2022 - Yahoo News UK
CDC reports record number of child COVID-19 hospitalizations
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky reported Friday that there have been a record number of pediatric hospitalizations due to COVID-19 and announced new isolation guidelines for students, staff and teachers to preserve in-person learning in schools. During a media briefing, Walensky cautioned that pediatric hospitalizations are at the highest point they have ever been during the pandemic, even though they are much lower when compared to adults. She said it’s still not clear if the increase is due to a greater burden of disease in children's communities or their lower rates of vaccination. The increase was seen most in children younger than 4, who are ineligible for vaccination, and the data include those admitted to hospitals for reasons other than COVID-19 who then tested positive.
8th Jan 2022 - The Hill
Omicron pushes U.S. COVID hospitalizations toward record high
COVID-19 hospitalizations in the United States are poised to hit a new high as early as Friday, according to a Reuters tally, surpassing the record set in January of last year as the highly contagious Omicron variant fuels a surge in the number of cases. Hospitalizations have increased steadily since late December as Omicron quickly overtook Delta as the dominant strain of the coronavirus in the United States, although experts say Omicron will likely prove less deadly than prior variants.
7th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Sweden COVID cases hit new record, pile pressure on healthcare
Sweden set a new daily record for COVID-19 cases for the third time this week, registering 23,877 cases on Jan. 5, health agency data showed on Friday, as a fourth wave swept the country and piled pressure on its healthcare system. The mounting wave of COVID-19 cases is increasingly driven by the more contagious Omicron variant and has seen hospitalisations rise rapidly in many parts of the country, although deaths have remained relatively stable so far.
7th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Covid absences put pressure on England's hospitals
Covid-related staff absences at hospitals in England have risen sharply since Omicron took hold last month, latest figures show. The number of workers off sick for Covid reasons trebled from the beginning of December. The Royal College of Nursing said growing absences meant the situation was "simply not safe." NHS national medical director Professor Stephen Powis said staff were under pressure but were "stepping up". Downing Street said Boris Johnson saw no need for further restrictions despite the staff absences, as England's current measures were "balanced and proportionate". Earlier this week, the prime minister said he hoped England could "ride out" the Omicron wave without more restrictions.
7th Jan 2022 - BBC News
COVID-19: Military medics drafted into London hospitals as NHS grapples with staff shortages
The Royal College of Nursing says the deployment means the government can no longer deny there is a "staffing crisis" within the NHS. Two major incidents have been declared in England because of pressures caused by the spread of COVID-19 - after the Ministry of Defence said Armed Forces personnel would be deployed in London to help in hospitals. Some 200 Armed Forces personnel are being sent to support the NHS in London as hospitals grapple with staff shortages.
Military medics will assist NHS doctors and nurses with patient care, while general duty personnel will help fill gaps caused by other absences. And now two major incidents have been declared in England with emergency services saying there is a civil emergency in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
7th Jan 2022 - Sky News
Record numbers of NHS staff quit as frontline medics battle Covid pandemic trauma
More than 27,000 people voluntarily resigned from the NHS from July to September last year, the highest number on record. NHS medics have been quitting in record numbers as staff warned of burnout among an overwhelmed workforce. One worker revealed he battled PTSD and had to quit as an intensive care nurse last year after the trauma of working on Covid wards, with others left in tears due to the strains of the job. Meanwhile, NHS Million, a campaigning website that supports NHS staff said it is receiving a “constant flood” of “disturbing” messages from workers who have spent almost two years working during the pandemic.
7th Jan 2022 - iNews
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 7th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullAn 'awful' month of Covid-19 lies ahead, doctor says, but preventative measures will still be key
While the highly transmissible Omicron variant continues to drive up Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations -- and the numbers are likely to get worse before they get better -- health experts say it's critical Americans continue safe practices to prevent infections. "I don't buy the idea that we are all going to get Omicron and, therefore, just give up trying. I think that's wrong," Dr. Robert Wachter, chairman of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, told CNN's Erin Burnett on Wednesday. It's likely that "the next month is going to be awful," he said. But this does not mean that everyone should assume they will catch the virus, he said, noting the pattern of Omicron infections in the UK and South Africa.
6th Jan 2022 - CNN
Australia suffers record COVID cases, straining businesses and supply chains
Fuelled by the highly transmissible Omicron variant, Australia's daily coronavirus infections soared to a fresh peak on Thursday, overwhelming hospitals, while isolation rules caused labour shortages, putting a strain on businesses and supply chains. With Thursday's count still incomplete, Australia so far has reported 72,392 new infections easily exceeding the high of 64,774 set a day earlier. Western Australia is due to post its new cases later. Prime Minister Scott Morrison, facing a federal election before May, is under pressure over his handling of the Omicron outbreak due to stock shortages of antigen tests and hours-long wait times at testing centres.
6th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Staffing Crisis Threatens Plan to Clear U.K. Hospital Backlogs
England’s National Health Service faces an “unquantifiable” challenge to clear a record backlog of patients as a result of the pandemic, rising pressure on emergency departments, and a failure to hire and train enough staff, a committee of U.K. lawmakers said. Close to 6 million patients are waiting for elective care -- a figure that could double by 2025 -- as the crisis caused by Covid-19 weighs heavily on the NHS, according to a report published Thursday by Parliament’s Health and Social Care Committee. Waiting times in emergency departments have also hit the worst levels since records began, with one in four patients waiting longer than four hours to be admitted, transferred, or discharged in October. That’s despite about 4,800 extra doctors and 1,200 more nurses working in the NHS in October 2021 compared to the previous year, according to the latest NHS workforce statistics.
6th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
Spike in California virus cases hitting hospitals, schools
California is struggling to staff hospitals and classrooms as an astonishing spike in coronavirus infections sweeps through the state. The fast-spreading omicron variant of COVID-19 is sidelining exposed or infected health care workers even as hospital beds fill with patients and “some facilities are going to be strapped,” Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said Wednesday. Some 40% of hospitals are expecting to face critical staff shortages and some are reporting as much as one quarter of their staff out for virus-related reasons, said Kiyomi Burchill of the California Hospital Association. In Fresno County, more than 300 workers at area hospitals were either isolating because of exposure or recovering, said Dan Lynch, the county’s emergency medical services director.
5th Jan 2022 - The Associated Press
US hospitals seeing different kind of COVID surge this time
Hospitals across the U.S. are feeling the wrath of the omicron variant and getting thrown into disarray that is different from earlier COVID-19 surges. This time, they are dealing with serious staff shortages because so many health care workers are getting sick with the fast-spreading variant. People are showing up at emergency rooms in large numbers in hopes of getting tested for COVID-19, putting more strain on the system. And a surprising share of patients — two-thirds in some places — are testing positive while in the hospital for other reasons. At the same time, hospitals say the patients aren’t as sick as those who came in during the last surge. Intensive care units aren’t as full, and ventilators aren’t needed as much as they were before. The pressures are neverthless prompting hospitals to scale back non-emergency surgeries and close wards, while National Guard troops have been sent in in several states to help at medical centers and testing sites.
5th Jan 2022 - The Associated Press
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 6th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullScarce At-Home Covid Tests Leave Some Consumers Paying $40 a Pop
High prices for at-home Covid-19 tests are hitting the wallets of U.S. families who need them to get back to school and work — if they can find any to buy at all. One restaurant worker in New York said she paid an acquaintance double the retail price in a sidewalk exchange for a test kit. A mom in Missouri said she’s rationing her last two-pack for if her kids show serious symptoms. Another parent is keeping her daughter home from school, where tests are required before returning after the holiday, until an in-person appointment later this week because the $80 price tag she saw in online community groups was too steep.
5th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
COVID case counts may be losing importance amid omicron
The explosive increase in U.S. coronavirus case counts is raising alarm, but some experts believe the focus should instead be on COVID-19 hospital admissions. And those aren’t climbing as fast. Dr. Anthony Fauci, for one, said Sunday on ABC that with many infections causing few or no symptoms, “it is much more relevant to focus on the hospitalizations as opposed to the total number of cases.” Other experts argue that case counts still have value. As the super-contagious omicron variant rages across the U.S., new COVID-19 cases per day have more than tripled over the past two weeks, reaching a record-shattering average of 480,000. Schools, hospitals and airlines are struggling as infected workers go into isolation.
5th Jan 2022 - The Associated Press
China reports major drop in virus cases in locked-down Xi’an
China on Wednesday reported a major drop in COVID-19 infections in the northern city of Xi’an, which has been under a tight lockdown for the past two weeks that has sharply disrupted the lives of its 13 million residents. The National Health Commission announced just 35 new cases in Xi’an, home to the famed Terracotta Warriors statues along with major industries, down from 95 the day before. Health officials said they have basically achieved the goal of halting community transmission because the new cases were among people already quarantined.
5th Jan 2022 - The Associated Press
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 5th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullMore than 100,000 people hospitalized with Covid-19 in US for first time in nearly four months
More than 103,000 people are currently hospitalized with Covid-19, the first time the total has reached six figures in nearly four months, according to the latest data from the US Department of Health and Human Services. Covid-19 hospitalizations reached a record high of more than 142,000 about a year ago, on January 14, 2021, and last topped 100,000 on September 11. The total fell to about 45,000 hospitalizations in early November, but increased steadily since then, and surged in the last week. Just last Monday, HHS reported 71,000 Covid-19 hospitalizations.
4th Jan 2022 - CNN
Australia regulator to review price hike in COVID-19 antigen tests
Australia's antitrust regulator said on Tuesday it has contacted suppliers of COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits to examine pricing pressures in the market, as calls grow louder for the government to make the tests free amid a severe shortage of the kits. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said it will review information received from suppliers, retailers and the public to determine any potential misconduct. Australia approved more than a dozen rapid antigen test kits and a majority of them are from China.
4th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Dutch to reopen schools despite high infection rates
The Netherlands, under a strict COVID-19 lockdown for the past two weeks, will reopen primary and secondary schools on Jan. 10 despite coronavirus infections remaining high, the government announced on Monday. The government stressed that hospital admissions were down considerably since the country went into a lockdown in December, which included schools closing a week earlier than planned for winter holidays. "This is good news for students and it's important for their development and their mental well-being that they can go to school," Education Minister Arie Slob said at a press conference.
4th Jan 2022 - Reuters
UK government seeks to mitigate workforce disruption from Omicron
The British government has asked public sector managers to test their contingency plans against a worst-case scenario of 25% staff absence as part of efforts to minimise disruption from the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. With daily infection numbers at a record high and people who test positive required to self-isolate for at least seven days, the government expects businesses and public services to face disruption in the coming weeks, it said in a statement.
4th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Spanish students to go back to school after Christmas break, despite Omicron
Students at Spanish schools and universities will return to class in-person when the new term begins on Jan. 10, the Health Minister said on Tuesday, ending speculation that record COVID-19 infections might trigger a return to distance learning. Cases have hit new highs since the highly contagious Omicron variant of the coronavirus was detected. Omicron accounted for around 43% of cases in the week before Christmas, Spanish health authorities said on Monday. The nationwide infection rate as measured over the past 14 days rose to a new record of 2,433 cases per 100,000 people on Tuesday, a more than 10-fold increase since the beginning of December
4th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 4th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullU.S. schools delay openings as Omicron pushes pandemic to record highs
Thousands of U.S. schools delayed this week's scheduled return to classrooms following the holiday break or switched to remote learning as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus pushed COVID-19 cases to record levels. In other school districts, officials pressed on with plans to reopen, including in hard-hit New York City, where one of every three COVID-19 tests over the last week was positive for the virus, according to city data released on Monday. Nationwide, the country is averaging 18% of tests coming back positive, according to the Mayo Clinic.
3rd Jan 2022 - Reuters
English school children to wear masks to tackle Omicron surge
Children in secondary schools in England will be told to wear face coverings when they return after the Christmas holiday next week to tackle a surge in cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said on Sunday.
"We want to maximise the number of children in school and college for the maximum amount of time," he said in an article in the Sunday Telegraph. "One of the additional, temporary measures that will help achieve this in light of the omicron surge is recommending face coverings are worn in secondary school classrooms and teaching spaces for the coming weeks – although not for longer than they are needed."
3rd Jan 2022 - Reuters
South Africa Says Its Omicron Wave Has Passed With No Big Spike in Deaths
The South African government said Thursday that data from its health department suggested that the country had passed its Omicron peak without a major spike in deaths, offering cautious hope to other countries grappling with the variant.
“The speed with which the Omicron-driven fourth wave rose, peaked and then declined has been staggering,” said Fareed Abdullah of the South African Medical Research Council. “Peak in four weeks and precipitous decline in another two. This Omicron wave is over in the city of Tshwane. It was a flash flood more than a wave.” The rise in deaths over the period was small, and in the last week, officials said, “marginal.”
30th Dec 2021 - The New York Times
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View this newsletter in fullU.S. COVID-19 deaths, hospitalizations 'comparatively' low despite Omicron surge, CDC director says
COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations are "comparatively" low as the highly infectious Omicron variant of the coronavirus spreads, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky said on Wednesday as cases in the United States reached a record high. "In a few short weeks Omicron has rapidly increased across the country, and we expect will continue to circulate in the coming weeks. While cases have substantially increased from last week, hospitalizations and deaths remain comparatively low right now," she said, referring to overall cases.
29th Dec 2021 - Reuters
In under-vaccinated Congo, fourth COVID-19 wave fills hospitals
At the St Joseph COVID Treatment Centre in Kinshasa, patients lie in ramshackle rooms breathing oxygen from old tanks. The clinic has 38 beds, and all but one are occupied. In a backyard littered with medical equipment, tents are needed to cope with the overflow. Democratic Republic of Congo is the least vaccinated country against COVID-19 in the world. Now a fourth wave of the coronavirus threatens to put greater pressure on its rickety health system than at any time during the pandemic. "We have experienced the three previous waves gradually, but in the fourth wave cases have jumped overnight," said Francois Kajingulu, the head of St Joseph. "On Monday we had 5-6 cases and on Saturday we went straight from 30 to 36."
29th Dec 2021 - Reuters
New Omicron variant fills up children's hospitals
A five-fold increase in pediatric admissions in New York City this month. Close to double the numbers admitted in Washington, DC. And nationwide, on average, pediatric hospitalizations are up 48% in just the past week. The highly transmissible Omicron variant is teaming up with the busy holiday season to infect more children across the United States than ever before, and children's hospitals are bracing for it to get even worse. "I think we are going to see more numbers now than we have ever seen," Dr. Stanley Spinner, who is chief medical officer and vice president at Texas Children's Pediatrics & Urgent Care in Houston, told CNN.
29th Dec 2021 - CNN
COVID-19: PCR and lateral flow tests could 'run out' temporarily amid surge in demand, say health officials
Coronavirus tests could be temporarily unavailable to order due to "exceptionally high demand", the UK Health Security Agency has warned. Demand is surging as the more transmissible Omicron variant pushes cases numbers to record levels.
Lateral flow and PCR tests were both unavailable for home delivery across the UK via the government website on Wednesday morning.
29th Dec 2021 - Sky News
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View this newsletter in fullUndertakers, rabbis join global fight promoting COVID shots
In Germany, Lutheran pastors are offering COVID-19 shots inside churches. In Israel’s science-skeptical ultra-Orthodox community, trusted rabbis are trying to change minds. And in South Africa, undertakers are taking to the streets to spread the word. The funeral directors' message: “We’re burying too many people.’’ A year after the COVID-19 vaccine became available, traditional public health campaigns promoting vaccination are often going unheeded. So an unconventional cadre of people has joined the effort. They are opening sanctuaries and going door to door and village to village, touting the benefits of the vaccines and sometimes offering shots on the spot.
28th Dec 2021 - Associated Press on MSN.com
U.S. CDC investigating nearly 70 cruise ships hit by COVID-19 cases
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday it was investigating nearly 70 cruise ships after reports of COVID-19 cases on board, as the Omicron variant upended holiday travel over the Christmas weekend. The CDC said COVID-19 cases on 68 ships had met its threshold for an investigation.
27th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Pre-Christmas Omicron surge leads to record new British COVID cases
Britain recorded a record number of new coronavirus cases on Thursday as the Omicron variant swept across the country, with the daily tally reaching 119,789 from 106,122 a day earlier. Many industries and transport networks are struggling with staff shortages as sick workers self-isolate, while hospitals in Britain have warned of the risk of an impact on patient safety. Omicron's rapid advance has driven a surge in cases in Britain over the last seven days, with the total rising by 678,165, government data showed.
23rd Dec 2021 - Reuters
Overwhelmed U.S. Midwest hospitals prepare for worst with Omicron
The rapid spread of Omicron infections has hospitals in the U.S. Midwest "preparing for the worst," with their intensive care units and medical personnel already severely strained from a wave of the potent Delta variant of COVID-19.
Indiana, Ohio and Michigan have been hit harder in recent weeks by the virus than any other states. About one in four of their hospital beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data. The impact is even greater in their intensive care units, where COVID-19 patients now account for one-third or more of the beds, according to HHS.
23rd Dec 2021 - Reuters
French kids line up to get vaccine shots as omicron spreads
French schoolchildren clung nervously to their parents as they entered a vast vaccine center west of Paris on Wednesday — then walked excitedly away with a decorated “vaccination diploma,” as France kicked off mass COVID-19 inoculations for children age 5 to 11. It’s not a moment too soon for the French government, which is facing the highest recorded infection rates since the pandemic began but trying to avoid a new lockdown. The health minister said Wednesday that the swiftly-spreading omicron variant is expected to be dominant in France by next week, but ruled out additional restrictions on public life for now. Officials are hoping that a surge in vaccinations will be enough to limit the mounting pressure on hospitals, where COVID-19 patients occupy more than 60% of beds.
22nd Dec 2021 - The Associated Press
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View this newsletter in fullGermany says FOURTH Covid shot needed to tackle Omicron as health minister backs vaccine mandate
Germany has warned a fourth Covid vaccine will be needed to stop the spread of the contagious Omicron variant. Health minister Karl Lauterbach, who has thrown his support behind a vaccine mandate, has ordered 80million doses of a Biontech vaccine which targets Omicron and should arrive in Germany by May. He has also ordered 4million doses of the newly approved vaccine Novavax - seen as more acceptable to vaccine sceptics - and 11million doses of the new Valneva shot, which is waiting for marketing authorisation.
22nd Dec 2021 - Daily Mail
Australian PM says no Xmas lockdown as hospitals coping with rising Omicron
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday ruled out a Christmas lockdown, saying hospitals were coping well with a record surge in COVID-19 cases fuelled by the Omicron variant. Australia is grappling with the more transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus as restrictions ease ahead of the Christmas holidays after higher vaccination levels were reached. "Despite these rising cases, hospitals and health systems remain in a strong position but of course they will be tested," Morrison told reporters in Canberra after an emergency Cabinet meeting.
22nd Dec 2021 - Reuters
U.K. on Edge Heading Into Christmas Overshadowed by Omicron
Boris Johnson has given Britons the Christmas he has long promised -- some light-touch pandemic restrictions but with no limits on family gatherings. The big question is over what comes next. When the U.K. prime minister ruled out tighter restrictions in the coming days, he also urged Britons to be cautious and warned tougher curbs may yet be needed after Dec. 25 if an omicron-fueled wave of Covid-19 infections threatens to overwhelm the National Health Service.
22nd Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
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View this newsletter in fullAmerica’s Mixed Response to the Omicron Variant Comes Down to Geography
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious-disease expert, said Sunday on ABC News that he doesn’t anticipate the U.S. moving toward broad shutdowns, even as some European countries have imposed new restrictions. He also said vaccinated Americans who have received booster shots can feel comfortable traveling this month to see family. The U.S. is now averaging more than 125,000 new Covid-19 cases a day, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The seven-day average for Covid-19 hospital admissions fell 4.8% in the week ended Dec. 18 to 7,501 a day, but hospitalizations are up 49% from a recent low in early November, CDC data show. Deaths increased to a seven-day average of 1,182 a day as of Dec. 17, up 3.6% versus the previous week.
21st Dec 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
Biden to pledge 500M free COVID-19 tests to counter omicron
Fighting the omicron variant surging through the country, President Joe Biden announced the government will provide 500 million free rapid home-testing kits, increase support for hospitals under strain and redouble vaccination and boosting efforts. At the White House on Tuesday, Biden detailed major changes to his COVID-19 winter plan, his hand forced by the fast-spreading variant, whose properties are not yet fully understood by scientists. Yet his message was clear that the winter holidays could be close to normal for the vaccinated while potentially dangerous for the unvaccinated. His pleas are not political, he emphasized. He noted that former President Donald Trump has gotten his booster shot, and he said it’s Americans’ “patriotic duty” to get vaccinated.
21st Dec 2021 - The Associated Press
Covid-19 Relief Drives Largest Federal-Grant Increase to States Since 2009
A surge in emergency Covid-19 funds contributed to the largest increase in federal grants to U.S. states since 2009, when Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Federal grants to states rose 37% in fiscal 2020 from the prior year, outpacing the average annual increase of 4% in the prior half-decade, according to a report by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Relative to 2008, the grants climbed 93%, accounting for inflation. The jump was mostly driven by pandemic-related grants, for needs such as coronavirus testing and housing assistance, but Medicaid and other health spending also contributed, and largely fueled the steady growth in funding to states for the past several years.
21st Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
U.S. mulls reducing COVID quarantine time amid Omicron surge
U.S. health authorities are considering reducing the 10-day recommended quarantine period for Americans who test positive for COVID-19 as the Omicron variant tears across the country, White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci said on Tuesday. A spike in COVID-19 cases is alarming public health officials who fear an explosion of infections following social mingling over the Christmas and New Year holidays. Omicron now accounts for 73% of U.S. coronavirus infections, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. Breakthrough infections are rising among the fully vaccinated population, including those who have had a third, booster shot. However, Omicron appears to be causing milder symptoms in those people, some of whom have no symptoms at all.
21st Dec 2021 - Reuters
Europe weighs Omicron curbs as Biden turns to military medics
Countries across Europe considered new curbs on movement on Tuesday while U.S. President Joe Biden appealed to all Americans to get vaccinated to fight the Omicron variant sweeping the world days before the second Christmas of the pandemic. Omicron infections are multiplying across Europe, the United States and Asia, including in Japan, where a single cluster of COVID-19 cases at a military base has grown to at least 180. "If you're not fully vaccinated, you have good reason to be concerned," Biden said at the White House, where he unveiled plans to buy 500 million rapid COVID-19 tests to be distributed for free to Americans who request them starting in January.
21st Dec 2021 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 21st Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullUK medics warn of looming breaking point as omicron spreads
The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. Omicron infections no less severe based on early UK data. Infections caused by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus do not appear to be less severe than infections from Delta, according to early data from the UK.
Researchers at Imperial College London compared 11,329 people with confirmed or likely Omicron infections with nearly 200,000 people infected with other variants
20th Dec 2021 - The Associated Press
Analysis: Rising cases, Omicron highlight holes in Biden's COVID strategy, experts say
Amid a new surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays, President Joe Biden is drawing criticism from health experts, who are calling for more urgency, testing, masking and global vaccine sharing. Biden, a Democrat, took office in January pledging to get the coronavirus under control. He presided over a massive vaccine rollout and passed a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package, a sharp contrast with his predecessor, Republican Donald Trump, who downplayed the pandemic's severity, dismissed many preventive measures and undermined health experts.
20th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 20th Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullNew U.S. push for vaccines, boosters to stem 'raging' Omicron
U.S. health officials urged Americans on Sunday to get booster shots, wear masks and be careful if they travel over the winter holidays, as the Omicron variant raged across the world and was set to take over as the dominant strain in the United States. The government is gearing up for the next phase of battle in a two-year fight against a virus that has killed 800,000 people in the United States and disrupted every aspect of daily life. Two U.S. senators, Democrats Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker, said on Sunday they tested positive for COVID-19 but were experiencing only mild symptom
20th Dec 2021 - Reuters
S. Africa Covid-19 Hospitalizations Fall for First Time in Weeks
South African hospitals reported having slightly fewer Covid-19 patients than yesterday, the first decline in weeks. Still, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, does caution that figures can be skewed by late reporting of admissions.
Even so the number could be taken as more evidence that the wave of infections caused by the omicron variant may be slowing. On Friday the South African Medical Research Council said that wastewater analyses showed a decreasing incidence of the virus in Pretoria, the South African capital.
19th Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
France Curbs New Year's Eve Partying in a Bid to Shield Hospitals
French officials will curb outdoor revelry on New Year’s Eve in a bid to limit Covid-19 infections that risk overwhelming hospitals, Prime Minister Jean Castex said. “I’m appealing to everyone’s responsibility to find other ways to celebrate than large gatherings, and avoiding moments of conviviality,” Castex said in a televised speech on Friday, as many people in France began their winter vacations. Regional prefects will ban spontaneous parties and ask cities to hold off on fireworks and other celebrations, he said. “I understand the frustration to limit yourselves in such festive moments, but we owe that to our health-care personnel,” Castex said. France closed nightclubs this month, though not bars.
19th Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
CDC releases new guidance to allow children exposed to coronavirus to attend school
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new strategy called "test-to-stay" that allows unvaccinated children to stay in school even if they have been exposed to the coronavirus, agency Director Rochelle Walensky said on Friday. "If exposed children meet a certain criteria and continue to test negative, they can stay at school instead of quarantining at home," Walensky said during a press briefing. Some states are already advising their schools to use "test-to-stay" strategies in order to keep more children in class.
17th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 17th Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullSouth Korea reimposes COVID-19 curbs amid ‘mayhem’ at hospitals
South Korea says it will reimpose curfews on businesses and tighten social distancing rules as the number of COVID-19 infections and severe cases reach record highs. The measures, announced on Thursday, come a month and a half after the South Korean government eased restrictions under a “Living with COVID-19” policy. But with new daily infections soaring and healthcare workers warning of “mayhem” at hospitals, the government has come under increased pressure to roll back the policy. Under the new rules, which will come into effect on Saturday, gatherings are limited to no more than four people, as long as they are fully vaccinated. Restaurants cafes and bars will also need to close by 9pm and movie theatres and internet cafes by 10pm. Unvaccinated people can only dine out alone, or use takeout or delivery services.
16th Dec 2021 - Al Jazeera English
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 16th Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullU.S. universities move final exams online as COVID-19 spreads anew
A growing number of U.S. colleges and universities were moving final exams online and cancelling non-essential gatherings as the rapidly spreading Omicron coronavirus variant sent people in droves to medical clinics to be tested in scenes reminiscent of the early days of the pandemic. Many schools were reassessing campus policies as confirmed cases of the Omicron variant turned up in at least 36 states, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said at a briefing on Wednesday. The Delta variant remains responsible for the vast majority of cases, she added
15th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Omicron spreading so fast it threatens Britain's hospitals
The omicron variant is spreading so rapidly it has the potential to overwhelm Britain’s hospitals, highlighting the need to strengthen coronavirus restrictions and speed up the delivery of booster vaccine shots, the country’s health minister said Tuesday. Omicron is so transmissible that even if it proves to be less severe than other variants, there is still likely to be a surge in hospital admissions if it goes unchecked, U.K. Health Secretary Sajid Javid told lawmakers. His comments came as the government rushed to accelerate the national vaccination program, with a goal of offering a booster dose to every adult by the end of December.
15th Dec 2021 - The Associated Press
Africa sees 83% surge in COVID-19 cases in past week
Africa is experiencing its fastest surge in COVID-19 cases this year, with the number up 83% in the past week, although deaths remain low, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. The spike in cases is driven by the Delta and Omicron variants, the WHO said in a statement. The number of new COVID-19 cases on the continent is currently doubling every five days, the shortest time frame reported this year. Africa’s low inoculation rates have encouraged viral mutations like the new Omicron variant to spread, according to health experts. The continent struggled to obtain vaccine doses until recently, and is facing challenges to distribute them including lack of funds, staff and equipment. As of Monday, only 20 African countries had vaccinated at least 10% of their population, according to the WHO. Some countries, like Democratic Republic of Congo and Chad, have vaccinated less than 1%, data collected by Reuters shows.
15th Dec 2021 - CNBC Africa
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 15th Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullU.K.'s 'Warp Speed' Booster Rollout Is Already Struggling
Boris Johnson’s strategy for tackling a U.K. surge in omicron infections is already facing setbacks, as medics warn of bottlenecks and staffing shortages in the vaccine booster program. The British prime minister promised to ramp up delivery of boosters to “warp speed” to achieve its target of reaching all adults by the end of December, and late Monday announced that hundreds of new vaccine sites would open across the country, including at soccer stadiums and racecourses.
15th Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
India stuck with COVID-19 vaccines it can't export
India is struggling to export its surplus of COVID-19 vaccines as logistical hurdles delay their use in many countries despite low levels of inoculation, vaccine producer the Serum Institute of India (SII) and a government official said on Tuesday. The SII, the world's biggest vaccine maker that produces the AstraZeneca, Novavax and Sputnik COVID-19 shots, has already announced plans to temporarily halve output of the AstraZeneca drug until more orders came, including possibly through boosters. read more
14th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Dutch schools to close early for Christmas to limit COVID-19 spread - report
The Netherlands will extend COVID-19 restrictions through the Christmas holidays, including the early closure of schools, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Tuesday. The rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which is making up roughly 1% of new infections in the country, "is a reason to be concerned and to be cautious," Rutte said in a televised comments. Elementary schools will close a week early to try to prevent children from infecting older family members during Christmas as hospitals struggle with a wave of COVID-19 patients.
14th Dec 2021 - Reuters
New Australian plant could make 100 million vaccines a year
Australia’s government said Tuesday it plans to start making mRNA vaccines at home with a new plant that could produce up to 100 million doses each year. The announcement came as coronavirus cases in Sydney and surrounding areas jumped, driven in part by the omicron variant. The new factory would be built in Victoria state in a partnership between vaccine manufacturer Moderna and the federal and state governments. It is expected to open by 2024. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it was in the country’s national interest to produce vaccines locally.
14th Dec 2021 - The Associated Press
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 14th Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullOmicron cases may already be peaking in South Africa, less than a month after the COVID-19 variant first surfaced
Nearly three weeks after the Omicron variant was first identified by South African scientists, the COVID-19 mutation has whipped across the world, with infections in at least 63 countries. But in South Africa itself, the cases seem to be nearing their peak, and could already be headed for decline. Cases of Omicron in Gauteng, South Africa’s most populous province and home to its biggest city, Johannesburg, rose slightly from a seven-day daily average of 9,645 last Thursday, to 10,131 on Sunday. At the same time, the positivity rate of those being tested and the number of hospitalizations have both been falling. Data from the country’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases shows positivity rates dropping from 30% to around 15% between Thursday and Saturday, while the number of new hospitalizations fell from 207 to 64 over the same period. “The positivity rate in South Africa has been flattening and now declined for the past two days,” Scott Gottlieb, a senior fellow for the American Enterprise Institute and former FDA commissioner, tweeted on Sunday.
13th Dec 2021 - Fortune
Spain receives first shipment of Covid-19 vaccines for children
Spain on Monday received its first shipment of Covid-19 vaccines for children. The 1.3 million doses made by Pfizer-BioNTech will be shipped to the regions, which are in charge of their own vaccination campaigns, said the Health Ministry. The shots will be administered from December 15, when health authorities are expected to first call in kids from at-risk groups and those ages 10 and 11. But the logistics will vary depending on the region, with some like Catalonia choosing to immunize all children between the ages of five and 11 at the same time.
13th Dec 2021 - EL PAÍS in English
Indonesia to start vaccinating children aged 6-11 against COVID-19
Indonesia will start administering COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged between 6-11 on Tuesday, a health ministry official said, as the Southeast Asian country becomes one of the first in the region to immunise the very young. Indonesia approved China's Sinovac Biotech vaccine for the age group last month and about 26.5 million children have been targeted for vaccination, Maxi Rein Rondonuwu, a senior health ministry official, told a briefing.
13th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Norway bans serving of alcohol in bid to halt Omicron outbreak
Norway will ban the serving of alcohol in bars and restaurants, impose stricter rules in schools and speed up vaccination as part of new efforts to curb the outbreak of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the government said on Monday. "For many this will feel like a lockdown, if not of society then of their lives and of their livelihoods," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told a news conference.
13th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Exclusive: Senegal expects 400000 COVID-19 vaccines to expire by year-end
At least 200,000 COVID-19 vaccines have expired in Senegal without being used in the past two months and another 200,000 are set to expire at the end of December because demand is too slow, the head of its immunisation programme said on Monday. African governments have been calling for more COVID-19 vaccines to help catch up with richer regions, where vaccine rollouts have been humming along for more than a year. Yet, as the pace of supply has picked up in recent weeks some countries have struggled to keep pace. Logistical problems, the short shelf life of vaccines that arrive from donors, and vaccine hesitancy have all kept doses from reaching arms.
13th Dec 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullSouth Africa says no signal of increased Omicron severity yet
South African scientists see no sign that the Omicron coronavirus variant is causing more severe illness, they said on Friday, as officials announced plans to roll out vaccine boosters with daily infections approaching an all-time high. South Africa alerted the world to Omicron late last month, prompting alarm that the highly mutated variant could trigger a new surge in global infections. Hospital data show that COVID-19 admissions are now rising sharply in more than half of the country's nine provinces, but deaths are not rising as dramatically and indicators such as the median length of hospital stay are reassuring.
11th Dec 2021 - Reuters
NHS website hit by technical problems amid rush to book COVID-19 booster doses - The Independent
The UK's NHS website crashed as people rushed to book COVID-19 booster doses after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said everyone above the age of 18 could get booster shots from Monday, The Independent reported on Sunday. "The NHS website is currently experiencing technical difficulties. We are working to resolve these issues. Thank you for your patience," the report said, citing a statement on the NHS website. The NHS did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
13th Dec 2021 - Reuters
New U.K. Omicron Cases Double as Country Plans Daily Tests
The U.K. confirmed 1,239 new omicron cases on Sunday, almost double the 633 cases reported the day before. Total cases of the latest variant now stand at 3,137, the U.K. Health Security Agency said on Twitter. The spike comes as the country plans to introduce new daily home testing for people who come into contact with someone who has contracted Covid-19.
12th Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
Australia shortens wait time for COVID-19 booster doses as Omicron cases rise
Australia said on Sunday it will shorten the wait time for people to receive a COVID-19 booster following a rise in cases of the Omicron variant. Australia had previously said it would offer the booster to everyone over 18 who had had their second dose of the vaccine six months earlier. But with rising cases of the Omicron variant, Health Minister Greg Hunt said the time interval will be shortened to five months after the second dose.
12th Dec 2021 - Reuters
India's top syringe maker asks PM Modi to lift factory shutdown order
Hindustan Syringes and Medical Devices (HMD) has shuttered its factories on the outskirts of New Delhi following the directive from a state pollution control board, triggering concerns of an acute shortage of syringes and needles in India just as its COVID-19 vaccination programme is in full swing. "The closure of needles and syringes manufacturing factories will create disruption in the supply chain," said Rajiv Nath, managing director of HMD, in a letter to Modi's office which was released to media.
11th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Covid: Omicron cases rise 50% in 24 hours as experts warn variant could cause 2,400 hospitalisations
LSHTM modelling suggests Omicron could cause anywhere from between 25,000 to 75,000 deaths. Professor Eleanor Riley says 'a lot of people' could end up in hospital even if Omicron causes milder disease. Health chiefs are urging people to use testing and social distancing to avoid a spike in cases over Christmas. Raigmore Hospital in Inverness had to shut one of its wards after there was a spike of infections in the unit
11th Dec 2021 - Daily Mail
Labour demands ‘Christmas vaccine guarantee’ for pupils in England
Labour has called on the government to give a “Christmas vaccine guarantee” to the hundreds of thousands of eligible children in England who have been unable to receive a Covid vaccination. With recent figures showing that just 44% of children in the 12-15 age group had been vaccinated on 8 December, Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, said the government needed to make a bigger push to vaccinate the remainder before they returned to school in the new year. “As Omicron cases in the UK are rising, it’s essential that ministers use the Christmas holidays to get the vaccine out to children, preventing continued chaos next term,” Phillipson said.
11th Dec 2021 - The Guardian
Omicron Now Dominant Variant in Cape Town, Wastewater Shows
Omicron is now the dominant coronavirus variant in Cape Town, the South African Medical Research Council said, citing wastewater analyses. The variant was found in 11 of 12 wastewater samples collected in Cape Town on Nov. 30, the council said in a statement on Friday. The delta variant was only dominant at one wastewater plant in the city, it said. People infected with Covid-19 shed viral particles in their feces. While the particles are not infectious, they provide an indication of the prevalence of the disease and can be used to determine which variant is dominant
10th Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
South African Covid Hospitalizations at 5,344, 7.6% in ICU
South African hospitals have 5,344 Covid-19 patients of which 7.6% are in intensive care units, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases said in a report on Friday. Of the 404 people in ICU, 144 are on ventilators, the institute said. Almost half of the admissions are in Gauteng, the province that includes Johannesburg and Pretoria. The numbers compare with the 4,795 who were in the hospital a day earlier, with 8.3% of those in ICU.
10th Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
As COVID surges, Greece pursues unvaccinated with fines and vans
When a mobile COVID vaccination unit arrived at his Greek village, Yiorgos Toumanidis showed up for his booster shot. “I know what it’s like,” said the 71-year-old, who has had the virus. “I spent a month at home with antibiotics … That’s when we understood what’s going on, how dangerous the situation is. I didn’t hesitate. With the first opportunity, I did the vaccine.”
10th Dec 2021 - AlJazeera
Navy medics join COVID fight in hard-hit New Mexico
Dozens of U.S. Navy medics have deployed to New Mexico to treat a Delta variant-fueled surge in COVID-19 patients as part of a military operation to treat virus hotspots across Western and Midwest states. New Mexico is suffering one of the highest levels of new coronavirus infections in the country, its hospitals reaching record capacity levels. Nearly 50 Navy medics are treating COVID-19 patients at the San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington, northwest New Mexico, where critical care patient numbers have been over 200% of capacity for weeks
10th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Low staff vaccination tied to nursing home COVID deaths; experimental vaccine targets multiple coronaviruses
Low rates of COVID-19 vaccination among nursing home staff are linked with high rates of coronavirus illness and death among residents, even when residents have been vaccinated, a U.S. study found. Using national data from early June through late August 2021, researchers compared nursing homes with the highest and lowest percentages of vaccinated staff. In communities with high rates of COVID-19, homes with the lowest staff vaccination rates had more than twice as many residents develop COVID-19 and nearly three times as many residents die from it. This was true regardless of vaccination rates among the residents and of other differences between the facilities, the researchers reported on Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine
10th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 10th Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullIndiana hospitals see record patient count amid virus surge
Indiana hospitals are seeing their highest-ever overall patient counts amid a monthlong COVID-19 surge and the state’s largest hospital system announced Thursday it had enlisted National Guard assistance. Indiana University Health said it sought the support of the six-person National Guard teams for most of its 16 hospitals across the state because the strain on its “team members, nurses and providers has never been greater.” The IU Health system isn’t alone as the number of COVID-19 patients in Indiana hospitals has more than doubled in the past month, with about 2,750 such patients as of Wednesday as about 30 people a day are dying from the illness, according to state health department tracking.
9th Dec 2021 - The Associated Press
US Covid cases surge as vaccine progress slows and Omicron variant sparks fears
For Dr Rina D’Abramo of the MetroHealth System in Cleveland, it’s difficult when patients in the emergency room tell her they have not been vaccinated. “You can hear it in their voice when you say, ‘Are you vaccinated?’” said D’Abramo, who works at a hospital in the Brecksville suburb. “They shrink down and are like, ‘No. Now I know why I need to be vaccinated.’ ” Unfortunately, there are plenty of people in Ohio and the rest of the US too who have not yet learned that lesson, even as infection rates nationally start to surge again amid fears of the possibly highly contagious new Omicron variant. Ohio is one of the states that has seen the largest recent increases in hospitalizations due to Covid as the number of cases climbs across the country. There has been 19% increase in hospitalizations over the past two weeks in the United States, according to a New York Times analysis of data
9th Dec 2021 - The Guardian
U.S. campaign to vaccinate young children off to sluggish start despite abundant supply
The United States rushed millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses for children ages 5 to 11 across the nation, but demand for inoculations for younger kids has been low, more than a dozen state public health officials and physicians said. Of the 28 million eligible U.S. children in that age group, around 5 million have received at least one dose, according to federal data, likely satisfying initial pent up demand from parents who were waiting to vaccinate their kids.
9th Dec 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullOmicron reported in 57 countries, hospitalisations set to rise, WHO says
The Omicron variant has been reported in 57 nations and the number of patients needing hospitalisation is likely to rise as it spreads, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. The WHO, in its weekly epidemiological report, said more data was needed to assess the severity of disease caused by the Omicron variant and whether its mutations might reduce protection from vaccine-derived immunity.
8th Dec 2021 - Reuters
EU expects Europe plants to produce 3.6 billion COVID shots in 2022
Vaccine plants in the European Union are expected to produce 3.6 billion COVID-19 shots next year, out of a global output of more than 20 billion, two senior EU officials said on Wednesday. EU countries are administering boosters after having completed the primary vaccination of nearly 70% of the EU population, whereas in Africa only 7% have been immunised against the coronavirus, EU data show.
8th Dec 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullSouth Africa's Covid Hospital Admissions More Than Double
The daily number of people admitted to hospital in South Africa with Covid-19 more than doubled on Tuesday from a day earlier. According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases 383 people have been admitted to hospital with the disease in the last 24 hours compared with 175 in the preceding period. Of the 13,147 new cases recorded 64% were in Gauteng, the province that includes Johannesburg and Pretoria, compared with 70% of the 6,381 cases the day earlier, according to a statement from the NICD. The positivity rate of tests was 24.9% on Tuesday, down from 26.4% the day earlier. Over the 24 hours 27 deaths due to Covid-19 were recorded, taking the total confirmed death toll in the country since the pandemic began to 90,002.
7th Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
Covid Patients in Japan Are Recovering in Robot-Staffed Hotels
Step into the lobby of its east tower, though, and it’s a different world. The only formal greeting guests receive is from Softbank Corp.’s robot, Pepper. They’re given written instructions on their rooms and stay. That’s because the new arrivals all have one thing in common: they’re infected with coronavirus. In Japan, some Covid patients get a hotel booking -- and can enroll in clinical trials during their stay -- with their positive test results. The approach offers a respite for a dysfunctional health care system where individual hospitals are able to opt-out of caring for Covid patients, resulting in a situation where patients are being turned away despite available resources. It’s also aimed at reducing the risk of transmission among inter-generational households when space is at a premium in one of the most densely populated countries in the world.
7th Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
Omicron sets back airline industry's recovery hopes
New travel restrictions prompted by the Omicron coronavirus variant have set back the nascent recovery in international flights, creating delays and headaches in some regions, according to airline and airport officials. The flurry of new testing rules and border closings has raised concerns ahead of the important Christmas travel season, but some airline bosses said they hope any backward moves will be short-lived. Global airlines have blamed a patchwork of shifting rules for depressed demand for international travel, which is critical for their return to profit following steep COVID-19 pandemic-related losses in 2020.
7th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Booster shots may be needed to keep fully vaccinated status in Australia in future
A booster dose could be necessary to keep your green Covid-19 vaccination tick in the future, the health department secretary Brendan Murphy says. Booster shots are being rolled out across Australia amid warnings that immunisation from the initial vaccinations wanes with time. The federal government distinguishes these “booster” doses from the third vaccine dose some immunocompromised people need to get a standard level of protection.
7th Dec 2021 - The Guardian
Merck ties up with Thermo Fisher to make its COVID-19 pill in Canada
Drugmaker Merck & Co on Monday announced a deal with Thermo Fisher Scientific to manufacture its experimental COVID-19 pill at the medical device maker's site in Whitby, Ontario. The site will manufacture the pill, molnupiravir, for distribution in Canada and the United Kingdom as well as markets in the European Union, Asia Pacific and Latin America. The Ontario site is one of three manufacturing sites in the world for the pill, which is being developed with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.
7th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Mexico's capital rolls out first COVID-19 booster shots
Mexico City officials will begin offering a third COVID-19 vaccine dose to residents over the age of 60 on Tuesday, officials said, part of a government plan to roll out booster shots. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said last week the third doses would be made available as soon as possible, beginning with elderly people who are more vulnerable to the coronavirus. The first booster shots in the massive capital of nearly 10 million people will be AstraZeneca doses given to residents of the southern Tlalpan neighborhood, officials told a news conference on Monday.
7th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Armed gangs raise risks in vaccinating rural Nigerians
As the emergence of the omicron variant underscores the importance of inoculating more people to prevent new mutations of the coronavirus, Nigeria also is facing a difficult path: Only 3.78 million are fully vaccinated. Going directly to the villagers is one way to overcome any hesitancy they might have in getting the shots, said Bawa. “When you meet them in their home, there is no problem,” he added. “Everybody will take (the vaccine).” On Dec. 1, Nigeria began requiring government employees to be vaccinated or show a negative test for the virus in the past 72 hours. Although authorities emphasize the country is capable of getting the Western-manufactured vaccines to everyone, health care workers in rural areas are struggling, mostly because of delayed government funding.
7th Dec 2021 - The Associated Press
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View this newsletter in fullNearly 70 ICU medics at Spanish hospital COVID-19 positive after Christmas party
Nearly 70 nurses and doctors working in the intensive care unit at a Spanish hospital have tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a Christmas party, health authorities said on Monday. Sixty-eight medics at the University Regional Hospital in Malaga had been diagnosed with the coronavirus, the Andalusian regional government said. Health authorities said they were investigating the source of the infection but added all 68 attended a Christmas party on Dec. 1 at which 173 people were present.
7th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Suspected Omicron case aboard Norwegian cruise ship is South African crew member
A South African crew member suspected of having the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is among the 17 cases of the virus detected on a cruise ship that disembarked in New Orleans over the weekend, the cruise line said on Monday. U.S. officials are closely monitoring the latest variant, which has been detected in at least a third of states, to try to ascertain its severity amid a rise in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks.
7th Dec 2021 - Reuters
South Africa readies hospitals as Omicron variant drives new COVID-19 wave
South Africa is preparing its hospitals for more admissions, as the Omicron coronavirus variant pushes the country into a fourth wave of COVID-19 cases, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday. Omicron was first detected in southern Africa last month and has triggered global alarm as governments fear another surge in infections. South Africa's daily infections surged last week to more than 16,000 on Friday from roughly 2,300 on Monday.
6th Dec 2021 - Reuters
England has community transmission of Omicron variant, health minister says
Britain's health minister said on Monday there is now community transmission of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus across regions of England but it is too early to say if this will "knock us off our road to recovery". Defending the introduction of stricter rules to slow the spread of the virus, Sajid Javid told parliament the government was "leaving nothing to chance" while scientists assessed the variant, which was first reported in South Africa last month. Javid said there are now 261 Omicron cases in England, 71 in Scotland and four in Wales - a total of 336.
6th Dec 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullHow a Vaccine Side-Effect Database Sowed Doubt in Vaccinations
Midway into the pandemic, University of Alabama epidemiologist Bertha Hidalgo realized her Covid communication strategy needed a makeover. She was skipping basic biology lessons in favor of simply telling people the best ways to moderate their behavior in response to the virus. Instead of helping people better understand the virus, her approach sometimes backfired, introducing more doubt instead of less. “My method was, ‘These are the facts and this is what you need to do,’” she said. What she quickly learned was that people didn't have enough base knowledge to accept what she was presenting as fact.
5th Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
Omicron’s Spread Exposes South Africa’s Vaccination Struggles, Public Distrust
South Africa’s sputtering Covid-19 vaccine rollout, hampered first by dose shortages and more recently public distrust, has left many of its 60 million people potentially exposed as the new Omicron variant spreads across the country. In recent days, more people have turned out to get their shots amid warnings from scientists and the World Health Organization about Omicron, which has driven a sharp increase in Covid-19 infections in the country’s most populous province of Gauteng, home to Johannesburg, over the past two weeks.
5th Dec 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
Covid Vaccine Inequity Could Get Worse With Omicron Emergence
“Inequity derives from scarcity, and when there’s scarcity those with resources will use their resources to meet their own needs first,” said Richard Hatchett, head of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. “So the question would be -- if this proves to be a really dangerous variant -- will countries rush to secure supplies?” CEPI is discussing the potential deployment of modified vaccines with other partners in Covax, the global vaccine distribution program, he said. Covax is in a more advantageous position than it was early in the crisis when it was still being formed, and any shortage of shots shouldn’t last as long this time, but the concern “is real,” he said. “If the data suggests we really do need to be introducing an omicron vaccine, we’re going to be wanting to move as quickly as we can to secure doses to reduce the inequity that could otherwise potentially emerge,” he said.
4th Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
S.African official says children sick with COVID-19 have mild infections
Higher hospital admissions among children during a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections in South Africa that has been driven by the Omicron coronavirus variant should not prompt panic as infections have been mild, a health official said on Saturday. A large number of infants admitted with COVID-19 last month in Tshwane, the metropolitan area that includes the capital Pretoria, raised concerns that the newly identified Omicron could pose greater risks for young children than other variants. Scientists have yet to confirm any link and have cautioned that other factors could be at play.
4th Dec 2021 - Reuters
‘The fire that’s here’: US is still battling delta variant
While all eyes are on the new and little-understood omicron variant that is popping up around the country, the delta form of the coronavirus isn’t finished wreaking havoc in the U.S., swamping hospitals with record numbers of patients in the Midwest and New England. “Omicron is a spark that’s on the horizon. Delta variant is the fire that’s here today,” said Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the state Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Maine, where an unprecedented 334 people were in the hospital with COVID-19 as of midweek. The U.S. recorded its first confirmed omicron infection on Wednesday, in a Californian who had been to South Africa, where the variant was first identified a week ago. Several more cases were reported Thursday — five in the New York City area and one each in Minnesota, Hawaii and Colorado — under circumstances suggesting the variant has begun spreading within the U.S.
3rd Dec 2021 - The Associated Press
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View this newsletter in fullChina accelerating research into COVID-19 shots targeting Omicron -state media
China is accelerating research and development of COVID-19 vaccines targeting the Omicron variant, a health official said on Thursday, amid concerns among global scientists that it may spread more quickly than other strains. Mainland China has not detected any Omicron case yet. "We are rapidly pushing forward the research and development of Omicron-specific vaccines based on different technologies," Zheng Zhongwei, who heads a group tasked with COVID-19 vaccine development in China, told state broadcaster CCTV.
2nd Dec 2021 - Reuters
U.S. to require private health insurance companies cover at-home COVID-19 tests
U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday laid out his strategy to fight the Omicron and Delta coronavirus variants over the winter, including free and insurer-funded at-home COVID-19 testing and new requirements for international travelers. The U.S. government will require private health insurers to reimburse their 150 million customers for 100% of the cost of over-the-counter, at-home COVID-19 tests, administration officials said, and make 50 million more tests available free through rural clinics and health centers for the uninsured.
2nd Dec 2021 - Reuters
Dutch say pre-flight tests needed as most COVID passengers from S.Africa were vaccinated
Dutch health authorities on Thursday said most of the 62 people who tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving on two flights from South Africa last week had been vaccinated, lending weight to a call for pre-flight testing regardless of vaccination status. In addition, all 14 passengers who were later found to have been infected with the Omicron variant were vaccinated, health officials said on Thursday.
2nd Dec 2021 - Reuters
Aspen Pharmacare, pursuing J&J vaccine license, aims to shore up local capacity and quash shot inequality in Africa
History is repeating for Aspen Pharmacare. Nearly 20 years ago, as Africa grappled with an HIV epidemic, Aspen pioneered the first generic antiretroviral on the continent. Now, it has a chance to do something similar with Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine. This time, however, the South African drugmaker's contribution could be even more of a "game changer," thanks to the scope of the pandemic and the disproportionate toll it's taken on Africa, an Aspen executive told Fierce Pharma. Aspen earlier this week signed a nonbinding term sheet with two J&J subsidiaries in a bid to license and sell the company's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine in Africa. The potentially "monumental" agreement is big for two reasons, Stavros Nicolaou, Ph.D., group senior executive of strategic trade at Aspen Pharma Group, said in an interview.
2nd Dec 2021 - FiercePharma
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View this newsletter in fullOmicron was in Europe long before travel bans on southern Africa
When South African officials sounded the alarm on the new Omicron variant last Thursday, stocks around the world tumbled and up to 70 countries, including the United States, imposed travel bans and restrictions to southern African countries. The knee-jerk response followed the news that the variant had an unusually high number of mutations, which scientists feared could make it more transmissible and result in immune evasion. Much is still unknown about Omicron, including its origin, severity and its transmissibility. Researchers are also racing to discover if it could displace existing variants and become dominant, as Delta has. Early "indications" show that people who have received the coronavirus vaccine booster are "protected" against the new variant, Israeli Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said Tuesday.
1st Dec 2021 - CNN
Children 5 and older now have a coronavirus vaccine. But many parents of younger kids are still anxiously waiting.
Even with the recent authorization of a coronavirus vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, many parents and grandparents are still in limbo, anxiously awaiting shots for younger children. Although children are less likely to suffer severe disease, they can still contract and transmit the virus to others. Those who test positive must quarantine — and children may even have to stay home from day care or preschool when their classmates become ill after exposure to the virus. This forces parents to find alternative child care or take time off from work to care for them, which some families say has become common.
1st Dec 2021 - The Washington Post
EU brings forward Pfizer/BioNTech COVID shot for younger children to Dec 13
The European Union-wide rollout of Pfizer (PFE.N) and BioNTech's (22UAy.DE) COVID-19 vaccine version for five- to 11-year-old children will begin Dec 13, one week earlier than previously planned, Germany's health ministry said on Wednesday. "Given the current pandemic situation, this is good news for parents and children. Many are awaiting this eagerly," acting health minister Jens Spahn said in the statement. Germany is due to receive 2.4 million doses for use as a two-dose regimen, the ministry said, adding it has commitment on the new date from the manufacturer.
1st Dec 2021 - Reuters
COVID: France extends suspension of flights from high-risk southern African countries
France has decided to extend until at least Saturday its suspension of flights from southern African countries which have been hit hard by the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, said French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune. "As of this morning, we have extended the suspension of flights from seven southern African countries until Saturday," Beaune told RTL radio. The Omicron COVID variant - first reported in southern Africa and which the World Health Organization (WHO) said carries a "very high" risk of infection surges - has triggered global alarm, with border closures casting a shadow over a nascent economic recovery from a two-year pandemic
1st Dec 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullRwanda Offers Covid Vaccine Boosters, Joining Few African Nations
Rwanda became one of the few African nations offering coronavirus-vaccine booster doses on Tuesday, according to the nation’s Ministry of Health. The shots will be administered to people 50 years old and above, as well as those as young as 30 years, but with non-communicable diseases, the ministry said in a statement. The exercise begins from the capital, Kigali. Rwanda joins African nations, including Seychelles, Mauritius and South Africa, that are administering booster shots to various categories of people such as the elderly and health-care workers. Nations across the world are quickly moving to give additional doses amid new Covid-19 variants, including the recent Omicron that was first detected in southern Africa.
30th Nov 2021 - Bloomberg
Nine more from Munster test positive for COVID-19 in South Africa
Munster have nine new COVID-19 cases in their camp in South Africa, the Irish rugby team said on Tuesday, taking the total count to 10. Both staff and players have tested positive and will quarantine in a hotel in Cape Town, joining the first player who returned a positive test on Sunday. Welsh side Cardiff also said they had two positive cases over the weekend. Munster did not say if any of the positive tests were for the new Omicron variant of the virus, which was first detected in southern Africa.
30th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Forty-two cases of COVID-19 Omicron variant confirmed in 10 EU states
Forty-two cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant have been confirmed in 10 European Union countries, the head of the EU's public health agency said on Tuesday. Authorities in the 27-nation EU were analysing another six "probable" cases, Andrea Ammon, who chairs the European Centre for Disease prevention and Control (ECDC), told an online conference organised by the EU's Slovenian presidency. She said the confirmed cases were mild or without symptoms, although in younger age groups.
30th Nov 2021 - Reuters
German and Austrian COVID-19 incidence rate falls, stable in Netherlands
Germany's federal and regional governments agreed on Tuesday to take action to counter a fourth wave of COVID-19, including stepping up the vaccination campaign and restricting contact, especially for unvaccinated people. Facing a surge in cases over the last few weeks and warnings from virologists that exponential growth rates would overload hospitals, outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel held video talks with her successor, Olaf Scholz, and regional leaders. "There is agreement that the fourth wave has led to an extremely serious, in some regions dramatic situation in our healthcare system to which federal and state governments will respond jointly and decisively," said government spokesman Steffen Seibert.
30th Nov 2021 - Reuters
COVAX allocates 4.7 mln AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses to N.Korea
The global vaccine-sharing network COVAX has set aside 4.73 million doses of AstraZeneca Plc's COVID-19 shot for shipment to North Korea, one of the very few countries that haven't started vaccination, according to its allocation plan.
The plan follows an earlier offer for nearly two million doses of the shot that the reclusive state had rejected due to concerns over side effects, according to a South Korean think-tank
30th Nov 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19 vaccine makers start work on Omicron-tailored shots
BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are working on vaccines that specifically target Omicron in case their existing shots are not effective against the new coronavirus variant, the companies said on Monday. The variant's emergence has triggered a strong global response as countries worried that it could spread fast even in vaccinated populations impose travel curbs and other restrictions.
BioNTech SE said it had started work on a vaccine tailored to Omicron, along with partner Pfizer
30th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Spain detects first Omicron case, COVID-19 infections rise
Spain has detected its first case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in a 51-year-old man who arrived from South Africa on Sunday after a layover in Amsterdam, Madrid's regional health authority said on Monday as Spain's overall infection rate rose. The microbiology unit at Madrid's Gregorio Maranon hospital, which sequenced and confirmed the new variant, added in a separate post on Twitter that the patient was in fair condition with mild symptoms.
30th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Britain expands COVID booster programme as eight more Omicron cases found
Britain will offer a COVID-19 booster shot to all adults in a bid to accelerate its vaccination programme amid concern over the new Omicron coronavirus variant, as eight more cases were found in the country. Britain as a whole has reported 11 cases of the new variant, which the World Health Organization said on Monday was likely to spread internationally and posed a very high risk of infection surges
30th Nov 2021 - Reuters UK
Rise in German COVID-19 infections flattens
Germany's federal and regional governments agreed on Tuesday to take action to counter a fourth wave of COVID-19, including stepping up the vaccination campaign and restricting contact, especially for unvaccinated people. Facing a surge in cases over the last few weeks and warnings from virologists that exponential growth rates would overload hospitals, outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel held video talks with her successor, Olaf Scholz, and regional leaders.
30th Nov 2021 - Reuters
France registers biggest jump in COVID-19 hospital patients since spring
France registered its biggest jump in coronavirus-related hospital admissions since the spring, health ministry data showed on Monday. The number of patients in intensive care units with COVID-19 jumped by 117 to 1,749 people, the biggest increase since March-April, when the ICU number rose by more than 100 per day on several days. The number of people in hospital with the virus jumped by 470 to 9,860, the biggest one-day increase since March 29. Compared with a week ago, the number of COVID-19 patients was up more than 18%, the biggest week-on-week increase this year.
30th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Brazil and Japan report first cases of the omicron variant
Brazil and Japan joined the rapidly widening circle of countries to report cases of the omicron variant Tuesday, while new findings indicate the mutant coronavirus was already in Europe close to a week before South Africa sounded the alarm. The Netherlands’ RIVM health institute disclosed that patient samples dating from Nov. 19 and 23 were found to contain the variant. It was on Nov. 24 that South African authorities reported the existence of the highly mutated virus to the World Health Organization. That indicates omicron had a bigger head start in the Netherlands than previously believed. Together with the cases in Japan and Brazil, the finding illustrates the difficulty in containing the virus in an age of jet travel and economic globalization. And it left the world once again whipsawed between hopes of returning to normal and fears that the worst is yet to come.
30th Nov 2021 - The Associated Press
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View this newsletter in fullWhite House says U.S. agencies can delay punishing unvaccinated federal workers
The White House told federal agencies on Monday they can delay punishing thousands of federal workers who failed to comply with a Nov. 22 COVID-19 vaccination deadline. On Wednesday, the Biden administration said a total of 92% of U.S. federal workers have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Overall, 96.5% of the 3.5 million federal workers were considered to be in compliance with the administration's mandate announced in September because they either were vaccinated or had an exemption request granted or under consideration.
29th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Covid: Booster vaccine rolled out to all over-18s and gap after second jab cut to three months
Booster jabs should now be offered to all over-18s, the government’s Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI), has said. The JCVI has also said gaps between the second Covid-19 vaccine and booster shots should be reduced from six months to three months. Although JCVI has advised all adults should now have their boosters, it has said those who are clinically vulnerable should be prioritised and in order of descending age groups, as was done during the second and first phases of the vaccination programme. Over 40s are already eligible to have their boosters. Those who are immunocompromised should be offered another booster, meaning they will have their fourth vaccination.
29th Nov 2021 - The Independent
India's Bharat Biotech resumes exports of COVID-19 vaccine
Indian vaccine maker Bharat Biotech said on Monday it has resumed export of its COVID-19 shot, Covaxin, and has executed long-pending orders in November. The company also said exports to additional countries will commence from December, according to a statement it shared on Twitter. It was not immediately clear whether or not these exports were made under the global vaccine-sharing facility COVAX.
29th Nov 2021 - Reuters
India steps ups COVID-19 testing for international flyers
India will make on-arrival COVID-19 testing mandatory for flyers from more than a dozen countries, including South Africa and Britain where the Omicron variant has been detected, the health ministry said on Monday. The decision will be effective from Dec. 1 and comes after a man who recently returned from South Africa tested positive for COVID-19, though it is not yet clear which strain of the coronavirus he contracted.
29th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Thermo Fisher says its COVID-19 tests accurately detects Omicron variant
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc said on Monday its COVID-19 diagnostic tests can accurately detect the new coronavirus variant Omicron that has prompted several countries to shut their borders. The World Health Organisation (WHO) last week classified the Omicron variant as a SARS-CoV-2 "variant of concern," saying it may spread more quickly than other forms. Thermo Fisher's TaqPath COVID-19 assays can report accurate results even in the case where one of the gene targets is impacted by a mutation, the company said in a statement.
29th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Moderna says Omicron vaccine could be ready by early 2022
Moderna Inc. is having its best two-day rally in a year after the company said a new vaccine to fight the omicron strain of the coronavirus could be ready by early 2022 if required. The stock soared as much as 14% to the highest level in two months, after jumping 21% during Friday’s global risk-asset selloff, to reclaim its place as top performer on the S&P 500 year-to-date. The company mobilized hundreds of workers on Thanksgiving Day last Thursday in order to start work on omicron, Chief Medical Officer Paul Burton said over the weekend.
29th Nov 2021 - AlJazeera
Pfizer boosts Paxlovid manufacturing capacity as Merck’s rival COVID pill hits surprise efficacy setback
The efficacy data for Pfizer’s oral COVID-19 drug now look so appealing that the Big Pharma company is boosting manufacturing capacity even before an expected emergency use authorization from the FDA. Pfizer now expects to make 80 million courses of COVID drug Paxlovid by the end of 2022, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told CNBC during a Monday interview. The company previously said it plans to have capacity to make 50 million courses.
29th Nov 2021 - FiercePharma
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View this newsletter in fullS.African doctor says patients with Omicron variant have "very mild" symptoms
A South African doctor who was one of the first to suspect a different coronavirus strain among patients said on Sunday that symptoms of the Omicron variant were so far mild and could be treated at home. Dr. Angelique Coetzee, a private practitioner and chair of South African Medical Association, told Reuters that on Nov. 18 she noticed seven patients at her clinic who had symptoms different from the dominant Delta variant, albeit "very mild".
28th Nov 2021 - Reuters
India’s COVID vaccine exports resume – but others must step up to vaccinate the world
The Indian embassy in Iran recently celebrated the arrival of 1 million doses of Covaxin, a COVID vaccine developed in India by the pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech. Bangladesh, Myanmar and Iran also recently received a million doses each of Covishield, the version of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India, the world’s single largest vaccine producer. These 4 million doses, delivered in early October 2021, were the first to be exported from India in more than six months. Dubbed the “pharmacy of the world”, India has the largest vaccine-production capacity of any country. It therefore has a massive role to play in vaccinating the world. However, up until recently the “pharmacy” has been closed to other countries. Unlike most COVID vaccine producers, India began exporting doses through its “vaccine friendship” initiative – a diplomatic programme based around gifting vaccines to lower-income countries – the same week it began its domestic vaccination programme, back in January 2021. It was soon internationally hailed as a “vaccine superpower”. However, in late March exports ground to a halt, as India’s devastating second wave took hold and all resources were diverted towards its domestic vaccine programme.
27th Nov 2021 - Yahoo Finance
Military sent to Michigan to deal with surge in COVID as Minnesota calls up the National Guard
Michigan is currently the hardest-hit state in the nation, with COVID-19 cases rising 88 per cent in the last 14 days. The governor, Gretchen Whitmer, has requested federal assistance to help in hospitals, and 44 people are being deployed. In Minnesota, another state struggling with a surge in cases, the National Guard is being brought in to take some of the strain off nursing home staff. Nursing homes in the state are now suffering a chronic staffing shortage with 23,000 open long-term caregiver positions as employees seek better paid, less intense jobs or else quit due to vaccine mandates. Governor Tim Walz has deployed 400 members of the National Guard to work as nurses and proposed using $50 million in unspent federal coronavirus relief funding to help these facilities hire and retain staff
26th Nov 2021 - Daily Mail
Shanghai's Flareup Spreads as China Faces a New Covid Outbreak
Shanghai scrapped about one-third of the flights from its busiest international airport on Friday and suspended some hospital services after a handful of Covid infections were detected in the financial hub, showing China’s commitment to stringent curbs to eliminate the virus as winter looms. More than 30% of flights from Shanghai Pudong International Airport were canceled on Friday morning, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Schools were immediately suspended and housing complexes tied to the cases were locked down as local officials embraced strict measures in what may become a protracted battle as cold weather forces more people indoors. Chinese airline stocks declined. Shanghai International Airport Co. Ltd. fell as much as 4%, while Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. and China Eastern Airlines Corp. Ltd. dropped at least 2% in Hong Kong.
26th Nov 2021 - Bloomberg
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View this newsletter in fullLogistical challenges hampering Africa’s COVID-19 vaccination drives
As deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines to Africa finally pick up, many nations are struggling with the logistics of accelerating their inoculation campaigns, the head of Africa’s disease control body said on Thursday.
25th Nov 2021 - CNBC Africa
Europe Health Agency, in Shift, Urges Faster Covid-19 Booster Rollout as Cases Surge
The head of the European Union’s public-health agency recommended governments accelerate their campaigns to roll out Covid-19 booster shots as case numbers rise rapidly across parts of the bloc. Andrea Ammon, head of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, said on Wednesday that Covid-19 boosters should be offered to everyone over 18 years old, six months after they were first fully vaccinated, with priority given to those ages 40 and older.
The ECDC’s recommendations aren’t binding on the governments of EU states, but they help shape health policy. Previously, the agency said boosters weren’t urgent except for the frail and people with compromised immune systems.
25th Nov 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
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View this newsletter in fullChildren at lower risk from COVID, vaccines should go to poor - WHO
As children and adolescents are at lower risk of severe COVID-19 disease, countries should prioritise adults and sharing vaccine doses with the COVAX programme to bring supplies to poorer countries, the World Health Organisation said on Wednesday. Some rare cases of heart inflammation called myocarditis have been reported in younger men who received vaccines based on mRNA technoloy - Pfizer BioNtech and Moderna - but these were generally mild and responded to treatment, it said. Although that risk had not been fully determined, it was less than the risk of myocarditis linked to SARS-CoV-2 infection, it said.
24th Nov 2021 - Reuters
South Korea's Enzychem to make Indian drugmaker Cadila's COVID-19 shot
South Korea's Enzychem Lifesciences would make at least 80 million doses of India's homegrown DNA COVID-19 vaccine from Cadila Healthcare, the Indian drugmaker said on Wednesday. As part of the deal, Cadila will transfer the DNA vaccine technology to Enzychem, which will make and sell the vaccine, ZyCoV-D, within its territory under the Cadila trademark. Cadila will get license fees and royalty payments, the company said in a filing to stock exchanges.
24th Nov 2021 - Reuters
South Africa delays COVID vaccine deliveries as inoculations slow
South Africa has asked Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer to delay delivery of COVID-19 vaccines because it now has too much stock, health ministry officials said, as vaccine hesitancy slows an inoculation campaign. About 35% of South Africans are fully vaccinated, higher than in most other African nations, but half the government's year-end target. It has averaged 106,000 doses a day in the past 15 days in a nation of 60 million people. Earlier this year the programme was slowed by insufficient doses. Now deliveries have been delayed due to oversupply, making the country an outlier in the continent where most are still starved of vaccines. Nicholas Crisp, deputy director-general of the Health Department, told Reuters that South Africa had 16.8 million doses in stock and said deliveries had been deferred.
24th Nov 2021 - Reuters
African company works to replicate Moderna's COVID vaccine, without permission, to address unequal access
There are huge gaps in the availability of COVID-19 vaccines between different countries. Just 10% of people in Africa have received a single dose, compared to 63% across North America or 62% in Europe. CBS News correspondent Debora Patta found a start-up in South Africa that hopes to redress that imbalance by reverse engineering one of the major U.S.-made vaccines, making it easier to store, and then producing it independently. A pair of nondescript warehouses in a dusty part of Cape Town is the unlikely home of a medical revolution. Inside the airlocked, sterile rooms, Patta found a band of rebels in white lab coats who are passionate about using science to change the world.
24th Nov 2021 - CBS News
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View this newsletter in fullIsrael begins giving COVID shots to children age 5 to 11
Israel on Tuesday began administering the coronavirus vaccine to children age 5 to 11. The country recently emerged from a fourth COVID wave, and daily infections have been relatively low for the last few weeks. But Health Ministry statistics show that a large share of the new infections have been in children and teenagers.
23rd Nov 2021 - The Independent
Covid patients in ICU now almost all unvaccinated, says Oxford scientist
Covid-19 is no longer a disease of the vaccinated, the head of the Oxford jab programme has said. The “ongoing horror” of patients gasping for breath in hospital is now “largely restricted” to people who are unvaccinated, according to Prof Sir Andrew Pollard. Even though the more transmissible Delta variant continues to infect thousands, most of those who are fully vaccinated will experience only “mild infections” that are “little more than an unpleasant inconvenience”.
23rd Nov 2021 - The Guardian
COVID-19: Take a lateral flow test before you visit busy places this Christmas, says government
The government is advising people to take a COVID-19 test before they spend time in "crowded and enclosed spaces" this winter. The Cabinet Office had previously advised people to take two lateral flow tests a week, especially if they have school-age children or are meeting clinically vulnerable people. Now the public is being told to take rapid lateral flow tests "if it is expected that there will be a period of high risk that day". It does not state what a high-risk scenario may be, but it could be an activity such as Christmas shopping in busy high streets or shopping centres. The Cabinet Office website says: "You are at higher risk of catching or passing on COVID-19 in crowded and enclosed spaces, where there are more people who might be infectious and where there is limited fresh air
23rd Nov 2021 - Sky News
Dutch COVID-19 patients transferred to Germany as hospitals struggle
The Netherlands started transporting COVID-19 patients across the border to Germany on Tuesday to ease pressure on Dutch hospitals, which are scaling back regular care to deal with a surge in coronavirus cases. A patient was transferred by ambulance from Rotterdam to a hospital in Bochum, some 240 km (150 miles) east, on Tuesday morning, and another would follow later in the day, health authorities said. The number of COVID-19 patients in Dutch hospitals has swelled to its highest level since May in recent weeks and is expected to increase further as infections jump to record levels.
23rd Nov 2021 - Reuters
Covid antivirals could be pandemic game-changers. But Americans might struggle to access them
Antiviral drugs for treating Covid-19 have been hailed as a pandemic “game-changer” — a tool that could, perhaps, finally help life return to normal. But basic gaps in the U.S. health system could mean that two new treatments from Pfizer and Merck won’t make much of a difference after all. The companies’ treatments, which haven’t yet received emergency authorization, could make a Covid diagnosis dramatically less threatening. But in practice, before receiving the pills, patients may need to jump through a series of hoops that often prevent Americans from accessing care: Recognizing their symptoms, taking a test, getting a prescription from a clinician, and filling the prescription at a pharmacy. “Our routine medical systems are not really set up for this,” said Céline Gounder, a physician and NYU professor who served on President Biden’s Covid advisory board in the months before his inauguration. “These are medications that need to be started within three days of developing symptoms. It can take you longer than three days to get an appointment.”
23rd Nov 2021 - STAT News
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View this newsletter in fullIsrael starts vaccinating young children as coronavirus cases rise
Israel began rolling out Pfizer/BioNtech COVID-19 vaccinations for 5- to 11-year-olds on Monday hoping to beat down a recent rise in coronavirus infections. A fourth wave of infections that hit Israel in June began subsiding in September. But over the past two weeks the "R", or reproduction rate of the virus, that had remained below one for two months began climbing and has now crossed that threshold, indicating the virus could again be spreading exponentially. Daily cases have also crept up over the past few days, with half the confirmed infections presently among children age 11 and younger.
23rd Nov 2021 - Reuters
‘Supercharge booster vaccines,’ NHS boss Vin Diwakar pleads, as London cases rise
A health chief has called for the jabs race to be “supercharged” to get more people protected against Covid-19 as bookings for boosters were opened to those in their forties. Dr Vin Diwakar, medical director for the NHS in London, issued the appeal as official figures showed there have been 18,049 confirmed coronavirus cases in the capital in just four days. There were 4,536 announced yesterday and it is the first time since late July when daily totals have risen above 4,000 for four consecutive days. More than 1,489,000 Londoners have already had a booster, or third jab for some vulnerable groups, with uptake understood to be particularly high among people in their seventies and even higher among care home staff.
22nd Nov 2021 - Evening Standard
Revealed: Over 600 babies born premature and needing critical care to mothers hospitalised by Covid-19
More than 600 babies have been born prematurely and needing critical care to mothers hospitalised by Covid-19, The Independent can reveal — as women are warned they are up to three times more likely to have an early birth with the virus.
The figures, which cover 17 months of the pandemic, prompted calls for the government to make pregnant women of all ages eligible for Covid-19 booster jabs.
Concern about pregnant women avoiding the vaccine has pushed chief medical officer Chris Whitty to urge mothers-to-be to get fully jabbed, with take-up rates in this group as low as 15 per cent last month.
22nd Nov 2021 - The Independent
Hungarians line up for shots as COVID surges across Europe
People were lining up for COVID-19 shots outside Budapest's main hospitals on Monday as Hungary for the first time offered vaccinations without prior registration amid a surge in new infections. Europe has again become the epicentre of the pandemic, accounting for half of global cases and deaths, and protests turned violent in the Netherlands and Belgium over the weekend over new curbs on movement. Austria entered its fourth national lockdown on Monday after tens of thousands marched against new restrictions. Germany is debating making COVID-19 vaccinations compulsory.
22nd Nov 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullChina's BioKangtai begins first shipment of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 shot
AstraZeneca Plc's (AZN.L) COVID-19 vaccine partner in China, Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products (BioKangtai) (300601.SZ), has begun its first shipment of the shot, sending more than four million doses to Indonesia, BioKangtai said on Friday.
Including the first batch, BioKangtai plans to send over eight million doses of the China-made AstraZeneca shot, branded as KconecaVac, to Indonesia this month, Zhang Qian, general manager at BioKangtai's international affairs department, said in a video interview with local media.
20th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Facing new COVID wave, Dutch delay care for cancer, heart patients
Dutch healthcare officials said on Friday they have begun delaying operations for some cancer and heart patients to free up space in intensive care units during a record wave of COVID-19 infections. "These are cancer patients that should actually be operated on within six weeks of diagnosis, and that won't be met in all cases. It's also heart patients," said a spokesperson for LCPS, the national organisation that allocates hospital resources. "It's horrible, of course, for the patients." The National Institute for Health (RIVM) reported a record of more than 23,000 new cases in the previous 24 hours on Thursday, compared with the previous daily high of around 13,000 reached in December 2020.
20th Nov 2021 - Reuters on MSN.com
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View this newsletter in fullSpain expands booster shot programme as COVID-19 cases rise
Spain is now offering third doses of COVID-19 vaccines to people aged 60 and over, expanding the booster shot programme from the previous age threshold of 70 as infections rise, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday. Spain has fully vaccinated 79% of its population, and started the campaign to administer booster shots last month, including for cancer patients, nursing home residents and other vulnerable groups.
18th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Greece calls up private doctors as COVID-19 cases surge
Greece on Thursday ordered private sector doctors in five regions in the north of the country to assist its health system as it grapples with a surge in COVID-19 infections. The government had called on private sector doctors to help out earlier this month, as Greece's public hospitals and intensive care wards have been overwhelmed by rising infections in recent weeks. The requisition order, published in the official government gazette, is effective for a month.
18th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Dutch weigh options to slow rising COVID-19 infections among children
Virologists in the Netherlands have proposed extending holidays over Christmas to slow a surge in COVID-19 cases among children that has forced half of schools nationwide to send classes home, but the government said it wanted to keep them open. The National Institute for Health (RIVM) reported a record number of over 110,000 cases in the week to Nov. 16, an increase of 44% from the previous seven days. The strongest rise was among children aged 4-12.
18th Nov 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullSpain Plans Booster Shots for Health Workers, Elderly as Covid Cases Rise
Spain will roll out Covid-19 booster shots to health workers and people older than 60, as the country seeks to contain a surge in infections that’s hitting across Europe. The move, which will be discussed with authorities in autonomous regions, aims to protect vulnerable groups, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday. He said the country’s high vaccination rates of about 80% has so far shielded the former hot spot from the worst of the latest wave of the pandemic.
Spain’s 14-day average infection rate has climbed 67% in two weeks to 82 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, but it remains well below countries like Germany and Austria, where less than 70% of the people are vaccinated.
18th Nov 2021 - Bloomberg
‘An absolute scandal’: UK threw away 600,000 vaccine doses after they passed expiry date
The UK threw away more than 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine after the life-saving jabs were allowed to pass their expiry date, The Independent can reveal.
In what has been described as an “absolute scandal”, the government failed to donate the doses to poorer countries struggling to access Covid vaccines – despite previous promises to redistribute supplies that were deemed surplus to requirements in the UK. The doses were no longer needed in Britain after the decision was made in May to stop offering the AstraZeneca vaccine to younger age groups because of concerns over rare blood clotting.
This left an excess of vaccines, 604,400 of which eventually expired in August before being destroyed at the end of the month, according to data obtained by a Freedom of Information request.
Labour said it was “staggering that such a colossal quantity of life-saving jabs were allowed to go to waste”, while Oxfam said it was “disgraceful” that doses were destroyed while health workers on the front line in poorer countries remained unprotected against Covid-19.
17th Nov 2021 - The Independent
Biden administration seeks to boost Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing to increase global supply
The Biden administration is seeking to boost Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing to increase the global vaccine supply, particularly in developing nations, as the US continues its efforts to share more vaccines abroad. "We are prepared to offer vaccine manufacturers who have demonstrated the capability to make mRNA vaccines substantial government resources to help them expand their domestic infrastructure and capacity (such as facilities, equipment, staff, or training) in order to make an additional 1 billion doses of vaccine available per year," an administration official said. The official added, "In the short term, this would make a significant amount of Covid-19 vaccine doses available at cost for global use, and in the long term, it would help establish sustained domestic manufacturing capacity to rapidly produce vaccines for future threats. We hope companies will take us up on this plan to help get more people here at home and around the world vaccinated."
17th Nov 2021 - CNN
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 17th Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullNHS boss Amanda Pritchard reveals health service is preparing a yearly Covid booster programme
Amanda Pritchard said the NHS is putting plans in place for yearly booster jabs
JCVI recommended booster programme should be extended to all over-40s
Ms Pritchard urged people to take up vaccination invitations 'as soon as possible'
16th Nov 2021 - Daily Mail
More than 10,000 Australians have filed coronavirus vaccine injury claims
Taxpayers are facing a hefty bill for rare but significant coronavirus vaccine injuries, with at least 10,000 people planning to claim under the federal government’s no-fault indemnity scheme. Services Australia is building an online portal, to be launched next month, for uncapped claims above $5000 from those who suffered injury and loss of income due to their COVID-19 vaccine, with compensation for medical costs and lost wages to be paid by the government.
16th Nov 2021 - Sydney Morning Herald
Nigeria plans mass vaccination drive, considers booster shot
Nigeria will start a mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign later this week, aiming to inoculate half of its targeted population by the end of January, government officials said. Africa's most-populous country has a goal to vaccinate 111 million people to reach herd immunity. Under the initiative to start on Friday, 55 million doses or more than a million a day will be administered. The country has to date vaccinated only 2.9% of those eligible to get vaccines.
16th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Russia to lift COVID-19 ban on flights to Brazil, Argentina, other countries from Dec. 1
Russia will lift its COVID-19 ban on flights to countries including Bangladesh, Brazil, Mongolia, Costa Rica and Argentina from Dec. 1, the government coronavirus task force said on Tuesday. The government stopped normal commercial flights abroad when the pandemic struck last year, but it has since been gradually relaxing the restrictions. The flight bans dealt a heavy blow to Russia's airlines.
16th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Greek health sector workers protest as hospitals struggle with COVID spike
Greek public health sector workers protested in Athens over pay and conditions on Monday as hospitals struggled with a new surge in COVID-19 cases and authorities considered further restrictions.The protesters said they were underpaid, overworked and understaffed. They called for more hirings, for the government to include them on a list of hazardous professions which receive hazard pay benefits, and for private doctors to be ordered to help. A decision by the government to suspend unvaccinated health sector workers has increased staff shortages, they said. Greece made vaccinations mandatory for nursing home staff in July and for healthcare workers in September.
16th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Hospitals in Slovak east fill up as COVID wave rages, new law tightens rules
Hospitals in Slovakia, one of Europe's least-vaccinated nations, have been filling up with coronavirus patients, with the northeastern region of Presov reporting almost no spare intensive care beds, authorities and hospitals said on Monday. President Zuzana Caputova has signed a law allowing the government to force unvaccinated people to test twice a week before attending work in the worst-affected regions and keep them out of restaurants and other services. The country of 5.5 million was not planning a national lockdown, however.
16th Nov 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullMany Logistics Firms Are Avoiding Covid-19 Vaccine Requirements Amid U.S. Mandate Debate
Freight transportation companies are cautiously stepping around a Covid-19 vaccination requirement while trade groups fight the federal mandate in court. Companies including United Parcel Service Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and others that manage warehouse staffers, truck drivers and other employees across logistics networks in general aren’t requiring employees outside of some office workers to get vaccinated against Covid-19. Many firms say they are encouraging staffers to get vaccinated while mandating protection measures in workplaces. The federal mandate, which is slated to go into effect Jan. 4, exempts workers who are exclusively outdoors and don’t report to a workplace where they interact with others. So it may leave out many truck drivers but not the office and warehouse workers who help move goods from factories to stores and residences.
15th Nov 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
OSHA, South Dakota pork plant settle coronavirus complaint
Federal workplace safety regulators announced Monday that they have reached an agreement with Smithfield Foods to settle a contested citation of the company’s coronavirus safety measures during a massive outbreak last year at a South Dakota pork processing plant. Under the agreement, Virginia-based Smithfield Foods will develop a plan to prevent infectious diseases at meatpacking plants nationwide and pay a $13,500 fine. Smithfield’s Sioux Falls plant was one the nation’s worst COVID-19 hotspots during the early days of the pandemic. By June 16, 2020, four workers were dead and nearly 1,300 had tested positive for the virus, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. After an investigation, the federal agency said Smithfield did not do enough to space workers out or provide other safety measures such as face coverings or physical barriers.
15th Nov 2021 - The Associated Press
Israel says children aged 5-11 can receive COVID-19 vaccine
Israel said on Sunday that children aged five to 11 would be eligible for vaccination against COVID-19, and that a starting date for the campaign would be made public within days. The decision, announced by the Health Ministry, followed approval by its expert panel on vaccinations last week, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use of Pfizer's (PFE.N) and BioNTech's vaccine for the age group at a 10-microgram dose. The original shot given to those aged 12 and older is 30 micrograms. Pfizer and BioNTech have said their vaccine showed 90.7% efficacy against the coronavirus in a clinical trial of children aged five to 11.
15th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Australia aims to vaccinate children under 12 against COVID-19 from January
Australia, quickly becoming one of most-vaccinated nations against COVID-19, will likely start administering the shots for children under the age of 12 in January, officials said on Sunday. Health Minister Greg Hunt said medical regulators are still reviewing the health and safety data for the vaccinations to be administered for children between the ages of five and 11 and are unlikely to decide this year. "The expectation that they have set is the first part of January, hopefully early January," Hunt told the Australian Broadcast Corp's Insiders programme. "But they're going as quickly as possible."
15th Nov 2021 - Reuters Australia
Pressure on Dutch hospitals mounts as COVID cases break records
Dutch hospitals are feeling the strain from a surge in COVID-19 patients but the worst has yet to come, the head of the country's hospital association said on Monday. The number of COVID-19 patients in Dutch hospitals increased to around 2,000 on Monday, including almost 400 in intensive care, reaching the highest level since May. With almost 250 new admissions every day, the hospitals are set to pass last winter's peak of around 2,800 coronavirus patients in little over a week, the LNAZ association’s head, Ernst Kuipers, told lawmakers.
15th Nov 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullAs the U.S. Races to Vaccinate Kids Against Covid-19, Some Countries Hold Back
The U.S. is at the forefront of the race to vaccinate young children. Many governments elsewhere are treading more cautiously. In Mexico, the president says he won’t be held hostage by vaccine makers and there are no plans to inoculate under-18s except those at risk. In many parts of Africa, rollouts are going so slowly that vaccinating children is a distant ambition. Some governments are waiting to see how the campaign in the U.S. goes before moving ahead. The U.S., where children between 5 and 11 are getting shots for the first time this month, isn’t alone: Children as young as 3 are being vaccinated in countries such as Colombia, Argentina and China.
13th Nov 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
More than 10,000 COVID-19 booster breakthroughs - cause for concern?
The Pfizer vaccines were not evaluated for preventing infection, but rather symptomatic or severe disease and death. And when it comes to these statistics at least for now, the vaccines seem to be doing their job. The percentage of people testing positive for the virus has declined from an aveage of more than 5% to just 0.56%. And hospitalisations have gone down too, hitting only 200 people on Friday with 20% of the patients in only a mild condition.
13th Nov 2021 - The Jerusalem Post
German Vaccines Lag, Cases Spike, With Troops on Standby to Help
Germany is being battered by a fourth Covid wave, with low vaccination rates in its eastern states a big reason the virus has regained a foothold. The four regions registering the lowest vaccination rates -- Saxony, Thuringia, Brandenburg, and Saxony-Anhalt -- are all in the formerly communist East. No state in eastern Germany has an inoculation level that exceeds the nationwide rate of 67.5% fully vaccinated, with the exception of once-divided Berlin, according to health ministry data. Germany’s military will put as many as 12,000 troops on standby to help overburdened health clinics and to speed the rollout of booster vaccines, Der Spiegel reported Saturday
13th Nov 2021 - Bloomberg
Japan adding more hospital beds in plan for next virus surge
The Japanese government’s preparations for the next virus surge include adding thousands more hospital beds to avoid a situation like last summer when many COVID-19 patients were forced to stay home, even while dependent on oxygen deliveries. Even though Japan has a reasonable health insurance system and the world’s largest number of beds per capita, COVID-19 patients were admitted to only a fraction of the beds, mostly at public, university and major private hospitals. The government has provided subsidies to lure more hospitals to treat such patients, but progress is slow, triggering calls for tougher measures in an emergency.
12th Nov 2021 - The Associated Press
'Caregivers are getting burned out by the pandemic': Labor shortages are taking a huge toll on nursing homes
The U.S. is experiencing one of its worst labor shortages in decades. It’s likely the reason why your pizza took longer than usual to get delivered or why your flight may have been canceled. And it’s also the reason why you’re probably going to have a tough time getting a friend or loved one into an assisted living facility or nursing home, and why you may be more concerned about a vulnerable family member currently residing in one. Since the beginning of the pandemic, some 221,000 people have left the industry. That amounts to a 14% drop in employment, according to a report published by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, trade organizations that collectively represent some 14,000 nursing homes and assisted living communities across the country.
Among all health-care sectors, nursing homes have lost the most jobs since before the pandemic, according to the report, which is based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
12th Nov 2021 - MarketWatch
Experts optimistic Spain will avoid sixth coronavirus wave despite surge in cases across Europe
Despite the success of Spain’s Covid-19 vaccination drive – 88.9% of the over-12 population is fully vaccinated, according to the Health Ministry – there are growing concerns about the delicate situation in many other European countries. Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, which have lower vaccination rates than Spain, on Thursday reported the highest daily number of coronavirus cases seen since the beginning of the pandemic. Fatalities for Covid-19 are also rising in these countries. The question many are asking now is if Spain is on the brink of a sixth wave.
12th Nov 2021 - EL PAÍS
No takers for second dose? Adopt the Singapore model
With many yet to take the second dose of vaccine even after completing the mandatory gap of 84 days after the first dose, health experts are clamouring for adopting the Singapore model where particllay vaccinated citizens are not allowed to visit public places.
12th Nov 2021 - Bangalore Mirror
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View this newsletter in fullEllume's COVID-19 home test recall most serious, FDA says
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration classified the recall of Ellume's over-the-counter COVID-19 home test as Class 1, the most serious type of recall, after the Australian diagnostic test maker removed some of its tests from the market last month. Ellume had cited higher-than-acceptable false positive test results for SARS-CoV-2 as the reason for the recall. A 'false positive' indicates that a person has the virus when they actually do not.
11th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Chinese city Dalian halts frozen food trade after COVID-19 cases
Chinese port city Dalian has ordered all businesses handling imported chilled and frozen foods to suspend operations after an outbreak of COVID-19 that began last week. The city on China's northeast coast has reported more than 80 COVID-19 cases over the past week, with the first in a warehouse worker in the Zhuanghe area of the city on Nov. 4. Local authorities issued the order on Monday, state-backed newspaper Global Times reported on Thursday.
11th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Moderna offers COVID-19 shot at $7 to African Union - Africa CDC head
Moderna Inc has offered to sell its COVID-19 vaccines to the African Union at $7 a shot, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control John Nkengasong said on Thursday, half the price paid by the United States earlier in the year. It is also a substantial discount to what other buyers like the European Union have agreed this year, part of a broader trend for drugmakers to sell at lower prices to lower income countries. "I am happy to say that a dose of the Moderna vaccine will be $7. That is what is being offered to us," Nkengasong told a weekly virtual media briefing.
11th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Canada's new COVID-19 epicenters are more remote, less vaccinated and less resourced
Canada's coronavirus epicenters are shifting from dense urban zones to more rural or remote areas that have lower vaccination rates and fewer public health resources. Some of those areas were spared in earlier waves of the pandemic and are now forced to contend with a widely spreading virulent strain of the coronavirus with fewer options at their disposal to deal with the surge. Canada has high overall vaccination rates but pockets of hesitancy allow the virus to spread.
11th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Beijing city imposes COVID restrictions on conferences, events
Authorities in Beijing city imposed new curbs on conferences and events after confirming on Thursday six locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, including individuals who had attended conferences in person in the city. Beijing city has reported fewer than 50 COVID-19 local symptomatic infections in the current outbreak that led to over 1,000 local cases since mid-October, but has taken tough measures to block potential routes of further transmission under China's zero-tolerance policy. The city is also the host of the Winter Olympics in February.
11th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Nepal to vaccinate all adults by mid-April: Health minister
Nepal will obtain enough vaccines to immunise all adults against COVID-19 by mid-April and is focusing on getting doses into remote mountainous areas of the Himalayan nation, says the health minister. The government will hire workers and set up vaccination centres to meet the target, Health Minister Birod Khatiwada told The Associated Press in an interview on Wednesday. “We are going to meet our target or even exceed our goal because we are already getting enough vaccines,” said Khatiwada, who was appointed last month. “We are going to hire more health workers so they are able to reach all remote corners of the country and set up new vaccine centres to reach all the population.” Nepal’s immunisation campaign began in January with vaccines donated by neighbouring India but stalled when India faced a devastating surge of COVID-19 and halted vaccine exports.
11th Nov 2021 - AlJazeera
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 11th Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullWHO highlights that Europe is only region with rising COVID cases and deaths, as Russia overtakes U.S. for most fatalities in a week
The World Health Organization highlighted Wednesday that Europe was the only region showing rising cases and deaths from the coronavirus-borne illness COVID-19 in the latest week, led by Russia, where low vaccine take-up is believed to be responsible for about 1,200 deaths a day. Russia counted 281,305 new cases in the week to Nov. 7, according to the agency’s weekly epidemiological update, or 371.4 new cases per 100,000 residents. There were 8,276 new fatalities in Russia in the week, or 5.7 new deaths per 100,000 residents, little changed from the prior week. Russia set yet another one-day record death toll on Wednesday of 1,239, and is now leading the world by weekly deaths for the first time since the start of the pandemic, the Moscow Times reported.
10th Nov 2021 - MarketWatch
Two Million Ellume Covid Tests Recalled on False Positive Risk
Ellume Ltd. is recalling 2.2 million at-home Covid-19 tests because they risk returning false positives, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. The regulator classified the action on Wednesday as a class I recall, the most serious kind, saying it has received 35 reports of false positives from the test made by the Australian company. Incorrect results could lead a person to wrongly receive Covid-19 treatments or isolate when they don’t need to, the FDA said. “The Ellume team offers its sincere apologies for the stress or difficulties people may have experienced due to a false positive result,” a company spokesperson said in an email. “We have and will continue to work diligently to ensure test accuracy, in all cases.”
10th Nov 2021 - Bloomberg
Germany coronavirus: Record rise prompts warning of 100,000 deaths
One of Germany's top virologists has warned that a further 100,000 people will die from Covid if nothing's done to halt an aggressive fourth wave. Case numbers have soared and Germany on Wednesday registered its highest rate of infection since the pandemic began, with almost 40,000 cases in a day. "We have to act right now," said Christian Drosten, who described a real emergency situation. Doctors in the intensive care Covid ward at Leipzig University Hospital warn this fourth wave could be the worst yet.
10th Nov 2021 - BBC News
Singapore will stop covering the medical bills of unvaccinated COVID-19 patients
Singapore's government has been covering the medical bills of COVID-19 patients throughout the pandemic. But it says unvaccinated people will soon be on their own. Those who are "unvaccinated by choice" will have to start paying for their own COVID-19 treatment starting Dec. 8, the Ministry of Health announced on Monday, citing the strain they are putting on the nation's health care system. "Currently, unvaccinated persons make up a sizeable majority of those who require intensive inpatient care, and disproportionately contribute to the strain on our healthcare resources," it said in a statement.
10th Nov 2021 - NPR
Thailand offers COVID-19 vaccines to migrant workers
Thailand will set aside up to 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines for foreign workers as it prepares to welcome them back to the country to help ease a labour shortage, a government minister said on Wednesday. The government plans to allow workers from neighbouring Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos to re-enter the country beginning next month and fill up shortages in big exporting industries such as food and rubber production. Workers will be placed in a two-week quarantine and during that time the vaccines will be administered, Labor Minister Suchart Chomklin said. They will also be tested for COVID-19.
10th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Guinea starts vaccinating children against COVID-19 with Pfizer, Moderna
Guinea will begin vaccinating children aged 12-17 against COVID-19 with a consignment of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines on Wednesday, the health ministry said. Most African countries have been reliant on the COVAX vaccine sharing initiative for doses, and have inoculated only a small fraction of their populations.
Guinea received a quantity of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines in late October and early November, the National Agency for Health Security said in a statement. It did not say how many doses were received or from where.
10th Nov 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19 surges expand in Europe
At least three countries, all with low vaccination rates, reported new daily record highs for deaths: Russia, Ukraine, and Bulgaria, according to media reports. Russia recently ended a week-long non-working period, and federal officials said it's too soon to tell if the step helped cut transmission, according to the Washington Post, which said less than 40% of the country is fully vaccinated. Cases are on the rise, however, even in countries with robust vaccine uptake. In the Netherlands, where cases have been rising since early October, the adult vaccination level is about 85%. A hospital group in the southern province of Limburg today urged the government to take stronger measures, warning that they are out of space and staff and that other areas may soon face similar situations, according to Reuters.
10th Nov 2021 - CIDRAP
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View this newsletter in fullIn vaccine-wary Latvia, bodies pile up in hospital morgue
In an inconspicuous building of the main hospital in the Latvian city of Daugavpils, bags containing the bodies of dead COVID-19 patients lie on the ground of a makeshift morgue, held here as city gravediggers clear space for new graves. Latvia, one of the least vaccinated countries in the European Union, is facing its most severe outbreak of COVID-19 yet. In Daugavpils, where vaccine uptake is especially low, deaths have soared.
9th Nov 2021 - Reuters
New vaccine campaigns target rural Americans to address disparities
In the United States, there is a renewed campaign to vaccinate rural Americans due to the stark difference in Covid-19 cases and deaths among those living in less-populated areas compared with towns and cities. Rural residents are now twice as likely to die from Covid-19 as Americans in metropolitan areas. Yet rural areas tend to lag at least 10% behind metropolitan areas when it comes to vaccination – and this hesitancy is exacerbating already existing health issues. “Rural populations are older, they’re sicker and they’re poorer,” said Fred Ullrich, research analyst at the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis and co-author of a report on Covid’s disproportionate burden on rural communities.
9th Nov 2021 - The Guardian
Bangladesh's Beximco to sell first generic version of Merck COVID-19 pill
A Bangladeshi drugmaker will soon begin selling the world's first generic version of Merck's COVID-19 pill, molnupiravir, which has been touted as a potential game-changer in the fight against the pandemic. Beximco Pharmaceuticals will first sell generic molnupiravir in Bangladesh before considering exports based on global regulatory approvals, it said on Tuesday. The generic version has received emergency use authorisation from Bangladesh's drug regulators.
9th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Morgues, hospitals struggle with COVID-19 deaths in Romania
The morgue in Romania’s main hospital has no space for the dead any more. In a stark illustration of the human cost of the coronavirus surge sweeping the nation, bodies of COVID-19 victims, wrapped in black plastic bags, line a hallway of the hospital in the capital, Bucharest. Hundreds of people have been dying each day for the past two months in Romania. The country has been among the hardest-hit in the current virus onslaught raging through Central and Eastern European nations, where far fewer people have been vaccinated than in Western Europe.
9th Nov 2021 - Al Jazeera English
Global COVID-19 total tops 250 million infections
At a World Health Organization (WHO) media briefing on Nov 4, the group's COVID-19 technical lead, Maria Van Kerkhove, PhD, said virus activity is rising in places where it shouldn't be—in countries with ample vaccine and tools to fight the pandemic. She urged world leaders and health officials to channel their grief and anger over the pandemic's grim totals into actions to bring transmission under control and cut severe impacts and deaths. "The trajectory of the pandemic is in our hands. It has always been in our hands. What happens now and into 2022 is up to us," she said. In Europe, currently the world's main hot spot, Russia's week-long work stoppage designed to curb virus transmission has ended, but cases are still near record daily highs. Meanwhile, Germany's 7-day incidence rate climbed to its highest level of the pandemic, according to the latest update from the Robert Koch Institute. Health officials are facing the prospect of postponing some surgeries, and some regions are already transferring patients to cope with increased burden on hospitals from COVID-19 patients.
9th Nov 2021 - CIDRAP
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View this newsletter in full'This is far worse than January – the vaccine hasn't saved us this time'
“We should all be rated inadequate.” The call HSJ received on Sunday lunchtime from one of the most respected chief executives in the NHS carried an air of desperation.
8th Nov 2021 - Health Service Journal
Australia begins vaccine booster rollout as more curbs ease in Sydney
Australia began administering booster shots of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine on Monday as millions of people in its largest city, Sydney, woke up to more freedom amid an accelerating immunisation drive. Australia's vaccination rate has picked up pace since July, after widely missing its initial targets, when its southeast was hit by a third wave of infections triggered by the highly infectious Delta variant forcing months-long lockdowns. Sydney and Melbourne, its largest cities and worst hit by the Delta wave, have been racing through their inoculations before gradually relaxing restrictions. Life returned close to normal on Monday in New South Wales, home to Sydney, as the state nears its 90% dual-dose vaccinations in people above 16.
8th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Japan has zero daily COVID-19 deaths for first time in 15 months - media
Japan recorded no daily deaths from COVID-19 for the first time in more than a year on Sunday, local media said. Prior to Sunday, there had not been a day without a COVID-19 death since Aug. 2, 2020, according to a tally by national broadcaster NHK. COVID-19 cases and deaths have fallen dramatically throughout Japan as vaccinations have increased to cover more than 70% of the population.
8th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Navajo Nation reports 60 more COVID-19 cases, no deaths
The Navajo Nation has reported 60 more COVID-19 cases but no new deaths. The latest numbers released Sunday pushed the tribe’s totals to 37,411 confirmed COVID-19 cases from the virus since the pandemic began more than a year ago.
The known death toll remains at 1,498. The tribe reported no COVID-related deaths 23 times in a 35-day span before reporting five deaths on Thursday and one death on Friday along with 88 new cases. Based on cases from Oct. 15-28, the Navajo Department of Health issued an advisory for 58 communities due to uncontrolled spread of COVID-19.Tribal officials still are urging people to get vaccinated, wear masks while in public and minimize their travel.
8th Nov 2021 - The Associated Press
China’s Army Furnishes Foreign Militaries With Covid-19 Vaccines
In Zimbabwe, where just 18% of the population are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, the armed forces have a surplus of shots thanks to a gift from a powerful benefactor: China’s People’s Liberation Army. In the Philippines, another PLA donation has helped the majority of service members get vaccinated. In Ethiopia, where the Biden administration is levying fresh sanctions over alleged atrocities committed in an offensive against Tigray rebels, the PLA has delivered 300,000 Covid-19 vaccines to government troops. The People’s Liberation Army has rapidly expanded vaccine donations to military forces this year across four continents. Chinese Defense Ministry figures show that as of September, it had made more than 30 deliveries to about two dozen countries.
8th Nov 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
Health Minister Joe Phaahla urges South Africans to vaccinate before 'imminent' fourth wave
Health Minister Joe Phaahla has urged South Africans to vaccinated against Covid-19 pandemic “ahead of the imminent fourth wave that could hit the country soon.” Speaking at the Gomora Informal Settlement in Pretoria over the weekend, Phaahla described the life-saving vaccines as the only hope of long-term success in eradicating the coronavirus. “We are not oblivious to the fact that we are not yet out of trouble. The virus is still in our midst and every day we record a number of infections,” the minister said. He added: “We have all learned over the last 20 months that it is not over. There is going to be another resurgence of the infection and, therefore, we must be ready and protect all our people.” While South Africa had sufficient stock to inoculate citizens, Phaahla said the government was still struggling to reach people.
8th Nov 2021 - iol.co.za
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View this newsletter in fullU.S. braces for surge of vaccinated international travelers
The United States is expecting a flood of international visitors crossing its borders by air and by land on Monday after lifting travel restrictions for much of the world's population first imposed in early 2020 to address the spread of COVID-19. United Airlines is expecting about 50% more total international inbound passengers Monday compared to last Monday when it had about 20,000. And Delta Air Lines Chief Executive Ed Bastian has warned travelers should be prepared for initial long lines.
7th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Sydney to further ease COVID-19 curbs on Monday as vaccinations pick up
Australia's largest city of Sydney will further ease social distancing curbs on Monday, a month after emerging from a coronavirus lockdown that lasted nearly 100 days, as close to 90% of people have got both doses of vaccine, officials said.
Although limited to people who are fully inoculated, the relaxation in the state of New South Wales, home to Sydney, lifts limits on house guests or outdoor gatherings, among other measures. "We're leading the nation out of the pandemic," said state premier Dominic Perrottet, as he called for a "final push" to reach, and even surpass, a milestone of 95% vaccinations.
7th Nov 2021 - Reuters
New Zealand's daily coronavirus cases cross 200 for first time in pandemic
New Zealand's 206 new daily community infections on Saturday carried it past the double-hundred mark for the first time during the coronavirus pandemic, as the nation scrambles to vaccinate its population of 5 million. The most populous city of Auckland, which reported 200 of the new cases, has lived under COVID-19 curbs for nearly three months as it battles an outbreak of the infectious Delta variant, although restrictions are expected to ease on Monday
6th Nov 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullEurope Is Covid Epicenter Once Again As Cases Surge, WHO Says
The World Health Organization warned that a surge of coronavirus cases in Europe and Central Asia has pushed the region back as the epicenter of the pandemic. There are now 78 million cases in the European region, which is more than infections reported in Southeast Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Western Pacific and Africa combined, according to the WHO. Last week, Europe and Central Asia accounted for almost half of the world’s reported deaths from Covid-19. The outbreak has accelerating in Europe over the last four weeks as colder temperatures lead to more socializing indoors, while many countries have eased restrictions. The WHO has repeatedly said that the pandemic is not yet over, and that governments should keep public-health measures such as mask-wearing along with vaccinations.
4th Nov 2021 - Bloomberg
First elementary school-age kids receive coronavirus vaccine
Hugs with friends. Birthday parties indoors. Pillow fights. Kids who got their first coronavirus shots Wednesday said these are the pleasures they look forward to as the United States enters a major new phase in fighting the pandemic. Health officials hailed shots for kids ages 5 to 11 as a major breakthrough after more than 18 months of illness, hospitalizations, deaths and disrupted education. Kid-size doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine cleared two final hurdles Tuesday — a recommendation from CDC advisers, followed by a green light from Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
4th Nov 2021 - The Washington Post
Turkey to start booster shots for Pfizer COVID vaccine recipients -minister
Turkey will begin administering boosters to people who have received two shots of the Pfizer Inc/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Wednesday. Turkey has already administered a third dose to more than 11.2 million people who received two doses of the vaccine developed by China's Sinovac, whose efficacy rate officials believe falls faster. In a statement after meeting with his science council, Koca said the booster shots for Pfizer/BioNTech recipients would begin on Thursday with the elderly, those with chronic illnesses, health workers and those in other high-risk jobs.
4th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Factbox: Countries rush to buy Merck's experimental COVID-19 pill
While the drug's approval in the United States is still pending, Britain on Thursday became the first country in the world to approve the pill. Last week the company reached a deal with the United Nations-backed Medicines Patent Pool that will allow more companies to manufacture generic versions of the pill with a royalty-free licence applying to 105 low- and middle-income countries. So far Merck has agreed to license the drug to several India-based generic drugmakers.
4th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Vienna bans the unvaccinated from restaurants as national cases surge
The City of Vienna said on Thursday it is banning people not vaccinated against COVID-19 from cafes, restaurants and events with more than 25 people, pre-empting measures that are likely to be introduced across Austria soon as infections are surging. Roughly 64% of Austria's population is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. That matches the European Union average but is also among the lowest rates in western Europe. Many Austrians are sceptical about vaccines, a view encouraged by the far-right Freedom Party, the third biggest in parliament.
4th Nov 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 has retreated across the Americas, regional health agency says
COVID-19 deaths and infections have declined across the Americas for the 8th consecutive week, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday, warning that a very high percentage of hospitalized cases now are unvaccinated people. In North America, all three countries reported drops in weekly cases and deaths, and there has been a notable decline in hospitalizations in the United States and Canada, PAHO said, with similar declines in South and Central America.
3rd Nov 2021 - Reuters
France reports more than 10000 new COVID cases for 1st time in two months
French health authorities reported 10,050 daily new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, the first time the tally has topped 10,000 since Sept 14. In another sign the virus is ramping up again, hospitalisations for the disease are up by 84, at 6,764, a rise unseen since Sept 6. The cumulative total of new cases now stands at 7.18 million. The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care rose by 5 in 24 hours to 1,096 and by 58 over a week.
3rd Nov 2021 - Reuters
Biden says vaccines for children will be available at about 20000 locations
U.S. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday there will be enough COVID-19 vaccines by next week for children and these shots will be available at about 20,000 locations around the country. The United States has started administering the COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 5 to 11, the latest group to become eligible for the shots that provide protection against the illness.
3rd Nov 2021 - Reuters
Covid cases are surging in countries such as Romania and China – and scientists say the UK can learn from them
Countries around the world are reintroducing measures such as mask-wearing and work-from-home orders to curb a surge in Covid cases, which experts say the UK should also be doing instead of relying on vaccines alone. The Netherlands became one of the first countries in western Europe to bring back masks, while Russia said an order for people not to go to work for a week from 30 October could be extended after it reported a record 1,178 Covid daily deaths on Tuesday. China’s zero-Covid policy has allowed it to quickly quell local outbreaks but not stop them entirely, while increased cases in Romania and Ireland has seen authorities reimpose or extend measures for several weeks.
3rd Nov 2021 - iNews
S.Korean teens drive up COVID-19 cases ahead of full school reopening
South Korea said on Wednesday it would ramp up COVID-19 testing at schools after a sharp rise of infections among children, weeks ahead of a plan to fully reopen schools nationwide. The surge comes as new social distancing rules aimed at a phased return to normal came into effect on Monday as a part of the country's plan to gradually move toward living with COVID-19 on the back of high vaccination rates.
3rd Nov 2021 - Reuters
U.S. begins effort to vaccinate young children against COVID-19
Seven-year-old Gael Coreas stuck out his left arm fearlessly to receive his first COVID-19 shot at a health clinic in the nation's capital on Wednesday, wincing briefly as cameras flashed to capture the moment. Coreas was in the first cohort of young children to be inoculated as the United States on Wednesday began administering the COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 5 to 11, the latest group to become eligible for the shots that provide protection against the illness to recipients and those around them.
3rd Nov 2021 - Reuters
In vaccine-sceptic Ukraine, one spa town bucks trend
Ukraine is battling record COVID-19 deaths and low vaccine uptake but the spa town of Morshyn is an exception. In Morshyn, 74% of 3,439 adult residents are double vaccinated, more than triple the national average, and currently only three people have been hospitalised with COVID-19. The town, which gives its name to a popular mineral water brand, has come to national attention at a time when hospitals in Ukrainian cities are filling up with COVID-19 patients and the country had to import medical oxygen from Poland.
3rd Nov 2021 - Thomson Reuters Foundation
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View this newsletter in fullColorado at Risk of Running Out of Hospital Beds This Month
Colorado could come close to running out of hospital beds in late November or early December if Covid-19 infections accelerate, officials warned Tuesday. An estimated 1,900 of the state’s roughly 2,000 beds could be occupied under a worst-case scenario, Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist, said during an online news briefing. At the current pace, hospitalizations are projected to peak at 1,500, Herlihy said. An estimated 1-in-51 state residents are contagious, Governor Jared Polis said during the briefing, imploring Coloradoans to get vaccinated. Polis said the delta variant is “like a laser-guided missile.”
2nd Nov 2021 - Bloomberg
Prisons are facing staff shortages as correctional officers quit over 'unsafe working conditions,' fear of contracting COVID-19 and vaccine mandates
Prisons across the U.S. are reporting staffing shortages as correctional officers retire and quit in droves. Some, such as Lance Lowry, of Texas, have quit due to the increased risk of COVID-19 for prison employees. Other workers report bad working conditions including 'understaffing, poor pay and poor benefits.' Unions warn that correctional officers will leave over vaccine mandates with just 63% vaccinated or planning to be as of early October. States are trying to offers incentives including hiring bonuses, better pay at critical units and extra time off for staff who refer new hires
2nd Nov 2021 - Daily Mail
COVID-19: Earlier close for test sites in England sparks fears most deprived won't be able to check symptoms
Coronavirus testing centres have reduced their opening hours due to "limited demand" in the evenings, prompting fears the most disadvantaged won't be able to get tests. From 1 November onwards, NHS Test and Trace sites in England are closing two hours earlier - at 6pm instead of 8pm. The government claims "recent analysis has shown there is limited demand for PCR testing between 6pm and 8pm" and the decision "provides the best possible value for taxpayers' money". People "unable to attend PCR test appointments before 6pm" can also get home testing kits delivered, it adds. But Dr Deepti Gurdasani, clinical epidemiologist at Queen Mary University, says it will affect those who are worse off.
2nd Nov 2021 - Sky News
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View this newsletter in fullLatvia gets ventilators, other aid from EU countries amid COVID spike
Latvia has received shipments of emergency medical equipment from the Netherlands, Finland, Hungary and Sweden as it fights the worst surge in new COVID-19 cases in the European Union amid a low take-up of vaccinations. The Baltic country of 1.9 million people filed a request last week to the European Union for more than 130 ventilators and hundreds of vital signs monitors, BNS news agency said. Latvian hospitals were treating 1,526 coronavirus patients on Sunday, their highest number ever, the public broadcaster said. One large Riga hospital, the PSKUS, converted its hallway into a makeshift ward on Monday to treat patients, news portal Delfi reported.
1st Nov 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullTakeda eyeing early 2022 rollout of Novavax's COVID-19 shot in Japan - CEO
Takeda Pharmaceutical Co, the Japanese partner for Novavax Inc's COVID-19 vaccine, is preparing to seek regulatory approval for a roll out in Japan early next year, its top executive said on Friday. Novavax delayed filing for U.S. approval to the end of this year, and Politico reported this month that the Maryland-based company has faced production and quality problems. The drugmaker filed for conditional authorisation to British regulators on Wednesday and with Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration on Friday
30th Oct 2021 - Reuters
As vaccination mandate looms, New York prepares for shortage of firefighters, police
New York City officials on Friday were preparing for shortages of firefighters, police officers and other first responders as a showdown looms between the city and its unvaccinated uniformed workforce, who face a 5 p.m. deadline to be immunized.
De Blasio, who announced the mandate nine days ago, said officials would manage any staffing gaps with overtime and schedule changes and by enlisting private ambulance companies to cover for the city's paramedics.
30th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Singapore Turns F1 Pit Building Into Temporary Hospital for Covid Patients
Singapore’s large F1 pit building, normally used for the high-profile Grand Prix races that have been canceled a second year running due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is being converted into a medical facility for coronavirus patients, the Straits Times reported. The building has been identified as a suitable temporary venue because it has ready facilities and isn’t being used for F1 race activities, Ong Ling Lee, director of sports at the Singapore Tourism Board, told the Straits Times, adding that the place had been used for swab tests last year.
29th Oct 2021 - Bloomberg
Moderna to supply 56.5 mln more doses of its COVID-19 shot to vaccine alliance GAVI
Moderna Inc announced a pact with the GAVI vaccine alliance to supply a further 56.5 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in the second quarter of next year to low- and middle-income countries. The vaccine maker said the doses will be in addition to an earlier commitment to supply 60 million doses in the second quarter of 2022 to GAVI, which co-leads the COVAX facility for equitable distribution of COVID-19 shots around the world. The COVAX facility, backed by the World Health Organization and GAVI, has delivered some 400 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to more than 140 low- and middle-income countries, but several countries run the risk of failing to meet WHO's target of 40% vaccination coverage by year-end
29th Oct 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullIndia's Optimus Pharma seeks approval to produce generic Merck COVID-19 pill
Indian bulk drugs manufacturer Optimus Pharma is seeking domestic regulatory approval to produce a generic version of Merck & Co's oral COVID-19 treatment molnupiravir, the company's top executive told Reuters on Thursday.
If granted emergency use approval, the company could scale up production to 80 million capsules a month and is targeting a price of 40 cents per capsule, said D. Srinivasa Reddy, managing director at the Hyderabad-based company.
28th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19: global vaccine production is a mess and shortages are down to more than just hoarding
In March 2021 drug manufacturers predicted that 12 billion doses of covid-19 vaccine, enough to fully immunise at least 70% of the world’s population, could be manufactured by the end of the year.1 That assessment was confirmed in September in a report by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations,2 though it also warned that “most doses in the production queue are already allocated” to high income countries. At the time of writing, only 1.3% of people in low income countries have received their jabs. Seventy countries have yet to vaccinate 10% of their populations, and 30 countries—including much of Africa—have vaccinated fewer than 2%.3 In Latin America, only one in four of the population has received a dose of covid vaccine.
28th Oct 2021 - The BMJ
Sixty million vaccine doses to be made on Teesside if regulator gives approval
Sixty million doses of the Novavax coronavirus vaccine will be produced on Teesside if approval is given by the UK's medicine regulator. The manufacturer has submitted final data on the vaccine to the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) - and anticipates a "positive decision". If successful, it would mean all 60 million doses of the vaccine Britain has ordered would be produced by Fujifilm in Billingham. Stanley Erck, Novavax president, said: "This submission brings Novavax significantly closer to delivering millions of doses of the first protein-based Covid-19 vaccine, built on a proven, well-understood vaccine platform that demonstrated high efficacy against multiple strains of the coronavirus." According to the results of a phase three trial, announced in March, the jab offers 100% protection against severe disease, including all hospital admission and death.
28th Oct 2021 - ITV News
India: over 100 million people fail to turn up for second Covid vaccine
More than 100 million Indians have not turned up for their second coronavirus vaccine dose, official data showed, raising concerns of a resurgence in the disease despite a relatively low infection rate. Apart from leaving these people at risk of catching Covid-19, their “vaccine truancy” endangers India’s target of inoculating all adults by 31 December, a target that is in any case unlikely to be met owing to the earlier shortage of vaccines at the start of the inoculation campaign. “We have seen this complacency with tuberculosis patients. They start taking the drugs and after a few weeks, they feel better so they stop even though they have to take them for six months,” said Bhavna Dewan, a health worker in Nainital. “It’s a similar mentality with the vaccine. I’m sure they feel one dose is enough because no one is falling ill.”
28th Oct 2021 - The Guardian
Exclusive: Tens of millions of J&J COVID-19 shots sit at Baltimore factory
An estimated 30 million to 50 million doses of Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ.N) COVID-19 vaccine made early this year sits idle in Emergent BioSolutions Inc's plant in Baltimore awaiting a green light from U.S. regulators to ship, two sources familiar with the matter said. Emergent, a contract drug manufacturer, is waiting for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve release of those doses. The agency must still inspect and authorize the plant before Emergent can ship newly manufactured drug substance, one of the sources said.
28th Oct 2021 - Reuters
EU set to produce over 3.5 billion COVID vaccine doses in 2022 - chief executive
The European Union will produce more than 3.5 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines next year, the head of the bloc's excutive, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, said on Thursday. She added that the majority of these vaccines will be shipped abroad.
28th Oct 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullProvince of British Columbia to offer COVID-19 booster shots to all residents
British Columbia will begin offering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to everyone over the age of 12 from January, officials said on Tuesday, becoming the first major Canadian province to significantly widen eligibility for boosters. People over the age of 70 as well as indigenous people over 12 will be invited to book shots sooner than the new year, said Dr. Bonnie Henry, the province's medical officer of health. Residents of long term and assisted living are already eligible.
27th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Sweden to extend COVID booster shots to all aged 65 or above
Sweden will start offering COVID-19 booster shots to people aged 65 or older as well as many care workers and plans to gradually extend the third jabs to most Swedes in the coming months, the government said on Wednesday. The booster shots of mRNA vaccine will be gradually extended to cover all people in the Nordic country aged 16 or older during the winter and spring, Health Minister Lena Hallengren told a news conference.
27th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Miami private school scraps policy to send home vaccinated students after funding threatened
A Miami private school known for its aggressive stance against coronavirus vaccines is abandoning an attendance policy that would have forced students to stay home for 30 days after each dose. Centner Academy reversed course less than two weeks after announcing the controversial policy, spurred by a letter from the Florida Department of Education warning that the pre-K-8 private school could lose state funding if it pursued the post-vaccination attendance plan.
27th Oct 2021 - The Washington Post
Facebook is having a tougher time managing vaccine misinformation than it is letting on, leaks suggest
Facebook has touted the resources it has dedicated to tackling Covid-19 and vaccine misinformation, even scolding US President Joe Biden for his harsh criticism of the company's handling of the issue. In doing so, it claimed that "more than 2 billion people have viewed authoritative information about COVID-19 and vaccines on Facebook, which is more than any other place on the internet." But internal Facebook (FB) documents suggest a disconnect between what the company has said publicly about its overall response to Covid-19 misinformation and some of its employees' findings concerning the issue.
27th Oct 2021 - CNN
Vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 could be available as soon as the first week of November
An independent panel of vaccine experts said Tuesday that the Food and Drug Administration should grant emergency authorization to administer the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine to children 5 to 11 years old. The decision comes amid a nationwide effort to make vaccines available to this group of 28 million children by the first week of November, according to the Biden administration.
27th Oct 2021 - The Washington Post
My daughter was bullied at school for having the Covid jab. No wonder UK take-up is low
I’m worried that part of the reason for a slow uptake of the vaccine among 12 to 15-year-olds is that their issues around it are not being addressed adequately: there’s a sense that they are just being tacked on at the end of the successful adult rollout. They need to be addressed directly and clearly, and their concerns listened to. I’ve seen a lot of “what I need to know about my child and the vaccine” articles for parents in recent weeks, but there don’t seem to be many equivalents for 12 to 15-year-olds to read themselves. Reels and videos on social media help, particularly those made by people in the same age group, but surely there needs to be more official – and factchecked – dedicated communications for teens who may have concerns about the vaccine.
27th Oct 2021 - The Guardian
High Covid-19 case rates are 'partly down to more tests'
Do not “bash the UK” for its high Covid-19 case rates compared with other countries, the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group has said, as some of the difference is simply because of more testing. Professor Sir Andrew Pollard told MPs that while transmission rates were clearly high, comparisons with other nations did not take into account different testing regimens. This might partly explain why UK case rates are four times those in Germany and eight times those in France. “If you look across western Europe, we have about ten times more tests done each day than some other countries per head of population,” Pollard told the Commons science and technology committee. “We do have a lot of transmission at the moment but it’s not
27th Oct 2021 - The Times
Sturgeon: Cop26 does pose threat of increased Covid-19 infection
Nicola Sturgeon has announced almost £500 million of further funding to help in the fight against Covid – as she warned that the Cop26 international climate conference “inevitably” poses a risk of increased transmission of the virus. With delegates from across the world now starting to arrive in Scotland ahead of the UN climate summit, the Scottish First Minister said the coronavirus situation remained “fragile”. While cases in Scotland had been declining, Ms Sturgeon said this had now levelled off, with the most recent figures showing a “slight increase”.
26th Oct 2021 - Evening Standard
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View this newsletter in fullPediatric Covid Hospital Visits Plunge in U.S. as Schools Reopen
Hospital admissions are declining sharply among U.S. children with Covid-19, even more than adults, quieting concerns for now that the return to school could trigger a major uptick in viral transmission. Daily pediatric admissions with confirmed Covid have fallen 56% since the end of August to an average of about 0.2 per 100,000, according to Department of Health and Human Services data. Among adults, new admissions fell 54% to 2.1 per 100,000 in the same period, the data show.
26th Oct 2021 - Bloomberg
Denmark’s Covid Contamination Rate Rises After Restrictions End
Denmark, which has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, has registered a rise in Covid-19 cases with several key indicators showing that the virus has accelerated in the past month. The reproductive rate of the virus, known as the R rate, is now 1.2, up from 1 a week ago, which means the virus is spreading, Health Minister Magnus Heunicke tweeted on Tuesday.
26th Oct 2021 - Bloomberg
Becton Dickinson begins selling new at-home rapid COVID-19 test
Becton Dickinson and Co has partnered with Amazon.com Inc to begin shipment of a new at-home rapid COVID-19 test that can confirm results using an entirely automated smartphone app. The BD Veritor At-Home COVID-19 Test, which was authorized by U.S. regulators in August, also automatically reports results to federal and state public health authorities. "One of the unique things about this test is that it's really the very first test to actually have an interpreted digital result," said Dave Hickey, president of Becton Dickinson's life sciences business.
26th Oct 2021 - Reuters on MSN.com
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 26th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullHong Kong: Stuck between rock and virus hard place
Hong Kong is stuck in indefinite isolation. Despite recording low single-digit daily infections, counting just 213 virus-related deaths since the pandemic began, and securing Chinese and Western vaccines early in large quantities, entry into Asia’s top financial hub remains tightly controlled. Arrivals are generally required to spend 14 to 21 days of quarantine in a government-approved hotel, where rooms as small as 140 square feet leave occupants barely enough room to sweat through a yoga workout.
25th Oct 2021 - Reuters
S.Africa's Aspen aims to sharply increase COVID-19 vaccine capacity
South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare is aiming to ramp up its COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing capacity to 1.3 billion doses a year by February 2024, up from a current annual output of around 250 million doses, the company's CEO told Reuters on Monday. Aspen is doing the final stages of manufacturing for Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ.N) COVID-19 vaccine under a so-called "fill and finish" deal, but CEO Stephen Saad said in an interview that the companies were close to announcing a broader deal for Aspen to produce J&J's COVID-19 shot under licence.
25th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Ministers to ramp up Covid vaccine rollout as hospitalisations rise
Two million people who are eligible for a Covid booster vaccine in England will receive their invitation this week as ministers seek to intensify the rollout. The government has launched a media blitz encouraging people to get a booster jab, amid mounting concern over the speed of the vaccination rollout as Covid hospitalisations rise. NHS England said on Sunday that more than 5 million people had had a third jab since the vaccination programme began administering them last month. About 7.5 million people have already been invited by text, email and letter, encouraging them to book through the national booking service. Two million more will receive invitations this week
25th Oct 2021 - The Guardian
COVID-19: Exclusion zones around schools could be used to stop 'idiot' anti-vaxxers, health secretary says
Exclusion zones around schools could be used to prevent "idiot" anti-vaxxers from targeting children with their "vicious lies", the health secretary has said. Sajid Javid said the protesters are doing "so much damage" and it was "heartbreaking" that three children were injured during a recent protest after COVID-19 vaccines were opened up to 12-15-year-olds. He told Sky News' Kay Burley: "You've got, frankly, these idiots outside their school spreading vicious lies. "It is becoming a growing problem as time goes by."
25th Oct 2021 - Sky News
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View this newsletter in fullRomania revives COVID-19 restrictions as hospitals struggle
Dr Petruta Filip is working 100-hour weeks at a Bucharest hospital which, like hospitals throughout Romania, is struggling under an onslaught of COVID-19 patients in a country with worryingly low vaccination rates. The European Union country of around 19 million people has only 35 percent of its adults fully vaccinated compared with a European Union average of 74 percent. It is the second-least vaccinated nation in the 27-nation bloc. That is crippling Romania’s creaking healthcare system, which is also facing record-high death and infection numbers. Romania has reported more than 1.5 million cases of the coronavirus, including at least 44,000 deaths, since the pandemic began.
24th Oct 2021 - Al Jazeera English
South African Paediatric Association welcomes Covid-19 vaccines opening to young teens
To vaccinate or not? That is the question that parents of children from the age of 12 upwards are asking, now that the youngsters are eligible for Covid-19 jabs. Dr Joe Phaahla, the minister of health announced on Friday that children aged between 12 and 17, will be able to get the one dose of the Pfizer vaccine from Wednesday. He said the decision was taken following recommendations from the Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC). “We believe that this will come in handy as the schools start their examinations, and for some that have already advanced towards concluding the academic year and studying to prepare for the next academic year,” he said. Those over the age of 18 get two shots of the Pfizer vaccine but the youngsters get a single jab as per recommendations from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA).
24th Oct 2021 - Independent Online
Here's Why Developing Countries Can Make mRNA Covid Vaccines
Across the developing world, hundreds of millions of people are unable to get a vaccine to protect themselves from the ravages of Covid-19, and millions of them have already become infected and died. Depending on wealthy nations to donate billions of doses is not working, public health experts say. The solution, many now believe, is for the countries to do something that the big American mRNA vaccine makers say is not feasible: Manufacture the gold-standard mRNA shots themselves.
23rd Oct 2021 - The New York Times
As Russia's COVID-19 toll surges, a Siberian hospital struggles to cope
The beds at the intensive care unit at this Siberian hospital rarely stay empty for long. Doctors at Hospital No. 2 in the Russian city of Biysk are having to cope with an unprecedented surge of coronavirus patients, many of whom are unvaccinated.
Doctors at the hospital have to work up to three 24-hour shifts in a row. The work is much harder than during the first wave of the pandemic last year, deputy chief doctor Olga Kaurova said. "Last year we kept the numbers at 23-24 people. Today we have 65 people in intensive care," Kaurova told Tolk Channel, a local media outlet, on Wednesday. "Most of our patients in the ICU are not vaccinated."
23rd Oct 2021 - Reuters
Analysis: Vaccinated Singapore shows zero-COVID countries cost of reopening
Few are left to inoculate in wealthy Singapore after a vigorous campaign achieved a level of coverage envied by many nations battling the coronavirus pandemic, but a record surge in deaths and infections gives warning of risks that may still lie ahead. Despite mask mandates, strict social curbs and COVID-19 booster doses available for over a month, infections in the Asian city-state's latest outbreak, driven by the Delta variant, took the death toll to 280, up from 55 early in September. "Singapore may potentially experience two to three epidemic waves as measures are increasingly relaxed," said Alex Cook, a disease modelling expert at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
23rd Oct 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullNHS Wales chief executive on Covid-19, winter, and whether restrictions could be reintroduced
The chief executive of the Welsh NHS has laid bare the significant challenges facing the health and social care system this winter. Dr Andrew Goodall, who is set to leave his role at the end of October, said the coming months could prove to be the most difficult in the careers of many frontline staff. His comments come following the publication of the NHS winter plan which focuses on protecting people against Covid-19 and other respiratory viruses while trying to cope with mounting demand for elective and emergency care. We sat down with Dr Goodall at the Welsh Government's offices in Cathays Park to talk about some of the biggest issues facing the Welsh NHS and how the plan will help.
21st Oct 2021 - Wales Online
Pharmacists call to be involved in Covid-19 booster vaccine rollout
The chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan has said that there are no plans to extend the vaccine booster programme to the under-40s “any time soon”, but that it will go ahead for vulnerable groups. There was not any evidence about waning immunity for young people and that included healthcare workers, he said. The issue would remain under review by the National Immunisation Advisory committee (Niac). Speaking on he told RTÉ radio’s Today show Dr Holohan denied that he was “anti” antigen tests. “It’s not the test I dislike, it’s how it’s applied.” “Our nearest neighbours, the UK, are probably the most prolific users of antigen tests, and have the greatest challenge in terms of infection that the Western world has seen”, he said. Dr Holohan said he was particularly concerned about cases where parents were using the tests when they had symptomatic children and when there was a negative result they then sent the children to school.
21st Oct 2021 - The Irish Times
Covid Scotland: Tenfold increase in vaccine wastage rate
In April, some 0.3 per cent of vaccine stock was wasted. This figure increased to 2.5 per cent in July, and 3.2 per cent in September. In total over 60,000 doses have been thrown away since April. This figure does not include wastage at GP surgeries or in vaccine clinical trials. The top reason for doses being discarded in September (46 per cent) was excess stock, meaning vaccinators coming to the end of a shift or job and having surplus vaccines, which cannot be used or returned to storage. The second most common reason was doses expiring (44 per cent). Some vaccine wastage is accepted as inevitable during a large-scale vaccine rollout, and the programme has so far kept below the Scottish Government target of 5 per cent wastage.
21st Oct 2021 - The Scotsman
Schools should stay open as greatest risk of Covid transmission is in households, research finds
Despite Delta being more transmissible than earlier Covid-19 variants, in Australia few children and adolescents who get the virus have severe symptoms, and schools should only be closed under exceptional circumstances, a research analysis from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute has found. However, the analysis reveals children and adolescents living with some pre-existing health conditions, including obesity, and those living in disadvantage, low socioeconomic communities or those with minority ethnic status have an increased risk of severe disease. The analysis also said ventilation is important and mental health surveillance is needed across both primary and secondary schools.
21st Oct 2021 - The Guardian
Opinion | Will Covid Really Change the Way We Work?
The U.S. economy is in the throes of what’s been called the Great Resignation: Workers are quitting their jobs at or near the highest levels on record since tracking began in 2001. The attrition is particularly acute in the hospitality sectors, but it isn’t limited to low-wage industries. As of August, more than 10 million jobs sat open, causing businesses to reduce their hours and change how they operate. As my colleague David Leonhardt has said, what the economy is now experiencing is not a labor shortage so much as it is a shortage of workers who are willing to accept the terms employers are used to offering them. “It’s like the whole country is in some kind of union renegotiation,” Betsey Stevenson, a University of Michigan economist who was an adviser to President Barack Obama, told The Times. “I don’t know who’s going to win in this bargaining that’s going on right now, but right now it seems like workers have the upper hand.”
21st Oct 2021 - The New York Times
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View this newsletter in fullGates Foundation to spend $120 mln to speed access to generics of Merck COVID-19 pill
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said on Wednesday it would spend up to $120 million to kick-start development of generic versions of Merck & Co's (MRK.N) oral COVID-19 treatment to help ensure lower-income countries have equal access to the drug. The aim is to reduce the gap between when wealthy countries have access to the antiviral medicine, molnupiravir, and when the rest of the world can benefit from it. "To end this pandemic, we need to ensure that everyone, no matter where they live in the world, has access to life-saving health products," Melinda French Gates, co-chair of the Gates Foundation, said in a statement
20th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Waning vaccine immunity helping drive up UK infections, suggesting herd immunity unreachable, say scientists
Waning immunity from vaccines is a key cause of rising infections – but it is not the only factor, scientists say. The number of new Covid infections recorded in the past week has increased by 16 per cent against a backdrop of falling immunity among those who received their second jab a few months or longer ago. A growing number of studies have found that immunity begins to fall within a few months, although jabs continue to provide good protection, especially from more severe cases.
20th Oct 2021 - iNews
As COVID-19 engulfs Romania, funeral homes struggle to keep up
As an unprecedented surge in COVID-19 fatalities engulfs Romania, funeral home owner Sebastian Cocos is struggling to source coffins and keep up with a faster pace of burials. But for him, nothing brings home the scale of what is currently the world's deadliest epidemic more than the mourners who keep returning. "There were families who buried up to four people in two weeks, and that is not easy," he told Reuters. Based in the central city of Ploiesti, Cocos is also president of a national funeral home association.
20th Oct 2021 - Reuters
‘Vital’ at-home Covid pills could be given to vulnerable people this winter
Antiviral drugs that help to cut the risk of hospitalisation and death from Covid could be made available to vulnerable people this winter. It’s hoped the pills will be made available to the elderly and those with weakened immune systems who have recently tested positive for the virus or come into contact with an infected individual. Patients would take the drug at home, ideally before they fall ill. The antivirals, provided by Merck and Pfizer, have been secured in a government deal. But they will need to be approved for use by the UK’s medicines regulator before they are offered to patients via the NHS. Eddie Gray, chair of the antivirals taskforce, said the pills would help to support the NHS and the UK’s vaccination programme over the coming months, with infections and hospitalisations expected to further rise.
20th Oct 2021 - The Independent
Premier League reveals 68% of players are fully vaccinated against Covid
The Premier League says that 68% of its players are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 after concerns over a lack of take-up. Estimates had earlier placed the number of double-jabbed players at less than 50%, with a number of managers, including Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp, calling on top-flight players to comply.
The Premier League has released official figures for the first time, which show 81% have had at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. The league said it would “continue to work with clubs to encourage vaccination among players and club staff”.
20th Oct 2021 - The Guardian
Tokyo aims to lift COVID-19 curbs on restaurants as cases fall - media
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is aiming to ease COVID-19 restrictions on bars and restaurants next week as infections continue to decline, the Jiji news service said on Wednesday. The easing will be announced as early as Thursday and would apply to businesses that are certified as following anti-infection measures, Jiji reported, citing informed sources. Representatives for the Tokyo government did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Reuters.
20th Oct 2021 - Reuters
New Zealand's daily COVID-19 cases fall, some classrooms to reopen
Daily COVID-19 cases in New Zealand fell on Wednesday after a record jump the day before, with most infections still in Auckland as the Delta variant of the coronavirus continues to affect the country's biggest city. Authorities reported 60 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, of which 56 were in Auckland, taking the total number of cases in the current outbreak to 2,158. There have been 28 deaths in total since the pandemic began and 43 people are currently hospitalised because of the virus.
20th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19: More visits allowed to Northern Ireland care homes
Covid-19 visiting restrictions in care homes in Northern Ireland are being eased from Wednesday. Up to four people from no more than two households can now visit, with a maximum of four such visits per week allowed. However, the easing of restrictions may not fully apply if the care home has an active Covid-19 outbreak.
The arrangements are set out in the Department of Health's Visiting With Care - A Pathway document. More clarity has been provided around visits from clergy, and further advice added around how residents can be facilitated to leave their care home.
20th Oct 2021 - BBC News
Kenya Lifts COVID-19 Curfew as Infection Rates Ease, President Says | World News | US News
Kenya lifted a nationwide curfew on Wednesday that has been in place since March 2020 to curb the spread of the coronavirus, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced.
The East African nation, which has a population of 54 million, has recorded 252,199 infections since the pandemic erupted and 5,233 COVID-19 deaths, health ministry data shows.
20th Oct 2021 - U.S. News & World Report
UK hospitals on the edge as government resists fresh COVID measures
Britain's health minister Sajid Javid on Wednesday resisted calls from doctors for a return of restrictions to halt a rising wave of COVID-19 infections, but gave a stark warning they would be brought back if people did not take up vaccination offers. Britain reported 223 new deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, the highest daily figure since March, and cases are the highest in Europe, with nearly 50,000 new infections reported on Wednesday. The government's plan is to rely on vaccines and drugs to limit the impact of the virus this winter, instead of bringing in restrictions or any more lockdowns, having already shut the economy three times
20th Oct 2021 - Reuters UK
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 20th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullMix-and-Match Covid Boosters: Why They Just Might Work
Immunizations typically consist of two or more doses of the same vaccine. The Moderna vaccine, for example, is administered in two identical shots of mRNA, separated by four weeks. A double dose can create much more protection against a disease than a single shot. The first dose causes the immune system’s B cells to make antibodies against a pathogen. Other immune cells, called T cells, develop the ability to recognize and kill infected cells. The second shot amplifies that response. The B cells and T cells dedicated to fighting the virus multiply into much bigger numbers. They also develop more potent attackers against the enemy.
19th Oct 2021 - The New York Times
New York City Schools Data Shows Few Covid Cases
When roughly one million public school students returned to classrooms in New York City last month amid the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, families and educators expressed profound concern. But for the past five weeks, case counts have remained low. The average weekly positive rate among students in public schools is 0.25 percent — well under the city’s daily average rate of 2.43 percent. Experts, however, say the city may not be testing enough students.
19th Oct 2021 - The New York Times
Seniors are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19. So far, 1 in 7 have gotten a booster shot of vaccine
As the US tries to stave off another Covid-19 surge this winter, health experts encourage anyone who is eligible to get a booster dose of vaccine do so. About 10.7 million people have received a booster shot, including roughly 15% of seniors ages 65 and up, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So far, only the Pfizer vaccine has been authorized for use as a booster for certain high-risk groups who received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago, the US Food and Drug Administration said. Advisers to the FDA recently recommended booster doses for some people who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
19th Oct 2021 - CNN
UK faces calls for ‘Plan B’ with virus cases high and rising
Life has returned to normal for millions in Britain since coronavirus restrictions were lifted over the summer. But while the rules have vanished, the virus hasn’t. Many scientists are now calling on the government to reimpose social restrictions and speed up booster vaccinations as coronavirus infection rates, already Europe’s highest, rise still further. The U.K. recorded 43,738 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, slightly down from the 49,156 reported Monday, which was the largest number since mid-July. New infections have averaged more than 44,000 a day over the past week, a 16% increase on the week before. Last week, the Office for National Statistics estimated that one in 60 people in England had the virus, one of the highest levels seen in Britain during the pandemic.
19th Oct 2021 - The Associated Press
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 19th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullUK Covid cases near 50,000 in one day as No 10 warns of ‘challenging’ winter
Downing Street has warned of “challenging” months ahead as UK coronavirus cases reached their highest level since mid-July. The reported number of Covid cases in the UK increased steadily through October and reached 49,156 on Monday, the highest reported since 17 July and a 16% rise in new cases over the past week. The figure is only 19,000 cases short of the peak number of cases ever recorded in the UK. On 8 January 2021, 68,053 new cases were reported at the height of the most devastating wave of the pandemic last winter. The prime minister’s official spokesperson said a rise in coronavirus cases was expected over the winter and that the government would keep a “close watch” on the statistics.
18th Oct 2021 - The Guardian
Russia's Low Vaccination Rates Leads to Record-Breaking Toll
After Sofia Kravetskaya got vaccinated with Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine last December, she became a pariah on the Moscow playground where she takes her young daughter. “When I mentioned I volunteered in the trials and I got my first shot, people started running away from me,” she said. “They believed that if you were vaccinated, the virus is inside you and you’re contagious.” For Ms. Kravetskaya, 36, the reaction reflected the prevalent mistrust in the Russian authorities that has metastasized since the pandemic began last year. That skepticism, pollsters and sociologists say, is the main reason only one third of the country’s population is fully vaccinated, despite the availability of free inoculations.
18th Oct 2021 - The New York Times
Thailand to cease Sinovac vaccine use when stocks end this month
Thailand will stop using the COVID-19 vaccine of China's Sinovac when its current stock finishes, a senior official said on Monday, having used the shot extensively in combination with Western-developed vaccines. Thailand used over 31.5 million Sinovac doses since February, starting with two doses to frontline workers, high-risk groups and residents of Phuket, a holiday island that reopened to tourists early in a pilot scheme.
18th Oct 2021 - Yahoo News
Burundi starts COVID jabs; just North Korea, Eritrea remain
One of the world’s last three countries to administer COVID-19 vaccines started giving out doses on Monday as the East African nation of Burundi launched its national campaign. The vaccinations started in the commercial capital, Bujumbura, though health workers told The Associated Press that barely more than a dozen people had received doses by mid-afternoon. Recipients included the ministers of health and security. Only North Korea and the Horn of Africa nation of Eritrea have not administered any COVID-19 vaccines, according to the World Health Organization. Burundi’s previous government under the late President Pierre Nkurunziza had been criticized for taking the pandemic lightly.
18th Oct 2021 - The Associated Press
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 18th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullSlightly more than half of migrant workers in Jurong dorm vaccinated or have verified status, says MOM
Fifty-five per cent of the migrant workers at Westlite Jalan Tukang dormitory have verified their vaccination status or have been vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Saturday (Oct 16), the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said. The remaining 45 per cent are pending verification or have yet to receive a Pandemic Special Access Route (PSAR) or World Health Organization Emergency Use Listing Procedure (WHO EUL) vaccine, said MOM in a statement on Saturday. The two PSAR-approved vaccines are the ones made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. These are also among the WHO EUL vaccines, which include AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Sinopharm, Sinovac and Covishield.
16th Oct 2021 - CNA
Singapore Covid: Airline websites crash as borders set to open
Singapore's borders have effectively been closed for 21 months, so news that the rules will finally be relaxed has sent residents rushing for a ticket out. From 19 October, people will be able to travel freely from Singapore to ten countries around the world, without quarantine and with fewer swab tests, as long as they are vaccinated. By 15 November, one more country - South Korea - will be added to the list. "The cabin fever was just driving us crazy. There's no demarcation between leisure and work here," Low Ka Wei, a corporate communications executive, told the BBC.
16th Oct 2021 - BBC News
India reopens for foreign tourists after 19 months as COVID ebbs
India has reopened to fully vaccinated foreign tourists travelling on chartered flights in the latest easing of its coronavirus restrictions as infection numbers decline. Foreign tourists on regular flights will be able to enter India starting from November 15, officials said on Friday. It is the first time India has allowed foreign tourists to enter the country since March 2020 when it imposed its first nationwide coronavirus lockdown. It is unclear whether arriving tourists will have to quarantine but they must be fully vaccinated and test negative for the virus within 72 hours of their flight.
16th Oct 2021 - Al Jazeera English
U.S. to lift restrictions Nov 8 for vaccinated foreign travelers
The White House on Friday will lift COVID-19 travel restrictions for fully vaccinated international visitors starting Nov. 8, ending historic restrictions that had barred much of the world from entering the United States for as long as 21 months. The unprecedented travel restrictions kept millions of visitors out of the United States from China, Canada, Mexico, India, Brazil, much of Europe and elsewhere; shrunk U.S. tourism; and hurt border community economies. They prevented many loved ones and foreign workers from reuniting with families.
16th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Zimbabwe bars unvaccinated civil servants from work
Zimbabwe will bar unvaccinated government workers from reporting for duty from Monday as part of efforts to fight COVID-19, an official circular showed. The southern African country has, as of Oct. 14, recorded 4,655 COVID-19-related deaths from 132,251 infections since March 2020. Although the country was one of the first on the continent to vaccinate against COVID-19, less than 2.5 million people out of its 15 million population have been fully vaccinated.
15th Oct 2021 - Reuters
U.S. will accept mixed doses of vaccines from international travellers
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said late on Friday that it will accept mixed-dose coronavirus vaccines from international travelers, a boost to travelers from Canada and other places. The CDC said last week that it would accept any vaccine authorized for use by U.S. regulators or the World Health Organization. "While CDC has not recommended mixing types of vaccine in a primary series, we recognize that this is increasingly common in other countries so should be accepted for the interpretation of vaccine records," a CDC spokeswoman said.
15th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Biden’s Moderna Vaccine Double-Cross
Moderna has already pledged 500 million doses to Covax, the World Health Organization-backed group distributing donated vaccines to low- and middle-income countries. But progressives want the White House to use the Defense Production Act (or other means) to make Moderna share its intellectual property with the world. In a letter to Dr. Kessler on Tuesday, 12 Democrats in Congress, led by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, asserted that the government may have the right to confiscate Moderna’s IP because it has received “huge sums of public funding from American taxpayers.” The feds have held Moderna “‘by the hand on a daily basis,’” they said.
14th Oct 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 15th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Unions call for improved vaccine rollout
A global coalition of more than 350 trade unions is renewing calls for politicians to waive the patents on Covid vaccines.
They say that failing to do so would compound supply chain crises and inflict "economic self-harm".
It comes as the World Trade Organization (WTO) tries to broker a compromise at a meeting in Geneva.
Critics argue that accelerating the rollout of vaccines is more complex than just the waiving of patents.
The dilemma being discussed at the WTO meeting centres on finding the best way to ensure the most widespread and equitable way of vaccinating the whole world from coronavirus and ending the pandemic. Successfully doing so would allow the removal of restrictions that have impaired economic growth.
14th Oct 2021 - BBC News
Hungary will receive technology to produce Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine -foreign minister
Hungary will receive technology this year to produce Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine at a Hungarian plant currently under construction, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in Moscow on Thursday according to a foreign ministry statement.
This would be the first concrete step towards making the vaccine in the European Union, even though it is not yet approved in the bloc. The Sputnik V vaccine, widely used in Russia and approved for use in more than 70 countries, is still undergoing a review by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Medicines Agency.
14th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19: NHS facing exceptionally difficult winter - Chris Whitty
The NHS faces an "exceptionally difficult" winter whether there is a Covid surge or not, England's chief medial officer Prof Chris Whitty says. GPs in England are being told to see more patients face-to-face as ministers unveil a £250m winter rescue package. But the doctors' union says the package shows "a government out of touch with the scale of the crisis." The British Medical Association adds doctors will be "horrified" by the idea the plan will save them when it could "sink the ship altogether"
14th Oct 2021 - BBC News
COVID-19 cases surge among children after schools reopen - but drop among adults
Coronavirus infections among children increased in England last month after schools reopened, a study has found. The surge kept overall cases high even as COVID-19's prevalence among adults fell, the research showed. The epidemic was estimated to be growing among those under 17, with an R number estimated at 1.18, according to the REACT-1 study led by Imperial College London.
14th Oct 2021 - Sky News
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View this newsletter in fullAustralia's CSL reaffirms commitment to making AstraZeneca COVID vaccine
Australian biotech CSL said on Thursday it was committed to its agreement for the production of about 50 million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine into 2022.
The announcement came after a media report said the British drugmaker's vaccine, Vaxzevria, will no longer be manufactured in Australia due to demand for vaccines of Pfizer and Moderna. Pfizer and Moderna have established a market dominance by using mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine technology to fight the pandemic.
14th Oct 2021 - Reuters
English school return spurred COVID in children, but cases fell in adults - study
COVID-19 infections in children in England rose in September after schools returned from summer holidays, helping to keep cases high even as there was a fall among adults, a large prevalence study showed on Thursday. The REACT-1 study, led by Imperial College London, is the latest to find that more children are getting infected with COVID-19 following the reopening of schools at the start of September. Infection numbers in Britain are currently much higher than in other western European countries, with more than 30,000 new cases reported every day this month, but have not risen above summer levels following the return of schools in England despite the higher infection rates in children.
14th Oct 2021 - Reuters UK
Ivermectin Demand Sends Sales Soaring for Foreign Generic Drugmakers
Before the pandemic, Taj Pharmaceuticals Ltd. shipped negligible amounts of ivermectin to Russia for veterinary use. But over the past year it’s become a popular product for the Indian generic drug maker: Since July 2020, Taj Pharma has sold $5 million worth of the pills for human use in India and overseas. That’s a bonanza for a small family-owned company with an annual revenue of about $66 million.
13th Oct 2021 - Bloomberg
'It's not Satanism': Zimbabwe church leaders preach vaccines
Apostolic groups that infuse traditional beliefs into a Pentecostal doctrine are among the most skeptical in Zimbabwe when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines, with an already strong mistrust of modern medicine. Many followers put faith in prayer, holy water and anointed stones to ward off disease or cure illnesses. While mandates — a blunt no vaccine, no entrance rule — is the way to go for some, there’s a subtler approach for the Apostolic and other anti-vaccine Pentecostal groups, partly, but not only, because they are deeply suspicious of vaccines.
13th Oct 2021 - Associated Press
Back from the brink: how Japan became a surprise Covid success story
Just days after the Tokyo Olympics drew to a close, Japan appeared to be hurtling towards a coronavirus disaster. On 13 August, the host city reported a record 5,773 new Covid-19 cases, driven by the Delta variant. Nationwide the total exceeded 25,000. Soaring infections added to resentment felt by a public that had opposed the Olympics, only to be told they could not watch events in person due to the pandemic. Hospitals were under unprecedented strain, the shortage of beds forcing thousands who had tested positive to recuperate – and in some cases die – at home. The then prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, who had ignored his own chief health adviser in pushing ahead with the Games, was forced to step down amid stubbornly low approval ratings. A state of emergency in the capital and other regions that had been in place for almost six months looked likely to be extended yet again.
13th Oct 2021 - The Guardian
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View this newsletter in fullMerck aims to double supply of Covid-19 antiviral pill on rising demand
Merck plans to double manufacturing capacity for its antiviral pill to treat Covid-19 next year as governments scramble to procure a treatment that a late-stage trial showed cuts hospital admission and death rates in half. The mounting demand for Merck’s drug, the first oral treatment shown to prevent severe disease in vulnerable people with coronavirus, is a sign that it could trigger the same kind of worldwide rush faced by makers of early Covid-19 vaccines. Merck, which this week asked US regulators to authorise use of the drug called molnupiravir, told the Financial Times it had secured deals with Singapore, New Zealand, Australia and South Korea to supply doses in the past week and is in talks with several other governments.
12th Oct 2021 - Financial Times
WA's health sector vaccine mandate puts pressure on overstretched bush hospitals
Almost two weeks after Western Australia's health sector vaccine mandate took effect, just a small number of staff losses is increasing pressure on struggling hospital wards and fanning tension between burnt-out workers. Health authorities have confirmed frontline staff have been removed from rosters for refusing to have at least one dose since the rules came into force at the start of the month. The nurses union, which supports the mandate, has accused health bureaucrats of not preparing for the inevitable loss of staff at a time when hospitals in WA's remote north are already being pushed to the brink due to a nurse shortage.
12th Oct 2021 - ABC.Net.au
Bangladesh plans to vaccinate 80 mn people against Covid by next January
Bangladesh aims to administer Covid-19 vaccines to nearly half of its population by next January. Health Minister Zahid Maleque said the Bangladeshi government is working to vaccinate 80 million people by December and January, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Bangladesh's state-run news agency BSS. The minister said the government is considering vaccinating children aged between 12 and 17 years. Bangladesh has already announced a target of vaccinating 80 per cent of its population by 2022. The South Asian country has so far got nearly 70 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
12th Oct 2021 - Business Standard
Sydney COVID-19 cases ease further as focus shifts to reviving economy
Sydney's COVID-19 cases fell to the lowest in two months on Tuesday as authorities rolled out support measures for businesses, shifting their focus to rejuvenating the economy after the city exited a nearly four-month lockdown a day earlier. Pubs, cafes and retail stores reopened in New South Wales (NSW), home to Sydney, on Monday after vaccination levels in the state's adult population crossed 70%. New daily infections in the state fell to 360 on Tuesday, the majority in Sydney, marking a steady downward trend.
12th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Back to school: How are pupils being kept Covid-safe?
Face coverings are no longer compulsory in schools in England or Wales, although they are recommended in crowded spaces like school buses. However head teachers and health officials can ask staff and pupils to wear masks on school premises in response to local circumstances. Schools in Trafford, Cambridgeshire and West Yorkshire have already reintroduced face coverings. Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi confirmed that mask-wearing in all English schools could be made compulsory again under the government's winter contingency "Plan B".
12th Oct 2021 - BBC News
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View this newsletter in full1 in 5 critically ill coronavirus patients is pregnant, unvaccinated, England says
Unvaccinated pregnant women account for nearly 20 percent of the most critically ill coronavirus patients requiring lifesaving care in England in recent months, according to the country’s National Health Service. “Since July, one in five covid patients receiving treatment through a special lung-bypass machine were expectant mums who have not had their first jab,” the NHS said in a statement Monday.
Out of all women between the ages of 16 and 49 being treated with a therapy called Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation — used only when a patient’s lungs are so damaged by the virus that a ventilator cannot maintain oxygen levels — pregnant women make up almost a third, up from just 6 percent at the start of the pandemic.
11th Oct 2021 - The Washington Post
The rate of Covid-19 cases is dropping nationally but rising in these 5 states
The big picture for Covid-19 in the US is looking a little brighter as new infections and hospitalizations decline. "That's the good news. And hopefully it's going to continue to go in that trajectory downward," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. "But we just have to be careful we don't prematurely declare victory in many respects. We still have around 68 million people who are eligible to be vaccinated that have not yet gotten vaccinated," Fauci said Sunday. "If you look at the history of the surges and the diminutions in the cases over a period of time, they can bounce back."
11th Oct 2021 - CNN
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View this newsletter in fullItaly widens COVID-19 vaccine booster campaign to frail and over 60s
Italy has decided to provide a booster shot of Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine to frail people regardless of their age as well as people aged 60 and over, the health ministry said on Friday. The booster dose would be available on condition that at least six months have passed since people completed their primary vaccination cycle, the ministry said in a statement. The European Union's drugs regulator said on Monday people with weakened immune systems should get a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna but left it to member states to decide if the wider population should have a booster
9th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Wasted COVID vaccine doses in Louisiana swell to 224,000
Louisiana’s problem of wasted COVID-19 vaccine shots continues to balloon, with about 224,000 doses thrown out across the state as health providers can’t find enough residents willing to roll up their sleeves. The number of trashed doses has nearly tripled since the end of July, even as Louisiana grappled with a fourth, deadly surge of the coronavirus pandemic during that time that led to increased interest in the vaccines. The latest data provided to The Associated Press by the Louisiana Department of Health showed 223,918 doses of the two-shot Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been thrown out.
9th Oct 2021 - The Associated Press
7% of Israel’s serious COVID cases had three vaccine shots
Some 7% of Israel’s serious and critical COVID-19 cases were vaccinated with three shots of the coronavirus vaccine, according to data released Friday morning by the Health Ministry. However, the number of new daily cases is declining and the government voted to roll out the Green Class outline in several green cities on Sunday to help keep children out of isolation. “I cannot say that 7% is a lot,” Health Minister Director-General Prof. Nachman Ash told The Jerusalem Post. “The vaccine, even the third shot, does not work at 100%. It is 95% effective.”
9th Oct 2021 - The Jerusalem Post
COVID-19: Calls for stronger safety measures in schools amid pupil infection surge
Education unions have called for the reintroduction of extra safety measures in schools after official estimates showed around 270,000 secondary pupils had COVID-19 last week. The demand for action came as an expert warned about the level of coronavirus circulating among older children. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that around one in 15 children in school years 7 to 11 in England are estimated to have had COVID-19 in the week to 2 October. This was the highest positivity rate for any age group and up from one in 20 during the previous seven-day period.
9th Oct 2021 - Sky News
Russians flock to Serbia for Western-made COVID-19 vaccines
When Russian regulators approved the country's own coronavirus vaccine, it was a moment of national pride, and the Pavlov family was among those who rushed to take the injection. But international health authorities have not yet given their blessing to the Sputnik V shot. So when the family from Rostov-on-Don wanted to visit the West, they looked for a vaccine that would allow them to travel freely — a quest that brought them to Serbia, where hundreds of Russian citizens have flocked in recent weeks to receive Western-approved COVID-19 shots.
9th Oct 2021 - The Independent
Pfizer shots offered to Novavax trial volunteers so they can travel
Britain announced that it will offer new vaccinations to thousands of people who volunteered for trials of the Novavax coronavirus vaccine, which hasn’t yet been approved for use in any country. About 15,000 people in Britain got Novavax shots as part of a clinical trial. While Britain recognises them as vaccinated, most countries don’t, meaning they can’t travel. Britain’s health department said on Friday that more than 15,000 participants would be given two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. The government says it plans to expand the offer to about 6000 British participants in trials of other vaccines that also haven’t been approved for use. Britain has appealed to other members of the Group of 20 nations to classify clinical trial volunteers as vaccinated, but most haven’t done so.
9th Oct 2021 - Sydney Morning Herald
More organ transplant centers require patients to get Covid-19 vaccine or bumped down waitlist
A Colorado kidney transplant candidate who was bumped to inactive status for failing to get a covid-19 vaccine has become the most public example of an argument roiling the nation's more than 250 organ transplant centers. Across the country, growing numbers of transplant programs have chosen to either bar patients who refuse to take the widely available covid vaccines from receiving transplants, or give them lower priority on crowded organ waitlists. Other programs, however, say they plan no such restrictions — for now.
9th Oct 2021 - CNN
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View this newsletter in fullHospital system says it will deny transplants to the unvaccinated in 'almost all situations'
A Colorado-based health system says it is denying organ transplants to patients not vaccinated against the coronavirus in “almost all situations,” citing studies that show these patients are much more likely to die if they get covid-19. The policy illustrates the growing costs of being unvaccinated and wades into deeply controversial territory — the use of immunization status to decide who gets limited medical care. The mere idea of prioritizing the vaccinated for rationed health resources has drawn intense backlash, as overwhelmingly unvaccinated covid-19 patients push some hospitals to adopt “crisis standards of care,” in which health systems can prioritize patients for scarce resources based largely on their likelihood of survival.
6th Oct 2021 - The Washington Post
England urged to step up vaccinations to avoid winter Covid surge
The distribution of Covid boosters for the most vulnerable people and second shots of vaccine for teenagers should be accelerated to help prevent a winter surge of coronavirus overburdening the NHS, a senior scientist has said. Prof Neil Ferguson said England’s vaccine strategy had been “cautious” in recent months, with many teenagers having only one jab, and boosters for the most vulnerable people given no sooner than six months after their second dose. Ferguson said it was unclear whether the winter would bring another substantial wave of infections, but with new cases already high, at about 30,000 a day, even a moderate rise could put the NHS under pressure.
6th Oct 2021 - The Guardian
Hospitalization rates are down across the US, but these 8 states still have fewer than 15% of ICU beds available
The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to require patrons at indoor spaces such as restaurants, gyms and movie theaters to show proof of full Covid-19 vaccination -- starting November 4. The ordinance will also apply to personal care establishments such as spas and hair salons, as well as city buildings. And while the measure doesn't go into effect until next month, businesses must display advisory notice of the requirement by October 21. Individuals with medical or religious exemptions must provide a form declaring that. People who do not meet those requirements can use the outdoor spaces of a business and will be allowed in the covered spaces to use restrooms or pick up takeout orders.
6th Oct 2021 - CNN
Swindon site to produce Covid-19 vaccines, PM says
Doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine are to be made in Swindon, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced. It will be made at the Thermo Fisher Scientific site and production is expected to start in 2022. The firm already makes the vaccine at its facility in Monza, Italy. A statement from Pfizer said that regulatory approval, transfer of technology and on-site development work means production cannot immediately begin. It added: "The support from Thermo Fisher - one of more than 20 contract manufacturers across four continents that are - or will be - helping manufacture the vaccine is an example of our efforts to deliver the vaccine to people around the world as quickly as possible."
6th Oct 2021 - BBC News
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View this newsletter in fullArizona can't use COVID money for anti-mask grants, feds say
The Biden administration on Tuesday ordered Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey to stop using the state’s federal pandemic funding on a pair of new education grants that can only be directed to schools without mask mandates. In a letter to Ducey, the Treasury Department said the grant programs are “not a permissible use” of the federal funding. It’s the latest attempt by the Biden administration to push back against Republican governors who have opposed mask mandates and otherwise sought to use federal pandemic funding to advance their own agendas. Ducey, a Republican, created the grant programs in August to put pressure on school districts that have defied the state’s ban on mask mandates.
5th Oct 2021 - The Associated Press
English Schools Drop Mask Mandates, but Questions Rise Along With Cases
England took a high-stakes gamble when it sent millions of students back to school last month with neither vaccines nor a requirement to wear face masks, even as the coronavirus continued to course through the population. On Tuesday, the country’s Education Department issued its latest report card on how the plan is working: 186,000 students were absent from school on Sept. 30 with confirmed or suspected cases of the virus, 78 percent more than the number reported on Sept. 16, and the highest number since the pandemic began. Yet to hear many parents tell it, the bigger risk would have been to force the students to keep wearing masks or, worse, to keep them home.
5th Oct 2021 - The New York Times
Rapid COVID-19 tests increasingly scarce, pricey as demand from employers jumps
Surging demand for COVID-19 tests from U.S. employers has exacerbated a nationwide shortage of rapid tests in recent weeks and is driving up costs for state and local testing programs, according to industry executives and state officials. Testmakers including Abbott Laboratories, Quidel Corp and LumiraDX Ltd are scaling up production to meet rising demand. But significantly boosting test output will take weeks to months, half a dozen industry executives told Reuters, making the tests harder to procure in the near term.
5th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Thai Red Cross delivers COVID-19 vaccines to Thailand's vulnerable migrant workers
The Thai Red Cross Society kicked off a vaccination campaign on Tuesday for migrant workers, one of the country's most vulnerable groups that has been largely left behind in the broader COVID-19 inoculation rollout. About 300 workers received their first doses along with a small number of undocumented refugees as part of a campaign due to run until the end of the month that is initially targeting 5,000 workers. "The more migrant workers we're able to vaccinate, the better for the Thai people, too," said Tej Bunnag, secretary-general of the Thai Red Cross Society.
5th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19: November vaccines 'likely' for 12 to 15-year-olds
It is likely to be November before most schools in Northern Ireland begin to vaccinate 12 to 15-year-old pupils. Letters and consent forms for the Covid-19 vaccine are expected to be sent to parents of eligible children in mid-to-late October, according to the Public Health Agency (PHA). The UK's four chief medical officers have recommended healthy 12 to 15-year-olds be offered one vaccine dose. Vaccinations for pupils in Scotland and England are already taking place. However, the approach being taken by each nation differs.
5th Oct 2021 - BBC News
India begins delivering Covid-19 vaccines by drone
In India, the vast landscape, difficult terrain and remote location of some of its population has presented challenges for the coronavirus vaccine drive. Officials in the vast nation have come up with a unique solution to deliver the vaccine to such areas; by drafting in drones. The drones can travel up to 22 miles and could bring the country closer to its target of vaccinating each of its 950 million adults by the end of this year. The system has already been used to transport Covid vaccines from a hospital in north east state of Manipur to a health centre on Karang Island, which lies 10 miles away in the middle of a lake.
5th Oct 2021 - ITV News
At a rural ICU, Covid-19’s summer surge put telehealth to the test
On the surface, there’s little about Whitfield Regional Hospital that would make it a safety net for Alabama’s sickest Covid-19 patients. It has a small ICU with eight beds, and no critical care doctors on staff. The rural hospital has spent decades focused on caring for the community surrounding Demopolis, population 7,000, in the heart of the state’s Black Belt. But over the summer, Whitfield became an unlikely landing pad for critically ill Covid-19 patients from across the entire state — with the help of a team of telemedicine specialists calling in from more than 100 miles away. As Covid-19 swept through unvaccinated communities, every ICU bed in the state was full for weeks on end — including those at the state’s largest hospital, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
5th Oct 2021 - STAT News
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View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: BioNTech CEO says new vaccine will be needed in 2022
The CEO of BioNTech, the company that paired with Pfizer to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, told The Financial Times on Sunday that a new vaccine formula will probably be needed by the middle of next year, as new variants to the virus are likely to emerge. Ugur Sahin, who co-founded BioNTech, said that the variants seen now are not so different from the original virus as to evade the protection that the current vaccine offers. However, Sahin warns that new variants will emerge that will be able to evade vaccines and booster shots. “This year [a different vaccine] is completely unneeded,” he said. “But, by mid-next year, it could be a different situation.”
4th Oct 2021 - KIRO Seattle
Signs of encouragement as US sees drop in Covid cases and hospitalizations
The United States has seen a dramatic drop in the number of Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks, a trend that epidemiologists see as an encouraging sign that the Delta wave of the virus has peaked nationally. The seven-day average of daily new cases in America dropped from about 151,000 on 14 September to about 106,000 on 29 September, a 29% decrease, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
4th Oct 2021 - The Guardian
Largest COVID-19 PCR provider announces expansion of ‘cube’ labs
The UK’s largest laboratory diagnostics company, Randox, has announced a nationwide expansion of ten new adaptive ‘cube’ laboratories across Great Britain, with facilities that provide a rapid and cost-effective model to expand laboratory provision.
4th Oct 2021 - PharmaTimes
Pregnant Women Benefit from Getting the COVID-19 Vaccination
The number of women who were pregnant and also hospitalized for COVID-19 increased from 10% to 15% in late August 2021 and early September 2021, which is more than double the percentages of a year earlier, results of a study posted in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology show. "If they are exposed and infected, they run a higher risk of severe illness from this most recent Delta variant," Emily Adhikari, MD, medical director of perinatal infectious diseases at Parkland Health and Hospital System, said in a statement. "Pregnant women should get immunized as soon as possible." Investigators found that these findings are the first objective evidence of the number and severity of illness in pregnant individuals alongside the spike in the Delta variant.
4th Oct 2021 - Pharmacy Times
Senegal records fewest daily COVID-19 cases since outbreak began
Senegal on Monday logged only two new daily COVID-19 infections, the lowest number since the pandemic reached the country and two months after the rate of new cases hovered at record highs, the health ministry said on Monday. "Two cases were recorded today, the lowest ever recorded," said health ministry spokesperson Ngone Ngom. "They were in the past seven, 10 cases, but from the top of my head I think this is the lowest." While the number of COVID-19 infections has been relatively low in Senegal compared with elsewhere, the West African nation is emerging from its deadliest wave yet. Twenty thousand of its 73,800 cases and 250 of its 1,860 deaths were recorded in July alone.
4th Oct 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19: Amber list and UK's traffic light system for international travel scrapped as rules simplified
The UK's traffic light system for travel has been scrapped and replaced with just two categories - countries on the red list and everywhere else. The number of countries on the red list - currently 54 - is expected to be cut to as few as nine, with places such as South Africa, and Mexico expected to become available to quarantine-free travel. People arriving in the UK fully vaccinated against COVID-19 - and everyone under 18 - will also see changes.
4th Oct 2021 - Sky News
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View this newsletter in fullBritain’s Covid infection rate is one of the worst in the world, data reveals
Britain’s current Covid infection rate is by far the highest in western Europe and is only exceeded by a handful of countries around the world, latest research reveals.
The UK’s average daily reported cases on stood at 52 per 100,000 population on Friday, according to the respected Johns Hopkins University in the US. That puts the country 14th out of more than 200 states in a global list of Covid infection rates – well above the likes of the US, Canada and the whole of western Europe, as well as other former global “hotspots” such as India and Brazil. A total of 191,771 people tested positive for Covid in England in the week to 22 September, a rise of 18 per cent on the week before, it was revealed on Thursday.
2nd Oct 2021 - Evening Standard
Covid cases rise as UK schools return and furlough scheme ends
The number of daily new Covid infections in the UK has risen in the past month after the removal of most pandemic restrictions and as schools and offices reopened, fuelled by the Delta variant. The latest daily figures up to 30 September show that 36,480 people tested positive for Covid-19 across the UK, an increase from the start of the month. The government said a further 137 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Thursday, bringing the UK total to 136,662. Almost 49 million people have had a first shot of a coronavirus vaccine, about 90% of the adult population. Almost 45 million – about 83% – have had a second.
2nd Oct 2021 - The Guardian
Indonesia’s pandemic-fuelled problem: Mounds of medical waste
The overpowering stench is the first thing that I notice, filling my nose and making my eyes water. Then I see the mountains of rotting waste. This is Burangkeng, one of Indonesia’s largest landfills, in the city of Bekasi some 30km from the capital, Jakarta. On the surface it looks like any other large dumpsite, but among the regular rubbish lies a growing amount of toxic medical waste. From blood-filled drip lines to masks, medical gloves and COVID-19 tests. All hidden in plain sight.
2nd Oct 2021 - Al Jazeera
India imposes retaliatory COVID restrictions on British nationals
Fully vaccinated British nationals arriving in India will be subjected to a 10-day mandatory quarantine, in response to similar measures imposed on Indian nationals. The move comes after India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla called Britain’s decision not to recognise the Indian version of the AstraZeneca vaccine, known as Covishield, “discriminatory”. He had warned of reciprocal measures should London fail to reconsider.
2nd Oct 2021 - Al Jazeera English
Return to Covid restrictions as hundreds of schools told to ‘prepare for bubbles’
At least two councils have told schools to reintroduce some Covid measures as cases threaten to spiral out of control. Schools in Staffordshire have been issued with new guidance including the reintroduction of classroom bubbles and face coverings in crowded places after infections increased by nearly a third in the past week. Wolverhampton secondary school pupils have also been told to wear masks in communal areas as councils take it upon themselves to tackle the latest outbreaks. All compulsory measures were scrapped by the government for the start of the latest term, with schools able to operate mostly as normal.
2nd Oct 2021 - Metro
Flu's Return Will Shape the Pandemic's Impact in Coming Months
Charting the course of the pandemic during the coming months is likely to involve a more traditional winter nuisance: the flu. As countries from Italy to Canada lift restrictions, travel resumes and colder temperatures set in, influenza will probably start circulating as well. That’s after measures to thwart Covid-19 such as masks and ventilation kept the flu at bay for the past year and a half. Efforts have already been under way to lessen the potential strain on health systems dealing with both illnesses. A U.K. study released late Thursday showed that it’s safe for people to get Covid and flu shots at the same time, which might help increase vaccine uptake and cut down on appointments as the country rolls out booster doses.
1st Oct 2021 - Bloomberg
Japan's restaurants, bars welcome back drinkers as COVID-19 controls ease
Typhoon winds and rain dampened what might have been a more celebratory mood in Tokyo on Friday, as restaurants were allowed to sell alcohol and stay open later following the lifting of the latest COVID-19 state of emergency. Japan is cautiously easing restrictions that have prevailed across much of the nation for almost six months. New COVID cases in Tokyo totalled 200 on Friday, a sharp drop from more than 5,000 a day in August amid a fifth wave driven by the infectious Delta variant that brought the medical system to the brink. The restrictions, intended to blunt infections by reducing mobility and interaction, have been particularly tough on the service sector.
1st Oct 2021 - Reuters
S.Korea extends social distancing curbs as COVID-19 cases rise in Seoul
South Korea extended social distancing curbs to combat the coronavirus pandemic on Friday for two weeks, offering more incentives to people to get vaccinated as it battles thousands of new cases each day, particularly in the capital. The rapid resurgence in the greater Seoul area prompted authorities to extend distancing restrictions until Oct. 17, including a ban in the region on dining out after 10 p.m. and gatherings of more than two people after 6 p.m. The country recorded 2,486 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), with the daily tally having topped 3,000 for the first time last week.
1st Oct 2021 - Reuters
NBA vaccination rate reaches 95 percent
As a few notable NBA players continue to make headlines for their anti-vaccination stances, the vast majority of the league has been vaccinated against COVID-19. NBA executive director Michele Roberts revealed this week that over 90 percent of the league's players are fully vaccinated, while ESPN reported Thursday that 95 percent of players have now received at least one shot. Still, the topic of vaccinations has become hot-button. The NBA mandated that all team employees except for players must be vaccinated, and there is tension within the league about that difference.
1st Oct 2021 - Reuters
EXCLUSIVE White House presses U.S. airlines to quickly mandate vaccines for staff
The White House is pressing major U.S. airlines to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for employees by Dec. 8 - the deadline for federal contractors to do so - and is showing no signs of pushing back the date, four sources told Reuters on Friday.
White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeffrey Zients spoke to the chief executives of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines on Thursday to ensure they were working expeditiously to develop and enforce vaccine requirements ahead of that deadline, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
1st Oct 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullU.S. Frackers Fear Vaccine Mandate Will Worsen Worker Crunch
American frackers, already struggling to hire enough workers, are concerned that the coming U.S. vaccine mandate will worsen the situation at a time of rising oil and gas prices. Many of the truckers, rig hands and roustabouts who used to work in Texas and other oil patch regions found other jobs after crude prices crashed last year during the onset of the pandemic. Oil-field service companies, which employ most of the ground-level workers who drill and finish wells, say many remaining employees are skeptical about Covid-19 vaccination, and some have warned they would quit before getting shots. The proposed mandate doesn’t require companies to terminate employees who don’t comply, but those workers would be subject to frequent testing. Some companies are concerned that such testing would frustrate unvaccinated employees and motivate them to leave their jobs.
30th Sep 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
In Well-Vaccinated Maine, Covid-19 Still Fills Hospitals With the Unvaccinated
The Delta variant is finding clusters of unvaccinated people even in some of the best-vaccinated parts of the country, such as Maine. A Covid-19 surge in the New England state has filled hospitals and put dozens of mostly unvaccinated people on ventilators, setting records for the state. The problem, public-health experts say, is the variant’s high transmissibility combined with the relaxation of precautions such as wearing masks. Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations have also flared among mostly unvaccinated people in Vermont and western Massachusetts, highlighting the risk Delta poses even in states with the best track records for getting shots in arms. “The Delta variant is so much more contagious that it doesn’t need much kindling to continue to burn,” said Dora Anne Mills, chief health improvement officer at nonprofit health system MaineHealth.
30th Sep 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
End of Covid-19 Jobs Program to Test U.K. Recovery
European capitals spent big on wage subsidies to prevent job losses at the start of the pandemic. A U.K. experiment in preventing mass layoffs is coming to an end, in a test of how quickly economies can reabsorb workers idled by the pandemic and wean companies off government support. The closure Thursday of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme marks the first big move by a European government to step back from the emergency economic policies in place since the virus swept the continent last year.
30th Sep 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
CDC urges COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released an official health advisory, encouraging COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant and lactating Americans, as well as those considering pregnancy. According to CDC data, only 3% of pregnant women have been vaccinated against COVID-19, and vaccination rates vary markedly by race and ethnicity. Pregnant Asian Americans have the highest coverage (45.7%), while only 15.6% of Black pregnant women are vaccinated. "Pregnancy can be both a special time and also a stressful time—and pregnancy during a pandemic is an added concern for families," said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH. "I strongly encourage those who are pregnant or considering pregnancy to talk with their healthcare provider about the protective benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine to keep their babies and themselves safe."
29th Sep 2021 - CIDRAP
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View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: Cruise ship industry faces calls to prevent spread of infectious diseases after pandemic
The billion dollar industry is being urged to carry out "more monitoring" of the major health impacts that cruising can potentially cause for passengers.
29th Sep 2021 - Sky
Roll-out of Covid-19 boosters to NI care homes gets underway
Health Minister Robin Swann has welcomed the roll-out of the Covid-19 booster jab programme in Northern Ireland. Health Trust vaccinator teams are bringing the boosters to care home residents and staff as part of a planned programme. The minister said the roll-out will be on phased basis, as the booster vaccine dose is to be offered no earlier than six months after receipt of the second dose. “I very much welcome the fact that vaccinator teams are providing vital vaccine booster doses to care home residents and staff," said Robin Swann. “This will give added and important protection for some of the most vulnerable people in our society as we head towards winter." The Health Department said the wider booster dose programme will begin in October for those eligible.
29th Sep 2021 - ITV News
Algeria to start Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine production Wednesday
Algeria will start production of COVID-19 vaccine Sinovac in partnership with China on Wednesday with the aim of meeting domestic demand and exporting the surplus, the prime minister's office said on Tuesday. The government has said production capacity will stand at 1 million, 2 million and 3 million doses in October, November and December respectively, before reaching 5 million doses per month from January. The North African country has been importing vaccines, mainly Sinovac, since the coronavirus pandemic began in March 2020.
29th Sep 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullBehind Israel’s Swift Rollout of Covid-19 Vaccine Boosters
In late July, dozens of Israeli scientists and government health officials were locked in a marathon video call where they examined new data indicating that the effectiveness of the Covid vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE was waning. Infections from the new Delta variant were increasing, and growing numbers of people were falling seriously ill, even those who had had both shots of the vaccine. Lives were potentially on the line. Within days of the midnight vote that decided to distribute a third shot, the first of millions of booster shots were administered, months before the U.S. or any other country would take the same step. “It was a really tough discussion,” said epidemiologist Gili Regev-Yochay, who presented key research on the effectiveness of booster shots. “[But] it was a decision that was reached essentially with one voice.”
28th Sep 2021 - Wall Street Journal
Defying Delta: Back to school goes better than feared
School for children in many nations has been underway for more than a month and fears the Delta coronavirus variant would derail in-person learning have largely proven unfounded. In a dozen countries with high vaccination rates in Asia, Europe and the United States, case rates that surged in August have mostly fallen back, according to local data and officials. The jury is out on how much this is due to seasonal factors amid a global decline in cases, and how much it is linked to vaccinations and other preventative measures. Public health experts say they will continue to watch for signs of an increase in cases as winter approaches.
28th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Egypt allows immediate COVID-19 vaccination amid fourth wave
Egypt is now providing immediate COVID-19 vaccinations at youth centres across the country without prior online registration, a step aimed at encouraging vaccinations and relieving pressure on hospitals and health units amid a fourth wave of infections. Nearly 270 youth centres are now open for citizens to get the vaccines, the health ministry said, bringing the total number of vaccination sites across the country to 1,100. The move is part of the "Together We Are Assured" campaign, launched by the health ministry in mid-September, that allows citizens to register and receive vaccinations immediately after complaints of a large time difference between the two steps.
28th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Hospitals fear staffing shortages as vaccine deadlines loom
Hospitals and nursing homes around the U.S. are bracing for worsening staff shortages as state deadlines arrive for health care workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19. With ultimatums taking effect this week in states like New York, California, Rhode Island and Connecticut, the fear is that some employees will quit or let themselves be fired or suspended rather than get the vaccine. “How this is going to play out, we don’t know. We are concerned about how it will exacerbate an already quite serious staffing problem,” said California Hospital Association spokesperson Jan Emerson-Shea, adding that the organization “absolutely” supports the state’s vaccination requirement.
28th Sep 2021 - The Associated Press
Two Europes: Low vaccine rates in east overwhelm ICUs
Around 72% of adults in the 27-nation European Union have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but a stubbornly low uptake of the shots in some eastern EU nations now risks overwhelming hospitals amid a surge of infections due to the more contagious delta variant. Bulgaria and Romania are lagging dramatically behind as the EU’s two least-vaccinated nations, with just 22% and 33% of their adult populations fully inoculated. Rapidly increasing new infections have forced authorities to tighten virus restrictions in the two countries, while other EU nations such as France, Spain, Denmark and Portugal have all exceeded 80% vaccine coverage and eased restrictions.
28th Sep 2021 - Associated Press
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 28th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullGlobal vaccines project to revamp rules after Britain got more than Botswana
In March, as wealthy Britain led the world in vaccination rates and almost half its people had received a shot, the organisation meant to ensure fair global access to COVID-19 vaccines allotted the country over half a million doses from its supplies.
27th Sep 2021 - Reuters on MSN.com
New U.S. travel rules close door on those fully vaccinated with Russia's Sputnik V
The United States announced last week that it would soon open its doors to foreign travelers vaccinated against the coronavirus, loosening restrictions for broad swaths of global visitors for the first time since the pandemic began. But the new rules, set to take effect in November, appear to also shut out many people who consider themselves to be fully immunized — including millions who have received two doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. Hundreds of thousands of Russians could be directly affected. Despite frosty diplomatic relations and limited demand for international travel, roughly 300,000 Russians visited the United States in 2019, the last year for which figures are available, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
27th Sep 2021 - The Washington Post
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 27th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullTo Reach Vaccine Holdouts, Scientists Take a Page From Digital Marketing
Public-health researchers seeking new ways to persuade vaccine holdouts to take coronavirus shots are turning to the strategies of the digital marketing industry to figure out how to win over the reluctant. Companies that use online ads to sell products try out various colors, phrases, typefaces and a whole host of other variables to determine what resonates with consumers. So why not, the thinking goes, apply the same sort of A/B testing to figure out how best to promote vaccines?
26th Sep 2021 - Bloomberg
Logistics, Staff Shortage Hurt Indonesia's Vaccination Progress
A shortage of healthcare workers and logistical flaws are hampering Indonesia’s efforts to inoculate its people against Covid-19, leaving the world’s largest archipelago trailing its neighbors despite being among the first in Southeast Asia to start the program. Only 17.9% of Indonesia’s 270 million people are fully vaccinated, behind almost every major economy in the region, according to Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker. About 32% have received their first dose, placing the nation among the bottom four on the list.
26th Sep 2021 - Bloomberg
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 24th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullPfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine offered to Ayrshire children aged 12 to 15 as NHS tackles Covid cases
Schoolkids in Ayrshire are now being offered the Covid-19 vaccine. Youngsters aged 12 to 15 can receive a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech inoculation following a decision by Scottish Ministers to accept advice from the four UK Chief Medical Officers (CMOs). Children should either attend a local drop-in vaccination clinic from today or await appointment details to arrive by post.
Appointed clinics for this age group will begin on Wednesday. NHS Ayrshire & Arran's Public Health Director, Lynne McNiven, said: “The roll out of the Covid-19 vaccine to all young people aged 12-15 marks a significant milestone in the vaccination programme.
23rd Sep 2021 - Daily Record
Alaska, overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients, adopts crisis standards for hospitals
Alaska, which led most U.S. states in coronavirus vaccinations months ago, took the drastic step on Wednesday of imposing crisis-care standards for its entire hospital system, declaring that a crushing surge in COVID-19 patients has forced rationing of strained medical resources.
23rd Sep 2021 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 23rd Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 creates dire US shortage of teachers, school staff
One desperate California school district is sending flyers home in students’ lunchboxes, telling parents it’s “now hiring.” Elsewhere, principals are filling in as crossing guards, teachers are being offered signing bonuses and schools are moving back to online learning. Now that schools have welcomed students back to classrooms, they face a new challenge: a shortage of teachers and staff the likes of which some districts say they have never seen. Public schools have struggled for years with teacher shortages, particularly in math, science, special education and languages. But the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the problem. The stress of teaching in the COVID-19 era has triggered a spike in retirements and resignations.
23rd Sep 2021 - The Associated Press
Supplier Contracts Get Revamped After Covid-19 Disruptions
Pandemic-driven strains in supply chains are triggering changes in contract terms between suppliers and their manufacturing and retail customers as companies try to address the risks and added costs brought on by persistent delays and disruptions. Procurement experts say that when drafting new contracts and renewing existing ones, companies increasingly are seeking to add provisions that cover the impact of pandemics or epidemics and accelerating inflation. The moves come as commodity costs and shipping prices have soared far faster during the past two years than considered in traditional contract terms. A fourfold increase in container shipping rates has made ocean freight for some shippers more expensive than the products they are shipping.
22nd Sep 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
A North Carolina-based health care system has suspended hundreds of employees for not getting a Covid-19 vaccine
A North Carolina-based health care provider announced Tuesday it has suspended hundreds of employees for not meeting the company's Covid-19 vaccine requirements.
22nd Sep 2021 - CNN
Unvaccinated should get priority for an effective early covid-19 treatment, some officials say
Faced with a new federal push to conserve a highly effective covid-19 treatment, some officials are urging health-care providers to put the unvaccinated first. Demand for once-obscure monoclonal antibodies has skyrocketed as federal authorities and particularly Republicans such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis promote the treatment’s success at preventing mild or moderate covid-19 cases from escalating to hospitalization. The Biden administration moved last week to take over distribution of the therapy, drawing an outcry in Southern states that have used the treatments heavily and will probably have to cut back. The recommendation to prioritize the unvaccinated — who are far more likely to be hospitalized — comes after intense backlash to the idea of penalizing the unvaccinated while rationing hospital care.
22nd Sep 2021 - The Washington Post
Between Covid-19 and the flu, health care professionals are bracing themselves for the winter ahead, expert says
The current pace in Covid-19 vaccinations is the slowest it has been since July, according to data released Wednesday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The latest data comes as flu season is around the corner, which could increase death tolls and put more of a strain on hospitals that are already struggling with an influx of patients and depleted resources. More than 312,000 people have initiated the vaccination process -- or getting their first shot -- over the last week, CDC data shows. That's a 7% drop from last week and a 35% drop from the previous month. An average of 742,703 doses are being administered each day and about 182 million people, or 54.9%, of the US population, are fully vaccinated, the data shows. That leaves 71 million people, or 25.1% of the population, who are not vaccinated
22nd Sep 2021 - CNN
‘It’s scary’: record Covid absences cause concern in England’s schools
Last week more than 100,000 children were absent from school in England with confirmed or suspected Covid infections, the highest number during the pandemic, according to the Department for Education. Five parents and teachers in England share their experiences since the start of the new school year, including how they, their families and their pupils have been affected.
22nd Sep 2021 - The Guardian
Iran eyes normalisation as COVID vaccination drive accelerates
The rollouts of Iran’s vaccination campaign against COVID-19 has gathered significant pace, after months of public anger about slow imports, raising hopes of a relative return to normal life in the Middle East’s worst-hit country. More than 30 million jabs alone were imported during the sixth month of the Iranian calendar which ends on Wednesday – higher than all doses imported since the start of February combined. Another 13.4 million doses were imported in the previous Iranian month, in the middle of which President Ebrahim Raisi took office. Iran’s foreign ministry said on Sunday that 60 million more doses are expected to be imported during the next month. The overwhelming majority of imported doses so far have been that of China’s Sinopharm, followed by AstraZeneca jabs from several countries and via the global COVAX initiative.
22nd Sep 2021 - AlJazeera
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 22nd Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullU.S. Pledge to Vaccinate Poor Countries Stumbles Amid Logistical Challenges
A White House plan to donate hundreds of millions of doses of Covid-19 vaccines has been hampered in many developing countries by a lack of infrastructure to handle storage and distribution, leaving poorer nations far behind the developed world in vaccination rates. After a delayed start—the U.S. missed its first donation target—the Biden administration has been ramping up overseas donations, shipping around 137 million doses, most of them Moderna Inc. and Johnson & Johnson. It expects to send 500 million doses of a shot developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE by the end of June 2022, the largest donation total of any country.
21st Sep 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
Major Idaho Hospital System Says 70% of ICU Patients Have Covid
An unprecedented 70% of intensive care unit patients have Covid-19 at a hospital network in Idaho, a state where vaccination rates are low, medical care is being rationed and virus hospitalizations are setting records. The Covid-19 ICU mortality rate is up to 43% at St. Luke’s health system, higher than the prior peak, and 98% of ICU patients suffering the deadly malady are unvaccinated, James Souza, chief physician executive of the statewide network of six hospitals, told an online news briefing.
21st Sep 2021 - Bloomberg
COVID creates shortages of an array of U.S. medical supplies
Shortages of masks and gloves that marked the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic have spread to a host of other items needed at medical facilities in the United States, from exam tables and heart defibrillators to crutches and IV poles. It can now take up to five months to get some types of exam tables, for instance, compared to three to six weeks before the pandemic, according to CME Corp, a distributor of medical equipment that handles over 2 million products.
21st Sep 2021 - Reuters
U.S. retail industry seeks 90-day lead time on COVID-19 rules
Two major U.S. retail industry groups on Tuesday asked the Biden administration for at least 90 days before imposing new rules that will require employees at larger firms to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to regular testing. On Sept. 9, the White House said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is developing an emergency temporary standard that will require all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated, or require any workers who remain unvaccinated to produce a negative COVID-19 test once a week.
21st Sep 2021 - Reuters
Thai campaign to vaccinate schoolchildren makes progress
Health officials in the Thai capital made headway Tuesday in their effort to vaccinate children against the coronavirus, giving shots of the Pfizer vaccine to students aged 12 to 18 with underlying diseases. Vaccinations for that age bracket were first offered last month through hospitals, but now are arranged by schools. A separate campaign by a medical research institute on Monday began inoculating children aged 10 to 18 with China’s Sinopharm vaccine. On Tuesday, 1,500 students received shots of the Pfizer vaccine, 800 for the first time and 700 as a follow-up to their first shot in August.
21st Sep 2021 - The Associated Press
Colleges struggling with Covid-19 in Republican states where up to 40% students unvaxxed
School leaders in Arizona, Florida, Tennessee and Texas are battling lawmakers
Governors are banning colleges from implementing vaccine mandates
Meanwhile schools in states like Maryland and NY have high vaccine rates
Colleges fear not just for student health but also for their balance sheets
21st Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
Victoria's construction industry has been linked to 403 Covid-19 cases prompting shut down
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has shut down the state's construction industry after it was revealed 403 Covid-19 cases have been linked to the sector. There are now 300,000 tradies out of work for two weeks following the shut down announced late on Monday night with hundreds taking to the streets of Melbourne to protest outside construction union CFMEU's office. The state's health minister Martin Foley said that the hundreds of cases found within the industry have been recorded across 186 construction sites.
21st Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
Covid-19 Australia: ACT boosts funding to mental health services as 16 new Covid cases are recorded
ACT Chief Minister announced extra $14million to boost mental health services
Includes support for people with eating disorders, alcohol and drug services
The increase in funding will also assist Indigenous and social housing residents
Canberra recorded 16 cases with lockdown scheduled to run until October 15
21st Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
Covid-19: Monoclonal antibody treatment to be rolled out to hospital patients with no antibody response
Eligible patients with covid-19 in UK hospitals who have not mounted an antibody response against SARS-CoV-2 will be offered the monoclonal antibody treatment ronapreve from this week, the government has announced. The drug is a combination of two monoclonal antibodies (casirivimab and imdevimab), which work by binding to two different sites on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and neutralising the virus’s ability to infect cells. It was the first neutralising antibody drug specifically designed to treat covid-19 approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (in August 2021). Ronapreve will be administered to patients without antibodies—who must be either aged 50 or over, or aged 12 to 49 and considered to be immunocompromised—through a drip. The government said it had secured enough supply for NHS patients across the four nations and that antibody testing will be used to determine which patients are eligible.
21st Sep 2021 - The BMJ
HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2021: Covid-19 Infection Prevention and Control Award
Northern Care Alliance Group: Covid-19 Rapid Antigen Testing Using LFDs in Emergency Departments to Aid Infection Prevention & Control – Northern Care Alliance at the Vanguard. During the second wave of the pandemic, demand for PCR testing exceeded capacity and adversely affected patient management. At that time (November 2020), UK policy did not support deployment of lateral flow devices for covid. Northern Care Alliance NHS Group introduced LFD for patients needing admission through emergency departments. An LFD (SD Biosensor) was introduced in the ED by pathology. Significant improvement in patient flow and reduction in nosocomial transmissions was a testimony to its clinical utility. The alliance presented at the National Virology Cell meeting and by late December 2020, the government launched its use for all ED admissions.
21st Sep 2021 - Health Service Journal
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 21st Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullRussia Vaccinates Indigenous Yamal Herders Against COVID-19
The Nenets are one of the few Indigenous minorities on the Yamal Peninsula in northwestern Siberia. Their lifestyle is nomadic, following the seasonal migrations of the reindeer they herd. While Covid brought travel to a halt in much of the world, the Nenets of Yamal kept moving. From December to April, the herders deploy their camps and pasture their reindeer in the Nadymski district, a region of some 40,000 square miles at the base of the Yamal Peninsula and centered on the city of Nadym. In mid-April they begin “kaslanie,” a season of nomadism, traveling with their herds some 400 miles up the peninsula and moving camp 30 to 100 times during the year.
20th Sep 2021 - The New York Times
Though lagging behind, Israel’s COVID-19 jab hopes to ‘find its place in market’
Nearly two years after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Israel may soon finally see its own homegrown vaccine become commercially available. The jab will be a very late newcomer — lagging behind the first wave of COVID vaccines by almost a year — but its backers believe that it will find its rightful place in the global vaccine market, and may even prove in the long run to be more effective than existing jabs against coronavirus variants. These beliefs were offered this month by Dr. Jonathan Javitt, chairman of NRx Pharmaceuticals, the American-Israeli clinical-stage pharmaceutical company tapped two months ago by the Israeli Defense Ministry to manufacture and market the country’s vaccine developed by the government-run Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) in Ness Ziona.
20th Sep 2021 - The Times of Israel
Winter is coming, again: What to expect from Covid-19 in the new season
“We’re experiencing a new virus, a newly emerged pathogen, and we’re trying to fight it with new tools that we don’t have a lot of experience with,” he said. “And we’re dealing with unpredictable human behavior … which is a very important factor as well, and environmental factors that may influence the severity of Covid outbreaks and how well it transmits.” “There’s a lot of moving parts,” said Duchin, who is also an infectious diseases professor at the University of Washington. Among them: the questions of when Covid vaccines will be approved for use in children and what percentage of parents will agree to vaccinate their kids. While the crystal ball may be cloudy, who can resist taking a peek? Let’s talk about some things we might face in the months ahead.
20th Sep 2021 - STAT News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 20th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullAfrica's Biggest City to Vacinate 30% of Residents in a Year
Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, plans to give Covid-19 shots to 30% of residents within a year, the state’s governor said in an emailed statement. To be able to do so “the world must ensure that vaccines were available to all, especially poorer countries that had struggled with supply,” Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who governs Africa’s biggest city said. Lagos has only been been able to vaccinate 1.2% of its estimated 24 million residents, which is far below the recommendation set by the World Health Organization, Sanwo-Olu said.
19th Sep 2021 - Bloomberg
Supply fears lead EU vaccine industry to seek home comforts
European companies playing key supporting roles in COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing are working to move production and supply chains closer to their customers to guard against trade restrictions that have interrupted supplies during the pandemic. Germany's Merck, whose Life Science unit is one of the world's largest makers of bioreactor gear and supplies, told Reuters it is pushing to spread its production network geographically so that fewer shipments have to cross customs borders.
19th Sep 2021 - Reuters
How Europe's hospitals are faring in the face of another pandemic fall
Much of Europe has opened up to international visitors and scaled back Covid-19 restrictions since a wave of cases swept the continent in the spring. Those steps back toward pre-Covid life have been accompanied by a gradual rise in cases and hospitalizations in many nations, with the more transmissible Delta variant dominant in the region. However, vaccination rollouts have kept hospital admissions far below where they were in the first months of 2021. As a result, Europe presents a varied picture as governments brace for a potential rise in cases in the autumn and winter months.
18th Sep 2021 - CNN
Coronavirus NI: Students getting vaccinated will help ease disruption to their lives, says health minister as 'jabbathon' continues
In Northern Ireland, students getting vaccinated against Covid-19 will help ease the disruption they have endured since the start of the pandemic, the Health Minister has said, Robin Swann was speaking as details of Jabbathon clinics aimed at rolling out Covid-19 vaccines to as many young adults as possible were announced yesterday. Mobile walk-in clinics will continue at 30 campuses across Northern Ireland’s universities and further education colleges next week.
17th Sep 2021 - Belfast Telegraph
Singapore optimistic as severe COVID-19 cases remain low
Singapore, which has one of the world's highest COVID-19 vaccination rates, is seeing encouraging signs that the number of severe cases is not rising at the same pace as new infections, a senior health official said on Friday. The country reported 910 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, the most in 15 months, with average new daily infections rising from 146 two weeks ago to 682 in the past week. But the number of people in serious condition remains low, however, with 12 in intensive care units (ICU), from a total of 837 people hospitalised with COVID-19 in Singapore as of Thursday, the health ministry said.
17th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 17th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: Army could be called in to help Scottish ambulance service, amid reports man died after a 40-hour wait
The military could be called in to help Scotland's ambulance service which is facing "acute pressure", Nicola Sturgeon has announced. Scotland's first minister apologised "unreservedly" for long waiting times and confirmed that targeted military assistance to help deal with "short-term pressure points" is under consideration. The announcement came as Ms Sturgeon was questioned about the death of Gerald Brown, a 65-year-old from Glasgow, who reportedly died after waiting 40 hours for an ambulance.
16th Sep 2021 - Sky News
Alaska, Idaho using crisis standards of care over COVID-19
Alaska now joins Idaho in establishing crisis standards of care as its largest hospital is now prioritizing treatment to patients most likely to survive COVID-19 infections. "While we are doing our utmost, we are no longer able to provide the standard of care to each and every patient who needs our help," Kristen Solana Walkinshaw, MD, chief of staff at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, wrote in a letter addressed to Alaskans and published yesterday. "We have been forced within our hospital to implement crisis standards of care," Walkinshaw said. "We have been required to develop and enact policies and procedure to ration medical care and treatments, including dialysis and specialized ventilatory support.”
15th Sep 2021 - CIDRAP
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 16th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullMontana's Largest Hospital Nears 'Crisis Standards of Care' Rationing Over Covid
Montana’s largest hospital is considering crisis standards of care procedures that grant authority to decide who receives life-saving treatment, the Billings Gazette reported Wednesday. Intensive care unit capacity at Billings Clinic is at 150% as Covid-19 rages, the newspaper said. “If it comes to a point where we have to make those incredibly [difficult] life or death situations, we will have an objective team that will be available to provide council and make those decisions,” said Laurie Smith, chief nursing officer.
15th Sep 2021 - Bloomberg
Covid-19: Close-contact pupils 'should not be sent home from school'
In Northern Ireland, schools should not send pupils home as close contacts or ask them to self-isolate, according to guidance to principals from the Department of Education (DE). It said schools should not identify close contacts unless asked to do so by the Public Health Agency (PHA). The PHA took over responsibility for contact tracing in schools on Friday. The move brings Northern Ireland into line with the approach taken in England, Scotland and Wales.
15th Sep 2021 - BBC News
Unvaccinated French health care workers face suspension
Health care workers in France face suspension from their jobs starting Wednesday if they haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19. With as many as 300,000 workers still not vaccinated, some hospitals fear staff shortages will add to their strain. Vaccines are now compulsory for medical care, home care and emergency workers in France, and Wednesday is the deadline for such staff to have had at least one shot. Failing that, they face having pay suspended or not being able to work. But a top court has forbidden staff to be fired outright.
15th Sep 2021 - The Associated Press
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 15th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullSchools will need vaccine mandates for in-person classes to last, expert says
As kids return for a new school year and Covid-19 cases rise among younger age groups, vaccine mandates in schools may become the only way forward, a vaccine expert said. "So far, we've not seen a lot of Covid vaccine mandates, even for the teenagers," vaccinologist and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine Dr. Peter Hotez told CNN. "It's gonna have to happen if we're going to get kids through the school year." Cases have risen "exponentially" among children, with the weekly count of 243,373 new cases showing about a 240% increase compared with the week of July 22-29, data from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows.
14th Sep 2021 - CNN
UK recommends COVID-19 booster shots for over 50s
The U.K. said it will offer a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine to everyone over age 50 and other vulnerable people after an an expert panel said the boosters were needed to protect against waning immunity this winter. Health Secretary Sajid Javid told lawmakers that the government had accepted the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization and would start offering booster shots next week. The World Health Organization has asked wealthy nations to delay booster shots until every country has vaccinated at least 40% of their populations.
14th Sep 2021 - The Independent
A conversation with Bill Gates on how public health has fared in the midst of the pandemic
The foundation’s 2021 Goalkeepers report, published late Monday, shows an additional 10 million children around the globe didn’t get key childhood vaccines this past year, because of public health service disruptions. Another 31 million people were pushed into extreme poverty by the pandemic. And employment among women is expected to remain 13 million jobs lower around the world this year than it was in 2019.
14th Sep 2021 - CIDRAP
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 14th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullFamily: Man turned away by dozens of COVID-filled hospitals
As hundreds of mostly unvaccinated COVID-19 patients filled Alabama intensive care units, hospital staff in north Alabama contacted 43 hospitals in three states to find a specialty cardiac ICU bed for Ray Martin DeMonia, his family wrote in his obituary. The Cullman man was finally transferred to Meridian, Mississippi, about 170 miles (274 kilometers) away. That is where the 73-year-old antiques dealer died Sept. 1 because of the cardiac event he suffered. Now, his family is making a plea. “In honor of Ray, please get vaccinated if you have not, in an effort to free up resources for non-COVID related emergencies,” his obituary read.
14th Sep 2021 - The Associated Press
Walgreens COVID-19 test registration system left patient data unprotected - Recode
Drugstore chain Walgreens Boots Alliance's COVID-19 test registration system exposed data of potentially millions of people, including their phone numbers and email addresses, Recode reported on Monday.
13th Sep 2021 - Reuters
NY hospital to pause baby deliveries after resignations over Covid-19 vaccine mandate
A hospital in upstate New York is "pausing" deliveries of babies because of the number of maternity unit employee resignations over the state's Covid-19 vaccination requirements, health officials say. Lewis County General Hospital in Lowville, about 60 miles northeast of Syracuse, will stop deliveries after September 24, said Gerald Cayer, chief executive of the Lewis County Health System.
"We are unable to safely staff the service after September 24. The number of resignations received leaves us no choice but to pause delivering babies at Lewis County General Hospital. It is my hope that the Department of Health will work with us in support of pausing the service rather than closing the maternity department," Cayer said at a news conference Friday.
13th Sep 2021 - CNN
India worried about complacency over second dose of COVID-19 vaccine - sources
India is worried that growing complacency as COVID-19 infection rates and deaths decline could lead to people skipping their second vaccine shots, leaving communities vulnerable to the coronavirus, said two health experts briefed on the matter. India has administered more than 744 million vaccine doses - with 60% of its 944 million adults getting a first shot and 19% fully vaccinated with the required two shots. India has the most partly immunized people in the world, according to the Our World in Data website, mainly due to a long gap of between 12 and 16 weeks between doses, as prescribed by the government.
13th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19 vaccine clinics open on Northern Ireland campuses
Walk-in clinics have been set up in universities and further education colleges in a bid to get more students vaccinated against Covid-19. The first of 60 clinics will open on Monday as part of the Department of Health's "jabbathon" drive. They will cover 30 campuses and offer first doses to students throughout September. About 72% of 18 to 29-year-olds in Northern Ireland have had at least one Covid vaccine dose. Nearly 88% of adults have received one dose and about 82% have been fully vaccinated.
13th Sep 2021 - BBC News
School starts for 1 million NYC kids amid new vaccine rules
School started Monday for about a million New York City public school students in the nation’s largest experiment of in-person learning during the coronavirus pandemic. The first day of school coincided with several milestones in the city’s pandemic recovery that hinge on vaccine mandates. Nearly all of the city’s 300,000 employees were required to be back in their workplaces, in person, Monday as the city ended remote work. Most will either need to be vaccinated, or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing to remain in their jobs.
13th Sep 2021 - The Associated Press
Bangladesh reopens schools after 18-month COVID shutdown
In a report last week, UNICEF warned that prolonged school closures during the COVID crisis accentuated “alarming inequities” for more than 430 million children in South Asia. “School closures in South Asia have forced hundreds of millions of children and their teachers to transition to remote learning in a region with low connectivity and device affordability,” UNICEF’s regional director, George Laryea-Adjei, said in a statement. “As a result, children have suffered enormous setbacks in their learning journey.”
13th Sep 2021 - AlJazeera
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 13th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullMine worker tests positive for COVID-19 in South Australia after arriving on flight from Sydney
South Australia has recorded one new local case of COVID-19, in a mine worker who flew in yesterday from Sydney. He arrived on Virgin Australia flight VA406 at 9:20am, and was tested half an hour later. SA Health said the man went straight into quarantine at the Atura Hotel at Adelaide Airport, under the mining company's policy. Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said the fact the case was identified so quickly was "a reflection of our system working".
11th Sep 2021 - ABC News
Covid-19 Australia: A huge spike in pregnant women becoming severely ill with the virus
Seven pregnant women with Covid taken to Monash Medical Centre last week
Health authorities are alarmed as the virus has caused premature births
Dr Ryan Hodges worried over the spike in pregnant women in hospital with Covid
Overwhelmingly the women being looked after in the ward are not vaccinated
Dr Hodges noted international data showed Pfizer is safe for pregnant women
11th Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
With more doses, Uganda takes vaccination drive to markets
At a taxi stand by a bustling market in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, traders simply cross a road or two, get a shot in the arm and rush back to their work. Until this week, vaccination centers were based mostly in hospitals in this East African country that faced a brutal COVID-19 surge earlier this year. Now, more than a dozen tented sites have been set up in busy areas to make it easier to get inoculated in Kampala as health authorities team up with the Red Cross to administer more than 120,000 doses that will expire at the end of September.
11th Sep 2021 - The Associated Press
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 10th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullLeast Vaccinated States Lead Spike in Children’s Cases, Leaving Some Hospitals Stretched
Just as millions of families around the United States navigate sending their children back to school at an uncertain moment in the pandemic, the number of children admitted to the hospital with Covid-19 has risen to the highest levels reported to date. Nearly 30,000 of them entered hospitals in August. Pediatric hospitalizations, driven by a record rise in coronavirus infections among children, have swelled across the country, overwhelming children’s hospitals and intensive care units in states like Louisiana and Texas.
9th Sep 2021 - New York Times
Covid-19 vaccine: Unvaccinated NHS workers could be barred from treating patients as jabs to be compulsory
Frontline NHS staff could be barred from treating patients and possibly lose their jobs if they refuse to have the Covid-19 vaccine. The government has launched a six-week consultation into proposals to make Covid jabs mandatory for all frontline NHS workers. On a visit to Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, Health Secretary Sajid Javid refused to rule out staff losing their jobs if they refuse the vaccine.
9th Sep 2021 - iNews
Trial of Covid-19 vaccine and flu jab combined to begin in Australia on 640 healthy residents
Vaccine developer Novavax will trial a combined flu and Covid-19 vaccination. The tests in Australia will include 640 healthy adults aged between 50-70. Who have previously been infected or received a Covid jab at least 8 weeks prior. Novavax said that flu and Covid combination vaccines will combat new variants
9th Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 9th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullBulgaria, EU's least vaccinated nation, faces deadly surge
Standing outside the rundown public hospital in Bulgaria’s northern town of Veliko Tarnovo, the vaccination unit’s chief nurse voices a sad reality about her fellow citizens: “They don’t believe in vaccines.” Bulgaria has one of the highest coronavirus death rates in the 27-nation European Union and is facing a new, rapid surge of infections due to the more infectious delta variant. Despite that, people in this Balkan nation are the most hesitant in the bloc to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Only 20% of adults in Bulgaria, which has a population of 7 million, have so far been fully vaccinated. That puts it last in the EU, which has an average of 69 % fully vaccinated.
8th Sep 2021 - The Associated Press
Idaho moves to start rationing medical care amid surge in covid hospitalizations
For the first time in Idaho’s history, officials in the state on Tuesday moved to start rationing medical care in some overburdened hospitals grappling with a surge in covid-19 patients — a grim reflection of the delta variant’s devastation and a dire warning for other health-care systems pushed to the brink by rising infections.
Officials activated Idaho’s “crisis standards of care” for at least 10 hospitals in two public health districts, saying in a statement that a “massive increase in patients with COVID-19 who require hospitalization” had led to a shortage of staff and beds. Idaho has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, with less than 40 percent of the population fully vaccinated.
8th Sep 2021 - The Washington Post
Children make up more than a quarter of the weekly US Covid-19 cases, pediatricians' group says
Children now represent more than a quarter -- or 26.8% -- of weekly Covid-19 cases nationwide, according to data released Tuesday from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The update comes as schools across the US have been in session or are getting into full swing. Experts have encouraged adults to get vaccinated to protect young children returning to the classroom.
"If we want to protect the children, particularly those who are not yet eligible for vaccination, you want to surround the children with people who are vaccinated -- teachers, school personnel, everyone else," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Tuesday.
8th Sep 2021 - CNN
In Parts Of The U.S., Delta Covid-19 Surge Is Forcing Hospitals To Ration ICU Beds
When Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) tweeted on Tuesday, September 7th, that “Real America is done with Covid-19” it raises the question whether the Congressman is even aware that the 7-day average of daily Covid-19 deaths is approaching 1,500 (real Americans, by the way), and approximately 100,000 Covid-19 patients are hospitalized nationwide. The Delta surge of Covid-19 is forcing hospitals in parts of the U.S. to plan for or implement rationing of intensive care unit (ICU) beds. On September 6th, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease, said that as hospitals in a number of states fill up with Covid-19 patients, doctors will have to make “tough choices” regarding who will get an ICU bed.
8th Sep 2021 - Forbes
Northern Ireland schools “on verge of collapse under strain of Covid-19” as hundreds of pupils sent home
Northern Ireland schools are “on the verge of collapse under the strain of Covid-19, a leading teaching union has warned. Jacquie White, General Secretary of the Ulster Teachers’ Union, was speaking as the Education Committee meets today to discuss the significant difficulties across schools at the start of the new term. Health chiefs are under pressure to ramp up coronavirus testing capacity as schools across Northern Ireland continue to send hundreds of pupils home. There is also concern at suggestions a faster form of Covid-19 testing could be used to allow self-isolating students to return to school.
8th Sep 2021 - Belfast Live
New Zealand marks downward trend in new COVID-19 cases
New Zealand reported a further fall in locally acquired COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, as the largely coronavirus-free nation looks to eradicate an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant. New Zealand reported 15 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19, down from 21 a day earlier, on the first day of an easing of tough restrictions in all regions outside its largest city Auckland.
8th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Moderna turns to biotech startup to ramp up Covid vaccine manufacturing
Moderna will turn to a biotech startup, National Resilience, to manufacture additional doses of its Covid-19 vaccine. Moderna had previously said it would manufacture 800 million to 1 billion doses of its Covid-19 vaccine in 2021, ramping up to 3 billion doses in 2022. A person familiar with the company said the collaboration might result in hundreds of millions more doses. Currently, the vaccine is given as a two-dose series, though Moderna has said at least some patients may need a third dose given many months later. National Resilience will manufacture mRNA to produce the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine at its facility in Mississauga, Ontario, for worldwide distribution. The company is headquartered in San Diego and Cambridge, Mass.
8th Sep 2021 - STAT News
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View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: 'Without the vaccine we would have been on our knees'
BBC News NI is given access to Belfast City Hospital's intensive care unit, where a consultant warns the system is "one step from chaos". Seven patients had Covid-19 - six of the men and women in their 20s, 40s and early 60s were unvaccinated. One of them was double-jabbed. "Without the vaccine we would have been on our knees weeks ago," Dr Gardiner said
7th Sep 2021 - BBC News
Queensland records no new locally acquired COVID-19 cases, more vaccinations encouraged
Queensland has recorded zero new cases of COVID-19 as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk stepped up the state government's push to get people vaccinated as quickly as possible. Ms Palaszczuk said 53.33 per cent of eligible Queenslanders have had their first dose of the COVID vaccine and 34.75 per cent of eligible Queenslanders are fully vaccinated — both rates below the national average. The Premier said the government would be sending Queenslanders text messages with important vaccine information
7th Sep 2021 - ABC.Net.au
In Vietnam’s COVID epicentre, ‘everyone is struggling to survive’
Home to nine million people, Ho Chi Minh City has been under a total lockdown since August 23, with residents forbidden from leaving their homes even to shop for food. With the restrictions set to last until September 15, newly elected Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered mass testing for the city’s residents and deployed soldiers to enforce the stay at home orders and help with the delivery of food. But despite the strict measures, the number of infections continue to rise in Ho Chi Minh City and more than 200 people are dying every day. On Monday, the city reported more than 7,000 new cases and 233 deaths, rising from a caseload of 5,889 a week ago.
7th Sep 2021 - AlJazeera
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View this newsletter in fullOverwhelmed Morgues Belie U.S. Illusion of a Defanged Pandemic
The fast-spreading delta variant has flooded hospitals across the South. It’s killed more people in Florida and Louisiana than the darkest days of the pandemic winter, and left so many Covid-19 patients gasping for breath that some places face shortages of medical oxygen. This harsh reality, likely fueled by a failure to adequately vaccinate the most vulnerable, has undercut the best efforts of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and other Republican leaders to simply move past Covid.
6th Sep 2021 - Bloomberg
Hundreds of health centres at risk of closure in Afghanistan - WHO
Hundreds of medical facilities in Afghanistan are at risk of imminent closure because the Western donors who finance them are barred from dealing with the new Taliban government, a World Health Organization official said on Monday.
Around 90% of 2,300 health facilities across the country might have to close as soon as this week, the UN health agency's regional emergency director, Rick Brennan, told Reuters in an interview.
6th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Covid: School attendance fines 'could be unlawful'
The government is facing mounting legal pressure over its decision to continue fining medically vulnerable families for poor school attendance during the pandemic. The Good Law Project has said that education secretary Gavin Williamson could be "in breach of the law" over the issue.
6th Sep 2021 - TES News
United States eclipses more than 1,500 COVID-19 deaths per day - the highest in six months
The United States eclipsed a 1,500 deaths per day average over the weekend, the first time that mark has been reached in six months. More than 100,000 Americans are hospitalized with the virus as well, and hospitalizations doubled in August when compared to July. Florida currently leads the nation with the most total deaths and deaths per 100,000 residents. Louisiana is struggling to handle its COVID-19 situation in the wake of Hurricane Ida
6th Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
Covid-19: India school closures 'catastrophic' for poor students
The prolonged closure of schools in India has led to "catastrophic consequences" for poor children, according to a recent survey. Only 8% of the children sampled were studying online regularly and 37% were not studying at all, the survey found.
Primary and upper-primary schools in India have been closed for 17 month to curb the spread of coronavirus. The survey, supervised by leading economists, spoke to 1,400 children across India in August. Researchers focused on households in relatively deprived villages and slums, where children generally attend government-run schools.
6th Sep 2021 - BBC News
Pfizer COVID vaccines arrive in Australia under UK swap deal
Nearly half a million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine have arrived in Australia overnight, officials have said, the first batch of a swap deal with Britain that Australia is using to speed up its inoculation programme as it battles a surge in cases that has put more than half its 25 million population in lockdown.
6th Sep 2021 - AlJazeera
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View this newsletter in fullChild Covid-19 Cases Rise in States Where Schools Opened Earliest
The recent spread of the highly contagious Delta variant has thrown back-to-school plans into disarray, temporarily driving tens of thousands of students back to virtual learning or pausing instruction altogether. Since the school year kicked off in late July, at least 1,000 schools across 31 states have closed because of Covid-19, according to Burbio, a Pelham, N.Y., data service that is monitoring school closures at 1,200 districts nationwide, including the 200 largest. The shutdowns are hitting classrooms especially hard in the Deep South, where most schools were among the first to open, a possible warning of what’s to come as the rest of the nation’s students start school this month.
5th Sep 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
Maduro says Venezuela to receive first COVAX vaccines this week
Venezuela this week will receive the first coronavirus vaccines obtained via COVAX, President Nicolas Maduro said, following months of stalled attempts to obtain inoculations through the global vaccine program. The South American nation has been inoculating its population with doses acquired directly from China and Russia, following months of delays in making payments to COVAX that Maduro has attributed to U.S. sanctions. "This week, the first vaccines from the COVAX mechanism will arrive," Maduro said in an interview with state television. "We hope the COVAX mechanism accelerates, such that in October they deliver the vaccines for an estimated 6 million Venezuelans."
5th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Nearly 80% of fatalities in deadly August COVID surge among unvaccinated, partially vaccinated Oregonians
Nearly four in five coronavirus deaths in Oregon during the first four weeks of August were among unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals, according to new data released by the Oregon Health Authority. And roughly five in six of the 51,391 known COVID-19 infections during the same period were among people who were unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated, according to a state report. The share of so-called breakthrough cases and deaths among fully vaccinated Oregonians remains tiny compared to the 2.4 million Oregonians who were fully vaccinated as of Aug.28, demonstrating the effectiveness of vaccines at preventing severe COVID-19.
5th Sep 2021 - Oregon Live
Hospitalizations for Children Sharply Increase as Delta Surges
Pediatric hospitalizations for Covid-19 have soared over the summer as the highly contagious Delta variant spread across the country, according to two new studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From late June to mid-August, hospitalization rates in the United States for children and teenagers increased nearly fivefold, although they remain slightly below January’s peak, one new study found.
4th Sep 2021 - The New York Times
GP surgeries in England cancel flu jabs amid vaccine shortage
GP surgeries are being forced to cancel appointments for the winter flu jab after the NHS’s biggest provider warned that it could not deliver supplies for up to two weeks due to “unforeseen road freight challenges”. Practices in England have begun contacting patients to postpone their immunisation without being able to rebook them at a later date. The problem emerged on Friday when vaccine maker Seqirus wrote to surgeries alerting them to the possibility of having to rearrange booked appointments. “We would like to inform you that due to unforeseen road freight challenges, there will be a delay to your scheduled delivery by one to two weeks,” the firm said.
4th Sep 2021 - The Guardian
Lilly's COVID-19 antibody combo cleared for nationwide use as feds say it can tackle the dominant delta variant
That didn't take long. Only a few days after Eli Lilly's COVID-19 antibody combo of bamlanivimab and etesevimab made its return to more than 20 states, federal officials are resuming distribution nationwide. In a Thursday alert, officials said Lilly's drug "can be used in all U.S. states, territories, and jurisdictions" based on data about variants circulating nationwide. Since Eli Lilly's combo is expected to be effective against the delta variant—and because that variant is now dominant in the United States—officials are ready to again endorse the drugs.
3rd Sep 2021 - FiercePharma
Doctor says ERs overwhelmed with people overdosing on livestock drug ivermectin to treat COVID-19
Physician Jason McElyea told KFOR patients who took doses of ivermectin meant for a horse are filling up hospitals in eastern and southeastern Oklahoma. “The ERs are so backed up that gunshot victims were having hard times getting to facilities where they can get definitive care and be treated,” McElyea said. Ivermectin has gained popularity as a COVID-19 treatment despite unproven anti-viral benefits
3rd Sep 2021 - The Hill
15 million Covid vaccine doses thrown away in the U.S. since March, new data shows
Pharmacies and state governments in the United States have thrown away at least 15.1 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines since March 1, according to government data obtained by NBC News — a far larger number than previously known and still probably an undercount. Four national pharmacy chains reported more than 1 million wasted doses each, according to data released by the CDC. Walgreens reported the most waste of any pharmacy, state or other vaccine provider, with nearly 2.6 million wasted doses. CVS reported 2.3 million wasted doses, while Walmart reported 1.6 million and Rite Aid reported 1.1 million.
1st Sep 2021 - NBC News
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View this newsletter in fullHawaii Struggles With an Oxygen Shortage
The authorities in Hawaii are struggling to transport tanks of oxygen from the mainland as the state’s hospitals grow increasingly strained by new coronavirus infections. Medical authorities are asking people to postpone elective surgeries and the state’s 223 I.C.U. beds have dwindled to 16 available, said Hilton R. Raethel, the president and chief executive of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii. “The most critical point for Hawaii that we’ve experienced during this entire pandemic is right now,” he said.
2nd Sep 2021 - The New York Times
Norway to Offer Teens Single Covid Shot as Reopening Is Delayed
Norway will offer children down to 12 years of age a single vaccine dose and delay removing remaining restrictions, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said in a press conference. Infections in Norway, which has topped Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking for last two months, are currently at a record high after most restrictions were lifted. While hospitalizations are rising, they have been kept in check by the vaccination of more than 70% of adults.
2nd Sep 2021 - Bloomberg
Covid-19 Australia: NSW to hit 70 per cent single vaccine dose today
NSW is on track to hit 70 per cent single dose vaccinations on Thursday as Premier Gladys Berejiklian hints about what life will be like once residents are double-jabbed.
Current modelling suggests NSW will reach that double vaccination target by October 21, whereby residents will finally be afforded freedoms to visit the pub, restaurants and stadium events. NSW is the first state in Australia to reach the 70 per cent first dose target and will likely be the first to reach the second dose target as well.
2nd Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
South African train brings COVID-19 vaccines closer to people
At Springs train station in South Africa's biggest city Johannesburg, Simphiwe Dyantyi and her partner wait their turn to board. But they are not going anywhere, instead they are getting COVID-19 jabs inside a stationary train. The initiative by South African state logistics firm Transnet is meant to bring vaccines closer to people and save them from travelling long distances as the government ramps up its COVID-19 vaccination drive.
2nd Sep 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19: UK will offer third vaccine dose to severely immunosuppressed people
The UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended that people with severely weakened immune systems should have a third vaccine dose as part of their primary vaccination schedule against covid-19.
The third dose of either the Moderna or the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine should be offered to people over age 12 who were severely immunosuppressed at the time of their first or second dose, including those with leukaemia, advanced HIV, or recent organ transplants. For 12-17 year olds the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is preferred. The JCVI is still deciding on the benefits of booster doses for the rest of the population and is awaiting further evidence to inform this decision.
2nd Sep 2021 - The BMJ
Australian doctors warn of risks to hospitals once COVID-19 curbs ease
Australian doctors on Thursday warned the country's hospitals are not ready to cope with the government's reopening plans, even with higher vaccination rates, as some states prepare to move from a virus suppression strategy to living with COVID-19. The Australian Medical Association (AMA) said the health system was in danger of being locked into a "permanent cycle of crisis" and has called for new modelling to check if staffing levels in hospitals can withstand an expected surge in cases when lockdown rules ease.
2nd Sep 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullPhilippines health workers protest neglect as COVID-19 strains hospitals
Scores of healthcare workers protested in the Philippine capital on Wednesday to demand an end to what they called government neglect and unpaid benefits, as pressure builds at hospitals fighting one of Asia's longest-running coronavirus epidemics. Protesters wearing protective medical gear gathered at the Department of Health (DOH) and held placards demanding their risk allowances and hazard pay, and the resignation of Health Secretary Francisco Duque.
1st Sep 2021 - Reuters
Hair cuts and dining in as Thai malls reopen after virus cases ease
Thailand allowed shopping malls in the capital Bangkok to reopen on Wednesday and restaurants to operate at half capacity, after nearly three months of tough restrictions aimed at containing the country's worst coronavirus outbreak. The move comes after infections numbers started falling in the middle of last month and with the government under pressure to ease lockdown measures due to the impact on the economy.
1st Sep 2021 - Reuters
India schools cautiously reopen even as COVID warnings grow
More students in India will be able to step inside a classroom for the first time in nearly 18 months Wednesday, as authorities gave the green light to partially reopen more schools despite apprehension from some parents and signs that infections are picking up again. Schools and colleges in at least six more states are reopening in a gradual manner with health measures in place throughout September. In New Delhi, all staff must be vaccinated and class sizes will be capped at 50% with staggered seating and sanitized desks.
1st Sep 2021 - The Associated Press
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 1st Sep 2021
View this newsletter in full'Threat of Long Covid means this is the most worrying start to a new school year'
Polly Hudson questions the decision to send children back to school without all the safety measures we had in place before as we still wait to see if vaccines for kids will be approved
31st Aug 2021 - The Mirror
Covid-19 Australia: Sydney ICU nurse says the virus is 'ripping families apart'
ICU nurse Michelle Dowd has detailed scenes at Liverpool Hospital Covid ward
Covid-19 patients coming into her ward are some of the sickest they've seen
Parents who need to be on ventilators in ICU are left separated from their kids
ICU nurses have been left to provide emotional support for dying Covid patients
Ms Dowd urged the community to get vaccinated to assist frontline workers
31st Aug 2021 - Daily Mail
These 5 states have less than 10% of ICU beds left as Covid-19 overwhelms hospitals
As Covid-19 cases surge across the US, particularly among unvaccinated Americans, hospitals have been pushed to their limits treating the influx of patients -- and five states are nearly out of ICU beds. Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Florida and Arkansas have less than 10% left of their ICU bed capacity, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services. In Georgia, the CEO of Northeast Georgia Health Systems said it had 287 Covid patients Monday morning, which is more than the hospital has had since January.
31st Aug 2021 - CNN
Philippines: Nurses threaten mass resignation amid COVID surge
Saying they are overworked and underpaid, health care workers across the Philippines are threatening to walk off the job unless they receive benefits promised by the government. The Philippines is currently experiencing record-high COVID caseloads driven by the highly transmissible delta variant. As hospitals fill up, overworked nurses have staged protests and are threatening mass resignations if government benefits are not paid by September 1.
31st Aug 2021 - Deutsche Welle on MSN.com
Covid outbreak on cruise ship docked in Liverpool
A cruise ship docked in Liverpool was hit by a coronavirus outbreak as staff members were told to self-isolate. Three crew members onboard the Celebrity Silhouette cruise liner had to leave the ship after testing positive for the virus. The cruise liner, which has the capacity to carry 2,902 passengers, arrived in Liverpool on Monday and is making its way over to Southampton, where it's due to arrive on Saturday, September 4.
31st Aug 2021 - Liverpool Echo
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View this newsletter in fullGovernment says parents responsible for preventing new Covid wave when schools reopen
Parents have a responsibility to help prevent schools from closing when they reopen next week by regularly testing their children for Covid-19, Gavin Williamson has said. “School communities still need to follow Covid precautions, especially regular testing for pupils, families and staff. But it is not just a matter for schools,” the education secretary wrote in an article for the Daily Mail newspaper. “Parents too have a responsibility to make sure that their children are tested regularly.
30th Aug 2021 - The Independent
Ensure children have regular Covid-19 tests as schools return, parents urged
Parents should make sure their children are tested regularly for coronavirus, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said as he warned youngsters not to get “carried away” when schools return. The Government is trying to persuade parents, secondary school pupils and college students to take part in voluntary asymptomatic Covid-19 testing amid concerns that the return to classes in England in September could drive a new wave of infections.
30th Aug 2021 - Belfast Telegraph
Saudi students return to school with masks and checks
Pupils have to keep their distance during the day - the children sit far apart on blue tables. But the return was still something to celebrate, Waleed and his friends said.
"At least now we can understand what our teacher is saying. We could barely follow our lessons remotely," said Fahd al-Fares, 13.
30th Aug 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullGPs and hospitals to limit blood tests in England due to bottle shortage
GPs have been told to stop performing most blood tests until mid-September, and hospitals to cut their number by 25%, as the NHS grapples with an acute shortage of sample bottles. NHS England has ordered the unprecedented huge cut in blood testing because hospitals and GP surgeries have been hit with a severe and deepening shortage of the vials samples are put into. The problem had already forced hospitals and GPs to start limiting the number of blood tests being carried out on patients.
29th Aug 2021 - The Guardian
Cuba to deploy China's Sinopharm alongside homegrown vaccines
Cuba, which to date had deployed exclusively its homegrown COVID-19 vaccines, will start also using the Sinopharm vaccine of its Communist-run ally China in its bid to battle one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the world. Health authorities will apply two doses of Sinopharm combined with a Cuban booster in the central province of Cienfuegos from Sunday, Vicente Verez, the head of the Cuban Finlay Vaccine Institute, was cited as saying
28th Aug 2021 - Reuters
Hospitals in U.S. South Run Low on Oxygen Amid Covid and Storm
Hospitals in the Southeast are running low on oxygen, with the worst-hit left only 12 to 24 hours worth, said Premier Inc., a hospital-supply purchasing group. This comes amid the region’s struggle over the summer with high numbers of Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations. Now Hurricane Ida is set to hit the Gulf Coast in the coming days. Premier has notified the White House, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Health and Human Services department about the scarcity of oxygen in the region, said Blair Childs, Premier’s senior vice president of public affairs.
28th Aug 2021 - Bloomberg
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View this newsletter in fullPandemic windfall for US schools has few strings attached
As the federal government releases historic sums of pandemic aid to the nation’s schools, it’s urging them to dream big, to invest in seismic changes that will benefit students for generations to come. But many districts say they have more urgent problems to tackle first. In Detroit, that means fixing buildings with crumbling ceilings and mold infestations. Like other school systems, Detroit is caught between the Biden administration’s lofty aspirations and bleak realities. The district is using some of the government money to hire tutors, expand mental health services and cut class sizes. But at least half of its $1.3 billion windfall is being set aside to make long-neglected repairs.
26th Aug 2021 - The Associated Press
NHS planning Covid vaccines for children from age 12, reports say
NHS England has been told to prepare to administer Covid vaccinations to all children aged 12 and above, as vaccine advisers continue to consider whether to extend the programme, according to reports. The planned extension to the vaccination programme would coincide with the start of the new school year. NHS trusts have been told to have plans prepared by 4pm on Friday, the Daily Telegraph reported. Children aged 12-15 in the UK are currently offered coronavirus vaccines only if they have certain health conditions or live with vulnerable people, but distribution of the vaccines has already been extended to that age group by countries such as the US, Germany and Israel.
26th Aug 2021 - The Guardian
Among children, older teens are seeing the highest Covid-19 case rates
Coronavirus infections continue to surge among children across the United States, and older teens, ages 16 and 17, are facing the highest rate of weekly cases, according to a new CNN analysis of the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Saturday, these teens appear to have the highest rate of infections among not only children, but all age groups, based on the CDC's count of weekly Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people.
26th Aug 2021 - CNN
With more than 100,000 people in the hospital with Covid-19 in the US, this August is worse than last, expert says
More than 100,000 people are hospitalized with Covid-19 in the US -- the first time that level has been reached since January -- as medical workers say they're once again struggling to treat waves of patients. The latest figure, amid a summer surge in Covid-19 cases driven by the highly transmissible Delta variant, is also more than double what it was on the same day last year, when vaccines were not available as they are now. Hospitals and researchers have been saying the vast majority of this year's hospitalized patients are unvaccinated.
26th Aug 2021 - CNN
Where the Delta Wave Has Driven Up Covid-19 Vaccinations
After weeks of stagnation, the United States vaccination campaign has had a relatively successful month, with vaccine uptake rising from early-summer lows in every state in the country. The upswing in vaccinations has come alongside an extended, and much more pronounced, increase in coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the United States over the past two months. Public health officials say that in their communities, residents have been driven to get the vaccine by worries that the more-transmissible Delta variant might make them, or their loved ones, sick.
26th Aug 2021 - The New York Times
WHO: COVID-19 vaccination triples in Africa but still low
COVID-19 vaccinations in Africa tripled over the past week, though protecting even 10% of the continent by the end of September remains “a very daunting task,” the Africa director of the World Health Organization said Thursday. Meanwhile, the continent saw 248,000 new confirmed cases over the past week, with at least 24 countries seeing a surge in infections driven by the delta variant. “This is a preventable tragedy if African countries can get fair access to the vaccines,” Matshidiso Moeti told reporters.
26th Aug 2021 - The Associated Press
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 26th Aug 2021
View this newsletter in fullNSW hospitals warning: nurses and staff ‘flat out’ and ‘exhausted’ as Covid numbers soar
The nurses union has rubbished New South Wales health minister Brad Hazzard’s claims that Sydney’s hospitals are coping with the city’s Covid outbreak, warning multiple facilities are under “enormous pressure” and have “very little capacity” in their emergency departments. NSW set a new daily record on Wednesday with 919 local Covid cases. There were 645 Covid patients in hospital, with 113 people in intensive care, but transmission and exposure at multiple hospitals has sidelined significant numbers of health staff due to isolation requirements.
25th Aug 2021 - The Guardian
Kroger plans for 1 million Covid-19 booster shots a week, including in nursing homes
U.S. grocery chain Kroger Co (KR.N) is gearing up to administer 1 million COVID-19 booster shots a week once they are available to the general public, and plans to offer vaccines in nursing homes for those who cannot go to its stores. The U.S. government is planning to make COVID-19 vaccine booster shots widely available from Sept. 20 to Americans if U.S. health regulators give the go-ahead. Only people who are immunocompromised have been eligible for booster shots since early this month.
25th Aug 2021 - Reuters
Vietnam to pay recovered COVID-19 patients to help in hospitals
Vietnam is offering patients who have recovered from the coronavirus a monthly allowance if they agree to stay on at stretched hospitals to help health workers struggling to cope with an influx of infected people. After successfully containing COVID-19 for much of the pandemic, Vietnam is facing its worst outbreak to date driven by the virulent Delta variant, with a surge in cases and deaths ramping up pressure on health authorities
25th Aug 2021 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 25th Aug 2021
View this newsletter in full'Exhausted' Florida doctors gather outside hospital to urge people to get vaccinated
A group of 75 South Florida doctors staged a news conference Monday outside a medical office to urge people to get the COVID-19 vaccine and wear masks as the state battles a wave of new infections and hospitalizations driven by the delta variant. The conference took place before office hours and included leadership and staff from surrounding hospitals, according to U.S. News. “We are exhausted. Our patience and resources are running low and we need your help,” Rupesh Dharia from Palm Beach Internal Medicine told NBC 8. Healthcare workers are reporting high rates of fatigue and burnout, on top of frustration over the lack of vaccinations among patients and the public, according to The Wall Street Journal.
24th Aug 2021 - The Hill
Douglas County reopens testing site as COVID-19 cases surge across North Georgia
With the rise of COVID-19 cases and the spread of the delta variant, some people are having trouble getting a test. In Douglas County, a local practice moved back to a public park to have more space and see more people. Channel 2′s Steve Gehlbach was there Tuesday as lines of cars snake through Deer Lick Park with people trying to find a free COVID-19 test. “We’re trying to meet the need and see as many as we can,” said Pamela Willis with Douglas County Family Practice and Pulmonary Medicine. “We’ve had a lot come in with symptoms.”
24th Aug 2021 - WSB Atlanta
Fauci expects uptick after FDA OKs Pfizer shot
Dr. Anthony Fauci says he’s hoping for an uptick in the administration of COVID-19 vaccinations following U.S. government approval of the Pfizer vaccine. The top infectious disease expert in the U.S. says the Food and Drug Administration’s decision Monday should encourage people who cited lack of approval as a reason for not getting vaccinated. The FDA previously had cleared the Pfizer shots for use on an emergency basis. Fauci told NBC’s “Today Show” that FDA approval will mean more “enthusiasm” for vaccine mandates by workplaces, colleges and universities, and the military. He says it will help boost U.S. vaccination rates.
24th Aug 2021 - Associated Press
Lecturers at Georgia university resign over COVID concerns
Two University of North Georgia lecturers have resigned over concerns about teaching in the classroom during the state’s latest COVID-19 surge. “I feel that with COVID surging and us being asked to teach our courses face-to-face with potentially unmasked and unvaccinated students that, in my case, I think they are asking me to choose between my job and the health of myself and my family,” Lorraine Buchbinder told The Times of Gainesville. Buchbinder a colleague — Cornelia Lambert — resigned last week, she said. Both are history lecturers. Masks and vaccinations are “strongly encouraged, but not mandated,” school spokeswoman Sylvia Carson said.
24th Aug 2021 - The Associated Press
Maine has vaccinated 95% of people in their 70s for COVID-19
Maine health officials have reported that 95% of state residents who are in their 70s have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Maine is one of the oldest states in the country, and it also has one of the highest rates of COVID-19 vaccination. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday that 95% of the more than 125,000 people in their 70s in the state have now had their final shots. More than 70% of the state’s eligible population is fully vaccinated. That means they have had one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or both doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.
24th Aug 2021 - The Associated Press
Oregon, once a virus success story, struggles with surge
Oregon was once the poster child for limiting the spread of the coronavirus, after its Democratic governor imposed some of the nation’s strictest safety measures, including mask mandates indoors and outdoors, limits on gatherings and an order closing restaurants. But now the state is being hammered by the super-transmissible delta variant, and hospitals are getting stretched to the breaking point. The vast majority of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated.
24th Aug 2021 - Associated Press
Gov. Kemp deploys National Guard to help Georgia hospitals
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced Tuesday he would deploy 105 medically trained National Guard personnel to hospitals across the state. In coordination with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Community Health, the Georgia National Guard will deploy to more than a dozen hospitals, including Southeast Georgia Health System in Brunswick, Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah and Phoebe Putney in Albany. “These guardsmen will assist our frontline healthcare workers as they provide quality medical care during the current increase in cases and hospitalizations, and I greatly appreciate General Carden and his team for their willingness to answer the call again in our fight against COVID-19,” Kemp said. “This Georgia National Guard mission is in addition to the 2,800 state-supported staff and 450 new beds brought online I announced last week, at a total state investment of $625 million through December of this year.”
24th Aug 2021 - News4jax.com
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 24th Aug 2021
View this newsletter in fullFrance's COVID-19 hospitalisations highest in 2 months
French health authorities said on Monday the number of people hospitalised for COVID-19 and those treated in intensive care units (ICU) stood at the highest levels in more than two months, as the Delta variant of the disease has put a renewed strain on the health system.
23rd Aug 2021 - Reuters
Israel struggles with COVID surge despite mass vaccinations
Israel was one of the first countries to vaccinate the majority of its population and by March most Israelis were already putting COVID-19 behind them.
By June the mandatory mask requirement was completely dropped and the only restrictions that remained concerned the entry and exit from the country. Now the rate of infection has risen to 5.4 percent and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has said he will take every action possible to lower the rate and avoid going to a fourth lockdown.
Health experts say there are two main reasons the Delta variant hit Israel so hard. For one, Israelis were flouting the mask requirements, which were re-imposed at the end of June. Now police are handing out fines to those who do not wear a face covering.
23rd Aug 2021 - Al Jazeera English
So many people in this Texas town got Covid-19 that the school district shut down and then the city essentially closed
Last week, the school district shut down after only five days of classes because about a quarter of the staff and 16% of the students got infected or were exposed to Covid-19, according to Iraan-Sheffield Independent School District Superintendent Tracy Canter. "In the last week, we've seen more Covid cases for staff and students than we did the entire year, last year, during school," Canter said.
For right now the closure is due to last until August 30, depending on the situation. In the meantime, there's no virtual or remote learning, the superintendent told parents in a letter. She also asked everyone to pitch in to slow the spread of the virus.
23rd Aug 2021 - CNN
Bristol Covid-19 vaccine clinic targeted by protesters set to reopen
A Covid vaccination clinic that had to close because of an anti-vaccine protest will reopen later this week. The pop-up clinic inside Cabot Circus Shopping Centre in Bristol was shut when about 60 protesters gathered outside on Sunday afternoon.
Avon and Somerset Police said the clinic closed "for the welfare and safety of staff and patients". In a statement, the NHS said it was "disappointed" that vaccinations had to be paused. Some of the protesters addressed shoppers outside the clinic using a megaphone, telling them not to get the vaccine.
23rd Aug 2021 - BBC News
Young patients bedbound with Covid-19 urge unvaccinated teenagers to get the jab
The invitation extends to “at-risk” people aged 12 to 15 ahead of their return to school in September. People aged 18 to 34 now make up more than one in five of those admitted to hospital with the virus, which is four times higher than the peak in winter 2020, the NHS has said. Megan Higgins, 25, and Ella Harwood, 23, were both previously healthy and active but are now suffering with extreme fatigue due to long Covid. Miss Higgins, a special needs tutor from London, said: “It’s now been eight months since I tested positive, and I can’t even walk around the shops without getting exhausted.
23rd Aug 2021 - Wales Online
Now Lebanese Hospitals Near Collapse From Covid-19
Medics scramble to find alternatives to saline solutions after the hospital ran out. The shortages are overwhelming, the medical staff exhausted. And with a new surge in coronavirus cases, Lebanon’s hospitals are at a breaking point. The country's health sector is a casualty of the multiple crises that have plunged Lebanon into a downward spiral — a financial and economic meltdown, compounded by a complete failure of the government, runaway corruption and a pandemic that isn’t going away.
23rd Aug 2021 - Bloomberg
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 23rd Aug 2021
View this newsletter in fullLouisiana sees 'astronomical' number of new Covid-19 cases, governor says
With the continued spread of the more infectious Delta variant, health and elected officials warned that hospitals across the country are reaching critical levels of Covid-19 patients, especially in areas with lower vaccination rates. Overall hospitalizations are continuing to increase across Alabama as the "pandemic of unvaccinated people continues," state health officer Dr. Scott Harris said on Friday. Alabama hospitals have a negative capacity of ICU beds available, he said, and the state is seeing the highest number of Covid-19 cases among children than at any other time during the pandemic.
22nd Aug 2021 - CNN
Covid-19: Vaccination 'big push' continues in Northern Ireland
The Department of Health is continuing its push to get more people in Northern Ireland vaccinated against Covid-19 with mass vaccination walk-in centres reopening on Sunday. There were some long queues on Saturday on the first day of what has been billed as the Big Jab Weekend. No official figures have yet been released, but the total number of jabs administered was in the thousands. It comes as 11 more deaths with Covid-19 were reported in the past 24 hours. Another 1,485 cases were also reported.
22nd Aug 2021 - BBC News
South Africans form long queues as COVID-19 jabs opened to all adults
South Africans formed queues hundreds of metres long to get their COVID-19 shots on Friday, after the government made vaccinations available to all adults in order to hasten a rollout beset by challenges and delays. South Africa has been battered by three coronavirus waves, infecting at least 2.65 million people, killing 78,000 - by far the continent's worst toll - and pummelling an already struggling economy with lockdowns and travel restrictions.
20th Aug 2021 - Reuters
Child Covid-19 hospitalizations soar, filling pediatric wings, data show
Two weeks ago, only two or three children a day would come into Dr. Nick Hysmith’s hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, with Covid-19, usually ones who were admitted for other reasons, like broken bones. This week, he is seeing as many as 28 children under 18 a day, some of them landing in the intensive care unit.
20th Aug 2021 - NBC News
PM has third COVID-19 shot as Israel extends booster campaign
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett received a third shot of Pfizer/BioNtech's COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, after Israel extended its booster campaign for people over 40 to try to curb the Delta coronavirus variant. New cases in Israel have surged since Delta's emergence and Bennett, 49, has sought to avoid an economically painful national lockdown by ramping up third doses.
20th Aug 2021 - Reuters
English schools told to delay seeking help with small Covid outbreaks
Universities, schools and nurseries in England have been advised to delay seeking help in dealing with Covid-19 outbreaks until a cluster involving as many as 10% of staff, students or children have contracted the virus. A new “contingency framework” issued by the Department for Education (DfE) to all education settings in England – ranging from universities and colleges to after-school tuition and youth clubs – advises that preventive measures such as wearing masks or remote learning should be used only after discussion with public health officers, once a “threshold” of infections has been reached.
20th Aug 2021 - The Guardian
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 20th Aug 2021
View this newsletter in fullTexas health officials warn of full ICUs as state grapples with worsening Covid-19 surge
The latest surge in Covid-19 hospitalizations this summer is having a deepening effect in Texas, a state that has seen its leadership rebuke steps such as mandatory mask wearing, yet now faces hospitals stretched to capacity with sick patients. And amid both the crises at health care facilities as well as court battles raging over the legality of safety measures in schools, recent news of Gov. Greg Abbott's positive test for Covid-19 has punctuated messaging from health officials that Texans need to remain vigilant during the pandemic. The state's Department of State Health Services said Texas is in "one of its worst fights" it has faced with Covid-19, and mortuary trailers were requested this month as a preparatory maneuver.
19th Aug 2021 - CNN
Oregon hospitals near breaking point as COVID-19 surges
Just 41 intensive care unit beds were available in Oregon on Wednesday as COVID-19 cases continue to climb and hospitals near capacity in a state that was once viewed as a pandemic success story. Oregon, which earlier had among the lowest cases per capita, is now shattering its COVID-19 hospitalization records day after day. Oregon — like Florida Arkansas and Louisiana — has had more people in the hospital with COVID-19 than at any other point in the pandemic. As of Wednesday, 850 coronavirus patients were hospitalized in Oregon — surpassing the state’s record, which was set the previous day. Before this month, the hospitalization record was 622 in November, during a winter surge and when vaccines were not yet available
19th Aug 2021 - The Independent
South Africa to open up COVID-19 vaccinations to 18-35 year olds from Friday
South Africa will open up COVID-19 vaccinations to those aged between 18 and 35 years old from Friday, the government said in a statement, as it tries to ramp up its immunisation drive. The country has recorded the most coronavirus infections and deaths on the African continent, but it has so far only fully vaccinated less than 8% of its population of 60 million.
19th Aug 2021 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 19th Aug 2021
View this newsletter in fullCovid hospital patient numbers hit five-month high in England
More coronavirus patients are currently in hospital in England than at any other time in the last five months, NHS data shows. On Wednesday, more than 5,500 people with Covid-19 were in hospital – a jump of 9 per cent from last week, according to PA news agency, and the highest level since mid-March. But although hospitalisations have begun to climb in recent days, numbers remain low compared to the peaks of the UK’s first and second waves, when fewer people were fully vaccinated.
18th Aug 2021 - The Independent
French patients in ICUs for COVID-19 above 2000 for first time since June 14
French health authorities reported on Wednesday that the number of patients being treated in intensive care units (ICUs) for COVID-19 has risen above 2,000 for the first time since June 14. That figure has more than doubled in less than a month as the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus is putting a renewed strain on the French hospital system
18th Aug 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullSouth African activists slam J&J for exporting vaccines
Health activists in Africa have slammed Johnson & Johnson for exporting vaccines produced in South Africa to countries in Europe, which have already immunized large numbers of their people and have even donated vaccines to more needy countries. The one-dose J&J vaccines were exported from South Africa, where they had been assembled, despite the pressing need for vaccines across Africa, where less than 3% of the continent’s 1.3 billion people have been fully vaccinated.
17th Aug 2021 - Associated Press
Ontario to offer third COVID-19 vaccine doses to high-risk people
The Canadian province of Ontario will begin offering third COVID-19 vaccine doses to vulnerable people as early as this week, its chief medical officer said on Tuesday. Eligible populations will include transplant patients, along with residents in high-risk settings, including long-term care homes and indigenous elder care lodges.
17th Aug 2021 - Reuters
Cuba struggles to get oxygen to the sick, vaccines to the healthy
Cuba has turned to the military to provide oxygen amid a surge of the coronavirus even as doctors rush to administer locally developed vaccines to the population.
The government announced on Sunday that the Caribbean island’s main oxygen plant had broken down in the midst of a Delta variant-driven coronavirus surge that has resulted in record numbers of cases and deaths, swamping some provincial health systems.
17th Aug 2021 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 17th Aug 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 hospitalization rates for adults in their 30s hit record highs amid Delta variant surge
Dr. James Lawler addressed the alarming hospitalization rate among the young
'So this is not only the pandemic of the unvaccinated in the U.S., it's a pandemic of the young now,' he said. He called it a 'myth' that young people don't get very sick from the coronavirus. New COVID-19 hospital admissions for patients in their 30s reached an average of 1,113 per day for the week that ended Wednesday/ That average daily hospitalization rate had jumped 22.6 percent from 908 in the previous seven days. The data shows that thirtysomethings made up 170,852 out of more than 2.5 million new hospital admissions for COVID-19 since August 2020
16th Aug 2021 - Daily Mail
US COVID-19 cases back to pre-vaccination levels
For the first time since February, the United States reported more than 900,000 COVID-19 cases last week—with the country represented 20% of global cases—a sign the pandemic surge caused by the Delta (B1617.2) variant has stalled the progress made by an aggressive vaccine rollout that dampened cases this spring and summer. Cases are on the rise in 46 states, according to USA Today. Hot spots continue in Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Oregon, Hawaii, and Mississippi. Oregon reported 11,564 cases in the week ending Friday, the paper said, topping its December pandemic peak by more than 7.2%. The United States reported 38,482 new COVID-19 cases yesterday and 382 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 tracker.
16th Aug 2021 - CIDRAP
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 16th Aug 2021
View this newsletter in fullFlorida Hospitals Are “Stacking Patients In Hallways” As The Delta Variant Surges
The calls came fast, first with a cardiac arrest case, next with multiple patients who were having trouble breathing, and all were suspected to have COVID. Usually, Stew Eubanks, a paramedic in Sumter County, Florida, deals with lots of minor emergencies, but now it’s mainly life-threatening cases. After a nonstop 24 hours, his Wednesday shift ended with another cardiac arrest. “It’s bad right now,” Eubanks, 39, told BuzzFeed News. “We’re stacking patients in the hallways, stacking patients in the waiting room.”
14th Aug 2021 - BuzzFeed News
NHS summer crisis: Hospital suspends all inpatient surgery for three weeks over bed shortages
All routine inpatient surgery at a hospital in Yorkshire is to be suspended from Monday to help the hospital trust cope with overcrowding in A&E caused by a lack of beds. Bosses at the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust told staff in an email, shared with The Independent, that they had been forced to make the decision because of the lack of beds for waiting patients, which they said ad been a “critical issue for too long.” Martin Barkley, chief executive of the trust, told staff that he had been forced to act because of serious overcrowding in A&E, which was having an impact on patient care.
14th Aug 2021 - The Independent
COVID-19 resurgence puts Philippine health workers under strain
The Philippines’s already stretched healthcare system is under more strain as the country reports its second-largest daily increase in COVID-19 infections since the pandemic, providing more evidence of how the virulent Delta variant may be spreading. Hundreds of hospitals in the country were again nearing full capacity as of Saturday, with some facilities reporting they had run out of intensive care unit beds for COVID-19 patients, leaving healthcare workers, who are forced to work longer hours, exhausted.
14th Aug 2021 - Al Jazeera English
COVID hits hard in rural Mississippi after big county fair
A community in rural east central Mississippi is overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases, two weeks after it hosted the Neshoba County Fair that brought thousands of people who lived in cabins, attended shoulder-to-shoulder outdoor concerts and horseraces and listened to political speeches — including one by Republican Gov.
14th Aug 2021 - Associated Press on MSN.com
Oregon Gov. Brown Deploys National Guard to Hospitals to Help With Covid Surge
Oregon’s governor said Friday she will send up to 1,500 National Guard troops to hospitals around the state to assist healthcare workers who are being pushed to the brink by a surge of COVID-19 cases driven by the Delta variant. Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, said the first group of 500 Guard members will be deployed next Friday to serve as material and equipment runners in the most stricken hospitals and to help with COVID-19 testing, among other things. Troops will be sent to 20 hospitals around Oregon. There are 733 people hospitalized with the virus in Oregon as of Friday, including 185 people in intensive care units — more than 60 people more than just a day before and nearly double what the number was two weeks ago.
14th Aug 2021 - Bloomberg
North Texas runs out of pediatric ICU beds amid Covid surge
"If you’re not vaccinated, you’re playing Russian roulette," Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council's CEO said. "Please get vaccinated. Just about all of the patients in our hospitals are unvaccinated."
13th Aug 2021 - NBC News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 13th Aug 2021
View this newsletter in fullMississippi braces for 'failure' of hospital system due to covid-19 surge and lack of ICU beds
A surge in coronavirus patients and a shortage of health-care workers and intensive care unit beds have pushed Mississippi’s hospital system to the brink of “failure,” state health officials warned Wednesday, saying drastic federal intervention was needed to help the state grapple with the thousands of new daily infections that have overwhelmed doctors and nurses.
12th Aug 2021 - The Washington Post
More than 50,000 children registered to receive Covid-19 vaccine
More than 50,000 children have been registered to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, according to the Health Service Executive (HSE). Registration for 12- to 15-year-olds opened overnight and the first vaccinations of this age group are expected to be administered in the coming days.
12th Aug 2021 - The Irish Times
Kenyan oxygen maker to double production as COVID-19 fuels demand
Kenya’s oxygen production firm Hewatele is doubling production this year to keep up with surging demand from hospitals that are treating critically ill COVID-19 patients, the company said. Demand for the commodity has more than doubled to 880 tonnes from 410 tonnes before the pandemic, the ministry of health said, causing a steep shortage due to lack of installed capacity. The East African nation is confronting a severe fourth wave of COVID-19 infections that is putting pressure on health facilities. “This country doesn’t have capacity to put 2,000 patients under high flow oxygen at the same time. We need to do something urgently,” said Bernard Olayo, founder of the company.
12th Aug 2021 - Reuters
South Korea turns COVID-19 testing booth contactless
A South Korean hospital has upgraded a COVID-19 testing booth to become a mobile contactless clinic that can test people and enable telemedicine for basic treatment.
12th Aug 2021 - Reuters
Ultraviolet and air purifier trials in schools to combat Covid-19 – report
Schools are taking part in trials which involve having air purifiers and ultraviolet light installed indoors to combat Covid-19, according to reports. The trial aims to assess how air purifiers and ultraviolet light mitigate the transmission of coronavirus and other respiratory diseases in schools, the i newspaper said. It also hopes to evaluate how feasible it is to implement the technologies in primary schools, and is expected to yield its first results by the end of the year, the newspaper reported.
11th Aug 2021 - Evening Standard
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 12th Aug 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: 'Vaccine lottery' in Ohio offering millions in cash prizes ensured 82,000 people got coronavirus jab, says economist
A "vaccine lottery" that offered millions of dollars in cash prizes and free university scholarships ensured 82,000 vaccine-hesitant Ohio residents came forward for their first jab, an economist has claimed. The "Vax-A-Million" scheme awarded five prizes of one million dollars, and five young people a full scholarship to any public college or university in Ohio. PhD student Andrew Barber and assistant professor of economics Jeremy West, both from the University of California, published a working paper that claimed to show "in short, the lottery worked".
11th Aug 2021 - Sky News
Senegal's ambulance teams struggle amid a wave of COVID-19
The paramedics get the urgent call at 10:30 p.m.: A 25-year-old woman, eight months pregnant and likely suffering from COVID-19, is now having serious trouble breathing. Yahya Niane grabs two small oxygen cylinders and heads to the ambulance with his team. Upon arrival, they find the young woman's worried father waving an envelope in front of her mouth, a desperate effort to send more air her way. Her situation is dire: Niane says Binta Ba needs to undergo a cesarean section right away if they are to save her and the baby. But first they must find a hospital that can take her.
11th Aug 2021 - The Independent
Older teenagers seriously ill with Covid-19 ‘led to vaccine rollout extension’
The number of 16 and 17-year-olds becoming “seriously ill” with coronavirus informed the extension of the vaccination rollout to that age group, a member of the committee advising on jabs said. Professor Adam Finn, who sits on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and is a professor of paediatrics at the University of Bristol, said there had been “a couple” of 17-year-olds in that area who needed intensive care in hospital in recent weeks. He said while most young people will only have the virus in a mild form, the vaccines will be effective at preventing serious cases.
11th Aug 2021 - Wales Online
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 11th Aug 2021
View this newsletter in fullHospitals run low on nurses as they get swamped with COVID
The rapidly escalating surge in COVID-19 infections across the U.S. has caused a shortage of nurses and other front-line staff in virus hot spots that can no longer keep up with the flood of unvaccinated patients and are losing workers to burnout and lucrative out-of-state temporary gigs. Florida, Arkansas and Louisiana all have more people hospitalized with COVID-19 than at any other point in the pandemic, and nursing staffs are badly strained. In Florida, virus cases have filled so many hospital beds that ambulance services and fire departments are straining to respond to emergencies. Some patients wait inside ambulances for up to an hour before hospitals in St. Petersburg, Florida, can admit them — a process that usually takes about 15 minutes, Pinellas County Administrator Barry Burton said.
10th Aug 2021 - The Associated Press
Schools start again in-person despite growing concern about variants
The big fear lingering: a repeat of last year, when many students were forced to learn from home all or part of the time and students were regularly shuttled into quarantine after exposures to the virus. The current surge, driven by the delta variant, has elevated case counts and hospitalizations across the country. There are about twice as many cases today as there were when schools began a year ago, when the country was coming off a case surge.
10th Aug 2021 - The Washington Post
Some children's hospitals in Covid-19 hotspots are especially busy
It was far from a quiet Monday for infectious disease specialist Dr. Adriana Cadilla who had to meet with patients, many of them just out of the hospital after being treated for Covid-19 at Nemours Children's Hospital in Orlando. "Clinics were packed," Cadilla said. Her hospital has seen a significant increase in the number of children with Covid-19. They're also managing an earlier than usual surge in other respiratory illnesses. Kids aren't sicker with Covid-19, necessarily, there are just more of them, Cadilla said. "We know how to treat a lot of these things, including Covid," Cadilla said. "But this is a public health crisis because when you overload the system, we can't do a lot of things well."
10th Aug 2021 - CNN
Pandemic prompts changes in how future teachers are trained
Before last year, a one-credit technology course for students pursuing master’s degrees in education at the University of Washington wasn’t seen as the program’s most relevant. Then COVID-19 hit, schools plunged into remote learning, and suddenly material from that course was being infused into others. “It’s become so relevant, and it’s staying that way,” said Anne Beitlers, who directs Washington’s master’s program for secondary education. “And nobody’s going to question that now.” Changes to standards and curricula happen slowly, but the pandemic is already leaving its fingerprints on the education of future teachers. Many U.S. educator preparation programs are incorporating more about digital tools, online instruction and mental and emotional wellness in their courses to reflect takeaways from the pandemic.
10th Aug 2021 - The Associated Press
China's Sinovac to invest $60 million in vaccine facility in Chile
Chinese pharmaceutical Sinovac Biotech Ltd on Wednesday said it will build a fill-and-finish vaccine plant in Chile with an investment of $60 million, consolidating its presence in the Latin American nation that has used its COVID-19 shot the most.
Chile has run one of the world’s fastest vaccination campaigns, so far fully vaccinating more than 60% of its population, including with 19.6 million doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac already delivered.
10th Aug 2021 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 10th Aug 2021
View this newsletter in fullIndonesia’s Aceh medics offer COVID lifeline for the isolated
Aceh doctors hope monitoring through WhatsApp can help reduce the risk of people dying from coronavirus when quarantining at home.
10th Aug 2021 - Al Jazeera English
BioNTech says vaccine repeats beat devising new one for now
BioNTech said that repeat shots of its COVID-19 vaccine, of which more than a billion doses have now been supplied worldwide, was a better strategy than tailoring the product it developed with Pfizer to new variants. The German biotech firm said that offering a third dose of its established two-shot vaccine remained the best response to concerns over waning immune protection in the face of the highly contagious Delta variant, as worse strains may emerge.
9th Aug 2021 - Reuters
‘Worrying’ numbers of pregnant women in intensive care with Covid
A record number of pregnant women were admitted to intensive care with Covid last month, data shows, as doctors raised concerns about vaccine hesitancy among expectant mothers and urged them to get jabbed as soon as possible. Figures from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) showed that in England, Wales and Northern Ireland 66 pregnant women ended up in intensive care in July, the highest number since the pandemic began and three times as many as April last year. A total of 46 recently pregnant women were also admitted to critical care. The numbers of expectant mothers in intensive care has risen steadily in recent months, from 17 in March to 22 in June but a spike in admissions occurred last month amid rising Covid cases and a loosening of restrictions.
9th Aug 2021 - The Guardian
Canada loosens travel restrictions for vaccinated US tourists
American tourists who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus are now allowed to enter Canada after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government lifted months-long restrictions on non-essential travel into the country. As of Monday, citizens and permanent residents of the United States who received their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to arrival in Canada will be exempt from quarantine requirements.
9th Aug 2021 - AlJazeera
Covid patients in critical care are decade younger than in previous waves, data shows
Hundreds of critically ill Covid patients have had to be moved between hospitals to relieve pressure on beds in recent months, according to new data which also shows those sick with the virus are a decade younger then in previous waves. The latest assessment of admissions to hospital critical care units showed 176 patients in intensive care had been moved to different hospitals 198 times since the start of May this year. The Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre (ICNARC) has been analysing Covid admissions to NHS ICUs throughout the pandemic and in its latest report, published on Friday, it compared the patients admitted to ICU since May with those admitted since September.
9th Aug 2021 - The Independent
U.S. City With 2.4 Million Population Has Just Six ICU Beds Left
With ICU beds down to a single digit, Austin sounded the alarm Saturday, using its emergency alert system to let residents in the Texas capital city know that the local state of the pandemic is “dire.” The Austin area -- with a population of almost 2.4 million people -- has just six intensive-care unit beds left, state health data show. A total of 313 ventilators are available.
8th Aug 2021 - Bloomberg
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 9th Aug 2021
View this newsletter in fullAlabama ICU beds almost full as COVID hospitalizations continue rapid rise
Critical care units in Alabama hospitals are nearing capacity due to increasing numbers of COVID-19 patients, but recent deaths from the virus still remain relatively low. State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said Friday that about 93% of Alabama’s ICU beds are occupied as the more transmissible COVID-19 delta variant continues to spread in the state and vaccination rates remain low. As of Saturday there were 1,968 Alabamians hospitalized from COVID-19, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. A month ago, just 235 people were hospitalized. Most of those patients are unvaccinated, Harris said.
8th Aug 2021 - Alabama Daily News
Some in U.S. Getting COVID-19 Boosters Without FDA Approval
When the delta variant started spreading, Gina Welch decided not to take any chances: She got a third, booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by going to a clinic and telling them it was her first shot. The U.S. government has not approved booster shots against the virus, saying it has yet to see evidence they are necessary. But Welch and an untold number of other Americans have managed to get them by taking advantage of the nation’s vaccine surplus and loose tracking of those who have been fully vaccinated.
7th Aug 2021 - TIME
Covid-19 vaccines now on offer for over 16s in Northern Ireland
The first young people aged 16 and 17 in Northern Ireland have received a vaccination against Covid-19. It is the first part of the UK to give jabs to teenagers in this age group with no underlying health conditions. The move follows a recommendation by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
More than 180 vaccinations were administered to 16 and 17-year-olds at the SSE arena in Belfast on Friday morning.
6th Aug 2021 - BBC News
Mexican factory workers cross Texas border in Covid-19 vaccine outreach effort
Huge outreach effort involving vaccines for Mexicans across the border has seen El Paso become one of America’s most vaccinated cities In a matter of just six minutes, a factory worker from a Mexican border city stepped off a bus in Texas last week, received the Covid-19 vaccine and was heading back home across the international bridge to Mexico. The vaccination took place near El Paso, the west Texas city where the coronavirus was raging so relentlessly nine months ago that jail inmates were being used to load bodies into mobile morgues because funeral homes were overflowing. After a hard pandemic and with concerns over continued infections in Texas and northern Mexico, vaccination efforts are being stepped up. El Paso now has one of the highest vaccination rates among US cities, according to government data – progress which prompted outreach across the border and an international initiative.
6th Aug 2021 - The Guardian
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 6th Aug 2021
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Huge batches of extra Pfizer doses are sent to NSW and Queensland
Queensland and New South Wales will get thousands of Pfizer doses from next week in a bid to control Covid-19 outbreaks ravaging both states. From Monday NSW will be given an extra 183,690 doses of the in-demand vaccine and Queensland will have an extra 112,320 jabs. The supplies have been not been taken from other states but have been brought forward from September allocations.
5th Aug 2021 - Daily Mail
COVID: In Florida hospitals, ‘there are only so many beds’
Florida hospitals slammed with COVID-19 patients are suspending elective surgeries and putting beds in conference rooms, an auditorium and a cafeteria. In Georgia, medical centers are turning people away for lack of space. And in Louisiana, the sick are left waiting and waiting some more in the emergency room before being airlifted elsewhere. “We are seeing a surge like we’ve not seen before in terms of the patients coming,” Dr. Marc Napp, chief medical officer for Memorial Healthcare System in Hollywood, Florida, said Wednesday. “It’s the sheer number coming in at the same time. There are only so many beds, so many doctors, only so many nurses.”
5th Aug 2021 - The Associated Press
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 5th Aug 2021
View this newsletter in fullStatus of some UK citizens vaccinated overseas still not recognised by NHS
Ministers have been criticised for their failure to let some people vaccinated overseas have their double-jab status recognised by the NHS, after a promise the system would be changed to enable them to do so by the end of July was not met. In the final week before the Commons broke up for recess, the vaccines minister, Nadhim Zahawi, sought to reassure MPs that the government was working quickly to help those who were inoculated overseas but registered with a GP in the UK. He said on 22 July that “by the end of this month” that would change – and that “UK nationals who have been vaccinated overseas will be able to talk to their GP, go through what vaccine they have had, and have it registered with the NHS that they have been vaccinated”.
4th Aug 2021 - The Guardian
UAE lifts ban on transit flights including from India and Pakistan
The United Arab Emirates will on Thursday lift a ban on transit flights including from India and Pakistan, the National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority (NCEMA) said. India and Pakistan are important markets for Emirates, Etihad Airways and other UAE carriers flydubai and Air Arabia (AIRA.DU). The Gulf state, a major international travel hub, had banned passengers from many South Asian and African states travelling through its airports this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
4th Aug 2021 - Reuters India
COVID in Louisiana shows consequences of Delta variant, low vaccination rate
Low vaccination rates and the more infectious Delta variant are converging to create a new COVID-19 crisis for Louisiana as the United States and the world face the latest stage of the pandemic.
4th Aug 2021 - Reuters
San Francisco says Johnson & Johnson recipients can get extra dose of Covid vaccines
Recipients of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in San Francisco will be allowed to request a 'supplemental' dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. San Francisco officials say decision was made after many residents were requesting to receive additional shots to boost immunity. Currently, the CDC does not recommend a person to mix and match vaccine types or receive additional doses. Johnson & Johnson vaccine is believed to be effective against all strains of COVID-19, including the Indian 'Delta' variant. CDC has said it is tracking instances of people receiving unauthorized COVID-19 vaccine boosters
4th Aug 2021 - Daily Mail
US vaccination rates increase alongside spread of Delta variant
Cases of COVID-19, along with hospitalisations and deaths, remain on the rise in the United States even as the pace of vaccinations has increased, fuelling ongoing concerns about the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. Chemist chain Walgreens said on Wednesday that it has seen a recent jump in inoculations in parts of the country that had previously lagged behind. The number of jabs rose more than 30 percent in states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Texas, in the past few weeks, said the company, which now has administered more than 29 million COVID-19 jabs since the pandemic began.
4th Aug 2021 - Al Jazeera English on MSN.com
COVID-19: Race is on to vaccinate up to 1.4 million 16 and 17-year-olds before schools reopen
The decision to vaccinate teenagers has been slow in the UK. Countries such as the US, Canada and France are already routinely vaccinating children as young as 12. But the government's experts are now confident there's the evidence to press ahead - and the race is on to get up to 1.4 million 16 and 17-year-olds vaccinated before schools return. That's less than two weeks in Scotland and just four weeks away in England and Wales. An added challenge is the resistance among some young people and parents.
4th Aug 2021 - Sky News
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View this newsletter in fullHere's how schools should handle a Covid-19 outbreak, experts say
Getting children back in classrooms has been a top priority for the United States -- but if a coronavirus outbreak were to happen within a school, how should schools respond? Drew Charter School in Atlanta kicked off the new school year last week and already has reported initially nine students and five staff testing positive for Covid-19, and more than 100 students at the school are in quarantine, Peter McKnight, the head of the school, said Friday. Only one of the five staff members who tested positive had been vaccinated, he said
3rd Aug 2021 - CNN
Food giant Tyson to require COVID vaccination for all US workers
Meat processer Tyson Foods will require all of its employees in the United States to get vaccinated against COVID-19, becoming one of the first major employers of front-line workers to do so amid a resurgence of the coronavirus. One of the world’s largest food companies, Tyson said on Tuesday that members of its leadership team must be vaccinated by September 24 and the rest of its office workers by October 1. Its front-line workers must be vaccinated by November 1, although the company said the specifics were being negotiated with unions.
3rd Aug 2021 - AlJazeera
People chasing Covid-19 vaccine boosters create headaches for the health care system
The entire U.S. health care system has been single-mindedly focused on getting Covid-19 vaccine shots in arms, but as the Delta variant spreads, the country’s decentralized vaccination campaign is presenting a different challenge — how to police people seeking unauthorized booster shots. The buzz around booster shots for Covid-19 vaccines has intensified in recent weeks as Pfizer has sought approval for a third shot of its vaccine regimen, and Israel, the United Kingdom, and Germany have greenlit additional shots. Federal officials in the United States say that booster shots are not needed yet. But some anxious patients are nonetheless trying to get them — either by asking a health care provider willing to prescribe an extra shot, or by lying about their earlier vaccination.
3rd Aug 2021 - Stat News
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View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Low take-up of vaccine in Manx homeless, says charity
There has been a low take-up of the Covid-19 vaccine among the Isle of Man's homeless, a charity has said. Graih, which runs a drop-in and night shelter for anyone sleeping rough, said many homeless people had been reluctant to get the jab since the start of the vaccination rollout in January.
2nd Aug 2021 - BBC News
More than 816,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses were administered Saturday in the US as pace of vaccination rises
The rate of Covid-19 vaccinations in the United States continues to rise, a positive sign amid skyrocketing cases and hospitalizations after weeks of lagging inoculations. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Sunday that 816,203 additional doses were administered, the fifth straight day the agency recorded more than 700,000 shots in arms. That brings the total number of doses administered to 346,456,669, according to the CDC numbers released Sunday.
2nd Aug 2021 - CNN
COVID-19: Tests at England's major railway stations and on trains reveal no traces of coronavirus
Tests at four major railway stations in England and on intercity train services revealed no traces of COVID-19, National Rail has said. Swabs were taken on areas most commonly touched by passengers, including escalator handles, ticket machines and benches, along with hour-long air samples to detect the virus. London Euston, Birmingham New Street, Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly station underwent two rounds of testing in January and June, with tests repeated on trains running between stations.
2nd Aug 2021 - Sky News
Massive quarter mile queues at Heathrow Airport 'as 25% of staff in Covid isolation'
Huge queues have built up at Heathrow Airport amid a suspected Covid outbreak among staff, it has been reported. Frustrated passengers have been stuck waiting for hours at the London airport today. Some reported tension within the queues, with people jostling and pushing just to get into the terminal. The lack of social distancing has led to concerns among some that the virus could spread as crowded people wait to get on their flights. Problems with the e-gates and sickness among Border Force staff are behind the delays, The Times reports.
2nd Aug 2021 - The Mirror
U.S. South braces for record numbers of hospitalized COVID patients
COVID hospitalizations in Louisiana and Florida have surged to their highest points of the pandemic, leading overwhelmed doctors on Monday to plead with the unvaccinated to get inoculated against the Delta variant. More than 10,000 patients were hospitalized in Florida on Sunday, surpassing that state's record. The surging Delta variant led Louisiana's governor to reinstate a statewide indoor mask mandate, with that state expected to break its record on COVID hospitalizations within 24 hours. Hospitalizations in Arkansas are also soaring and could eventually break records
2nd Aug 2021 - Reuters
NHS urged to redistribute near-expiry vaccines as take-up slows in young
The NHS is facing pressure to redistribute tens of thousands of vaccine doses nearing expiry as demand from younger adults drops. An internal email seen by the Guardian warned of 170,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine at risk of expiry within the next fortnight, as doctors across England have raised alarm at the unpredictability of vaccine take-up among young people meaning more doses will go to waste. The government is to unveil a raft of new initiatives to increase vaccine uptake among young people, including discounts on car-hailing companies such as Uber and Bolt, as well as the delivery service Deliveroo.
1st Aug 2021 - The Guardian
GOP lawmaker who once spurned masks urges people to take covid-19 seriously after eight-month illness
A Tennessee legislator who went from unmasked gatherings with fellow legislators to being placed on ventilator days later has emerged with a message for constituents after a harrowing eight-month experience with long-haul covid-19: Take the coronavirus seriously. “It is a disease that wants to kill us,” state Rep. David Byrd (R) said in a statement Friday. Byrd, 63, described an ordeal that included 55 days on a ventilator in which covid-19 ravaged his memory, his muscles and his organs — it led to him having a liver transplant in June; his condition was so grave that his family at least once began planning for his funeral.
1st Aug 2021 - The Washington Post
Unvaccinated Covid-19 patients are filling up hospitals, putting the care of others at risk, doctors say
Hospitals are surging with unvaccinated patients infected with the Delta variant -- which could affect car accident victims and other non-Covid-19 patients who need hospital care, doctors say. "None of these patients thought they would get the virus, but the Delta variant has proven to be so highly contagious that even the young and the healthy, including pregnant patients, are now starting to fill up our hospitals," said Dr. Neil Finkler, chief clinical officer for AdventHealth Central Florida.
1st Aug 2021 - CNN
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View this newsletter in fullLouisiana hospitals reach capacity as COVID-19 cases surge
Louisiana hospitals are running out of ICU beds as COVID-19 cases surge in the state. Our Lady of Lourdes and Oschner Lafayette General hospitals have run out of ICU beds. Our Lady of Lourdes has resorted to converting regular beds outside of the ICU to deal with the virus, KATC ABC 3 reported. "Part of that reason and why it's such a high percentage of our 70 patients is we're seeing enhanced severity of this illness in these individuals who, many of whom, are otherwise completely healthy," Dr. Henry Kaufman, interim chief medical officer at Our Lady of Lourdes, said at a press briefing. There are three beds open out of 156 in Region 4 of the state, with more than 1,000 people hospitalized across Louisiana due to the virus, according to the outlet.
1st Aug 2021 - The Hill
Covid-19 pandemic: Japan widens emergency over 'frightening' spike
Japan is extending a state of emergency in Tokyo and expanding it to new regions as the Olympic Games host faces a surge in Covid-19 cases. The restrictions are being imposed in areas surrounding the capital as well as in the city of Osaka. Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga warned infections were spreading at an unprecedented rate, urging the country to watch the Games from home. New cases are being fuelled by the more infectious Delta variant.
30th Jul 2021 - BBC News
Vietnam taps private hospitals as Delta-driven COVID-19 infections rise
Private clinics should host COVID-19 patients - ministry. Delta variant 'destroying' pandemic gains - health minister. Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, southern provinces locked down. President warns of 'guilt' over slow vaccine rollout
30th Jul 2021 - Reuters
First Swedish doses delivered through COVAX
As part of a pledge to deliver at least three million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, the first doses donated by Sweden have been delivered to countries this week, with shipments arriving in Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. Per Olsson Fridh, Minister for International Development Cooperation of Sweden: “Sweden supports a robust multilateral response to the COVID-19 pandemic through COVAX. We have provided over USD 280 million, making Sweden the largest contributor to COVAX per capita.” Dr Seth Berkley, CEO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance: “The Government of Sweden is one of the original six donors to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and has steadily increased its support to global vaccination over the past 20 years. In addition to its already-substantial funding of COVAX, Sweden’s dose donations will help COVAX reach some of those in urgent need of protection against COVID-19.”
30th Jul 2021 - Gavi - The Vaccine Alliance
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View this newsletter in fullShut-down Baltimore vaccine plant cleared to return to operation by FDA
Emergent BioSolutions' Baltimore plant will reopen soon after the FDA forced a shut down in April. Plant forced to close after Johnson & Johnson vaccines were contaminated with AstraZeneca vaccine ingredients. Further investigation found unsanitary conditions and that workers were not properly trained. Once opened, the factory could produce up to 120 million vaccine doses every month
29th Jul 2021 - Daily Mail
Refugees are at high risk of COVID-19 infection, but low priority for vaccines
As high-income countries move into post-vaccination life with vaccination rates of more than 80 doses per 100 people, a number we’re not seeing in the headlines is the 1.1 per cent. That’s the percentage of people in low-income countries who have received at least one dose. Globally, 3.83 billion vaccine doses have been administered so far, but a large vaccine gap exists between countries and continents. Africa has the lowest vaccination rate. With a global population of 7.88 billion, and only 27.1 per cent of the population vaccinated, that means 5.74 billion people globally aren’t vaccinated. And the majority of those people are in South America, Asia, Oceania and Africa.
29th Jul 2021 - MSN.com
Israel to recognize Palestinian coronavirus vaccine certificates
Israel's Health Ministry will recognize the Palestinian Authority's coronavirus vaccination certificates and will allow patients to be transported from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank, after agreements were reached between the two ministries on Wednesday evening, according to Palestinian Health Minister Mai Al-Kaila.
Kaila stated that the Israeli Health Ministry recognizes all the coronavirus vaccines the PA is using and will recognize its vaccination and PCR test certificates.
29th Jul 2021 - The Jerusalem Post
Myanmar jail vaccinates hundreds amid surge in COVID-19 cases
Myanmar's main prison vaccinated more than 600 inmates against COVID-19 on the first day of a drive to inoculate inmates, state media reported on Thursday, as military authorities struggle to control a wave of infections across the country.
Infections have surged since June, with 4,980 cases and 365 deaths reported on Wednesday, according to health ministry data cited in media. Medics and funeral services put the toll much higher.
29th Jul 2021 - Reuters
Phuket restricts travel from other Thai regions as COVID-19 cases surge
Thailand's Phuket will ban travel from the rest of the country from Aug. 3-16 to try to stop a surge in coronavirus cases from spreading to the resort island, but overseas visitors will be largely unaffected, the foreign ministry said on Thursday.
29th Jul 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus outbreaks have 'significantly reduced' vaccine hesitancy
Coronavirus outbreaks have helped reduce vaccine hesitancy across Australia, with more people willing to get the jab amid surges in case numbers. The outbreaks in New South Wales and Victoria had "significantly reduced" the rate of vaccine hesitancy, a report by the Melbourne Institute found. The 2021 Vaccine Hesitancy Report Card showed Australia's vaccine hesitancy plummeted from 33 per cent at the end of May, to 21.5 per cent of the adult population as of July 23.
28th Jul 2021 - 9News
Thailand builds COVID-19 hospital in Bangkok airport amid surge in cases
Thai volunteers on Wednesday turned a cargo warehouse at Bangkok's Don Muang Airport into a 1,800-bed field hospital for COVID-19 patients with less severe symptoms, as the country deals with its biggest outbreak to date. The Southeast Asian nation reported a daily record of 16,533 new cases, plus 133 new deaths on Wednesday, bringing the total accumulated cases to 543,361 and 4,397 deaths.
28th Jul 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19: Deaf woman wins court case over lack of sign language at government coronavirus briefings
A deaf woman has won her court case over a lack of sign language interpretation at two government COVID-19 briefings last year in England. Katie Rowley took legal action against Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove, arguing that Number 10 was breaching its duty under equality laws to make broadcasts accessible to deaf people.
28th Jul 2021 - Sky News
Kuwait bans unvaccinated citizens from travelling abroad
Kuwait on Tuesday said only citizens who have been vaccinated for the coronavirus will be allowed to travel abroad starting on Aug. 1. A government statement said the rule excepted children under age of 16, those with a health ministry certificate saying they cannot be vaccinated, and pregnant women who have a pregnancy proof certificate from authorities.
27th Jul 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullSome people are seeking out a second dose of Covid-19 vaccine after getting J&J shot
Jason Gallagher, an infectious disease pharmacist in Philadelphia had gotten the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine through a clinical trial in November, but this summer he didn't like the direction Covid-19 cases were taking due to variants.
"Come June, I started to get nervous about this Delta variant spreading and had some travel plans," said Gallagher, a clinical professor at Temple University School of Pharmacy. So, Gallagher decided to get a dose of a different mRNA vaccine, even though he was already considered fully protected with his single dose of the J&J vaccine.
27th Jul 2021 - CNN
Supply issues to delay Moderna COVID-19 vaccine shipments, S.Korea says
Moderna said on Tuesday its COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing partners outside the United States are facing delays due to laboratory testing operations that have occurred in the past few days, slowing the supply of the shot to these markets. The vaccine maker's comments come after South Korean health officials said earlier in the day that Moderna has delayed its late-July vaccine shipment schedule for the country to August due to supply problems
27th Jul 2021 - Reuters
Catholic church turns pastoral care centre in Jakarta into COVID-19 ward
The Catholic Church has converted a pastoral centre in Jakarta into an isolation ward to care for COVID-19 patients in the Indonesian capital as it battles an devastating second wave of the pandemic that has overrun hospitals.
27th Jul 2021 - Reuters
Bangkok to convert disused train carriages into COVID-19 ward
Authorities in Thailand's capital Bangkok plan to convert 15 disused railway carriages into a 240-bed COVID-19 isolation ward for patients with less severe symptoms, the city's governing body said on Tuesday.
27th Jul 2021 - Reuters
'Severe' Covid-19 cases surge in Tokyo during Olympics
Japan's prime minister on Tuesday said there were no plans to shut down the ongoing Olympics Games after a record number of new Covid-19 cases were recorded in the country's capital. “First of all, thanks to the restrictions on vehicles, and through measures such as remote-working, with the cooperation of the public, the flow of people has been decreasing," Yoshihide Suga said during a press conference. "Because the flow of people is decreasing, we’re not worried."
27th Jul 2021 - NBC News
Tokyo’s daily Covid cases on track to hit all time high of more than 3,000 cases
Olympic host city Tokyo is on track to a record high of more than 3,000 coronavirus cases after the number of infections almost doubled in a day. Daily infections in the city, which has seen an influx of overseas visitors for the Games, reached 2,848 on Tuesday, official figures showed. The figure on Monday was 1,429. Now Tokyo is asking hospitals to raise the number of Covid beds to 6,406 by early next month from the current capacity of 5,967, to avoid people having to sleep on the floor or outside.
27th Jul 2021 - Evening Standard
India says it will meet July target for domestic vaccine supply
India will meet its target of supplying more than half a billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to states by the end of this month, the health ministry says but added that not all doses may be administered by then. The government told the country’s highest court last month that 516 million doses would be made available by the end of July, an important milestone for its goal of inoculating all of India’s estimated adult population of 944 million this year.
26th Jul 2021 - AlJazeera
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View this newsletter in fullMore COVID-19 cases who are vaccinated may not need to be hospitalised as Singapore adjusts healthcare protocols
As COVID-19 becomes endemic, Singapore must shift its healthcare protocols to treat the disease closer to how it approaches influenza, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Monday (Jul 26). This includes allowing more COVID-19 cases who are vaccinated and who show mild or no symptoms to be directly admitted to community care facilities instead of going first to hospitals. Delivering a ministerial statement in Parliament, Mr Ong said: "As we learn to live with COVID-19, our healthcare protocols must be remodelled. If COVID-19 is indeed endemic, having 200 or more cases a day may not be unusual at all.
26th Jul 2021 - CNA
AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in some NSW pharmacies from today
Pharmacists can administer the AstraZeneca vaccine to people over the age of 40 in New South Wales from today. Dozens of chemists across NSW are part of the pilot program to assist GPs and purpose-built vaccination hubs administer the shots. They are located across Sydney, plus in regional towns, including Gulgong, Narromine, Walcha, Dungog, Dunedoo and Merriwa.
26th Jul 2021 - 9News
Teenagers can book second coronavirus vaccine two weeks earlier
Teenagers who are due to receive their second Covid-19 vaccination dose in the second half of August can have the shot two weeks earlier, the health ministry has decided. Anyone aged 12 to 17 with a second jab scheduled for August 16 or later can call the national vaccine line 0800 7070 to book a new appointment. The ministry is also sending SMS messages advising them of the policy change.
26th Jul 2021 - DutchNews.nl
COVID-19 sufferers in Indonesian capital rent oxygen cylinders
Muhammad Ihsan gratefully lugs an oxygen cylinder into a small office in Jakarta's outskirts, lining the breathing equipment up with scores of others against a wall. Ihsan has taken advantage of a new rental service, established by volunteers in response to the coronavirus outbreak ravaging the Indonesian capital, borrowing the cylinder to give his infected mother some much-needed oxygen. "Thank God, this really helped my mother," Ihsan said, adding that her COVID-19 diagnosis was complicated by pre-existing asthma.
26th Jul 2021 - Reuters
Doctors warn over increasing number of young people with Covid in ICU
Increasing numbers of young people with coronavirus are being admitted to hospital – including to intensive care wards – doctors have said, begging them not to “suffer unnecessarily” and to get the vaccine. During the first weekend after the majority of Covid restrictions were lifted in England there were pictures of crowded nightclubs, filled with revellers not wearing masks or social distancing. Medics raised the alarm that unvaccinated young people urgently needed to protect themselves against infection to avoid serious illness.
25th Jul 2021 - The Guardian
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View this newsletter in fullChina's Sinovac evaluates vaccine plant in Chile
Chilean authorities said on Friday that China's Sinovac had begun evaluating potential sites for the construction of a vaccine plant in Chile that could begin producing doses of the Chinese shot as early as the first half of 2022. Chile, a global leader in vaccinating its citizens against the coronavirus, has leaned heavily on the Sinovac vaccine in its fast-paced mass vaccination program. The Andean nation also helped spearhead clinical trials of the shot late last year. A delegation of executives from Sinovac this week visited potential sites for the factory near the capital Santiago and in Chile's northern desert.
25th Jul 2021 - MSN.com
COVID 'the straw that broke the camel's back': Big increase in alcoholic liver disease deaths during pandemic
Deaths from alcoholic liver disease increased by an unprecedented 21% during the first year of the pandemic, compared with 2.9% between 2018 and 2019. Sky News speaks to someone who lost her sister to the disease, as well as a recovering alcoholic who had to have a liver transplant. After years of drinking, Martin Rhodes will be 11 years sober on 7 September.
25th Jul 2021 - Sky News
Indonesia prepares more ICU units, waits to see if COVID curbs will be extended
Indonesia is preparing more intensive care units after logging several days of record-high COVID-19 deaths last week, while the country waits to see whether the government will extend or loosen tough restrictions due to expire on Sunday. Buckling under a Delta variant-driven wave of the virus, Indonesia has become Asia's COVID-19 epicentre with hospitals deluged, particularly on the densely populated island of Java.
25th Jul 2021 - Reuters
Indonesia's Bali running out of oxygen as government ponders curbs
The Indonesian island of Bali is running out of oxygen for its COVID-19 patients as infections surge, the chief of its health agency said, as Southeast Asia's biggest country struggles with the region's worst COVID epidemic. Bali, famous for its tourist beaches and temples, along with the main island of Java and 15 other regions are under tight coronavirus restrictions, due to expire on Sunday. The government is debating whether to extend them or not.
24th Jul 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19: 'More than 60% admitted to hospital not vaccinated'
More than 60% of people admitted to hospital in Belfast in recent weeks due to Covid-19 have not been vaccinated, according to the medical director of the Belfast Trust. Chris Hagan explained that there were also "rising numbers of young patients" in the 20-39 age group.
23rd Jul 2021 - BBC News
Three states are seeing about 40% of the country's new Covid-19 cases
"This week, just three states Florida, Texas and Missouri, three states with lower vaccination rates accounted for 40 percent of all cases nationwide," Zients said at a White House news conference. "For the second week in a row, one in five of all cases occurring in Florida alone. And within communities, these cases are primarily among unvaccinated people." But Florida is one of five states with the highest case rates that had a higher rate of people getting vaccinated compared to the national average, he said.
23rd Jul 2021 - CNN
Vaccinated people make up 75% of recent COVID-19 cases in Singapore, but few fall ill
Vaccinated individuals accounted for three-quarters of Singapore's COVID-19 infections in the last four weeks, but they were not falling seriously ill, government data showed, as a rapid ramp-up in inoculations leaves fewer people unvaccinated.
While the data shows that vaccines are highly effective in preventing severe cases, it also underscores the risk that even those inoculated could be contagious, so that inoculation alone may not suffice to halt transmission.
23rd Jul 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullThailand to join COVAX, acknowledging low vaccine supply
The head of Thailand’s National Vaccine Institute apologized Wednesday for the country’s slow and inadequate rollout of coronavirus vaccines, promising it will join the U.N.-backed COVAX program to receive supplies from its pool of donated vaccines next year. Thailand is battling a punishing coronavirus surge that is pushing new cases and deaths to record highs nearly every day. There is fear that the numbers will get much worse because the government failed to secure significant vaccine supplies in advance of the onslaught.
22nd Jul 2021 - The Associated Press
Covid-19: Health minister urges caution over easing restrictions
The health minister has advised the executive that Covid-19 restrictions in Northern Ireland should not be eased next week due to an increase in cases, BBC News NI understands. Ministers are currently meeting to decide whether some restrictions should be lifted.
22nd Jul 2021 - BBC News
Covid-19 hospital admissions in England highest since end of February
The number of hospital admissions in England of people with Covid-19 has climbed to its highest level for nearly five months. A total of 752 admissions were reported on July 19, NHS England figures show. This is up 21 per cent on the previous week, and is the highest daily number since February 25, according to analysis by the PA news agency. The total includes 197 admissions in north-east England and Yorkshire: up 40 per cent week-on-week and the highest daily number for this part of England since February 18. North-west England recorded 141 admissions on July 19: up 44 per cent week-on-week and the highest since February 23.
22nd Jul 2021 - Evening Standard
Toyota halts factories in Thailand as COVID hits supply chain
Japanese auto group Toyota Motor has halted operations at its three factories in Thailand as the country's delta-variant COVID epidemic disrupts the supply of key automobile parts. The closures underline how the pandemic is still putting the automobile supply chain under strain. The stoppage started from Wednesday (July 21) and will last at least until July 28, Nikkei has learned. Toyota said it will "assess the situation and decide" whether to resume operations from July 29.
22nd Jul 2021 - Nikkei Asian Review
Tokyo new virus cases near 2,000 a day before Olympics open
Tokyo hit another six-month high in new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, one day before the Olympics begin, as worries grow of a worsening of infections during the Games. Thursday’s 1,979 new cases are the highest since 2,044 were recorded on Jan. 15. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who is determined to hold the Olympics, placed Tokyo under a state of emergency on July 12, but daily cases have sharply increased since then.
22nd Jul 2021 - The Associated Press
Death rates soar in Southeast Asia as virus wave spreads
Indonesia has converted nearly its entire oxygen production to medical use just to meet the demand from COVID-19 patients struggling to breathe. Overflowing hospitals in Malaysia had to resort to treating patients on the floor. And in Myanmar’s largest city, graveyard workers have been laboring day and night to keep up with the grim demand for new cremations and burials. Images of bodies burning in open-air pyres during the peak of the pandemic in India horrified the world in May, but in the last two weeks the three Southeast Asian nations have now all surpassed India’s peak per capita death rate as a new coronavirus wave, fueled by the virulent delta variant, tightens its grip on the region.
22nd Jul 2021 - The Associated Press
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View this newsletter in fullNovartis set to deliver 50 mln CureVac COVID-19 vaccines this year
Novartis is still helping CureVac make COVID-19 vaccines and could expand its capacity to assist other vaccine manufacturers as well, finance chief Harry Kirsch told reporters on Wednesday. "We have started the production as planned. We are planning to deliver 50 million doses this year," Kirsch said of the CureVac deal when asked whether it could instead make its capacity free for others after CureVac said last month its COVID-19 jab was only 48% effective. Swiss drugmaker Novartis also assists Pfizer and BioNTech in making COVID-19 vaccines and can ramp up output for them or others if needed, he said.
21st Jul 2021 - Reuters on MSN.com
Over-18s can now register for Covid-19 mRna vaccine
All adults aged 18 and over can now register for a Covid-19 mRna vaccine from this morning. Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said on Tuesday that registration for the Pfizer and Moderna jabs for anyone over 18 is happening now “because our vaccination programme is ahead of schedule and continues to perform really well”. Almost 5.3 million Covid-19 vaccines have been administered to date, with more than 79 per cent of the adult population partially vaccinated and over 65 per cent fully vaccinated, HSE chief executive Paul Reid said on Wednesday.
21st Jul 2021 - The Irish Times
Coronavirus Australia: How young Australians in WA are getting Pfizer jab without making appointment
Western Australians turning up without appointment are getting Covid jab. Those not eligible to book under current rollout trying luck in vaccine lottery. WA Health confirmed spare jabs administered to those without appointments. Those who try their luck must be willing to wait in queue until end the day. Spare jabs remaining at mass vaccination centres would otherwise go to waste
21st Jul 2021 - Daily Mail
States are sitting on millions of surplus Covid-19 vaccine doses
Millions of unused Covid-19 vaccines are set to go to waste as demand dwindles across the United States and doses likely expire this summer, according to public health officials. Several state health departments told STAT they have repeatedly asked the federal government to redistribute their supply to other countries, many of which are facing a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Officials in Washington have rejected those requests, citing legal and logistical challenges. “We’re drowning in this stuff,” said Robert Ator, a retired colonel in the Arkansas Air National Guard who is leading that state’s Covid-19 vaccine distribution drive. “It’s starting to get a bit silly and we want to make sure we’re being good stewards.”
21st Jul 2021 - STAT News
Vietnam produces first batch of Russian COVID-19 vaccine
Vietnam has produced the first test batch of Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19, Russia's RDIF sovereign wealth fund and Vietnamese pharmaceutical firm Vabiotech said on Wednesday, as the Southeast Asian country battles its worst outbreak so far. The first validation samples taken from the batch will be shipped to the Gamaleya Center in Russia for quality control checks, the fund and the company said in a joint statement.
21st Jul 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19: Businesses forced to close as staff are told to isolate
With most lockdown measures lifted in England, businesses might finally be expecting things to be returning to normal. But many have had to temporarily close after their staff were either "pinged" and told to isolate by the NHS Covid-19 Test and Trace app or contacted by NHS Test and Trace directly. How do owners feel about this latest blow to their livelihoods?
21st Jul 2021 - BBC News
Turkey's virus cases nearly twice the low touched in early July
Turkey's daily coronavirus cases rose to 8,780 on Tuesday, nearly double a low water mark touched earlier this month, while 46 new related deaths were logged, according to the government tally. Infections remain well down from a wave in April-May when new COVID-19 cases peaked above 60,000. They fell to 4,418 on July 4 in the wake of a stringent lockdown that ended in mid-May.
21st Jul 2021 - Reuters
Pfizer-BioNTech to produce COVID-19 jabs with S African company
Pfizer and BioNTech have said they struck a deal with South Africa-based company Biovac for the production of COVID-19 vaccines for the African Union (AU). In a statement published on Wednesday, the two companies said Cape Town-based Biovac will complete the last step in the manufacturing process, known as “fill and finish”, of the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine.
21st Jul 2021 - AlJazeera
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View this newsletter in fullVaccinating children in Australia would help protect against Covid but high-risk groups first, experts say
Public health experts say vaccinating children against Covid-19 will be important for protecting Australians against the Delta variant, but that high-risk populations must take priority. On Monday, the New South Wales government indicated the state would consider vaccinating young people as part of its efforts to control the current Delta outbreak. “I think there will be a key role for vaccinating children,” the NSW chief health officer, Dr Kerry Chant, said at the daily press conference. “It is pleasing to see in some countries overseas that we have vaccines that are licensed for use in children.”
21st Jul 2021 - The Guardian
Researchers: Virus surge a 'raging forest fire' in Arkansas
Public health researchers on Tuesday called the rapid rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in Arkansas a “raging forest fire,” and the state’s top health official warned that he expects significant outbreaks in schools. The model by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health projected a daily average of 1,039 new cases over the next week. The model also predicted an average increase of 169 new cases per day in children under the age of 17. Arkansas leads the country in new cases per capita, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University researchers. The state also has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, with only 35% of the population fully vaccinated.
21st Jul 2021 - Associated Press
Two Fox News hosts urge viewers to get vaccinated despite anti-jab rhetoric from colleagues
While Fox News has come under fire for some of its on-air personalities undermining the US effort to get Americans vaccinated against the coronavirus, two of its anchors recently urged viewers to go and take the shot. Monday on Fox's morning show "Fox & Friends," host Steve Doocy discussed the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which is almost entirely concentrated among unvaccinated Americans. The direct encouragement for viewers to take the shot stands in stark contrast to the views expressed by the network's popular pundits, specifically Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham.
20th Jul 2021 - The Independent
Canada to open border to fully vaccinated U.S. citizens on Aug. 9
Canada on Monday said it will begin to ease pandemic restrictions at the U.S.-Canada border next month, allowing U.S. citizens and permanent residents living in the United States who are fully vaccinated with Canadian-authorized vaccines to enter for nonessential travel without quarantining. The decision, which takes effect Aug. 9, follows months of criticism from U.S. lawmakers across the political spectrum, business groups and some travelers over what they said was an overly cautious approach to lifting curbs that have split families, battered the tourism sector and upended life in close-knit border communities.
20th Jul 2021 - The Washington Post
A million children in England out of school last week because of Covid-19
More than one million children in England were out of school last week for reasons relating to Covid-19, official figures show. About one in seven (14.3 per cent) state school pupils did not attend on July 15 — the highest number since classes returned in March. This includes approximately 934,000 children self-isolating due to a possible contact with an infected person, 47,000 pupils with a confirmed case of Covid-19, and 34,000 with a suspected case. A further 35,000 pupils were off as a result of school closures due to the coronavirus, according to Department for Education (DfE) statistics.
20th Jul 2021 - The Times
Covid-19 restrictions on family hospital visits persist, despite concern
Even as most businesses in the U.S. have been removing Covid mask mandates and social distancing policies, one major exception continues to be hospitals, which have been more cautious in lifting restrictions. At the start of the pandemic, in the face of a new virus and the many unknowns that came with it, hospitals rushed to implement rules to keep patients as well as hospital staff safe, including barring visitors from entering altogether. Now, with the nature of the pandemic changing in the U.S. and increasing vaccination rates among the general population, patients and many physicians say the more restrictive ongoing limits, like only allowing one visitor, are no longer justified and may actually be harming patients’ mental health and leading to worse outcomes.
20th Jul 2021 - STAT News
Circumventing Covid-19 with better ventilation and air quality
Gathering outdoors has provided people a safer alternative to meeting inside during the Covid-19 pandemic. But for those who spend their days in crowded indoor spaces — workers in office buildings and industrial facilities, students in schools, and the like — how can their indoor environments be made more similar to the outdoors? With better air quality and ventilation. Yet federal regulations are insufficient for improving indoor ventilation and few states are moving to improve it. We examined the Covid-19 US State Policy database and found that only Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington have explicit occupational safety and health standards to promote better air and/or ventilation quality.
20th Jul 2021 - STAT News
Kazakhstan considers producing second Russian vaccine locally
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ordered his cabinet on Monday to look into the possibility of importing and locally producing the Russian-developed Sputnik Light vaccine, his office said. The Central Asian nation already produces the Sputnik V vaccine, developed earlier, at a local plant in addition to importing it from Russia.
20th Jul 2021 - Reuters
‘The hospitals are very near to not coping’: UK health workers speak out
n Monday, for the first time since the early days of the vaccination programme in the UK, new Covid cases outnumbered the number of daily doses administered. As England lifts most restrictions, six healthcare workers from paramedics to paediatricians speak about what the reality is like amid rising coronavirus infections.
20th Jul 2021 - The Guardian
NHS summer crisis deepens as Covid surge leads to cancelled operations and ambulance ‘black alert’
Hospitals and ambulance services are in a deepening crisis caused by the surge in infections as the removal of Covid-19 rules coincides with added pressure from the heatwave and the return of thousands of workers to offices.More than half of staff at one NHS trust are absent because of Covid-19 isolation rules, forcing operations to be cancelled, while the number of Covid patients in England has leapt by one-third in the past week. The chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, told a Downing Street press conference that he expected the NHS to see 1,000 patients a day being admitted to hospital soon.
20th Jul 2021 - The Independent
NHS reliant on exploitative Malaysian factories for PPE, expert says
The NHS is wholly reliant on the Malaysian glove-manufacturing industry, where the exploitation and degradation of migrant workers is “endemic”, a leading expert has warned.
20th Jul 2021 - The Independent
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View this newsletter in fullMore than 80% of the crew aboard a South Korean destroyer have tested positive for Covid-19
South Korea's military has recorded in biggest cluster of Covid-19 infections to date, with more than 80% of personnel aboard a navy destroyer on anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Aden testing positive. While the 247 cases are not directly linked to new domestic infections, with the destroyer Munmu the Great having left South Korea to start its mission in February, the surge comes as the country battles its worst-ever outbreak of Covid-19 cases at home, with another 1,252 new infections reported for Sunday.
19th Jul 2021 - CNN
UK runs out of Covid-19 lateral flow tests
Britons across the country were left unable to order Covid-19 lateral flow tests today after a 'temporary glitch' on the Government's website. Members of the public attempting to order free supplies of the at-home kits through the government portal were today told that 'no more tests can be ordered' and they should instead 'come back tomorrow'. The Department of Health and Social Care has now insisted that people can still order a lateral flow test and that the 'temporary technical glitch' with their site has now been rectified.
19th Jul 2021 - MSN.com
Cuba, gripped by unrest, battles highest COVID caseload in the Americas
Cuba, which kept coronavirus infections low last year, now has the highest rate of contagion per capita in Latin America. That has strained its healthcare sector and helped stoke rare protests that have roiled the Communist-run island. The Caribbean nation of 11 million people reported nearly 4,000 confirmed cases per million residents over the last week, nine times more than the world average and more than any other country in the Americas for its size.
19th Jul 2021 - Reuters
Many ICU staff have experienced mental health disorders in COVID-19 pandemic
In a study of 515 healthcare staff working in intensive care units (ICUs) in seven countries, the researchers found that 48 percent of participants had mental health problems - depression, insomnia and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The team also found a 40 per cent increase in these conditions for those who spent more than six hours in personal protective equipment (PPE), compared to those who didn’t. The study, led by researchers at Imperial College London, is published in the British Journal of Nursing and is the first to evaluate ICU workers’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. In line with the UK Government’s report on burnout in NHS staff published in June 2021, the researchers suggest that the high level of mental health disorders found among the ICU staff surveyed should inform local and national wellbeing policies.
19th Jul 2021 - Imperial College London
Fox Rails Against Vaccine Passports, Uses Vaccine Passports
Tucker Carlson and other Fox hosts have railed, on-air, against the idea of so-called “vaccine passports” but never told their audience that Fox uses one of Its own
19th Jul 2021 - Rolling Stone
Spain's COVID infections rise, but Brits still flock to its beaches
Spain reported a new jump in its COVID-19 infection rate on Monday, with 61,628 cases registered since Friday, just as fully vaccinated British holidaymakers flocked to its beaches, giving hope to the hard-hit tourism sector. Since July 8, when Britain announced the lifting of a 10-day quarantine for returning vaccinated tourists from July 19, flight bookings to Spain have increased four-fold even though they remain far below 2019 levels, an airlines industry group said.
19th Jul 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullDoctors and health officials say their latest Covid-19 hospital patients are unvaccinated and increasingly younger
Covid-19 is putting younger, healthy and mostly unvaccinated people in hospitals at higher rates as cases continue to climb in much of the US, health experts say. Over the past week, 48 states saw an increase in Covid-19 cases, with 30 reporting a more than 50% increase, data from Johns Hopkins University shows.
Low vaccination rates in some areas and increased spread of the more contagious Delta variant are making an already deadly virus even worse, especially for younger, healthy people, Dr. Catherine O'Neal, an infectious disease specialist at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told CNN's Erin Burnett on Friday.
18th Jul 2021 - CNN
Indonesia reports record number of doctor deaths from COVID-19 in July
Deaths of doctors from COVID-19 in Indonesia rose sharply in the first half of July, according to the profession's association, as the Delta variant of the coronavirus fuelled a surge in infections across the country.
18th Jul 2021 - Reuters
South Africa footballers test positive for Covid-19 in Tokyo Olympic Village
Team GB’s preparations for the Olympics have been plunged into chaos after six athletes and two staff members from the athletics squad were forced to self-isolate after coming into close contact with a member of the public who had Covid-19 on their flight to Tokyo. The news, which broke late on Sunday afternoon in Yokohama after the athletes had finished training for the day, stunned officials who immediately rushed to ensure that the athletes and staff members were confined to their rooms.
18th Jul 2021 - The Guardian
Covid cases could hit 100,000 ‘in two weeks’ with lockdown needed ‘by September’
The UK’s third wave of coronavirus could last well into the autumn, one of the government’s scientific advisers has warned. Professor John Edmunds, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), suggested the current wave ‘will be quite long and drawn out’ after lockdown is lifted in England next week.
The so-called ‘freedom day’ on Monday will see the majority of the remaining legal restrictions dropped, meaning the end of social distancing measures, the return of large-scale events and workers beginning to head back into the office.
18th Jul 2021 - Metro
‘Covid cases are up – 6,000 miles from Paris.’ France baffled by UK quarantine change
The government was embroiled in a rancorous diplomatic standoff with France on Saturday night after its surprise decision to continue imposing a 10-day quarantine on fully vaccinated people returning from the country. French officials seemed baffled by the move, suspecting UK ministers may have based it on rising cases on the French island of Reunion – nearly 6,000 miles from Paris. On Friday, the government announced the end of quarantine for vaccinated British residents returning from countries on the “amber” list, but said this would not apply to France because of the Beta variant, first identified in South Africa.
18th Jul 2021 - The Guardian
Children's viruses that disappeared during pandemic lockdowns are back, doctors say
As children emerge from their homes after COVID-19-related lockdowns, common viruses that all but disappeared during the pandemic are re-emerging too, doctors say. "This time of year in pediatric hospitals, it's usually quiet," said Dr. Fatima Kakkar, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at CHU Sainte-Justine in Montreal. "But now we're seeing a surge of respiratory infections." The level of non-COVID illnesses is what Kakkar usually sees in the fall, she said, when children are out and about in daycares or schools.
17th Jul 2021 - CBC.ca
Rising COVID-19 cases in Australia's Victoria state raise prospect of longer lockdown
Sydney logs 111 new cases, one death. Construction sites, non-essential retail shut down. 600,000 residents banned from leaving neighbourhood for work. Victoria records 19 new cases. Sydney has battled Delta variant since June
17th Jul 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19 battle 'on a knife edge' in Scotland
Scotland’s battle against coronavirus is on a knife edge, with hospital cases falling for the first time in weeks. There were 532 patients being treated for coronavirus yesterday, 11 fewer than on Thursday, but forecasters have warned that another surge in cases could be on the horizon. The Scottish government’s forecasters said: “Based on the increase in cases in the last few weeks, [pressures on] hospital beds and intensive care units are projected to rise — for how long this continues is uncertain.” The present rate of admissions is already above forecasters’ “worst-case scenario”, which predicted that cases would plateau below 500 cases by mid-July. The recent decline in cases offers hope that the battle against the third wave is back on track. Hospital cases are forecast to fall to about 400 by the end of July under the best-case scenario, or rise above 800 under the worst.
16th Jul 2021 - The Times
African countries to receive first U.S. donated COVID-19 vaccines in days - Gavi
49 African countries to receive 25 mln COVID-19 vaccine doses. First deliveries soon to Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Ethiopia. Africa recorded a 43% jump in COVID-19 deaths last week
16th Jul 2021 - Reuters
As Delta drives COVID surge, vaccines, strategies under scrutiny
Malaysia’s health ministry has announced that it will stop using the COVID-19 vaccine produced by China’s Sinovac once its supplies end, while other Southeast Asian countries have said they are looking to mix and match the Chinese-made shots with those from western manufacturers amid a surge in cases driven by the highly-transmissible Delta variant. Malaysian Health Minister Adham Baba announced on Thursday that about half its 16 million doses of Sinovac have already been distributed and the remainder will be used to cover second doses.
16th Jul 2021 - Al Jazeera English
Half of U.S. States Ended Federal Covid-Related Jobless Benefits Early. Here Is How They Compare With the Other Half.
The number of Americans filing applications for jobless benefits continues to decline to the lowest levels since the economy shut down last year, though claims are still elevated compared with pre-pandemic levels. As many return to work, the amount of federal Covid-era benefits that unemployed people are receiving has splintered from one state to the next. In response to the catastrophic effect that pandemic lockdowns had on the U.S. job market, the federal government created programs in the past year that expanded the pool of unemployed workers eligible for benefits, extended the length of time Americans can receive payments and enhanced weekly payments, most recently by $300 a person.
The federally funded programs are scheduled to expire in early September, but states have the option to opt out before then, and roughly half already have on some level. Governors in those states have argued that expanded benefits have contributed to labor shortages as the economy reopens.
16th Jul 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
Bangladesh plans to vaccinate Rohingya against COVID: Official
Bangladesh plans to start rolling out inoculations against COVID-19 for the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya living in crowded refugee camps next month, says a senior official. “Subject to availability of the doses, we will begin administering the jabs among Rohingya anytime in August,” Shah Rezwan Hayat, chief of Bangladesh’s Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission, told DPA news agency on Friday.
16th Jul 2021 - Al Jazeera English
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View this newsletter in fullGraphs show surge in cases among men in their twenties... and spike coincides with Euro 2020
Professor Chris Whitty warned England could be plunged into another lockdown amid a surge in cases. Public Health England data showed 10,267 more young men than women caught the virus last week. King's College London scientists estimated 33,118 people were catching the virus every day last week. For comparison, they said 33,723 people were getting infected every day during the previous spell
15th Jul 2021 - Daily Mail
Covid-19 cases are surging in 46 states. In one hot spot, hospitalized patients are younger than ever, doctor says
"In recent weeks, we've been seeing a much younger population," he said. "We're seeing a lot of people in their 30s, 40s, early 50s. We're seeing some teenagers and some pediatric patients as well." In St. Louis County, officials said the rate of new cases jumped by 63% over the past two weeks. "A tidal wave is coming towards our unvaccinated populations," County Executive Sam Page said.
"This variant is spreading quickly, and this variant has the ability to devastate those in its wake. And that is why it is so critical to get vaccinated now."
15th Jul 2021 - CNN
Trafford health bosses worried as Covid-19 infection rate higher than it’s ever been
Trafford’s health bosses have voiced their concerns about restrictions fully lifting across the UK on Monday after the borough’s infection rate soared to higher than it’s ever been before. The borough’s infection rate has more than doubled in just a two week period and those in charge are calling for caution; for people to continue wearing face masks in public places and maintaining social distancing.
15th Jul 2021 - Manchester Evening News
Australian government scales back supply projections for AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine
The government has quietly scaled down projections of how many AstraZeneca doses will be available in Australia in the coming weeks, while downplaying a huge gap between the amount being locally produced and original Covid-19 vaccine supply targets. Last month, under significant pressure over the vaccine rollout, the federal government released a planning document estimating how many doses would be distributed over the rest of 2021. The document, titled Covid Vaccination Allocations Horizons, estimated the commonwealth would distribute between 2.2m and 2.6m AstraZeneca doses a week to the states, general practitioners and the aged care and disability sector in July and August.
15th Jul 2021 - The Guardian
Official: Nearly 70% of medical workers in Moscow vaccinated
The majority of medical workers, teachers and social workers in Moscow have been vaccinated against the coronavirus a month after authorities in the Russian capital mandated the shots for many of those employed in health care, education, retail, public transport and hospitality and services sector. Deputy Mayor Anastasia Rakova said Wednesday that nearly 70% of medical workers, 66% of those working in Moscow education facilities and 76% of social workers have been vaccinated. Her statement came a day before the Thursday deadline authorities set for eligible companies and institutions a month ago to ensure that 60% of their staff receive at least one vaccine shot.
15th Jul 2021 - Associated Press
Vaccine deliveries rising as delta virus variant slams Asia
As many Asian countries battle their worst surge of COVID-19 infections, the slow flow of vaccine doses from around the world is finally picking up speed, giving hope that inoculation rates can increase and help blunt the effect of the rapidly spreading delta variant. With many vaccine pledges still unfulfilled and rates of infection spiking across multiple countries, however, experts say more needs to be done to help nations struggling with the overflow of patients and shortages of oxygen and other critical supplies.
15th Jul 2021 - The Associated Press
Athlete, Olympic workers test positive for COVID as opening nears
A foreign athlete and five Olympic workers in Japan have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Tokyo 2020 organisers. The cases, announced on Thursday, marked the latest infections to emerge among people involved with the Summer Games, which are due to begin next week, and have raised new concerns about the spread of coronavirus at the global sporting event.
15th Jul 2021 - AlJazeera
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View this newsletter in fullChina to start giving COVID-19 shots to teenagers this month
Several areas in China will start vaccinating teenagers this month against COVID-19, state media and local authorities said, as the country steps up its inoculation campaign.
14th Jul 2021 - Reuters
Covid: Low uptake of jab causing 'crisis' at NHS trust
A health boss says his hospitals are in "the teeth of a growing local crisis" over low uptake of the Covid jab. Richard Beeken, chief executive at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, said it had 60 coronavirus inpatients, eight of whom were "critically unwell". In a letter to staff, he said it was vital people had the vaccination to boost their protection. But following 600 calls to under-40s to encourage jabs, he said, fewer than 10 agreed to appointments. Mr Beeken wrote that intensive care units were full and urgent cancer surgery was "under threat" due to Covid pressures faced by the trust.
14th Jul 2021 - BBC News
Netherlands sees Covid cases rise 500% in a week
There was a 500 per cent increase in new coronavirus cases in the Netherlands in the week to Tuesday and the reproduction rate or R number now stands at 2.17 and rising – its highest since the pandemic began. Days after acting prime minister Mark Rutte apologised for relaxing restrictions too quickly, the head of the Centre for Infectious Disease Control, Dr Aura Timen, briefed MPs that the current wave was directly linked to the most recent easing on June 26th.
14th Jul 2021 - Irish Times
Nearly 3000 confined to cabins after COVID-19 case on Singapore cruise
Infection confirmed in a passenger on 'cruise to nowhere.' Nearly 3,000 passengers, crew on Genting Cruise Lines ship. Ashore, Singapore marks highest new COVID tally in months
14th Jul 2021 - Reuters
US COVID-19 cases rising again, doubling over three weeks
The COVID-19 curve in the U.S. is rising again after months of decline, with the number of new cases per day doubling over the past three weeks, driven by the fast-spreading delta variant, lagging vaccination rates and Fourth of July gatherings. Confirmed infections climbed to an average of about 23,600 a day on Monday, up from 11,300 on June 23, according to Johns Hopkins University data. And all but two states — Maine and South Dakota — reported that case numbers have gone up over the past two weeks. “It is certainly no coincidence that we are looking at exactly the time that we would expect cases to be occurring after the July Fourth weekend,” said Dr. Bill Powderly, co-director of the infectious-disease division at Washington University’s School of Medicine in St. Louis.
14th Jul 2021 - The Associated Press
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View this newsletter in fullLong Lines Form for Russia's Third Coronavirus Vaccine in Moscow
Long lines formed outside Moscow vaccination sites over the weekend as demand for Russia’s third registered coronavirus jab outstripped supply and caused yet another shortage of the jab. Videos published to social media showed Muscovites lining up outside a dozen vaccination sites where authorities had shipped around 850 doses of CoviVac each. Moscow City Hall, which had previously suspended CoviVac vaccinations due to shortages on June 22 and June 28, announced that it ran out of doses on Sunday.
13th Jul 2021 - The Moscow Times
Serbia to become first country in Europe to produce China-developed COVID-19 vaccine
Serbia will become the first country in Europe to produce China-developed inactivated COVID-19 vaccines as the country has reached an agreement with Sinopharm, the Chinese company announced Tuesday. The production line in Serbia will be able to deliver about three million doses of vaccines per month and is set to produce 10 million doses of Sinopharm's inactivated vaccine, according to the announcement. The first batch of the doses will be provided to the local Serbian market to help the country fight against the epidemic, according to the announcement.
13th Jul 2021 - Global Times
COVID-19: Why no one should feel especially comfortable with this genuine new wave of infections
Every other time COVID-19 infection rates were as high as this, and heading up at the rate they are now, this government, tried to put the epidemiological brakes on, but this time it's different, as lockdown easing will go ahead as planned.
13th Jul 2021 - Sky News
Experts warn Jersey Covid cases could reach 500 per day by next week
Stage 7 of Jersey's reconnection plan will not go ahead as scheduled for 15 July, working from home is to return and masks are advised once again. The announcement has been made following a sharp rise in the number of Covid cases in the island. Experts are warning case numbers could reach 500 per day by this time next week. At a press conference this afternoon (13 July) officials announced their objective is to slow the rate of infection and reduce levels of isolation, which is impacting on individuals, and consequently businesses are having to close.
13th Jul 2021 - ITV News
UK megalab opens to process hundreds of thousands of Covid tests and identify new variants
The UK’s first testing megalab - which will process hundreds of thousands of Covid-19 samples every day - has opened as the “centrepiece” of the country’s future test and trace infrastructure, the government has said. The new Rosalind Franklin laboratory in Royal Leamington Spa will play a role in responding to new Covid variants of concern and future disease threats as part of plans to prevent another national lockdown. The facility is named after the British scientist who played a key role in the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA and in pioneering the use of X-ray diffraction.
13th Jul 2021 - The Independent
Brits will need annual Covid vaccine booster as new variants emerge, experts warn
Millions of vulnerable Brits will likely need a Covid booster jab every year and it could be given at the same time as an annual flu shot, say experts. About 32 million people in England could receive their third coronavirus jabs from September in the next stage of the biggest vaccination programme in UK history. A British clinical trial - the first of its kind in the world - was launched to find out whether boosters are safe and effective in extending immune protection against coronavirus, and which vaccines could be used for third jabs.
13th Jul 2021 - The Mirror
Delta surge ‘could leave hundreds of thousands with long Covid’
The decision to lift England’s remaining Covid restrictions next Monday – even as cases of the Delta variant surge around the country – is expected to turbocharge the epidemic and push the nation into what one leading scientist called “uncharted territory” in terms of the numbers of people left suffering from long Covid. Ministers have been told to expect at least one to two million coronavirus infections in the coming weeks. And while the mass rollout of vaccines – which started with elderly and vulnerable people – will dramatically reduce the proportion who are hospitalised and die, the wave may leave hundreds of thousands of younger people with long-term health problems, researchers have said.
13th Jul 2021 - The Guardian
New COVID-19 cases up 94 percent in two weeks
The average number of new daily COVID-19 cases has increased 94 percent over the past two weeks, according to data from The New York Times, as worries over outbreaks climb nationwide. The U.S. recorded a seven-day average of more than 23,000 daily cases on Monday, almost doubling from the average two weeks ago, as less than half of the total population is fully vaccinated. Monday’s count of 32,105 newly confirmed cases pushed the seven-day average up from its Sunday level of more than 19,000 new cases — a 60 percent increase from two weeks prior.
13th Jul 2021 - The Hill
In first, Thailand to mix Sinovac, AstraZeneca vaccine doses
Thailand used Sinovac vaccine for frontliners. AstraZeneca vaccine available since June. Delta variant on increase in Thailand. New curbs imposed around capital
12th Jul 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus in Australia: AstraZeneca vaccine offered to over-40s in New South Wales
Sydney contradicted previous official health advice today by saying they would offer the AstraZeneca vaccine to younger people as new daily cases of the highly infectious Delta variant soared to more than 100. While the national government continues to recommend that the locally-produced AstraZeneca vaccine be restricted to people aged over 60 because of blood clotting fears, health chiefs in New South Wales said its mass vaccination centres would offer it to anybody over 40. It is a departure from national health guidelines which have recommended heavy restrictions on the use of AstraZeneca, despite severe shortages of alternative vaccines such as Pfizer.
12th Jul 2021 - The Times
Canada to reach 55M vaccine doses by week's end, catching up to U.S. on second doses
Canada is expecting vaccine shipments to keep rolling in this week as the country inches closer to matching the percentage of people in the United States fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The federal government expects another 1.4 million doses of the shot from Pfizer-BioNTech to arrive in the next seven days. It also plans to distribute the 1.5 million doses from Moderna that came in last Friday.
12th Jul 2021 - CTV News
Desperate Myanmar residents queue for oxygen as COVID-19 cases surge
There is enough oxygen - army chief. Myanmar sees record deaths, cases
Suu Kyi worried about outbreak. Myanmar's military authorities pledged on Monday to ramp up oxygen supplies to help treat COVID-19 patients, as residents described their struggle to secure supplies to save loved-ones from a record-setting wave of infections.
12th Jul 2021 - Reuters
Spain's coronavirus infections keep rising, regions impose restrictions
Spain's two-week COVID-19 contagion rate kept rising on Monday, reaching 368 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, officials said, more than tripling in two weeks as infections have soared especially among young people. Health emergency chief Fernando Simon said the pace of increase had reduced in recent days as officials believe the latest wave is nearing its peak. He praised new restrictions announced in the hard-hit Mediterranean regions of Catalonia and Valencia.
12th Jul 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullTokyo 2020 CEO says Tokyo Olympics will create model for pandemic Games
The Tokyo Olympics will provide a model for hosting the Games during a pandemic after rising COVID-19 infections forced organisers to ban spectators at most events, Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto said on Sunday. "This will be the first Olympics held during a pandemic, and Tokyo will provide a model for how that is done," Muto said on a political debate program aired by public broadcaster NHK.
Athletes will not have to compete in completely empty venues because Olympic officials and journalists will be there, he added.
11th Jul 2021 - Reuters
Public alarm grows at Boris Johnson’s plan for Covid ‘freedom day’
Boris Johnson faces a growing revolt over plans to end most Covid restrictions on 19 July – including the mandatory wearing of face masks on public transport and in hospitals – as half of the public now say they want “freedom day” to be delayed.
Last night, as doctors and other NHS workers demanded that mask-wearing continue in hospitals, regional political leaders broke ranks, saying they would override the national government on the issue and strongly advise people to continue wearing masks on public transport.
10th Jul 2021 - The Guardian
Unvaccinated hospitalized patients say they regret not getting the shot
"It is heart-wrenching to see unvaccinated individuals come into the hospital with regret," said Dare, an infectious diseases physician. They are patients who, "if they could do it all over again, would have had the vaccine in a second." Arkansas has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, with less than 35 percent of adults having been fully vaccinated. Now, the state's low vaccine uptake has crashed headlong into the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus, leaving some hospital systems once again teetering on the brink of collapse more than a year into the pandemic.
9th Jul 2021 - NBC News
Britain should NOT return to normal on July 19 because NHS backlog combined with third wave is putting doctors under pressure and the 'pandemic is far from over' says medical chief
The government hopes Covid passports will encourage vaccine-shy young people to get jabbed. By September, all adults over 18 should have been offered both vaccine doses, allowing for the passports. Patrons will need to show proof of either two vaccine doses or a recent negative test under the proposals
9th Jul 2021 - Daily Mail
U.S. Covid-19 Hospitalizations Rise as Delta Variant Spreads
Hospitalizations related to Covid-19 are rising in the U.S. after a long decline, federal data showed, providing evidence of the human toll the Delta virus variant is taking on unvaccinated Americans. Just under 2,000 new patients were admitted to hospitals each day over the week ending July 5, a 6.8% increase over admissions during the previous week and an 88% decrease over a seven-day average of 16,492 patients admitted daily in early January, according to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New cases are up too, to a seven-day daily average of 13,859 on July 6, about an 11% increase over the previous seven-day average, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said Thursday at a White House briefing.
8th Jul 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
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View this newsletter in fullDelta variant is 'Covid-19 on steroids,' expert says, with cases increasing in nearly half of US states
Twenty-four states have seen an uptick of at least 10% in Covid-19 cases over the past week, Johns Hopkins University data shows, as health experts and the federal government keep pressing for more people to get vaccinated. The rapid spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus has only ratcheted up the pressure. That variant, first identified in India, accounted for 51.7% of all new Covid-19 infections in the country over the two weeks that ended Saturday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated.
8th Jul 2021 - CNN
Indonesia's surge in COVID-19 cases spreads to coal mining areas
Indonesia's biggest coal-producing province of East Kalimantan has recorded a spike in coronavirus cases, with miners among those infected, but so far there has been no disruption to coal operations, a local official said. The Southeast Asian country is the world's biggest thermal coal exporter and has been riding a boom in prices powered by strong demand from countries such as China, South Korea and Japan.
8th Jul 2021 - Reuters
Australia's slow vaccination, locked borders eclipse early virus success
Last year, when much of the world was in coronavirus lockdown, Australia was successfully hosting international cricket matches and tennis tournaments in front of packed crowds in a show of what post-pandemic life could look like. But in recent weeks, new virus outbreaks, a chaotic vaccine rollout and a tightening of already strict curbs on international travel have rapidly reversed those fortunes. As crowds in London watch Wimbledon and the Euro Cup football finals, Australians confront new disappointments, with the Melbourne Formula 1 Grand Prix cancelled and holiday plans scuppered. Unlike last year, business and consumer tolerance for the restrictions and uncertainty is quickly evaporating as Australians witness other countries reopen
8th Jul 2021 - Reuters
Delta COVID variant surges in Asia, casts shadow on Olympics
Indonesia's daily COVID-19 cases jumped to a new record level today, with Thailand and South Korea also reporting record highs. Rising virus activity has also forced Japanese officials to order a state of emergency for the Tokyo area and a spectator ban for Olympic events. Meanwhile, the world's death total from the virus topped 4 million today, with just over one-third of all fatalities from three countries: the United States, Brazil, and India. Global cases topped 185 million, rising to 185,350,264, according to the Johns Hopkins online dashboard.
8th Jul 2021 - CIDRAP
Australia says Pfizer to expand COVID-19 vaccine supply amid Sydney outbreak
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday said Pfizer will increase COVID-19 vaccine delivery to about one million doses a week from July 19, more than tripling shipments, as Sydney battles its worst outbreak of this year. As many as 4.5 million Pfizer Inc doses that were expected to arrive in September will become available next month, Morrison said.
8th Jul 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullCOVID infections imperil Indonesia's vaccinated health workers, and hospitals
Indonesian pulmonologist Erlina Burhan is exasperated after another long shift in a jam-packed hospital missing 200 staff infected by the coronavirus despite being vaccinated just months ago. "It's crazy, really crazy," she tells Reuters. "More patients but less staff. This is ridiculous." About 95% health workers have been fully vaccinated, overwhelmingly with China's Sinovac, said the Indonesian Hospitals Association (IHA).
7th Jul 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19: PM heading for showdown with MPs amid predictions millions of Britons could get coronavirus this summer
Boris Johnson is heading for a COVID showdown with MPs amid a backlash over a six-week wait for the ending of self-isolation rules. Conservative MPs and business leaders have reacted furiously after Health Secretary Sajid Javid said children and fully vaccinated adults will have to follow current self-isolation rules until 16 August.
This means they will have to stay at home for 10 days if they come into close contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus.
7th Jul 2021 - Sky News
Germany Renews Vaccine Plea as Europe Struggles to Contain Delta
Germany’s health minister stepped up his plea for as many people as possible to get a Covid-19 shot amid signs the vaccination drive across Europe is losing steam. Jens Spahn made the call on Wednesday as the spread of the delta variant threatens to spark a new wave of virus infections throughout the European Union. There are signs that other countries, including France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria, are also struggling to maintain the pace of shots. The slowdown suggests a growing risk that developed countries, including the U.S., could fall short of the vaccination rates needed to achieve herd immunity. The situation is being made worse because the delta strain is more transmissable than previous versions of the coronavirus.
7th Jul 2021 - Bloomberg
Singapore omits Sinovac shots from COVID-19 vaccination tally
People who received Sinovac Biotech shots are excluded from Singapore's count of total vaccinations against COVID-19, officials in the city state said, citing inadequate efficacy data for the Chinese-made vaccine, especially against the contagious Delta variant. "We don't really have a medical or scientific basis or have the data now to establish how effective Sinovac is in terms of infection and severe illnesses on Delta," health minister Ong Ye Kung said
7th Jul 2021 - Reuters
Desperate Indonesians search for oxygen as virus cases soar
With his aunt gasping for breath at home from her COVID-19 infection, 17-year-old Ridho Milhasan took matters into his own hands Wednesday and went to find her some oxygen. After his uncle scrounged an empty tank from a friend, Milhasan found an oxygen filling station in southern Jakarta, waited in the long line of others also in desperate need, and emerged triumphantly after three hours with the supply he needed. “My aunt badly needed this oxygen,” he said before strapping the oxygen container to his small scooter. “This pandemic is getting dire.”
7th Jul 2021 - The Associated Press
Bangladesh hits record COVID cases amid fears of oxygen crisis
The country reports 11,525 cases, the highest in a day since the pandemic started, as authorities fear a shortage of medical oxygen could worsen the crisis.
7th Jul 2021 - AlJazeera
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View this newsletter in fullIsrael to ship 700K Pfizer doses to South Korea in swap deal
Israel is sending 700,000 coronavirus vaccine doses to South Korea in exchange for a future shipment of vaccines from South Korea to Israel. Under the deal, Israel will transfer the Pfizer vaccines to South Korea in an effort to inoculate more of the Asian nation’s citizens this month. South Korea will send the same number of doses to Israel as early as September, the officials added. “This is a win-win deal,” Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in his statement. The agreement will “reduce the holes” in the vaccine’s availability. Jung Eun-kyeong, South Korea’s top infectious disease expert, confirmed the deal. She said the Seoul government will continue to pursue swap deals with other countries.
6th Jul 2021 - The Associated Press
Covid bubbles to be axed in England's schools
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said the system of sending "bubbles" of children home after a positive case would cease at the end of summer term. The bubble system had been necessary to limit virus spread but was now causing disruption to pupils' lives, he said. Teaching unions warned against easing rules as cases are still rising. The changes to schools guidance will take effect at the same time as the country eases restrictions and moves to stage four. This is expected to be on 19 July - with confirmation of this due next Monday.
6th Jul 2021 - BBC News
Morepen Laboratories produces test batch of Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine
The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia's sovereign wealth fund), and Morepen Laboratories, one of the leading manufacturers of pharmaceutical products in India, today announced the production of the test batch of the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in an exclusive facility in state of Himachal Pradesh.
The first batch will be shipped to the Gamaleya Center for the quality control. RDIF and Morepen Laboratories signed a cooperation agreement in June 2021 and are actively implementing the technology transfer.
6th Jul 2021 - Business Standard
COVID-19: Londoners who get first vaccine jab can win Euro 2020 final tickets, says mayor Sadiq Khan
Londoners are being offered the chance to win tickets to the Euro 2020 final if they sign up for their first COVID jab. The city's mayor, Sadiq Khan, is putting up one pair of tickets for Sunday's final at Wembley, as well as 50 pairs for the fan zone in Trafalgar Square. To be eligible, people need to show proof they have been to a walk-in vaccination centre for their first dose, or have booked an appointment.
6th Jul 2021 - Sky News
Crackdown on ‘vaccine sommeliers’ as Covid pandemic grips Brazil
Cities across Brazil are clamping down on “vaccine sommeliers” who seek to cherrypick their Covid shots despite the devastating epidemic still gripping Latin America’s largest nation. More than half a million Brazilians have lost their lives to an outbreak the country’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, stands accused of ruinously mishandling. Yet some citizens have shown themselves to be perplexingly selective about which brand of vaccine they receive. “We’re pioneering a new occupation here in Brazil: the vaccine sommeliers,” Rio’s mayor, Eduardo Paes, complained last month amid mounting reports about over-picky residents turning down certain vaccines at health posts.
6th Jul 2021 - The Guardian
Indonesia copes with oxygen shortages as COVID cases quadruple
Indonesia is struggling with one of Asia’s worst coronavirus outbreaks as new cases more than quadrupled in a month, prompting a critical shortage of oxygen in several areas. At least 33 people died at a hospital in Yogyakarta when its supply ran out over the weekend and the government on Monday asked oxygen producers to send all their supplies to hospitals and clinics.
6th Jul 2021 - Al Jazeera English
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View this newsletter in fullMorocco's Sothema to produce China's Sinopharm vaccine
Moroccan pharmaceutical firm Sothema will soon start production of 5 million doses a month of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine in the North African country, state news agency MAP reported on Monday. The announcement was made at a ceremony chaired by King Mohammed VI during which the Moroccan government, Sinopharm and Sothema, whose formal name is Société Thérapeutique Marocaine, also signed deals to produce the vaccine in Morocco, which has a population of about 36 million.
5th Jul 2021 - Reuters
Indonesia seeks more oxygen for COVID-19 sick amid shortage
Parts of Indonesia lack oxygen supplies as the number of critically ill COVID-19 patients who need it increases, the nation's pandemic response leader said Monday, after dozens of sick people died at a public hospital that ran out of its central supply. “Due to an increase of three to four times the amount (of oxygen) needed, the distribution has been hampered,” said Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the coordinating maritime affairs and investment minister. The government is asking oxygen producers to dedicate their full supply to medical needs and will import it if needed, Pandjaitan said at the virtual news conference.
5th Jul 2021 - The Independent
'Call of duty': Indonesian bikers brave COVID-19 surge to escort ambulances
Indonesian volunteer biker Sebastian Dwiyantoro and his team have been particularly busy helping ambulances navigate heavy traffic in Jakarta's satellite city of Depok to get COVID-19 patients to hospital as infections soar in the country. The volunteers ride motorbikes in front of the ambulances, the deafening noise of the sirens behind them, freeing up space and stopping other cars to make way for ambulances carrying the sick to medical facilities or corpses to graveyards. Indonesia has been reporting more than 20,000 new cases and over 400 deaths per day over the past week as the spread of the more contagious Delta variant accelerated infections and strained the country's healthcare sector
5th Jul 2021 - Reuters
Vaccination for people aged 18-34 opens at more than 800 pharmacies
Vaccinations against Covid-19 for people aged between 18 and 34 begin on Monday in Ireland, as more than 800 pharmacies across the country begin administering the one-shot Janssen/Johnson & Johnson jab. The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac) recently changed its advice to allow people aged under 40 to receive the J&J and AstraZeneca shots as the State seeks to widen the vaccine rollout amid concern about the spread of the Delta variant. The news comes as the limit is removed on the number of people who can visit a private home together if they are all fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19 in the previous 9 months.
5th Jul 2021 - Irish Times
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View this newsletter in fullThe UK's preparing to administer COVID vaccine booster shots, and Australia is set to follow suit
The UK has become the first nation in the world to plan a third round of COVID-19 vaccinations for vulnerable Britons, with a booster program that would shore up resistance to the virus ahead of winter. Preparations to roll out the vaccine to elderly populations from September are awaiting final medical advice, but the move marks a step in the global vaccine race as the UK turns its attention towards providing ongoing resistance to COVID-19 and new variants.
4th Jul 2021 - ABC News
Covid wards in the D.C. area are almost empty. Doctors credit the coronavirus vaccine.
Just six months ago, the covid-19 unit at Sibley Memorial Hospital was full and doctors at the Northwest D.C. hospital were grappling with a winter surge in pandemic patients. Today, the 25-bed ward is empty, said Michael Lee, the hospitalist medical director. There have been virtually no covid-19 patients for four weeks. It’s a trend that doctors say they are seeing across the D.C. region as vaccinations have led to increased immunity, sending hospitalizations and deaths plunging.
3rd Jul 2021 - The Washington Post
Indonesia triples oxygen supplies as Covid-19 outbreak worsens
Indonesia is tripling its oxygen supplies to hospitals as data suggests the Delta variant of coronavirus is now driving the country’s worsening outbreak, accounting for more than 60% of recent cases. Indonesia’s health minister, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, told the Guardian that three-quarters of the national oxygen production used for industry would be redeployed to hospitals for the next two weeks. “We learned from India to make sure the supply is there,” he said.
3rd Jul 2021 - The Guardian
Putin's 'Lockdown Lite' as Moscow Stops Millions From Dining Out
As the Covid-19 pandemic rears up again in Russia, President Vladimir Putin is following Israel’s example as Moscow stops millions of residents from entering bars and restaurants without proof of vaccination or recovery from the illness. But mindful of hostility to the vaccines in Russia ahead of key elections, he’s steering away from making the shots mandatory nationwide. “Damn!” swore a 26-year-old who gave his name as Nikolai, as staff refused him entry to a bar in downtown Moscow, on a recent evening. In the end he got a beer and sat sullenly in the rain at the venue’s outside tables. City authorities have allowed summer terraces to accept all customers, but only until July 12.
3rd Jul 2021 - Bloomberg
Moscow Tightens the Clamp on Russia’s Millions of Covid-19 Vaccine Holdouts
Russia is adopting increasingly coercive measures to convince Russians to be vaccinated, as authorities try to reboot a flailing vaccination campaign and race to beat back a surge in Covid-19 cases caused by the more infectious Delta variant.
Local authorities in some areas of Russia have made vaccination compulsory for service-sector employees, meaning that millions of workers, ranging from hairdressers to bank tellers, face the threat of unpaid leave if they don’t get inoculated. Restaurants and shops could be closed for months if they don’t have 60% vaccinated staff by mid-July. And as of late June, only the inoculated, those who have recovered in the past six months or who have a negative test can enter Moscow restaurants and coffee shops.
3rd Jul 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
15 million people in the U.S. have missed their second dose of the coronavirus vaccine, CDC says
Nearly 15 million people — or more than one in 10 of those eligible in the United States — have missed their second dose of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC data shows that as of June 16, nearly 11 percent of people who had sufficient time to get the second dose missed their ideal window. The number has increased from 8 percent earlier in the year, but CDC spokesperson Kate Fowlie said the rise was “not unexpected.”
2nd Jul 2021 - The Washington Post
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View this newsletter in fullBolivian hospital connects COVID-19 patients and loved ones with virtual visits
Ruth Lagos has come to the Cotahuma Municipal Hospital in the highland Bolivian city of La Paz for a "virtual" visit with her mother and father who are being treated for COVID-19. Not allowed to see them in person, and like many Bolivians not having enough internet bandwidth at home, Lagos is taking advantage of an innovative new idea: a video call booth at the hospital's entrance, which connects patients inside with their loved ones.
1st Jul 2021 - Reuters
S.African medics threaten court action as staff shortages hit COVID response
The South African Medical Association threatened on Thursday to take the government to court because scores of new junior doctors cannot find placements despite staff shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic. SAMA said it was "scandalous" that, during a third wave of infections, 228 medical interns who graduated in March and April were waiting for the government to place them at public hospitals to complete their training.
1st Jul 2021 - Reuters
Moscow begins booster vaccine campaign as Russia's COVID-19 cases surge
Health clinics in Moscow will begin offering booster vaccine shots against COVID-19 on Thursday, the city's mayor said, as Russian officials scramble to contain a surge in cases blamed on the highly infectious Delta variant. The health ministry issued new regulations for the national inoculation program on Wednesday, recommending clinics begin administering booster doses to people vaccinated six months ago or more, making Russia one of the first countries globally to begin re-vaccination. The health ministry said campaign was an emergency measure as coronavirus cases in Russia rise sharply and vaccination rates remain low.
1st Jul 2021 - MSN
NHS GPs giving second Covid jabs just three weeks apart
Hundreds of GPs are administering second Covid jabs just three weeks after the first in defiance of NHS advice, triggering a rebuke from the UK’s vaccines authority. The rollout of second doses up to nine weeks earlier than official guidance has prompted concern over a postcode lottery in access to protection against coronavirus. GP vaccinators, high street pharmacies and some mass vaccination centres and pop-up jab clinics in different parts of England have taken the decision to offer second doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab after three weeks and of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine after four weeks. Doctors say their unofficial and “pragmatic” policy of shorter gaps between doses is boosting the immunisation drive ahead of what has been dubbed “Freedom Day” on 19 July and ensures vaccines are not wasted, especially amid the spread of the Delta variant.
1st Jul 2021 - The Guardian
Euro soccer tournament under fire for helping spread COVID-19
The Euro 2020 soccer tournament was on Thursday blamed for a surge in coronavirus cases as fans have flocked to stadiums, bars and spectator zones across Europe to watch the action while the pandemic still raged. Germany's interior minister called European soccer's governing body UEFA "utterly irresponsible" for allowing big crowds at the tournament. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the mixing of crowds in Euro 2020 host cities, travel and easing of social restrictions had driven up the number of new cases rose by 10%.
1st Jul 2021 - Reuters
California virus cases rising as delta variant spreads
California broadly reopened its economy barely two weeks ago and since then an especially contagious coronavirus variant has spread among the unvaccinated, a development that has health officials on edge and already has prompted Los Angeles County to strongly recommend everyone resume wearing masks inside.
The nation’s most populous state is averaging close to 1,000 additional cases reported daily, an increase of about 17% in the last 14 days. Officials expected an increase when capacity limits were lifted for businesses and most mask restrictions and social distancing requirements were eliminated for vaccinated people. But public health officials raised concern this week with the more transmissible delta variant spreading among the unvaccinated, who comprise the vast majority of new infections. LA County, where a quarter of the state’s nearly 40 million people live, recommended Monday that vaccinated residents resume wearing face coverings indoors after detecting that about half of all cases were the delta variant.
1st Jul 2021 - The Associated Press
Israel scrambles to curb jump in COVID infections
Authorities are racing to vaccinate children and are considering tighter travel restrictions at the country’s main airport. The Health Ministry on Thursday reported 307 new cases on Wednesday, the highest in nearly three months and a rise from 293 newly-diagnosed cases a day earlier. The health ministry reportedly expects those numbers to jump in coming days, raising concerns that Israel is plunging back toward a crisis. In recent months, Israel has reopened businesses, schools and event venues, lifting nearly all restrictions after it inoculated some 85% of the adult population. It’s now seen as an early-warning system of sorts for other nations. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday announced a drive to inoculate thousands of children by mid-month.
1st Jul 2021 - Associated Press
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View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: GP staff have faced threats and abuse during vaccination programme, poll finds
Over half (52%) of GP practice staff have received threats of physical abuse while working on the covid-19 vaccination programme, a survey has found. The poll of 222 GP practice staff by the Medical Protection Society (MPS) also found that over half (53%) of staff said that their surgery or vaccination centre had been defaced by anti-vaccination material. The survey included GPs, nurses, and practice managers at surgeries in the UK. One respondent said, “Staff of all disciplines are leaving the profession in droves because of the behaviour of the public creating unbearable working situations. Morale is the lowest I have ever known, anyone near retirement is retiring early.” Another said, “Abuse—especially written and posted in the prescription box on the gate—has resulted in staff being very concerned for their safety at the surgery.”
30th Jun 2021 - The BMJ
England aims to lift restrictions in schools in final stage of lockdown easing, minister says
British education minister Gavin Williamson on Wednesday said he expects to be able to end the restrictions and bubble system in England's schools when other freedoms are regained in the last step out of lockdown, scheduled for July 19. The current system can result in entire classes of pupils being asked to self isolate if one of their classmates tests positive for COVID-19. "What I want to see is these restrictions, including bubbles removed as quickly as possible, along with wider restrictions in society," Williamson told lawmakers.
30th Jun 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullMexico suggests tweaked border restrictions with U.S. as vaccinations advance
Mexico's foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Tuesday the Mexican government had suggested to U.S. counterparts that travel restrictions on their shared border should change as vaccination programs advance. Restrictions on non-essential travel over the U.S.-Mexico border were first imposed in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and have been extended in 30-day increments.
29th Jun 2021 - Reuters
Royal Caribbean cruises out of Florida to require unvaccinated passengers buy travel insurance
Royal Caribbean cruises departing from Florida are requiring unvaccinated passengers above the age of 12 to buy travel insurance for medical and travel costs that could occur if they get COVID-19. The company announced on Tuesday unvaccinated passengers must get $25,000 in medical expense insurance and $50,000 insurance for quarantine and medical evacuation costs. The insurance is required for cruises that leave from Florida from Aug. 1 to Dec. 31. The policy will not apply to people who booked their cruises between March 19 and Monday.
29th Jun 2021 - The Hill
Israel may have to throw away nearly 1 million COVID vaccines
In Israel, the Health Ministry will destroy at least 800,000 expiring coronavirus vaccine doses if no buyers are found for them in the next two weeks, according to a report Monday. The doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccines, set to expire at the end of July, are worth hundreds of millions of dollars, according to the Kan public broadcaster. Israel’s search for a taker for the shots come as many countries are expanding their vaccination drives to combat the fast-spreading Delta variant of the coronavirus, which has sent case numbers in some places soaring.
29th Jun 2021 - The Times of Israel
Sanofi to invest 400 million euros in a mRNA vaccines facility
Sanofi will invest about 400 million euros ($476 million) annually in research and development of next-generation vaccines using mRNA technologies, which proved their efficiency in the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 jabs. Sanofi added on Tuesday that its "mRNA Center of Excellence" will bring together around 400 employees based at existing sites close to Lyon in southern France and in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is expected to produce a minimum of six clinical candidates by 2025. "During the COVID-19 pandemic, mRNA technologies demonstrated potential to deliver new vaccines faster than ever before", said Jean-Francois Toussaint, global head of R&D at Sanofi Pasteur, the company's vaccines division.
29th Jun 2021 - Reuters
As infections rise, Cuban doctors fan out to encourage COVID jabs
There is a health clinic on every corner in Havana, each with a family doctor and nurse. Over the last weeks, these health workers have been out visiting their patients in the Cuban capital, from the solares – warren-like buildings where whole families live in single rooms – to smarter apartments in crumbling art deco buildings where memories of wealth still show in grand windows looking out over the Florida Straits. They have been telling residents the coronavirus vaccine has arrived and giving out appointments for jabs. This scene has been repeated across the city, and – so long as there are enough syringes to administer doses – will soon be repeated across the country.
29th Jun 2021 - AlJazeera
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View this newsletter in fullVaccination rules begin at Moscow restaurants
Restaurants and cafes in Moscow on Monday began requesting that patrons provide proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test as the Russian capital faces a surge of new infections. According to a decision by city authorities last week, all Moscow restaurants, cafes and bars must only admit customers who have been vaccinated, have recovered from COVID-19 in the past six months or can provide a negative coronavirus test from the previous 72 hours. As proof of vaccination for entering a restaurant, customers must visit a government website and get a QR code, a digital pattern designed to be read by a scanner
28th Jun 2021 - The Associated Press
Hong Kong bans flights from ‘high risk’ UK to curb virus
Hong Kong will ban all passenger flights from the UK starting Thursday as it seeks to curb the spread of new variants of the coronavirus. In a Hong Kong government statement on Monday, the UK was classified as “extremely high risk“ because of the “recent rebound of the epidemic situation in the UK and the widespread Delta variant virus strain there”.
28th Jun 2021 - Al Jazeera English
Anatomy of a health conundrum: The racial gap in vaccinations
The United States is awash in coronavirus vaccines, with free beer, plane tickets and million-dollar prizes dangled as inducements to persuade the reluctant to get a shot. Philadelphia is doling out $400,000 in giveaways. Despite that, a racial divide persists in the nation’s vaccination campaign, with federal figures showing counties with higher percentages of Black residents having some of the lowest vaccination rates in the country. An examination of city and federal vaccination data and interviews with more than 20 researchers, doctors, health officials and residents in the nation’s sixth-largest city opens a window onto the missteps and misunderstandings, the legacy and loss that have fostered the disproportionate pain of death and disease in communities of color. Coronavirus immunizations are the latest iteration of the pandemic’s unequal burden.
28th Jun 2021 - The Washington Post
Hong Kong to ban passenger flights from UK to curb virus
Hong Kong says it will ban all passenger flights from the U.K. starting Thursday as it seeks to curb the spread of new variants of the coronavirus. It said in a statement Monday that the U.K. has been classified as “extremely high risk“ because of the “recent rebound of the epidemic situation in the U.K. and the widespread delta variant virus strain there.” Under the classification, people who have stayed in the U.K. for more than two hours will be restricted from boarding passenger flights to Hong Kong.
28th Jun 2021 - Associated Press
Amid COVID dip, Pakistan to ease some flight restrictions
With active cases of the coronavirus continuing to drop in Pakistan, authorities say they have decided to ease incoming flight restrictions from several countries, including all the European countries, Canada, China and Malaysia. Direct flights from these countries will be allowed to operate at 40 percent of their full schedule of flights, a government document said, with the new regulations coming into effect on July 1.
28th Jun 2021 - AlJazeera
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View this newsletter in fullAs variant rises, vaccine plan targets 'movable middle'
Thrown off-stride to reach its COVID-19 vaccination goal, the Biden administration is sending A-list officials across the country, devising ads for niche markets and enlisting community organizers to persuade unvaccinated people to get a shot.
The strategy has the trappings of a political campaign, complete with data crunching to identify groups that can be won over. But the message is about public health, not ideology. The focus is a group health officials term the “movable middle” — some 55 million unvaccinated adults seen as persuadable, many of them under 30.
27th Jun 2021 - Associated Press
India set to shift T20 World Cup to UAE due to pandemic - sources
This year's Twenty20 World Cup is set to be shifted to the United Arab Emirates due to the COVID-19 situation in India, Indian cricket board sources told Reuters on Saturday. The pandemic swept the world's second-most populous nation last year, resulting in a lengthy shutdown. Infections have rocketed again in another wave this year as the country scrambles to curb a more transmissible variant of the virus, hitting plans to ease lockdown measures.
27th Jun 2021 - Reuters
Leeds waits for vaccine as Covid rates go sky-high in student areas
Heading back to their student halls with a bottle of wine, 19-year-olds Roz Monaghan and Mackenzie Bradley-Wilkinson are feeling tense. The pair live in the Hyde Park area of Leeds, where Covid-19 rates are the highest in the country, more than 10 times the average. A combination of a majority-unvaccinated population, a return to face-to-face teaching, good weather and the end of exams has sent Covid rates in Leeds’s student area sky-high. While the UK average is 105 cases per 100,000 people, the case rate in the Hyde Park ward is a huge 1,547 per 100,000 people and it is rising rapidly. In neighbouring Hyde Park Corner and Woodhouse Cliff, there are 1,044 cases per 100,000 people.
27th Jun 2021 - The Guardian
Germany expects faster Moderna COVID-19 vaccine deliveries
Germany expects drugmaker Moderna Inc to deliver COVID-19 vaccines faster than expected, helping it ramp up vaccinations in coming months, the health ministry said on Sunday. Moderna will increase its deliveries to 1.33 million doses a week in July from 733,000 previously expected, raising the figure to 2.57 million a week in August and 2.95 million a week in September, the ministry said. Moderna said last week it hopes to be able to deliver the COVID-19 vaccines it has promised to Germany more quickly than originally planned, without giving figures.
27th Jun 2021 - Reuters on MSN.com
Another 175000 Janssen Covid vaccine doses to be offered in the coming weeks
An additional 175,000 doses of the Janssen Vaccine will be made available to the Netherlands residents in the coming weeks, the Health Ministry announced. An initial batch of 200,000 doses was already offered from Wednesday, marking the first time the Dutch were able to express their preference for their choice of a Covid-19 jab. The Janssen Vaccine was highly sought after by many people this week as it only requires one shot for maximum protection. The Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines require two doses for a person to be considered fully vaccinated, unless they have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection in the past. "With summer just around the corner, the interest in the Janssen vaccine is enormous," Health Minister Hugo de Jonge wrote on Twitter. "That is why it is great that an additional 175,000 doses will become available in the coming weeks with an extra delivery. A safe and effective vaccine of which one shot is sufficient."
26th Jun 2021 - NL Times
Amid high vaccine hesitancy, PCMC to launch vaccination drive in Khandevasti slum on Monday
Khandevasti, which has nearly 3,000 residents, is one of the four big slum clusters in Savale’s ward where vaccination penetration has been low. Only around 750 people have been vaccinated so far as vaccine hesitancy runs high. “Unfortunately, vaccine hesitancy is high in the slums. Rumours of people dying because of the vaccine prevents many from approaching the vaccination centres,” said Savale. This situation stems from people preferring to believe in local myths and godmen rather than doctors or staff of the civic body, she said.
26th Jun 2021 - The Indian Express
'Grab a jab' vaccine drive underway across England as cases continue to rise
Hundreds of walk-in vaccination sites including stadiums and shopping centres will be open in England this weekend in a drive to have people jabbed as Covid-19 cases continue to rise. NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said the country was in a “race to the finish line” in its vaccination programme as summer freedoms loom. The “grab a jab” campaign comes as the UK recorded a further 15,810 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases as of 9am on Friday – up 50% on the 10,476 new cases reported a week earlier.
25th Jun 2021 - Belfast Telegraph
More UK Covid-19 patients are requiring oxygen and intensive care, doctors reveal
Although hospitalisations have crept up slowly in recent weeks, medical experts are warning that patients in intensive care are becoming sicker when they come into hospital with Covid symptoms.
25th Jun 2021 - Daily Mail
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View this newsletter in fullUN-backed program trims forecast to supply COVID-19 vaccine
A public health group that manages the U.N.-backed program to ship COVID-19 vaccines to poor countries is paring back its supply forecast for this year by more than 100 million doses, largely because a key Indian manufacturer has focused on needs at home. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, says it now projects that the COVAX program can supply just under 1.9 billion doses this year -- including about 1.2 billion provided for free to 92 poor countries -- down from original targets of more than 2 billion doses. The shortfall comes because the Serum Institute of India -- a pivotal producer of vaccines for COVAX -- has reverted supplies to needy people in India, as its government scrambled to fight a spike in infections. So far, COVAX has only distributed about 90 million doses, far short of its original plans.
24th Jun 2021 - The Associated Press
Russia's new COVID-19 cases surge to highest since January
Russia's holiday resort region on the Black Sea told tourists on Thursday it would not let them visit later this summer without a COVID-19 vaccination, part of a government campaign to speed up the inoculation drive amid a wave of infections.
The number of confirmed nationwide cases surged to 20,182 on Thursday, the most confirmed in a single day since Jan. 24. Both Moscow and St Petersburg recorded their most coronavirus-related deaths in a single day since the pandemic began
24th Jun 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19: School proms hit by continuing lockdown restrictions
Fiona Drake, who runs Cinderella Ball Gowns and Beauty in nearby Histon, has had a similar experience. "We had hundreds of dresses sitting in our store - with no events to go to," she says. Remembering the pre-prom excitement of early 2020 - before the coronavirus pandemic hit the UK with its full force - her shop was full of girls ordering dresses for their summer leaving parties, she says. "We put the dresses on order, paid for them, and then no-one wanted them. "It was a bit of a nightmare for us, really." This year, however, she says she was excited to hear proms were starting up again, before the delay to lifting lockdown was announced.
While most proms have been rescheduled, she says, some have been cancelled.
24th Jun 2021 - BBC News
Britain wants to allow travel again but is wary -minister
PM says double vaccine shot process can open up travel. Transport minister to set out green list countries. Anger rises over travel restrictions. Germany's Merkel: Europe should quarantine Britons.
24th Jun 2021 - Reuters UK
Hong Kong bans passenger flights from Indonesia over COVID-19 fears
Hong Kong will ban passenger flights from Indonesia from Friday, deeming the country's arrivals "extremely high risk" for the coronavirus. The Hong Kong government said late on Wednesday it was suspending flights after the number of imported COVID-19 cases from Indonesia crossed thresholds set by the global financial hub. Hong Kong has already banned arrivals from India, Nepal, Pakistan and the Philippines, using a flight suspension rule triggered when there are five or more passengers who test positive for one of the variant COVID-19 cases on arrival, or 10 or more passengers found to have any strain of the disease while in quarantine
24th Jun 2021 - Reuters
Another NHS Trust issues black alert
Another hospital in England has been forced to declare a “black alert” after more than 300 patients descended on its Emergency Department (ED), allegedly causing wait times of up to seven hours. An email sent to staff at Derriford Hospital, in Plymouth, this morning warned that Tuesday had been a “busy evening, with 305 attendances and 109 ambulances in ED yesterday”. The internal message, seen by The Independent, said the hospital was operating above its capacity – at “101.5 per cent occupancy in medicine, and 96 per cent overall” – meaning there were not enough beds on wards to admit some A&E patients to.
24th Jun 2021 - The Independent
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 24th Jun 2021
View this newsletter in fullMore than 150 Houston hospital workers resign or are fired for refusing to have Covid-19 vaccine
More than 150 employees at a Houston hospital resigned or were fired Tuesday after they refused to follow a hospital policy requiring they get vaccinated against Covid-19. A spokesperson for the hospital, Houston Methodist Baytown, said that among 200 employees who were told they needed to be vaccinated by June 7 or face a two-week suspension, 153 either resigned or were terminated. The departures came after a judge dismissed an employee lawsuit over the vaccine requirement.
23rd Jun 2021 - Daily Mail
WHO cites concerns about Russian Sputnik V plant, which says issues resolved
The World Health Organization said its review of how Russia produces the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine had found some issues with the filling of vials at one plant, which said it had since addressed all of the WHO's concerns. The Sputnik V shot, widely used in Russia and approved for use in over 60 countries, is undergoing a review by the WHO and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Their approval could open up new markets for the shot, especially in Europe.
23rd Jun 2021 - Reuters
Novartis aims to bottle more than 50 mln doses of BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in 2021
Novartis aims to help manufacture more than 50 million doses of BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine in 2021 at its Stein, Switzerland fill-and-finish facility, the Swiss drugmaker said, after the European Union's drug regulator approved the bottling plant.
23rd Jun 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19: Machine that can 'sniff out' coronavirus particles in the air goes on trial in North East
A revolutionary new system which can detect COVID-19 particles in the air is being trialled in the North East. Its developers say it could help provide early warning of the spread of COVID-19 or other viruses, enabling a more rapid response to potential outbreaks. Two units, which are about the size of an office printer, are now in situ at Teesside International Airport and at a primary school.
23rd Jun 2021 - Sky News
NHS alarm over rise in number of UK Covid patients on ventilators
NHS bosses have sounded the alarm over the number of people on ventilators in hospital in the UK, which has risen over the past week. The deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery, said the number of Covid patients in hospital on ventilation beds had increased by 41% in the last week to 227, which she said was a strong indication Covid was having an impact on health services. Cordery told BBC Breakfast: “Trusts on the frontline are really coming under huge pressure ... they have plans in place to tackle the backlog, but with more Covid cases and demand for emergency care going up, that’s really challenging.”
23rd Jun 2021 - The Guardian
Israel faces fresh Covid surge and calls for teens to be jabbed as even fully vaccinated catch Delta
Israel recorded 125 new cases on Monday - the most cases per day since April
New cases come as Israel rolled back nearly all of its coronavirus restrictions
Nearly a third of the new cases recorded in the past week have been found in vaccinated people, with many of the new infections being the delta variant
More than 55 percent of Israel's population - some 5.2 million people - have received both doses of the vaccine
22nd Jun 2021 - Daily Mail
Michigan confirms 25 cases of COVID-19's highly contagious delta variant
The news is good when it comes to coronavirus in Michigan and most of the U.S. — as case rates continue to fall, the percentage of positive tests drops to the lowest point since the start of the pandemic and hospitalizations and deaths from the virus dwindle. The country is headed for a "bright summer. Prayerfully, a summer of joy," President Joe Biden said at a Friday news conference. But he said he is still concerned about people who haven't been vaccinated and their risk as a more contagious — and potentially more deadly — variant gains a bigger foothold in the U.S. Called the delta variant, this strain originated in India and swept through that nation in April and May, causing a massive surge in cases and thousands of deaths. Since then, it has spread to more than 80 countries, including the U.S., and pushed the United Kingdom to extend coronavirus restrictions as case rates climbed.
22nd Jun 2021 - Detroit Free Press on MSN.com
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 23rd Jun 2021
View this newsletter in fullWembley to have crowd of 60000 for Euro semis and final - UK govt
Crowd capacity at Wembley Stadium will be increased to more than 60,000 fans for the semi-finals and final of Euro 2020, the British government said on Tuesday. The new levels mean the stadium will be at 75% capacity for the final three games, which conclude with the final on July 11. All ticket holders will need to have either a negative COVID-19 test or proof of full vaccination - two doses received 14 days before the fixture. The announcement came after Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi called on Monday for the final to be moved from England due to rising COVID-19 cases in the country
22nd Jun 2021 - Reuters
Eating Disorders Surged Among Adolescents in Pandemic
Experts across the country who treat eating disorders in adolescents and young adults say they are seeing unprecedented demand for treatment that arose during the pandemic. Inpatient units have doubled or tripled capacity, wait lists for residential programs and outpatient services are months long, and the patients coming in are sicker than ever. Experts say they have seen the biggest increase during the past year in anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder where people deprive themselves of food. Other disorders being seen include bulimia nervosa, where people binge on food and then try to get rid of it with laxatives or vomiting, and binge-eating disorder, where people consume excessive amounts of food in a short period.
22nd Jun 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
Almost 900 Secret Service employees were infected with COVID
Roughly 900 U.S. Secret Service employees tested positive for the coronavirus, according to government records obtained by a government watchdog group. Secret Service records show that 881 people on the agency payroll were diagnosed with COVID-19 between March 1, 2020 and March 9, 2021, according to documents obtained by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. More than 11% of Secret Service employees were infected. Secret Service spokesperson Justine Whelan said COVID testing of employees was pro-active with more than 25,000 tests being administered.
22nd Jun 2021 - The Associated Press
Israel Sees Highest COVID Daily Infections in Two Months as Delta Variant Spreads
The highest daily coronavirus infection rate in two months was registered in Israel on Monday, with 125 people testing positive after local outbreaks of the delta variant had been reported across the country. The director-general of the Health Ministry, Chezy Levy, told Israeli television that about 70 per cent of the new infections were with the Delta variant. He also noted that half of those infected were children, and that a third of those infected had been vaccinated.
22nd Jun 2021 - Haaretz
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 22nd Jun 2021
View this newsletter in fullAuthorities say doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine are set to 'ramp up' from August
The coordinator of Australia's COVID-19 vaccine rollout says supplies are being "carefully managed" ahead of a major ramping up of doses from August. Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who is quarantining at The Lodge in Canberra following an overseas trip, met via teleconference with state and territory leaders on Monday to discuss the rollout. Premiers have been critical of a shortage of supplies. Lieutenant General John Frewen, who is in charge of logistics for the vaccine rollout and briefed the national cabinet, told reporters the premiers had now been given a detailed breakdown of what supplies they can expect, including dose number forecasts.
21st Jun 2021 - SBS News
Moderna set to expand Covid-19 vaccine production
Moderna Inc is adding two new production lines at its coronavirus vaccine manufacturing plant, as it prepares to ramp up booster shot production. The US biotech firm’s plans will increase overall production capacity at its Massachusetts plant by 50 per cent, the Wall Street Journal first reported. The move indicates that Moderna expects the market for Covid-19 vaccines to endure as lockdown restrictions ease but strains of the virus remain in countries around the world.
21st Jun 2021 - City A.M.
Repeat Coronavirus Vaccination Needed After 6 Months, Russian Health Minister Says
Russians who were vaccinated against the coronavirus over six months ago should revaccinate themselves for extra protection as the country grapples with the third wave of the pandemic, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said Monday. Moscow, the epicenter of the pandemic in Russia, reported its highest-ever number of Covid-19 cases in a single day this weekend as the fast-spreading Delta variant first detected in India accounts for 90% of all infections in the capital. The variant is more resistant to Covid-19 antibodies which gradually decline after one is vaccinated or recovers from the virus.
21st Jun 2021 - The Moscow Times
US extends Covid-19 travel restrictions with Canada and Mexico
The United States has extended Covid-19 restrictions on non-essential travel at land and ferry crossings with Canada and Mexico until July 21, according to a tweet from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Sunday. "To reduce the spread of #COVID19, the United States is extending restrictions on non-essential travel at our land and ferry crossings with Canada and Mexico through July 21, while ensuring access for essential trade & travel," DHS wrote.
21st Jun 2021 - CNN
Portugal speeds up vaccination as COVID-19 infections rise
As the Delta coronavirus variant continues to spread, Portuguese authorities are scrambling to bring a worrying spike in cases under control and said they would accelerate vaccinations and increase testing. Just over 25% of the population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in Portugal, a country of 10 million that faced its toughest battle against the virus in January. Most of those fully vaccinated are older or more vulnerable but a recent rise in cases around the populous Lisbon area led authorities to speed up the vaccination campaign, especially among younger people.
21st Jun 2021 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 21st Jun 2021
View this newsletter in fullS.Korea to mix-and-match COVID-19 vaccine doses for 760000 people
Some 760,000 South Koreans who have received a first dose of AstraZeneca Plc's COVID-19 vaccine will be offered Pfizer Inc's vaccine as a second shot due to shipment delays by global vaccine sharing scheme COVAX, the government said.
Several countries, including Canada and Spain, have already approved such dose-mixing mainly due to concerns about rare and potentially fatal blood clots linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
19th Jun 2021 - Reuters
Argentine lab makes first half million doses of Russian COVID-19 vaccine
Argentine laboratory Richmond said on Friday that it had produced almost half a million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus, the first made in the country. The vaccines await approval from the National Administration of Medicines, Food and Medical Technology (ANMAT) and Russia's Gamaleya Institute for their release, Richmond said in a tweet. "We appreciate the hard work it took our staff to achieve this first objective, and continue with our commitment to have local vaccine production," it said.
19th Jun 2021 - Reuters
Afghanistan running out of oxygen as COVID surge worsens
Afghanistan’s is racing to ramp up supplies of oxygen as a deadly third surge of COVID-19 worsens, a senior health official told The Associated Press in an interview Saturday. The government is installing oxygen supply plants in 10 provinces where up to 65% of those tested in some areas are COVID positive, health ministry spokesman Ghulam Dastigir Nazari said. By WHO recommendations, anything higher than 5% shows officials aren’t testing widely enough, allowing the virus to spread unchecked. Afghanistan carries out barely 4,000 tests a day and often much less. Afghanistan’s 24-hour infection count has also continued its upward climb from 1,500 at the end of May when the health ministry was already calling the surge “a crisis,” to more than 2,300 this week. Since the pandemic outbreak, Afghanistan is reporting 101,906 positive cases and 4,122 deaths. But those figures are likely a massive undercount, registering only deaths in hospitals — not the far greater numbers who die at home.
19th Jun 2021 - Associated Press
Palestinian Authority calls off vaccine exchange with Israel
The Palestinian Authority announced it has cancelled an agreement with Israeli regarding the exchange of Pfizer vaccines, saying the doses are set to expire soon.
Palestinian officials had come under heavy criticism on social media after the agreement was announced, with many accusing them of accepting subpar vaccines and suggesting they might not be effective.
19th Jun 2021 - Al Jazeera English
South Africa deploys army medics to COVID-hit Gauteng province
South Africa is deploying army medical personnel to its commercial hub and most populous province to help health workers battle a surge in coronavirus, the government said on Friday. South Africa, the worst-hit country in the continent, has entered a third COVID wave, with new daily cases doubling over the past two weeks.
19th Jun 2021 - Al Jazeera English
In 2nd school outbreak, 44 kids catch COVID — apparently the Delta variant
At least 44 kids at a middle school in northern Israel have tested positive for coronavirus, local authorities announced Saturday, in the second such outbreak at an Israeli school this week. The town of Binyamina-Giv’at Ada’s said the vast majority of those infected were in seventh and eighth grade.According to Kan news, initial tests indicate the outbreaks there and in Modiin earlier in the week were all of the Delta variant first identified in India, which is more contagious than other variants and may be better able to bypass vaccines. The report said several adults who were infected in the school outbreaks were vaccinated.
19th Jun 2021 - The Times of Israel
Poorer US counties have lower COVID-19 vaccine uptake
A study yesterday in Vaccine reveals socioeconomic disparities in county-level COVID-19 vaccine uptake, with a 32% lower vaccination rate in the most disadvantaged areas. In the study, researchers from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock used the COVID-19 Community Vulnerability Index (CCVI) and seven theme scores to identify links between socioeconomic vulnerability and adult vaccination rates in 2,415 counties up to May 25, 2021. To track vaccination rates, they used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID Data Tracker. Two age-groups were considered: 18 years and older and 65 and older.
18th Jun 2021 - CIRAP
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 18th Jun 2021
View this newsletter in fullDenmark will offer Covid-19 vaccine to all children aged between 12 and 15 to boost overall immunity ahead of winter
Denmark will offer Covid-19 vaccines for children aged 12-15 after the adult population has been inoculated to boost its overall immunity against the virus ahead of the winter, health authorities announced on Thursday. Initially, offer Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine will be made available for 12-15 year-olds as it is the only vaccine approved by the EU's drug regulator for use in adolescents, the Danish Health Authority said in a statement. The EU regulator expects to announce a decision on the use of Moderna's shot in adolescents sometime next month.
17th Jun 2021 - Yahoo News UK
COVID-19: All over-18s in England able to book vaccine from Friday as Whitty warns of 'surprises' ahead
England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty has warned COVID-19 "has not thrown its last surprise at us and there will be several more over the next period". Speaking at the NHS Confed Conference, he said he is anticipating case rates will continue to go up in the next few weeks due to Delta being "significantly more transmissible" than Alpha. He said: "In terms of the medium term, my expectation is that we will get a further winter surge, late autumn/winter surge.
17th Jun 2021 - Sky News
Hundreds of Indonesian doctors contract Covid-19 despite Sinovac vaccination
More than 350 Indonesian doctors have contracted Covid-19 despite being vaccinated with Sinovac and dozens have been hospitalised, officials said, as concerns rise about the efficacy of some vaccines against more virulent virus strains. Most of the doctors were asymptomatic and self-isolating at home, said Badai Ismoyo, head of the Kudus district health office in Central Java, but dozens were in hospital with high fevers and declining oxygen saturation levels. Kudus is battling an outbreak believed to be driven by the more transmissible Delta variant which has pushed bed occupancy rates above 90 per cent in the district.
17th Jun 2021 - The Independent
England invites all adults to get their COVID-19 vaccines
The health service in England will open up COVID-19 vaccinations to everyone aged over 18 on Friday, a big step towards the government's target of giving every adult who wants a vaccine a first shot in the next month. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday pushed back the full re-opening of England from lockdown until July 19 because of a rise in cases, but also accelerated his vaccination plans, pledging to give every adult a first dose by the same date.
17th Jun 2021 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 17th Jun 2021
View this newsletter in fullTurkey surpasses 35M coronavirus vaccine shots administered
Turkey has administered over 35.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine doses since it launched a mass vaccination campaign in mid-January, according to official figures released on Tuesday. More than 21.7 million people have received their first doses, while over 13.9 million have been fully vaccinated, said the Health Ministry count. Health Minister Fahrettin Koca also said in a tweet that over 1.2 million vaccine doses were administered in a single day, indicating another record in the country's mass vaccination campaign. The country currently uses China’s CoronaVac and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in its campaign.
16th Jun 2021 - Daily Sabah
Hospitals told to brace for double wave of Covid and child infections
An internal NHS email seen by Channel 4 News shows how hospitals are being told to prepare for a third Covid-19 wave at the same time as a spike in serious infections among very young children. The email, sent by a London NHS trust to clinical staff, says “national guidance on planning” has been issued telling hospitals to expect 50 per cent of the Covid cases seen in the first wave of the pandemic. At the same time the third wave of severe Covid cases is likely to peak in hospitals, in early August, NHS leaders are also predicting a national wave of Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV infections.
16th Jun 2021 - Channel 4
European Union administers over 300 million coronavirus vaccines
The European Union (EU) has administered more than 300 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Tuesday. "We have passed 300 million vaccinations in the EU. Every day, we get closer to our goal: to have enough doses delivered to vaccinate 70 per cent of adults in the EU next month," she tweeted. As of Monday, 53.3 per cent of the EU adults had received at least one dose, and 353 million doses had been delivered to the 27-state bloc, reports Xinhua news agency. "By now, almost a third of all adults in the EU are fully vaccinated," European Commission deputy chief spokesperson Dana Spinant said
15th Jun 2021 - Business Standard
COVID-19: NHS England to launch Long COVID services for children
The NHS is launching Long COVID services for children, as concerns grow about the number of young people experiencing long-term symptoms. Fifteen paediatric hubs will be created in England, drawing together experts on symptoms such as respiratory problems and fatigue. They will treat young people, advise family doctors or other carers, or refer patients to other specialist services and clinics.
More than one million people have reported suffering symptoms for weeks or even months after being infected with the virus and it is expected that hundreds of thousands of these need support.
15th Jun 2021 - Sky News
Covid-19: GPs to contact over-40s who have not taken vaccine
GP practices in Northern Ireland are to begin contacting patients who have not come forward for vaccines. The groups being targeted include people over 40 and patients prioritised for the vaccine because of clinical risk factors. They will be contacted by telephone, text or letter by GP practices and encouraged to consider vaccination. Pop-up vaccination clinics will also be visiting different parts of Northern Ireland in the coming weeks. The Department of Health said it would help address potential barriers to vaccination such as mobility, accessibility and language.
15th Jun 2021 - BBC News
COVID Delta variant represents 2-4% of French cases -minister Veran
The Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus first found in India - which experts estimate to be more infectious than other variants - currently represents 2-4% of confirmed COVID cases in France, said French health minister Olivier Veran on Tuesday.
Veran added this meant France was registering between 50-150 cases a day of the COVID-19 Delta variant, which highlighted the importance of sanitary protocol measures and vaccinations to keep the virus at bay. "We are in the process of crushing the virus and crushing the pandemic, and we must in no way let the Indian variant get the upper hand so that it leads to another wave of the pandemic," Veran told reporters at a Paris vaccination centre.
15th Jun 2021 - Reuters
Ongoing COVID surges in multiple regions keep nations on edge
Cases in Africa are up for the fifth week a row, the World Health Organization (WHO) African regional office said today in its weekly outbreaks and health emergencies report. Overall, the region's cases increased 36.3% over the previous week. South Africa reported more than half of last week's cases, and other hot spots include Zambia, Uganda, Namibia, and Kenya. Twenty countries reported rises in cases, with increases of 50% or more in 10 of them. In a related development, Democratic Republic of the Congo President Felix Tshisekedi today announced new measures to limit gatherings to help the country slow its third COVID surge, according to Reuters. Tshisekedi told reporters last week that hospitals in Kinshasa were overwhelmed.
15th Jun 2021 - CIDRAP
Troubled J&J vaccine manufacturer Emergent promises to fix plant
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. is promising the Food and Drug Administration a series of fixes in response to an inspection that led to a halt in production at a company facility that had been making Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine. The contract manufacturer said in a letter to the FDA dated April 30 that it would strengthen its biowaste handling processes, put in place new requirements for wearing protective gowns and deliver training to facility personnel, among other steps to ensure the quality of the vaccine, after agency inspectors cited myriad problems in a report earlier that month.
14th Jun 2021 - AlJazeera
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View this newsletter in fullCovid hospital cases 'would match first peak' if June 21 Freedom Day went ahead
England faced a wave of Covid hospital cases as high as the first peak if Boris Johnson went ahead with the June 21 'Freedom Day', government advisors believe.
The Prime Minister was forced to delay the easing of lockdown until July 19 after the Delta variant, said to be between 40% and 80% more transmissible than the Kent strain, had spread rapidly. Now, new modelling by the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M) - a SAGE subgroup - has revealed just how risky scrapping all social distancing could have been. Among the experts' worst case scenarios was that hospitalisations would reach around the peak of the first wave, when there were more than 3,000 new UK patients per day, compared to under 200 a day now.
14th Jun 2021 - The Mirror
J&J will export more COVID-19 vaccines to South Africa beyond 300,000 doses already promised - Aspen CEO
Johnson & Johnson will be exporting more ready-to-administer doses to the South African government beyond the 300,000 that was been announced by the local drug regulator on Sunday, CEO of Aspen Pharmacare said on Monday. Aspen is the local manufacturer of J&J's COVID-19 vaccine.
14th Jun 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus infections dropping where people are vaccinated, rising where they are not, Post analysis finds
States with higher vaccination rates now have markedly fewer coronavirus cases, as infections are dropping in places where most residents have been immunized and are rising in many places people have not, a Washington Post analysis has found. States with lower vaccination also have significantly higher hospitalization rates, The Post found. Poorly vaccinated communities have not been reporting catastrophic conditions. Instead, they are usually seeing new infections holding steady or increasing without overwhelming local hospitals. As recently as 10 days ago, vaccination rates did not predict a difference in coronavirus cases, but immunization rates have diverged, and case counts in the highly vaccinated states are dropping quickly.
14th Jun 2021 - The Washington Post
America’s broken PPE supply chain must be fixed now
Almost everyone knows by now that the U.S. was ill-prepared to combat Covid-19. But few realize that the structural problems in the supply chain that plagued the government’s response haven’t been fixed. It’s crucial to address these vulnerabilities now. There’s no telling when the inevitable next health crisis will hit.
Consider the government’s disastrous distribution of emergency medical supplies. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is in charge of the Strategic National Stockpile of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as N95 respirators, gloves, gowns, and face shields, along with ventilators and certain pharmaceuticals, such as antibiotics and antitoxins.
14th Jun 2021 - STAT News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 14th Jun 2021
View this newsletter in fullMoscow residents to have paid leave to curb COVID-19 surge
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced on Saturday that workers in the Russian capital will have paid leave next week in a bid to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19. Sobyanin said in his blog that he has signed a decree designating June 15-19 as non-working days with salaries staying intact, after the city saw a sharp increase in new COVID-19 infections. The mayor said the paid leave applies to enterprises and organizations of all forms of ownership, except for critically important industries. As Saturday to Monday are Russia Day holidays, the "long weekend" in Moscow will last a total of nine days from June 12 to 20, during which catering and entertainment facilities are ordered to be closed from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
12th Jun 2021 - Xinhua
EMA Approves New Manufacturing Site for Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced on June 11, 2021 that its committee for human medicines (CHMP) has approved Recipharm’s Monts, France facility for the production of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine finished product. Several other sites were given a positive opinion by CHMP for batch control/testing. The new site follows two other sites approved by CHMP in June for the manufacture of API and finished product intermediates in the United States. “Together, these changes are expected to allow the production of an additional one to two million vials of ready-to-use vaccine for the European Union market every month. This will increase the supply of the vaccine in the European Union,” the agency stated in a press release.
11th Jun 2021 - BioPharm International
The FDA is forcing Johnson & Johnson to throw out millions of doses of its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine produced at a troubled plant in Baltimore
The Food and Drug and Administration (FDA) is forcing Johnson & Johnson to throw out millions of doses of its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine produced at a troubled plant in Baltimore due to contamination concerns. According to The New York Times, 60 million doses were unusable. Another 10 million doses from the plant will be allowed to be distributed but with a warning that the FDA cannot guarantee they were produced using good manufacturing practices, according to the Times. In a statement, the FDA confirmed that it has now authorized two batches of the vaccine. Federal officials "determined several other batches are not suitable for use, but additional batches are still under review and the agency will keep the public informed as those reviews are completed," the agency said.
11th Jun 2021 - The Hill
Southern states have a ‘real vulnerability’ to Delta Covid variant this summer, warns Dr. Peter Hotez
Dr. Peter Hotez warned that Southern U.S. states could feel the impact of the highly transmissible Delta Covid variant as early as this summer, due in part to low vaccination rates. “Here in the South, particularly in Louisiana, Mississippi, we’re seeing really low vaccination rates. And less than 10% of adolescents are vaccinated in many of these southern states, so we have a real vulnerability here,” Hotez said. Just around 30% of the population in many Southeastern states is fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
11th Jun 2021 - CNBC on MSN.com
If you have long Covid, as I did, don’t give up hope. Recovery is possible
I learned that my Covid-19 infection had probably induced a physiological stress response that put my brain in a state of high activation and had an immediate effect on my hormone, heart, gastrointestinal and immune systems. When I got sick, the brain shut me down with fatigue, as it should do, until I recovered. My nervous system scanned for alarm signals, described by the Oslo-based physician Vegard Wyller as “false fatigue alarms”, and after a time, classical conditioning (learned by association) caused the “kickback” symptoms in response to these signals. Finding an explanation, understanding it and accepting it helped me. I am not saying that it will definitely help others suffering from the post-Covid-19 syndrome, but it might
10th Jun 2021 - The Guardian
Virtually all hospitalized Covid patients have one thing in common: They're unvaccinated
There are only three Covid-19 patients at Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital at North Shore University Hospital, on Long Island, New York — a far cry from when the hospital, which is part of Northwell Health, had as many as 600 patients during the peak of the pandemic. All three patients, who are in the intensive care unit, have one thing in common, said Dr. Hugh Cassiere, director of the hospital's critical care services: They're unvaccinated.
9th Jun 2021 - NBC News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 11th Jun 2021
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: France reopens restaurants and welcomes back British tourists
Paris waiters smiled and there was a spring in the step of commuters flocking back to offices in France today as near-normal life resumed under bright sunshine after months of restrictions. President Macron voiced “lucid optimism” for the country as restaurants and cafés opened to customers indoors for the first time in seven months, the curfew was pushed back from 9pm to 11pm and the country’s borders were opened to visitors — including those from Britain — without the need to prove a family emergency or a compelling business reason. “Life will resume across our territory,” Macron said. “We are going to reacquaint ourselves with part of our culture, of our art of living.”
10th Jun 2021 - The Times
NHS told to identify patients actually sick from Covid-19 separately to those testing positive
Hospitals have been told to change the way they collect data on patients infected with coronavirus to differentiate between those actually sick with symptoms and those who test positive while seeking treatment for something else. The move would reduce the overall number of patients in hospital for coronavirus as until now data from hospitals has included all patients who tested positive for Covid-19, regardless of whether they had symptoms or not. NHS England has instructed hospitals to make the change to the daily flow of data sent by NHS trusts and told The Independent that the move was being done to help analyse the effect of the vaccine programme and whether it was successfully reducing Covid-19 sickness.
10th Jun 2021 - The Independent
AstraZeneca says working with Southeast Asian nations on vaccine deliveries
AstraZeneca says it is working closely with Southeast Asia governments to ensure its COVID-19 vaccine is supplied "as quickly as possible", after reported delays in deliveries of orders from a Thai plant owned by the country's powerful king.
10th Jun 2021 - Reuters
As more kids go down the ‘deep, dark tunnel’ of long Covid, doctors still can’t predict who is at risk
At 14 years old, Kate Dardis knows what pain feels like and how to work through it. An accomplished gymnast accustomed to training four hours a day, she has met a competitor this year that she can’t beat with exercise or sheer willpower — yet.
Rarely sick before a stomachache kept her home from school for three days in October, the Bloomington, Ill., eighth-grader was hit by a headache in January that still hasn’t loosened its grip. Her heart races. Her body aches. She gets winded climbing stairs and feels dizzy when she changes position. Concentrating on schoolwork is difficult remotely and exhausting in person. Kate learned last month from a team of doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital that she is suffering from the post-Covid syndrome better known as long Covid. Her Covid-19 test was negative last fall after some teammates and coaches at her gym tested positive, but in February an antibody test ordered by her pediatrician confirmed she had been infected with Covid-19.
10th Jun 2021 - STAT News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 10th Jun 2021
View this newsletter in fullHospital suspends 178 health care workers for failing to get COVID vaccine
As of Tuesday, 178 health care workers employed by a Houston-based hospital system are on a two-week unpaid suspension after failing to meet the hospital system’s mandate to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Monday, June 7.
Houston Methodist CEO Marc Boom announced the mandate in April, telling hospital staffers that if they failed to get vaccinated, they would be fired. The 178 suspended employees now have the two unpaid weeks to become fully vaccinated before termination. They can do so by getting the one-shot COVID-19 vaccine by Johnson & Johnson or a second dose of either of the two mRNA vaccines. Boom noted in a letter to employees sent Tuesday that 27 of the 178 suspended employees have received one dose of vaccine.
9th Jun 2021 - Ars Technica
Teenagers in vulnerable health will get coronavirus vaccine, minister says
In the Netherlands, teenagers who fall into medical at-risk groups because they have heart problems or are obese for example, will be invited to get vaccinated against coronavirus, health minister Hugo de Jonge said on Wednesday. The national health council Gezondheidsraad has recommended that children with vulnerable health conditions should be given the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine which has been cleared for use among the under-18s. ‘Vaccinating these children will deliver both direct and indirect health benefits,’ the health council said. Family doctors will also be able to use their discretion to decide if other children should also be vaccinated
9th Jun 2021 - DutchNews.nl
China builds new plant for IMBCAMS COVID-19 vaccine -state media
China is building a new COVID-19 vaccine factory that is capable of boosting annual production of a shot developed by a medical research institute to between 500 million and 1 billion doses, state-backed media said on Wednesday. The vaccine, developed by the Institute of Medical Biology of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (IMBCAMS), is one of seven shots approved for use in China. It was not immediately clear how many doses of the vaccine are currently produced and supplied for China's inoculation campaign.
9th Jun 2021 - Reuters
Dozens of hospitals hit 'dangerous' bed occupancy levels as NHS bosses warn any spike in Covid patients could scupper efforts to tackle record waiting list of 4.9million
Dozens of hospitals in England hit dangerous bed occupancy levels at the end of May even though Covid had fizzled out, official figures show. MailOnline's analysis of the latest NHS data showed 21 trusts had more than 95 per cent of beds filled in the final week of May. One board in London — North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust — had almost every single bed occupied for the whole week. More than a third — 50 out of 130 trusts in England — had over 92 per cent of beds occupied by patients, a level which NHS chiefs say should not be exceeded because it can make hospitals unsafe. Experts fear the rapid spread of the Indian variant will start to ramp up pressure across the NHS in the coming weeks, despite the massive vaccine roll-out which has got first doses to more than three in four adults.
9th Jun 2021 - MSN.com
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 9th Jun 2021
View this newsletter in fullTaiwan’s Covid-19 outbreak spreads to chip companies
The spread of Covid-19 into Taiwan’s electronics factories is threatening to delay semiconductor shipments, according to companies and analysts, raising the prospect of renewed disruption to an industry gripped by a global shortage. The country, viewed as a linchpin in the world’s chip supply chain, is suffering from its first large coronavirus outbreak. It has come against a backdrop of escalating warnings about the depth of the semiconductor shortage, which has hit everything from cars to consumer electronics.
8th Jun 2021 - The Financial Times
Carnival to require first passengers to have COVID-19 vaccines when its cruises restart in July
Carnival Cruise Line will require passengers on its first sailings in July out of Galveston, Texas, to be vaccinated for COVID-19. If the policy remains in effect for Carnival's upcoming sailings out Port Canaveral and other Florida ports, it would put the cruise giant at odds with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The governor opposes the system of requiring so-called "vaccine passports," and has filed legal action against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention related to the federal agency's requirements for a return to sailing.
8th Jun 2021 - Florida Today
Thailand begins mass Covid-19 vaccine rollout using shots made by royal-owned company
Thailand began its mass Covid vaccination program Monday, following criticism of delays and concerns over health authorities relying on AstraZeneca shots produced by a company owned by the country's king. The Southeast Asian nation is battling a third coronavirus wave with the highest number of daily cases and deaths reported since the start of the pandemic, raising public concerns of adequate access to vaccines. On Tuesday, Thailand reported 2,662 new Covid-19 cases and 28 deaths, according to its Covid-19 task force (CCSA). Thailand plans to administer 6 million shots in June using the AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines
8th Jun 2021 - CNN
NHS and social care staff burnout at an emergency level - report
NHS and care staff in England are so burnt out that it has become an "emergency" and risks the future of the health service, MPs have warned. A highly critical report said workers were exhausted and overstretched because of staff shortages. It said the problems existed before the pandemic - although coronavirus has worsened the pressures. Doctors' and nursing unions welcomed the report, saying it highlighted the stress and anxiety facing staff. It has already been well documented that the NHS is short of staff.
8th Jun 2021 - BBC News
US COVID cases drop another 30% as Africa surge continues
With the introduction of three effective COVID-19 vaccines, daily COVID-19 case rates, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to rapidly decline across the country, and new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that vaccines have been particularly beneficial for older Americans. During a White House briefing today, the last briefing run by COVID-19 pandemic response coordinator Andy Slavitt, who announced he was stepping down from his position today, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, said for the second week in a row, daily case averages dropped by 30%, with a 7-day average of 13,277 cases
8th Jun 2021 - CIDRAP
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View this newsletter in fullWHO's Tedros hopes African COVID vaccine sites to near production by end-2021
World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday he hopes African COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing sites will be identified and some even close to producing by the end of 2021, in the race to deliver more shots to the continent. While Tedros did not provide specifics on which country, Reuters has reported that Senegal could begin producing COVID-19 vaccines next year under an agreement with Belgian biotech group Univercells aimed at boosting Africa's drug-manufacturing ambitions.
7th Jun 2021 - Reuters
Norway shortens interval between COVID-19 vaccine doses
Norway will shorten the interval between COVID-19 vaccine doses to nine weeks from the current 12 weeks, thus speeding up the inoculation process, the health ministry said on Monday. "We'll have ample supply of vaccines in the time ahead," Health Minister Bent Hoeie said in a statement. Norway uses vaccines made by Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) as well as the Pfizer/BioNTech (PFE.N) partnership, each requiring two injections. "Reducing the dose interval is part of the Institute of Public Health's strategy to ensure that the population is fully vaccinated as quickly as possible," the ministry said
7th Jun 2021 - Reuters
Indonesia reinforces hospitals amid worrying COVID-19 surge in some areas
Indonesian authorities have drafted in more doctors and nurses to two areas on the islands of Java and Madura after hospitals there approached full capacity amid a spike in coronavirus cases, the country's health minister said on Monday. Health experts and officials are worried about the risk of a broader spike in virus cases fuelled by variants and a jump in travel last month as many in the world's biggest Muslim-majority country travelled back to hometowns for holidays after Ramadan.
7th Jun 2021 - Reuters
Covid chaos at airports in rush to flee Portugal before it leaves green list
Thousands of British holidaymakers in Portugal face chaos at airports and Covid testing sites as they rush to return before quarantine rules change tomorrow. The government abruptly announced that Portugal would be moved from the green list of approved travel destinations to the amber list last Thursday. Passengers have until 4am tomorrow morning to return or they must quarantine for ten days. Anyone flying home must have proof of a negative Covid test taken no more than three days before their departure or face a £500 fine, but testing centres in Portugal were overwhelmed by the sudden demand.
7th Jun 2021 - The Times
First Slovaks get Sputnik V shots after months of wrangling
Slovakia became the European Union's second country to start inoculating people with the Russian-made Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine on Monday, after months of rows over the shot that has yet to be approved by European regulators. Then-Prime Minister Igor Matovic bought Sputnik V in March, saying it would speed up vaccination efforts. The country of 5.5 million bought 200,000 doses and intended to buy 2 million. The launch of vaccinations was delayed, however, amid a political crisis that erupted because Matovic had done the deal without consulting his coalition partners, who opposed using the vaccine before it had EU approval
7th Jun 2021 - Reuters
Thais debut locally made AstraZeneca but supplies are tight
Health authorities in Thailand began their much-anticipated mass rollout of locally produced AstraZeneca vaccines on Monday, but it appeared that supplies were falling short of demand from patients who had scheduled vaccinations for this week. Hospitals in various parts of the country have been posting notices for several days that some scheduled appointments would be delayed, adding to existing public skepticism about how many doses Siam Bioscience would be able to produce each month. The government has said it will produce 6 million doses in June, then 10 million doses each month from July to November, and 5 million doses in December.
7th Jun 2021 - Associated Press
Egypt to start local production of Sinovac vaccine mid-June- minister
Egypt received 500,000 doses of China's Sinovac coronavirus vaccine on monday, airport sources said, as the health ministry said local production of the Chinese vaccine will start in mid-June. Egypt received raw materials for the production of two million Sinovac doses in May, after signing an agreement to produce the vaccine locally and distribute it in Egypt and other African countries. The first vials are due to be produced on June 15 and up to six weeks will be needed for checks before they are put to use in vaccination centres, Health Minister Hala Zayed told the private MBC Masr TV channel late on Sunday.
7th Jun 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullNearly 400,000 people still have long Covid a year after initial infection, new stats show
The number of people suffering from symptoms of long Covid more than a year after their initial coronavirus infection has jumped to almost 400,000. New data from the Office for National Statistics based on a survey of patients found the numbers of patients with persistent symptoms after 12 months jumped from 70,000 in March to 376,000 in May. Overall, the ONS said an estimated one million people had self-reported signs of long Covid which last for more than four weeks.
4th Jun 2021 - The Independent
NHS says it can’t provide extra Covid vaccines in Blackburn despite infection rate
The NHS cannot provide thousands of extra doses of Covid-19 vaccines to Blackburn with Darwen borough, despite it having the highest infection rate in the UK and a death rate almost a third higher than the national average. The local MP said it “beggared belief” that Blackburn’s repeated pleas to continue surge vaccinations had been knocked back, arguing the move will place the NHS under “overwhelming and unnecessary pressure”. Correspondence seen by the Guardian shows Blackburn’s director of public health warning the NHS that not providing additional doses would lead to avoidable deaths and the NHS being swamped within four weeks, calling it “unfair, unjust and avoidable”. In mid-May 19,500 extra doses were sent to Blackburn and surrounding areas to distribute by 30 May after an outbreak of the Delta variant of Covid, which originated in India.
4th Jun 2021 - The Guardian
Double jab cuts risk of hospitalisation with Indian Covid by 93% to almost nothing but un-vaccinated are MORE at risk than in previous waves: Freedom Day dilemma as cases in England spike 76% to 86,000 and R rate rises to between 1 and 1.2
Pfizer vaccine produces fewer antibody levels Indian variant than those against previously circulating strains. Joint study also suggests levels of antibodies are lower with increasing age, and that levels decline over time. Researchers say this provides extra evidence in support of plans to deliver a vaccine booster in the autumn. But it could also fuel concern that the Pfizer vaccine is less effective in preventing serious illness with Delta. It comes as PHE said the Indian variant appears more likely to put people in hospital than other strains
3rd Jun 2021 - Daily Mail
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View this newsletter in fullAstraZeneca in talks to shift COVID-19 vaccine production to Catalent factory
AstraZeneca Plc is in talks with the U.S. government to shift production of its COVID-19 vaccine from a troubled Baltimore plant to a factory owned by Catalent Inc, the New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The British drugmaker has been on the lookout for an alternative production site since the U.S. government stopped it from using Emergent BioSolutions Inc's Baltimore plant after workers accidentally contaminated a batch of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine with ingredients from AstraZeneca's that was also being produced at the time.
3rd Jun 2021 - Reuters
Nimble Irish restaurants head back to basics as epic lockdown ends
In October 2019, shortly after opening, chef Jordan Bailey's Aimsir restaurant in County Kildare won two Michelin stars. Ten months later he was selling lobster rolls and lamb kebabs from a camper van. Having been closed entirely to guests - like the rest of a hospitality industry emerging from Ireland's third COVID-19 lockdown - for all but four of the past 15 months, he had to innovate to survive. "It really kicked in a few weeks into lockdown when things were getting worse and worse and worse, that's when it got really scary and forced us to start thinking how can we keep Aimsir going?" said Bailey.
3rd Jun 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullMillions of vaccines to be produced at major new Liverpool site
The national effort to get flu shots in the arms of vulnerable Brits has received a massive boost after the largest vaccine manufacturing site of its type in the UK started work in Liverpool. Although there has understandably been intense focus on the roll out of the coronavirus vaccine, the annual flu vaccination programme is also vitally important to easing winter pressures on the NHS. The high-speed syringe filling and packing facility in Renaissance Way, Speke, operated by pharmaceutical firm Seqirus, will produce more than 50 million doses of seasonal flu vaccine each year, with the ability to increase production to 200 million doses in the event of an influenza pandemic. The site now has a high-speed fill-and-finish facility, which enables start-to-finish onshore manufacturing, where previously the vaccine would be sent abroad to be put into syringes and packed, reports Business Live.
2nd Jun 2021 - Liverpool Echo
Moderna to double EU vaccine manufacturing with new Dutch site
Moderna will start producing a retooled version of its coronavirus vaccine in the Netherlands, doubling the company's expected EU production, the company announced today. The new contract, inked with the subcontractor Lonza, will allow Moderna to make approximately 300 million doses a year starting at the end of 2021. The Dutch site, in addition to a drug-substance site run by Rovi in Spain, will allow Moderna to make 600 million doses a year in the EU. Currently, the American company doesn't make any drug substance in the EU. Instead, it has outsourced its vaccine substance production to Lonza's site in Switzerland to supply the EU, U.K. and Canada. But production issues there forced the company to cut projected deliveries to the U.K. and Canada earlier this year.
2nd Jun 2021 - POLITICO Europe
Moderna plans mix of COVID-19 vaccine doses with new Lonza deal
Moderna is gearing up to halve the dose of its COVID-19 vaccine, the U.S. drugmaker said on Wednesday, so that it can also be used to combat variants and inoculate children. It has agreed a deal with Swiss-based drugmaker Lonza which said a new drug substance production line in Geleen, Netherlands, will have capacity to make ingredients for up to 300 million doses annually at 50 micrograms per dose. "We're assuming that as of 2022, we are going to have a mix of dose levels on the market," a spokeswoman for Moderna said, following the announcement of Lonza's new production.
2nd Jun 2021 - Reuters
UK rights watchdog endorses compulsory Covid jabs for care home staff
The prospect of care home workers being required to get vaccinated against Covid-19 has moved a step closer, with a crucial endorsement from the UK’s human rights watchdog. Ministers are considering changing the law to make vaccination a condition of deployment for people in some professions that come into regular close contact with elderly and vulnerable people at high risk from the coronavirus. In a report to the government seen by the Guardian, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) admitted that making vaccines compulsory for care home staff would be a “significant departure from current public health policy”. But they judged that ministers were “right to prioritise protection of the right to life for residents and staff” and said it would be reasonable for care home workers to need a jab “in order to work directly with older and disabled people, subject to some important safeguards”.
2nd Jun 2021 - The Guardian
AstraZeneca starts deliveries of Thailand-made vaccines
AstraZeneca’s partner in Thailand on Wednesday began its first deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines after concerns they were behind on their production schedules for the country and parts of Southeast Asia. Siam Bioscience said the first locally produced AstraZeneca doses were delivered to Thailand’s Ministry of Health ahead of the June 7 start of the country’s official mass vaccination program. It did not say how many were delivered. AstraZeneca signed with Siam Bioscience last year to be its vaccine production and distribution center in Southeast Asia. It said that the vaccines would be ready for export to other Southeast Asian countries in July. As part of the plan, AstraZeneca has to deliver 6 million doses to Thailand in June, and 10 million doses monthly from July to November, with a final 5 million doses in December.
2nd Jun 2021 - The Associated Press
On a roll, Moderna taps Thermo Fisher for fill-finish duties and Lonza for booster shot manufacturing
The globe has come to depend on Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, sending the biotech racing to expand its mRNA manufacturing capacity. In the next step of its effort to meet lofty supply expectations, Moderna is leveraging its relationships with two CDMO powerhouses to help. Moderna has tasked Thermo Fisher Scientific with fill-finish, labeling and packaging duties for its mRNA vaccine at Thermo Fisher’s commercial manufacturing site in Greenville, North Carolina, the company said in a Tuesday statement. The latest agreement will “support the production of hundreds of millions of doses,” and production is set to begin in the third quarter this year, the biotech said. Moderna already has a standing relationship with Thermo Fisher, which has supplied the drugmaker with raw materials for its COVID-19 vaccine, said Juan Andres, Moderna’s chief technical operations and quality officer.
2nd Jun 2021 - FiercePharma
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View this newsletter in fullPeople in Wales to be offered third Covid 'booster' jab as part of trial
People in one part of Wales are set to take part in a new clinical trial to receive a third 'booster' coronavirus vaccine. Volunteers who are over the age of 30, have already had both Covid jabs and live within a 50-mile radius of Wrexham are needed for the world-first research study. The COV-Boost study, which is being run at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, is taking place at 18 sites in the UK and will involve 2,886 volunteers. The trial is looking at seven different Covid-19 vaccines as potential boosters given at least 10 to 12 weeks after their second dose. Volunteers could receive a different brand to the one they were originally vaccinated with.
1st Jun 2021 - Wales Online
Covid-19: Irish pharmacies to administer vaccines in June
Pharmacies in the Republic of Ireland are to play a role in Covid-19 vaccinations from early June, the Irish health minister has said. Stephen Donnelly told the Seanad (Irish parliament) the move would be "particularly important in areas further away from vaccination centres". Mr Donnelly said people aged 40 to 44 will be able to register for their jabs from Wednesday, RTÉ reports. A total of 2.7m jabs have now been administered in the Republic. That means that half of the adult population has now had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
1st Jun 2021 - BBC News
Moderna partners with Thermo Fisher to scale up COVID-19 vaccine production
Moderna Inc said on Tuesday it had entered into an agreement with Thermo Fisher Scientific for manufacturing and packaging its COVID-19 vaccine, as the U.S. vaccine maker looks to scale up production. Under the terms, Moderna said Thermo Fisher's commercial manufacturing site in Greenville, North Carolina will be used to provide fill/finish manufacturing services and supply packaging for hundreds of millions of doses of the vaccine. "The addition of Thermo Fisher to our network will support our efforts to scale up our manufacturing ability," Moderna's chief technical operations and quality officer, Juan Andres, said in a statement.
1st Jun 2021 - Reuters
Brazil vaccination pace slows as production issues halt second doses
A decrease in local COVID-19 vaccine production has slowed the pace of Brazil's inoculation drive and contributed to a growing number of people not taking their second doses, according to the latest data from the Fiocruz biomedical institute.
1st Jun 2021 - Reuters
Australian court upholds ban on most international travel
An Australian court on Tuesday rejected a challenge to the federal government’s draconian power to prevent most citizens from leaving the country so that they don’t bring COVID-19 home. Australia is alone among developed democracies in preventing its citizens and permanent residents from leaving the country except in “exceptional circumstances” where they can demonstrate a “compelling reason.” Most Australians have been stranded in their island nation since March 2020 under a government emergency order made under the powerful Biosecurity Act. Libertarian group LibertyWorks argued before the full bench of the Federal Court in early May that Health Minister Greg Hunt did not have the power to legally enforce the travel ban that has prevented thousands of Australians from attending weddings and funerals, caring for dying relatives and meeting newborn babies.
1st Jun 2021 - The Associated Press
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View this newsletter in fullCDC approves first cruise ship to sail with paying passengers in June
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday gave the green light to a Celebrity Cruises ship to be the first to sail with paying passengers next month. Starting on June 26, the Celebrity Edge will embark on the first revenue cruise since the COVID-19 pandemic first crippled the cruise industry in March 2020. The seven-night trip will launch from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and be led by Cpt. Kate McCue, who was the first American female captain, the company announced. The Celebrity Edge will have a fully vaccinated crew and require U.S. guests aged 16 and older to be fully vaccinated. In August, the ship will extend that requirement to U.S. guests aged 12 and older.
29th May 2021 - The Hill
COVID-19: Hundreds head to London's Chinatown as vaccine bus offers appointment-free jabs
Hundreds of people headed to London's Chinatown on Thursday after an advert promised a COVID-19 vaccination without an appointment and with no ID checks.
Footage showed crowds of people gathered after an official advert posted on the Chinese Information and Advice Centre website said jabs would be offered on a "vaccine bus". Similar strategies are being used around the UK in areas where take-up has been low.
28th May 2021 - Sky News
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View this newsletter in fullCovid: Wales' mass vaccination centres 'safe and efficient'
Vaccine centres in Wales have provided a "safe and efficient" environment for the roll-out of Covid-19 jabs, an inspection report has found. Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) visited eight mass vaccination centres to check safety standards. It found "dedicated, hard-working staff" and only asked for minor improvements in some areas. The watchdog's report comes as the number of people to have had a dose of the jab in Wales surpassed two million. This month, Wales has also become the best in the world, for sizeable countries, for the percentage of first doses given to its total population.
27th May 2021 - BBC News
Thai princess allows new vaccine imports as slow rollout prompts anger
The Thai king’s sister has approved coronavirus vaccine imports by an institution she sponsors, bypassing the government as it deals with surging infections and growing public anger over a slow and chaotic rollout. The secretary-general of the Chulabhorn Royal Academy wrote on Facebook that the “alternative vaccines” would supplement the government campaign until it could meet the country’s needs. The government has long insisted it must handle all vaccine imports and next month starts its mass immunisation drive, which relies heavily on AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured locally by a company owned by the king.
27th May 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19: Another coronavirus vaccine set to enter production within weeks - and UK has 60m doses ordered
Production of the coronavirus vaccine developed by French firm Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) will begin within weeks, the firms have said. The two companies are currently in Phase 3 of their trials, which will see 35,000 adult volunteers receive their coronavirus jab across the US, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. They will test for effectiveness against the original form of COVID-19 that swept across the world after emerging in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 - and also the variant first detected in South Africa. "Manufacturing will begin in the coming weeks to enable rapid access to the vaccine should it be approved," a joint statement from Sanofi and GSK said. The Sanofi-GSK vaccine could be given the green light by drugs regulators in the final three months of this year if the Phase 3 trials are successful.
27th May 2021 - Sky News
India scraps local trials for COVID shots, says Pfizer vaccine could arrive by July
India scrapped local trials for “well-established” foreign coronavirus vaccines on Thursday as it tries to accelerate its vaccination rollout, with a government official saying Pfizer shots could arrive by July. India pledged last month to fast-track imports, but its insistence on local trials and a dispute over indemnity stalled discussions with Pfizer. “The provision has now been further amended to waive the trial requirement altogether for the well-established vaccines manufactured in other countries,” the government said in a statement.
27th May 2021 - Reuters India
Ten states reach 70% COVID-19 vaccination goal
So far ten states have reached President Biden's Jul 4 goal of vaccinating 70% of eligible residents against COVID-19, according to White House COVID-19 response coordinator Andy Slavitt. Pennsylvania joined Vermont, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New Mexico as the tenth state to reach the 70% goal of having citizens with at least one dose of vaccine. Slavitt tweeted that another 10 states are above 65% coverage. In total, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID Data Tracker shows 359,849,035 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been delivered in the US, and 289,212,304 have been administered, with 131,850,089 Americans fully vaccinated.
27th May 2021 - CIDRAP
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View this newsletter in fullDepartment for Education was ‘unprepared’ for Covid-19 challenges, parliamentary committee finds
The Department for Education (DfE) “had no plan” and was unprepared for the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, a parliamentary committee has found. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said that children had “very unequal experiences” during the end of the last academic year, as it explored the DfE’s response to Covid-19 in England’s first lockdown.
26th May 2021 - The Independent
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View this newsletter in fullQuebec to move up appointments for second COVID-19 vaccine doses
Quebecers will soon be able to change their appointments online for their second COVID-19 dose to an earlier date as the province’s vaccination rollout has exceeded the government’s own expectations, the Montreal Gazette has learned. Quebec is poised to vaccinate at least 80 per cent of the adult population with one dose by June 24, which would mean going beyond the initial goal by more than five per cent. And with nearly 48,000 Pfizer-BioNTech doses expected early this week, the provincial government has decided to modify the Clic Santé online portal to permit Quebecers to move up appointments for a second dose, a high-ranking source confirmed.
26th May 2021 - Montreal Gazette
More than 77,000 NHS staff in England have caught Covid, shows research
At least 77,000 hospital staff in England caught coronavirus during the pandemic, while there were nearly a quarter of a million absences for Covid-related reasons, Guardian research has revealed. However, the true totals are likely to be much higher, because out of the 142 acute and specialist trusts in England sent freedom of information requests, only 55% (78) provided figures on staff who were infected, while 60% (85) gave data on time off for sick leave related to the virus. The responses, which cover the year following 1 March 2020, offer the first official data on Covid’s impact on frontline workers who risked their own health while caring for the more than 400,000 patients who have ended up seriously ill in hospital.
25th May 2021 - The Guardian
Coronavirus: India, world’s largest jab maker, has to ask overseas for vaccines
India’s race to vaccinate its population has slowed to a standstill as the world’s largest manufacturer of jabs is forced to ask overseas suppliers for doses. The number of people jabbed each day has decreased by almost two thirds while states have been told to arrange their own supplies by Delhi. Local officials says vaccines are running out and second doses of jabs cannot be arrange. Despite warnings that India needs to vaccinate 10 million people a day to tackle surging cases and deaths, the numbers inoculated have decreased from about three million a day a few weeks ago to a million on Monday. About 10 per cent of Indians have had a single jab.
25th May 2021 - The Times
Hong Kong could soon throw away millions of unused vaccine doses
Hong Kong may soon have to throw away millions of coronavirus vaccine doses because they are approaching their expiry date and not enough people have signed up for the jabs, an official has warned. Hong Kong is one of the few places in the world fortunate enough to have secured more than enough doses to inoculate its entire population of 7.5 million people. But swirling distrust of the government as it stamps out dissent – combined with online misinformation and a lack of urgency in the comparatively virus-free city – has led to entrenched vaccine hesitancy and a dismal inoculation drive.
25th May 2021 - AlJazeera
America’s largest school systems announce full-time return to in-person learning this fall
The two largest school systems in the United States will fully reopen for in-person learning this fall, officials announced Monday, a major step in the country’s pandemic recovery. The public school districts in New York City and Los Angeles — which together educate more than 1.6 million students — became the latest to announce their planned transitions away from virtual learning, which will also allow parents who have been supervising their children’s online classes to go back to work. New York City will eliminate its remote-learning option and all students and adults will have to wear masks, unless guidance from federal health officials changes. In Los Angeles, school district leaders said they expect most students, teachers and staff to be present every day, but an online option will be available.
25th May 2021 - The Washington Post
UAE opens regional COVID-19 vaccination site for Chinese nationals
The United Arab Emirates will offer China's Sinopharm (1099.HK) vaccine to Chinese nationals visiting the regional tourism and business hub, the first non-residents to be eligible for the country's vaccination campaign against COVID-19. Chinese nationals over the age of 16 holding a short-term visa can receive two doses of Sinopharm in Dubai, the state news agency WAM said earlier this week, under an agreement between the UAE and China to launch a regional vaccination site. The UAE led Phase III clinical trials of the vaccine produced by China's state-owned drugmaker Sinopharm and has started manufacturing it under a joint venture between Sinopharm and Abu Dhabi-based technology company Group 42.
25th May 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19 hospital admissions 'triple' in Indian variant hotspot
Covid-19 hospitalisations have reportedly tripled in an Indian variant hotspot within the last three weeks. Hospital admissions have TRIPLED in Bolton within 21 days. 43 Covid patients have been hospitalised and are in the town’s NHS trust. On May 10, that figure was 12. Yesterday, business owners in the town blamed families failing to self isolate on returning from India for the rise. Mohammed Khan, owner of a travel agency in the Greater Manchester town, told MailOnline : "It’s very selfish. "People just think about themselves and their own pleasure.
25th May 2021 - Birmingham Live
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View this newsletter in fullVaccine deliveries poised to slow this week with Canada expecting 600K Pfizer doses
Canada is set for a relatively quiet few days on the COVID-19 vaccine front with only about 600,000 Pfizer-BioNTech doses set to arrive this week. The two pharmaceutical firms were originally scheduled to deliver two million shots in the next seven days, but shipped 1.4 million of those doses last week instead in anticipation of the May long weekend. Pfizer and BioNTech have been consistently delivering doses even as other vaccine makers have struggled to keep their shipments flowing. They're set to increase their weekly deliveries to 2.4 million doses starting in June.
24th May 2021 - CTV News
Singapore airport tightens measures after COVID-19 outbreak
Singapore's airport said on Monday it was stepping up measures to keep out the coronavirus, including further segregating arrivals and about 14,000 workers into different risk zones, after it became the country's largest active COVID-19 cluster.
The Changi airport cluster, which involves over 100 cases, may have initially spread through a worker who helped an infected family arriving in the country, according to authorities. Some of the cases included the B.1.617 variant first detected in India.
24th May 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19: Boris Johnson's review of social distancing rules set to be delayed by Indian variant
The public will likely have to wait longer for details of the government's review of social distancing rules and its proposals for COVID certification due to the growth in cases of the Indian variant. Downing Street signalled Boris Johnson would wait longer to unveil the plans, despite the prime minister having previously promised to provide details by the end of this month. Mr Johnson's official spokesman on Monday said the review of social distancing rules would be published "as soon as possible based on the latest data, which will help inform us what measures we can take around certification".
24th May 2021 - Sky News
Covid-19: Scientists urge final push for NI reopening
One final push is required by the public to ensure Northern Ireland's reopening is a success, a group of scientists has said. The Independent Scientific Advocacy Group (ISAG) is a multidisciplinary group of scientists, academics and researchers based across the UK. It said people's actions could determine the future, especially for the hospitality sector which has "borne the brunt" of the economic damage. Dr Andrew Kunzmann, an epidemiologist at Queen's University Belfast, told BBC News NI that the simplest of steps could make a big difference in the recovery roadmap, including continuing to meet up outdoors to socialise when possible.
24th May 2021 - BBC News
Canada to deploy healthcare resources to help Manitoba combat COVID-19
The government of Canada said it was preparing to deploy a number of healthcare resources for the province of Manitoba that is reeling under a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This comes after Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister last week said he had asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to supply critical care nurses, respiratory therapists and contact tracers to battle the raging health crisis in the province.
24th May 2021 - Reuters
Moderna taps Samsung for fill-finish duties on 'hundreds of millions' of COVID-19 vaccine doses
As Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine rolls out across the globe, the mRNA specialist has continued to bolster its production network. With a deal unveiled over the weekend, it's now bringing a Korean manufacturing heavyweight into the fold. Moderna has tapped Samsung Biologics for large-scale, commercial fill-finish duties on its mRNA-based vaccine, the companies said Saturday. Once the deal closes, tech transfer will kick off "immediately" at Samsung's facilities in Incheon, South Korea, where the CDMO plans to leverage a finishing, labeling and packaging line to crank out "hundreds of millions" of vaccine doses for countries other than the United States.
24th May 2021 - Fierce Pharma
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View this newsletter in fullAustralia Can Get Enough Pfizer Doses by End-2021: Sun-Herald
Australia’s government is promising enough Pfizer Inc. vaccines to have all Australians vaccinated by the end of 2021, the Sun-Herald newspaper reported.
Two million Pfizer doses are expected to be available in Australia each week from the beginning of October, which would mean all who are keen can get their two shots by the end of the year, the paper said, citing the Australian Medical Association. Health Minister Greg Hunt told the paper that 4.5 million Pfizer doses will arrive by the end of June, and there will be 7 million doses expected in both the third and fourth quarters. He added that people should not delay getting their shots as there are AstraZeneca Plc vaccines available now for Australians above 50.
23rd May 2021 - Bloomberg
Moderna, Novavax to produce more COVID-19 vaccines in S.Korea
Moderna Inc and Novavax Inc entered into a deal with the South Korean government to manufacture their COVID-19 vaccines, as the country has been under pressure to secure more and faster deliveries of U.S.-made vaccines. Saturday's agreements with the U.S. drugmakers came a day after U.S. President Joe Biden said that he and South Korean President Moon Jae-in had agreed on a comprehensive partnership on COVID-19 vaccines and that the United States would provide vaccinations for 550,000 South Korean soldiers
23rd May 2021 - Reuters
Covid Vaccination Campaign Off To Strong Start Among Young Teens, With Almost 2 Million Getting Jab
Since federal regulators began allowing younger teenagers to receive Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine last week, about 1.87 million Americans ages 12 to 15 have already gotten at least their first shot, as U.S. vaccination efforts pivot from higher-risk groups to adolescents and hesitant adults.
22nd May 2021 - Forbes
Covid: Scotland and Wales send urgent supplies to India
Life-saving medical equipment has been flown to India from Scotland and Wales to help the country deal with its Covid-19 crisis. The Scottish government provided 100 oxygen concentrators and 40 Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) ventilators which arrived on Friday. The Welsh government sent 638 oxygen concentrators and 351 ventilators which arrived earlier this week. The operation is being funded by the Foreign Office. The devices can be used in hospitals, intensive care wards or other locations and are ideally suited to treat Covid-19 patients when there are constraints on the medical gas infrastructure supply.
21st May 2021 - BBC News
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View this newsletter in fullNorthern Ireland coronavirus vaccine programme further extended to under 30s
In Northern Ireland, Covid-19 vaccines are to be offered to those aged 25 to 29 from today. Stormont Health Minister Robin Swann said this will be “welcome news” for people in the age group and is a further testament to the success of the local vaccination programme. “Vaccination is vital in helping us move through this pandemic and there is no doubt that there are people in Northern Ireland alive today because they have been vaccinated,” he said. The announcement comes as the Executive meets today to rubber-stamp more softening of curbs— including around indoor hospitality and indoor visits.
20th May 2021 - Belfast Telegraph
Third coronavirus vaccine dose for thousands in autumn booster trial
A trial into the use of a third booster dose against the coronavirus is to begin, with thousands of volunteers receiving one of the seven different vaccines bought by the UK. Scientists said the data would help government advisers decide how to proceed with planned autumn vaccinations for the most vulnerable. The trial, involving 2,886 patients, will look at the effects of boosters in those who have received two doses of either the Oxford-AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech jabs. Until now, people have been given the same vaccine for both doses. The purpose of the trial — announced by Matt Hancock, the health secretary, at a Downing Street press conference — is to test the effects of a third dose and see whether mixing vaccines at this stage will work.
20th May 2021 - The Times
India battles rash of "black fungus" cases hitting COVID-19 patients
India has ordered tighter surveillance of a rare fungal disease hitting COVID-19 patients, officials said on Thursday, piling pressure on hospitals struggling with the world's highest number of daily infections of the novel coronavirus. Mucormycosis, or "black fungus" usually infects people whose immune system has been compromised, causing blackening or discolouration over the nose, blurred or double vision, chest pain, breathing difficulties and coughing blood.
20th May 2021 - Reuters India
Essex GPs deliver COVID-19 jabs from custom-built van to boost uptake
GPs in Essex are going the extra mile to boost COVID-19 vaccine uptake in their area by using a custom-built van to travel to vulnerable patients. Working closely with local community leaders, the ‘Essex vax van’ is being used to bring clinics to people who may also face barriers to accessing traditional health services, including black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities and the homeless. Equipped with its own temperature control fridge, as well as Wi-Fi capabilities, the van - accompanied by two supporting vehicles - allows for the safe transportation and administration of the COVID-19 vaccine.
20th May 2021 - GP online
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View this newsletter in fullRwanda halts coronavirus vaccination because of vaccine shortage
Rwanda halted coronavirus vaccination because of delays in deliveries that have created a vaccine shortage, an official said. Director-General of the Rwanda Biomedical Centre Sabin Nsanzimana said the number vaccinated in Rwanda is still low. Rwanda wants to vaccinate 30% of the population by the end of 2021 and 60% by the end of 2022. About 350,400 people have received jabs as of Tuesday, representing just 5% of the population. Nsanzimana said 500,000 doses of the vaccine Rwanda procured from India have yet to arrive, following a health crisis that affected vaccine supplies to developing countries.
19th May 2021 - Anadolu Agency
Scheme to give students coronavirus vaccine scrapped within hours
A scheme offering students in Bournemouth the chance to get a coronavirus vaccine has been withdrawn, just hours into the first day. Long queues formed outside the Bournemouth International Centre as university students lined up to receive their jab. It is after Bournemouth University was advised by health officials that there was surplus capacity to start offering the vaccine out to students. However Dorset HealthCare, which is running the vaccination sessions at the venue, says it had been overwhelmed with the response and had to withdraw the scheme 'until further notice'.
19th May 2021 - ITV News
Covid-19 vaccines: Why some African states can't use their vaccines
Despite many African countries struggling to obtain enough Covid-19 vaccines, some have thousands of expired doses which they have been unable to use. Some countries are now destroying these vaccines, in line with the latest World Health Organization (WHO) advice. Many countries failed to prepare adequately before receiving the vaccines, Phionah Atuhebwe, from the WHO in Africa, says. "That is one of the reasons we are seeing the slow pace of rollout," she says. And some countries also faced financial challenges. Africa Centres for Disease Control head John Nkengasong says countries need more support to increase the numbers of health workers and obtain supplies, such as personal protective equipment.
19th May 2021 - BBC News
Thailand starts COVID-19 vaccinations for monks at risk
Thailand began vaccinating Buddhist monks against the coronavirus this week, hoping to build up their protection to enable them to safely perform their spiritual duties. About 500 monks were inoculated in the capital, Bangkok, on Tuesday and Wednesday, to allow them to receive daily alms and do merit-making activities, as Thailand battles its third and most potent wave of infections. "These activities are putting them at risk where they can come into contact with an infected person," said Montchai Chumnumnavin of Bangkok's Priest Hospital, a medical facility exclusively for monks, where the vaccines were administered.
19th May 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19: Poor links between NHS and social care weakened England's response, says NAO
Pre-pandemic issues such as severe budget cuts to local government and poor integration between the NHS and social care weakened England’s ability to respond to covid-19, the public spending watchdog has said. The National Audit Office (NAO) assessed the government’s response to the pandemic and also found many issues with transparency around personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts, provision of PPE for the social care sector when compared with the health sector, and inconsistencies between what providers and frontline staff were reporting in terms of having protective equipment. Responding to the findings, the NHS Confederation’s chief executive, Danny Mortimer, said, “This report re-emphasises the long term issues that severely weakened the foundations of health and care, which meant the country was not better prepared to deal with the pandemic and its fallout . .
19th May 2021 - The BMJ
Pfizer to begin manufacturing Covid-19 vaccine components in Ireland by end of the year
Ireland will begin to produce key Covid-19 vaccine components later this year, with Pfizer announcing that they will be investing in their west Dublin plant. The pharmaceutical giant made the announcement today, saying that they would be investing $40 million in upgrading their Grange Castle plant. In a statement, Pfizer said that they have made several enhancements to the vaccine supply chain since they began rolling out their mRNA vaccine in late December. “As such, Pfizer is now bringing on additional European-based facility to be a part of the global Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine supply chain network and Grange Castle (Ireland) will contribute to the worldwide supply of the vaccine,” they said in a statement.
19th May 2021 - The journal.ie
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View this newsletter in fullAll people who refused coronavirus vaccine to be offered second chance
All people who fail to turn up for their first coronavirus vaccination appointment will receive a second invitation to be vaccinated at the end of the campaign in Belgium, the Vaccination Task Force announced on Tuesday. Both doubters and those who initially refused the vaccine will get a second chance, Gudrun Briat, spokesperson for the task force said during a press conference held by health institute Sciensano and the National Crisis Centre.
18th May 2021 - The Brussels Times
Clinic helps long-haul patients in London's "COVID triangle"
When the coronavirus tore through their London neighborhoods in early 2020, they all got sick. More than a year later, they are still struggling. “It’s like a rollercoaster,” said Miller, a previously fit, gym-loving 57-year-old who is coping with leg and joint pain, headaches and breathlessness. “There are times that I see light at the end of the tunnel. I feel like I’m taking one step forward, and then all of a sudden — bang — I’m ill again and I take two steps back.” Even as London looks to life after lockdown, thousands of people are still grappling with long-term physical and mental effects of the virus. Help is coming through “long COVID” clinics, where medics, patients — and Britain’s overstretched health system — are confronting the virus’s enduring effects.
18th May 2021 - The Associated Press
Brazil to receive ingredients from China for more COVID vaccines
Brazil has announced it will receive enough coronavirus vaccine ingredients from China to produce as many as 25 million doses of the AstraZeneca and Sinovac jabs, as the South American nation continues to struggle to vaccinate its population. Rodrigo Cruz, executive secretary of the Brazilian Health Ministry, said the Fiocruz medical research institute would receive two lots of AstraZeneca jab ingredients on Saturday.
17th May 2021 - AlJazeera
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View this newsletter in fullMore Victorians eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine from today
Victoria has begun accelerating its vaccine rollout, opening a new mass vaccination hub as more Victorians are eligible to receive the jab from today. About 400,000 Victorians under the age of 50, who fall into select priority groups, are now eligible to get the Pfizer jab. The priority groups include carers of people aged over 70 or who have specific medical conditions; disability workers and carers; adults with specific health or mental health conditions; and high-risk workers such as emergency/defence personnel and meat processing workers.
17th May 2021 - 9News
Ontario expands COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to everyone 18 and up, starting Tuesday
The Ontario government says it will expand COVID-19 vaccination eligibility to everyone 18 and older — almost a week ahead of schedule — starting Tuesday, May 18 at 8 a.m. The acceleration for age eligibility was due to a large supply of vaccines scheduled to arrive in Canada this week. “This high number of doses is due to an early delivery of the week of May 24 shipment, to accommodate the long weekend, and is an opportunity for the province to offer an appointment to receive the vaccine to more Ontarians ahead of schedule,” officials said in a press release
17th May 2021 - Global News
Indonesia is preparing for spike in COVID-19 cases after Idul Fitri: Health minister
The Indonesian government is preparing for a spike in COVID-19 cases after an annual exodus of thousands of people to their hometowns for Idul Fitri and tourists sites being packed with visitors over the past few days, said Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin on Monday (May 17). Speaking at a joint press conference with the coordinating minister for economic affairs and the head of the disaster agency, Mr Sadikin noted that there was an increase in COVID-19 cases after the previous holidays. The increase in cases following public holidays was between 30 per cent to 90 per cent. Thus, the government has prepared extra beds for COVID-19 patients this time, said the health minister.
17th May 2021 - CNA
Glasgow may be facing weeks more of tougher lockdown to stem Indian variant
Glasgow may be facing weeks more of tougher lockdown restrictions to tackle the spread of the Covid Indian variant, Scotland's national clinical director has warned ahead of lockdown being eased on Monday across most of the rest of the country. Jason Leitch said existing restrictions “may well” last longer than a week and the situation remained "fragile" as case rates continue to climb. He said Nicola Sturgeon's decision to keep Glasgow in Level 3 - only three days after stating it would go to Level 2 - was made due to past experience where delaying moves to halt the spread of Covid-19 “rarely works”. The latest weekly average Covid rate in the city is 94.5 cases per 100,000 people, nearly double the Level 2 benchmark of 50.
17th May 2021 - The Daily Telegraph on MSN.com
Under-40s could get AstraZeneca vaccine after all: Plan to offer alternative Covid jab could be reversed amid fears over Indian variant
The decision to offer under-40s an alternative jab to AstraZeneca could be reversed in light of the Indian variant, it emerged yesterday. Last month the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation decided those aged under 30 should get a different jab due to the slightly higher risk of a rare blood clot. This advice was later extended to those aged between 30 and 39 'if available and if it does not cause delays in having the vaccine'. But yesterday, for the first time, experts said this rule could be reversed to help speed up the rollout and protect more people against the Indian variant.
17th May 2021 - Daily Mail
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View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: Local lockdowns can't be ruled out to curb spread of Indian variant in places like Bolton and Blackburn
In England, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has not ruled out imposing local lockdown restrictions in places worst affected by the Indian variant of coronavirus. In Bolton, where a number of people have ended up in hospitals with the Indian variant, the "vast majority" of those patients had been eligible for a COVID jab but not yet had one, Mr Hancock said.
16th May 2021 - Sky News
Australia sticks by plan to re-open border in mid-2022
Australia is sticking to plans to start re-opening to the rest of the world only from the middle of next year, officials said on Sunday, resisting mounting pressure to end the closure of international borders. In March 2020, Australia closed its borders to non-nationals and non-residents and has since been allowing only limited international arrivals, mainly citizens returning from abroad. "All the way through we will be guided by the medical advice," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at a televised briefing. "We will be guided by the economic advice."
16th May 2021 - Reuters
All over-50s to get second dose of Covid-19 vaccine early in bid to prevent deadly wave due to Indian variant
In England, everyone over 50 or with a pre-existing health condition should now get a second dose of the coronavirus vaccine eight weeks after their first in order to boost their protection against Covid-19 in light of the growing Indian variant. The independent regulator has recommended the change in strategy in order to reduce the number of people who are vulnerable to serious illness if the spread of the new strain leads to a spike in infections. Ministers are confident the new approach can be delivered without slowing down the rollout of first doses to the under-40s, because most people waiting for a second dose have received Oxford/AstraZeneca whereas younger cohorts will be given Pfizer or Moderna instead.
15th May 2021 - iNews.co.uk
Japanese gov't to boost domestic coronavirus vaccine development as 'national strategy'
The Japanese government is quickly crafting a new strategy to boost development of domestic coronavirus vaccines, the Mainichi Shimbun learned on May 13. The government has created a framework for the new strategy to boost coronavirus vaccine development and a production system, based on lessons learned from delays in developing domestic vaccines. Setting the development of domestic vaccines as a "national strategy to tackle on a long-term and continuous basis," the government intends to incorporate items such as forming and funding a research and development hub to boost vaccine development with new technologies, arranging a clinical trial environment and revising the pharmaceutical approval system.
15th May 2021 - The Mainichi
'I'm finally here': Greece formally opens to tourists
Greece formally opened to visitors on Saturday, kicking off a summer season it hopes will resurrect its vital tourism industry battered by the coronavirus pandemic.
After months of lockdown restrictions, Greece also opened its museums this week, including the Acropolis museum, home to renowned sculptures from Greek antiquity. "I feel really alive and good because it has been such a hard and long year because of COVID," said Victoria Sanchez, a 22-year-old student on holiday from the Czech Republic.
15th May 2021 - Reuters
India's Cipla says supply of COVID-19 drug remdesivir catching up with demand
India's Cipla said on Saturday that its manufacturing of the COVID-19 remdesivir drug was beginning to catch up with demand after the company sought to boost production amid a massive second wave of coronavirus infections in the country.
Backorders and complaints over low supply started moderating in the second week of May, the drugmaker said, after it began ramping up production of the antiviral drug last month. Hospitals have faced shortages of the drug, which is being widely used and was sold in April for over 10 times its listed price in the black market.
15th May 2021 - Reuters
India's Dr. Reddy's to get 36 mln doses of Sputnik V vaccine in next few months
Indian drugmaker Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd said on Friday it expects to get 36 million doses of Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine in the next couple of months under its contract with Russia's sovereign wealth fund. India's catastrophic second wave of the pandemic has led to huge demand for vaccines, which in turn has left the country, the world's biggest vaccine producer, low on stocks
14th May 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullBrazil to pause production of AstraZeneca vaccine due to lack of ingredients
Brazil's Fiocruz biomedical institute said on Thursday it would interrupt production of the AstraZeneca AZN.L vaccine for certain days next week due to a lack of ingredients, until new supplies arrive on May 22. Fiocruz, a government-backed center in Rio de Janeiro, said on Twitter that production based on current supplies would allow it to continue delivering vaccines through the first week of June, with additional supplies to sustain production beyond that.
14th May 2021 - Nasdaq
Coronavirus: Over-50s and vulnerable in Indian variant hotspots will get second jabs rushed through
Older people living in areas of high infection to be offered second dose of the vaccine early to protect them. The JCVI also been asked to examine the case for 'targeted vaccinations' of all over-17s in the worst-hit areas. Surge testing for the new coronavirus variant will also be deployed in areas where it is now spreading rapidly. Boris Johnson said he was 'anxious' about variant and refused to rule out local lockdowns to try to contain it. Government sources played down the risk that outbreaks of the 'variant of concern' could derail June 21 plans
13th May 2021 - Daily Mail
LA Times owner offers $210million to create new Covid vaccines in South Africa
A US billionaire has announced he will offer 3bn South African rand (£152m) to South Africa, where he was born, to help create coronavirus vaccines. The New York Times reports that Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong, who owns The Los Angeles Times, said on Wednesday that his business and philanthropic foundation would donate the money. The money will be used to send the technology for producing vaccines and biological therapies to get ahead of the pandemic and make shots that will combat the new variants of the disease. “Our goal and our commitment is to come back to South Africa and transfer this kind of technology,” Dr Soon-Shiong reportedly said at an international meeting on the equitable distribution of coronavirus vaccines. Referring to South Africa, he said, “Not only do we have the science, we have the human capital and the capacity and the desire.”
13th May 2021 - The Independent
Biotech company pushing to begin Australian production of mRNA coronavirus vaccines
An international biotech company says it could manufacture mRNA COVID-19 vaccines — including Pfizer's — in Australia, but would need support and investment from the federal government. BioCina last year purchased Pfizer's former manufacturing plant at Thebarton in Adelaide's west and said it had the capability to develop key ingredients for coranavirus vaccines. "We already have a really good facility in Thebarton that is commercially approved to manufacture microbial products," BioCina's chief executive Ian Wisenberg told ABC Radio Adelaide.
13th May 2021 - ABC News
Indian states turn to anti-parasitic drug to fight COVID-19 against WHO advice
At least two Indian states have said they plan to dose their populations with the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin to protect against severe COVID-19 infections as their hospitals are overrun with patients in critical condition. The move by the coastal state of Goa and northern state of Uttarakhand, come despite the World Health Organization and others warning against such measures. "The current evidence on the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 patients is inconclusive," WHO said in a statement in late March. "Until more data is available, WHO recommends that the drug only be used within clinical trials."
13th May 2021 - Reuters India
Kids 12 and up are eligible for COVID vaccine in Virginia
Children ages 12 to 15 were expected to start getting the coronavirus vaccine in Virginia on Thursday, with state health officials stressing that inoculating that age group will help prevent the overall spread of the disease in the state. Many adolescents who contract the disease are far less likely to get severely ill. But they can still pass on the virus, particularly if they’re not showing symptoms, Virginia State Vaccination Coordinator Dr. Danny Avula said during a news conference.
13th May 2021 - Associated Press
Indian variant hotspots will RUSH through second doses for over-50s and vulnerable people as Boris admits he's 'anxious' over 100% increase in some areas and national infection rate creeps up
Older people living in areas of high infection to be offered second dose of the vaccine early to protect them. The JCVI also been asked to examine the case for 'targeted vaccinations' of all over-17s in the worst-hit areas. Surge testing for the new coronavirus variant will also be deployed in areas where it is now spreading rapidly. Boris Johnson said he was 'anxious' about variant and refused to rule out local lockdowns to try to contain it. Government sources played down the risk that outbreaks of the 'variant of concern' could derail June 21 plans
13th May 2021 - Daily Mail
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View this newsletter in fullModerna says it has signed deal with Australia to supply 25m doses of Covid vaccine
Australians will have another vaccine option after the pharmaceutical company Moderna announced it has signed a deal with the federal government to provide 25m doses of its mRNA-based vaccine to the nation. The announcement was made overnight in a press release and has not yet been formally endorsed by the federal government. It is also subject to regulatory approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, but Moderna says it will lodge a submission shortly. The company says 10m doses could arrive in Australia by the end of the year and a further 15m would arrive in 2022.
12th May 2021 - The Guardian
EU plays catch-up on vaccines and hails its export programme
My Covid-19 vaccine moment came suddenly — and sooner than I had expected.
On Friday April 30, Brussels authorities opened online bookings to my age group. The following Tuesday I went for my first shot at a military hospital on the Belgian capital’s outskirts. After months of reporting on the EU immunisation drive, it felt odd finally to be living it. My visit highlights how the 27-member bloc’s inoculation campaign has stepped up a gear after initially falling well behind the UK and US. “It was all very theoretical for such a long period of time,” says Alastair Rabagliati, another just-jabbed British resident of Brussels who, like me, was born in 1974. “I was expecting to be on the waiting list for a while — yet suddenly I was making an appointment for a slot three days later.”
12th May 2021 - Financial Times
Hospitals in tourist-haven Costa Rica in 'serious' phase as Covid-19 cases surge
Hospitals in the Central American nation of Costa Rica are running out of space for COVID-19 patients amid a new wave of infections, the president of the national doctors' union said on Tuesday. The sharp rise in coronavirus infections has led to calls for a fresh lockdown by doctors, potentially dealing another blow to businesses, especially in the tourism sector, which were hoping for an influx of American and European tourists.
12th May 2021 - Reuters
Emotional 'First Aid Kit' Gives Tips for Doctors on COVID Front Line
Retired GP Dr Lesley Morrison is offering emotional coping tips to help clinicians on the COVID-19 front line in her new book The Wellbeing Toolkit for Doctors that's being published next month. Dr Morrison says she's been thinking of writing it for years, based on her experiences as a GP in Hackney, London, the Scottish Borders, and as a tutor at Edinburgh University. The project was accelerated by her knowledge of the struggles doctors were facing on the COVID front line. "There are times when you may feel overwhelmed, when it seems that you're unable to do anything useful to help the person sitting in front of you," Dr Morrison acknowledges. "But there are nearly always ways in which you can reclaim some control."
11th May 2021 - Medscape
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View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus vaccine: Government-recommended 6 steps to monitor and report the vaccine side effects
While the second wave of coronavirus has hit the country badly, India is currently in the third phase of the vaccination. The government has recently permitted people above the age of 18 to get vaccinated as well. While the vaccination drive is going on in full swing, people are still hesitant to get vaccinated as several people are experiencing side effects like fever, headaches after getting vaccinated. To clarify more on the side effects of the vaccine and how there is nothing to be afraid of, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has listed six steps that can be used to monitor and report the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine. As per the guidelines, the step 1 to step 3 is to be followed before the vaccination while step 5 to step 6 should be taken care of after getting the vaccination dose.
11th May 2021 - Times of India
Edinburgh patients waiting 14 weeks for coronavirus vaccine amid warning over stocks
Some patients in Edinburgh are waiting up to 14 weeks to receive the second dose of their coronavirus vaccine, despite official Scottish Government guidance. Almost three million Scots have had their first jab of either the Pfizer, Moderna or Oxford/AstraZeneca inoculations against COVID-19. However, those waiting on the final jab have been subjected to delays due to clinics either being full or access to certain vaccine stock being unavailable. The Scottish Government’s vaccine deployment plan, published in January, stated the rollout was “predicated on ensuring everyone that receives the first dose will be able to receive their second dose in 12 weeks from the first dose.”
11th May 2021 - Edinburgh Live
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View this newsletter in fullIn about a dozen countries, not even health care workers can get COVID-19 vaccines
There are nearly a dozen countries that have yet to receive a single COVID-19 vaccine dose, including Chad, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Eritrea, and Tanzania. "Delays and shortages of vaccine supplies are driving African countries to slip further behind the rest of the world in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, and the continent now accounts for only 1 percent of the vaccines administered worldwide," the World Health Organization said last week.
10th May 2021 - Yahoo News UK
Health board offers last minute coronavirus vaccine appointments for people as young as 18
A Welsh health board is offering last minute appointments for the coronavirus vaccine to people as young as 18. Cardiff and Vale University Health Board shared an update at 5.30pm on Sunday offering first dose appointments for adults of all ages on Sunday and Monday. It wrote on Twitter: "We still have available slots for adults aged 18+ to receive their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccination today (Sunday) and tomorrow (Monday). " The update was the second time in the day that the health board offered a last minute appointments for the coronavirus vaccine after sharing a similar appeal earlier in the afternoon.
10th May 2021 - Wales Online
Egypt's Eva Pharma to export COVID-19 drug remdesivir to India
Egypt's Eva Pharma on Monday signed an agreement to provide India with 300,000 doses of remdesivir, used in the treatment of COVID-19, the company said in a statement. The agreement, which was signed at the Indian embassy in Cairo, is aimed at helping India combat a surge in infections which has overwhelmed the health system and held close to record daily highs on Monday. Eva Pharma, a generic drugmaker established in 1997, said in June 2020 it had received a licence from Gilead Sciences Inc to make remdesivir in Egypt and distribute it in 127 countries. The drug targets moderate to severe cases of COVID-19 in intensive care who require oxygen.
10th May 2021 - YAHOO!News
BioNTech committed to deliver 1.8 bln doses of COVID-19 vaccine this year
BioNTech SE said on Monday that its order backlog for delivery of COVID-19 vaccines this year together with partner Pfizer Inc had grown to 1.8 billion doses, underscoring its role as a major global supplier of immunization shots. That was up from 1.4 billion doses announced in March. Based on these delivery contracts, the company said it expects about 12.4 billion euros ($15.1 billion) in revenue from the vaccine this year, including sales, milestone payments from partners and a share of gross profit in the partners’ territories, up from a previous forecast of 9.8 billion euros.
10th May 2021 - Reuters
Australia's New South Wales reports zero COVID-19 cases, fears remain over missing link
Australia's New South Wales (NSW) state reported zero COVID-19 cases for a fourth straight day on Monday, but concerns about new infections remained as the missing link in a case that has reinstated restrictions continued to elude officials. Australia's most populous state on Sunday extended social distancing curbs in Sydney by a week after authorities could not find a transmission path between an infected overseas traveller and a resident in his 50s who tested positive last week
10th May 2021 - Reuters
Eli Lilly signs deals to boost supply of COVID-19 treatment in India
Eli Lilly and Co said on Monday it had signed licensing agreements with three Indian generic drugmakers to expand the availability of its arthritis drug baricitinib in the country for treating COVID-19 patients. The agreements will bolster India's arsenal of drugs to battle its catastrophic second wave of the pandemic, which has led to an acute shortage of coronavirus medicines including remdesivir and tocilizumab.
10th May 2021 - Reuters
India turns to ex-army medics as COVID surge sparks calls for lockdown
India will recruit hundreds of former army medics to support its overwhelmed healthcare system, the defence ministry said on Sunday, as the country grapples with record COVID-19 infections and deaths amid calls for a complete nationwide lockdown. Some 400 medical officers are expected to serve on contract for a maximum of 11 months, the ministry said in a press release, adding that other defence doctors had also been contacted for online consultations.
10th May 2021 - Reuters India
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View this newsletter in fullHoping to lure back tourists, Greece reopens beaches after lockdown
With widely spaced sun loungers and regular disinfections, Greece reopened its organised beaches on Saturday as the popular Mediterranean holiday destination eases COVID-19 curbs in preparation for the return of foreign visitors next week. Tourism accounts for about a fifth of Greece's economy and jobs, and - after the worst year on record for the industry last year - the country can ill afford another lost summer.
8th May 2021 - Reuters
4th wave of COVID-19 likely if Canada reopens too fast — and seasonal return may be inevitable
As Canada beats back its third coronavirus wave, experts warn a fourth one could strike at any time if restrictions are lifted too quickly — but there's hope that could be prevented with more vaccinations and careful reopening. The potential for a fourth surge of cases comes as multiple provinces struggle to get case counts back down after the gruelling third wave started in March. In recent weeks, B.C. hit record-high intensive care admissions, Alberta reported the highest case rate in Canada, and Ontario has been struggling to boost hospital capacity amid an overwhelming level of COVID-19 admissions by transferring patients across the province, halting non-emergency procedures, and bringing in medical teams from the Canadian Armed Forces. But that is starting to turn.
9th May 2021 - CBC.ca
Covid-19 vaccines: Why some African states have leftover doses
Malawi has been left with 16,400 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, while South Sudan has 59,000 - all now past their expiry date, 13 April. Both countries say they have decided to destroy these consignments, donated via the African Union, despite the World Health Organization (WHO) asking for them to be kept while it investigates whether the expiry date can be safely extended.
8th May 2021 - BBC News
Covid-19: Cargo plane leaves NI with medical aid for India
Britain will allow international travel to resume from May 17 but is limiting the number of destinations open for quarantine-free holidays to just 12 countries as it cautiously emerges from lockdown restrictions. Countries including Portugal and Israel made a green list of countries for low risk travel for people from England, transport minister Grant Shapps said on Friday. The most popular destinations such as France, Spain and Greece did not make the list.
8th May 2021 - BBC News
States plan to lift remaining COVID-19 restrictions
Across the US this week, governors are announcing plans to lift remaining COVID-19 restrictions and have made promises of a normal summer. Relying on metrics that predict high vaccine uptake, Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota, said his state would end existing mask mandates by Jul 1 or earlier if 70% of Minnesotans ages 16 and older had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. On May 28, Walz said all remaining restrictions on businesses and social gatherings will end. "Let's just go get it done and end this thing," said Walz at a press conference yesterday, referring to his challenge to vaccinate 70% of the state's population.
7th May 2021 - CIDRAP
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 7th May 2021
View this newsletter in fullNurses report 'not feeling safe to share concerns or needs' during Covid-19
Almost a third of female nurses have not felt safe sharing their personal concerns or needs around the impact of Covid-19 with their manager since the crisis began, a new survey has shown. In addition, the majority of female nurses feel working during the pandemic has had a negative impact on both their mental and physical wellbeing. The results come as part of a report published by the NHS Confederation’s Health and Care Women Leaders Network earlier this week, which explored the impact of the pandemic on female health and care workers.
6th May 2021 - Nursing Times
Thailand says foreigners to get COVID-19 vaccines amid access concern
Thailand confirmed that it plans to include 3 million foreigners living in the country in its mass vaccination programme to protect the entire population, amid concerns over the scope of vaccine access. "Anybody living in Thailand, whether they be Thai or foreign, if they want they vaccine, they can get it," head of the disease control department, Opas Kankawinpong told a briefing. The government has repeatedly said foreigners would be offered vaccines. But concerns among expatriates have been raised in recent weeks, with some venting frustrations on social media about a lack of public information, problems registering or confusion over private vaccine availability.
6th May 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19 booster could be given with flu jab in Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, public health officials are hopeful a campaign for Covid-19 booster vaccines will be combined with the regular winter flu jab programme. A Stormont committee was told combining the two campaigns would be more effective.
The head of NI's vaccination campaign, Patricia Donnelly, said guidance would come from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
6th May 2021 - BBC News
TUI lures UK holidaymakers with cheap COVID-19 tests ahead of travel restart
Holiday company TUI launched a 20 pound ($28) testing package for its UK customers on Thursday, as Britain prepares to allow travel again from May 17 but with strict testing requirements. Airlines and travel companies have complained that Britain's requirement for arrivals from low-risk countries to have two COVID-19 tests, one before arriving in the UK and one after arriving, will make holidays too expensive for many people. TUI hopes to attract bookings from customers wary about testing costs by offering testing packages starting at 20 pounds, much cheaper than the current cost for a single test which can be up to 100 pounds.
6th May 2021 - Reuters UK
UK diners return as more restaurants reopen
British restaurants saw more diners on May 1 than the week before as hospitality businesses in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland partly reopened after months of coronavirus lockdown restrictions. Britain's Office for National Statistics said seated diner reservations on May 1 were 71% of their level on the equivalent Saturday two years ago, up from 62% a week ago when restaurants in England were open. Spending on credit and debit cards in the week to April 29 was 99% of its level in February 2020, little changed from the week before, according to CHAPS payment data provided by the Bank of England.
6th May 2021 - Reuters
Serbians queue to get COVID-19 vaccine and with it a shopping voucher
Dozens of people gathered at a major mall in Belgrade on Thursday hoping to be among the first to get a COVID-19 vaccine and with it a shopping voucher, in the latest initiative by authorities to encourage more Serbians to get inoculated. Since last December, Serbia has vaccinated 29.81% of its population of around 7 million with at least one dose. The government now wants to accelerate the programme, including drop-in vaccination centres and facilities in shopping malls. "People should be responsible ... and seize the opportunity (to have a vaccine) ... as we reach out to them," said doctor Zoran Vekic, who coordinated Thursday's event.
6th May 2021 - Reuters
India’s gov’t eases hospital oxygen shortage as demand jumps
Under order by the Supreme Court, India’s government on Thursday agreed to provide more medical oxygen to hospitals in the capital city of New Delhi, potentially easing a 2-week-old shortage that worsened the country’s exploding coronavirus crisis. Government officials also denied reports that they have been slow in distributing life-saving medical supplies donated from abroad. The government raised the oxygen supply to 730 tons from 490 tons per day in New Delhi as ordered by the Supreme Court. The court intervened after 12 COVID-19 patients, including a doctor, died last week at New Delhi’s Batra Hospital when it ran out of medical oxygen for 80 minutes. On Wednesday night, 11 other COVID-19 patients died when pressure in an oxygen supply line stopped working at a government medical college hospital in Chengalpet in southern India, possibly because of a faulty valve, The Times of India newspaper reported.
6th May 2021 - The Associated Press
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 6th May 2021
View this newsletter in fullHSE staff who refuse Covid-19 vaccines may be redeployed under new proposals
Healthcare staff who refuse to be vaccinated face redeployment under proposals being examined by the Health Service Executive. Staff who fail to confirm they are vaccinated could be moved out of patient contact depending on the outcome of a risk assessment, under proposals being finalised. Healthcare workers who are not vaccinated could escape being redeployed if they cannot be replaced due to staff shortages or specialised qualifications, but there are no plans to make Covid-19 vaccines mandatory for healthcare staff. Last month, the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) proposed a phased approach to healthcare workers who opt not to take the Covid-19 vaccine, starting with the provision of information, one-to-one conversations, testing and additional PPE.
5th May 2021 - The Irish Times
Egypt to close stores, restaurants early for 2 weeks to curb COVID-19
The closing hours of Egyptian stores, malls and restaurants will be brought forward to 9pm (1900 GMT) to help contain the coronavirus for two weeks from Thursday, straddling the last days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and Eid celebrations, the prime minister said on Wednesday. Large gatherings and concerts will be banned over the same period and beaches and parks will be shut between May 12-16, Mostafa Madbouly said.
5th May 2021 - National Post
Australia's most populous state reports first COVID-19 case in more than a month
Australia's most populous state reported its first locally acquired coronavirus infection in more than a month on Wednesday, with health authorities working to track down the source and the variant involved. The first local infection in southeastern New South Wales since March 31 strengthens prospects for a resumption of social distancing curbs, many of which had been eased as cases dwindled. Although Australia has largely eradicated COVID-19, a man in his 50s with no known links to hotels used to quarantine people who have arrived from overseas tested positive on Tuesday, the state's health ministry said in a statement.
5th May 2021 - Reuters
COVID’s US toll projected to drop sharply by the end of July
Teams of experts are projecting COVID-19′s toll on the U.S. will fall sharply by the end of July, according to research released by the government Wednesday. But they also warn that a “substantial increase” in hospitalizations and deaths is possible if unvaccinated people do not follow basic precautions such as wearing a mask and keeping their distance from others. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention paper included projections from six research groups. Their assignment was to predict the course of the U.S. epidemic between now and September under different scenarios, depending on how the vaccination drive proceeds and how people behave.
Mainly, it’s good news. Even under scenarios involving disappointing vaccination rates, COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are expected to drop dramatically by the end of July and continue to fall afterward.
5th May 2021 - The Associated Press
Eli Lilly faces employee complaints, FDA troubles at factory making COVID-19 drug: report
Quality control problems have already plagued one COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer in Baltimore, Maryland. Now, it appears they’re threatening to trip up a major pandemic therapeutic supplier as well. Eli Lilly employees have accused an executive at the drugmaker’s Branchburg, New Jersey, manufacturing site of altering FDA-required documents in an effort to downplay serious quality control problems, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing internal complaint documents and a source familiar with the matter. The complaint, dated April 8, said the executive tasked with quality controls rewrote findings from Lilly’s technical experts at the facility, which produces doses of the company’s COVID-19 antibody treatment bamlanivimab, in order to make them look more favorable, according to the report.
5th May 2021 - Fierce Pharma
Red Cross sounds alarm over Nepal's COVID-19 crisis
As neighboring India's massive surge continues, health groups warn of a similar situation evolving in Nepal, where the military is adding hospital beds and COVID-19 outbreaks have reached some Mount Everest base camps. The World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in its weekly snapshot of the pandemic that Nepal's cases last week rose by a staggering 137%. Meanwhile, officials warned that parts of the Americas are still in the thick of the pandemic, with severe cases trending younger.
5th May 2021 - CIDRAP
Iraq pushes vaccine rollout amid widespread apathy, distrust
Iraq’s vaccine roll-out had been faltering for weeks. Apathy, fear and rumors kept many from getting vaccinated despite a serious surge in coronavirus infections and calls by the government for people to register for shots. It took a populist Shiite cleric’s public endorsement of vaccinations — and images of him getting the shot last week — to turn things around. Hundreds of followers of Muqtada al-Sadr are now heading to clinics to follow his example, underscoring the power of sectarian loyalties in Iraq and deep mistrust of the state. “I was against the idea of being vaccinated. I was afraid, I didn’t believe in it,” said Manhil Alshabli, a 30-year-old Iraqi from the holy city of Najaf. “But all this has changed now.” “Seeing him getting the vaccine has motivated me,” said Alshabli, speaking by phone from Najaf where he and many other al-Sadr loyalists got their shots, Alshabli compared it to soldiers being energized when they see their leader on the front line.
5th May 2021 - AlJazeera
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View this newsletter in fullTurkey still sees 30 mln tourists in 2021 if lockdown succeeds
Turkey will still expect to welcome 30 million arrivals this year, twice the number last year, if daily coronavirus cases fall below 5,000 after a lockdown ends on May 17, Tourism and Culture Minister Mehmet Ersoy said on Monday. "Turkey took much more drastic measures. We are already seeing that the number of cases is going down much faster in the last week. If our guess proves to be correct, the number of cases will go below 5000 by May 17," he said in a statement to Reuters. "As of June 1, we will open the tourist season and if we can reduce the number of daily cases below 5,000, we maintain our target of 30 million tourists this year," Ersoy added.
4th May 2021 - Reuters
Moderna plans major expansion at Massachusetts manufacturing site to help boost COVID-19 vaccine supply
With plans to boost COVID-19 vaccine production into the billions of doses next year, Moderna is making major renovations at its Massachusetts manufacturing site that will more than double its size. The mRNA developer on Tuesday said it plans to renovate its manufacturing site in Norwood, Massachusetts, from “a production and lab space to an industrial technology center.” That means expanding the facility, from 300,000 square feet to roughly 650,000 square feet through the acquisition of another building located on the same campus. The expansion will boost Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine production capacity at the facility by 50%. That increased output is expected to come into play in late 2021 and early 2022, Moderna said. The latest renovations are part of the reasoning why Moderna recently accelerated its vaccine supply forecasts. The biotech announced late last week that it now expects to produce 800 million to 1 billion doses of its mRNA vaccine this year, with plans to grow production to 3 billion doses by 2022.
4th May 2021 - FiercePharma
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View this newsletter in fullThousands of doctors planning to leave the NHS citing pandemic stress and burnout
Thousands of doctors are planning to leave the NHS in the coming year, exhausted by the coronavirus pandemic. A survey by the British Medical Association found that half of doctors plan to work fewer hours, one in four were more likely to take a career break and 21% were considering leaving the NHS for a different career.
The tracker survey was responded to by 2,099 people. Many blamed their workload, including an inability to take breaks, and almost 40% said they did not have anywhere at work where they could relax safely with colleagues. An acute speciality doctor who outlined their workload told the BMA: "My own mental and physical health will have to become a priority at some point."
3rd May 2021 - Sky News
Taiwan's first batch of COVID-19 aid leaves for India
Taiwan's first batch of aid to India to help it fight a surging increase in COVID-19 infections left for New Delhi on Sunday, consisting of 150 oxygen concentrators and 500 oxygen cylinders, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said. Countries around the world have been rushing to help India alleviate the crisis. India recorded more than 400,000 new COVID-19 cases for the first time on Saturday as it battles a devastating second wave
2nd May 2021 - Reuters India
Nepal Runs Out of Hospital Beds as India's Outbreak Spills Over
The coronavirus outbreak in India has spilled across the border into Nepal, where health officials have warned that hospital beds are unavailable, vaccines are running short and the number of new infections is rising faster than overwhelmed clinics can record them. The situation is so dire in Nepal that the Health Ministry in the Himalayan nation issued a statement on Friday in which, in effect, it threw up its hands. “Since coronavirus cases have spiked beyond the capacity of the health system and hospitals have run out of beds, the situation is unmanageable,” the ministry said after the government recorded 5,657 new infections on Friday, the highest daily total since October.
2nd May 2021 - The New York Times
Australia in talks with French biotech firm over potential new COVID-19 vaccine
The Australian Government is in talks with a French biotech firm over the potential to import another COVID-19 vaccine to our shores. The shot, manufactured by 'specialty vaccine company' Valneva – based in Saint- Herblain, western France – uses similar techniques to those involved in the flu and Polio vaccines and is currently in its advanced stages of development. The product uses technology involving an inactivated version of the virus that has been killed to stimulate an immune response without creating infection.
1st May 2021 - 9News
India's Serum Institute plans to start vaccine production outside India
The Serum Institute of India, which manufactures the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, is planning to start vaccine production in other countries as it struggles to meet supply commitments, its chief executive officer told The Times.
"There's going to be an announcement in the next few days," Adar Poonawalla was quoted as saying by the newspaper in an interview published on Friday. Poonawalla said last week that the Serum Institute would be able to raise its monthly output to 100 million doses by July, later than a previous timeline of end-May. Several states in India have run out of vaccines against COVID-19
1st May 2021 - Reuters
Canada receives J&J's COVID-19 vaccine from plant where FDA halted production
Canada's drug regulator said on Friday that doses of Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ.N) COVID-19 vaccine recently delivered to the country were produced at a Baltimore plant where the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) halted production. Health Canada said in a statement that it will hold the vaccine doses until it is satisfied they meet its standards, and is consulting with J&J and the FDA. The first shipment of 300,000 J&J vaccine doses arrived in Canada earlier this week. The FDA halted production of the vaccines at a U.S. manufacturing plant owned by Emergent BioSolutions (EBS.N) earlier this month as it investigates an error that led to millions of doses being ruined in March
1st May 2021 - Reuters
US faces COVID-19 vaccine surplus as demand slows
Philadelphia is experiencing a surplus scare. With thousands of coronavirus vaccine doses expiring on Thursday, the city is scrambling to ship them to other distribution sites so it won't be forced to discard them. "The city has a lot of vaccines in cold storage that do have to get used in a very short timeline," said Charlie Elison, a FEMA spokesperson. Philadelphia officials are hoping to vaccinate more people by keeping sites open later to attract walk-ups for those who don't have an appointment. Meanwhile, more shots are sitting unused across the country. For the first time since March 22, the U.S. is averaging less than 2.5 million vaccinations a day. Vaccinations are down nearly 25% after peaking on April 11.
30th Apr 2021 - MSN NOW
COVID-19: Which coronavirus variants have been recorded in the UK?
Two new coronavirus variants have been identified in the UK - both were first reported in India. The two new variants are under investigation and not classed as "of concern". They share the same lineage - a fingerprint of genetic mutations - as the existing Indian variant known as B.1.617. Public Health England said it has found 202 cases of one of the variants and five cases of the other and they are "geographically dispersed in England". In all, there are four variants of concern known to be in the UK, including those first identified in Kent, Manaus (Brazil) and South Africa. And there are nine other variants under investigation.
30th Apr 2021 - Sky News
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View this newsletter in fullModerna plans to produce up to 3bn COVID-19 vaccine doses in 2022
Moderna said it would produce as many as 3 billion doses of its Covid-19 vaccine next year as it makes new investments to bolster output at several factories in the US and Europe. The biotech company said it would increase supply by 50 per cent at its Norwood, Massachusetts, plant, which makes much of the vaccine substance used in shots for the US market. The investments would also enable partner Lonza Group, which is making supply for foreign markets, to double its output at a factory in Switzerland that makes vaccine substance. Vaccine output at third factory in Spain operated by another partner, Laboratorios Farmaceuticos Rovi, would also more than double under the plan. The increased production from the company-owned and partner factories is expected to ramp up in late 2021 and early 2022, Moderna said.
29th Apr 2021 - The Irish Times
Egypt en route to coronavirus vaccine production
Officially, Egypt will locally produce China’s Sinovac and Russian Sputnik V vaccines and is planning to secure millions of doses annually as part of the state’s industry localization plan. Egypt already got over 1.5 million coronavirus vaccine doses and has contracted to get millions others from China and through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX). However, the preventive health officials in the country know that these vaccines, especially the Chinese, is likely a short-term vaccine, and therefore citizens may have to take the vaccine several times over the life course.
29th Apr 2021 - Egypt Today
Covid-19: US will send 60 million AstraZeneca doses abroad as domestic demand falls
The Biden administration has announced that the US will send as many as 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to countries in need—effectively conceding that the vaccine, developed at Oxford University, UK, will never be offered to the US public. “We do not need to use AstraZeneca in our fight against covid,” the White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, told reporters. The administration has been under international pressure to do more for poor countries, but it is bound by an election promise to not make any US vaccination wait because of aid given abroad. The AstraZeneca vaccine became an obvious candidate for foreign donations as it became clear that offering it to the US population would lead to higher rates of vaccine refusal.
29th Apr 2021 - The BMJ
British workers move off furlough as economy reopens
British employees returned to work and shoppers stepped up spending on clothes and furniture after lockdown restrictions eased across most of the country earlier this month, official figures showed on Thursday. The proportion of employees on furlough between April 5 and April 18 dropped to 13%, down from 17% in the previous two-week period, according to a survey of businesses conducted by the Office for National Statistics. Shops selling 'non-essential' goods reopened in England and Wales on April 12, and English pubs and restaurants were able to serve customers outdoors. COVID restrictions are also easing this month in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
29th Apr 2021 - Reuters UK
Why is India facing a deadly crunch of oxygen amid COVID surge?
A devastating surge in coronavirus infections has exposed India’s dilapidated health infrastructure and a chronic shortage of oxygen – a key treatment for seriously ill COVID-19 patients. Dire oxygen shortages as India battles a ferocious new wave means boom times for profit gougers, although some young volunteers are doing their best to help people on social media. Oxygen therapy is crucial for severe COVID-19 patients with hypoxaemia – when oxygen levels in the blood are too low. “Some clinical studies show that up to a quarter of hospitalised (COVID-19) patients require oxygen therapy and upwards to two-thirds of those in intensive care units,” community health specialist Rajib Dasgupta told the AFP news agency. “This is why it is imperative to fix oxygen-supply systems in hospital settings as this is a disease that affects lungs primarily.”
29th Apr 2021 - AlJazeera
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 29th Apr 2021
View this newsletter in fullU.S. to send more than $100 mln in COVID supplies to India
The United States is sending supplies worth more than $100 million to India to help it fight a surge of COVID-19 cases, the White House said in a statement on Wednesday. The supplies, which will begin arriving on Thursday and continue into next week, include 1,000 oxygen cylinders, 15 million N95 masks and 1 million rapid diagnostic tests, the statement said. The United States also has redirected its own order of AstraZeneca (AZN.L) manufacturing supplies to India, which will allow it to make over 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, according to the White House.
29th Apr 2021 - Reuters
Wales on track to vaccinate all eligible adults by end of July with boosters planned in the autumn
The doctor in charge of the vaccine programme in Wales is confident that the target of having all eligible adults vaccinated by the end of July is on track. Dr Gill Richardson has revealed that 90% of people over the age of 60 in Wales have been vaccinated, 95% of over 80s and 70% of people aged between 40 to 49 have been vaccinated - some of the best rates in the UK. "A lot of people are just relieved to be having their vaccine, and are just really looking forward to the younger people getting theirs," she told BBC Radio Wales. "We do know that there will be that little bit of extra effort to catch everybody, but the fact that we have already had 70% of 40 to 49 age group having their first vaccine is a great commendation for Wales. "We are well on track to meet the target of getting the whole of the adult population by the end of July."
28th Apr 2021 - Wales Online
Universities order students to get coronavirus vaccine to return to classes in the fall
In the US, a growing number of state universities are following their private counterparts in requiring all students returning to classes and campuses this fall to be vaccinated against coronavirus. In a bid to return to normality after months of online learning, at least 80 universities have said that all students must get a jab before they return to class. Among those making the requirements are Ivy League schools Brown, Cornell and Stanford, California's two state university systems, as well as several universities in New York, Massachusetts, Maryland and New Jersey.
28th Apr 2021 - Daily Mail
Britain to send three container-sized oxygen factories to India
Britain will send three container-sized oxygen factories to India to help hospitals cope with soaring cases of COVID-19, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Wednesday.
28th Apr 2021 - Reuters India
Lonza taps temporary workers from Nestlé in COVID shot production push: report
The Herculean push to produce enough COVID-19 vaccines for the world's population has led to some unexpected partnerships. Now, one contract manufacturer is tapping a local food giant for help. Lonza is recruiting temporary workers from Nestlé to help fill vacancies at its Swiss vaccine plant, where the CDMO is cranking out ingredients for Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, Reuters reports, citing Swiss broadcaster RTS. Lonza, for its part, isn't commenting on the matter, a spokeswoman told Fierce Pharma via email. The move, reportedly facilitated by the Swiss government, comes shortly after Moderna blamed projected delivery cutbacks in "a number of countries" on deficits of “human and material resources” in its European supply chain. Lonza itself has struggled to recruit enough specialized personnel for its vaccine production push, Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said last week at a summit on pandemic vaccine scale-up.
28th Apr 2021 - FiercePharma
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 28th Apr 2021
View this newsletter in fullDenmark to produce COVID-19 vaccines in 2022, PM says
Denmark aims to start producing coronavirus vaccines in 2022, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said, adding that a tender would be made public in a few weeks.
"As everyone can see, read, feel and hear, we need more vaccines," Frederiksen told the business daily Borsen late on Monday. "That is why we need to set up production." The vaccines will be produced by private companies, she said.
27th Apr 2021 - Reuters
Amid green shoots, Chile keeps borders closed but eases capital's lockdowns
Chilean authorities announced that they would extend the closure of the country’s borders for another 30 days as hospitals remain near-full and COVID-19 cases high despite a gradual improvement in recent weeks. Health Minister Enrique Paris said seven and 14-day averages each showed a 7% decrease in confirmed cases and COVID-19 positivity test rates were down. On Monday, 6,078 new infections were identified, compared to a record high of 9,171 cases on April 9. “The health situation is showing some signs of improvement. We are seeing changes but that doesn’t mean we can stop fighting,” Paris said. Chile is running one of the world’s fastest vaccination campaigns, with half of its target population already inoculated with one shot and 38.8% with two
27th Apr 2021 - Reuters
Nestle staff sought to help Lonza production for Moderna vaccine -Swiss TV
Drugmaker Lonza Group under pressure to find workers to help speed production of Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine, is recruiting temporary employees from food giant Nestle to staff Swiss plants making ingredients for the shot, state broadcaster RTS said on Tuesday, citing sources. Moderna last week blamed projected second-quarter delays in shipments of its vaccine to countries including Britain and Canada on production bottlenecks. read more Switzerland's Lonza is the key supplier of ingredients needed to produce the messenger RNA vaccine.
27th Apr 2021 - Reuters
Pharma Gilead, Merck step in to help India's drug manufacturers fight surging COVID-19 outbreak
India is in the midst of one of the world’s grimmest COVID-19 outbreaks so far, but for weeks the country has struggled to meet local demand for life-saving drugs and vaccines. Now, drugmakers reliant on India for their own production needs are stepping in to help. Gilead Sciences on Monday said it would help local manufacturers boost production of its COVID-19 antiviral drug remdesivir, marketed as Veklury. The drug is authorized in India for hospitalized adults and children with severe disease. Seven companies in India already produce the drug, but they're not able to keep up with demand amid the crisis. Gilead plans to donate at least 450,000 vials of remdesivir “to help ease the immediate need for treatment.” Supplies of remdesivir in India have been so tight a thriving black market has cropped up.
27th Apr 2021 - FiercePharma
Counties with Oregon's biggest cities moved to extreme risk
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said Tuesday rising COVID-19 hospitalizations threaten to overwhelm doctors, and she is moving 15 counties into the extreme risk category, which imposes restrictions that include banning indoor restaurant dining. Some of the state’s biggest cities, including Portland, Salem, Bend and Eugene, are in the counties that will be in the most dire category, effective Friday. “If we don’t act now, doctors, nurses, hospitals, and other health care providers in Oregon will be stretched to their limits treating severe cases of COVID-19,” Brown said in a statement. The move comes, ironically, as the supply of vaccines is exceeding demand. “There are appointments available right now all across the state,” Brown said.
27th Apr 2021 - Associated Press
‘Cannon fodder’: Medical students in India feel betrayed
Since the beginning of the week, Dr. Siddharth Tara, a postgraduate medical student at New Delhi’s government-run Hindu Rao Hospital, has had a fever and persistent headache. He took a COVID-19 test, but the results have been delayed as the country’s health system implodes. His hospital, overburdened and understaffed, wants him to keep working until the testing laboratory confirms he has COVID-19. On Tuesday, India reported 323,144 new infections for a total of more than 17.6 million cases, behind only the United States. India’s Health Ministry also reported another 2,771 deaths in the past 24 hours, with 115 Indians succumbing to the disease every hour. Experts say those figures are likely an undercount. “I am not able to breathe. In fact, I’m more symptomatic than my patients. So how can they make me work?” asked Tara.
27th Apr 2021 - The Associated Press
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 27th Apr 2021
View this newsletter in fullSanofi to aid Moderna on final steps in manufacturing coronavirus vaccine
French drugmaker Sanofi will help Moderna fill and finish vials of its coronavirus vaccine, announcing Monday an agreement with the Massachusetts biotech to manufacture up to 200 million doses of the shot at a plant in New Jersey. Fill and finish describes the final steps of the production process, in which the vaccine product is siphoned into individual vials, capped and labeled for distribution. The deal with Sanofi should help Moderna expand capacity through the later stages of manufacturing, but the larger drugmaker won't help with earlier steps of making raw materials or vaccine product. Moderna has contracted with the U.S. government to supply 300 million doses by the end of July, 117 million of which had been delivered through April 12. The company operates a separate supply chain for manufacturing abroad and expects to make between 700 million and 1 billion doses globally this year.
26th Apr 2021 - BioPharma Dive
Covid-19: Vaccine rollout in England extends to 44-year-olds
About half a million more people in England are being invited to book their Covid-19 jab from Monday, as the vaccine rollout opens to 44-year-olds. Two-thirds of the previous age group - 45 to 49-year-olds - have received their first dose. The NHS said it would set out when 40 to 43-year-olds would be able to book appointments "in the coming days", and as supply allows. It comes as a TV advert is launched to encourage under-50s to get vaccinated. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the "great news" at being able to open up jabs to 44-year-olds came after "a huge few days for vaccinations".
26th Apr 2021 - BBC News
Covid-19 in India: Patients struggle at home as hospitals choke
As hospitals in Delhi and many other cities run out of beds, people have been forced to find ways to get treatment for sick patients at home. Many have turned to the black market, where prices of essential medicines, oxygen cylinders and concentrators have skyrocketed and questionable drugs are now proliferating. On Monday, India recorded a new global high for daily coronavirus cases for a fifth straight day at 352, 991. Anshu Priya could not get a hospital bed in Delhi or its suburb of Noida for her father-in-law and as his condition continued to deteriorate. She spent most of Sunday looking for an oxygen cylinder but her search was futile.
So she finally turned to the black market. She paid a hefty amount - 50,000 rupees ($670; £480) - to procure a cylinder that normally costs 6,000 rupees. With her mother-in-law also struggling to breathe, Anshu knew she may not be able to find or afford another cylinder on the black market.
26th Apr 2021 - BBC News
French restaurants to reopen in staggered manner - Macron
French restaurants will reopen in a staggered fashion and on a regional basis, depending on the extent to which the COVID-19 epidemic is brought under control, President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday.
26th Apr 2021 - Reuters
French primary pupils return to school despite high COVID numbers
France sent primary and nursery pupils back to school on Monday, the first phase of reopening after a three-week COVID-19 lockdown, even as daily new infections remained stubbornly high. President Emmanuel Macron said a return to school would help fight social inequality, allowing parents who struggle to pay for childcare to get back to work, but trade unions warned that new infections would lead to a "torrent" of classroom closures.
26th Apr 2021 - Reuters
Canada sending military, Red Cross to help COVID-hit Ontario
Canada’s federal government has said it will send military and Red Cross medical teams to the province of Ontario, which earlier on Monday asked for help to respond to a surge in coronavirus hospitalisations. Canadian Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair said on Twitter that Ottawa had approved Ontario’s request and the military would be providing “medical + civilian human health resources within medical care facilities” in the province, as well as logistical and administrative support.
26th Apr 2021 - AlJazeera
Virus surge in crowded Gaza threatens to overwhelm hospitals
More than a year into the coronavirus pandemic, some of the worst fears are coming true in the crowded Gaza Strip: A sudden surge in infections and deaths is threatening to overwhelm hospitals weakened by years of conflict and border closures. Gaza’s main treatment center for COVID-19 patients warns that oxygen supplies are dwindling fast. In another hospital, coronavirus patients are packed three to a room. For months, Gaza’s Hamas rulers seemed to have a handle on containing the pandemic. But their decision to lift most movement restrictions in February — coupled with the spread of a more aggressive virus variant and lack of vaccines — has led to a fierce second surge. At the same time, many of Gaza’s more than 2 million people ignore safety precautions, especially during the current fasting month of Ramadan. In the daytime, markets teem with shoppers buying goods for iftar, the meal breaking the fast after sundown. Few wear masks properly, if at all. “Corona is not a game,” said Yasmin Ali, 32, whose 64-year-old mother died of the virus last week. “It will take the lives of many people if they don’t protect themselves in the first place.”
26th Apr 2021 - The Associated Press
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View this newsletter in fullIndia virus patients suffocate amid oxygen shortage in surge
Indian authorities scrambled Saturday to get oxygen tanks to hospitals where COVID-19 patients were suffocating amid the world’s worst coronavirus surge, as the government came under increasing criticism for what doctors said was its negligence in the face of a foreseeable public health disaster. For the third day in a row, India set a global daily record of new infections. The 346,786 confirmed cases over the past day brought India’s total to more than 16 million, behind only the United States. The Health Ministry reported another 2,624 deaths in the past 24 hours, pushing India’s COVID-19 fatalities to 189,544. Experts say even those figures are likely an undercount.
24th Apr 2021 - The Associated Press
Europe reopens but virus patients still overwhelm ICU teams
Cradling the head of the deeply sedated COVID-19 patient like a precious jewel in his hands, Dr. Alexy Tran Dinh steered his intensive-care nurses through the delicate process of rolling the woman off her stomach and onto her back, guiding the team like a dance instructor. They moved only on Tran Dinh’s count, in unison and with extreme care, because the unconscious patient could die within minutes should they inadvertently rip the breathing tube from her mouth. “One, two and three — onto the side,” the doctor instructed. His next order quickly followed: “Onto the back.” “Perfect,” he concluded when the move was done.
24th Apr 2021 - The Associated Press
US drop in vaccine demand has some places turning down doses
Louisiana has stopped asking the federal government for its full allotment of COVID-19 vaccine. About three-quarters of Kansas counties have turned down new shipments of the vaccine at least once over the past month. And in Mississippi, officials asked the federal government to ship vials in smaller packages so they don’t go to waste. As the supply of coronavirus vaccine doses in the U.S. outpaces demand, some places around the country are finding there’s such little interest in the shots, they need to turn down shipments. “It is kind of stalling. Some people just don’t want it,” said Stacey Hileman, a nurse with the health department in rural Kansas’ Decatur County, where less than a third of the county’s 2,900 residents have received at least one vaccine dose.
24th Apr 2021 - The Associated Press
Oxygen packing plant in Brazil hit by explosion
An industrial plant dedicated to oxygen packing in the city of Fortaleza, in Brazil's northeastern region, exploded on Saturday, leaving four people injured, local media reported. Industrial gas maker White Martins, owner of the plant, said in a statement that production of oxygen in the region has not been affected, as the unit was dedicated to packing the gas. The company, which is investigating the causes for the incident, said it is looking for alternative places to fill the oxygen cylinders.
24th Apr 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19: Indian doctors forced to beg for oxygen as hospitals buckle under record coronavirus surge
The Indian health system is buckling under the strain of an ever-worsening coronavirus pandemic - with hospitals now being forced to beg for oxygen. The government is putting oxygen tankers on special express trains across the country to help save COVID-19 patients who are struggling to breathe. India, a country of nearly 1.4 billion people, has confirmed 16 million coronavirus cases - second only to the United States.
23rd Apr 2021 - Sky News
Covid-19: Delhi hospitals run out of oxygen supplies
At least two hospitals in the Indian capital of Delhi are running out of oxygen, amid a healthcare crisis gripping several states. A number of people have died while waiting for oxygen supplies, and the majority of intensive care beds in Delhi hospitals are full. India is in the grips of a second wave of Covid infections. It has close to 16 million confirmed infections and registered a record number of cases on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to hold meetings with the chief ministers of affected states and oxygen manufacturers on Friday. In a tweet labelled "SOS" sent out on Friday morning, Max Healthcare said it had been waiting for expected fresh supplies for more than seven hours at two hospitals. It has 700 patients admitted at the two facilities.
23rd Apr 2021 - BBC News
Weekly Covid infections drop by a fifth despite easing of lockdown
Coronavirus infections fell by a fifth last week, even though the UK took one of its biggest steps out of lockdown yet. Hospitality venues and non-essential shops were allowed to open on April 12. Since then, Brits have flocked to restaurants and bars and enjoyed their new freedoms to meet friends in groups of six or between two households. Despite this, coronavirus cases have dropped to below 100,000 for the first time since the week ending on September 10. Some 90,000 people in England had the virus in the week to April 16 – down a fifth from the 112,600 cases the week before, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS)
23rd Apr 2021 - Metro
Brazil’s ‘rapid and violent’ Covid variant devastates Latin America
As a coronavirus variant traced to the Brazilian Amazon marauded through Peru’s coastal capital last month, Rommel Heredia raced to his local hospital to seek help for his brother, mother and father. “I said goodbye and promised I’d come back to take them home,” said the 47-year-old PE teacher, his voice muffled by two black masks pulled tightly over his face. Heredia was unable to fulfil his pledge. Three days later, his 52-year-old brother, Juan Carlos, died as he waited for a bed in intensive care at the Rebagliati public hospital in Lima. The next day he lost his 80-year-old mother, Vilma, who suffered a fatal brain inflammation doctors blamed on Covid-19. Four days later his father, Jorge, passed away.
23rd Apr 2021 - The Guardian
AstraZeneca vaccines sent to Mexico from Baltimore plant safe - deputy health minister
Millions of doses of AstraZeneca's (AZN.L) COVID-19 vaccine manufactured at a U.S. plant that had a contamination issue and then shipped to Mexico are safe and have been approved by two regulators, Mexico's deputy health minister said on Friday. The doses were sent to Mexico as part of an agreement with the administration of President Joe Biden for 2.7 million shots of AstraZeneca's vaccine to help supplement Mexico's vaccination campaign amid global delays and shortages. "They were produced in the Baltimore plant," Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez Gatell wrote on Twitter. "The product is safe and of quality, it was evaluated by the FDA and (health regulator) COFEPRIS."
23rd Apr 2021 - Reuters
French oxygen giant diverts supply to India’s slammed hospitals
French gas giant Air Liquide SA is diverting oxygen supplies for industrial clients in India to hospitals as the country is overwhelmed by a surge in Covid-19 patients.
Air Liquide is sending most of its liquid oxygen output to the health-care sector and is looking to import additional supplies from the Middle East, Executive Vice-President Francois Jackow said Friday. Demand for medical oxygen in India has soared roughly 10-fold, or by more than 50% of the country’s total production capacity, he said.
23rd Apr 2021 - Aljazeera.com
The next big COVID-19 bottleneck? A shortage of trained vaccine workers, experts say
COVID-19 has put global manufacturing supply chains through the wringer: First, there were fears of a glass vial shortage; then, concerns cropped up about hold ups on plastic bags used to grow vaccine cells. Now, executives at a suite of COVID-19 heavyweights are raising flags about another pandemic resource in scarcity: people. When Moderna last week revealed that its COVID-19 vaccine deliveries to countries like the U.K. and Canada would come in light, the mRNA player blamed the squeeze on limited “human and material resources." During a Friday summit on the pandemic vaccine scale-up, the biotech's CEO Stéphane Bancel offered some additional context: “The bottleneck right now is people.” While Moderna handles the bulk of its manufacturing work in the U.S., the company's European supply chain depends upon Swiss CDMO Lonza, which has struggled to hire on enough specialized personnel for its vaccine production push, the chief executive said.
23rd Apr 2021 - Fierce Pharma
EU states begin using single-dose J&J Covid vaccine
EU member states are starting to administer Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine after Europe’s drug regulator this week backed the single-dose shot, with several expected to impose age restrictions, as with the AstraZeneca jab. Spain’s regional health authorities began using the shot on Thursday for people aged 70 to 79, two days after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced a possible link to a rare clotting disorder but stressed the shot’s benefits outweighed the risks.
Nearly 150,000 doses arrived in Spain last week but were stored in a warehouse as the vaccine’s barely-begun European rollout was paused while agencies reviewed eight cases of the rare brain blood clots, with a low blood platelet count, in the US.
22nd Apr 2021 - The Guardian
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View this newsletter in fullGreece to start J&J coronavirus vaccinations on May 5
Greece plans to start the rollout of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine on May 5 after Europe's drug regulator backed its use, health authorities said on Wednesday. "We expect decisions by the CDC and FDA on Friday and then by our national committee on vaccinations in the following days. Vaccinations will begin on May 5," said Marios Themistocleous, secretary general in charge of vaccinations. Greece had been expected to start J&J (JNJ.N) vaccinations on Monday before questions emerged over reports of very rare blood clotting disorders associated with the vaccine. "Vaccines are the solution to this huge health crisis, that is the way to get our lives back," said Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias.
22nd Apr 2021 - Reuters
People as young as 18 will soon be getting their coronavirus vaccines in Swansea
People as young as 18 could soon be called for their coronavirus vaccine, Swansea Bay University Health Board has announced. The health board has re-opened its vaccination reserve list for those aged 18 to 29, and for those in older age groups, as part of its "leave no-one behind" campaign. The healthcare provider said it is particularly focusing on those aged 18-29 as new safety guidance states under 30s should be offered an alternative to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. "In our case we want to target any appointment slots which come up at short notice for Pfizer vaccine initially at this age group," a statement read.
22nd Apr 2021 - Wales Online
Gaza gravediggers and medics stretched as COVID spikes during Ramadan
The sick and dying are rapidly pushing Gaza's hospitals close to capacity amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in the impoverished Palestinian territory, health officials said.
22nd Apr 2021 - Reuters
Slovakia to open restaurant terraces, gyms in further lockdown easing
Slovakia will allow restaurant terraces and gyms to open from next Monday in a further step of easing coronavirus restrictions, the government said on Wednesday.
The country of 5.5 million has slowed the spread of COVID-19 infections in recent weeks amid tough restrictions after the latest wave of the pandemic hit it and central European neighbours hard in the past months. The latest easing adds to the re-opening of shops, hotels, hair salons, churches, libraries, pools and zoos that already happened this week. But capacity limits will remain, and customers or visitors have to show a negative COVID-19 test in most cases.
22nd Apr 2021 - Reuters
Norway to lend unused AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Sweden, Iceland
Norway will lend 216,000 doses of the AstraZeneca (AZN.L) COVID-19 vaccine it has in stock to Sweden and Iceland, the country’s health ministry said on Thursday, enabling the two Nordic neighbours to speed up their inoculation campaigns.
Norway on March 11 suspended the rollout of the vaccine after a small number of younger people were hospitalised for a combination of blood clots, bleeding and a low count of platelets, some of whom later died. Sweden and Iceland will be able to receive the doses from Norway for as long as the AstraZeneca vaccine rollout is suspended.
22nd Apr 2021 - Reuters
New Delhi Hospital Rushes to Court to Get Critical Oxygen Supply
New Delhi’s largest hospital chain operator had to knock on the door of the city state’s high court Wednesday night after 1,400 Covid-19 patients across the Indian capital were put at risk due to “dangerously low” levels of oxygen supply. Two back-to-back emergency hearings ended late Wednesday night after an oxygen tanker finally left for one branch of the Max Hospital, which had over 250 Covid-19 patients in a critical state and the lowest level of crucial oxygen. The Delhi High Court’s two-judge panel headed by Justice Vipin Sanghi expressed “shock and dismay” over the government’s neglect and directed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration to “beg, borrow, steal” but ensure adequate oxygen supply for hospitals.
22nd Apr 2021 - Bloomberg
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View this newsletter in fullEU countries ready to start using J&J shot as deliveries resume
European countries prepared on Wednesday to start using Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine and speed up their vaccination campaigns after Europe’s drug regulator backed the shot and deliveries started trickling in after a week-long pause. Germany's health ministry said it would start deliveries to federal states for use in vaccination centres shortly, and that family doctors should resume the use of the vaccine as of Wednesday, while France will receive the vaccine from week after next. The Netherlands planned to start using it next week.
22nd Apr 2021 - Reuters
How South Korea turbocharged specialty syringe production for COVID-19 vaccines
Under fire in local media for not doing enough to secure COVID-19 vaccines, South Korea's government had been reviewing options to accelerate shipments and gain more supply. Engineering a jump in LDS syringe output was an opportunity to be seized, it concluded. The niche products were suddenly in huge demand globally after it became apparent they could be used to squeeze out a sixth dose from vials of Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and BioNTech's (22UAy.DE) newly approved COVID-19 vaccine compared to five doses with a standard syringe. "It had come to our attention that Pfizer was looking for LDS syringes...using LDS syringes automatically boosts vaccine volume by 20%," Park told Reuters.
22nd Apr 2021 - Reuters
Pregnant women may get Covid-19 vaccine priority to prevent complications
Experts are considering whether pregnant women should be prioritised for Covid-19 vaccines to avoid complications before they give birth. Three pregnant women were treated in intensive care in recent weeks after becoming unwell with the virus. Karina Butler, chairwoman of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac), said yesterday: “It’s not so much that they require a specific prioritisation as such, but if pregnancy is time limited it may be a thing that they may need to be facilitated in some way.” She said that vaccinating women before they gave birth was “under active review at the moment” and that a recommendation would be coming shortly.
21st Apr 2021 - The Times
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines could be produced in Melbourne as government announces $50m funding
Coronavirus vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna could be produced in Australia for the first time as the Victorian Government invests $50 million into the domestic manufacturing of mRNA vaccine technology. The state government will work closely with the Commonwealth and world-leading experts to develop the first mRNA manufacturing facility in the Southern Hemisphere, which would be based in Melbourne. In a statement, the government said mRNA vaccines, such as Pfizer and Moderna, were a "promising alternative" to traditional vaccines because of their high efficacy, capacity for rapid development, low-cost manufacture and safe administration.
21st Apr 2021 - 9News.com.au
Oxygen supply disruption kills 22 COVID-19 patients in India
Twenty-two COVID-19 patients on ventilators died in a hospital in western India on Wednesday when their oxygen supply was interrupted by a leak in a supply line, officials said. Suraj Mandhar, the district collector, said the supply of oxygen has since resumed to other patients. Fire officer Sanjay Bairagi said the leak was halted by the fire service within 15 minutes, but there was supply disruption in the Zakir Hussain Hospital in Nashik, a city in Maharashtra state that is the worst hit by the latest surge in coronavirus cases in the country.
21st Apr 2021 - ABCNews
Treating COVID-19 at home could soon be a reality in the U.K. as government steps up efforts
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that he is launching a new antivirals task force that will “supercharge” the search for at-home treatments designed to “stop COVID-19 in its tracks” and speed up recovery time. It is hoped at least two effective treatments, either in a tablet or capsule form, will be made available for people who have tested for positive for COVID-19, or have been exposed to someone with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, later this year.
21st Apr 2021 - MSN.com
Syria’s Idlib region to receive first batch of COVID-19 vaccines
A first batch of COVID-19 vaccine doses was expected to arrive on Wednesday in war-torn northwestern Syria, where millions of people live in dire humanitarian conditions, a United Nations official said. The 53,800 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were dispatched to the rebel-dominated region as part of the Covax facility, which ensures the world’s poorest economies get access to jabs for free. The delivery will be the first to Syria as part of the Covax programme, which has already sent vaccine doses to more than 100 different territories worldwide.
21st Apr 2021 - AlJazeera
Pfizer Identifies Fake Covid-19 Shots Abroad as Criminals Exploit Vaccine Demand
Pfizer says it has identified in Mexico and Poland the first confirmed instances of counterfeit versions of the Covid-19 vaccine it developed with BioNTech SE, the latest attempt by criminals trying to exploit the world-wide vaccination campaign.
Vials seized by authorities in separate investigations were tested by the company and confirmed to contain bogus vaccine. The vials recovered in Mexico also had fraudulent labeling, while a substance inside vials in Poland was likely an antiwrinkle treatment, Pfizer said. About 80 people at a clinic in Mexico received a fake vaccine going for about $1,000 a dose, though they don’t appear to have been physically harmed. The vials, found in beach-style beer coolers, had different lot numbers than those sent to the state, and a wrong expiration date, said Dr. Manuel de la O Cavazos, the health secretary of Nuevo León state.
21st Apr 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
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View this newsletter in fullIndia suffers worst day for COVID-19 deaths, hospitals overwhelmed
Authorities said hospitals in the Indian capital of Delhi would start running out of medical oxygen by Wednesday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country faced a coronavirus "storm" overwhelming its health system. Major government hospitals in the city of 20 million people had between eight and 24 hours' worth of oxygen while some private ones had enough for just four to five hours, said Delhi's deputy chief minister, Manish Sisodia. "If we don't get enough supplies by tomorrow morning, it will be a disaster," he said, calling for urgent help from the federal government.
20th Apr 2021 - Reuters India
UNICEF says AstraZeneca supply problems outside India resolved
Problems that have delayed AstraZeneca (AZN.L) supplies to the COVAX vaccine-sharing facility have been resolved, UNICEF told Reuters on Tuesday, saying it should receive 65 million doses by end-May from manufacturers outside India. The rollout of COVID vaccines has been disrupted by supply shortfalls in many countries, aggravated by a temporary hold on exports of the inoculation made by the Serum Institute of India (SII) as the country battles to contain a surge in infections. "The initial challenges related to release of vaccines due to ramping up a new supply chain and production across different continents have now been resolved," the U.N. agency responsible for distributing vaccines through the programme told Reuters in an email.
20th Apr 2021 - Reuters India
Pennsylvania, New Jersey emerge as COVID-19 hot spots
Pennsylvania and New Jersey now trail only Michigan as epicenters of COVID-19 activity as the nation sees a wave of activity in the midst of a major push to vaccinate all citizens ages 16 and older by May 31. If accomplished, the May 31 deadline would see Americans enjoying a somewhat normal Fourth of July, officials say. In Pennsylvania, cases are rising. The state averaged more than 5,000 cases a day over the past week, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Neighboring New Jersey reported a case spike in March, but case counts in that state have since declined. New Jersey averaged more than 3,200 over the past week.
20th Apr 2021 - CIDRAP
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View this newsletter in fullSlovakia opens shops and services as lockdown eases
Slovaks lined up at malls, returned to hair salons and visited libraries on Monday for the first time in months as the central European nation opened shops and services in a limited capacity as part of an easing of coronavirus restrictions. The nation of 5.5 million, which is emerging from its worst wave of the pandemic, also opened churches, libraries, pools, zoos and some shops while it seeks to kick-start its vaccination program. Hotels also opened their doors for limited numbers of guests but restaurants remain closed for indoor dining. Outdoor trips away from people’s home districts are also now allowed.
19th Apr 2021 - Reuters
Greece opens to tourists, anxious to move on from crisis season
Greece began opening to tourists on Monday with few bookings but hopes for a better season to help make up for a 2020 devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. On Rhodes island, where most visitors are from abroad, hoteliers are scrubbing, polishing and painting in anticipation of a make-or-break year. "We're preparing the hotel in order to start as soon as the government gives us the green light," said George Tselios, general manager of Sun Beach Hotel, whose customers are from Scandinavia, Germany, Austria and Britain. Greece will formally open on May 14 but starting Monday, tourists from the European Union, the United States, Britain, Serbia, Israel and the United Arab Emirates will not quarantine if they are vaccinated or test negative for COVID-19.
19th Apr 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19: More than 10m in UK now had second vaccine jab as pace of rollout quickens
More than half of those deemed to be most at risk from COVID-19, who are being prioritised by ministers, have received both jabs.
19th Apr 2021 - Sky News
Australia looks to speed up COVID-19 vaccine rollout to over-50s
Australia plans to accelerate the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines to people over 50 after advising under-50s not to get the AstraZeneca jab due to blood clot concerns, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday. State leaders agreed to bring forward vaccinating over-50s, going beyond frontline workers, the elderly, the disabled and people with underlying medical conditions, at a national cabinet meeting, with formal approval due on Thursday, Morrison said in a statement. They also agreed to set up mass inoculation sites as vaccine supplies increase.
19th Apr 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19 vaccine bookings to open for 35-39 age group
Vaccine appointments for a limited number of people aged between 35 and 39-years-old are being made available from Monday. The Department of Health said it is the latest phase of the vaccine roll out. It said bookings will open to the entire 35-39 age group by the end of April. The slots are mainly for the SSE Arena vaccine centre in Belfast and can be booked on a first come first served basis from 14:00 BST. Appointments in community pharmacies will be made available to 35-39 year olds later this month depending on vaccine supplies. Patricia Donnelly, who heads up Northern Ireland's vaccine programme, told the BBC's Evening Extra programme that vaccine wastage across Northern Ireland is less than 1%.
19th Apr 2021 - BBC News
US warns against travel to 80% of world due to coronavirus
The State Department on Monday urged Americans reconsider any international travel they may have planned and said it would issue specific warnings not to visit roughly 80% of the world’s countries due to risks from the coronavirus pandemic.
The United States hasn’t had a global advisory warning against international travel since August, when guidance was revoked by the Trump administration. The advice issued by the department isn’t a formal global advisory. Instead, it says the State Department will start using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards as it prepares health and safety guidelines for individual countries. Because of those standards, about 80% of countries will be classified as “Level 4” or “do not travel.”
19th Apr 2021 - The Associated Press
India to allow COVID-19 vaccines for all adults as cases surge
India will let all citizens over 18 have COVID-19 vaccinations from May 1, the government said on Monday, as the health system creaked under the weight of record-high cases and the capital region of New Delhi ordered a lockdown. Facing growing criticism over its handling of the second wave of the pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration said vaccine manufacturers would have to supply 50% of doses to the federal government and the rest to state governments and the open market at a pre-declared price.
19th Apr 2021 - Reuters India
Bitter experience helps French ICUs crest latest virus wave
While mechanical ventilation is unavoidable for some covid-19 patients, it’s a step taken less systematically now than at the start of the pandemic. The shift to less-invasive breathing treatments also is helping French ICUs stave off collapse under a renewed crush of coronavirus cases. Super-charged by a more contagious virus variant that first ravaged neighboring Britain, the third infection wave in France has pushed the country’s COVID-19-related death toll past 100,000 people. Hospitals across the country are grappling again with the macabre mathematics of making space for thousands of critically sick patients.
19th Apr 2021 - Associated Press
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View this newsletter in fullCambodia uses wedding halls for COVID patients as cases surge
Cambodia began setting up thousands of hospital beds in two wedding party halls on Sunday to cope with an influx of COVID-19 patients in a country that up until recently had largely managed to contain infections. Cambodia also reported a daily record 618 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, its health ministry said, in a spike in infections following an outbreak first detected in late February. The new numbers took the overall tally to 6,389. Cambodia until recently had one of the world's lowest numbers of infections. It has reported 43 deaths, all in the past two months.
19th Apr 2021 - Reuters
Half of US adults have received at least one COVID-19 shot
Half of all adults in the U.S. have received at least one COVID-19 shot, the government announced Sunday, marking another milestone in the nation’s largest-ever vaccination campaign but leaving more work to do to convince skeptical Americans to roll up their sleeves. Almost 130 million people 18 or older have received at least one dose of a vaccine, or 50.4% of the total adult population, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Almost 84 million adults, or about 32.5% of the population, have been fully vaccinated. The U.S. cleared the 50% mark just a day after the reported global death toll from the coronavirus topped a staggering 3 million, according to totals compiled by Johns Hopkins University, though the actual number is believed to be significantly higher.
18th Apr 2021 - The Associated Press
'Dire need of beds, oxygen': India's capital under siege from COVID-19
India’s capital New Delhi recorded 25,500 coronavirus cases in a 24-hour period, with about one in three people tested returning a positive result, its chief minister said, urging the federal government to provide more hospital beds to tackle the crisis. Less than 100 critical care beds were available in the city of more than 20 million people, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday, as social media was flooded with people complaining about lack of beds, oxygen cylinders and drugs.
"The bigger worry is that in last 24 hours positivity rate has increased to around 30% from 24% ... The cases are rising very rapidly. The beds are filling fast," Kejriwal told a news briefing.
18th Apr 2021 - Reuters India
UK delivers more than 600,000 vaccines in 24 hours
More than 600,000 first and second doses of coronavirus vaccine were administered in Britain in the space of 24 hours, according to data released on Saturday. Official figures showed that 119,306 first doses were given on Friday, and 485,421 second doses. The data also showed a further 35 people had died from the virus within 28 days of a positive test, and 2,206 people had tested positive. In the last seven days, daily deaths were down 29% from the previous week, while cases were down 6.5%.
17th Apr 2021 - Reuters UK
Pfizer halts corona vaccine shipments to Israel after failure to pay
Pfizer has halted shipments of coronavirus vaccines to Israel in outrage over the country failing to transfer payment for the last 2.5 million doses it supplied to the country, The Jerusalem Post has learned. Senior officials at Pfizer have said they are concerned that the government-in-transition will not pay up and the company does not want to be taken advantage of. They said that they do not understand how such a situation can occur in an organized country.
17th Apr 2021 - The Jerusalem Post
India: Oxygen shortage in Maharashtra as COVID cases soar
As Maharashtra, India’s richest state, grapples with ferociously rising COVID-19 cases, patients such as Pawar are struggling to find hospital beds and oxygen support. The state’s daily oxygen usage has touched 1,500 metric tonnes, according to Health Minister Rajesh Tope. This is much more than its daily production of 1,250 tonnes. While other states are contributing to plug the shortfall, transportation by road takes time. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has now requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deploy the National Disaster Management Authority to airlift oxygen for rapid movement.
17th Apr 2021 - Al Jazeera English
‘Staff have been treated like cannon fodder’: NHS bosses issue stark warning on future of health service
Hundreds of senior NHS managers have voiced their fears for the future of the health service amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis without a significant pay rise to help retain staff on the front line. A survey of more than 800 senior NHS managers has revealed the extreme pressure some have been working under, with many working 20 or more hours of unpaid extra hours each week. More than 90 per cent backed a significant pay rise for NHS staff to try and head off a feared exodus of nurses, doctors and other staff leaving the NHS after the pandemic. This would help shore up the service as it faces the daunting task of tackling record waiting lists now totalling 4.7 million patients.
17th Apr 2021 - The Independent
Alaska to offer tourists COVID-19 vaccines starting June 1
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said Friday that COVID-19 vaccines would be made available at key airports in the state starting June 1, in unveiling plans aimed at bolstering the state’s pandemic-battered tourist industry. Dunleavy, a Republican, outlined plans for a national marketing campaign aimed at luring tourists using federal aid money and said the vaccine offering is “probably another good reason to come to the state of Alaska in the summer.” Dunleavy and other state leaders have been pushing to allow large cruise ships to return to Alaska after COVID-19 restrictions kept them away last year, hitting hard businesses and communities, particularly in southeast Alaska, that rely heavily on summer tourism.
16th Apr 2021 - Associated Press
India pledges massive boost in vaccine output as COVID-19 cases surge
India pledged on Friday to raise monthly production of its own COVID-19 vaccine about tenfold to nearly 100 million doses by September, as immunisations have slowed in the country despite a surge in new infections. After donating and selling tens of millions vaccine doses abroad, India has suddenly found itself short of Covaxin, its only domestically made shot. The government is now trying to raise production at manufacturer Bharat Biotech, and fast-track imports of other vaccines.
16th Apr 2021 - Reuters India
England's COVID-19 epidemic estimated to be shrinking more quickly - health ministry
The COVID-19 epidemic in England is estimated to be shrinking more quickly compared to last week, the health ministry said on Friday, adding that the closely watch reproduction "R" number might also be lower. The daily growth rate of COVID-19 infections was estimated between -6% and -1%, down from -4% and 0% last week. The estimated range for the R number was 0.7 to 1.0, meaning on average, every 10 people infected will infect between 7 and 10 other people. Last week it was estimated at 0.8 to 1.0
16th Apr 2021 - Reuters UK
Pregnant women in UK told to have Pfizer or Moderna vaccines
Pregnant women in Britain should get a COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer (PFE.N) or Moderna (MRNA.O) because there is more real-world data to show they are safe, the British public body that advises on vaccinations said on Friday. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation(JCVI) said around 90,000 pregnant women had been vaccinated in the United States, mainly with the two American vaccines, without any safety concerns being raised. "Based on these data, the JCVI advises that it is preferable for pregnant women in the UK to be offered the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines where available," it said. "There is no evidence to suggest that other vaccines are unsafe for pregnant women, but more research is needed."
16th Apr 2021 - Reuters UK
Thailand to close schools, bars after surge in COVID-19 cases
Thailand will close close schools, bars and massage parlours, as well as ban alcohol sales in restaurants, for at least two weeks starting from Sunday after a jump in COVID-19 cases, a senior official said. Activities involving more than 50 people will also be prohibited, Thailand's coronavirus taskforce spokesman, Taweesin Wisanuyothin, said, adding that 18 provinces including Bangkok had been labelled as red zones with the rest of the country categorised as orange zones.
16th Apr 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullHospitals run short of beds as Asia's COVID-19 cases surge
India and Thailand reported record daily coronavirus cases on Thursday, as a new wave of infections, combined with a shortage of hospital beds and vaccines, threatens to slow Asia's recovery from the pandemic. India breached 200,000 daily infections for the first time on Thursday and the financial hub of Mumbai entered a lockdown, as many hospitals reported shortages of beds and oxygen supplies. "The situation is horrible. We are a 900-bed hospital, but there are about 60 patients waiting and we don't have space for them," said Avinash Gawande, an official at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Nagpur, a commercial hub in Maharashtra.
15th Apr 2021 - Reuters
Shortage of intubation drugs threatens Brazil health sector
Reports are emerging of Brazilian health workers forced to intubate patients without the aid of sedatives, after weeks of warnings that hospitals and state governments risked running out of critical medicines. One doctor at the Albert Schweitzer municipal hospital in Rio de Janeiro told the Associated Press that for days health workers diluted sedatives to make their stock last longer. Once it ran out, nurses and doctors had to begin using neuromuscular blockers and tying patients to their beds, the doctor said. “You relax the muscles and do the procedure easily, but we don’t have sedation,” said the doctor, who agreed to discuss the sensitive situation only if not quoted by name. “Some try to talk, resist. They’re conscious.”
15th Apr 2021 - Associated Press
Patchy deliveries, limited access disrupt jab drive across Africa
Many people in African countries who have received their first shot of a COVID-19 vaccine do not know when they will get the second one due to delivery delays, according to the continent’s top public health official. “We cannot predict when the second doses will come and that is not good for our vaccination programme,” John Nkengasong, the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), told reporters on Thursday. Africa lags behind most other regions in COVID-19 vaccinations, with just under 14 million doses of mostly AstraZeneca vaccines having been administered on the continent of 1.3 billion.
15th Apr 2021 - AlJazeera
Brazil in talks to import emergency COVID-19 medications amid shortages
Brazil is negotiating with other countries, including Spain, to receive emergency medications needed for intubated COVID-19 patients, Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said on Thursday. Brazilian hospitals are running low on sedatives, and reports have emerged this week of the seriously ill being tied down and intubated without effective sedatives.
15th Apr 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: Most European countries should be on 'green' travel list next month, says easyJet boss
Easyjet's boss said he expected popular destinations such as Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal to be on the government's "green" list when foreign travel resumes next month. Foreign holidays will be subject to a traffic light system if they resume as hoped on 17 May, with some experts expecting the lowest-risk list of countries could be limited to the likes of Iceland, Malta and Israel. But easyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren said he expected all major European nations would be among "green" destinations meaning travellers will not need to self-isolate on their return.
14th Apr 2021 - Sky News
Covid-19 cases in healthcare staff fell dramatically after vaccines – Government
The percentage of positive cases of Covid-19 among healthcare workers has fallen dramatically since the State’s vaccination programme began, the Government has said. The figure has fallen from 10 per cent of all cases in December, down to just two per cent in the latest 14-day report. A senior official at the Department of an Taoiseach Elizabeth Canavan told a media briefing on Covid-19 at Government Buildings that other metrics also showed a positive downward trend.
14th Apr 2021 - The Irish Times
Sweden pauses plans for J&J COVID-19 vaccinations, awaits review
Sweden's Health Agency said on Wednesday it would pause plans to start vaccinations using Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine following reports of rare blood clots similar to those reported for the AstraZeneca shot. The Health Agency said in a statement it would not start the vaccinations and await the findings of a review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The vaccine has not yet been used in Sweden though a first batch of 31,000 doses has arrived in the country.
14th Apr 2021 - Yahoo
France says to administer J&J COVID-19 vaccine as planned, Spanish, Dutch wait
France will use Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine as planned despite its suspension in the United States, a government spokesman said on Wednesday, adding France had received a first shipment of 200,000 doses. "The doses, which arrived earlier this week, are being shipped to city general practitioners and to chemists," government spokesman Gabriel Attal told reporters. France expects to receive 600,000 doses of the J&J vaccine by the end of the month, according to health ministry data.
14th Apr 2021 - Yahoo
Australia returns to 'war footing' amid COVID-19 vaccine turmoil
Australia’s national cabinet will begin meeting twice a week from Monday, marking a return to a “war footing” in the country’s battle against the coronavirus pandemic amid turmoil in its national vaccination programme. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday the return to more frequent meetings of the group of federal and state government leaders was necessary to address “serious challenges” caused by patchy international vaccine supplies and changing medical advice. “This is a complex task and there are problems with the programme that we need to solve to ensure more Australians can be vaccinated safely and more quickly,” Morrison said in a statement.
14th Apr 2021 - Reuters Australia
Europe scrambles as J&J vaccine delay deals another blow
European countries diverged Wednesday on whether they would push ahead with giving their residents Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine after reports of very rare blood clots in a handful of recipients in the United States. While some European Union members put the vaccine on hold as recommended by the American company, Poland, France and Hungary said they would go ahead and administer the doses that had arrived as the EU’s 27 nations face continuing pressure to speed up their immunization drives. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, distributed in Europe by its subsidiary Janssen, is a key part of Europe’s vaccination campaign, which has been criticized as sluggish. Of the four vaccines currently approved for use in the EU, J&J’s is the only one that requires a single dose to be fully effective. That makes it ideal for hard-to-reach, vulnerable groups, such as those who are homeless or migrant workers.
14th Apr 2021 - The Associated Press
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View this newsletter in fullNHS patients to receive the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine from today, NHS says
NHS patients in England are to receive the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine from today, officials have confirmed. Professor Stephen Powis, medical director for NHS England, said the move “marks another milestone” in the Covid-19 vaccination programme. It is the third vaccine to be added to the NHS “armoury”, alongside the Covid-19 vaccines from Oxford/AstraZeneca and Pfizer. The news comes as the Government confirmed that it has met its target of offering a Covid-19 vaccine to the highest priority groups by mid-April – those over the age of 50 and people who are clinically extremely vulnerable.
13th Apr 2021 - Swindon Advertiser
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View this newsletter in fullJ&J begins COVID-19 vaccine supplies to EU, 50 million doses expected in second quarter: lawmaker
Johnson & Johnson on Monday began delivering its COVID-19 single-dose vaccine to EU countries, European Union officials and the company said. The company had initially planned to start its deliveries at the beginning of April, but delayed the rollout due to production issues. "The first doses are leaving warehouses for member states today," a European Commission spokesman told a news conference on Monday. "Johnson & Johnson begins vaccine shipments to the EU today. Very good news," said Peter Liese, an EU lawmaker from the same party as German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
12th Apr 2021 - Yahoo News UK
Under-50s to be called up for Covid-19 vaccines in England as Moderna jab arrives to boost national rollout
Under-50s in England will be called up for Covid-19 vaccines as soon as Tuesday as the Government prepares to declare victory in its aim to protect all vulnerable people by mid-April. The Moderna vaccine is also likely to become available in England this week for the first time, after being rolled out in Scotland and Wales last week.
More than 32m people have had their first dose of a jab – more than the estimated number who were due to be included in phase one of the vaccine rollout, which covers everyone aged 50 or over, health and care workers and people with an underlying condition which makes them more vulnerable to Covid-19.
12th Apr 2021 - iNews
South Korea to resume wider use of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, exclude people under 30
South Korean authorities said on Sunday they will move ahead with a coronavirus vaccination drive this week, after deciding to continue using AstraZeneca PLC’s vaccine for all eligible people 30 years old or over. South Korea on Wednesday suspended providing the AstraZeneca shot to people under 60 as Europe reviewed cases of blood clotting in adults. People under 30 will still be excluded from the vaccinations resuming on Monday because the benefits of the shot do not outweigh the risks for that age group, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said in a statement.
12th Apr 2021 - Reuters
Lockdown restrictions ease as vaccine for under 50s could begin soon
Pub gardens and restaurants with outdoor dining have opened as further lockdown restrictions were eased on Monday. From April 12 shops, hairdressers, nail salons, libraries, gyms and outdoor hospitality venues such as beer gardens were allowed to reopen. Most outdoor attractions, such as zoos and theme parks, can reopen, and funerals can continue with up to 30 people, and the numbers able to attend weddings, receptions and commemorative events such as wakes will rise from six to 15. It comes as vaccines for under 50s in England could begin imminently as the deadline to offer the jab to highest risk group approaches.
12th Apr 2021 - Evening Standard
Walgreens Expands Covid-19 Vaccines To 49 States
Walgreens has expanded its Covid-19 vaccination efforts to more than 7,000 stores in 49 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. The expansion announced Monday comes as the Biden administration ramps up the number of doses sent to states while increasing
The government said last week that Covid certificates “could play a role in reducing social-distancing requirements”. Any final decision is months off, so pubs and restaurants will initially open with distancing rules in place such as people from different groups staying at least one metre apart. Polling by YouGov last week found that 61 per cent said they backed certificates being introduced if it allowed
12th Apr 2021 - Forbes
Spain will use Janssen Covid-19 vaccine for the 70-79 age group
Spain will be receiving its first shipment of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccines “first thing on Wednesday,” Health Minister Carolina Darias announced today. The government is expecting to get 300,000 doses of the one-shot treatment, making it the equivalent of twice as many doses of the other Covid-19 vaccines currently used in Spain: Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca. Darias also stated on Monday that the first group in line for the vaccine will be people between 70 and 79 years of age. According to the latest Health Ministry report, 13.3% of the population in the 70-to-79 age bracket has had at least one dose of the three vaccines now being used in Spain. But changing criteria over the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine have created a paradoxical situation.
12th Apr 2021 - EL PAÍS in English
Spain's Rovi to make ingredients for Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine
Contract drugmaker Rovi is to make active ingredients for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, extending an existing agreement to bottle the vaccine using ingredients brought in from Switzerland.
12th Apr 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19: Hundreds of thousands of shuttered sites reopening across England as lockdown eases
All across England shutters are rattling open, beer is foaming into pint glasses and tills are ringing. For the first time in months, many businesses that have been shut are able - subject to a variety of restrictions - to serve their customers again. From the snip-snip of hair salons to the splash of swimming pools hundreds of thousands of venues that have stood silent are welcoming people back.
12th Apr 2021 - Sky News
Venezuela to produce Cuban COVID vaccine: Maduro
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro says the country has signed a deal to produce two million doses per month of a Cuban coronavirus vaccine, adding that his government also managed to secure funds to fully pay for COVID jabs via COVAX, a global sharing mechanism. “We’ve signed an agreement to produce in our laboratories… two million vaccines a month of the Abdala vaccine… for August, September, approximately,” Maduro said on Sunday in a television address, referring to one the four vaccines that are being developed by Cuba.
12th Apr 2021 - AlJazeera
With variants spreading, Eli Lilly cuts solo COVID-19 antibody out of its U.S. supply deal
After lab testing found Eli Lilly's solo COVID-19 antibody couldn't match its combo against emerging coronavirus variants, the feds stopped using it in several states where one variant was running rampant. Now, Lilly has stopped supplying bamlanivimab as a solo therapy to the U.S. completely. Under a revised supply deal with the government, Lilly's combo therapy—which pairs bamlanivimab with another new antibody, etesevimab—will be the only option on tap. The modified agreement will cancel the 350,865 doses of bamlanivimab that were supposed to be delivered by the end of March, Lilly said.
12th Apr 2021 - FiercePharma
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View this newsletter in fullThailand's capital plans 10,000 field-hospital beds as COVID-19 spikes
Thailand plans to install 10,000 field-hospital beds in Bangkok, a health official said on Saturday, as the country strains to cope with a third wave of COVID-19 infections. At least a dozen hospitals in the capital said they had stopped testing for the coronavirus as of Friday due to a lack of kits or capacity. Hospitals are reluctant to test because they must admit people if they test positive, authorities say. “We aim to increase (field) hospital beds to 10,000 in no time, which should give the public confidence that we can still contain this round of outbreak,” Suksan Kittisupakorn, director-general of Thailand’s Medical Service Department, told reporters.
10th Apr 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19: Twice-weekly lateral flow coronavirus tests now available for free in England
Everyone in England can now get twice-weekly COVID tests for free under a new effort to keep the journey out of lockdown on track. Ministers hope regular use of the rapid lateral flow tests will become a habit and help keep cases low as the economy reopens. The tests will be available from locations such as pharmacies, workplaces and community spaces - and can also be ordered for home delivery.
10th Apr 2021 - Sky News
Airlines warn the cost of Covid tests will stop people going abroad
Airlines have called for the competition watchdog to investigate the price of Covid tests for travel, with the travel industry warning that the PCR tests required by government will in effect block most international holidays this year. Global airline body Iata called on the UK Competition and Markets Authority to launch an inquiry, as separate research showed that travelers had to pay twice as much for PCR tests in the UK as they do in much of Europe. The report from the government’s ‘global travel taskforce’ published on Friday said travel could be opened up from 17 May but that individuals would require three PCR tests to holiday even in the safest, “green-light” states – leading to immediate warnings that the cost would prohibit most people from going abroad.
9th Apr 2021 - The Guardian
A&E ‘swamped’ with patients seeking help for mild Covid jab side-effects
People who have had the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine are seeking help at A&E despite having only mild side-effects such as headaches, in the wake of the controversy over whether the jab causes blood clots. Emergency medicine doctors in England told the Health Service Journal that a growing but unspecified number of people who were anxious after having the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab were coming to A&E units, some apparently after being advised to do so by a GP. Dr Katherine Henderson, the president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, confirmed the trend to the Guardian.
9th Apr 2021 - The Guardian
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View this newsletter in fullU.S. to ship 85% fewer J&J vaccine doses to states next week
The U.S. government will allocate nearly 85% fewer Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine doses to states next week, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), due to uneven production related in part to problems at a Baltimore manufacturing plant. Allocations will fall to 785,500 doses from 4.95 million doses this week. The data does not include a federal retail pharmacy program. An official from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), who did not wish to be named, told Reuters that J&J released about 1.5 million doses to the U.S. government this week, compared with about 11 million doses last week. The allocation and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines is handled by the federal government.
8th Apr 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19: More than 700,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine 'flown from UK to Australia' - report
More than 700,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine have been flown from the UK to Australia, it has been reported. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, a batch of 300,000 UK-manufactured doses of the COVID jab landed at Sydney Airport on 28 February. And another large batch is said to have arrived on an Emirates passenger plane in March. The newspaper said the revelation dispelled previously widespread assumptions that Australia's vaccine shipments were coming from the EU.
8th Apr 2021 - Sky News
African Union drops plans to buy Covid-19 vaccines from the Serum Institute of India
The African Union (AU) has today dropped plans to secure Covid-19 vaccines from the Serum Institute of India. Instead the AU is exploring purchasing jabs from US firm Johnson & Johnson, said the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
8th Apr 2021 - MSN
Moderna coronavirus vaccine could be offered in Northern Ireland within 14 days
A third coronavirus vaccine could be available to people across Northern Ireland in the coming weeks. The US-developed, two-shot jab from Moderna, is said to be 94.1% effective against coronavirus based on evidence from clinical trials. Currently, NI vaccinators are administering the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs to those eligible for a vaccine. A Department of Health spokesperson told us: "Northern Ireland is primarily using AstraZeneca in the vaccination programme however Pfizer continues to be used for first and second doses at some centres. All vaccines are effective in the fight against Covid-19 and the public are urged to get their vaccine when they are eligible to do so."
8th Apr 2021 - Belfast Live
Bhutan vaccinates 60% of population against COVID in record time
Bhutan on Wednesday said it had given about 60 percent of its entire population a first jab against COVID-19 since the Himalayan kingdom started an ambitious vaccination drive nine days ago. The tiny nation wedged between India and China told AFP news agency that 470,000 people out of 770,000 in total had been administered the first shot of a two-dose regime of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine donated by India.
8th Apr 2021 - AlJazeera
New York to offer COVID aid to immigrants excluded earlier
In the largest program of its kind, New York lawmakers have created a $2.1 billion fund to aid workers who lost jobs or income during the coronavirus pandemic but were excluded from other government relief programs because of their immigration status. The fund, which passed this week as part of the state budget, will give payments of up to $15,600 to workers who were living in the country illegally and weren’t eligible for federal stimulus checks, unemployment aid, or other benefits. As many as 300,000 workers might benefit, according to some estimates. Other states have offered aid to unauthorized workers, but nothing on this scale. California’s relief fund offers cash payments of up to $500.
8th Apr 2021 - The Associated Press
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View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Vaccine supply to increase to 3.9m doses by end of June
The Department of Health has said that it expected to receive 3.9 million Covid-19 vaccine doses in the next three months, in a significant increase of supply. In figures to be published on Wednesday afternoon, the department has outlined its projected deliveries for the next three months, a period which is expected to see a dramatic increase in the number of vaccines administered. The department said however that the numbers are contingent on suppliers fulfilling their commitments – something that has repeatedly not happened with the Astrazeneca vaccine. Sources said that the Government’s pledge will remain to administer three million shots by the end of June, though if the programme accelerates as planned, there will be scope to administer significantly more doses.
7th Apr 2021 - The Irish Times
Covid-19: First Moderna vaccines given in UK
Under-30s are to be offered an alternative Covid jab to the AstraZeneca vaccine, the UK's vaccine advisory body says. Advice for younger people is changing after an investigation into cases of blood clots in people who have had the jab. The vaccination programme has been "a most enormous success" but needs a "course correction", Prof Jonathan Van-Tam says. The blood clots are extremely rare, MHRA chief Dr June Raine says
7th Apr 2021 - BBC News
European countries may have to mix COVID-19 shots amid AstraZeneca crisis
Several European countries are considering mixing up COVID-19 vaccines for citizens who received a first dose of AstraZeneca's shot, an unprecedented move that highlights challenges for governments struggling to tame fresh rises in infections. Vaccination programmes have been upset after a small number of reports that recipients of the AstraZeneca inoculation have suffered extremely rare blood clots, leading some countries worldwide to suspend its use out of caution. A senior official for the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said in an interview published on Tuesday there was a link between the vaccine and rare blood clots in the brain but the possible causes were still unknown.
7th Apr 2021 - MSN
Small Businesses Incentivize Employees To Get Covid-19 Vaccine To Reignite U.S. Economy
Just over a year into the pandemic, small businesses are still struggling to regain their footing. Just last week, the Senate offered a helping hand, voting to extend the $718 billion Paycheck Protection Program until May 31. And as vaccination rates rise and Covid-19 restrictions ease, a return to normalcy seems within reach. Before that can happen, though, small business owners will need to overcome another obstacle: getting their employees vaccinated. Many seem to be tackling it head on. According to a recent survey of more than 3,300 small business owners by Reimagine Main Street, in partnership with the U.S. Black Chambers and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, 64% of respondents say it’s very important that their employees get vaccinated. Moreover, 63% are willing to encourage and incentivize employees to get their shots. Close to half (45%) plan to motivate their workers to do so by giving them paid time off—for AAPI employers, that number is 53%.
7th Apr 2021 - Forbes
COVID-19: 'Another key milestone' as Moderna vaccine rollout begins in the UK
A 24-year-old carer has become the first person in the UK to receive the Moderna vaccine as it becomes the latest jab used in the country's vaccination programme.
Elle Taylor, from Ammanford in Wales, who is an unpaid carer for her 82-year-old grandmother, received the vaccine this morning. "I'm very excited and very happy," she said. "I'm an unpaid carer for my grandmother so it is very important to me that I get it, so I can care for her properly and safely.
7th Apr 2021 - Sky News
India Covid-19: 'No end in sight' as doctors battle second wave
It was the middle of January when Dr Lancelot Pinto realised he would be able to spend some quality time with his family after nearly a year. The pulmonologist had spent most of 2020 battling successive surges in Covid-19 cases at his hospital in Mumbai city. But by January this year daily infections across India had fallen to less than 20,000 from a peak of over 90,000 in September, and he could "see some light at the end of the tunnel". The situation took a turn for the worse in March as cases started to rise sharply. On 4 April, India breached the 100,000 daily caseload mark for the first time since the pandemic began. More than half of those cases were confirmed in Maharashtra, which has India's largest city, Mumbai, as its capital. Now Dr Pinto's phone is ringing every few minutes, mostly from desperate families looking to find a bed for Covid patients. "We are already overrun. All Covid-19 beds in my hospitals are full," he says.
7th Apr 2021 - BBC News
Spain’s Covid-19 vaccination drive maintains pace despite Easter break
The regions are administering nearly all the doses that have arrived, meaning speeding up the rollout will depend on the production capacity of pharmaceutical companies. Spain’s regions managed to administer nearly 1.3 million Covid-19 vaccines between March 30 and Tuesday, according to the Health Ministry. That figure is similar to that of the seven previous days, when 1.25 million shots were injected, which suggests that the campaign was not slowed down by the Easter break. But this pace will not be enough to hit the central government’s targets: the current speed is equivalent to 600,000 people a week, while 1.4 million will be necessary if 70% of the adult population is to be vaccinated by September
7th Apr 2021 - EL PAÍS in English
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View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: Vaccine rollout to be 'considerably slower' until end of July, government advisers say
England's vaccine rollout will be "considerably slower" until the end of July and could drop to 2.5 million doses a week, the government's scientific advisers have said. Previous modelling for SAGE said the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses was predicted to reach up to 3.9 million doses a week. But in the latest paper, published on Monday, scientists expect to deliver 2.7 million doses per week in England until the end of July and 2 million after that date.
6th Apr 2021 - Sky News
Moderna Covid-19 Vaccine Production to Double at Contract Manufacturer Catalent
Contract drug manufacturer Catalent Inc. is expanding its U.S. production of the Covid-19 vaccine from Moderna Inc., a development that could ensure the U.S. has ample supply as it ramps up vaccinations. Catalent has reached an agreement with Moderna that will increase the speed of vaccine output at the contract manufacturer’s Bloomington, Ind., plant this month to about 400 vials a minute, according to people familiar with the matter. Catalent will shift manufacturing of the shot to one faster production line from two slower ones. New doses will be ready for shipping starting next month, the people said, and the upgraded plant will be able fill an additional 80 million vials a year.
6th Apr 2021 - Wall Street Journal
Greece looks to ease pressure with cautious shops reopening
Greece allowed shops to reopen under controlled conditions on Monday, despite heavy pressure on its health services, as the government responded to growing public fatigue after months of coronavirus lockdown. Last week the government announced the easing of some restrictions, allowing small retail shops selling non-essential goods to reopen, under so-called click-away and click-in-shopping modes. Under the rules, consumers must make appointments and comply with a three-hour limit for shopping, and retailers cannot allow in more than one customer per 25 square metres.
6th Apr 2021 - Reuters
Moderna vaccine begins UK rollout in Wales
The Moderna vaccine will be rolled out for the first time in the UK to residents in west Wales from Wednesday, Matt Hancock, the health secretary, has announced.
The UK government has ordered 17m doses of the Moderna vaccine, which will be the third to be administered in the UK, since the rollout began in December last year. The vaccine was first approved by the medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, in January. The announcement follows growing concern surrounding the possible link between the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and rare blood clots. “I’m delighted we can start the UK rollout of the Moderna vaccine in west Wales today,” Hancock said. “The UK government has secured vaccines on behalf of the entire nation and the vaccination programme has shown our country working together at its best.”
6th Apr 2021 - Financial Times
As states expand vaccines, prisoners still lack access
This week, Florida expanded eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines to all residents 16 and older. But across the state, more than 70,000 people still don’t have access to the vaccine. Those men and women are Florida state prisoners. More than half the country has opened up vaccine eligibility, vastly expanding the ability for most Americans to get the shots, whatever their age or medical conditions. But inside prisons, it’s a different story: Prisoners, not free to seek out vaccines, still lack access on the whole. Nationwide, less than 20% of state and federal prisoners have been vaccinated, according to data collected by The Marshall Project and The Associated Press. In some states, prisoners and advocates have resorted to lawsuits to get access. And even when they are eligible, they aren’t receiving important education about the vaccine.
6th Apr 2021 - The Asssociated Press
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View this newsletter in fullEngland to open shops, gyms and outdoor pubs, PM Johnson says
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday a planned reopening of the economy would take place next week, with the opening of all shops, gyms, hairdressers and outdoor hospitality areas in England. With the vaccine programme rolling out rapidly across the UK and infection numbers falling, Johnson said England would proceed to Stage 2 of his roadmap out of lockdown from April 12. Johnson said he would go to the pub himself for a pint. People should continue to work from home when they could and minimise domestic travel, the government said. It also confirmed that the government was looking at a COVID-status certification system, or vaccine passport, to help reopen larger events.
5th Apr 2021 - Reuters
Covid in Scotland: Hairdressers and homeware shops reopen
Hairdressers, homeware shops and garden centres are reopening in Scotland as Covid restrictions on the economy have eased. Non-essential click-and-collect services are also allowed to resume. They are the latest lockdown measures to be relaxed after the Scottish government lifted its "stay at home" rule on Friday. Other businesses reopening include key cutting, mobility equipment, baby equipment and electrical repairs. Deputy First Minister John Swinney urged people to remember the virus is still circulating and to continue following the rules.
5th Apr 2021 - BBC News
Teesside firm that will produce Novavax coronavirus vaccine in new £7.9 million partnership
The company making the new Novavax coronavirus vaccine on Teesside has signed a partnership worth nearly £8 million to improve the development of medicines for a range of diseases. Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, which is producing doses of the Covid jab at its facilities in Billingham, will partner with the universities of Edinburgh, Manchester and York to boost the development of biological drugs used to treat conditions such as cancer, haemophilia and arthritis.
The £7.9 million collaboration, announced today by business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, will involve 'state of the art tools and synthetic biology' to refine the production of biological drugs from cells and increase their cost-effectiveness.
3rd Apr 2021 - Teesside Live
California to allow indoor gatherings as virus cases plummet
California on Friday cleared the way for people to attend indoor concerts, theater performances and NBA games for the first time in more than a year as the rate of people testing positive for the coronavirus in the state nears a record low. State officials won’t require testing or proof of vaccination for some of those events, but they do limit the number of people allowed to attend. Events that do require testing and vaccinations will be allowed to have more paying customers than those that don’t. Only people who live in California can attend these live performances.
3rd Apr 2021 - The Associated Press
Turkey begins administering Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 shots
Turkey has so far delivered nearly 16.6 million doses of the vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech, including two shots each for about 7.1 million people and one shot each so far for about 2.4 million people. The rollout has so far included those over 60 years of age, health personnel and other priority groups. A total of 2.8 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine have arrived in Turkey, with that number expected to reach 4.5 million in the coming days, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Wednesday.
3rd Apr 2021 - Reuters
U.S. stops AstraZeneca vaccine production at Baltimore plant
U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration on Saturday stopped a Baltimore manufacturing plant that ruined 15 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine from making another vaccine developed by AstraZeneca, the New York Times reported on Saturday. The administration has put Johnson & Johnson in charge of the troubled manufacturing plant, the report said. The U.S. Health and Human Services’ extraordinary step will render the Emergent BioSolutions facility solely devoted to making the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine, and is meant to avoid future mix-ups, according to the report, which cites two senior federal health officials.
2nd Apr 2021 - Reuters
Sinovac aims to pump out 2B COVID-19 vaccine doses a year, courtesy of third production line
As COVID-19 vaccines rack up authorizations and roll out across the globe, the manufacturing push has taken center stage. Now, one of the key players supplying shots to China and other countries is touting a major production boost. China's Sinovac Biotech has built capacity to crank out 2 billion doses of its COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac per year, thanks to a third production line that's now operational and completing commercial runs, the company said Thursday. Sinovac says it has delivered some 200 million doses of its vaccine to more than 20 countries. The company estimates more than 100 million doses have been administered in vaccination campaigns around the world. The shot boasts an emergency authorization or conditional marketing approval in more than 30 countries, including Turkey, Mexico and Indonesia, Sinovac says. China approved the vaccine for use in the general public on February 6,
2nd Apr 2021 - FiercePharma
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 1st Apr 2021
View this newsletter in fullNI Covid-19 vaccine extended to those aged 45-49
Northern Ireland’s Covid-19 vaccination programme has been extended to the next age group. People in the 45-49 age bracket can now book to have their jab at a vaccination centre or participating community pharmacy. Those eligible for vaccination also have the option of waiting for their GP to contact them to arrange their jab. The 45-49 age bracket is defined as everyone born between 01/04/1971 and 31/03/1976. Health Minister Robin Swann said: "I would encourage everyone who is eligible to get the jab as soon as possible. "I have something of an interest to declare with today’s announcement as I fall into the 45-49 age group. "I am looking forward to getting my jab very shortly."
31st Mar 2021 - Belfast Live
Amid AstraZeneca setback, Germany banks on homegrown vaccine
As Germany ponders how to accelerate its sluggish coronavirus vaccination campaign after yet another hitch involving the AstraZeneca shot, a production facility in the historic pharmaceutical center of Marburg may hold part of the answer to reliable supply in the months and years ahead. BioNTech, the German company that developed the first widely used vaccine together with U.S. partner Pfizer, is busily starting up a production facility that it says can produce up to a billion doses this year alone. That estimate was raised from the original hopes for 700 million.
31st Mar 2021 - The Associated Press
Governments, Sanofi unveil nearly $1B for vaccine-manufacturing site
Three levels of government unveiled funding for a nearly $1 billion expansion of drug-maker Sanofi’s vaccine manufacturing facility in Toronto to support future domestic production of influenza and coronavirus vaccines. The funding, announced at a joint news conference Wednesday, will allow French pharmaceutical company Sanofi S.A. to build an “end-to-end bulk vaccine manufacturing facility” at the firm’s North York campus in Toronto, Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne said. The project, which is expected to be fully operational by 2026, is meant to prepare Canada for vaccine self-sufficiency during future pandemics. When complete, it will enable “state-of-the-art” product formulation, filling, inspection and packaging of vaccines. “This project of nearly $1 billion is one of the largest-ever bio-manufacturing investments that has been (made) in Canadian history,” Champagne said.
31st Mar 2021 - iPolitics
Some Johnson & Johnson Covid Vaccine Doses Delayed in US by Factory Mix-Up
Workers at a Baltimore plant manufacturing two coronavirus vaccines accidentally conflated the vaccines’ ingredients several weeks ago, ruining about 15 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine and forcing regulators to delay authorization of the plant’s production lines. The plant is run by Emergent BioSolutions, a manufacturing partner to both Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca. Federal officials attributed the mistake to human error. The mixup has halted future shipments of Johnson & Johnson doses in the United States while the Food and Drug Administration investigates. Johnson & Johnson has moved to strengthen its control over Emergent BioSolutions’ work to avoid further quality lapses.
31st Mar 2021 - The New York Times
Hungarian journalists accuse gov’t of censoring COVID reporting
Hungarian journalists have accused the government of putting lives at risk by barring the media from covering the full extent of what is now the world’s deadliest COVID-19 outbreak. In an open letter published by most of the country’s independent news outlets on Wednesday, reporters said they had been blocked from hospitals and barred from speaking to medics, making it impossible to alert the public to the crisis.
31st Mar 2021 - AlJazeera
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 31st Mar 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: Up to 60m vaccine doses to be manufactured at Barnard Castle, Boris Johnson says
Up to 60 million doses of COVID vaccine will be manufactured at Barnard Castle in the North East, Boris Johnson has announced. The prime minister revealed that the Novavax jab - which has yet to be approved - will undergo its "fill and finish" stage at a GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) facility. Part of the vaccine is already being produced in the North East, at a Fujifilm site in Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees, as it awaits approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
30th Mar 2021 - Sky News
To broaden vaccine access, Maryland turns to doctors’ offices
After months of waiting, primary care doctors in Maryland are receiving small batches of coronavirus vaccines to administer to patients — part of the state’s latest effort to broaden vaccine access and reach minority communities struggling to navigate complex registration systems. Maryland on Friday concluded a pilot program that distributed vaccine doses to 37 primary care practices, most of which serve primarily Black or Latino patients. The pilot was a success, said Howard Haft, director of the Maryland Primary Care Program, and starting this week, the program will become a “full-fledged” part of the state’s vaccine infrastructure, with doses going out to 90 of 400 enrolled practices.
30th Mar 2021 - The Washington Post
BioNTech increases Covid vaccine production target to 2.5bn doses
BioNTech and Pfizer plan to manufacture an additional 500m doses of their Covid-19 vaccine this year, bringing their production target to 2.5bn shots. The German biotechnology group said in its annual earnings report on Tuesday that increased output was possible thanks to optimised production processes and an expansion of its manufacturing and supply network. “We have increased our supply target for 2021 to 2.5bn doses,” said Ugur Sahin, chief executive. “This will require further process improvements and further expansion of our supplier and [marketing] network, but we believe we are on track to achieve this.”
30th Mar 2021 - The Financial Times
GSK to help manufacture 60m doses of Novavax Covid vaccine in UK
British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline will be part of the manufacturing process for up to 60m doses of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by US rival Novavax in an agreement set to boost UK production of coronavirus jabs. The vaccine has yet to receive the green light from UK regulators, but is expected to be submitted for approval over the next three months after showing strong efficacy in a recent late-stage trial, including against the more transmissible B.1.1.7 variant circulating in the UK. Under an agreement in principle with Novavax and the UK government’s Vaccines Taskforce, GSK will “fill and finish” 60m doses of the vaccine, preparing the vials and packaging the finished doses for distribution, the company said.
30th Mar 2021 - Financial Times
Biggest share of Indian-made vaccines for UN drive stays in India
India itself has received more than one-third of the nearly 28 million Indian-made AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses delivered so far by the global programme for poor countries, according to data from UNICEF and a source. The revelation that most of the doses India supplied to the COVAX programme never actually left the country could add to criticism of India and COVAX after New Delhi decided this month to delay big exports of vaccines that poor countries around the world had been counting on.
30th Mar 2021 - AlJazeera
Hospitals in Ecuador's capital overwhelmed by COVID-19 infections, doctors say
Ecuador’s health system is under severe strain from a spike in coronavirus infections, doctors in the country’s capital said on Tuesday, adding that some Quito hospitals are working above capacity to treat COVID-19 patients. Ecuador’s suffered a brutal outbreak of coronavirus in early 2020, primarily in the largest city of Guayaquil. Authorities controlled the situation after several months, but in recent weeks have seen cases jump in cities around the country. “The saturation of the health system is not only in Quito but at the national level,” Dr. Victor Alvarez, president of the doctors association of the state of Pichincha, where Quito is located, told reporters. “Seeing images of patients lying on the ground, or perhaps on a military mattress, receiving oxygen in emergency units, that’s sad.”
30th Mar 2021 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 30th Mar 2021
View this newsletter in fullPlea from doctors as Paris hospitals overrun with Covid patients
Hospitals in the Paris region are so overwhelmed by Covid-19 patients they will soon have to select those most deserving of intensive care, doctors say. Forty-one heads of intensive care, crisis units and other services involved in the pandemic issued the warning in an open letter in the Journal du Dimanche as President Macron continued to reject calls from health professionals and the opposition for tougher measures to curb a raging third wave. Hospital resources are unable to keep pace with the pressure of new patients and within a fortnight will have to resort to “disaster medicine” practised in national emergencies as the peak approaches, the doctors wrote. “We already know that our capacity to offer care will be overwhelmed.
29th Mar 2021 - The Times
COVID-19: UK hits 30 million first coronavirus vaccine doses - 57% of all adults
More than 30 million people in the UK have now had a first COVID vaccine dose. Government figures show 30,151,287 have had a first dose - around 57% of all UK adults - after 650,000 were administered on Saturday. A total of 3,527,481 people have had two doses - 6% of adults. Ministers remain confident that all over-50s will have been offered a first dose by 15 April. The government aims to offer all adults a jab by the end of July.
29th Mar 2021 - Sky News
Moderna says shipped 100 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to United States
(Reuters) - Moderna Inc said on Monday it has shipped 100 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to the United States, of which 88 million have been delivered to date in the first quarter of 2021. The company expects to meet its promise of delivering the ...
29th Mar 2021 - Yahoo
Vaccination rates for over-70s ‘markedly lower’ amongst certain groups – ONS
Older people from black African backgrounds are more than seven times as likely as white British people to have not received a coronavirus vaccine, official analysis suggests. Vaccination rates in England up to March 11 were markedly lower in the over-70s who identify as black African and black Caribbean Muslim and disabled, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is the first time the ONS has published analysis on vaccination rates in older people broken down by age, sex, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability and deprivation.
29th Mar 2021 - Evening Standard
Covid: Wales will prioritise second jabs in vaccine supply slowdown
Second Covid vaccine doses will be prioritised during the expected supply slowdown of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, Wales' chief pharmacist has said. Covid vaccine supplies are set to be delayed by in April and Wales expects to have 250,000 fewer Oxford-AstraZeneca jab doses. Andrew Evans said Wales' overall position was good with more than 13% of the population fully vaccinated. Mr Evans said the shipping delay will not affect Wales hitting its targets. He said Wales aims to vaccinate its priority groups by mid-April and offer all adults a jab by the end of July.
29th Mar 2021 - BBC News
Russia Trumpets Coronavirus Vaccine Exports, While Quietly Importing Doses
Russia has lauded with much fanfare the arrival of its homegrown vaccine, Sputnik V, in Latin America and Africa, and even in some countries in Europe, calling it a solution to shortages around the world. It has been less vocal, though, about one country that is also importing the vaccine: Russia. The Russian government has contracted out the manufacture of Sputnik V to a South Korean company that has already sent the vaccine to Russia, and plans to do the same with a company from India. While the scale of the imports is impossible to gauge because of nondisclosure agreements, they undermine some of the narrative Russia has proudly presented about its role in the pandemic as an exporter of vaccines to needy countries.
29th Mar 2021 - The New York Times
Family doctors advocate for more coronavirus vaccines, say it will reduce hesitancy
Family doctors play a big role in reducing coronavirus vaccine hesitancy, especially for those who are used to being vaccinated there, said Dr. Pamela Rockwell. Rockwell, who has practiced for more than 20 years, said family physicians are already answering patient questions about the coronavirus vaccine and are ready to help. “Whether I’m doing virtual medicine now or in person medicine, I am able to answer their questions and there hasn’t been a single patient that has not been sort of convinced,” said Rockwell, who currently practices through the University of Michigan health system. According to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 75% of people would be very likely to get the coronavirus vaccine from their doctor and 38% chose this as their most preferred vaccination site
29th Mar 2021 - mlive.com
Serbia vaccinates thousands of foreigners against COVID-19
Serbia has vaccinated thousands of citizens from neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Croatia against COVID-19 during the weekend. On Saturday, 9,600 vaccinations were administered to foreigners from the region in the capital Belgrade, Nikola Nikodijevic, the president of Belgrade city council, told Serbian cable TV Vesti.
29th Mar 2021 - AlJazeera
Hungary first in European Union for vaccinations, and deaths
Hungary has vaccinated more of its population than any other country in the European Union, according to figures from an EU agency, but it continues to be one of the world’s worst in the number of COVID-19 deaths per capita. The Central European country has given at least a first dose of a vaccine to 21.6% of its population, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, just ahead of the small island nation of Malta and surpassing the 27-member bloc’s average of 12.3%. But Hungary’s high vaccination rate, a product of a procurement strategy that secured doses from China and Russia in addition to those provided by the EU, has been unable to slow a surge in the pandemic that has given it the highest two-week mortality rate per capita in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University.
29th Mar 2021 - The Associated Press
UAE to manufacture Chinese COVID vaccine in Abu Dhabi
A new factory in Abu Dhabi will start manufacturing Sinopharm’s COVID-19 vaccine later this year. The production will be under a joint venture between the Chinese pharmaceutical giant and Abu Dhabi-based technology company Group 42 (G42).
29th Mar 2021 - AlJazeera
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 29th Mar 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: Second doses are 'protected' for when UK's vaccine supply falls in April, NHS England says
The UK has enough vaccine supplies to ensure that Britons can receive their second doses without disruption, NHS England's medical director for primary care has said. Weeks after the health service warned that the country will face a "significant reduction" in the availability of coronavirus jabs next month, Dr Nikki Kanani said: "The supply over April is slower, but we know that we will keep going. "We've got enough vaccine to give people the second doses, those second doses are protected, and we've got enough vaccine to protect those in the priority cohorts."
28th Mar 2021 - Sky News
Foreigners flock to Serbia to get coronavirus vaccine shots
Thousands of vaccine-seekers from countries neighboring Serbia have flocked to Belgrade after Serbian authorities offered free coronavirus jabs to foreigners who showed up over the weekend
28th Mar 2021 - ABC News
France sees further rise in coronavirus patients in intensive care
The number of patients with coronavirus in French intensive care units rose on Saturday to a new high for this year, increasing the pressure to impose new restrictions that President Emmanuel Macron says will probably be needed. France had 4,791 ICU patients being treated for COVID-19, up from 4,766 on Friday, health ministry data showed. The numbers are approaching a peak recorded in mid-November during the second wave of the virus, although last spring, when France imposed its first lockdown, saw a peak of more than 7,000. Doctors say intensive care units in the worst-hit regions could become overwhelmed.
28th Mar 2021 - Reuters
Over-70s likely to get coronavirus vaccine booster shots from September to protect against variants
The Government has confirmed i‘s report that over-70s are set to receive booster shots from September, in a bid to protect them against new variants of Covid-19.
Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said confirmed plans for the future of the vaccine rollout, the first booster doses would go to the top four priority groups, including care home staff, NHS workers and the clinically extremely vulnerable. Speaking to The Telegraph, he suggested booster shots would likely begin in September, adding that the Government is expecting up to eight different jabs to be available by the autumn, including one protecting against three different variants in a single dose.
27th Mar 2021 - iNews
De Croo counting on share of Pfizer's early delivery coronavirus vaccines
Belgium should receive a share of the ten million coronavirus vaccines which Pfizer has promised to deliver to the European Union by this summer, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Thursday evening after a European Council meeting. Last week, the European Commission agreed that the company will deliver 10 million doses, which were originally expected to be given to EU member states in November, by the summer. “The consensus is that these doses will be distributed in solidarity, to find a solution to the difference in delivery speed, which means Belgium will also be able to benefit from this,” De Croo said after the video conference.
26th Mar 2021 - The Brussels Times
Frustrated EU leaders pass vaccine fight to ambassadors
Suddenly, the EU’s top diplomats — the Committee of Permanent Representatives — look more like the Committee of Pro-Rata Referees. After EU heads of state and government spent hours arguing during a video summit on Thursday about how to divvy up an extra load of 10 million coronavirus vaccine doses, they gave up and asked diplomats to settle the matter. The decision to seek arbitration among the ambassadors came after Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz virtually sabotaged the meeting by insisting that his country receive extra doses, even though European Commission data shows Austria faring relatively well among EU nations in terms of vaccine supplies. There's also the issue that all EU countries, Austria included, had previously agreed to a pro-rata formula that gives each member state an equal chance to purchase their fair share of shots.
26th Mar 2021 - POLITICO.eu
COVID-19 prevalence in England no longer falling, UK's ONS says
The prevalence of COVID-19 infections in England is no longer falling and has levelled off at an estimated 1 in 340 people, Britain's Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Friday, a possible side-effect of England's emergence from full lockdown. "In England, the percentage of people testing positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) is likely to have levelled off in the week ending 20 March 2021," the ONS said. The estimate of prevalence at 1 in 340 people was unchanged on the previous week. It is the first time prevalence has not fallen in the closely watched estimate of community infections since late January. England's third national lockdown was introduced on January 5.
26th Mar 2021 - Yahoo Finance
More than 30 states expanding COVID-19 vaccine eligibility
With national vaccinations ramping up to more than 2.5 million people per day, at least 34 states have made all adults eligible to receive one of three approved COVID-19 vaccines—or plan to by mid-April— as the United States continues to race to vaccinate as many people as possible while variant cases continue to rise. "It's clear, there is a case for optimism; but there is not a case for relaxation," said Jeff Zients, coordinator of the White House's COVID-19 response, today during a White House press briefing. California is the largest state to announce a change in eligibility: On Apr 1 all residents 50 and older will be eligible, and all residents 16 and older will be able to get a vaccine on Apr 15. On Mar 29, Texas will open up its vaccination to all residents.
26th Mar 2021 - CIDRAP
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 26th Mar 2021
View this newsletter in fullAs some states open Covid-19 vaccines to all, many others are still weeks away. Here's a timeline.
John McGee, 21, told CNN on Tuesday that he was mindlessly scrolling through Twitter last Monday when he saw Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves' post: "Starting tomorrow, ALL new appointments will be open to ALL Mississippians. Get your shot friends - and let's get back to normal!" Mississippi is 1 of 5 states that have expanded coronavirus vaccine eligibility to anyone 16 and older, and a CNN analysis finds that at least 20 more plan to open up to people 16 and older by the end of April. Alaska was the first state in the US to stop prioritizing certain groups for Covid-19 vaccines and open vaccination appointments to everyone 16 and older who lives or works in the state.
25th Mar 2021 - CNN
More than 700,000 get first Covid-19 vaccine jab in Northern Ireland
More than 700,000 people in Northern Ireland have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccines, the North’s health department reported on Thursday. The department reported that so far 703,334 have got their first jab of vaccine with 104,907 having got their second dose. The department says it is on target to have vaccinated the entire Northern Ireland adult population of 1.4 million people by July.
25th Mar 2021 - The Irish Times
Covid-19: Over-50s urged to book jabs before vaccine supplies dip
The Covid-19 vaccination programme has saved more than 6,000 lives, an analysis by Public Health England says. Most would have been among the over-80s and some among people in their 70s, estimates up to the end of February suggest. It comes as people in England aged over 50 and in at-risk categories are being urged to book their Covid jabs before Monday, when slots are set to dry up. The NHS said appointments should be arranged by 29 March.
25th Mar 2021 - BBC
New Jersey’s vaccine rollout is mostly working. In Pennsylvania, it’s more complicated.
Plenty of Pennsylvanians have gotten covid-19 shots — the state ranks above average in percentage of residents with first doses — and many New Jerseyans by turn have been frustrated by the process. But by most measures, New Jersey is ahead of its neighbor when it comes to delivering vaccinations. New Jersey has a phone hotline for people without internet access; Pennsylvania has a website with limited utility that offers only information and no appointments. New Jersey has had mass vaccination sites for months; Pennsylvania is only now planning them.
25th Mar 2021 - The Philadelphia Inquirer
Why Supply Isn’t the Only Thing Stymying Europe’s Coronavirus Vaccine Rollout
The mayor of Cremona, one of the northern Italian towns first hammered by the coronavirus during the pandemic’s initial explosion in Europe, received a call over the weekend that the local vaccination center was empty. The region’s booking system had failed to set up appointments with older residents, leaving more than 500 doses of vaccine at risk of going to waste. “There was staff, there were also vaccines, but there were no people,” said the mayor, Gianluca Galimberti, adding that the situation had been bad for weeks. Similar scenarios are playing out throughout the country, as the authorities struggle to get vaccines to older and vulnerable Italians who most need them.
25th Mar 2021 - The New York Times
Half of Israelis fully vaccinated as Palestinians lag
More than half of Israel’s 9.2 million people have received both doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19, the health ministry has said. Yet vaccination is far slower in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority (PA), which has relied on donations and limited supplies from Israel. The 5.5 million Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank and blockaded Gaza Strip have received only about 120,000 vaccines so far. With more than 4.6 million residents vaccinated, Israel continues its world-beating campaign that sent infection rates plummeting and allowed for some limited loosening of restrictions. But it has come under international criticism for not doing more to enable Palestinian vaccination
25th Mar 2021 - AlJazeera
Novavax delays EU vaccine supply deal amid production problems - source
Novavax is delaying signing a contract to supply its COVID-19 vaccine to the European Union, an EU official involved in the talks told Reuters, as the U.S. biotech company warned it was struggling to source some raw materials. Prolonging the talks might further complicate the EU’s vaccination plans as the bloc had planned to sign a deal early this year for at least 100 million doses of Novavax’s vaccine, with an option for another 100 million. The EU official, who asked not to named as the talks are confidential, said the company had postponed signing a deal for weeks, citing legal issues in meetings with the bloc’s vaccine negotiators. “They are slowing down the process of finishing the contract,” the official, who attended the meetings, told Reuters.
25th Mar 2021 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 25th Mar 2021
View this newsletter in full‘Brazil is suffocating’: COVID surge creates severe oxygen crisis
Earlier this year, the jungle city of Manaus sent shockwaves across the globe when hospitals ran out of oxygen with lethal consequences – turning the city into the world’s COVID-19 epicentre. Two months on, Brazil’s COVID catastrophe has never been worse. Now, with new coronavirus variants and a series of grim records of deaths and infections, there are fears that a lack of oxygen supplies seen in Manaus, the Amazonas state capital, could unfold elsewhere.
25th Mar 2021 - Al Jazeera English
Half of adults in Scotland to have first dose of Covid-19 vaccine by end of day
More half of adults in Scotland will have received a first dose of coronavirus vaccinate by the end of Wednesday, Nicola Sturgeon has announced. The First Minister also confirmed the Scottish Government is on course to have offered a first dose to all adults by the end of July, supplies permitting. As she announced three deaths of coronavirus patients and 692 new cases have been recorded in Scotland in the past 24 hours, she said the Scottish Government is also set to have offered a first vaccine jag to to all the JCVI priority groups by mid-April.
24th Mar 2021 - Evening Standard
Coronavirus: NI 'a month ahead' of Ireland on vaccines
Northern Ireland is about a month ahead of the Republic of Ireland's Covid-19 vaccination programme, according to the taoiseach (Irish prime minister). Micheál Martin said it did not make much sense to talk about north-south vaccination alignment because NI was part of the UK programme while Ireland was part of the EU's. Alignment would be ideal, he said, but "we're not in that situation". An alignment on mandatory quarantines, however, would be "useful", he added.
24th Mar 2021 - BBC News
Covid: Cornwall vaccine centres to close ahead of supply shortage
Two vaccination centres in Cornwall will temporarily close next month following delays importing the coronavirus vaccine into the UK. NHS Kernow confirmed there will be a pause to vaccine appointments at Stithians and Wadebridge. The two centres will be affected during the first half of April, although exact dates have not officially been given. The government said it is sending the available doses to areas which have "further to go" in the vaccine rollout. In a letter to local health organisations last week, the NHS warned of a "significant reduction in the weekly supply" of coronavirus vaccines in England in April.
24th Mar 2021 - BBC News
China triples output of COVID-19 vaccines from early Feb - Xinhua
China's daily output of COVID-19 vaccines has reached about 5 million doses, more than tripling the 1.5 million-dose daily production rate on Feb. 1, official media said on Wednesday. China has supplied more than 100 million doses domestically, the Xinhua news agency said on its social media page, citing Xiao Yaqing, the minister of industry and information technology. A total of 82.85 million vaccine doses were given by Tuesday, China's National Health Commission said on Wednesday. That compares with 74.96 million administered as of the end of Saturday, indicating a significant acceleration of the vaccination drive.
24th Mar 2021 - Yahoo! Finance
Cuba will administer Covid-19 experimental vaccines to nearly all Havana residents
Cuba will administer experimental Covid-19 shots to nearly the entire population of the capital Havana by May as health authorities carry out massive interventional studies and late stage trials, officials said on Tuesday. Cuba, which has a long history of developing and exporting vaccines, this month began late phase trials of two of its five experimental shots, Soberana 2 and Abdala, which will be Latin America’s first homegrown COVID-19 vaccines if they prove successful. Authorities could seek approval for emergency use of Abdala and Soberana 2, which both target the spike protein of the novel coronavirus, in June
24th Mar 2021 - NBC News
Covid-19: Community pharmacists on front line during pandemic
As the effects of the pandemic began to be felt, and lockdown became a reality, the 528-strong community pharmacy network in Northern Ireland found itself on its own frontline. "We were really the most accessible health professional in the community," said Anita Gribbin, a community pharmacist in Toome, County Antrim. "You nearly don't remember it now, it is like a blur. "And I hasten to add, this wasn't just me, this was every community pharmacy. "You just had to think on your feet - you made changes, we had to make changes in here with regard to social distance. "Obviously masks came in, and we actually all kitted out in scrubs at that stage."
24th Mar 2021 - BBC News
Syria provides Lebanon oxygen supplies amid dire shortages
War-torn Syria promised oxygen supplies to neighbouring Lebanon as both countries struggle with unprecedented economic woes and a surge of coronavirus infections. “We will supply Lebanon with 75 tonnes of oxygen in instalments of 25 tonnes a day for a period of three days,” Health Minister Hasan al-Ghabbash told reporters after a meeting with his Lebanese counterpart on Wednesday.
24th Mar 2021 - Al Jazeera English
Central Europe’s hospitals slammed, can’t treat all in need
Poland recorded its highest daily number of new coronavirus infections Wednesday as hospitals buckle under a new surge. Hungary has the highest per capita death rate in the world. And Romanian doctors are working around the clock and having to decide who does — and doesn’t — get a bed in an intensive care unit. The coronavirus pandemic is unleashing enormous suffering as infection rates rise across central Europe even as the Czech Republic and Slovakia — recently among the worst-hit areas in the world — are finally seeing some improvements following tight lockdowns.
24th Mar 2021 - The Associated Press
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 24th Mar 2021
View this newsletter in fullJ&J plant authorization clears way for big boost in U.S. COVID-19 shots
A large plant being used to manufacture Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine was cleared by U.S. regulators on Tuesday, setting the stage for the weekly U.S. supply to surge more then 20 percent. About 27 million COVID-19 vaccine doses will be allocated to U.S. states and other localities this week, including 4 million from J&J, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters. That is the largest allocation yet, up from 22 million last week. Earlier, the Indiana plant at which Catalent Inc is helping to manufacture the J&J vaccine received U.S. regulatory authorization, the companies said.
24th Mar 2021 - Reuters
Demand for Healthcare Workers Rises During Covid-19 Pandemic
As the pandemic wore on, some New Yorkers reinvented themselves as entrepreneurs, artisans or online instructors teaching everything from yoga to Yiddish. Then there’s 27-year-old Chime Dolka. She, too, launched a new career—as a nurse’s aide in a Brooklyn nursing home. Resting in the park last week following a long shift tending patients while wearing enough PPE to defend a medieval warrior, Ms. Dolka said she’s fulfilling a dream. “There is one thing I really want to do, that I want to accomplish with my life,” she said. “Be a good nurse.” People like Ms. Dolka are hard to find these days. The 1199SEIU Training and Employment Funds—the education and job-placement arm of the city’s big healthcare workers’ union—says job orders for certified nursing assistants rose 25%, last year, to 1,000. And as some nursing homes became hot spots for Covid-19 outbreaks, the positions got harder to fill.
23rd Mar 2021 - Wall Street Journal
Covid-19: Birmingham GPs told to postpone vaccinating under 50s
GPs in Birmingham who had offered Covid-19 jabs to some under-50s have been told to cancel the appointments. Some patients aged in their 40s got text messages at the weekend telling them vaccinations had been postponed due to a "national shortfall". The UK will be affected by a delay in a delivery from India, but on Friday a record number of Covid jabs were given. The NHS said some Birmingham bookings had been cancelled because those people were not in a currently eligible group.
23rd Mar 2021 - BBC News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 23rd Mar 2021
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Primary pupils and years 12-14 return to school
In Northern Ireland, all primary school pupils and those in years 12 to 14 of post-primary returned to school on Monday. That follows a decision taken by the executive at its meeting on 16 March. Primary pupils in P4 to P7 join those in P1 to P3 who returned to school on 8 March. Pupils returning on Monday have not been in school since before Christmas, their second prolonged absence from the classroom in a year. They will attend school for at least a week before many schools begin Easter holidays.
22nd Mar 2021 - BBC News
German tourist industry warns of job losses from tighter pandemic lockdowns
The German tourist industry has warned of layoffs and bankruptices if authorities further tighten lockdowns meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus including by enforcing quarantine for those returning from holidays abroad. National and regional leaders meeting on Monday evening to decide the next round of measures to tackle the coronavirus pandemic are mulling requiring quarantine for all returning travellers, not just those who were in high-risk areas.
22nd Mar 2021 - Reuters
New York lowers coronavirus vaccine eligibility age to 50
New York will join a handful of U.S. states that have lowered their eligibility age for coronavirus vaccines to 50, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday. The state, the country’s fourth most populous, had restricted eligibility to residents who are at least 60 years old, have pre-existing health conditions or are essential workers, especially those who come in contact with the public. “We are dropping the age and vaccinating more people,” Cuomo said at a church in Mount Vernon, New York, where he launched a campaign to encourage houses of worship to make themselves available as vaccination sites.
22nd Mar 2021 - Reuters on MSN.com
Taiwan kicks off COVID vaccination campaign with AstraZeneca jab
Taiwan’s Premier Su Tseng-chang received the AstraZeneca COVID-19 shot on Monday, having volunteered to be first in line to underscore government confidence in the vaccine’s safety as the island began its inoculation campaign.
“I have just finished getting the injection, there is no pain at the injection site, and there is no soreness of the body,” Su told reporters at National Taiwan University Hospital in central Taipei
22nd Mar 2021 - AlJazeera
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View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus vaccine rollout tipped to meet targets despite flooding, international supply issues
Federal health authorities say they are confident the next phase of Australia's COVID-19 vaccination program will meet its targets, despite international supply issues and weather-related delivery delays. Phase 1B of the program is due to start on Monday, with about 6 million Australians eligible to receive their first doses. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd said the medical regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, expected to complete the approvals process for locally produced doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine "in the coming days"
21st Mar 2021 - ABC News
Coronavirus: The Indian factory making 6,000 syringes a minute
Rajiv Nath, who heads India's largest syringe factory, says he is turning down as many as 40 requests for syringes from across the world. Mr Nath's Hindustan Syringes & Medical Devices (HMD) is in huge demand now as countries try to ramp up vaccination against Covid-19. The factory is currently producing some four million syringes a day but Mr Nath says that's still not enough given that the world needs 10 billion syringes to vaccinate just 60% of its population. He hopes that better coordination between the WHO, governments and syringe makers will smooth the way going forward.
21st Mar 2021 - BBC News
Ontario COVID-19 vaccines expand to people 75 and older, 60 and older to begin at pharmacies with AstraZeneca
Ontario is expanding its booking system to make an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine to people who are 75 and older across the province, effective Monday, March 22. "The progress we are making on our Vaccine Distribution Plan demonstrates what can be done when we unleash the full potential of Team Ontario," a statement from Ontario Premier Doug Ford reads. "Thanks to the efforts of an army of frontline health care heroes and volunteers, we are getting needles in arms even faster than we had imagined. All we need now is a steady and reliable supply of vaccines from the Federal government to ensure anyone who wants one, gets one as soon as possible so we can all stay safe."
19th Mar 2021 - Yahoo
US coronavirus vaccine rollout becomes 'less messy'
In December, then President-elect Joe Biden set a goal of getting 100 million people vaccinated against Covid-19 in the first 100 days of his presidency. At this rate, it looks like US will hit that mark on Friday, which is day 58. "These milestones are significant accomplishments, but we have much more to do," Biden said Thursday. "That's just the floor. We will not stop until we beat this pandemic." The country still has a long way to go, but the vaccine rollout is looking a lot less chaotic. As of Thursday, about 12.3% of people are fully vaccinated in the US. That's a long way from herd immunity, where enough people have been vaccinated or had the disease to have immunity, if herd immunity is even achievable.
19th Mar 2021 - CNN
Many health-care workers have not gotten a coronavirus vaccine
Health-care workers were the first group in the United States to be offered coronavirus vaccinations. But three months into the effort, many remain unconvinced, unreached and unprotected. The lingering obstacles to vaccinating health-care workers foreshadow the challenge the United States will face as it expands the pool of people eligible and attempts to get the vast majority of the U.S. population vaccinated. According to a Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation poll, barely half of front-line health-care workers (52 percent) said they had received at least their first vaccine dose at the time they were surveyed. More than 1 in 3 said they were not confident vaccines were sufficiently tested for safety and effectiveness.
19th Mar 2021 - The Washington Post
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View this newsletter in fullIndia coronavirus: Concerns mount over high levels of vaccine wastage
More than two million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have gone to waste during India’s national inoculation drive, leading some officials to call on the public to cherish the “elixir-like, precious commodity”. On Wednesday, Indian health officials highlighted that about 6.5 per cent of all doses delivered to the front line have been wasted. Concerns are such that prime minister Narendra Modi spoke out over the issue, demanding immediate steps to tackle the problem and stating that “we are denying somebody’s rights because of this wastage”.
18th Mar 2021 - The Independent
More dying of Covid-19 now in Europe than in first wave as UK variant takes hold
More people are dying of Covid-19 now in Europe than during March 2020, the World Health Organization has warned. The WHO's emergencies lead in Europe, Dr Catherine Smallwood, said she was "particularly worried" about the situation in the Balkans, the Baltic States and Central Europe, where hospitalisations and deaths are among the highest in the world. The numbers of new cases per million people are also rising so fast that in some countries - notably Estonia, Bosnia, Hungary and Poland - the graphs tracking the virus point almost vertically upwards.
Experts said that the combination of the spread of the more transmissible UK variant coupled with slow government reactions, as well as a lack of vaccinations in some countries, could all be contributing to the spiking numbers and Europe's looming third wave.
18th Mar 2021 - The Daily Telegraph
U.S. to share 4 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine with Mexico, Canada
The United States plans to send roughly 4 million doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine that it is not using to Mexico and Canada in loan deals with the two countries, yielding to requests to share vaccines with allies. Mexico will receive 2.5 million doses of the vaccine and Canada is to receive 1.5 million doses, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. “It is not fully finalized yet but it is our aim,” Psaki told a daily briefing. “Ensuring our neighbors can contain the virus is ... mission critical to ending the pandemic.” The Biden administration has come under pressure from countries around the world to share vaccines, particularly its stock of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, which is authorized for use elsewhere but not yet in the United States.
18th Mar 2021 - Reuters
Brazil struggles with lack of ICU doctors as pandemic worsens
As Brazil’s coronavirus outbreak spirals out of control, the country is facing a dangerous new shortage, threatening to drive fatalities even higher: a lack of staff in intensive care units. ome medical professionals are burned out after months of grueling, soul-sapping work. Others are simply unable to keep up with the endless flow of critical COVID-19 patients pushing the country’s healthcare system to the brink. “Intensive care doctors are a commodity in short supply,” César Eduardo Fernandes, the president of the Brazilian Medical Association (AMB) told Reuters on Wednesday. “There’s no way to meet this brutal, catastrophic demand.”
18th Mar 2021 - Reuters
Taiwan clears AstraZeneca vaccine, shots might start on Monday
Taiwan has given regulatory approval to AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine and might start giving the first inoculations as early as Monday, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said. Taiwan’s first vaccines – 117,000 doses of the AstraZeneca shot – arrived on the island earlier this month.
18th Mar 2021 - Al Jazeera English
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View this newsletter in fullAll over-50s can now book coronavirus vaccine, says NHS
Everyone over the age of 50 can now book a coronavirus vaccination as the NHS widens eligibility amid an expected surge in supply of vaccine from this week. NHS England changed the eligibility on its main vaccination booking website on Wednesday morning, reducing the eligibility from 55 to anyone aged 50 or over. It means anyone over the age of 50 can go online and book themselves a vaccination, they do not need to wait to be contacted by their GP.
17th Mar 2021 - The Independent
Chile's red-hot inoculation drive reaches frozen continent of Antarctica
Chile’s blazing fast vaccination program has reached the icy shores of Antarctica, officials and researchers told Reuters on Wednesday, bringing a sense of relief to one of the most isolated and vulnerable outposts on Earth. The pandemic hit Antarctica in December, making it the last of the world’s continents to report an outbreak of COVID-19. Chilean health and army officials scrambled to clear out staff from a remote region with limited medical facilities. Marcela Andrade, an official with the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), told Reuters by phone that air force personnel, followed by staff at the Profesor Julio Escudero research base, were inoculated on Sunday with vaccine from China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd.
17th Mar 2021 - Reuters
Covid vaccines for England's under-50s delayed due to major shortage
People under the age of 50 may have to wait up to a month longer than planned for their Covid vaccination because of a major shortage of vaccines, NHS leaders have said. The unexpected delay was revealed in a letter to health service chiefs, who have been ordered to stop booking first-dose appointments for anyone under 50 for all of April. The letter from NHS England explained that the move was necessary because there would be a “significant reduction in weekly supply available from manufacturers beginning in the week commencing 29 March”.
17th Mar 2021 - The Guardian
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View this newsletter in fullNHS staff who refuse Covid vaccine could be redeployed away from ‘exposure-prone’ settings
NHS hospitals in England could redeploy staff who refuse to get a coronavirus vaccine away from “exposure prone” settings, a new document suggests. The document published by NHS England on Friday, first reported by the Health Service Journal (HSJ), sets out how employers can ensure staff who have declined vaccination are safe at work. It explains that where staff have refused vaccination, effort should be taken to ensure they have the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and that they have had a mask fitting.
16th Mar 2021 - iNews
Further Covid-19 positives in GB team highlight concerns over Olympic travel
The Great Britain athletics team has been hit by nine positive Covid-19 tests, a week after being forced to isolate on their return from the European Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland because a staff member contracted the virus. With more athletes and staff due to be tested today, the situation is causing deep concern among the country’s athletics stars about the potential risks involved in travelling as a team to Tokyo this summer for the Olympic Games. With athletes due to be regularly tested upon arrival at the Olympic Village, another such outbreak could deny athletes the opportunity to compete.
16th Mar 2021 - The Times
Over-50s set to get call-up for Covid-19 vaccine as supply surge means half of adults will soon be jabbed
All remaining over-50s are set to be offered a Covid-19 vaccine in the coming days with a surge in supply meaning half of all adults will have had a jab by the end of the week. The number of doses being administered across the UK has begun to accelerate rapidly with as many as five million jabs likely to be given out this week – more than twice the rate seen in March so far. Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “We are expecting that, taking first and second doses together, there will be around 400,000 vaccinations done over the course of this week.” If the other nations of the UK accelerate their own programmes in line with Scotland’s, nearly five million jabs will be given out this week – taking the country past the symbolic milestone of giving a dose to half all those aged 18 or older.
16th Mar 2021 - iNews
Schools weighing whether to seat students closer together
New evidence that it may be safe for schools to seat students 3 feet apart — half of the previous recommended distance — could offer a way to return more of the nation’s children to classrooms with limited space. Even as more teachers receive vaccinations against COVID-19, social distancing guidelines have remained a major hurdle for districts across the U.S. Debate around the issue flared last week when a study suggested that masked students can be seated as close as 3 feet apart with no increased risk to them or teachers. Published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, the research looked at schools in Massachusetts, which has backed the 3-foot guideline for months. Illinois and Indiana are also allowing 3 feet of distance, and other states such as Oregon are considering doing the same. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now exploring the idea too.
16th Mar 2021 - Associated Press
Canada lags in vaccinations but expects to catch up quickly
Canada once was hailed as a success story in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, faring much better than the United States in deaths and infections because of how it approached lockdowns. But the trade-dependent nation has lagged on vaccinating its population because it lacks the ability to manufacture the vaccine and has had to rely on the global supply chain for the lifesaving shots, like many other countries. With no domestic supply, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government bet on seven different vaccines manufactured elsewhere and secured advance purchase agreements. Regulators have approved the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. While acquiring them has proven difficult, that gamble appears to be about to pay off.
16th Mar 2021 - Associated Press
Emergent, amid gung-ho COVID-19 production push, eyes upgrade to Canadian vaccine plant: report
Emergent BioSolutions quickly positioned itself as one of the manufacturers to beat in the U.S. fight against COVID-19. Now, the company's laying out plans to upgrade a vaccine facility in Winnipeg—with the help of the Canadian government. Emergent is in talks with Ottawa to fund an expansion of that plant, The Globe and Mail reports. The facility, which employs around 350, is equipped to handle the final manufacturing stages for mRNA, mammalian and microbial drugs—including mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines like those sold by Pfizer and Moderna. The CDMO's Winnipeg plant performs product formulation and fill-finish services, though it doesn't produce drug substance, the news outlet said. Emergent has already pledged current formulation and fill-finish capacity at the plant to local drugmaker Providence Therapeutics, plugging away on an mRNA-based vaccine.
16th Mar 2021 - FiercePharma
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 16th Mar 2021
View this newsletter in fullUS Prison Guards Refusing Vaccine Despite COVID-19 Outbreaks
In Massachusetts, more than half the people employed by the Department of Correction declined to be immunized. A statewide survey in California showed that half of all correction employees will wait to be vaccinated. In Rhode Island, prison staff have refused the vaccine at higher rates than the incarcerated, according to medical director Dr. Justin Berk. And in Iowa, early polling among employees showed a little more than half the staff said they’d get vaccinated. As states have begun COVID-19 inoculations at prisons across the country, corrections employees are refusing vaccines at alarming rates, causing some public health experts to worry about the prospect of controlling the pandemic both inside and outside. Infection rates in prisons are more than three times as high as in the general public. Prison staff helped accelerate outbreaks by refusing to wear masks, downplaying people’s symptoms, and haphazardly enforcing social distancing and hygiene protocols in confined, poorly ventilated spaces ripe for viral spread.
15th Mar 2021 - U.S. News & World Report
Montreal pharmacies to begin booking coronavirus vaccine appointments
Quebecers in the Montreal area should be able to book vaccine appointments at local pharmacies starting Monday as the province continues to expand its COVID-19 immunization campaign. Health Minister Christian Dubé announced earlier this month that some 350 pharmacies in the Montreal area will start taking appointments through the province’s vaccine booking portal Monday, with shots to begin March 22. He said the program will eventually expand to more than 1,400 pharmacies across the province that will administer about two million doses. The Montreal region is being prioritized in part because of the presence of more contagious COVID-19 variants, such as the B.1.1.7 variant that was first identified in the United Kingdom.
15th Mar 2021 - Global News
France raises prospect of mandatory Covid-19 jabs for healthcare staff
The French government is making a last push to convince healthcare workers to be vaccinated against Covid-19, before deciding whether to make the jab mandatory to improve uptake. Olivier Veran, health minister, has written an open letter to healthcare workers urging them to get vaccinated “quickly” to protect “our collective security and the capacity of our health system”. Alain Fischer, an immunologist who advises the French government on the vaccine rollout, told the Senate last week that if the pace did not roughly double “in the next 15 days”, the state would have to discuss making the jab mandatory for workers in the sector.
15th Mar 2021 - The Financial Times
First Participants Dosed in Phase 1 Study Evaluating mRNA-1283, Moderna’s Next Generation COVID-19 Vaccine
Moderna a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, today announced that the first participants have been dosed in the Phase 1 study of mRNA-1283, the Company’s next generation COVID-19 vaccine candidate. "We are pleased to begin this Phase 1 study of our next generation COVID-19 vaccine candidate, mRNA-1283," said Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna. "Our investments in our mRNA platform have enabled us to develop this next generation vaccine candidate, which is a potential refrigerator-stable vaccine that could facilitate easier distribution and administration in a wider range of settings, including potentially for developing countries.
15th Mar 2021 - YAHOO!Finance
Coming week will see trickle of COVID-19 vaccine doses before ramp-up
The Public Health Agency of Canada is expecting a smaller-than-normal shipment of COVID-19 vaccines this week, with fewer than 445,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech shots scheduled for delivery over the next seven days. Yet that seeming trickle is set to explode into a full-blown flood starting the week of March 22 as the companies dramatically ramp up their deliveries and other pharmaceutical firms start making good on their own promised shipments. The Public Health Agency says this coming week will be the last in which Canada will receive fewer than 1 million doses over a seven-day period. Pfizer and BioNTech alone are on tap to deliver more than that each week for the foreseeable future.
15th Mar 2021 - CTV News
People aged 50 and over can book Covid-19 vaccinations
Those aged 50 and above can book their Covid-19 vaccination in Northern Ireland, the Department of Health said. People have the choice of being contacted by their GPs and receiving a jab, or booking themselves in at one of the seven regional centres, if they have not already been invited to receive the vaccine by their doctor.
Vaccination centres are being migrated to AstraZeneca for first doses, to maximise use of available Covid-19 vaccine supplies
15th Mar 2021 - Belfast Telegraph
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View this newsletter in fullPolice blitz targets parties driving Brazil's deadly COVID-19 surge
Police broke up an illegal party with nearly 600 people in a windowless Sao Paulo nightclub in the early hours of Saturday, highlighting defiance of social distancing rules that has made the country’s outbreak the world’s deadliest at the moment. COVID-19 killed 12,000 Brazilians over the past week, more than any other country. With 275,000 lives lost in total, Brazil’s death toll lags only the United States, where the epidemic is slowing dramatically.
14th Mar 2021 - Reuters
UK could give 1 million Covid vaccine doses a day ‘within next few weeks’
Coronavirus vaccine stocks in the UK are expected to more than double, allowing for up to 1 million doses a day in the next few weeks, according to reports. All over-40s should have been offered their first vaccine by Easter, The Daily Telegraph reported on Saturday, citing government sources. The paper said a “bumper boost” to supplies will allow the vaccine rollout to expand rapidly next week.
13th Mar 2021 - The Independent
CVS expands its COVID-19 vaccine program to 29 states as more doses become available
It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification. Starting Saturday, eligible residents in another 12 states can begin booking COVID-19 vaccinations at CVS pharmacy. This week, the vaccines rolled out to CVS locations in Colorado ...
13th Mar 2021 - Business Insider
Buy one ticket, get a Covid jab free! Russian club Zenit St Petersburg launch extraordinary Covid-19 vaccination drive as they offer ALL supporters the chance to be inoculated ...
Zenit St Petersburg have made the Sputnik V vaccine available from Saturday
Reigning Russian Premier League champions host Akhmat Grozny at home
Fans can receive the Covid-19 jab at vaccination stations at the Gazprom Arena
13th Mar 2021 - Daily Mail
COVID-19: Nearly 50,000 businesses sign up to offer rapid coronavirus testing for their employees
Nearly 50,000 businesses have signed up for the government's free workplace COVID tests, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced. The government claims this is a vital step towards restoring normal life after the pandemic. Tests can give a result within 30 minutes - and NHS Test and Trace analysis suggests they have a specificity of at least 99.9%. Mr Hancock said: "We have built a huge asymptomatic testing system from scratch, which is an essential part of our plan to reopen cautiously.
13th Mar 2021 - Sky News
Rooting for the home team: British journalist weighs in on U.K. vs. U.S. vaccine response
In the international race for Covid-19 vaccinations, the U.K. was first to a key milestone. It was the first country to authorize a fully tested Covid-19 vaccine, the one from the partnership of Pfizer and BioNTech. And the country has also embraced a strategy of spacing out vaccine doses to begin immunizing as many people as quickly as possible. The U.K. has now given 34% of its population at least one dose, and about 2% have been fully vaccinated, according to Bloomberg’s vaccine tracker. The U.S. has given 18% of its population at least one shot, and less than 10% are fully vaccinated. To discuss who does it better, STAT spoke with Natasha Loder, health policy editor of The Economist and host of The Economist’s new podcast, The Jab.
12th Mar 2021 - STAT News
COVID-19 vaccine teams to go to 'maximum capacity' and double jab rate
Front line COVID-19 vaccination staff are on standby to go to "maximum capacity" and inoculate twice as many people from next week. The move to ramp up the rollout comes as supplies of coronavirus doses are due to "substantially increase".
The rapid expansion will raise hopes the target to vaccinate all adults by the end of July could be brought forward.
12th Mar 2021 - Sky News
GPs to choose vaccination role in under 50s as COVID-19 jab supply to exceed 4m per week
GP practices in England have one week to choose whether to remain part of the COVID-19 vaccination programme beyond the first nine priority cohorts - as NHS England confirmed an acceleration in vaccine supply had been brought forward.
11th Mar 2021 - GP online
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View this newsletter in fullFormer U.S. presidents to urge Americans to get coronavirus vaccine in new ads
Former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter will star in two new public service announcements (PSA) for the coronavirus vaccine alongside former First Ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton and Rosalynn Carter, the Ad Council announced on Thursday. “The science is clear. These vaccines will protect you and those you love from this dangerous and deadly disease,” said President Bush in one of the PSAs with Obama and Clinton, urging Americans to get vaccinated. “That’s the first step to ending the pandemic and moving our country forward,” said Obama.
11th Mar 2021 - Global News
Covid-19: Brazil experts issue warning as hospitals 'close to collapse'
Health systems in most of Brazil's largest cities are close to collapse because of Covid-19 cases, its leading health institute warns. More than 80% of intensive care unit beds are occupied in the capitals of 25 of Brazil's 27 states, Fiocruz said. Experts warn that the highly contagious variant in Brazil may have knock-on effects in the region and beyond. "Brazil is a threat to humanity," Fiocruz epidemiologist Jesem Orellana told the AFP news agency.
11th Mar 2021 - BBC News
Covid-19: NHS waits at record high as second wave hits care
The Covid surge in January hit key services including cancer and routine surgery, NHS England figures show. Less than half the expected number of operations were done, pushing the waiting list to a record-high of 4.6m. More than 300,000 of those have been waiting more than a year for treatment - compared to 1,600 before the pandemic began. Surgeons described it as a dire situation which would take a long time to turnaround.
11th Mar 2021 - BBC News
China risks COVID ‘immunity gap’ amid slow vaccine uptake
Only about 4 percent of China’s population was vaccinated against the coronavirus by the end of February but there appears to be little sense of urgency among most health officials or the public about it. The reported goal is to vaccinate 40 percent of the population by the end of July – which would mean vaccinating 560 million more people – and achieve possible herd immunity by the end of the year in time for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Reaching those targets will require an enormous government push but there are few signs of that happening. And the country’s success in controlling the virus has ironically reduced the incentive to get protected, resulting in an “immunity gap” that leaves China’s population at risk and necessitates continued strict border controls and localised lockdowns when outbreaks occur
11th Mar 2021 - AlJazeera
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View this newsletter in fullRestaurants are big beneficiaries of COVID-19 relief bill
The bill calls for grants equal to the amount of restaurants’ revenue losses, up to a maximum of $10 million per company and $5 million per location. Eligible companies cannot own more than 20 locations, and they can’t be publicly traded. The bill sets aside $5 billion for the smallest restaurants, those whose annual revenue is $500,000 or less. Industry groups welcomed the grants. The National Restaurant Association, an industry organization, noted that the Senate added $3.6 billion to the $25 billion allocated in the original House bill. While the $28.6 billion in the bill was only about a tenth of the amount of money the industry has lost during the pandemic, the restaurant group sees it as a win. “It’s going to keep doors open. The smallest and hardest hit are going to get the help they’ve needed the most,” said Sean Kennedy, an executive vice president at the group.
11th Mar 2021 - Associated Press
Germany sees up to 10 million coronavirus vaccine doses per week in June
Germany expects up to 10 million doses of coronavirus vaccine per week in June, a government spokesman said on Wednesday, but not as soon as next month. “In this first quarter we will get the expected and agreed deliveries, even a little more. For the second quarter, the delivery volumes will then grow steadily and it is important to have realistic expectations,” said spokesman Steffen Seibert. “A figure of 10 million doses per week, which is sometimes discussed, is certainly not something we will reach in April, but rather in June,” he added.
10th Mar 2021 - Reuters
Pakistan begins vaccine campaign to protect over-60s from coronavirus
Pakistan has started vaccinating people who are 60 years old or above to protect them from Covid-19 amid a steady increase in cases and fatalities from the disease. Pakistan is currently using China’s Sinopharm vaccine, which was donated to it by Beijing last month. Pakistan hopes to start receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine this month under the World Health Organisation’s Covax Facility. Authorities say Pakistan will receive 17 million doses of coronavirus vaccines under the scheme from March to June
10th Mar 2021 - Daily Echo
COVID-19: Fears undocumented migrants in UK may shun coronavirus vaccine over data-sharing worries
An estimated 1.2 million undocumented migrants live in the UK, and many of them could be put off being vaccinated due to worries about the NHS passing on their details to the police. Their suspicions stem from a data-sharing policy between the NHS and the Home Office to establish if a visitor to the UK is chargeable for healthcare they receive. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) says it has made it clear to NHS trusts that patients undergoing vaccination, testing and treatment for coronavirus only are not subject to Home Office status checks. The 'Take The COVID-19 Vaccine' campaign is urging the government to create a public awareness initiative to highlight this. "The government's current policy is the right one," says campaign founder Kawsar Zaman. "But the practicalities of it don't work. There isn't a strategy in terms of a public information campaign to encourage them."
10th Mar 2021 - Sky News
Alaska Becomes First U.S. State to Open COVID-19 Vaccinations to Anyone Age 16 and Older
Alaska is leading the U.S. in the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, with anyone age 16 or older that lives or works in the state now able to get vaccinated. "This historic step is yet another nationwide first for Alaska, but it should come as no surprise," Gov. Mike Dunleavy said in a statement on Tuesday. "Since day one, your response to the pandemic has been hands-down the best in the nation. I couldn't be prouder of Alaska's response." There are currently three COVID vaccines that have been FDA approved: Pfizer and Moderna, which each require two doses, and Johnson & Johnson, a single-dose vaccine that is currently being rolled out. Pfizer is available to anyone 16 and older in Alaska, while Moderna and J & J are available to anyone 18 and older in the state.
10th Mar 2021 - Yahoo News
We got rid of Covid-19 in the Faroe Islands through competence – and luck
The government decided early on that rather than influencing behaviour by making laws, we would instead issue recommendations, says Barour a Steig Nielsen, prime minister of the Faroe Islands. "In some ways, our response to Covid-19 followed the same map as other countries: testing, contact tracing, lockdowns, public health campaigns and a reorganisation of our health sector. But, in other respects, our approach was unique. Unlike most other governments, we decided early on that we wanted to influence the behaviour of our citizens by issuing recommendations – not by making laws."
10th Mar 2021 - The Guardian
Covid-19: False test results 'ruining' return to school
Children in England are being unfairly punished by the insistence they must abide by "incorrect" positive results from rapid Covid tests, experts say. Reports have emerged of pupils having to isolate after testing positive at school using the on-the-spot checks - only for a more reliable follow-up lab-based PCR test to find them negative. Parents said it was "ruining" the return to school. Rapid tests at home or in workplaces can be overruled by a lab test. But the government has insisted this cannot happen for tests done in school - although it has been unable to explain why.
10th Mar 2021 - BBC News
EU gets extra vaccine doses to tackle virus border clusters
The European Union’s executive arm has secured an agreement with Pfizer-BioNTech for an extra 4 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to fight a worrying surge of coronavirus clusters that are prompting the bloc’s nations to impose border restrictions. The European Commission said Wednesday that the deal will help “tackle coronavirus hot spots” and facilitate free border movement. The extra doses, to be delivered in the next two weeks, come in addition to previously planned vaccine deliveries.
10th Mar 2021 - Associated Press
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View this newsletter in fullGreece gives green light for tourists from May 14: Holiday hotspot will reopen to international visitors who are vaccinated or can show proof of a negative Covid test, minister says
Greece plan to reopen to Brits from mid-May if they have negative Covid test. Greece will reopen borders on May 14, three days before Brits can travel abroad. The Greek tourism minister also said tourists will be subject to random tests
9th Mar 2021 - Daily Mail
Legal action threat over decision not to give police vaccine priority
Police federation bosses are threatening legal action over the government's decision not to give vaccine priority to officers. The Greater Manchester Police Federation says 11.8 per cent of the workforce has tested positive for Covid-19 during the pandemic, compared with 6 per cent of the general UK population. The numbers demonstrate how officers are at more risk of getting coronavirus as a result of their job, the Fed argues. Now the GMP Fed has put out an explosive statement making clear the level of anger felt by staff over the decision. GMP Federation Health & Safety Lead Phil Thomasson says it is seeking legal advice over whether the Government is breaching its 'duty of care' to employees under Health and Safety legislation.
9th Mar 2021 - Manchester Evening News
Coronavirus vaccine opens to Manitobans 80 and over, First Nations 60 and over
Manitobans 80 years and over, and First Nations people 60 years and over, are now eligible to receive their COVID-19 vaccines. Along with the new age eligibility, the province also says spouses and members of the same household who are eligible for shots can now schedule their vaccination appointments at the same time, provided both meet the current eligibility criteria.
9th Mar 2021 - Global News
Advocates Fight Covid-19 Vaccine Concerns Among Agricultural Workers
Community health workers are working across the U.S. to reach some of the millions of Latinos laboring on farms and in meatpacking and poultry plants, a group that is at once among the most vulnerable to Covid-19 and yet more reluctant than others to get vaccinated. The health workers are battling a deluge of vaccine misinformation spread among agricultural workers’ friends and family as well as in churches and on social media. The health workers point to Facebook , in particular, saying posts often discourage the shots by amplifying widespread distrust of immigration authorities or exploiting religious beliefs. The health workers’ efforts may be crucial to bringing a swift end to the pandemic, given the spread of the virus in this community. Scientists warn that any delay in vaccinations could give rise to variants that are more transmissible, lethal or resistant to existing vaccines. California has given priority to food and agricultural workers for early doses.
9th Mar 2021 - Wall Street Journal
COVID-19: NHS hoping to drive coronavirus vaccine uptake by sending text messages and reminders
The NHS is hoping to drive the uptake of coronavirus vaccines by sending people text messages and reminders. Texts will now be sent to 40,000 unpaid carers and almost 400,000 people aged 55 and over. The messages will include a weblink so the person can reserve an appointment at one of more than 300 vaccination centres or pharmacies across England. If the move proves successful, younger people can expect to receive texts ahead of official NHS letters landing on doormats.
9th Mar 2021 - Sky News
U.S. government to ship 18.5 million doses of COVID vaccine this week, White House says
The White House said on Tuesday that the government will distribute around 18.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines this week, fewer than last week because no new doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine are ready to be sent out. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a news briefing that the U.S. government plans to distribute 15.8 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccine to states, tribes and territories, along with 2.7 million doses going to pharmacies. Last week, the U.S. government distributed over 21 million doses of all three vaccines. That included over 3.5 million doses of the newly authorized J&J vaccine.
9th Mar 2021 - Reuters
Volunteers are key at vaccine sites. It pays off with a shot
When Seattle’s largest health care system got a mandate from Washington state to create a mass COVID-19 vaccination site, organizers knew that gathering enough volunteers would be almost as crucial as the vaccine itself. “We could not do this without volunteers,” said Renee Rassilyer-Bomers, chief quality officer for Swedish Health Services and head of its vaccination site at Seattle University. “The sheer volume and number of folks that we wanted to be able to serve and bring in requires … 320 individuals each day.” As states ramp up vaccination distribution in the fight against the coronavirus, volunteers are needed to do everything from direct traffic to check people in so vaccination sites run smoothly. In return for their work, they’re often given a shot. Many people who don’t yet qualify for a vaccine — including those who are young and healthy — have been volunteering in hopes of getting a dose they otherwise may not receive for months. Large vaccination clinics across the country have seen thousands trying to nab limited numbers of volunteer shifts.
9th Mar 2021 - Associated Press
Most adults in rich nations face long wait for vaccine, distributor warns
Kuehne+Nagel says production capacity is main limitation to supply of Covid-19 shots. Kuehne+Nagel is also distributing jabs for Covax, a programme backed by the World Health Organization that is providing vaccines free to dozens of developing countries. Kuehne+Nagel shipped the first batch of Covax vaccines — 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca shot — to Ghana in recent weeks. “I don’t want to talk about hearsay or the feedback we get, but I would not expect it to be realistic that more than 30-50 per cent of people [would be] vaccinated in the western world before summer next year,” Trefzger said. Two or three years was an “ambitious timeframe” to distribute doses to vaccinate a majority of those in poorer countries globally, he said.
7th Mar 2021 - Financial Times
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View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Vaccine offers for all those aged 56 or over
People aged 56 to 59 in England are being invited to book their coronavirus vaccine from this week. Letters for people in the age group, offering them the vaccine, started being delivered to homes on Saturday. It comes after eight in 10 people aged 65 to 69 have taken up the offer of a jab, NHS England said. But the Office for National Statistics (ONS ) has warned the UK is "not out of the woods yet". More than 18 million people in England have already had one dose of the vaccine - over a third of the entire adult population.
8th Mar 2021 - BBC News
Retired medics administer vaccine to ex-colleagues
In Bristol, England, two married doctors have come out of retirement to give their former colleagues coronavirus vaccinations. Emergency physician Dr Jason Kendall, 55, retired in July after 37 years and was given a hand clap guard of honour when he left Southmead Hospital. Palliative care lead Dr Clare Kendall, 56, retired from North Bristol NHS Trust in October 2019 after 38 years. "You cannot sit around and see your colleagues struggling to cope in this pandemic," she said.
8th Mar 2021 - BBC News
Serbia's nurses too busy to celebrate Women's Day as COVID-19 cases rise
Almost a year after they admitted Serbia’s first COVID-19 patient, women doctors and nurses at the Clinical Center hospital in the northern city of Novi Sad are still at the frontline in the fight against the disease. Instead of a traditional International Women’s Day party, a legacy from the decades of communist rule, they spent most of their working day on Monday treating severely ill people. The risk of catching the disease which has killed 150 doctors and nurses in Serbia is great and their work is physically and psychologically demanding. “Emotions are involved in treating patients, especially when they are fully conscious and scared,” nurse Maja Cvjetkovic told Reuters. “Sometimes we sing to them.”
8th Mar 2021 - Reuters
Moderna taps Baxter to support fill and finish of 60-90 million COVID-19 vaccine doses
Moderna's two-shot vaccine is one of the three COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use in the United States along with Pfizer/BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson's. Moderna, which expects to make 700 million to 1 billion doses of its vaccine this year, said in February that supply to the United States had lagged recently because of "short-term delays" in the final stages of production at its contractor Catalent Inc. The company had signed a pact with Catalent last year to help support filling and packaging vials with its vaccine.
8th Mar 2021 - Reuters on MSN.com
Local pharmacists step up in COVID-19 vaccination effort
In the U.S., local pharmacy owners are filling in the gaps as federal, state and county authorities across the country struggle to ramp up vaccinations vital to crushing the COVID-19 pandemic. In some small towns across the U.S., an independent pharmacy is the only local place where residents can get a COVID-19 vaccination. President Joe Biden recently celebrated the injection of the 50 millionth dose of COVID-19 vaccine since his inauguration. But the huge undertaking has been hampered by vaccine shortages and concerns whether marginalized communities are getting access to shots. The hope is that local pharmacies will now play a key role in getting more Americans inoculated
8th Mar 2021 - The Independent
France ramps up weekend COVID-19 vaccinations after slow start
Thousands of people across France flocked to vaccination centres on Sunday as the government stepped up inoculations against the coronavirus to ease the load on hospitals and stave off further restrictions. French authorities have come under criticism for the slow vaccination rollout, which has so far targeted the most vulnerable only. About 3.58 million people of France’s 67 million population have received a first jab compared to neighbouring Britain, which is nearing 23 million.
8th Mar 2021 - Reuters
English children head back to school after two months of home learning
Millions of English children and teenagers headed back to school on Monday for the first time in two months, having endured their second extended stretch of home learning because of a strict national lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19. The reopening of English schools to all pupils is the first step in a four-stage government plan to ease the lockdown while trying to prevent a new surge in infections after a devastating winter wave that severely strained hospitals. Since the start of the pandemic, Britain has recorded 124,500 deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test, the fifth highest official death toll in the world and the worst in Europe.
8th Mar 2021 - Reuters
Japan COVID-19 inoculations off to snail pace start due to vaccine, syringe shortages
Japan’s COVID-19 inoculation campaign is moving at a glacial pace, hampered by a lack of supply and a shortage of specialty syringes that underscore the enormous challenge it faces in its aim to vaccinate every adult by the year’s end. Since the campaign began three weeks ago, just under 46,500 doses had been administered to frontline medical workers as of Friday. At the current rate, it would take 126 years to vaccinate Japan’s population of 126 million. Supplies are, however, expected to increase in the coming months. By contrast, South Korea, which began its vaccinations a week later than Japan, had administered nearly seven times more shots as of Sunday. Unlike many other countries, Japan requires clinical trials for new medicines, including vaccines, to be conducted with Japanese patients, slowing down the approval process.
8th Mar 2021 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullAsthmatic Scots eligible for Covid-19 vaccine being refused jag, charity warns
In Scotland, patients are being turned away because of the mistaken belief they are only eligible for the covid vaccine if they have recently been hospitalised due to their condition, Asthma UK said. The JCVI priority group six, which is currently being offered vaccines in Scotland, includes people with severe asthma along with those aged 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions. Severe asthma is defined as those who either require regular or repeated steroids to treat their condition, or who have previously been hospitalised. But Asthma UK said some patients had been turned away on the grounds that they have not been hospitalised recently.
7th Mar 2021 - The Scotsman
Fast-food workers in LA face unmasked customers and unsafe workplaces, and are punished for speaking up about COVID-19, a damning new report says
Fast-food workers in Los Angeles are facing unsafe conditions at work, and outbreaks among staff at restaurants are threatening the area's ability to recover from the pandemic, a new report says. Fast-food workers in LA County are "especially vulnerable" to COVID-19 community transmission, the report by UCLA and UC Berkeley found. They often face unmasked customers and unsafe workplaces, the groups said. Workers aren't protected when they speak up, and some are even punished, researchers wrote. And the demographics of the fast-food industry means that women and minority workers have been hardest hit.
7th Mar 2021 - MSN.com
'Not running away': Women fighting on Britain's COVID-19 front line
After a year that has shaken Britain’s National Health Service to its core, women working at a hospital in the East Lancashire NHS Trust in England’s north-west talk about what the coronavirus crisis has meant to them.
7th Mar 2021 - Reuters
Don’t let bureaucracy constrict the supply of Covid-19 vaccines
The U.S. has gained a tremendous amount of knowledge about Covid-19 over the past year. Similarly, over the past few weeks, the scientific community has published encouraging analyses about the vaccines that are playing a starring role in leading us out of this crisis. Mountains of real-world evidence are showing that the two mRNA vaccines authorized by the FDA — the first made by Pfizer and BioNTech, the other by Moderna, both of which are supposed to be administered as a two-dose regimen — will provide substantial protection against Covid-19 even after only one dose. Considering that nearly every state is facing shortfalls in the supply of Covid-19 vaccines, we believe this groundbreaking development can help remedy some of the vaccine supply issues the nation is facing. This new evidence indicates that the second doses currently administered to comply with the FDA’s emergency use authorizations could instead be used as initial first doses — essentially doubling the supply. Unfortunately, governors who would like to follow this new evidence and provide protection for more citizens have their hands tied by the emergency use authorizations.
7th Mar 2021 - STAT News
Hospitals offer holiday and bonuses to Covid-weary staff in England
Hospitals are helping staff recover from the Covid pandemic by giving them extra holiday, bonuses of up to £100, much better food while on duty – and even drama and poetry sessions. NHS trusts across England are also hiring psychologists, expanding childcare and overhauling rest areas as part of a drive to reward staff for their efforts and improve their working lives. The moves by hospitals to show their staff how much they appreciate them come amid the growing row over the government’s plan to restrict the NHS England workforce to a pay rise of just 1%, which critics have called “an insult” and “a slap in the face”.
7th Mar 2021 - The Guardian
Malawi receives first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX - Malawi
Malawi received COVID-19 vaccine doses shipped via the COVAX Facility, a partnership between CEPI, Gavi, UNICEF and WHO. This is a historic step towards the goal of COVAX to ensure equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines globally, in what will be the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history. The delivery is part of a first wave of arrivals in Africa, and the first tranche of allocations for Malawi that will take place in the coming months and year through the COVAX Facility. The COVAX Facility shipped 360,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from Serum Institute of India from Mumbai, India, to Lilongwe, Malawi, arriving on the evening of 5 March. The arrival in Lilongwe marks a milestone for Malawi in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic which has claimed over 1000 lives and created a heavy burden on health facilities.
6th Mar 2021 - ReliefWeb
Countries urge drug companies to share vaccine know-how
In an industrial neighborhood on the outskirts of Bangladesh’s largest city lies a factory with gleaming new equipment imported from Germany, its immaculate hallways lined with hermetically sealed rooms. It is operating at just a quarter of its capacity. It is one of three factories that The Associated Press found on three continents whose owners say they could start producing hundreds of millions of COVID-19 vaccines on short notice if only they had the blueprints and technical know-how. But that knowledge belongs to the large pharmaceutical companies who have produced the first three vaccines authorized by countries including Britain, the European Union and the U.S. — Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca. The factories are all still awaiting responses
1st Mar 2021 - The Associated Press
Officials to explore COVID vaccine supply gaps, boosting production
Though deliveries of COVAX vaccine started at a brisk pace this week, with developed countries ramping up their programs, the demand far exceeds the supply, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today. At a briefing today, WHO officials said they and their partners will hold a global summit on Mar 8 and 9 to look at gaps in the supply chain and examine ways to boost production. Also, officials raised concerns about a COVID-19 surge in Brazil, where the P1 variant is dominant.
5th Mar 2021 - CIDRAP
U.S. focus on Pfizer production could delay manufacturing of other COVID-19 vaccines, Serum Institute CEO warns
The U.S.' move to lock up raw materials and supplies for Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine could spell trouble for manufacturers working on other shots around the globe. The world’s largest vaccine maker by volume, Serum Institute of India, sees bottlenecks ahead, thanks to a U.S. law blocking exports of certain materials needed to produce COVID-19 shots. The World Health Organization has also raised flags about a global shortage of raw materials used to turn out the pandemic vaccines, Bloomberg first reported. In January, the Biden Administration said it would leverage the "full power" of the Defense Production Act to free up supplies for the production of coronavirus shots, including Pfizer's BioNTech-partnered mRNA vaccine Comirnaty.
5th Mar 2021 - FiercePharma
Czechs seek help abroad to treat their COVID-19 patients
With hospitals in some parts of the Czech Republic filled up, the country has turned to Germany and other European countries with a request for help. The Czech Republic, one of the hardest-hit European Union countries, has been facing a surge of new cases attributed to a highly infectious coronavirus variant that is believed to originate in Britain. Interior Minister Jan Hamacek said on Wednesday neighboring Germany has offered dozens of beds in its hospitals to treat Czech COVID-19 patients. He said 19 of them were immediately ready. Hamacek said that Switzerland was another country ready to help with 20 beds in its hospitals while offering to take care of the transport of the patients.
3rd Mar 2021 - The Associated Press
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View this newsletter in full1 year of COVID-19: A doctor's perspective Medical News Today
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic. As we approach the 1-year mark, Medical News Today spoke with Dr. Leo Gurney, who works at Birmingham Women’s hospital in the United Kingdom, about his experience during the pandemic.
4th Mar 2021 - Medical News Today
First great apes at U.S. zoo receive COVID-19 vaccine made for animals
Orangutans and bonobos at the San Diego Zoo have received a coronavirus vaccine, Nat Geo has learned, after some zoo gorillas tested positive in January.
4th Mar 2021 - National Geographic UK
States navigate COVID-19 vaccine distribution
From California to New York, states are grappling with how best to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to the most vulnerable residents as quickly as possible. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered three mass vaccination sites to operate 24 hours per day, according to the New York Times. The state has 164,800 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to distribute this week. That vaccine will be distributed at the three 24-hour sites, which are located at Yankee Stadium, the Javits Center in Manhattan, and at the New York State Fairground in Syracuse until supplies are exhausted.
4th Mar 2021 - CIDRAP
CureVac, Novartis team up in latest pandemic vaccine manufacturing collaboration
CureVac has already attracted two Big Pharma partners for its COVID-19 vaccine work, and now Novartis is getting involved. Tübingen, Germany-based CureVac and Novartis have signed an initial manufacturing agreement that’s expected to boost the mRNA biotech’s overall vaccine capacity by 50 million doses in 2021 and 200 million doses in 2022. The partners are prepping for technology transfers and test runs, and deliveries from Novartis’ site in Kundl, Austria, are expected to start this summer. Under the deal, Novartis is expected to produce mRNA and bulk drug product for the vaccine. Novartis “is a pioneer and has decades of experience in pharmaceutical production of proteins and in more recent years of nucleic acids,” global head of technical operations Steffen Lang said in a statement. The company is building its mRNA capacity at its facility in Kundl to meet growing demand, he added.
4th Mar 2021 - FiercePharma
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 4th Mar 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVAX COVID-19 Vaccinations Begin In Africa
Health care and frontline workers in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana are the first to be vaccinated against COVID-19 with vaccine doses shipped by the COVAX Facility. In total, COVAX aims to deliver 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2021, including at least 1.3 billion to the 92 countries eligible for support through the COVAX Advanced Market Commitment (AMC), the mechanism to provide donor-funded vaccines to lower-income countries, including Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire.
3rd Mar 2021 - Forbes
Shortfall on Covid-19 vaccines to be made up in coming days – Taoiseach
The Taoiseach said the shortfall of Covid-19 vaccines last week will be made up in the coming days. The HSE missed its target of administering 100,000 doses of coronavirus. Figures published on Monday shows that 81,843 doses were administered last week, falling short of its 100,000 target. The HSE said it was told by AstraZeneca late last week that its deliveries were being deferred.
3rd Mar 2021 - Belfast Telegraph
Kenya hails first vaccines as 'bazookas' against COVID-19
Kenya received over a million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, while Rwanda said it was the first in Africa to secure shots from Pfizer, as efforts to inoculate the world’s poorest nations accelerated. Kenya’s batch, which arrived on a Qatar Airways passenger flight, is the first of an initial allocation of 3.56 million doses by the global COVAX facility. “We have received ... machine guns, bazookas, and tanks to fight this war against COVID-19,” Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe exulted as the doses arrived at Nairobi’s main airport
3rd Mar 2021 - Reuters
UK to receive 10 million AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses from India's Serum Institute
The UK will receive 10 million AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses made by the Serum Institute of India (SII), the UK government said on Tuesday. Reuters reported in February that Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) was auditing the manufacturing processes at SII to pave the way for the AstraZeneca vaccine to be shipped from there to the UK. The move is likely to stir concerns that wealthy Western countries are procuring vaccine doses at the expense of poor countries.
3rd Mar 2021 - Reuters
Blast strikes Dutch COVID-19 test centre; police call it an attack
A blast struck a coronavirus testing centre north of Amsterdam before sunrise on Wednesday, shattering windows but causing no injuries in what police called an intentional attack.
3rd Mar 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19: Police arrest 84 people as thousands of fake coronavirus vaccines seized in China and South Africa
Police have arrested 84 suspects and seized thousands of fake COVID-19 vaccines in raids in China and South Africa. It comes weeks after the head of Interpol warned that criminal networks would try to cash in on the global vaccination rollout. South African police seized 400 ampoules, providing 2,400 doses, of a fake vaccine in Germiston, Gauteng, along with a big supply of fake 3M brand masks. They arrested a Zambian national and three Chinese suspects.
3rd Mar 2021 - Sky News
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View this newsletter in fullAmid a chaotic COVID-19 vaccine rollout, states find ways to connect shots with arms
States and counties are getting better at the nitty-gritty of what's required to get COVID-19 vaccine into arms, but distribution still varies because of the nation's fractured and underfunded health system. It's led to broad disparities in state vaccination rates. “This is really a function of the total chaos of 50 state health systems in an uncoordinated, unresponsive, underreported system to the federal government,” said Barry Bloom, an immunologist and former dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “Crazy as that may be, that’s the American way.”
2nd Mar 2021 - USA Today on MSN.com
With COVID vaccine maker pact, Biden vows wide vaccine access by May
Today President Joe Biden announced the partnership of two pharmaceutical giants—Johnson & Johnson and Merck—who will work together to increase the supply of Johnson & Johnson's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, which received emergency use authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this past weekend. "This is the type of collaboration we saw during World War II," Biden said today during a formal announcement of the partnership.
2nd Mar 2021 - CIDRAP
Merck, Johnson & Johnson to strike 'wartime' COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing deal: WaPo
Merck & Co., a leading vaccine player worldwide, has been largely absent during the COVID-19 vaccine race. Not anymore: The drugmaker is set to partner with Johnson & Johnson to boost production of its newly authorized shot, The Washington Post reports. President Joe Biden is set to unveil the deal Tuesday, the newspaper reports. During the first days of his administration, officials realized J&J had fallen behind on production targets, so officials jumped in to coordinate a tie-up between the companies. Recognizing it's a "wartime effort," the companies agreed to join forces when they might otherwise be rivals, one unnamed official told the newspaper.
2nd Mar 2021 - FiercrPharma
Using a collective ‘virtuous cycle’ to break the pandemic
Medical schools teach students a four-part “virtuous cycle” in which one step positively reinforces the next: Assess the patient. Implement a therapeutic plan. Assess the patient’s response. Revise the therapeutic plan as needed. In an emergency department, this cycle can be completed in minutes. In the cancer clinic, it can take months. Mastering the virtuous cycle is understood to be a central measure of medical competence. Yet when the patient is not one person but an entire society, this cycle is fractured and ad hoc in ways that would make any patient demand a new doctor.
2nd Mar 2021 - Stat News
COVID-19: Italy closes schools in 'red zone' coronavirus areas amid concerning growth in new variants
Italy's government has ordered the closure of all schools in regions hardest hit by the coronavirus amid rising fears over new variants of the disease. Italy was one of the first countries in Europe to see COVID-19 on a large scale in February 2020, and it has registered nearly three million confirmed cases since then. It is now seeing around 15,000 new cases per day and the trend is rising, putting the health system under strain.
2nd Mar 2021 - Sky News
Thousands of Farmworkers Are Prioritized for the Coronavirus Vaccine
A landmark initiative in California is taking vaccines to the fields, targeting an immigrant work force that is at high risk for Covid-19. Many of the workers are undocumented, raising questions about whether they should have priority.
1st Mar 2021 - The New York Times
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View this newsletter in fullJohnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine to start shipping soon, but early supply could be uneven
Health care providers will begin receiving the first 3.9 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s newly authorized Covid-19 vaccine as early as Tuesday morning, though supply will be uneven in the coming weeks, senior Biden administration officials said. The first shipments account for the entirety of J&J’s current inventory. Officials expect another 16 million doses to be available by the end of March, though J&J told the federal government that the doses will be delivered mostly toward the second half of the month. “We do not expect any additional deliveries next week and we expect deliveries to be uneven during the weeks of March. We’re getting doses out the door as soon as they’re available to ensure vaccines get into the arms as quickly as possible,” one senior administration official said.
28th Feb 2021 - Stat News
Nigeria begins registering residents for COVID-19 vaccinations
Nigeria launched on online registration portal for COVID-19 vaccinations, its primary healthcare agency said on Monday, the day before the first doses are expected to arrive for its 200 million people. Nigeria is expecting 3.92 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to land on Tuesday. It will be the third West African country to take delivery under the COVAX scheme, after Ghana and Ivory Coast.
1st Mar 2021 - MSN.com
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View this newsletter in fullTwo Pfizer coronavirus vaccine errors have put the rollout in the spotlight — but nurses explain the safeguards
When two aged care residents in Queensland were given a higher than recommended dose of the Pfizer vaccine, it was a nurse who sensed something wasn't quite right. "The safeguards that were put in place immediately kicked into action," Health Minister Greg Hunt told the waiting media, after it was revealed the employee who administered the vaccine had not completed the required vaccination training. While teething issues with the national rollout were to be expected, the incident has seen Healthcare Australia — the company responsible for the training — put on notice for potential termination, and its CEO, Jason Cartwright, stood aside. This has put the spotlight on the wider vaccination process, and those involved in administering the vials.
27th Feb 2021 - ABC News
State-backed Covid insurance may be lined up for festivals
Summer festivals could be back on after the government said that it was considering underwriting an insurance scheme so that they could go ahead. The Treasury has until now rejected calls to underwrite insurance for live music events despite pressure from the industry and Tory MPs.
27th Feb 2021 - The Times
Privacy faces risks in tech-infused post-Covid workplace
People returning to work following the long pandemic will find an array of tech-infused gadgetry to improve workplace safety but which could pose risks for long-term personal and medical privacy. Temperature checks, distance monitors, digital "passports," wellness surveys and robotic cleaning and disinfection systems are being deployed in many workplaces seeking to reopen. Tech giants and startups are offering solutions which include computer vision detection of vital signs to wearables which can offer early indications of the onset of Covid-19 and apps that keep track of health metrics.
27th Feb 2021 - Yahoo News
Shocking North-South Covid divide laid bare by full list showing cases in each area
A North-South divide has emerged as England prepares to emerge from its third lockdown. London and the South East, despite being crippled by the new Kent variant over Christmas, has seen cases plummet in recent weeks. Now nearly all of England's hotspots for Covid are in the North or the Midlands. Millions in the country are now being vaccinated although so far only people aged over 60 have been called forward. But cases are continuing to circulate, especially among younger age groups not yet protected. And the latest data shows the lockdown is struggling to contain stubbornly high infection rates in the Midlands and areas of the North.
27th Feb 2021 - Mirror Online
S. Korea allows workers to squeeze extra doses
South Korea’s Disease Control and Prevention Agency has allowed health workers to squeeze extra doses from vials of coronavirus vaccines developed by AstraZeneca and Pfizer. The decision on Saturday came after some health workers who were administering the AstraZeneca shots reported to authorities that they still saw additional doses left in the bottles that had each been used for 10 injections.
KDCA official Jeong Gyeong-shil said skilled workers may be able to squeeze one or two extra doses from each vial if they use low dead-volume syringes designed to reduce wasted medications and vaccines.
27th Feb 2021 - The Associated Press
COVID-19: People in their 40s first for phase two of vaccine rollout - no priority for teachers and police
The next phase of COVID vaccinations will continue to prioritise people by age and not their occupation to avoid slowing down the rollout. People aged 40-49 will be the next in line to get a vaccine after all vulnerable groups and the over-50s are covered, the government said. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said this would provide "the greatest benefit in the shortest time". It added that prioritising occupational groups such as teachers and police could make the rollout more complex and could potentially slow the programme overall, leaving some vulnerable people at higher risk for longer.
26th Feb 2021 - Sky News
‘A living hell’: Inside US prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic
Imprisoned people “can’t see friends, and they can’t maintain consistent contact with supports, but they also can’t go to mental health programming,” said Stefen Short, the Supervising Attorney of the Prisoners’ Rights Project run by the New York-based Legal Aid Society. “Well then what’s available to this person? At the middle of a global pandemic, when everybody’s at heightened anxiety, our clients are getting absolutely no support.”
26th Feb 2021 - Al Jazeera English
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View this newsletter in fullSouth Korea preps coronavirus vaccines after political scuffle over first shots
South Korean politicians won’t be the first in line when the county kicks off its coronavirus vaccination drive on Friday, despite calls from the opposition party for the president to roll up his sleeve and take a shot to reassure vaccine sceptics. Leading political figures spent the week trading rhetorical shots over who should be the first to take a literal jab, but in the end, health authorities said widespread acceptance of vaccines in South Korea means they would stick to plans to vaccinate healthcare workers and other at-risk individuals first. On Thursday, the first doses of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine were distributed to clinics in preparation for the initial inoculations.
25th Feb 2021 - Reuters
CVS Pharmacies Adds Coronavirus Vaccines at 40 California Locations, Including in San Diego County
CVS Pharmacies will continue its rollout of the coronavirus vaccine Thursday as it makes doses available at 40 more select CVS locations across California – including several in San Diego County. The company said approximately 49,140 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine are being made available to distribute at these locations in California through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program.
25th Feb 2021 - NBC San Diego
Coronavirus Vaccine Finder Aims to Help Americans Get Shots
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hoping to make it easier for Americans to find Covid-19 vaccines, is backing the test of a centralized online portal where the public can search for nearby vaccination locations with doses on hand. The website, called VaccineFinder, is run by Boston Children’s Hospital with the help of several collaborators. It grew out of the H1N1 flu pandemic of 2009 and has been used for years to coordinate the distribution of flu and childhood vaccines. It expanded on Wednesday to include the availability of coronavirus vaccines at more than 20,000 locations, concentrated in several states. If the program goes well, the website’s developers plan to expand it nationwide in coming weeks to include nearly all vaccine providers that agree to be featured.
25th Feb 2021 - The New York Times
UK Covid hospital deaths up 311 as cases plunge 78% since start of England's lockdown
The UK's coronavirus hospital death rate has risen by 311. England has recorded 254 further deaths, Wales 21, Scotland 31 and Northern Ireland, five. It marks a 75 drop on last week's figures - when 386 hospital deaths were recorded across the UK. Confirmed cases of coronavirus have plunged by more than 78% since the start of England's lockdown, new figures show today.
25th Feb 2021 - Mirror Online
COVID-19: Lockdown easing risks 'cold wave' hospital pressure as non-COVID patients return to A&E
Senior hospital staff have admitted the prime minister's roadmap out of lockdown is making them "a bit anxious and nervous". Doctors and nurses at Warrington Hospital have weathered the first and second wave of the pandemic and are now bracing themselves for the "cold wave". This is the winter surge of patients coming into their emergency department with seasonal respiratory illnesses. This year the cold wave came late, but the sharp spike in A&E attendances means it is here now.
25th Feb 2021 - Sky News
Travel restrictions have no end in sight as European leaders worry about new variants
Looking to holiday in Greece or Spain? You could be waiting some time. European leaders are expected to say on Thursday that all non-essential travel needs to remain restricted as the Covid health situation remains “serious” across the continent, according to a document seen by CNBC. The European Union’s 27 heads of state will gather virtually on Thursday afternoon to discuss the current state of the pandemic in the region. The EU is still one of the worst hit parts of the world by the coronavirus, with a number of nations still in lockdown or with strict social restrictions in place. At the same time, vaccination efforts have faced a bumpy start and some question whether the EU will reach its target of vaccinating 70% of its adult population by the summer.
25th Feb 2021 - CNBC
India’s health workers baulk at taking homegrown COVID vaccine
India is struggling to convince its healthcare and front-line workers to take a homegrown COVID-19 vaccine controversially approved without late-stage efficacy data, government data showed on Thursday, days ahead of a wider roll-out. The country has the world’s second-highest number of COVID-19 infections after the United States, with cases recently surging as mask-wearing declines and states have eased social distancing measures. A lack of confidence in a homegrown vaccine could prevent India from meeting its target of vaccinating 300 million of its 1.35 billion people by August.
25th Feb 2021 - AlJazeera
Vaccinate prisoners en masse, not police or teachers, JCVI tells ministers
Teachers, police and other key workers should not get priority for Covid jabs but prisoners can be vaccinated en masse, the government’s advisory body has concluded. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) handed final recommendations to ministers on Sunday advising that under-50s be vaccinated by age rather than occupation, and that people from ethnic minorities should not get priority, The Times understands. At least 150,000 more people with learning disabilities have been added to the present vaccine priority list, after concerns that too many with severe problems were being missed. Ministers are due to sign off the next phase of the vaccine programme imminently and are expected to follow the committee’s advice. On Monday Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccines deployment minister, said: “We will absolutely follow what they recommend.”
25th Feb 2021 - The Times
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 25th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullMadrid’s vaccination plan for teachers and over-80s mired in confusion
Healthcare centers in Madrid are facing a frenetic countdown to begin vaccinating 130,000 people aged over 80. This next phase of the ongoing Covid-19 inoculation program is due to start on Thursday, but professionals from the sector who will have to administer the injections did not get any details of the operation until yesterday. The situation was mired in confusion on Monday thanks to contradictory statements made by the regional government, which first stated that the campaign would begin next week before rectifying and setting the start date for tomorrow. Workers from the sector voiced their complaints on Tuesday about the lack of planning.
24th Feb 2021 - El País
More than half a million have received coronavirus vaccine in NI
More than half a million people have received a Covid-19 vaccine in Northern Ireland. Those aged over 65 and the clinically vulnerable are among those being booked in for jabs. Health minister Robin Swann said it was a landmark moment. Mr Swann announced on Tuesday the first confirmed cases of the South African variant of Covid-19 in the region. He said three cases of the variant had been confirmed.
24th Feb 2021 - Belfast Telegraph
Covid-19: Africa vaccine rollout off to a slow start
Africa has now recorded over 100,000 Covid-19 deaths and there is growing concern over delays in rolling out vaccination programmes. Some countries such as South Africa and Zimbabwe have begun vaccination programmes, but many others will have to wait until later in the year for stocks to arrive. The first vaccines distributed under the Covax programme have now arrived in Ghana.
24th Feb 2021 - BBC News
150,000 more people with learning disabilities prioritised for COVID-19 vaccine
Everyone on GP practice learning disability registers - around 300,000 people in England - will now be added to JCVI cohort 6 - the group GP-led vaccination sites are currently focusing on. Cohort 6 covers patients aged 16-64 with underlying health conditions - including patients with 'a severe and profound learning disability' or severe mental illness. Around half of patients on GP learning disability registers fall outside the original definition of cohort 6 - but these patients will now also be offered vaccination as part of this group.
24th Feb 2021 - GP online
Malaysia rolls out Covid-19 vaccinations under state of emergency
Malaysia is set to roll out its Covid-19 vaccination programme on Wednesday as its prime minister faces accusations of exploiting the pandemic to seek a state of emergency and cling on to power. Malaysia’s king last month declared the nationwide state of emergency, the country’s first since deadly race riots in 1969, at the behest of the government of Muhyiddin Yassin, the prime minister. The monarch said the order, which will run until August, was necessary to fight the pandemic, but it followed the loss of Muhyiddin’s thin parliamentary majority after two members of his coalition defected.
24th Feb 2021 - Financial Times
India turns to private sector to boost sluggish Covid-19 vaccine drive
I first arrived in India in the mid-1990s at the tail-end of its socialist-style “Licence Raj”. New Delhi was relaxing control over the country’s economic life, but basic amenities — long the monopoly of the state providers — were still in short supply.
24th Feb 2021 - The Financial Times
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 24th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullSanofi to provide manufacturing support to Johnson & Johnson for their COVID-19 vaccine to help address global supply demands
Sanofi has entered into an agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutical NV and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., two of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, under which Sanofi will support manufacturing of Janssen´s COVID-19 vaccine in order to address the COVID-19 pandemic and supply needs. Janssen has submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting Emergency Use Authorization for its single-dose Janssen COVID-19 vaccine candidate and an application for conditional marketing authorisation to the European Medicines Agency.
23rd Feb 2021 - PharmiWeb
Portugal's COVID-19 nightmare eases but end of lockdown still out of sight
Health experts warned that lifting the lockdown too soon could lead to a rise in cases caused by the variant initially discovered in Britain, currently responsible for almost half of the country’s cases. Another surge would be catastrophic for a fragile health system. Germany sent on Tuesday a replacement team of military doctors and nurses to take over from the first deployment sent three weeks ago to prop up Lisbon’s underresourced hospitals.
23rd Feb 2021 - Reuters
More German state workers to get AstraZeneca jab as doses go begging
The German government is reworking its strategy to vaccinate the nation against COVID-19 as its campaign, which has faltered due to a lack of supply, also faces public resistance to the shot from AstraZeneca Plc. As schools and kindergartens start to reopen from a lockdown imposed in November, federal and state health ministers on Monday reworked vaccination rules so that teachers will now get priority access to the AstraZeneca vaccine. “Children, the young, and their parents are especially affected by lockdown,” they said in a document seen by Reuters. “Since it can be hard to ensure social distancing with young children, teachers must be protected in another way.”
23rd Feb 2021 - Reuters
Executives with Pfizer, Moderna say they're ramping up vaccine supplies
Executives with Pfizer and Moderna said the companies are ramping up their supply of coronavirus vaccines, with shipments expected to double and possibly triple in the coming weeks, in congressional testimony Tuesday. In a prepared statement before a House subcommittee Tuesday, John Young, Pfizer's chief business officer, is expected to say the company plans to increase its delivery capacity of 4 million to 5 million doses a week to more than 13 million by mid-March. Richard Nettles, the vice president of medical affairs at Johnson & Johnson, said the company plans to have enough of their single-dose Covid-19 vaccine for 20 million Americans by the end of March.
23rd Feb 2021 - Yahoo News
States rush to catch up on delayed vaccines, expand access
A giant vaccination center is opening in Houston to administer 126,000 coronavirus doses in the next three weeks. Nevada health officials are working overtime to distribute delayed shots. And Rhode Island is rescheduling appointments after a vaccine shipment failed to arrive as scheduled earlier in the week. From coast to coast, states were scrambling Tuesday to catch up on vaccinations a week after winter storms battered a large swath of the U.S. and led to clinic closures, canceled appointments and shipment backlogs nationwide.
But limited supply of the two approved COVID-19 vaccines hampered the pace of vaccinations even before extreme weather delayed the delivery of about 6 million doses.
23rd Feb 2021 - The Associated Press
Exclusive: AstraZeneca to miss second-quarter EU vaccine supply target by half - EU official
AstraZeneca Plc has told the European Union it expects to deliver less than half the COVID-19 vaccines it was contracted to supply in the second quarter, an EU official told Reuters on Tuesday. Contacted by Reuters, AstraZeneca did not deny what the official said, but a statement late in the day said the company was striving to increase productivity to deliver the promised 180 million doses. The expected shortfall, which has not previously been reported, follows a big reduction in supplies in the first quarter and could hit the EU’s ability to meet its target of vaccinating 70% of adults by summer.
23rd Feb 2021 - Reuters
Pharmacists say 'pooling' Covid vaccines could save thousands of doses
As millions of people across the U.S. line up for their coronavirus vaccination shots, health officials are struggling to meet the surging demand, the result of short supplies. Some pharmacists say a simple solution could get thousands more people vaccinated each week, but the FDA is standing in the way. It's called "pooling" — and it's not a new concept. Pharmacists have been doing it for years with everything from flu vaccines to some chemotherapy medications to antibiotics. It involves taking what's left over in a drug vial and combining it with what's left in another vial to create a full dose.
23rd Feb 2021 - NBC News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 23rd Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullPfizer set to double weekly production of coronavirus vaccine
Pfizer expects to roughly double the number of coronavirus vaccine doses it makes per week for use in the U.S, CEO Albert Bourla said Friday at an event with President Joe Biden held at the company's plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The boost in production should take effect in the next "couple weeks," Bourla said, noting the drugmaker currently manufactures about 5 million doses each week. Pfizer has supplied approximately 40 million doses to the U.S. government through February 17, some 29 million of which have been administered since the vaccine's emergency authorization last December. Pfizer's stepped-up manufacturing is a result of improvements the company's made in reducing by half the time it takes to make and do quality checks on each vaccine lot. The pharma is also expanding its production network, tapping a site in Kansas to aid in the fill and finish of vaccine vials.
23rd Feb 2021 - BioPharma Dive
Coronavirus vaccine rollout begins in Western Australia with two hotel quarantine nurses
Two hotel quarantine nurses have become the first people in Western Australia to be given the COVID-19 vaccine. Four thousand five hundred doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine arrived at Perth Airport yesterday and were stored overnight in a Perth Children's Hospital (PCH) pharmacy freezer at minus 80 degrees Celsius. It is the first COVID vaccine approved for use in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
22nd Feb 2021 - ABC.Net.au
U.S. administers 64.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines - CDC
The United States has administered 64,177,474 doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of Monday morning and delivered 75,205,940 doses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The tally of vaccine doses are for both Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech, vaccines as of 6:00 a.m. ET on Monday, the agency said. According to the tally posted on Feb. 21, the agency had administered 63,090,634 doses of the vaccines, and distributed 75,204,965 doses.
22nd Feb 2021 - Reuters
More than 100,000 Covid-19 vaccines to be administered this week
In Ireland, more than 100,000 doses of Covid-19 are set to be administered this week, as supplies of the vaccine are to be ramped up over the coming weeks. Health Service Executive (HSE) boss Paul Reid said the light is “beginning to emerge” as the State scales up its vaccine programme. The CEO of the HSE said that it delivered some 40,000 to 45,000 doses every week, but that increased to 80,000 vaccines last week. He said that 13,500 of those vaccines went to people aged over 85, while 25,000 were delivered to healthcare workers and 40,000 to residents and staff in long-term residential facilities.
22nd Feb 2021 - Belfast Telegraph
Superdrug launches £120 COVID-19 PCR saliva testing service
In the UK, Superdrug has become the first high street pharmacy chain to offer a saliva-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for COVID-19, at the price of £120. The saliva-based PCR test is designed to be less intrusive than the standard method of using a swab to retrieve a sample from the back of the patient's nose or throat. It is available in all 200 Superdrug branches across the country and via the multiple’s website, it announced last week
22nd Feb 2021 - Chemist+Druggist
UK shopper numbers rise for fifth straight week despite lockdown
The number of people heading out to shops across Britain increased by 6.8% last week versus the previous week, a fifth straight week of uplift despite the national lockdown, market researcher Springboard said on Monday. It said shopper numbers, or footfall, in the week to Feb. 20 was up 10.5% in high streets, 4.5% in shopping centres and 1.2% in retail parks. “You could be fooled into thinking that last week was a normal (school) half term week rather than the eighth week of a national lockdown, as footfall continued to rise for the fifth consecutive week,” said Springboard director Diane Wehrle.
22nd Feb 2021 - Reuters
After Pfizer deal, Sanofi offers a hand to Johnson & Johnson for COVID-19 vaccine production
Sanofi hasn't abandoned its COVID-19 vaccine hopes despite a setback in the high-stakes race, but as it moves two different shots forward, it's also pitching in to make doses for its usual rivals. The drugmaker on Monday inked a manufacturing tie-up with Johnson & Johnson to help produce that company’s vaccine in Europe. The deal follows a separate agreement for Sanofi to turn out 100 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for Europe this year. When J&J's one-dose-and-done vaccine scores an authorization, Sanofi will give the company access to its plant in Marcy l’Etoile, France. Workers there will formulate the J&J vaccine and fill vials, and the site will turn out around 12 million doses per month, Sanofi said. The deal “demonstrates Sanofi’s ongoing commitment to the collective effort to ending this crisis as quickly as possible,” CEO Paul Hudson said in a statement.
22nd Feb 2021 - FiercePharma
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 22nd Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullContinent’s medics boycott Oxford jab as Europe talks down efficacy
Europe’s faltering immunisation programme has been hit by a boycott of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine by medical staff concerned about its side effects and doubtful of its efficacy against new variants of Covid-19. Health workers in France and elsewhere in the EU are declining the Anglo-Swedish vaccine, increasingly portrayed in European media as a cheap and inferior alternative to the mRNA jabs made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
22nd Feb 2021 - The Times
Covid-19: Health chiefs say NI vaccine programme on target
Northern Ireland's Covid-19 vaccine programme is "ahead of schedule," health officials have said, after Boris Johnson announced new UK-wide targets. Earlier, the prime minister said all UK adults should be offered a first dose of vaccine by the end of July. The previous target was September for first dose completion, but the PM has now said it should "go further and faster" to help ease lockdown rules. Stormont's Department of Health said its plans were dependent on supply.
21st Feb 2021 - BBC News
Over 200 million coronavirus vaccines administered worldwide
Thus far, 92% of doses have been administered in high-income countries or the wealthiest of countries placed by the World Bank in the medium-development bracket. Together, they account for a mere 53% of the world’s population. Among the 29 least developed countries, only Guinea and Rwanda have begun to vaccinate their people.
20th Feb 2021 - The Brussels Times
How To Register For The Coronavirus Vaccine In Your State
The process to sign up for COVID-19 vaccines varies by place so NPR created a tool to help you understand how things work in your state and connect you with local resources.
20th Feb 2021 - NPR
Biden’s First Month of Covid-19 Response Marked by Larger Federal Role
In his first month in office, President Biden has positioned the federal government squarely at the front of the battle against Covid-19, tapping the military to staff mass-vaccination centers, joining with state and local officials to accelerate the pace of vaccinations, and requiring masks on buses, planes and federal property. But Mr. Biden’s efforts to use his bully pulpit to pressure states to take actions the federal government doesn’t control—such as keeping mask mandates in place—have had mixed results, and many school districts across the country are still grappling with how and when to return to in-person instruction.
20th Feb 2021 - Wall Street Journal
Covid-19: Number of coronavirus-related deaths falls for third week
The weekly number of Covid-19 related deaths registered in Northern Ireland has fallen for a third week. The NI Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) said the virus was mentioned on the death certificates of 99 people, in the week to Friday 12 February. That is 27 fewer than the previous week, bringing the agency's total to 2,673. The Department of Health's total for the same date, based on a positive test result being recorded, was 1,985.
20th Feb 2021 - BBC News
COVID-19: More than 17 million people have received first jab - as deaths surpass 120,000
More than 17 million people in the UK have now received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while the number of deaths has surpassed 120,000. Another 445 people have died within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test, according to the latest government figures, taking the total to 120,365. The deaths included a 16-year-old with no known underlying health conditions. Where patients were aged 16 to 100, all except four - aged between 16 and 68 - were known to have had underlying health conditions.
20th Feb 2021 - Sky News
COVID: Schools and outdoor mixing could be first areas where lockdown will be eased
The prime minister is still aiming to reopen all schools in England next month despite concerns from teachers and scientists. Ahead of an announcement about easing coronavirus lockdown on Monday, Downing Street refused to be drawn on specific reports that more extensive outdoor socialising could be allowed by Easter, including suggestions that two households will be allowed to meet outside. Schools and outdoor mixing are likely to be the first areas where rules will be relaxed.
20th Feb 2021 - Sky News
Coronavirus: Infections in Germany stagnate at high level
Amid repeated calls for the government to lift the lockdown, Spahn urged the public to remain cautious, adding that the coronavirus "doesn't just give up." "There are rising demands to end the lockdown and this is possible, but we need to be careful in order not to jeopardize our achievements," Spahn said on Friday. The RKI reported on Friday a slight drop in COVID-19 infections over seven days, with 56.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to 57.1 the day before, according to the German Press Agency (DPA). Germany's federal government aims for a level of infections below 50. States cas move towards easing the lockdown when the level remains under 35.
20th Feb 2021 - DW (English)
Australia's travel bubble with New Zealand to restart as Victoria records no new Covid cases
Australia’s coronavirus travel bubble with New Zealand will recommence on Sunday, the Department of Health has announced. In a statement issued on Saturday afternoon, the department said “green zone” flights from New Zealand could resume at 12.01am on Sunday, subject to some conditions. “The AHPPC monitors the situation in many locations and will continue to advise on a range of decisions in the interest of the health of all Australians,” said the chief medical officer, Prof Paul Kelly. “These decisions are not easy and we do not take them lightly – and all AHPPC members appreciate the ongoing patience and flexibility of Australians and New Zealanders, including those in the tourism and travel industry."
20th Feb 2021 - The Guardian
Covid-19: Which countries in Africa are administering vaccines?
Africa has now recorded more than 100,000 deaths from coronavirus, and there's been concern over the delay in rolling out Covid-19 vaccinations there. There has been global competition to get hold of vaccines, and African countries have generally not been as successful as richer countries in securing supplies. "It is deeply unjust that the most vulnerable Africans are forced to wait for vaccines while lower-risk groups in rich countries are made safe," says Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization regional director for Africa. France President Emmanuel Macron has proposed that rich countries in Europe and the US share their vaccines with Africa.
20th Feb 2021 - BBC News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 19th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullPfizer coronavirus vaccines to arrive in Perth this weekend with high-risk workers a priority for initial 5,000 doses
Western Australia is set to receive its first 5,000 doses of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine this weekend. WA Premier Mark McGowan said quarantine and international border workers would be among the first West Australians to be eligible for the vaccine. "Our quarantine hotel workers, including hotel staff, cleaners, police, security and clinical staff working in our quarantine facilities are at higher risk of contracting the virus, so it makes sense that they are prioritised," he said. "That goes for particular staff at our airports and ports, particularly those who board and spend time on overseas vessels."
18th Feb 2021 - ABC.Net.au
Zimbabwe starts COVID-19 vaccinations, vice-president gets first shot
Zimbabwe kicked-off its COVID-19 vaccination programme on Thursday after receiving a donation of 200,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from China earlier in the week. Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, who doubles as the country’s health minister, was the first to receive the jab, at Harare’s Wilkins Hospital. Zimbabwe aims to vaccinate around 60,000 healthcare and other frontline workers in the first round of vaccinations. The elderly and those with chronic conditions will follow.
18th Feb 2021 - Reuters
These Doctors Want to Pick Their Covid-19 Vaccine, Fearing Reactions, Lower Efficacy
Health-worker unions in Europe say thousands of their members refuse to take one of the three Covid-19 vaccines available in the region because of concerns over efficacy and reports of side effects, the latest setback for the continent’s slow vaccine rollout. Organizations representing health professionals across Europe said this week that doctors and nurses shouldn’t be forced to take the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca PLC because it was shown to offer less robust protection against Covid-19 than the other two currently authorized in the European Union. They also expressed concern over reports that the AstraZeneca vaccine appeared to cause stronger reactions in recipients.
18th Feb 2021 - Wall Street Journal
Victoria's statewide lockdown ends. Data can tell us what to do next time
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced today the state’s five-day circuit-breaker lockdown would end at midnight tonight. The state’s health department reported zero new cases overnight from nearly 40,000 tests — the highest number of daily tests recorded in Victoria since the start of the pandemic. Andrews said a five-day lockdown is “infinitely better” than taking a chance and ending up with a five-week lockdown or worse. But in truth, we don’t know for sure what that chance is. The fact Victoria uses comprehensive “contacts of contacts” tracing means we have rich data to explore how testing and tracing would stand up under more dire transmission scenarios involving the UK variant and a multi-case seeding event.
18th Feb 2021 - The Conversation AU
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 18th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: NI vaccination programme extended to carers
Northern Ireland's Covid-19 vaccination programme has been extended to include carers and more people with underlying health conditions. The vaccine rollout will be divided between GP practices and the seven regional vaccination centres. Northern Ireland's vaccine rollout is running weeks ahead of schedule, Health Minister Robin Swann has said. On Wednesday, the Department of Health recorded six more Covid-19 related deaths, taking its death toll to 2,015.
17th Feb 2021 - BBC News
German vaccination programme accelerating, but variants raise stakes: minister
Germany is set to speed up its vaccination programme, but even with declining case numbers the rapid spread of more infectious variants of the coronavirus means nobody should drop their guard, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Wednesday. Spahn told a news conference that Germany would have received a total of 10 million vaccine doses by the end of next week. Some 4 million people, mostly carers and care home residents, have so far been vaccinated. He added that a government programme to offer everyone free, rapid antigen coronavirus tests from March, financed from the public purse, would also help slow the spread of the virus. The German government has faced criticism for its relatively slow pace of vaccinations, and business is increasingly impatient for an easing of the lockdown, now in its fourth month, especially with case numbers drifting downwards.
While vaccination was voluntary, Spahn urged the public to take up the offer of a jab: "If you wait, you risk serious illness," he said.
17th Feb 2021 - TheChronicleHerald.ca
Boris told not to lift lockdown quickly as NHS at capacity ‘for six more weeks’
The NHS is expected to remain at full capacity for at least another six weeks, warned a leading health official who urged the prime minister not to ease lockdown yet. Chief Executive of NHS Providers,
17th Feb 2021 - Metro
Scottish pupils to begin returning to school from Monday
Pupils in Scotland will begin returning to schools from Monday, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said, but the move would mean wider COVID-19 lockdown restrictions may have to stay in place longer. Sturgeon announced that a phased return would go ahead as previously planned with some age groups allowed to return next week, and others dependent on the success of that move and data on overall infection rates. “We are very deliberately choosing to use the very limited headroom we have right now to get at least some children back to school, because children’s education and wellbeing is such an overriding priority,” she told the Scottish parliament on Tuesday.
17th Feb 2021 - Reuters
Johnson & Johnson has only a few million COVID vaccine doses in stock as likely launch nears
Johnson & Johnson has only a few million doses of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine in its inventory even as likely U.S. regulatory authorization is only a few weeks away, White House officials said on Wednesday. J&J remains committed to providing 100 million doses by June but deliveries are likely to be “back-end loaded” as J&J works with the U.S. government to boost supply, Jeffrey Zients, the White House’s COVID-19 response coordinator, said during a press call. “Across the last few weeks we’ve learned that there is not a big inventory of Johnson and Johnson. There’s a few million doses that we’ll start with,” Zients said.
17th Feb 2021 - Reuters
In Naples, Muslim families struggle to bury coronavirus victims
When Ahmed Aden Mohamed brought his mother, Zahra Gassim Alio, to the hospital with knee pain, he never imagined that it would be the last time he saw her alive. After a series of complications, Alio was exposed to the coronavirus and she died soon after. When he went to the hospital to collect her body, Mohamed realised how complicated it would be to lay her to rest. Since his city of Naples, in southern Italy, did not have a Muslim cemetery, he was faced with a difficult decision: have his mother’s body cremated, which is forbidden in Islam, or bury her in one of the two closest Muslim cemeteries, both of which are about 150km (93 miles) away. The lack of a Muslim cemetery in Naples, Italy’s third-largest city, and one with a fast-growing Muslim community, has been a challenge for many families for several years. But the coronavirus pandemic has made things even harder.
17th Feb 2021 - Al Jazeera English
Brazil’s coronavirus vaccine rollout beset by supply problems
Authorities in Rio de Janeiro and several other Brazilian cities have said they would pause some coronavirus jabs because of a shortage of vaccines, as supply bottlenecks threaten to slow the inoculation programme in Latin America’s largest nation. A number of municipalities including Rio, home to 6.7m people, have in recent days paused first injections — or said they intend to — because of a lack of supply, with priority given to those waiting for a second shot. Salvador, home to almost 3m residents, has suspended first vaccine doses for health workers and the elderly. “We are waiting for a new delivery from the federal government so we can proceed with the vaccination schedule in our city,” Bruno Reis, Salvador’s mayor, tweeted this week.
17th Feb 2021 - Financial Times
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 17th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullGPs could offer common asthma drug as early Covid-19 intervention
A common asthma drug, Budesonide, which could be given by GP surgeries as an early community intervention, has been found to reduce Covid-19 symptoms. In a small trial at the University of Oxford, the steroid inhaler was given seven days after the onset of Covid-19 symptoms and appeared to significantly reduce the need for critical care. The researchers also reported persistent symptoms, seen after 28 days, were reduced with the asthma drug. The study, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, involved 146 people who had tested positive for Covid-19, half of whom were given 800 mg of Budesonide twice a day and the other half received the usual care.
16th Feb 2021 - Pulse Today
COVID-19 vaccine priority groups expanded as 1.7m added to shielding list
In England, more than 800,000 extra patients will be prioritised for COVID-19 vaccination after a major expansion of the shielding list based on data from a risk assessment tool. Around 1.7m additional patients have been identified as being at increased risk from COVID-19 based on a combination of factors including age, ethnicity, BMI and medical conditions or treatments. Of these, around 820,000 are outside the over-70 age group already offered a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine by the NHS and will now be prioritised for a jab. These patients have been identified through a population risk assessment by NHS Digital, based on a risk prediction tool called 'QCovid', developed by the University of Oxford and thought to be the world's only reliable COVID-19 risk prediction model.
16th Feb 2021 - GP online
COVID-19: Phased return of schools in Scotland to begin on Monday, Nicola Sturgeon announces
The phased return of pupils to classrooms in Scotland will begin on Monday, the first minister has confirmed. Nicola Sturgeon revealed the news in a statement to the Scottish parliament, as she said the country's lockdown would continue until "at least" the beginning of March and "possibly for a further period beyond that". She told MSPs the shutdown was working - with fewer COVID-19 patients in hospital and intensive care - but cautioned that "even a slight" easing of restrictions could see cases "start rising rapidly again".
16th Feb 2021 - Sky News
Lebanon begins vaccinations with sceptics a major hurdle
Lebanon’s COVID-19 vaccination roll-out has begun, but there remain concerns the most vulnerable people in the country may be left out of the campaign or excluded altogether. Regardless of nationality or legal status, anyone living in Lebanon is supposed to be covered under its vaccination campaign, including refugees and migrant labourers, who count for about 1.5 million of the estimated six million people living here. As Lebanon began COVID-19 vaccinations on Sunday, concerns about whether its notoriously corrupt government could handle the process fairly and competently were also out in the open.
16th Feb 2021 - AlJazeera
Syringe shortage hampers Japan’s COVID-19 vaccination drive
Fears are growing in Japan – where an inoculation drive against COVID-19 will begin on Wednesday – that millions of doses of Pfizer vaccine could be wasted because of a shortage of special syringes that maximise the number of shots from each vial. The government has made urgent requests, but manufacturers are struggling to ramp up production fast enough, creating the latest headache for Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who suffers from weak public support.
16th Feb 2021 - AlJazeera
Initial sky-high UK in-hospital COVID death rate fell sharply
The in-hospital death rate among adult COVID-19 patients in England early in the pandemic was 31% but declined significantly over time, with older age, male sex, low socioeconomic status, Asian or mixed ethnicity, and underlying conditions signaling poor outcomes, according to a retrospective, observational study published yesterday in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. A team led by a researcher from University College London used the National Health Service Hospital Episode Statistics administrative dataset to estimate in-hospital deaths and contributing factors among 91,541 COVID-19 patients at 500 hospitals from Mar 1 to May 31, 2020.
16th Feb 2021 - CIDRAP
U.K. inspects AstraZeneca vaccine partner's India manufacturing, setting stage for supply boost
AstraZeneca set up a globetrotting supply network for its COVID-19 vaccine to deliver doses around the world, but it hasn't tapped regional producers to ease delivery shortfalls elsewhere. But that could change—and soon. British regulators are inspecting one of the drugmaker's biggest production partners, Serum Institute of India, which signed on to manufacture AstraZeneca's shot for its home country and other global markets. Sources close to the matter told Reuters about the manufacturing audit. A green light from the U.K.'s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) could clear the way for AstraZeneca to import the India-made shots to the U.K. and EU, which has struggled to beef up vaccine supplies after AZ said it would cut first-quarter deliveries last month.
16th Feb 2021 - FiercePharma
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 16th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullMexico begins vaccinating elderly against COVID-19
Mexico began vaccinating senior citizens in more than 300 municipalities across the country on Monday, after receiving approximately 870,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The effort was largely concentrated in remote rural communities, but hundreds of people over the age of 60 also lined up before dawn in a few far-flung corners of the sprawling capital, Mexico City, for the chance to get vaccinated. Officials encouraged people to not come all at once, but with shots distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, the demand was immediate.
The government has designated 1,000 vaccination sites, including schools and health centres, mostly in the country’s poorest communities.
16th Feb 2021 - Al Jazeera English
Syringe shortage hampers Japan's COVID-19 vaccination roll out
Japan is scrambling to secure special syringes to maximise the number of COVID-19 vaccine shots used from each vial, but manufacturers are struggling to ramp up production quickly, raising fears that millions of doses could go waste. Japan, with a population of 126 million, last month signed a contract with Pfizer Inc to procure 144 million doses of its vaccine, or enough for 72 million people, with the vaccination campaign set to start on Wednesday. One vial is meant for six shots, Pfizer says, but it takes special syringes that retain a low volume of solution after an injection to extract six doses, while only five shots can be taken with standard syringes that the government has stored up in preparation for the inoculation drive.
16th Feb 2021 - Reuters on MSN.com
Pfizer coronavirus vaccine doses arrives in Australia, ahead of first jabs next week
The first doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine have touched down in Australia as preparations continue for the first stage of the national rollout, Health Minister Greg Hunt says. People will begin receiving the vaccine from Monday, February 22, with more than 142,000 doses arriving in Sydney from Europe just after midday on Monday. "They will now be subject to security, quality assurance, in particular to ensure that temperature maintenance has been preserved throughout the course of the flight, to ensure the integrity of the doses, and to ensure there has been no damage," Mr Hunt said. Mr Hunt said the doses would be split up among the states based on their populations, and more information would be released later this week.
15th Feb 2021 - ABC.Net.au
Phoenix is paying its employees to get COVID-19 vaccine. Other cities and employers offer incentives, too
Phoenix is paying its employees $75 if they get vaccinated for COVID-19. Other cities in the Phoenix area are rewarding their employees for receiving the vaccine, as well, either by giving them a discount on their health insurance or giving them wellness points that could add up to a discount on their insurance. The city programs come as many large private-sector employers announce they are doing the same. Dollar General, Kroger, McDonald’s and Olive Garden are paying their employees either a flat rate or a certain number hours of pay to get the vaccine.
15th Feb 2021 - USA Today
Covid-19: Special school teachers 'forgotten' in vaccine rollout
In Northern Ireland, it is an "insult" that the Stormont executive did not vote to vaccinate all special school staff, according to the National Association of Headteachers. A special school teacher has also told BBC News NI she felt "outrage, disappointment, fear and frustration" at the decision. Special schools in Northern Ireland have been open for all pupils since the start of January. Only a limited number of staff are to be given priority for vaccination. That will include some of those working in the direct care of clinically vulnerable children. Education Minister Peter Weir claimed the NI Executive had been "reluctant" to hold a vote on a plan to vaccinate all special school staff.
15th Feb 2021 - BBC News
COVID-19: Vaccine programme moves to phase two after 15 million receive first coronavirus jab
Letters are being sent to those aged over 65 and the clinically vulnerable to invite them to receive the first dose of their COVID-19 vaccine. It comes a day after the UK reached the target of giving at least one dose of the vaccine to 15 million people - the majority of them most at risk from the disease. This means that the first four priority groups - those aged over 70 and the clinically extremely vulnerable - have all been invited to receive the first dose of the vaccine.
15th Feb 2021 - Sky News
PoliticsNow: Health Minister Greg Hunt says 4 million vaccine jabs to be done by early April
Health Minister Greg Hunt says 4 million vaccinations will be administered by early April. It comes amid news that the first shipment of Pfizer vaccines have landed in Australia, while Scott Morrison told parliament that the first vials of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been filled in a Melbourne facility today. Premier Daniel Andrews says he ‘can’t say’ when the statewide lockdown will end as Victoria recorded just one new local case of COVID-19 today.
15th Feb 2021 - The Australian
When will lockdown end? How restrictions will be lifted in three stages, with pubs possibly open by Easter
In England, the Government has developed a plan for leaving lockdown that could see pubs and restaurants open by Easter. A senior official told i that Boris Johnson’s road map out of lockdown will begin with the reopening of schools, already scheduled for 8 March. Non-essential retail will follow, and finally hospitality. When these reopen will depend on how the return of pupils affects the virus’ reproduction rate, known as the R number. On Friday that figure fell below one for the first time since July.
15th Feb 2021 - MSN.com
COVID-19 vaccine in high demand across US, but supply limited
Across the U.S., states are expanding vaccination criteria and opening mass COVID-19 vaccination sites to an eager population. But, as the New York Times reports, few states claim they have enough vaccine supply to meet demand. The CDC COVID Data Tracker shows that 70,057,800 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been delivered in the United States, and 52,884,356 have been administered. That translates to roughly 12% of the US population having had at least the first dose in a two-dose series of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.
15th Feb 2021 - CIDRAP
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 15th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullIsrael plans to reopen restaurants in March, restart tourism with Cyprus
Israel plans to reopen restaurants around March 9 and restart tourism with Cyprus as part of a gradual return to normality thanks to a COVID-19 vaccination campaign, officials said on Sunday. With more than 41% of Israelis having received at least one shot of Pfizer Inc’s vaccine, Israel has said it will partially reopen hotels and gyms on Feb. 23 to those fully inoculated or deemed immune after recovering from COVID-19. To gain entry, these beneficiaries would have to present a “Green Pass”, displayed on a Health Ministry app linked to their medical files. The app’s rollout is due this week.
14th Feb 2021 - Reuters
French hospitals to move into crisis mode from Thursday: newspaper
France’s Health Ministry has asked regional health agencies and hospitals to enter “crisis organisation” to prepare for a possible surge in coronavirus cases as a result of highly contagious variants, Le Journal Du Dimanche reported. The move, which would echo measures taken in March and November when France went into lockdown, involves increasing the number of hospital beds available, delaying non-urgent surgery and mobilising all medical staff resources. “This crisis organisation must be implemented in each region, regardless of the level of hospital stress and must be operational from Thursday Feb. 18,” the DGS health authority said
14th Feb 2021 - Reuters
AstraZeneca teams with IDT Biologika to speed coronavirus vaccine output in EU
AstraZeneca is teaming up with German CDMO IDT Biologika to quickly speed output of finished COVID-19 vaccine doses. And their pact doesn't stop with this pandemic. To address Europe's "immediate vaccination needs during the pandemic," the companies agreed to work together to speed output of finished AZ doses by the second quarter of this year, AstraZeneca said Wednesday. Their newly expanded deal has a broader goal as well—helping secure "Europe’s future vaccine supply independence" through combined investments in new capacity at IDT Biologika's Dessau, Germany, manufacturing site.
13th Feb 2021 - FiercePharma
Some foreign nationals are getting coronavirus vaccines in the United States
One of Mexico’s best-known TV hosts sat in a car, masked, looking straight ahead while a needle was plunged into his bare upper arm. Juan Jose “Pepillo” Origel was the latest Mexican national to get the coronavirus vaccine — by coming to the United States. “Vaccinated! Thank you #USA how sad that my country didn’t provide me with this security!!!” the 72-year-old star tweeted in Spanish on Jan. 23, along with a photo of his inoculation in the parking lot of the Miami zoo. Mexican social media users immediately savaged Origel, protesting that his ability to fly to the United States for the vaccine crystallized their nation’s vast inequities. About the same time, Florida health leaders, concerned that out-of-state residents and foreign nationals were flying in for precious doses of scarce coronavirus vaccine, moved to restrict access to people who live in the state full- or part-time.
13th Feb 2021 - The Washington Post
How India is delivering the coronavirus vaccine to its remotest villages
Vast distances, guerrilla warfare and vaccine hesitancy are just some of the hurdles India must overcome to vaccinate its 1.4 billion people against the coronavirus. Devjyot Ghoshal and Danish Siddiqui follow a feat of co-ordination as a vaccine makes a 1,700km journey to a rural health worker
13th Feb 2021 - The Independent
After failing to deliver, AstraZeneca rethinks EU coronavirus vaccine supply chain
AstraZeneca is scrambling to find more manufacturers to produce its coronavirus vaccine in Europe after the drugmaker’s bet on a limited number of sites fell short.
By the end of January, only one continental plant — located in Seneffe in Belgium — was authorized to manufacture the drug substance for the vaccine coveted by governments across Europe, alongside two sites in the U.K. and U.S. After announcing the company would be unable to deliver nearly two-thirds of the 100 million doses it promised the EU by the end of March, AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot initially pointed the finger at the Belgian plant, now owned by U.S. company Thermo Fisher Scientific.
13th Feb 2021 - POLITICO.eu
Pentagon approves 20 more COVID-19 vaccination teams
The Pentagon has approved the deployment of 20 more military vaccination teams that will be prepared to go out to communities around the country putting the department on pace to deploy as many as 19,000 troops if the 100 planned teams are realized. The troop number is almost double what federal authorities initially thought would be needed. Chief Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Friday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's latest approval brings the number of COVID-19 vaccination teams so far authorized to 25, with a total of roughly 4,700 service members. He said the teams, which largely involve active duty forces, are being approved in a phased approach, based on the needs of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
13th Feb 2021 - The Independent
New ‘do not resuscitate’ orders imposed on Covid-19 patients with learning difficulties
People with learning disabilities have been given do not resuscitate orders during the second wave of the pandemic, in spite of widespread condemnation of the practice last year and an urgent investigation by the care watchdog. Mencap said it had received reports in January from people with learning disabilities that they had been told they would not be resuscitated if they were taken ill with Covid-19. The Care Quality Commission said in December that inappropriate Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) notices had caused potentially avoidable deaths last year
13th Feb 2021 - The Guardian on MSN.com
Covid-19 pandemic: Warning vaccine roll-out risks prolonging crisis
The Covid-19 pandemic is unlikely to end unless poorer countries can access vaccines, scientists writing in medical journal the Lancet have warned. Unprecedented numbers of doses are needed, the article says, but poorer countries lack funds and richer countries have snapped up supplies. The experts want to see production ramped up and doses priced affordably. It is the latest warning that so-called "vaccine nationalism" is putting lives at risk. At last year's UN General Assembly, Secretary-General António Guterres called the practice - when countries sign deals to inoculate their own populations ahead of others - "unfair" and "self-defeating".
13th Feb 2021 - BBC News
Covid-19: C.D.C. Urges Reopening of Schools With New Guidelines
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday urged that K-12 schools be reopened and offered a comprehensive science-based plan for doing so speedily, an effort to resolve an urgent debate roiling in communities across the nation. The new guidelines highlight the growing body of evidence that schools can openly safely if they put in effect layered mitigation measures. The agency said that even when students lived in communities with high transmission rates, elementary students could receive at least some in-person instruction safely — a finding echoed by an independent survey of 175 pediatric disease experts conducted by The Times. Middle and high school students, the agency said, could attend school safely at most lower levels of community transmission — or even at higher levels, if schools put into effect weekly testing of staff and students to identify asymptomatic infections.
12th Feb 2021 - The New York Times
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 12th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullChurches pair up with clinics to deliver coronavirus vaccine to those who need it most
Pastor Joseph Daniels folded his 6-foot-3-inch frame into the mobile coronavirus vaccine clinic outside Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church in Southeast Washington on Wednesday and joked that he was no fan of needles. Before he knew it, a nurse wearing a face shield, a mask and gloves was applying a bandage to his upper arm.
“Oh, okay,” he said. “That was easy.” Daniels was one of a handful of pastors, along with their spouses, who received a vaccination Wednesday morning as part of the city’s pilot program staging clinics at churches, part of an effort to combat vaccine hesitancy and improve access to the shots in hard-hit neighborhoods where vaccination rates are low
11th Feb 2021 - The Washington Post
AstraZeneca Plans to Double Covid-19 Vaccine Output
AstraZeneca PLC said it was fixing problems with the manufacturing of its Covid-19 vaccine and expects to roughly double monthly production to 200 million doses by April, as it seeks to move past a rocky start to the shot’s rollout. The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker reported strong full-year earnings and forecast increased 2021 earnings growth. The forecast doesn’t factor in sales of the pandemic vaccine it developed alongside the University of Oxford.
11th Feb 2021 - Wall Street Journal
Over 100,000 people from Mumbai got Covid-19 vaccine shots
After vaccinating 5,707 beneficiaries on the 20th day of the vaccination drive, Mumbai crossed the milestone of 100,000 beneficiaries on Thursday. A total of 1,01,364 beneficiaries have been vaccinated in Mumbai since January 16, when the vaccination drive began. Of these, 85,034 are healthcare workers (HCWs) and 16,330 are frontline workers (FLWs). On Thursday, the turnout was 61%, but the average turnout over the past 20 days is over 70%.
11th Feb 2021 - Hindustan Times
Covid: Prisoners like 'caged animals' in lockdown jails
Prisoners in England's jails have been locked in their cells for more than 90% of the day to keep them safe from Covid-19, the prisons watchdog says. And the extra restrictions, which began in March, have led to a decline in their mental and physical health and a rise in drug taking and self-harm. "It's being imprisoned while you're in prison," one inmate told inspectors. Predictions up to 2,000 inmates would die in the pandemic in England and Wales without action have been avoided.
11th Feb 2021 - BBC News
Germany to reinstate border controls over virus variant
The German government decided Thursday to temporarily reinstate border controls along its southeastern frontier after designating the Czech Republic and parts of Austria as “mutation areas" due to their high number of variant coronavirus cases, German news agency dpa reported. The temporary border controls and certain entry restrictions will start Sunday at midnight, dpa reported. Travelers coming from certain areas of Austria or the Czech Republic will have to provide proof of a negative coronavirus test in order to enter Germany a requirement that will present a hurdle for thousands of cross-border workers. It was not clear for how long the border controls would last.
11th Feb 2021 - The Independent
NHS workforce ‘on its knees’ – without ‘recuperation’ burnt-out staff will leave, warn leaders
The Government is being urged to have an “honest” conversation with the public.
The sustained and constant pressure of the pandemic has left the NHS workforce “on its knees” and burnt-out staff will look to leave unless action is taken, warn senior NHS leaders. In a letter sent to the Prime Minister on Monday by the NHS Confederation, senior leaders from all parts of the NHS have issued several stark warnings alongside calling for a period of “recuperation” before returning to normal operations. With around 4.46 million patients awaiting routine surgery and up to 20% of the UK population needing mental health support, the Government is being urged to be “honest” about what the NHS can realistically deliver in the coming months to years.
11th Feb 2021 - Nursing Notes
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 11th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullBarack Obama makes direct appeal to Black Americans to get coronavirus vaccine
Former President Barack Obama took to Twitter Tuesday to urge Americans - especially Black Americans - to get the coronavirus vaccine as soon as they are eligible. Mr Obama addressed misinformation about the vaccine, and asked Americans to trust the science behind the drugs. "There is a lot of disinformation out there, but here’s the truth: You should get a Covid vaccine as soon as it's available to you. It could save your life—or a loved one’s," Mr Obama wrote on the tweet. His tweet included a link to a New York Times opinion piece that included 60 Black health experts warning Americans about vaccine disinformation and the importance of the drugs in the fight against the coronavirus.
10th Feb 2021 - The Independent
NHS plans for annual coronavirus vaccinations
The NHS is planning a mass campaign of booster jabs against new variants of coronavirus as early as the autumn, in what the vaccines minister suggested would become an annual effort to prevent Covid-19 as the virus keeps mutating. High-street pharmacists and retired doctors who were not enlisted in the first phase of the vaccination programme could be involved in the effort to protect the UK against new strains, according to people familiar with the logistics. Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccines minister, told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that the government was expecting annual inoculations to take place every autumn in much the same way as flu prevention, adding: “Where you look at what variant of virus is spreading around the world, you rapidly produce a variant of vaccine, and then begin to vaccinate and protect the nation.”
10th Feb 2021 - Financial Times
Teva Is in Discussions to Help Make Covid-19 Vaccines, CEO Says
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. is in talks with Covid-19 vaccine makers about helping to produce and distribute shots as demand rises for immunizations. The generic drug giant is offering to dedicate its manufacturing capacity in the U.S., Europe and beyond to aid with mass-immunization efforts geared at combating the pandemic, Chief Executive Officer Kare Schultz said Wednesday. “We have a large, worldwide network of manufacturing capabilities,” from creating underlying drug substances to putting solutions into sterile vials, known as the fill-finish process, he said in an interview. “There are a limited number of facilities that can do this kind of manufacturing, and it takes time to build them.”
10th Feb 2021 - Bloomberg on MSN.com
Covid-19: Care homes 'given only 10% of required PPE', and pubs plead for opening date
Care home staff were not given personal protective equipment (PPE) early in the pandemic because the government prioritised the NHS, MPs have said. The Commons Public Accounts Committee said care homes received only a fraction of the PPE needed. Between March and July 2020, the Department of Health and Social Care provided NHS trusts with 1.9 billion items of PPE, the equivalent to 80% of estimated need. The adult social care sector was given 331 million items - just 10% of its need. At the same time, about 25,000 patients were discharged to care homes from hospitals without being tested for Covid-19. Last month, our political editor Laura Kuenssberg interviewed a care home owner who said Covid "hit the home like a missile" last year.
10th Feb 2021 - BBC News
Schools are safe to reopen next month if rest of country remains locked down, say scientists
A “cautious” reopening of schools from March 8 can be done without sparking another wave of Covid-19, researchers said today. The findings raise hope that Boris Johnson will be able to proceed with an easing of the lockdown from next month. The Prime Minister is due to set out his roadmap on February 22, with the reopening of schools said to be a priority. Experts from University College London, Oxford university and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine say there is “tentative evidence” that it will be safe to start reopening schools, with the best option being to start with primary schools and secondary pupils in exam years.
10th Feb 2021 - Evening Standard
AstraZeneca agrees German manufacturing deal to fill vaccine gap
AstraZeneca has enlisted German drug manufacturer IDT Biologika to help boost production of its Covid-19 vaccine and tackle supply shortages in Europe. Relations between the EU and AstraZeneca deteriorated after the pharma group announced last month that it would fall far short on its promise to deliver the bloc at least 100m doses of the vaccine, developed with Oxford university, in the first quarter. AstraZeneca has since revised its first-quarter delivery forecast up from 31m to 40m doses, and announced that it would expand manufacturing capacity in Europe.
10th Feb 2021 - Financial Times
BioNTech gets rolling with mRNA production at former Novartis site in Marburg
BioNTech, under pressure with its COVID-19 vaccine partner Pfizer to manufacture as many doses as possible this year, has started production at a former Novartis site it acquired in Germany. The drugmaker has started making messenger RNA at the site, kicking off the manufacturing process for its Pfizer-partnered COVID-19 vaccine. BioNTech expects to produce up to 250 million doses of its vaccine there in the first half of 2021, and up to 750 million doses annually when the site is fully online. The first vaccines produced there will be ready in early April, BioNTech said.
10th Feb 2021 - FiercePharma
Japan to discard millions of Pfizer vaccine doses because it has wrong syringes
Millions of people in Japan will not receive Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine as planned due to a shortage of specialist syringes – an oversight that could frustrate the country’s inoculation programme. Standard syringes in use in Japan are unable to extract the sixth and final dose from each vial manufactured by the US drugmaker, according to the health minister, Norihisa Tamura. Japan has secured 144m shots of the Pfizer vaccine – enough for 72 million people – on the assumption that each vial contained six doses.
10th Feb 2021 - The Guardian
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 10th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullUber and Walgreens team up to offer free rides and access to the COVID-19 vaccine for underserved communities
Uber and Walgreens are teaming up to distribute the vaccine to underserved communities by offering free rides and education to the communities who haven't received their share of doses, the companies said in a joint statement on Tuesday. As COVID-19 vaccines become widely available at retail pharmacies across the country starting February 11, the two companies partnered up to help "drive equitable access" to the shots as health organizations point to a disparity in who is receiving the majority of doses. Walgreens President John Standley said the companies are each using their expertise to "take bold action to address vaccine access and hesitancy among those hit hardest by the pandemic."
9th Feb 2021 - MSN.com
India says J&J interested in making COVID-19 vaccine in country
Johnson & Johnson is interested in manufacturing its COVID-19 vaccine in India, a government official told a news conference on Tuesday. India also currently has no concern over the efficacy of the AstraZeneca vaccine that is being used in the country’s massive inoculation campaign, Vinod Kumar Paul said.
9th Feb 2021 - Reuters
Japan Keeps Its Covid Fight Simple With a Rule Starting at Dinnertime
Call it the Zen art of lockdowns. In the fight to suppress Covid-19, Japan has found success by stripping down its policy to one simple measure: closing restaurants and bars at 8 p.m. When the government declared a state of emergency in Tokyo and other urban areas on Jan. 7, it changed little, except to urge places that serve food and drinks to close by 8 p.m. Most complied in exchange for support that includes payments of about $600 a day. Infections since then have fallen by more than two-thirds nationwide, even though other daily activities such as shopping and commuting have continued. The government hopes to lift the state of emergency by March 7. “In consultation with experts, we carefully crafted a policy centered on reducing the hours of restaurants and bars,” Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Feb. 2.
9th Feb 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
After Outbreak, Trains Start Running Again in North China City as Lockdown Loosens
Travel curbs on Shijiazhuang, the capital of North China’s Hebei province and center of a recent flare-up of Covid-19, were eased on Monday, with trains to and from the city resuming after a 34-day suspension. However, travel by highway and air remains banned. Operators of the city’s highways said business will “be resumed in an orderly manner” without giving a specific timeline, while intercity bus services will also stay suspended.
9th Feb 2021 - Caixin Global
Austrian hairdressers reopen but COVID-19 rules ruffle some
Austrian hairdressers reopened for the first time in more than six weeks on Monday as a national lockdown loosened, but new rules including a coronavirus test requirement for customers ruffled some. Despite stubbornly high infection numbers, the conservative-led government let schools and non-essential shops reopen on Monday, arguing that the economic and social toll of lockdown would otherwise be too great. With the lockdown loosening came new rules aimed at slowing the spread of the virus. Shops can only have one customer for every 20 square metres of floor space at a time. For hairdressers it is half that, but customers must show a negative coronavirus test no more than 48 hours old.
9th Feb 2021 - Reuters
Texas, California see large drop in COVID-19 cases
Texas and California, two of the states hardest hit by COVID-19 since Thanksgiving, have reached new milestones indicating that the spread of infections is slowing. The number of new daily coronavirus cases in California fell to just over 10,000 yesterday, down from 50,000 a month ago, according to KQED. Gov. Gavin Newsom also reported a 25% decline in COVID-19 patients in intensive care units. "Everything that should be up is up, and everything that should be down is down," Newsom said during remarks given yesterday at San Diego Petco Park, which will be the state's first mass vaccine "super station."
9th Feb 2021 - CIDRAP
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 9th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullConfusion and chaos: Inside the vaccine rollout in D.C., Maryland and Virginia
The first precious boxloads of the frozen elixir arrived in December, bearing great promise for curtailing the pandemic that has paralyzed the region and the world.
Nurses and firefighters got injections on live TV. Some of them cried. Watching at home, many hopeful people cried, too. But in the weeks that followed, that hope was mixed with frustration, then anger, as it became clear that getting the potentially lifesaving vaccine would not be easy — not nationally, and not in the District, Maryland and Virginia.
8th Feb 2021 - The Washington Post
López Obrador’s pandemic optimism falls flat after he catches Covid-19
On his first day in isolation after contracting Covid-19, Mexico’s president Andrés Manuel López Obrador had a call with Vladimir Putin. Whereas his first call with President Joe Biden, three days earlier, had been “friendly and respectful”, López Obrador gushed about the “genuine affection” from the Russian president as Mexico prepared to receive 24m doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. Foreign diplomacy does not usually interest López Obrador, but this time it was urgent: Mexico, one of the world’s worst-hit countries, faced a three-week halt in vaccines from BioNTech/Pfizer and needed more fast.
8th Feb 2021 - Financial Times
'I've Never Seen Such Sadness': Doctors' Burden Of Watching Daily Tragedies, Then Going Home To Lockdown
Usually we would go home from an awful shift and maybe have a drink or a meal with a friend, maybe go to the gym, maybe play some music and laugh. And then we are recharged and ready for when we go back to our next shift and we are able to deal with all the awfulness again.
8th Feb 2021 - Huffington Post UK
What recovery? Clothes retailers cut orders while factories fight to survive
Clothes retailers in Europe and America sit on excess inventory and cut back on spring orders. Sourcing agents face late payments. Garment factories in Bangladesh are on the rack. The global apparel industry, reeling from a punishing 2020, is seeing its hopes of recovery punctured by a new wave of COVID-19 lockdowns and patchy national vaccine rollouts. The pain is consequently flowing to major garment manufacturing centres like Bangladesh, whose economies rely on textile exports. Factories are struggling to stay open.
8th Feb 2021 - Reuters
US administers more than 4 million Covid vaccines to most vulnerable: ‘We are on the path to protection’
The United States has administered more than 4.7 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to 3.8 million of its most vulnerable people in an effort to decrease hospitalisations and deaths caused by the novel virus. "Those who are dying in large numbers last year are now on the path to protection," said Andy Slavitt, Joe Biden's senior coronavirus adviser, during the White House Covid response team press briefing on Monday. People living in long-term care facilities, alongside healthcare workers, were prioritised above all others in the country to receive a Covid-19 vaccine. This was after the country witnessed deadly spreads of the novel virus within these facilities last year.
8th Feb 2021 - The Independent
Pfizer expects to cut COVID-19 vaccine production time by close to 50% as production ramps up, efficiencies increase
Pfizer expects to nearly cut in half the amount of time it takes to produce a batch of COVID-19 vaccine from 110 days to an average of 60 as it makes the process more efficient and production is built out, the company told USA TODAY. As the nation revs up its vaccination programs, the increase could help relieve bottlenecks caused by vaccine shortages. "We call this 'Project Light Speed,' and it's called that for a reason," said Chaz Calitri, Pfizer's vice president for operations for sterile injectables, who runs the company's plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan. "Just in the last month we've doubled output."
8th Feb 2021 - USA Today on MSN.com
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 8th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullPfizer expects to cut COVID-19 vaccine production time by close to 50% as production ramps up, efficiencies increase
Pfizer expects to nearly cut in half the amount of time it takes to produce a batch of COVID-19 vaccine from 110 days to an average of 60 as it makes the process more efficient and production is built out, the company told USA TODAY. As the nation revs up its vaccination programs, the increase could help relieve bottlenecks caused by vaccine shortages. "We call this 'Project Light Speed,' and it's called that for a reason," said Chaz Calitri, Pfizer's vice president for operations for sterile injectables, who runs the company's plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan. "Just in the last month we've doubled output."
7th Feb 2021 - USA TODAY on MSN.com
Covid-19 Vaccine Promises Fall Short for Many Doctors, Elderly in Europe
Eugenio Del Rio, a 77-year-old writer, leaves his Madrid apartment only to shop for food and take an occasional stroll as he awaits his turn to get the coronavirus vaccine. The wait is getting longer and longer. So long, in fact, that he has come to realize a book he is writing, about the cultural factors that pushed some youth to oppose the Franco regime, might be published before the country is through the pandemic. “I hope to be vaccinated in April, but even if that happens it will be ages before we return to normal life because so many people will still need to be vaccinated,” said Mr. Del Rio.
7th Feb 2021 - Wall Street Journal
Covid-19: Extra testing opens in Bristol and South Gloucestershire
Additional testing to track and suppress the spread of a Covid-19 variant has been rolled out in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. People who do not have symptoms but live in 24 postcode areas are "strongly encouraged" to get tested. Additional testing has been introduced in Worcestershire and Sefton after the South Africa variant was found. Bristol City Council's director of public health said people should follow existing health advice.
7th Feb 2021 - BBC News
Scotland hits coronavirus vaccine milestone as more than three quarters of a million receive first dose
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has hailed the "enormous efforts" of coronavirus vaccinators as the number of Scots to have been given their first injection passed three quarters of a million. Figures published by the Scottish Government showed that by Saturday morning, 786,427 people had now had their first jab - with 10,332 having received both doses of the vaccine. The figures were revealed as it was announced there had been a further 48 deaths among those who had tested positive for the virus in the past 28 days - taking the total number of deaths under this measurement to 6,431. In addition, a further 895 cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the past 24 hours - 5.9% of all those tested.
6th Feb 2021 - Daily Record
The Latest: Sri Lankan officials say vaccinations advancing
Sri Lankan health officials said on Saturday that more than half of the health workers and frontline military and police officers have so far been vaccinated against COVID-19. Sri Lanka last week began inoculating it’s frontline health workers, military troops and police officers against COVID-19 amid warnings that the sector faces a collapse with a number of health staff being infected with the new coronavirus. The ministry had planned to first vaccinate 150,000 health workers and selected 115,000 military and police personnel. By Saturday, 156,310 had been given with COVISHIELD vaccine. India had donated 500,000 does of Oxford-AstraZenica vaccine also known as the COVISHIELD which is the only vaccine approved by the regulatory body in Sri Lanka. Health ministry says Sri Lanka has ordered 18 millions doses of COVISHIELD vaccines and also had asked to allocate 2 million doses of Pfizer-BioNtech. Besides, China has promised to provide 300,000 shots of Sinopharm vaccine this month.
5th Feb 2021 - The Associated Press
Covid: All over-50s in UK to be offered vaccine by May
All adults aged 50 and over should have been offered a coronavirus vaccine by May, Downing Street has confirmed. Previously ministers had said it was their "ambition" to vaccinate the first nine priority groups by the spring.
5th Feb 2021 - BBC News
Moderna sets sights on $200M vaccine factory in Seoul: report
With supply contracts for 50 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in Japan and 40 million in South Korea, Moderna has already made a push into the Asian market. Now, it's laying out plans for a factory all its own in the region. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based drugmaker is in talks with the South Korean government to invest $200 million into a vaccine production plant in the country, Park Young-sun, a former government minister involved in the plans, told the Asia Business Daily, Reuters reports. Moderna is eager to push into the region, she added.
5th Feb 2021 - FiercePharma
‘Like going to war’: Life and death on a Covid intensive care ward
On the intensive care ward of Northwick Park Hospital in north London, physiotherapist Mirko Vracar stands among dozens of coronavirus patients, surrounded by a cacophony of beeping alarms and hissing machinery. The patients lie comatose, ventilators breathing for them, while doctors and nurses speak in urgent, hushed tones, their voices muffled behind masks. For Mirko, redeployed to help the overstretched staff, the work is difficult and the stakes could not be higher. Since Christmas he has spent five days a week on these wards, working in a team that “prones” these patients – moving them on to their fronts so their Covid-ravaged lungs can breathe a little easier. They do this as many as 25 times a shift.
5th Feb 2021 - The Independent
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 5th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullOutrage as 'people jump queue for a coronavirus vaccine' after being sent NHS link
Non-priority groups including Public Health England workers and friends of NHS staff have been jumping the queue for the coronavirus vaccine jab. Over a hundred members of PHE staff at Porton Down, Wiltshire, have had the treatment, even though they are not in an of the qualifying categories. The director at the facility insisted they were spare doses that would have gone to waste if they had not been used - but would not comment on the total
4th Feb 2021 - Daily Mail
Covid: UK 'past the peak' but levels 'forbiddingly' too high to relax lockdown
It is too soon to imagine the relaxation of lockdown restrictions in England, with infection levels of coronavirus "still forbiddingly high", the prime minister has said, though the UK is thought to be "past the peak". Boris Johnson said the UK's Covid vaccination programme has provided "some signs of hope", with 10 million people having received their first jab, but he warned the NHS is still "under huge pressure". The PM said his plan remains to set out a plan, on February 22, for an exit out of lockdown but the "level of infection is still forbiddingly high for us to imagine relaxation of currently guidelines".
4th Feb 2021 - ITV News
Restaurants face 'wave of bankruptcies' after lockdowns
The food services sector has been hit hard by the Coronavirus pandemic, but governments are struggling to find ways to reopen safely. On Monday, Italy eased restrictions in sixteen regions, allowing restaurants and museums to reopen after months of closure. But the country remains an exception in Europe. In Brussels, the streets of the normally lively city centre have been eerily empty for more than three months now. To make matters worse, the sector has had to adjust to wildly zig-zagging policy decisions over the past year that have varied enormously between different countries.
4th Feb 2021 - EURACTIV
The Health 202: How West Virginia beat other states in administering coronavirus vaccines
The Biden administration will start shipping extra coronavirus vaccine doses straight to pharmacies, hoping to speed the process of getting shots into arms. But in West Virginia — which has administered the vaccines faster than any other state except Alaska — officials lament that the new allocations will not be going directly to the state to distribute. “We’re appreciative of any help we’re given, but we would appreciate it more if we would get it delivered to us and in our system,” James Hoyer, the director of the Joint Interagency Task Force for Vaccines in West Virginia, said yesterday.
4th Feb 2021 - Washington Post
COVID-19 challenges continue across US
As the United States continues to roll out doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, states continue to struggle with how best to reach the elderly and minorities, groups at greater risk for severe COVID-19. In Mississippi, 38% of state residents are black—the highest in the nation—but only 17% of the state's vaccine recipients have identified as black. An NBC News analysis on that state shows several barriers to accessing the vaccine: Many residents live far from a drive-thru vaccination site and lack access to a car. Similarly, announcements made about open vaccination slots and registration times are missed by people without reliable internet access.
4th Feb 2021 - CIDRAP
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 4th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullNew U.S. transportation chief optimistic about future of travel despite COVID-19
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Wednesday he was “deeply optimistic” about the future of travel despite the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on airlines, airports, transit systems and road use. The pandemic has sent tens of millions of workers home for months, slashed tourism and business travel demand and placed significant burdens on transportation services to deliver packages, vaccines and other critical goods. Much of the nation’s travel sector is again asking Congress for a new round of emergency funding. “We will break new ground in ensuring that our economy recovers and rebuilds, in rising to the climate challenge, and in making sure transportation is an engine for equity in this country,” said Buttigieg, who was sworn in Wednesday, in an email to staff.
4th Feb 2021 - Reuters
Vaccination sites opening in hard-hit California communities to tackle COVID disparities
New vaccination centers are due to open this month in the heart of two California communities especially hard hit by the coronavirus, as state and federal officials try to tackle racial and economic disparities hindering U.S. immunization efforts. Joint plans to launch the two sites on Feb. 16, at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum in Oakland and the California State University campus in east Los Angeles, were detailed separately on Wednesday by Governor Gavin Newsom and the Biden administration’s COVID-19 response coordinator, Jeff Zients.
4th Feb 2021 - Reuters
Slow COVID-19 vaccine rollout expected in war- ravaged Syria
The success of the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in war-ravaged Syria depends on their availability and distribution and may initially cover only 3% of the population, a World Health Organization official said Tuesday. Akjemal Magtymova, WHO's representative in Syria, said the country is eligible to receive vaccines for free through the global COVAX effort aimed at helping lower-income countries obtain the shots. But Magtymova couldn't say when the first shipment would arrive, how many vaccines were expected, or how they would be rolled out in a divided country still at war. The COVAX rollout is expected to begin in April. Magtymova spoke to The Associated Press in the capital Damascus amid concerns over the equitable distribution of coronavirus vaccines across the country, where the health care sector has been devastated by a decade of war and remains divided into three rival parts.
3rd Feb 2021 - The Independent
Some U.S. pharmacies to begin getting direct shipments of coronavirus vaccine
Several thousand pharmacies across the United States will start to receive direct shipments of coronavirus vaccine next week in the first phase of a strategy intended to simplify the ability to get shots, White House officials said Tuesday. Jeff Zients, coordinator of the White House’s covid-19 response, said the 1 million doses that will be sent to pharmacies starting Feb. 11 come on top of a modest increase in vaccine allocations to states that is beginning this week. And to help states cope with financial burdens created by the pandemic, Zients said, the government will reimburse them retroactively for emergency expenses associated with fighting the public health crisis, including the purchase of masks and gloves, and the mobilization of the National Guard.
3rd Feb 2021 - The Washington Post
MP encourages city's Black community to get covid jab
A Merseyside MP has visited a health centre to encourage the city's Black community to take up the offer of a coronavirus vaccine. Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson visited Princes Park Health Centre, which recently began its Covid-19 vaccination programme. Ms Johnson, along with Dr Katy Gardner, Cllr Steve Munby and Cate Murphy, a member of the MP's team, were given a full tour of the centre.
Ms Johnson said: "We were blown away by the dedication and expertise of all the staff, including Dr David Lewis, Fiona Lemmens, Michelle Fairhurst and the fantastic team of medical students. "While I welcome the development, the delay has been frustrating.
3rd Feb 2021 - Liverpool Echo
Coronavirus: German medics fly in to aid Portugal's hospital emergency
The sight of a German military plane touching down in Lisbon on Wednesday, carrying intensive care specialists and ventilators to help save lives in Portugal's embattled hospitals, recalls the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe. Last spring, when Italy was overwhelmed by the first wave of infections, it was helped out by several other European countries taking in patients - even if many Italians felt it was too little, too late. Now, almost a year on, it is Portugal's turn. The country's national health service is overwhelmed. There's a shortage of beds and specialist nurses, and in one hospital last week, potentially life-threatening problems in an overburdened oxygen system.
3rd Feb 2021 - BBC News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 3rd Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullHundreds queue in rain as Covid doorstep tests for 'worrying' South Africa strain start
Hundreds of people have queued for coronavirus tests in the rain in areas of England where officials fear the South African variant is spreading. The Government has ordered urgent testing in eight postcode areas where the mutation has been detected. Even people with no symptoms are being urged to get tested. Around 80,000 residents in parts of London, Kent, Surrey, Hertfordshire, West Midlands, and Merseyside are caught up in the 'surge' testing blitz. Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced the door-to-door testing plan in a Downing Street press conference on Monday night. Officials are in a bid to track down "every single case" of the mutant South African strain to prevent it spreading further.
3rd Feb 2021 - Mirror Online
Farmers sue state over COVID-19 rules for migrant workers
Two farm groups are suing the state of Washington for failing to revise emergency regulations that seek to protect migrant farmworkers from the COVID-19 virus. The groups filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Yakima County Superior Court. It seeks to invalidate the recently renewed rules as arbitrary, capricious and not feasible. “We’re disappointed we had to take this step, but our farms are on the line and we had no other choice,” said John Stuhlmiller, chief executive officer of the Washington Farm Bureau. The state Department of Health renewed the emergency rules, first adopted last spring, for the third time on Jan. 8. In addition, Gov. Jay Inslee last month rejected the two groups’ request to repeal and revise the rules.
2nd Feb 2021 - Associated Press
Emergency UK funding failing to reach Covid-hit companies
Small businesses are missing out on millions of pounds of emergency grants promised by the UK government as long ago as November, sparking warnings that many will not survive unless access to this cash is unlocked. Councils have been struggling to distribute the money, including a share of £12bn worth of support first offered last year according to the Local Government Association, due to the volume of paperwork and changes to lockdown regulations. There have been 10 different tranches of funding to sustain small businesses without the cash reserves or covenants of larger companies through local tier restrictions established in October and the one month lockdown for England that ran from November 5. The schemes also cover support for different regional restrictions in December and the current lockdown in England, which is expected to run until at least February 22.
2nd Feb 2021 - Financial Times
Spain’s bars and restaurants confront their darkest hour
Spain’s hospitality sector, which is taking the brunt of the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, now faces its toughest months since the country emerged from its first state of alarm in June. Between the start of the summer and the third wave of the pandemic, there were certain restrictions in place, but the vast majority of establishments were still able to stay open. Now, with the post-Christmas surge in Covid-19 cases filling hospitals’ intensive care units, the authorities have once again been obliged to crack down. “The sector is in ruins, we are closed in half of Spain,” notes José Luis Yzuel, president of the hospitality business association Hostelería de España.
2nd Feb 2021 - EL PAÍS in English
Moderna Could Boost Vaccine Supply by Adding Doses to Vials
U.S. regulators could decide within a few weeks whether to allow Moderna, the developer of one of the two federally authorized Covid-19 vaccines, to increase the number of doses in its vials — which could accelerate the nation’s vaccination rate.
Moderna is hoping to raise the number of doses in its vials to as many as 15 from the current 10 doses. The proposal reflects the fact that the company has been ramping up production of its vaccine to the point where the final manufacturing stage, when it is bottled, capped and labeled, has emerged as a roadblock to expanding its distribution. If the change does go through, it could be hugely welcome news in the campaign to curb a pandemic that has killed more than 440,000 people in the United States alone. In a statement late Monday, Ray Jordan, a Moderna spokesman, said the constraint on dosage per vial was limiting Moderna’s output.
2nd Feb 2021 - The New York Times
WHO team visits animal disease center in Wuhan, China
Further details of the visit were not announced in what has been a tightly controlled trip, with the media only able to glimpse the team coming and going from its hotel and site visits. The team members wore full protective gear during Tuesday’s visit.
It’s not clear if they wore similar full-body suits at the research institutes, hospitals and markets they visited on previous days. Outside their hotel and en route to and from visits, the experts have worn masks and professional or business casual attire.
Intense negotiations preceded the WHO visit to Wuhan, where the first COVID-19 cases were detected in late 2019. China has maintained strict controls on access to information about the virus, possibly to avoid blame for alleged missteps in its early response to the outbreak. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the Chinese government had provided significant support and assistance to the WHO team, responding to criticism that China has not revealed much about what the researchers are being allowed to do.
2nd Feb 2021 - The Associated Press
Austria to loosen lockdown, allowing shops and schools to reopen
Austria will loosen its coronavirus lockdown next week, switching to a nighttime curfew from all-day restrictions on movement and letting non-essential shops and schools reopen. The conservative-led government announced the move despite coronavirus infections staying higher than it would like, citing the social toll of continuing the country’s third lockdown, which began on Dec. 26. “Epidemiologically the issue is clear. The safest course would be to remain in lockdown,” Chancellor Sebastian Kurz told a news conference after discussions with scientific experts, influential provincial governors and opposition parties.
2nd Feb 2021 - Reuters
Germany looking to accelerate sluggish distribution of vaccines
Chancellor Angela Merkel and German state governors were planning to talk with representatives of the pharmaceutical industry on ways to beef up the country's sluggish vaccination campaign. Monday's videoconference, which also will involve the European Union's Executive Commission, comes as finger-pointing in the bloc's most populous country mounts over who is to blame for the slow vaccine rollout. By Friday, 1.85 million people had received a first vaccine dose in Germany, a country of 83 million, and more than 461,000 had a second dose.
1st Feb 2021 - heraldscotland.com
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 2nd Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullThousands in England to be tested in 'sprint' to halt South African Covid variant
Tens of thousands of people will be tested in a door-to-door “two-week sprint” to halt the spread of the South African coronavirus variant as cases were found across England. Squads of health officials, firefighters and volunteers have been established to deliver and collect PCR test kits door-to-door and mobile testing units will be sent to each area. Wastewater could also be tested to determined the prevalence of the strain. The new South Africa variant, which is more transmissible than the original virus, appears to show a slightly “diminished” response to vaccines, and may eventually require a booster shot, Public Health England (PHE) said.
2nd Feb 2021 - The Guardian
Moderna proposes filling vials with additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine
Moderna Inc said on Monday it is proposing filling vials with additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to ease a crunch in manufacturing as the company approaches the manufacturing of almost a million doses a day. “The company is proposing filling vials with additional doses of vaccine, up to 15 doses versus the current 10 doses,” Moderna said in an emailed statement. “Moderna would need to have further discussions with the FDA to assure the agency’s comfort with this approach before implementing,” the company said, referring to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
2nd Feb 2021 - Reuters
Bayer agrees to help CureVac produce coronavirus vaccine
German drug conglomerate Bayer will help CureVac manufacture tens of millions more doses of the biotech's experimental coronavirus vaccine beginning as soon as the end of this year, company executives said in a Monday briefing with the German health minister. Bayer and CureVac are already co-developing the vaccine, with the large pharma providing support for clinical testing and regulatory discussions in other countries. Now, after discussions with the German government, Bayer has also agreed to make 160 million doses of CureVac's shot in 2022
CureVac recently began a Phase 2/3 study testing whether its vaccine prevents COVID-19. The company aims to enroll into the trial some 36,000 volunteers in Europe and South America. Early results could be available by the end of March, CureVac's CFO Pierre Kemula recently told BioPharma Dive.
1st Feb 2021 - BioPharma Dive
Critically-ill Covid-19 patients being sent to Bristol from Birmingham amid 'extreme' ICU pressure
A hospital in Bristol is taking critically ill coronavirus patients from as far away as Birmingham. Southmead Hospital is stepping in amid "extreme" pressure on intensive care units (ICUs) elsewhere, BristolLive has reported. The hospital in north Bristol is taking about five coronavirus -positive patients from other regions each week. And that number is expected to rise, according to a hospital chief. North Bristol NHS Trust's chief operating officer, Karen Brown, said: "We've had patients transferred to us from Kent and also Birmingham as well."
1st Feb 2021 - Birmingham Live
French police block passengers as new Covid rules kick in
French border police turned away some passengers bound for non-EU destinations Monday as new rules came into force banning flights to and from countries outside the bloc. Prime Minister Jean Castex announced the measure Friday as part of new efforts to contain Covid-19 infections and avoid another nationwide lockdown. Travellers must also present proof of a recent negative Covid test. Only urgent reasons for travel are accepted and border police require written proof before allowing passengers to board, as Toure, a Malian national, found out when he tried to leave France for Bamako without the necessary document. "I said that my mother, whom I hadn't seen in a while, was ill but they told me I needed proof," Toure, who withheld his last name, told AFP at Paris's main airport Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle.
1st Feb 2021 - Yahoo News Australia
Routine vaccinations in India disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic
In less than three months from its detection, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic. COVID-19’s causative agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is highly infective. To date, over 103 million cases have been reported, with over 2.23 million deaths. At various points in the pandemic’s trajectory, the rapid spread of COVID-19 across many parts of the world have forced numerous nations into a string of lockdowns. In India, lockdown measures have resulted in major disruptions to essential health services, including routine immunization drives for children. Such interruptions during previous epidemics have led to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, amplifying morbidity and mortality.
1st Feb 2021 - News-Medical.Net
Covid-19 update: No new cases in community or at border
In New Zealand, there have been no new cases of Covid-19 in the community or managed isolation reported today, Covid-19 Response minister Chris Hipkins says. No new community cases were reported in New Zealand on Sunday, following last week's three confirmed border-related infections. One new case was confirmed in managed isolation.
1st Feb 2021 - RNZ
Americans scramble for appointments for second COVID-19 vaccine dose
As more Americans ready for their second COVID-19 vaccine shot, some patients are falling through the cracks of an increasingly complex web of providers and appointment systems. While many people are getting their required second doses, the process is taking a toll on some of the most vulnerable - older adults who in many cases rely on family members or friends to navigate complex sign-up systems and inconvenient locations. Available vaccines need to be given as two separate doses weeks apart, and confusion is further taxing an already challenged health care system. Houston’s health department on Friday told those seeking a second dose to be patient, saying the volume of calls was creating long wait times at its call center.
1st Feb 2021 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 1st Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullFirst batch of coronavirus vaccines due to arrive in South Africa
South Africa, the continent’s worst COVID-hit country, is due to receive its first batch of coronavirus vaccines on Monday. Initially scheduled for the end of January, the first one million shots of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine produced in India will be used to inoculate healthcare workers over the next three months. The second batch of 500,000 jabs is scheduled to arrive later in February. Despite criticism from opposition parties and medical experts that the procurement process of the vaccine has taken too long, Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize has called the arrival of the vaccines from the Serum Institute of India “a massive achievement of unprecedented proportions”. Once the consignment has undergone quality checks, which are going to take between 10 and 14 days, the country will begin its long-awaited, three-phase immunisation campaign. Following the inoculation of front-line healthcare workers, other high-risk groups such as the elderly, people with comorbidities and essential workers such as minibus drivers, police and teachers are going to receive their shot. The third phase targets everyone else above the age of 18.
1st Feb 2021 - Al Jazeera English
Israel to give some coronavirus vaccines to Palestinians
Israel has agreed to transfer 5,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine to the Palestinians to immunize front-line medical workers Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz s office announced Sunday. It was the first time that Israel has confirmed the transfer of vaccines to the Palestinians, who lag far behind Israel's aggressive vaccination campaign and have not yet received any vaccines. The World Health Organization has raised concerns about the disparity between Israel and Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, and international human rights groups and U.N. experts have said Israel is responsible for the well being of Palestinians in these areas.
31st Jan 2021 - The Independent
Pakistan battles tsunami of Covid-19 patients with few vaccines in sight
Keeping vigil outside the hospital ward in Karachi, Daniyal Ameen watched his father breathing through a ventilator via a live video link from the intensive care unit (ICU). He came every day to see his father, 73-year-old Muhammad Ameen, as he spent weeks on oxygen battling Covid-19. The video link was set up at the private South City Hospital in Karachi to enable relatives to feel closer to their loved ones in the ICU, as visits inside that facility are prohibited. The screen is the closest Ameen has come to seeing his father for about 18 months. The 33-year-old flew back to Pakistan from his home in Melbourne, Australia, when his dad was hospitalized. "Seeing him on a screen like that was pretty traumatizing for me," said Ameen. "We told him that yes, I am here, and I want to see him healthy and smiling back again." But Ameen's father didn't survive. Instead, he became one of thousands of Pakistanis to die from the virus.
31st Jan 2021 - CNN
When Covid-19 vaccines are about to expire, health care workers must scramble to make sure they are used
Mechanical breakdowns. Bad weather. Expiration deadlines. The earliest phases of Covid-19 vaccine distribution in some instances have left doctors, nurses, and health officials scrambling to inoculate Americans. In the worst cases, valuable doses have been wasted or thrown out. However, quick thinking by practitioners mixed with a bit of luck have found them administering vaccines in unique circumstances. On Thursday night, after a freezer containing vaccine doses malfunctioned in Seattle, a nearby hospital had less than nine hours to administer more than 800 vaccinations before they spoiled. Vaccines from Pfizer-BioTech and Moderna require certain low temperatures for storage and have a limited shelf life when exposed to room temperature.
30th Jan 2021 - CNN on MSN.com
Failed freezer forced overnight dash to give out more than 1,600 doses of coronavirus vaccine
The last shots were given at about 3.45am, out on the street, with literally no time to spare. All night, staff and volunteers with Seattle's Swedish Health Services had been rushing to administer hundreds of doses of the coronavirus vaccine set to expire early in the morning after a freezer malfunction. Finally, they had only a few dozen shots left and about 15 minutes to get them into people's arms. "We were literally like . . .who can get people here? People started texting and calling and we were just counting down," said Kevin Brooks, the chief operating officer of Swedish, who helped coordinate everything at their clinic at Seattle University. "Thirty-seven. Thirty-five. Thirty-three . . . People were showing up and running down the hall."
30th Jan 2021 - The Independent
Bolivian doctors demand lockdown as COVID surge threatens health service 'collapse'
Bolivian doctors are demanding a nationwide lockdown and threatening to stop taking in new patients as a surge in COVID-19 cases, which they say is killing an average of one medic per day, strains hospitals to breaking point. New daily coronavirus infections in the Andean country, which received its first batch of Russian Sputnik V vaccines on Thursday, hit a single-day record of 2,866 this week and deaths attributed to the epidemic climbed above 10,000. “At the rate we are going, there will be a total collapse,” said Ricardo Landivar, a director of the La Paz Medical College. “... We are going to have patients dying in the streets without being able to be treated by medical staff.”
30th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Canadian airlines to cancel Mexico, Caribbean flights amid vaccine shortfall
Canada’s major airlines have agreed to suspend all flights to Mexico and the Caribbean for three months starting on Sunday as the country’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout suffered another setback, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday. All airline passengers arriving from abroad will also be required to take a mandatory COVID-19 test at the airport and wait in a hotel for up to three days at their own expense until the results arrive, Trudeau said. “Now is just not the time to be flying,” the prime minister told reporters. Trudeau also said Moderna Inc’s next delivery would be almost a quarter smaller than expected.
29th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Novartis pitches in to help produce Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
Only a day after Novartis said it was looking at offering its manufacturing network to the global COVID-19 fight, the company is joining forces with Pfizer and BioNTech to help produce mRNA vaccines. It's the latest example of an unlikely Big Pharma partnership spurred by the urgent need to defeat the pandemic. Novartis inked an initial agreement with BioNTech to allow the mRNA biotech use of Novartis' facility in Stein, Switzerland. The production will start in the second quarter, and the partners expect dose deliveries to begin in the third quarter. The Pfizer/BioNTech shot is one of only a few that have been approved in countries around the world, and in the early stages of the rollout, demand has greatly outstripped supply. Pfizer and BioNTech have been working to scale up their manufacturing network to deliver 2 billion doses this year, but the effort led to a temporary supply disruption in Europe earlier this month.
29th Jan 2021 - Fierce Pharma
Portugal airlifts COVID patients to Madeira as hospitals near capacity
Ambulances under police escort rushed three intensive-care patients from overstretched Lisbon hospitals to a military base on Friday to be airlifted to the island of Madeira. As the number of patients in Portugal’s intensive care units hit record levels, the regional government in Madeira said it had 157 beds to spare and could take people in even though it is also experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases. Portugal’s hospital system is creaking under the pressure of the world’s worst surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths per capita, blamed on a relaxation of rules around Christmas and the rapid spread of the coronavirus variant first detected in Britain.
29th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Public back teachers getting half-term Covid jabs to re-open schools again
The public supports our bid to prioritise teachers for the Covid-19 vaccine in Phase 2 of the rollout, a poll revealed. Teachers topped the poll, which asked who should be next after the most vulnerable. Pressure is growing on Boris Johnson to get school staff vaccinated. In a poll by Ipsos MORI, 46% said school and nursery staff should come before healthy 60 to 69-year-olds, ahead of 42% for emergency service workers. Labour wants school staff vaccinated in the February half term to make it safer if pupils start to back from March 8. Keir Starmer said it was vital to avoid staff being off sick or isolating due to Covid-19. He said: “It’s likely to go back to the disruption we have in September and October.
29th Jan 2021 - Mirror Online
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 29th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullUK travellers to be questioned at border on reasons for going abroad
UK travellers will be interrogated at the border on their reasons for going abroad, Boris Johnson has said, as he confirmed that British citizens returning from high-risk countries must quarantine in hotels at their own expense. The government is facing criticism from the Scottish and Welsh governments, as well as scientists, for rejecting a more comprehensive hotel quarantine system. They are warning that it could allow as yet unknown new variants to slip through the gaps. Speaking in the Commons, Johnson said no one should be travelling except for a narrow range of reasons. “I want to make clear that under the stay-at-home regulations it is illegal to leave home to travel abroad for leisure purposes and we will enforce this at ports and airports by asking people why they are leaving and instructing them to return home if they do not have a valid reason to travel,” he said.
29th Jan 2021 - The Guardian
Behind AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 Vaccine Stumble
The setbacks, which come on the eve of a decision from regulators whether to recommend the shot for use in Europe, suggest AstraZeneca is falling behind in the vaccine arms race. The company has relatively little experience in vaccines, a tricky, typically low-margin niche in the global pharmaceuticals industry. The manufacturing process the company uses, piggybacking on a chimpanzee cold virus, can be more difficult to quickly scale up than the one employed by Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc., both of which use a new genetic technology. The company has also proved maladroit politically. After learning of the glitches early this month, AstraZeneca deployed engineers to troubleshoot but didn’t warn European officials, hoping the company could fix the problems to minimize the dent in production, according to a person familiar with the matter. Lower output of raw vaccine substance had first been spotted in December, but worsened in January, with the clock ticking. When production didn’t improve, AstraZeneca’s bad news hit like a bombshell. Now it is grappling with a political backlash just when the pandemic seems to be entering a more dangerous phase.
29th Jan 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
Health workers, stuck in the snow, administer coronavirus vaccine to stranded drivers
Unlike many who have to drive miles to get a Covid-19 vaccine, some travelers in southwestern Oregon had the vaccine come to them Tuesday under treacherous weather conditions. Josephine County Public Health workers were returning from a mass vaccination clinic at Illinois Valley High School in Cave Junction when about 20 members of the group got stranded in a snowstorm at Hayes Hill, the agency said.
They had with them six leftover doses of the vaccine. To keep those doses from going unused before expiring, the workers went from car to car to offer people the chance to get a shot, the health department said. An ambulance was waiting nearby in case any recipients had an adverse reaction
28th Jan 2021 - CNN
Matt Hancock names Bristol one of the best areas in UK for Covid-19 vaccine rollout
Bristol and its surrounding areas have been named as one of the best performing parts of the UK for rolling out the Covid-19 vaccinations, according to Health Secretary Matt Hancock. The "fantastic efforts" of the vaccination teams were praised in a letter to a North Somerset MP Liam Fox. More than 80% of care home residents in the area covered by the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire NHS clinical commissioning group (CCG) had received the vaccine, making it one of the “highest performing” parts of the country. In the letter, Matt Hancock said the success in Bristol and its surrounding areas was down to the “tireless” efforts of everyone involved in rolling out the vaccine. He praised the “incredible” community spirit that has contributed to the success.
28th Jan 2021 - ITV
Scramble for specialty syringes as Pfizer, feds look to extract 6th vaccine doses
Syringe makers are scrambling to meet demand for so-called low dead space syringes as Pfizer and the U.S. look to squeeze out extra vaccine doses. The specialty needles are needed to eke out a sixth shot in Pfizer and BioNTech's Comirnaty prepared five-dose glass vials. Physicians and pharmacists discovered the potential extra dose after they began vaccinating patients. But initial enthusiasm has been dampened by the requirement of the now-scarce specialty needles to extract the last bit from each vial. Syringe maker Becton Dickinson contracted with the U.S. government to supply needles for COVID vaccinations without knowing about the niche need. The manufacturer confirmed to Fierce Pharma that its U.S. government contract includes a limited supply of the specialty needles. A spokesman told Reuters that Becton Dickinson is on target to provide 286 million syringes for use with COVID-19 vaccines, a figure that only includes about 40 million low dead space syringes.
28th Jan 2021 - FiercePharma
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 28th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullPhiladelphia let ‘college kids’ distribute vaccines. The result was a ‘disaster,’ volunteers say.
Philadelphia is home to some of the most venerated medical institutions in the country. Yet when it came time to set up the city’s first and largest coronavirus mass vaccination site, officials turned to the start-up Philly Fighting COVID, a self-described “group of college kids” with minimal health-care experience. Chaos ensued. Seniors were left in tears after finding that appointments they’d made through a bungled sign-up form wouldn’t be honored. The group switched to a for-profit model without publicizing the change and added a privacy policy that would allow it to sell users’ personal data. One volunteer alleged that the 22-year-old CEO had pocketed vaccine doses. Another described a “free-for-all” where unsupervised 18- and 19-year-olds vaccinated one another and posed for photos.
27th Jan 2021 - The Washington Post
Madrid region to halt new vaccinations as supplies run out
Supplies of coronavirus vaccines have become so scarce that the Madrid region of Spain will stop all new jabs for at least 10 days, a top official said on Wednesday, as Catalonia complained its supply was also running out. Madrid’s move appears to be the first such pause in the EU, highlighting the bloc’s mounting problems with distributing the vaccine. Ignacio Aguado, the deputy head of Madrid’s regional government, said shortages of both the BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna vaccines — the only ones so far approved by the EU — meant it was impossible at “the current pace” to meet national and European targets of vaccinating 70 per cent of the population by the end of June. Instead, “we would take until 2023 to arrive at this level”, he added.
27th Jan 2021 - Financial Times
South Korea willing to share COVID-19 vaccines with North, PM says
South Korea is willing to share excess COVID-19 vaccines with North Korea as part of an overall effort to resume relations with its nuclear-armed neighbor, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on Wednesday.
27th Jan 2021 - UPI.com
Malta tightens restaurant closing times to curb COVID-19 infections
Malta on Wednesday cancelled carnival events and imposed an 11 p.m. closing time on restaurants to contain the spread of COVID-19, although Prime Minister Robert Abela said there would be no lockdown or curfew. Abela said a surge of cases in January had been the result of gatherings over Christmas and the New Year. “February is a particular time with many enjoying carnival and mid-term holidays. We are asking people to be responsible and businesses to make some sacrifices,” Abela said. Police and other law enforcement officers will have a stronger presence in the streets and crack down on large gatherings in rented premises.
27th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 27th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullPeople 75 and older can sign up for coronavirus vaccine beginning Wednesday
Massachusetts embarks on the next stage of its COVID-19 vaccination program on Wednesday, extending eligibility to people 75 and older, the population most devastated by the coronavirus, amid frustration over the pace and priority of distribution. As the Biden administration announced plans to buy 200 million more doses of the vaccine and increase weekly shipments to states, Massachusetts officials said residents 75 and over could now register for appointments at scores of immunization sites across the state. The first shots for this age cohort, approximately 450,000 people, will begin Monday. “By the end of this week, we will have 103 vaccination sites open to the public with the ability to administer about 240,000 doses each week,” Governor Charlie Baker said Tuesday in his State of the Commonwealth address. “And by mid-February, we will have 165 public sites, including seven mass vaccination sites, and all together, we will have the capacity to administer approximately 305,000 doses every week.
26th Jan 2021 - The Boston Globe
Covid-19: Plans to vaccinate all over-65s by end of February
The Department of Health has said it plans to vaccinate everyone aged over 65 in Northern Ireland by the end of February. Both GP practices and regional vaccination centres will be used to vaccinate members of the public from prioritised groups. People aged between 65 and 69 in NI are to be vaccinated at their local vaccination centre. Until now only health care workers have been vaccinated at these locations. As of Monday, 159,642 people in Northern Ireland had received a first coronavirus vaccine dose. On Tuesday, the Department of Health daily figures reported an additional 16 Covid-19 related deaths and 550 new cases, bringing the total number of positive tests to 101,291.
26th Jan 2021 - BBC News
COVID-19: School closures having 'calamitous' impact on kids and parents
Keeping schools closed is having a "calamitous" impact on children, some of the UK's top paediatricians have warned as they called for teachers to be prioritised for a vaccine. The group said they were witnessing an "acute and rapid increase in mental health and safeguarding cases", with parents suffering breakdowns and other psychological stress due to home-schooling. Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi insisted it was the government's "absolute priority" to re-open schools. Experts - from Imperial College London, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust and the Royal Brompton Hospital - added that vaccinating school staff "offers protection to one of our most important key-worker groups" and also protects children.
26th Jan 2021 - Sky News
Delaying the second Covid dose in the UK is controversial, but it's the right decision
A recent YouGov poll shows that the British are among the most willing in the world to take the Covid-19 vaccine. This is good news. But there are still questions about the vaccines and the way they’re being deployed, especially after the government decided to spread out the time between the two doses from three weeks to 12 weeks. The confusion is understandable, as we are in a developing situation. Clear messages about why tough decisions are made can get lost in the noise. First, it is absolutely clear that the two Covid-19 vaccines that are being deployed in the UK will save lives. Moreover, they will reduce the burden on hospitals. The Pfizer data, measured from day 14 post-vaccination, showed only one severe case of Covid-19 in 21,000 vaccinated people. The AstraZeneca data showed no hospitalisations or severe disease in 6,000 vaccinated trial participants. The caveat to this was that there were a small number of cases in the first two months after the first vaccine dose. This brings me to an important point.
26th Jan 2021 - The Guardian
California ends wide lockdown as Covid hospital strain eases
California lifted blanket "stay-at-home" orders across the US state Monday, paving the way for activities including outdoor dining to return even in worst-hit regions as the pandemic's strain on hospitals begins to ease. The western state has suffered one of the nation's worst winter Covid spikes, with hospital intensive care units overwhelmed, ambulances backed up for hours at a time, and cases more than doubling since December to over three million. The "stay-at-home" measures were ordered for some 20 million people in southern and central California since December 3, but public health director Tomas Aragon said the state was now "turning a critical corner."
26th Jan 2021 - FRANCE 24
The help firms will get if there is another Covid lockdown
In New Zealand, most businesses would dread going into another Covid lockdown, but the Government has planned ahead what financial support would be available if the worst happens. Finance Minister Grant Robertson set out the assistance that would be offered “next time around” before Christmas. And while wage subsidies would again do the heavy lifting when it came to propping up the economy, some of the help would be new.
26th Jan 2021 - Stuff.co.nz
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 26th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullCovid: Ministers urged to intervene as mass outbreak at DVLA offices in Swansea branded a ‘scandal’
Ministers have been urged to intervene after a mass outbreak at the DVLA’s offices in Wales, by a union declaring the government agency’s response a “scandal”. More than 350 employees at the UK vehicle licensing agency’s contact centre in Swansea tested positive in the four months to December, bringing the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to above 500. Welsh health minister Vaughan Gething is among several senior politicians to say he is “concerned about anecdotal reports” emerging from the offices – with the BBC and The Observer reporting that some symptomatic employees had been encouraged to return to work, amid an alleged “culture of fear”.
25th Jan 2021 - The Independent
Covid and Economy: UK Restaurants, Bars, Small Business Teetering in Lockdown
The U.K.’s third major lockdown to control the coronavirus could be the final straw for thousands of businesses struggling to pay rent and taxes with little or no money coming in the door. “It is costing us thousands of pounds a week, even being shut, and we have zero income,” said Andrew Wong, owner of the upmarket Chinese restaurant A. Wong in London’s fashionable Pimlico neighborhood. “I think all the time about shutting down and walking away, though I’m not going to do it.” While the economy appears to be adapting better to virus curbs -- gross domestic product shrank 2.6% in November versus 19% in April -- the same can’t be said about company finances. One lobby group estimates 250,000 small firms are at risk of going bust. Almost 10,000 pubs and restaurants licensed to serve alcohol closed permanently last year, according to consultants CGA and AlixPartners.
25th Jan 2021 - Bloomberg
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 25th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Vaccine rationed to north amid national supply issues, reports say
Vaccine supplies sent to the North East and Yorkshire are to be rationed because the region is ahead of others in getting the coronavirus jab out, it has been reported. Deliveries to GP practices in the area – one of seven English NHS regions – will be halved from 200,000 doses to 100,000 next week, according to the Health Service Journal. It comes amid growing controversy that many over 80s in the south have still not been called for their innoculation, while GPs in the North East and Yorkshire are already starting to move onto lower age brackets. It is not clear if supplies will also be slashed to the patch’s hospitals and mass vaccination hubs – such as the Centre for Life in Newcastle – but, given it is GP practices that administer the majority of jabs, the known reduction will come as a major blow.
23rd Jan 2021 - The Independent
Covid vaccine: 'Over my dead body are we wasting a drop of this'
There was nervous anticipation at Saxonbury House surgery as doctors and staff prepared for their first coronavirus vaccination clinic last weekend. The seven surgeries that combined for the vaccination programme on the Sussex High Weald had been cautious, waiting for the national roll-out to be well under way before joining “wave six”. Then last Friday afternoon, the eve of their local V Day, months of careful planning were thrown up in the air. The white refrigerated van carrying their vaccines arrived as scheduled at Saxonbury House, Crowborough, around 2pm. The driver carefully unloaded the consignment and drove off. Mistakenly, however, he left two boxes of Pfizer vaccine rather than the one that had been promised and planned for.
23rd Jan 2021 - The Times
Israel begins to give Covid jabs to teenagers
Over 2.5 million of Israel's nine-million-population have had first vaccine dose. The country's campaign is currently leading the global vaccination drive. Teenagers aged 16-18 are now being given the first dose, starting on Saturday
Wednesday saw the country recorded its highest number of Covid-19 cases and deaths in a single day, with 10,213 cases and 101 deaths
23rd Jan 2021 - Daily Mail
Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine unit struggles to add new hires as holiday nears
A Beijing unit of Sinovac Biotech manufacturing a COVID-19 vaccine said it is facing difficulties in finding staff to expand production because of surging local infections and the imminent Lunar New Year holiday. Eleven people living in the Daxing district of the capital, Beijing, where Sinovac Life Science is based, were confirmed as COVID-19 patients between Sunday and Wednesday, forcing authorities to seal up some residential compounds and launch a mass testing scheme. “Many people dare not go to Daxing district to apply for jobs, nor do people outside Beijing dare to come to the city to work,” said Ma Hongbo, recruitment manager of Sinovac Life Science, in an article published by the Beijing Talent Market News, backed by the city’s human resources authority.
22nd Jan 2021 - Reuters
Huge fire breaks out at Indian Covid vaccine maker contracted to produce Oxford jab
A huge fire has broken out at a plant being built in the world’s biggest vaccine maker, but it will not affect production of coronavirus vaccines, a source close to the firm said. The Serum Institute of India (SII), has been contracted to manufacture one billion vaccine doses developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca for India and many other low- and middle-income countries.
22nd Jan 2021 - Evening Standard
West Virginia touts COVID-19 vaccination success story as national rollout sputters
Even as President Joe Biden laments the nation’s sluggish COVID-19 immunization launch for a pace he calls “dismal,” West Virginia is touting its relative success in making the most of vaccine supplies it has received so far. Fewer than half of the nearly 38 million vaccine doses shipped to date by the federal government have actually made it into the arms of Americans, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on Thursday. Some individual states have lagged behind with just a third or 40% of their vaccine allotments being administered as of Thursday, marking the one-year anniversary of the first locally transmitted COVID-19 case documented in the United States.
21st Jan 2021 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 22nd Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullU.K. Hospitals Struggle to Cope With a New Coronavirus Variant
As a new and more contagious variant of the coronavirus pounds Britain’s overstretched National Health Service, health care workers say the government’s failure to anticipate a wintertime crush of infections has left them resorting to ever more desperate measures. Hundreds of soldiers have been dispatched to move patients and equipment around London hospitals. Organ transplant centers have stopped performing urgent operations. Doctors have trimmed back the level of oxygen being given to patients to save overloaded pipes.
22nd Jan 2021 - The New York Times
11,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to arrive in Estonia next week
Based on the data of the Ministry of Social Affairs, in total 10,950 doses of both Pfizer/BioNtech and Moderna vaccines, should arrive in Estonia next week. Ministry of Social Affairs' media advisor Eva Lehtla told ERR that on Monday (January 25), 9,750 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will arrive in Estonia and 1,200 doses of Moderna vaccine. Lehtla said the first Moderna doses arrived last week and there were also 1,200 of them. While AstraZeneca's vaccine had not been approved yet, Lehtla said, according to the current information, the European Medicines Agency should give its evaluation of the vaccine by January 29.
21st Jan 2021 - ERR News
Israel coronavirus cases soar even as it pushes on with vaccine drive
Coronavirus infections in Israel are soaring among those yet to be vaccinated, straining hospitals and forcing the government to extend a strict lockdown even as the country continues its breakneck vaccination drive.
21st Jan 2021 - The Financial Times
Covid-19 vaccine batch testing speeds up, giving more proof ministers can’t blame all hold-ups on supply chain
Britain’s medical regulators have managed to speed up the process of approving individual batches of the Covid-19 vaccine with not a single batch failing the test, i can reveal. Ministers have repeatedly said that supply of jabs is the current “rate-limiting factor” in the vaccine roll-out – meaning that supply is the one issue which dictates the maximum pace at which the NHS can administer doses, rather than staffing or logistics. They specifically pointed to batch approvals as one of the major hold-ups. The National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), part of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), is responsible for testing the Pfizer and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines which are provided in batches of up to half a million doses each. This process initially took as long as three weeks per batch but has been streamlined to four days.
21st Jan 2021 - i on MSN.com
All overweight D.C. residents will get priority for the coronavirus vaccine. Experts are skeptical.
The District plans to give priority for coronavirus vaccines to the broadest possible swath of people with preexisting health conditions — a decision that will make hundreds of thousands eligible for scarce doses of the vaccine and that some public health experts say might not make medical sense. The plan, the details of which were confirmed by vaccine director Ankoor Shah, would offer vaccines to people whose weight and medical history would not qualify them for early access to the vaccine in almost any state in the country. D.C. Health Director LaQuandra Nesbitt told members of the D.C. Council last week that she decided to open up vaccine access, possibly as soon as February, to such a large group in the hope of quickly vaccinating anyone who might suffer the worst outcomes if they contract the virus.
21st Jan 2021 - Washington Post
Scotland considers streamlining Covid-19 vaccine delivery for GPs
Calls from Scottish GPs for the coronavirus vaccine distribution process to be streamlined are to be considered by ministers, amid fears supplies are not getting to surgeries quickly enough. The British Medical Association (BMA) is pressing the Scottish Government to allow GPs to order their supplies directly, claiming the current system is too bureaucratic. It has asked Professor Alison Strath, the interim Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, to consider reforming the process so doctors can bypass health boards when ordering vaccines.
21st Jan 2021 - iNews
Spain’s Covid immunization drive dogged by line-jumping politicians and other irregularities
Concern is rising in Spain over the number of individuals who have jumped the line to receive the Covid-19 vaccine. The list includes several mayors, a regional health chief and family members of medical workers. In these cases, the vaccine was administered even though the person did not belong to the first priority group of the ongoing campaign: residents and staff of care homes, other healthcare workers and people with serious disabilities. In some instances, this was due to a misunderstanding, and in others, the individuals jumped the line “to build confidence” in the vaccine or because there were “leftover doses.”
21st Jan 2021 - EL PAÍS in English
Coronavirus vaccine tracker: How many Canadians are vaccinated against COVID-19?
Nearly a year into the coronavirus pandemic, Canada has launched the largest mass vaccination program in its history. And Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised that every Canadian — nearly 40 million people across 10 provinces and three territories — who wants to be inoculated against COVID-19 will be able to do so by September 2021. To keep track of it all, Global News has launched this project to keep track of:
How many Canadians have been vaccinated each day
How many people in each province have been vaccinated
How Canada’s vaccination efforts compare with the rest of the world
21st Jan 2021 - Global News
'Five dead' in devastating fire at world’s biggest coronavirus vaccine facility
As many as five people have been killed in a fire at the site of the world's largest coronavirus vaccine manufacturer, according to reports. Plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the Serum Institute of India (SII) today. Millions of doses of the Covidshield vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, are being produced at the plant. Initial reports suggested that there had been no casualties but Adar Poonawalla, SII's CEO, confirmed there had been "some loss of life" in a statement. He said: "Upon further investigation we have learnt that there has unfortunately been some loss of life at the incident.
21st Jan 2021 - Mirror Online
Jumping Covid-19 vaccine queue is 'morally reprehensible' says top NHS doctor
It is "morally reprehensible" to try to jump the queue for the Covid-19 vaccine, a senior NHS director has said. Brits have reportedly been securing appointments for coronavirus vaccinations through links to the NHS booking system shared on WhatsApp and social media. The Evening Standard found people had secured jabs through the loophole which should go to the elderly and vulnerable. And today Dr Vin Diwakar, NHS England regional medical director for London said they were denying vulnerable people a "life-saving vaccine". He told a Downing Street press conference: "People are being called in priority order so that we can vaccinate those most at risk of serious illness first. “That is why I was horrified to hear reports that some unscrupulous people have used links shared with them to try and falsely book a vaccination appointment.
21st Jan 2021 - The Mirror
Australia posts zero virus cases; state premier calls for 'Pacific bubble'
Australia recorded a fourth day of zero coronavirus cases on Thursday, prompting the chief of the country's most populous state to call for a special travel "bubble" with Pacific island nations. New South Wales has reined in an outbreak in mid-December that prompted a strict lockdown in Sydney's Northern Beaches, while broader social distancing rules and mandatory mask wearing were imposed for the rest of the city. Signaling those restrictions were set to be eased next week, Premier Gladys Berejiklien told the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper the federal government should consider establishing a travel arrangement with the Pacific. "There is no reason why we shouldn't aim to travel to New Zealand or some of the Pacific Islands well within the next 12 months," Berejiklian said. The comments come after Australia's chief medical officer Paul Kelly cautioned about restarting international travel, given the country was in an "envious position" compared to most of the world.
21st Jan 2021 - Japan Today
Covid-19: Two weeks' notice for England's school return and warning over infection levels
Parents will know a fortnight in advance when their children will return to schools in England, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson says. Telling BBC Breakfast he wants pupils back in classrooms at "the earliest possible opportunity", he says he's "not able to exactly say" when schools will reopen but the "key criteria" will be whether pressure on the NHS was lifting
21st Jan 2021 - BBC News
Air New Zealand's first quarantine-free flight lands in Auckland
The first quarantine-free flight in 10 months has landed in Auckland with friends and family ready to greet passengers from the Cook Islands with an emotional welcome. The Air New Zealand flight landed at Auckland Airport shortly after 11am with a small gathering of family and friends waiting in the arrivals area.
21st Jan 2021 - The New Zealand Herald
Covid-19 vaccine supply is running low. Here’s how Biden hopes to fix that
The Biden administration is willing to consider almost anything to boost the nation’s dwindling supply of Covid-19 vaccines. A new strategy document released Thursday, totaling nearly 200 pages, offers the first clear list of the options President Biden has before him, though it doesn’t specifically say he’ll actually take all of the steps. On the list are some controversial ideas, like cutting the amount of vaccine being administered to each American. He’s also made it clear he wants to utilize the Defense Production Act to ramp up production of key supplies, and some more straightforward options like buying more doses.
21st Jan 2021 - STAT News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 21st Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullGlass maker Schott predicts enough vials to go around for COVID-19 vaccines
Germany’s unlisted Schott AG, the world’s biggest supplier of speciality glass for medical bottles and syringes, said on Wednesday it did not see any shortage of vials for bottling COVID-19 vaccines. Drugmakers last year warned of limited supplies of vials to bottle future COVID-19 vaccines, but Schott said at the time that their rush to secure supplies early risked making matters worse. Schott, whose founder Otto Schott invented heavy-duty borosilicate glass in the 1890s, delivered 110 million vials for COVID-19 vaccines during the second half of last year and was now scheduled to clear an order backlog of 600 million vials for that purpose well into 2022.
20th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Fury as coronavirus vaccine IT loophole 'allows people to jump the queue
Links to Swiftqueue website meant to allow over-70s and NHS staff book jabs
But they have reportedly been shared on social media and Whatsapp
People using them not asked for proof of eligibility when making appointments
20th Jan 2021 - Daily Mail
Saga requires all cruise customers to have Covid vaccine
Saga, the travel group targeting the over-50s, has become the first holiday business to insist that all of its customers must be vaccinated against coronavirus before they embark on its cruises. The company, whose customers are primarily in the UK, said on Wednesday that it had told holidaymakers they must be fully inoculated against the virus at least 14 days before travelling and take a pre-departure Covid-19 test. The requirement means customers must have had two doses of vaccine.
20th Jan 2021 - Financial Times
Covid-19 vaccines diverted to areas lagging behind as overall numbers of vaccinations fall
Vaccine doses are to be diverted into areas falling behind with the coronavirus inoculation drive amid concerns over differing levels of vaccination across England.
As the Government fended off accusations of a “postcode lottery” in the programme, new vaccination figures suggested it was falling behind its pledge to supply the jabs to 14.6 million people in the most vulnerable groups by 15 February.
20th Jan 2021 - iNews
COVID-19: 'Public health emergency unfolding' in prisons as coronavirus cases soar
The new coronavirus strain and a rapidly rising number of infections in prisons across England and Wales is a "public health emergency unfolding before our eyes," the shadow justice secretary has warned. Labour MP David Lammy said it was vital that ministers "act urgently" to prevent the virus from spreading further in jails - or risk preventable deaths. "We're not condemning our prisoners to death in this country, but for some prisoners, that's what it means," said Mr Lammy.
20th Jan 2021 - Sky News
Small UK businesses are ‘running out of cash’, chancellor warned
"I suppose the technical phrase is we’re screwed,” said Ruari McCulloch, owner of Pinstripes & Peonies, a high-end London florist, which counts several London department stores and the Paris Air Show among its clients. Mr McCulloch is one of the many small business owners facing the toughest few months yet of the pandemic, starved of income for much of the past year as the UK approaches the anniversary of the first national coronavirus lockdown in March. Cash levels are depleted and debt loads have risen fast for companies with high fixed costs but zero revenues, leading to urgent calls from the UK’s business lobby groups, including the CBI and the British Chambers of Commerce, for immediate and sustained financial support from the chancellor Rishi Sunak.
20th Jan 2021 - Financial Times
London Schools Could Re-Open First After UK Lockdown, Official Says
The U.K. reported its highest daily death toll since the Covid-19 pandemic began, as data suggested one in eight people in England have had the disease. A further 1,610 people in the U.K. died within 28 days of a positive test, according to government figures released Tuesday -- taking the total number of deaths to more than 90,000. Covid-19 related deaths will “continue for some time throughout this second wave,” Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England, said in a statement. “Whilst there are some early signs that show our sacrifices are working, we must continue to strictly abide by the measures in place.”
20th Jan 2021 - Bloomberg
France faces tough COVID month, with ski lifts and restaurants set to stay shut
A more infectious coronavirus variant is expected to spread rapidly through France in the coming month, hospital chiefs said on Wednesday, raising fears of another lockdown as hopes faded that ski lifts and restaurants could reopen soon.
20th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus: Vaccinators could lose their licences for giving second doses prematurely
Hospitals say they have been told they could lose their licence to deliver coronavirus vaccines if they give second doses to anyone before 12 weeks have passed since their first jab. In a message sent to vaccinators at the University Hospital Southampton Foundation Trust and seen by The Independent, staff were told the hospital’s chief executive had been given a “crystal clear” instruction that no second doses should be given to anyone before 12-week mark. There is mounting criticism of the delays in giving frontline NHS staff a second dose of the vaccine amid concerns that these could leave them more at risk. Emerging data from Israel suggested on Wednesday that the effectiveness of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine could be as low as 33 per cent after only the first dose.
20th Jan 2021 - The Independent
New York City reschedules 23,000 vaccination appointments due to supply issues
Tens of thousands of New Yorkers had their coronavirus vaccine appointments rescheduled this week due to a lack of supply, Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) said Wednesday. According to the mayor, a delay in the delivery of Moderna's vaccine contributed to the supply issues, which puts the city's goal of 1 million vaccinations by the end of the month in jeopardy. "We've had to tell 23,000 New Yorkers who had an appointment this week that they will not be able to get that appointment for lack of supply," de Blasio said during a news conference.
20th Jan 2021 - The Hill
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 20th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullModerna says possible allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccine under investigation
Moderna Inc said on Tuesday it had received a report from California’s health department that several people at a center in San Diego were treated for possible allergic reactions to its COVID-19 vaccine from a particular batch. The company’s comments come after California’s top epidemiologist on Sunday issued a statement recommending providers pause vaccination from lot no. 41L20A due to possible allergic reactions that are under investigation. "A higher-than-usual number of possible allergic reactions were reported with a specific lot of Moderna vaccine administered at one community vaccination clinic. Fewer than 10 individuals required medical attention over the span of 24 hours," the epidemiologist said in a statement here. The vaccine maker said it was unaware of comparable cases of adverse events from other vaccination centers which may have administered vaccines from the same lot or from other lots of its vaccine.
19th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Ireland’s first Covid-19 vaccine recipient receives second dose
The first person in Ireland to receive the Covid-19 vaccine has been given her second dose today. Dublin woman Annie Lynch (79) received the first round of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in St James’s Hospital on December 29, making her the first person in the country to be given the Covid-19 jab outside of clinical trials. The mother of three, who has 10 grandchildren, returned to St James Hospital to receive her second round of the vaccine.
19th Jan 2021 - Independent.ie
Coronavirus: India to provide vaccines to six countries from Wednesday
India will provide coronavirus vaccines made in the country to six nations - Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles - from Wednesday, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. Vaccines will be sent to Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Mauritius as well, once necessary regulatory clearances are received, the ministry added. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it was a matter of honour and that vaccines will be sent to more countries. “India is deeply honoured to be a long-trusted partner in meeting the healthcare needs of the global community,” he tweeted. “Supplies of Covid vaccines to several countries will commence tomorrow, and more will follow in the days ahead.”
19th Jan 2021 - Scroll
More than 45,000 people in Florida are overdue for their second coronavirus vaccine dose
Of the 1.03 million people in Florida who have received at least one shot of the coronavirus vaccine, 45,056 are overdue for their second dose. Florida's Department of Health has refused to answer questions about whether officials are concerned and reasons for why people have missed their second jab. Health experts say some might be worried about the side effects of getting the second dose, which is known to be stronger than the first. In a statement on Thursday, Gov Ron DeSantis urged Floridians being vaccinated to not forego their second shot
19th Jan 2021 - Daily Mail
Covid in Scotland: Concerns about vaccine supply amid GP frustration
Opposition parties have voiced concerns about vaccine supplies after "frustrated" GPs said they were still waiting for deliveries. At Holyrood on Tuesday, the first minister was pressed on why the rollout was going "so slowly" and on whether there was a problem with distribution. Dr Andrew Buist, of BMA Scotland, told the BBC that patients were getting anxious and practices could not plan. Nicola Sturgeon said there were ongoing challenges but targets would be met. Dr Buist claimed that as of Monday, the Scottish government had taken receipt of more than 700,000 vaccines - but only used 264,991.
19th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Covid vaccine: New York to run out of doses by Thursday, warns mayor
New York City could run out of Covid-19 vaccine doses by Thursday, warned Mayor Bill de Blasio, which could force the city to cancel vaccination appointments. “We will have literally nothing left to give as of Friday,” Mr de Blasio said. “What does that mean? It means that if we do not get more vaccine quickly, a new supply of vaccine, we will have to cancel appointments and no longer give shots after Thursday for the reminder of the week at a lot of our sites.” The warning came during the mayor’s coronavirus press briefing on Tuesday morning.
19th Jan 2021 - The Independent
Hospitals in Japan close to collapse as serious Covid cases soar
Hospitals in Covid-hit regions of Japan are on the brink of collapse, medical experts have warned, as the country battles a third wave of infections that has caused record numbers of people to fall seriously ill. Japan reported more than 4,900 coronavirus infections on Monday, with serious cases rising to a record high of 973, local media reported. Although Japan has avoided the huge caseloads and death tolls seen in some other countries, infections have doubled over the past six weeks to about 338,000, according to the public broadcaster NHK, with 4,623 deaths. The increase, coupled with the discovery of the first recorded community transmissions of a fast-spreading strain of Covid-19 initially identified in Britain, is adding to pressure on the prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, to move quickly to protect stretched medical services.
19th Jan 2021 - The Guardian
COVID-19: Schools might not all reopen at the same time across England, suggests Dr Jenny Harries
Schools might not all reopen at the same time across England as lockdown restrictions are eased, MPs have been told. Dr Jenny Harries, one of England's deputy chief medical officers, said there was "likely" to be regional differences in COVID measures once the national shutdown ends.
19th Jan 2021 - Sky News
Hospitals in Americas, Europe under growing strain of COVID-19
The world added more than 2 million new COVID-19 cases in the past 3 days, with health systems coming under pressure in the Americas and in more European countries and China reporting another pocket of local spread, triggering more strong measures. Over the past week, the World Health Organization (WHO) Americas region reported 2.5 million cases, making up more than half of the global total, Carissa Etienne, MBBS, MSc, who directs the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), said today at a briefing. She added that over the past week, 42,000 more people in the region died from their infections.
19th Jan 2021 - CIDRAP
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 19th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullFive Countries, Five Experiences of the Coronavirus Pandemic
Adam Oliver, a professor at the London School of Economics, is one of many researchers who have tracked how different countries have responded to the pandemic. Oliver thinks that our usual back-of-the-envelope way of comparing countries, using a snapshot of covid cases and deaths, is of limited value. “We have to think about the non-health implications of pandemic response, too,” he told me. “Those are much more difficult to gauge at the moment. When you lock down businesses and citizens, there are many downstream consequences. There’s an economic impact. There’s social damage. There’s loss of freedom—which, especially in countries already bordering on authoritarianism, could be hard to roll back. If you consider these broader implications, I don’t think we’ll know the best path for years, if ever.” Oliver classifies pandemic responses into three broad, sometimes overlapping categories: the quick approach, the soft approach, and the hard approach.
18th Jan 2021 - The New Yorker
These Over-90s Are Still Waiting For The Vaccine. Here's Why
On Monday, the British government announced people aged over 70 and over and the clinically extremely vulnerable will begin receiving invitations for coronavirus vaccinations from this week. It came as officials announced more than 4m people in the UK have received the first dose of a vaccine. But HuffPost UK spoke to several people who said their elderly parents, all of whom were over the age of 90, had received no news regarding their vaccine appointments. One said hearing the latest announcement had only made things “even more frustrating” for their Lincolnshire-based mother, who is 94 and diabetic.
18th Jan 2021 - Huffington Post UK
More than 4 million Britons receive first COVID-19 vaccine dose
More than 4 million people have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in Britain, according to official data on Monday which showed there had been a further 37,535 cases reported and 599 deaths within 28 days of a positive test. A total of 4,062,501 people have received their first shot Public Health England said as the government ramps up the vaccination programme.
18th Jan 2021 - MSN.com
Covid-19: Critical care wards full in hospitals across England
Ten hospital trusts across England consistently reported having no spare adult critical care beds in the most recent figures. It comes as hospital waiting times, coronavirus admissions and patients requiring intensive care are rising. England's 140 acute trusts had 5,503 adult critical care beds on 10 January, with 4,632 in use. NHS bosses have warned hospitals could "hit the limit" of their capacity this week. "I think, this next week, we will be at the limit of what we probably have the physical space and the people to safely do," Danny Mortimer, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said.
18th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Indian companies prepare to buy vaccines for employees
Several Indian companies are considering buying COVID-19 vaccines for their employees, once they become available commercially, just days after the government began a huge vaccination drive. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched what his government has described as the “world’s largest vaccination programme”. It aims to inoculate around 300 million people to curb the pandemic in India, which has reported the second highest number of coronavirus cases after the United States. India vaccinated 148,266 people on Monday, taking the total to 381,305, the health ministry said.
18th Jan 2021 - Reuters
S Korea leader urges businesses thriving in pandemic to share profits
South Korea’s president Moon Jae-in has called on companies prospering during the coronavirus pandemic to share their profits with struggling people and businesses, as fears rise over worsening economic inequality. The call from the leader of Asia’s fourth-biggest economy highlights the pressure on many world leaders amid surging stock and property prices coupled with rising unemployment and slow wage growth. “Whether it is called profit sharing, or whatever . . . I think it is the right way to go,” Mr Moon said at a rare press conference on Monday.
18th Jan 2021 - Financial Times
China reports more than 100 new COVID cases as New Year holiday exodus looms
China reported more than 100 new COVID-19 cases for the sixth consecutive day, with rising infections in the northeast fuelling concern of another wave when hundreds of millions of people travel for the Lunar New Year holiday. Tough new controls in the city of Gongzhuling in Jilin province, which has a population of about 1 million people, brings the total number of people under lockdown to more than 29 million. According to the Global Times newspaper, at least 11 regions in the provinces of Hebei, Heilongjiang and Jilin have imposed lockdowns and introduced extensive testing programmes. The National Health Commission reported 109 new COVID-19 cases for Sunday, unchanged from the day earlier. Of the 93 local infections, 54 were in Hebei, which surrounds Beijing.
18th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Brazil vaccinations start as country faces vaccine ingredient shortfall
Brazil kicked off a nationwide COVID-19 immunization program on Monday by distributing doses of a vaccine from China’s Sinovac Biotech following an emergency use authorization, although the pace of vaccination will depend on delayed imports. After weeks of setbacks, many Brazilians cheered the first wave of inoculations, from bustling clinics in Sao Paulo to a spectacular shot planned at the foot of the Christ Redeemer statue overlooking Rio de Janeiro. The Health Ministry gave states the green light to start immunizing at 5 p.m. (2000 GMT). Although some began administering shots before that, the majority of Brazil’s 26 states had yet to receive vaccine shipments as of Monday evening, delaying the start of vaccinations for the elderly and frontline health workers.
18th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Portugal's health system on brink of collapse as COVID-19 cases surge
Portugal’s public health system is on the verge of collapsing as hospitals in the areas worst-affected by a worrying surge in coronavirus cases are quickly running out of intensive care beds to treat COVID-19 patients. “Our health system is under a situation of extreme pressure,” Health Minister Marta Temido told reporters on Sunday afternoon after a visit to a struggling hospital. “There is a limit and we are very close to it.”
17th Jan 2021 - Reuters
72 Australian Open tennis players in lockdown; reports of Novak Djokovic ideas for changes
The number of players in hard quarantine swelled to 72 ahead of the Australian Open after a fifth positive coronavirus test was returned from the charter flights bringing players, coaches, officials and media to Melbourne for the season-opening tennis major. That means they won’t be allowed to leave their hotel rooms or practice for 14 days, creating a two-speed preparation period for the tournament. Other players in less rigorous quarantine will be allowed to practice for five hours daily. Australian Open organizers confirmed late Sunday that the latest case involved a passenger on the flight from Doha, Qatar to Melbourne who was not a member of the playing contingent, But all 58 passengers, including the 25 players, now cannot leave their hotel rooms for 14 days.
18th Jan 2021 - NBC Sports
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 18th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullGPs ‘forced to bin leftover vaccines’ amid struggle to book exact number of Covid vaccine recipients
In the UK, GPs are being forced to bin leftover vaccines rather than give patients second doses or use them on staff, according to reports. Local NHS leaders are said to have issued the vaccine disposal instructions to doctors organising clinics. The revelation comes as Pfizer said there would be a short delay to UK orders of its vaccine. GPs are struggling to book the exact number of appointments to match the doses of the vaccine which needs to kept at -70c, which adds another layer of difficulty.
17th Jan 2021 - Evening Standard
Covid-19: Critical care wards are full in hospitals across England
Ten hospital trusts across England reported having no spare critical care beds for most of last week. It comes as hospital waiting times, coronavirus admissions and patients requiring intensive care rises. Across all England's acute trusts the total number of critical care beds available is 5,503, with 4,632 in use on 10 January.
NHS England has not yet commented. Last year, hospitals added 39% more beds for seriously ill patients. The latest figures from NHS England show the number of trusts who were, on average, at full capacity in adult critical care rose from four to ten in the week to 10 January.
17th Jan 2021 - BBC News
COVID-19: Some restrictions could go by March and vaccine should be offered to every adult by September
All UK adults should be offered the first dose of a COVID vaccine by September - with the hope some restrictions can be lifted by March, Dominic Raab has told Sky News. The foreign secretary said: "Our target is that by September to have offered all the adult population a first dose, if we can do it faster than that great but that's the roadmap." The target is more specific than the government's COVID-19 vaccine delivery plan, published a week ago, which said that level of protection should be provided "by the autumn".
17th Jan 2021 - Sky News
Greece starts COVID-19 vaccinations among the elderly
Greece kicked off COVID-19 vaccinations among the elderly on Saturday, after first inoculating tens of thousands of frontline workers to fight the spread of the coronavirus. More than 75,000 healthcare workers and nursing home residents and carers have received the shot of the vaccine produced by Pfizer/BioNTech since Greece rolled out the plan along with other EU countries last month.
17th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Reeling again from COVID-19, Amazonas gets respirators, oxygen from Brazil Air Force and Venezuela
The Brazilian jungle state of Amazonas received more emergency supplies of oxygen and respirators on Saturday, as the military and neighboring Venezuela scrambled to alleviate an unfolding humanitarian crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. The Air Force also said it had evacuated 12 patients from hospitals in the state capital Manaus to the northern city of Sao Luis overnight, with hospitals at breaking point with no oxygen supplies and overflowing intensive care wards. Mass graves were dug in Manaus during the first wave of the pandemic last year. Harrowing scenes are again emerging in the second wave, of doctors and relatives running out of supplies and equipment while trying desperately to keep patients alive. Brazil’s Air Force said on Saturday a second flight had landed in Manaus with eight tanks of liquid oxygen, following an earlier emergency delivery of five tanks, and the Navy said in a statement that it is sending 40 respirators.
17th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Migrants forced to travel 85 miles for Home Office appointments as coronavirus cases soar
People are being forced to travel as far as 85 miles to attend Home Office appointments during the lockdown, prompting critics to claim the government is prioritising “distrust” of migrants over public health. Ministers are being urged to act after it emerged vulnerable asylum seekers and visa applicants have had to take long journeys on public transport in recent weeks in order to comply with Home Office rules. In March, substantive asylum interviews – during which the Home Office gathers information to determine whether someone should be granted asylum in the UK – were paused in response to the pandemic. Biometric appointments, where UK visa applicants submit their fingerprints as part of the application process, were also suspended during the first lockdown as visa application centres closed.
17th Jan 2021 - The Independent
More than 800 chain restaurants, bars and cafes close for good as Covid-19 lockdowns bite sector
More than 800 chain restaurants, bars and coffee shops have closed since the start of the Covid pandemic, research compiled for the Evening Standard has found. Covid has wrought havoc on cashflows of leisure sector operators as they have been repeatedly forced to close or only open under tough restrictions to ensure social distancing. Data compiled for the Evening Standard showed that when administrations and Company Voluntary Arrangements are included, chains with 6231 outlets have been affected. That compares with 593 closed during the two previous years, which included the one-off corporate shakeups at Patisserie Valerie and The Restaurant Group accounting for nearly 150 closures.
17th Jan 2021 - Evening Standard
India Kicks Off A Massive COVID-19 Vaccination Drive
Cheers erupted in hospital wards across India on Saturday as a first group of nurses and sanitation workers rolled up their sleeves and got vaccinated against COVID-19, at the start of what's likely to become the biggest national vaccination campaign in history. India aims to vaccinate 300 million people by July, though it could take an additional two or more years to inoculate all nearly 1.4 billion Indians. The shots are voluntary. Hospitals and clinics have been setting up and rehearsing for weeks. "A proud moment indeed! This is what we've been waiting for," Dr. R. Jayanthi, dean of the Omandurar Medical College in the southern city of Chennai, told local media moments after receiving her shot. "I'm truly a very privileged beneficiary today, and I'm feeling absolutely fine."
17th Jan 2021 - NPR
China builds hospital in 5 days as COVID-19 cases rise in Beijing
China on Saturday finished a five-day construction project on a 1,500-room hospital as clusters of COVID-19 spread in Beijing and the surrounding provinces.
The state of play: The facility is the one of six hospitals with a total of 6,500 rooms in the works in Nangong, the Xinhua News Agency said Saturday per AP reporting. They are all expected to be completed next week. China reportedly put roughly 28 million people on lockdown this week in the the Hebei provincial capital of Shijiazhuang.
16th Jan 2021 - Axios
Coronavirus in London: 1,300-body mortuary opens
A temporary mortuary that can hold up to 1,300 bodies has been opened in Ruislip, west London, as the capital faces a growing coronavirus death toll. London recently exceeded 10,000 Covid-related deaths, a figure mayor Sadiq Khan described as "heartbreaking". Four temporary mortuary sites were set up in London during the first wave of coronavirus, but were put on standby. The use of the Ruislip site has been called "a visual, sobering reminder" of the continuing cost of the pandemic. Westminster City Council chief executive Stuart Love, who is leading the London-wide response, added: "We want to give people hope but we are not there yet.
"From my point of view, we have built this really hoping it doesn't get used to its capacity.
16th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Aviation industry risks collapse without 'urgent' support following travel curbs
The aviation industry risks collapse without “urgent” government support, industry groups have warned following the latest travel curbs. From Monday all travel corridors to the UK will be scrapped to prevent any further spread of the new strains of coronavirus.
16th Jan 2021 - City A.M.
Italy suspends flights from Brazil in response to new coronavirus variant
Italy is suspending flights from Brazil, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Saturday, in response to a new coronavirus variant. Anyone who has transited Brazil in the last 14 days is also prohibited from entering Italy, he said on Facebook, while people arriving in Italy from Brazil will be required to take a test for the virus.
"It is critical for our scientists to study the new strain. In the meantime, we are taking a very cautious approach", he said. Such rules will remain in place until Jan. 31, the order issued on Saturday by the health minister showed.
16th Jan 2021 - Yahoo News
Spain rejects virus confinement as most of Europe stays home
While most of Europe kicked off 2021 with earlier curfews or stay-at-home orders, authorities in Spain insist the new coronavirus variant causing havoc elsewhere is not to blame for a sharp resurgence of cases and that the country can avoid a full lockdown even as its hospitals fill up. The government has been tirelessly fending off drastic home confinement like the one that paralyzed the economy for nearly three months in the spring of 2020, the last time Spain could claim victory over the stubborn rising curve of cases.
Infection rates ebbed in October but never completely flattened the surge from summer. Cases started climbing again before the end of the year. In the past month, 14-day rates more than doubled, from 188 cases per 100,000 residents on Dec. 10 to 522 per 100,000 on Thursday.
15th Jan 2021 - Associated Press
Coronavirus: Texas becomes first US state to administer 1m vaccine doses
Germany’s 2020 contraction shows economy in better shape than thought. Norwegian to abandon long-haul market as it fights for survival. France tightens Covid curfew and border controls.
15th Jan 2021 - MSN.com
Nigeria warns against fake COVID vaccines
Nigerian authorities have warned against fake coronavirus vaccines in the country where 10 million real doses of the shots are expected to arrive in March. “There are reports of fake vaccines in Nigeria,” Director General of Nigeria’s National Agency for Food Drug and Administration Control (NAFDAC) Mojisola Adeyeye said on Friday. “NAFDAC is pleading with the public to beware. No COVID vaccines have been approved by NAFDAC. Fake vaccines can cause COVID-like illnesses or other serious diseases that could kill.” Nigeria’s anticipated vaccines add to 100,000 expected doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine although it was not specified which type of jab would be used for the 10 million doses. It was also unclear whether the batch would be financed by the African Union (AU) or as part of COVAX, which links the World Health Organization (WHO) with private partners to work for pooled procurement and equitable distribution.
15th Jan 2021 - Al Jazeera English
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View this newsletter in fullQuebec says some regions running out of COVID-19 vaccine, but new shipments coming
Quebec will wait up to 90 days before giving a COVID-19 vaccine booster to people who have received a first shot, Health Minister Christian Dube said Thursday. That delay goes far beyond the recommendation of vaccine manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna, which propose intervals of 21 and 28 days, respectively, and is more than double the 42-day maximum delay proposed by Canada’s national vaccine advisory committee. Dube told a news conference that the decision was made in order to vaccinate as many vulnerable people as possible and to reduce the pressure on the health system. “In our context, this is the best strategy, because we have to contend with (having) very few vaccines, and we’re in a race against the clock,” Dube told a news conference.
14th Jan 2021 - The Star
Number of London transport staff dying with Covid-19 increases to 60
The number of London transport staff dying with Covid has increased to 60, including 46 bus workers, it was revealed today. The figure, up three from earlier this week, came as Sadiq Khan and his Tory mayoral rival Shaun Bailey said London key workers most at risk of contracting Covid should be the next to be prioritised for vaccination. In separate interventions, the Mayor and Mr Bailey said the second phase of the rollout should focus on higher-risk essential workers such as police, teachers and transport staff once vulnerable elderly Londoners and health and care staff were inoculated. The total figure, up three from 57 revealed earlier this week, includes staff working for the private bus firms contracted by Transport for London to run the capital's buses, plus Tube and rail staff and TfL head office workers. The death toll includes 37 bus drivers and nine other bus workers, such as bus station staff.
14th Jan 2021 - Evening Standard
The Remaining COVID-19 Journey
I’m sure I wasn’t alone when I breathed a sigh of relief at the much ballyhooed arrival of COVID-19 vaccines at the end of 2020. We’re in the midst of a dark and grief-stricken pandemic winter, and the sooner the vaccine gets us to herd immunity—and, pray, a semblance of normalcy—the better. But the well-worn trope that life is a journey, and not a destination, has an epidemiological application as well. As of this writing, the U.S. just suffered a record-breaking day of thousands of fatalities caused by the novel coronavirus. So in the interim months while most Americans wait their chance to be vaccinated, our goal certainly must be to minimize deaths from COVID-19. In this issue’s cover story, Charles Schmidt takes a comprehensive look at the latest developments in clinical treatments for COVID-19 infection, many of which still need research to bolster their effectiveness
14th Jan 2021 - Scientific American
Covid: Infections levelling off in some areas - scientist
The coronavirus growth rate is slowing in the UK and the number of infections is starting to level off in some areas, a top scientist has said. Prof Neil Ferguson told the BBC that in some NHS regions there is a "sign of plateauing" in cases and hospital admissions. But he warned the overall death toll would exceed 100,000.
On Wednesday, the UK saw its biggest daily death figure since the start of the pandemic, with 1,564 deaths. It has taken the total number of deaths by that measure to 84,767. There were also 47,525 new cases. It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the national lockdown measures were "starting to show signs of some effect", but it was early days and urged people to abide by the rules.
14th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Covid-19: High Street chemists start vaccinations in England
Some High Street pharmacies in England will start vaccinating people from priority groups on Thursday, with 200 providing jabs in the next two weeks. Six chemists in Halifax, Macclesfield, Widnes, Guildford, Edgware and Telford are the first to offer appointments to those invited by letter. But pharmacists say many more sites should be allowed to give the jab, not just the largest ones. More than 2.6 million people in the UK have now received their first dose. Across the UK, the target is to vaccinate 15 million people in the top four priority groups - care home residents and workers, NHS frontline staff, the over-70s and the extremely clinically vulnerable - by mid-February.
14th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Covid-19: Surge leaves key hospital services 'in crisis'
The surge in Covid hospital cases has left key hospital services in England in crisis, doctors are warning. NHS data showed A&Es were facing rising delays admitting extremely sick patients on to wards. Meanwhile, the total number of people facing year-long waits for routine treatments is now more than 100 times higher than it was before the pandemic. Cancer experts are also warning the disruption to their services was "terrifying" and would cost lives. Reports have emerged of hospitals cancelling urgent operations - London's King's College Hospital has stopped priority two treatments, which are those that need to be done within 28 days. And Birmingham's major hospital trust has temporarily suspended most liver transplants.
14th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Marketing Moderna hitches a ride with Uber to boost vaccine confidence—and, of course, drive access
COVID-19 vaccine maker Moderna is looking for a lift from Uber—a collaboration lift, that is. The two companies say they're planning to work together to promote vaccine confidence and ease access to coronavirus shots. Early ideas include promoting vaccine safety on the Uber network and through in-app messages as well as incorporating Uber rides into the vaccination scheduling process. While those details are still in the works, the appeal of Uber as a partner for Moderna is not only its nationwide network and connections but also the diversity of its 1.2 million drivers. “Uber has broad access across the United States—its ride-sharing platform is used by Americans everywhere, and its drivers represent a wide variety of the population," Michael Mullette, Moderna's vice president of commercial operations in North America, said. "There’s a great opportunity for us to think about educating the population about how do you get immunized … but also how do you access credible information about vaccines."
14th Jan 2021 - FiercePharma
GPs in England say inconsistent supply of Covid vaccine causing roll-out issues
Inconsistent vaccine supply is making it difficult for GPs in England to book patient appointments more than a few days in advance, experts have warned, as the prime minister admitted there were significant disparities in local immunisation rates. Doctors, NHS specialists and MPs told the Guardian that batches of the Pfizer and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine frequently arrived with only a couple of days’ notice, requiring last-minute planning and creating uncertainty for patients. Insiders said the distribution system was operating on a “push model” meaning that doctors could not order the vaccine but simply had to be ready to be receive batches whenever the NHS was able to deliver them.
14th Jan 2021 - The Guardian
Boots and Superdrug start dishing out Covid vaccines as six high street pharmacies are recruited and No10 says it's on track to do 3m jabs a week — but independent chemists fear UK will fail to hit target unless it uses 'many more, much sooner'
MailOnline revealed this week Boots in Halifax and Superdrug branch in Guildford would join vaccine effort. Chains are among six high street pharmacies across England to be converted into Covid hubs this morning. Calls for ministers to go further and use England's 11,500 pharmacies to deliver round-the-clock vaccinations
14th Jan 2021 - Daily Mail
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 14th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullU.S. Vaccine Shift Stirs New Unease as 128 Million Join Line
The U.S. government wants states to offer vaccines to millions more Americans as Covid-19 infections continue to soar, in a bid to bolster an immunization campaign that’s off to a rocky start. In recommending that states start immunizing all residents 65 and older, along with all those between 16 and 64 with medical conditions that make them more vulnerable to serious disease, U.S. health officials are clearing a path for about 128 million more Americans to be vaccinated.
13th Jan 2021 - Bloomberg
Less than half of people who have developed Covid-19 symptoms have requested a test - and over-60s are the worst at getting checked out
Just 43 per cent of people who develop Covid-19 symptoms are getting a test, according to shock new data. An ongoing UCL study has been tracking the social aspect of the pandemic and how the general public has been behaving and adhering to the ever-changing rules and guidance. It started in mid-March 2020 and regularly quizzes more than 70,000 Britons about their life in lockdown. Data shows a third of people requested a test every time they developed symptoms, one in ten got a test only on some of the occasions when they had symptoms and 57 per cent never requested a test despite having symptoms
13th Jan 2021 - MSN.com
US requires negative Covid-19 tests from all international travelers
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced it will start requiring all international travelers coming into the US to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test in order to enter the country. Global testing requirements would be an expansion on a Trump administration policy barring UK travelers without a negative test from entry, which was announced on December 24. The new rule, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, will apply to Americans returning home from abroad, as well as visitors.
13th Jan 2021 - Daily Mail
Mental health of NHS staff placed under further strain as Covid hospitalisations continue to rise
Doctors and nurses treating coronavirus patients in overstretched hospitals are increasingly suffering from mental health issues, figures show – as health chiefs warn staff will be pushed to their limit over the next few weeks of the pandemic. The number of doctors seeking psychiatric help through the British Medical Association has doubled since the pandemic began, The Independent can reveal, while new research shows that nearly half of all NHS staff in intensive care units (ICUs) are likely to meet the threshold for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety or depression. And in a letter sent to doctors on Tuesday, the UK’s chief medical officers said that the weeks ahead “are likely to be among the most challenging of all our professional lives” and will push staff “to the limits of [their] physical and mental endurance”.
13th Jan 2021 - The Independent
Scotland's Covid lockdown tightened with click and collect and takeaway curbs
Shops in Scotland have been ordered to stop non-essential click-and-collect services and alcohol consumption is to be banned outdoors, in a further tightening of lockdown measures. Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister, said shops would be allowed to offer click and collect only for essential goods such as clothes, shoes, baby equipment, books and homeware from Saturday 16 January. Takeaway outlets will be banned from allowing customers into the building. “I must stress at the outset that the situation we face in relation to the virus remains very precarious and extremely serious,” she told MSPs. UK government ministers are considering restricting click and collect in England, and Matt Hancock, the health secretary, joined Sturgeon in welcoming John Lewis’s voluntary decision on Tuesday to suspend its collect services.
13th Jan 2021 - The Guardian
School key worker ‘lottery’ sees NHS staff miss out on lockdown classroom places as more children attend
One week after schools in England closed, key worker parents and NHS staff are missing out on face-to-face education places for their children, as schools attempt to adhere to broader key worker guidance while managing a problematic increase in attendance. Both teachers and parents told i that they were finding it increasingly difficult to manage demand for children to attend school. While schools in England closed for most pupils on Tuesday 5 January, as with the first lockdown they remain open for vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers, as well as for those children without digital devices or quiet spaces in their homes, and the children of EU transition workers.
13th Jan 2021 - iNews
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View this newsletter in fullRetailers remove product limits on groceries after Brisbane lockdown ends
Retailers have removed product limits for popular grocery items in Brisbane after the end of its three-day lockdown. Shoppers descended on stores in large numbers on Friday after the Queensland government confirmed five local government areas would shut down for 72 hours to stop the spread of the UK strain of COVID-19. Punches were thrown and supermarkets stripped bare as residents defied advice to raid shelves and stock up on supplies. It prompted major retailers like Coles and Woolworths to reintroduce product limits on multiple items
12th Jan 2021 - The Australian
Asia Today: India starts shipping COVID-19 vaccine to cities
India has started shipping COVID-19 vaccines to multiple cities, four days ahead of a nationwide inoculation drive. The first consignment of vaccines developed by the Serum Institute of India left the city of Pune on Tuesday. The vaccines rolled out from Serum Institute of India’s facility in temperature-controlled trucks to the city’s airport, from where they were loaded into private air carriers for distribution all over the country. Civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri called the shipping of vaccines a “momentous mission.”
12th Jan 2021 - ABC News
UK retailers call for police help to enforce mask rules
British retailers called on the police to help enforce the wearing of masks to limit the spread of COVID-19, with one of the biggest supermarkets saying on Monday it would no longer allow entry to those flouting the rules. With infection numbers rising sharply the UK government has expressed concern about the spread of the virus in supermarkets, with people breaching rules by not wearing masks while shopping in them. Non-essential retail, restaurants and bars are shut across Britain, leading to a high level of demand for supermarkets and other food stores. “People have got to follow the guidance in supermarkets, people need to be keeping their distance, making sure that they’re wearing masks, doing the right thing,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson told reporters.
12th Jan 2021 - Reuters
ICE must provide Covid-19 vaccines to all detained migrants
After months of public health and political debates on vaccine prioritization for incarcerated populations, Covid-19 vaccination has begun in prisons and jails across the United States. Yet little is known about vaccination programs in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers. Some states have said they will vaccinate incarcerated populations in Phase 1b or 2 of the vaccines rollout, either alongside correctional officers or after they have been vaccinated. The Federal Bureau of Prisons first planned to prioritize correctional officers, in line with recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. But after pushback from public health experts highlighted the growing rates of Covid-19 among inmates, the Bureau of Prisons began vaccinating staff members and selected prisoners simultaneously.
12th Jan 2021 - STAT News
Mexico City restaurants open doors in defiance of COVID-19 ...
Several prominent restaurant chains and smaller eateries on Monday defied Mexico City's extension of a ban on dine-in service, in an act of civil disobedience against rules aimed at controlling a surge in COVID-19 cases. Fish restaurant Fisher's, steak house Sonora Grill and Potzollcalli, which sells a Mexican pork and corn soup, were among the outlets that flouted the ban. Between them, the three chains have dozens of outlets in the city area. Officials initially said a partial lockdown implemented on Dec. 19 would last until Jan. 11, but extended it after surging cases last week pushed hospitals to their limit. Hospitals in the capital are 89% full, the highest peak of the pandemic, according to city data. Nationwide, Mexico has surpassed 1.5 million cases and 130,000 deaths.
11th Jan 2021 - Thomson Reuters Foundation
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 12th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullCovid vaccine: Wales has delivered 70,000 of 275,000 doses
Wales has received 275,000 doses of the two Covid-19 vaccines to deal with the pandemic. About 70,000 people received a first dose after the first month of the vaccine rollout. The Welsh Government confirmed it has had more than 250,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 25,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab. The health minister promised a "really significant step-up" in the roll-out after opponents criticised its speed. The Pfizer jabs were first administered in early December at seven sites across Wales as part of the UK-wide immunisation programme.
11th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Two million receive Covid-19 vaccination as Boris Johnson urges ‘maximum vigilance’
Almost two million people have been vaccinated against the coronavirus but the epidemic has never been so dangerous, according to England’s chief medical officer. Professor Chris Whitty warned people that there was a “very high chance” that someone with whom they have had unnecessary contact had Covid-19, adding: “This is the most dangerous time.” Boris Johnson has begged people to follow rules, particularly in supermarkets and at takeaway venues as part of a drive to counter faltering compliance and lockdown fatigue.
11th Jan 2021 - The Times
Travel body rejects compulsory COVID-19 shots, experts say herd immunity distant
The head of a global travel organisation on Monday opposed making COVID-19 vaccinations a requirement for travellers in the fight against the pandemic, despite scepticism about reaching herd immunity this year.
11th Jan 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19: Army to help ensure vaccines reach health authorities in Spain after worst snowfall in decades
Convoys containing food and the coronavirus vaccine are being sent by the Spanish government to reach areas cut off by record snowfall. Army emergency brigades have focused on clearing access to Madrid's main fresh food distribution centre and to hospitals as COVID-19 infections rise across Spain. Interior minister Fernando Grande-Markaska said the government will take extra steps to ensure that the country's weekly shipment of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, arriving on Monday, can be distributed to regional health authorities via police-escorted convoys.
11th Jan 2021 - Sky News
Covid-19: Birmingham mass vaccination centre opens
Health workers have been among the first to receive a Covid-19 jab at a mass vaccination centre. The site at Birmingham's Millennium Point is one of seven across England and will offer about 2,500 vaccinations a day when it is fully operational. It comes as England's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty warns the coming weeks will be "the most dangerous time" of the pandemic. One of the first patients said she had been "so excited" to get the vaccine. Olga Leach-Walters is an endoscopy nurse at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
11th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Third of over 80s vaccinated as government to unveil COVID-19 vaccine deployment plan
Health and social care secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC on Sunday that around 2m doses of vaccine had now been delivered and that around a third of over 80s had received at least one dose. His comments came as the government prepared to set out its full COVID-19 vaccine deployment plan on 11 January, which Mr Hancock said would be the 'keystone of our exit out of the pandemic'. The government has already said it hopes to deliver 13.9m doses of COVID-19 vaccine UK-wide by mid February, covering the first four priority groups identified by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
11th Jan 2021 - GP online
Chicago Is Reopening Schools Against Fierce Resistance From Teachers
Across the country, many big cities like New York have struggled to resume even limited in-person instruction, while a number, including Los Angeles, have simply given up on the idea, choosing to stick with all-remote education into the spring.
Few places have seen as much acrimony over the issue as Chicago, whose public school system is the nation’s third-largest. Now, with 6,000 prekindergarten and special education students preparing to return to the city’s public school buildings on Monday for the first time since March, a question looms: How many of their teachers will be there to greet them?
11th Jan 2021 - The New York Times
French resorts ask: will COVID write off whole ski season?
Business owners at France's Chamonix ski resort, their earnings slashed because of the COVID-19 lockdown, are worried they might not be able to welcome back skiers at all before the snows melt and the season ends. French ski resorts were prevented from opening their cable cars and ski lifts at the start of the season, driving away the large portion of their visitors who come for downhill skiing. The French government had discussed the possibility of re-opening the ski lifts of Jan. 7, but last week it said that with virus cases still high, that would be premature. A decision is now due on Jan. 20, leaving little time before the season ends. "If we have to close to the end of season, that's going to cost us several billion euros," said Mathieu Dechavanne, Chairman and CEO of Compagnie du Mont-Blanc, which operates cable cars in the region. "The economic impact will be catastrophic."
11th Jan 2021 - The Guardian
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 11th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullSecond doses of first coronavirus vaccine happening now
As states try to broaden the reach of their coronavirus vaccination campaigns and navigate uncertain supply chains, many of the first people to receive their shots are just now completing the final act of immunity, the second dose, which boosts the efficacy of both available US vaccines to about 95 percent. Many health care workers and others at high risk who had the Pfizer shots in mid December lined up for their "booster" shot this week, due to be given 21 days after the initial dose.
9th Jan 2021 - NPR
Covid-19 outbreaks in care homes double in a fortnight as care sector is biggest source of infection clusters
The number of apparent Covid-19 outbreaks inside care homes has more than doubled in a fortnight with the care sector now the largest source of multi-infection incidents once again, according to official data. Public Health England figures show that in the week to 3 January, there were 749 “acute respiratory infection incidents” in care homes across the UK, up from 480 the week before and 364 in the week before that. The incidents are defined as two or more confirmed or suspected cases of a respiratory illness such as Covid-19 or flu, and a large majority were confirmed to involve Covid-19 through virus testing.
9th Jan 2021 - iNews
NHS England plans to vaccinate all frontline staff against COVID-19 in next few weeks
NHS England said on Friday it had made plans to vaccinate all frontline staff against COVID-19 in the next few weeks following the rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Nikita Kanani, the Nation Health Service medical director for primary care, said the vaccine will be administered to “all health and social care staff” by mid-February.
9th Jan 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19 In Butler County: Hospitals Adjusting On Fly After State Announces New Vaccine Distribution Plan
This is the fourth version of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan in Pennsylvania. While things change, local health systems are rolling with the punches. “Many people are ready, many people perceive their risk. They’ve been riding this out for a long time and have been careful for a long time,” said Dr. David Rottinghaus, the chief medical officer at Butler Health System. Dr. Rottinghaus said Butler Health System was tasked with vaccinating the county’s 1A Phase. “We distributed almost 1,000 in the last 3 days. We are pretty far down the road in tier 1A,” Rottinghaus said.
9th Jan 2021 - CBS Pittsburgh
Over 9 million COVID-19 vaccine shots given in China, health officials say
China has administered over 9 million shots of COVID-19 vaccine since Dec 15 to people deemed at high risk of contracting the disease, senior health officials said on Saturday. As vaccine production ramps up,
9th Jan 2021 - China Daily
DGCA issues guidelines for Airlines to transport COVID-19 vaccines
India's civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has issued guidelines to airlines and other aircraft operators for transportation of Covid-19 vaccines. "All scheduled operators who have been currently authorized to carry dangerous goods may carry COVID19 vaccine packed in dry ice, meeting the regulatory requirements," DGCA said in a circular. "Non-scheduled operators, including aircraft engaged in general aviation, that are required to participate in the carriage of COVID 19 vaccines packed in dry ice shall seek specific approval before commencing such operations," it added. Covid-19 vaccination in India is expected to start in the next few days, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said yesterday, adding that the union government has requested the stakeholders in the process to help in its smooth rollout.
9th Jan 2021 - DD News
Coronavirus Vaccine Demand Has Health Officials Turning to Eventbrite
In the early stages of a global push to distribute the coronavirus vaccine to those who need it most — a process that has, so far, managed to be both hectic and slow — some health officials have turned to an unexpected tool: the ticketing website Eventbrite. Before the pandemic, the platform was a place to book tickets to performances, art shows or pub crawls. Now, public health officials are using it to schedule vaccination appointments. Mai Miller, 48, of Merritt Island, Fla., scoured Eventbrite last week in search of a slot for her mother. She scrolled through pages of dates and times, repeatedly refreshing the site and hunting for booking buttons that were blue, signaling availability. She found a few, but she couldn’t seem to click on them quickly enough. “It was just a scramble,” she said. “Like musical chairs with 20 chairs and 4,000 people.”
9th Jan 2021 - The New York Times
'Care needed' after getting Covid vaccine
People who have had Covid vaccines are being warned to still take care. Vaccination has been shown to prevent severe infection, so even if people do catch the virus, they would be protected from getting seriously ill. The call comes as an NHS nurse working for the Hywel Dda University Health Board area said she contracted Covid-19 while waiting for her second dose. The health board said while the vaccine "reduces your chance of suffering", "no vaccine is 100% effective". The Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine, which started being rolled out in the UK last month, offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19 after a second dose.
9th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Some school staff will be prioritised for coronavirus vaccine
Special school staff, an those working in colleges providing intimate care, as well as at risk staff will be prioritised for the coronavirus vaccine along with care workers. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) which advises UK health departments on immunisation, agreed certain special school staff should be classed as care workers and that at risk school and college staff should also be prioritised. Headteachers, including Chris Britten, head of Ysgol y Deri special school in Penarth, have been pressing for school staff to be prioritised after health workers and vulnerable groups.
9th Jan 2021 - Wales Online
How Restaurants Have Weathered the Pandemic
Nearly 40,000 restaurants in the state have been shuttered since last year, with California leading in the number of restaurant closures in the nation, according to the latest figures released by Yelp. In every corner of the state, loan payouts have been exhausted and state unemployment programs are stymied by bureaucratic delays. A survey by the California Restaurant Association, the group that challenged Los Angeles’s outdoor dining ban in court, found that 60 percent of restaurants that received federal loans said they would most likely run out of money by the summer. It also estimated that since March, between 900,000 and one million restaurant workers have either been laid off or furloughed. The $900 billion stimulus package Congress passed in December would give struggling small businesses another chance to apply for loans.
8th Jan 2021 - The New York Times
North Wales Police Federation rep says officers should get Covid vaccine 'as a priority'
A North Wales Police Federation rep has said officers should get the Covid vaccine as a priority. More than 9,000 people have signed a petition calling on the Welsh Government to change the fact that police are not on the priority list to be immunised for Covid-19. Police forces across the UK are currently experiencing high sickness rates as officers face a greater risk of contracting the virus due to the public facing nature of their jobs. Mark Jones, general secretary of the North Wales Police Federation, said his colleagues had even been spat at by offenders, raising the potential for them to catch the coronavirus even further.
8th Jan 2021 - Deeside.com
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 8th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullRush to administer coronavirus vaccine to all hospital staff
Hospitals have been told by NHS England to immediately step up efforts to vaccinate all their staff.Yesterday GPs started administering the Oxford Astrazeneca vaccine to protect care home residents
8th Jan 2021 - The Times
Pharmacies set for role in Wales coronavirus vaccination plan
Pharmacies in Wales are set to become involved in the process of vaccinating people against coronavirus, with discussions going on over how that will happen, says Wales' Chief Medical Officer. Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, like its counterparts across Wales, has been checking the suitability of community and other venues across Gwent that might be suitable for use as mass vaccination centres, and GP surgeries will also play a central role. The challenge in Wales, as it is across the UK, is to provide sufficient vaccination sites to enable as many people in the priority groups to be vaccinated as quickly as possible - and Wales' CMO Dr Frank Atherton said all health boards in Wales are developing plans to "rapidly increase the vaccine coverage".
8th Jan 2021 - South Wales Argus
15,000 Covid-19 vaccines administered in Ireland
More than 15,000 people have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine in Ireland to date. The country’s health chief said a total of 35,000 people will have received the Pfizer BioNTech jab by the end of the week. Paul Reid described the State’s coronavirus vaccination programme as the “great light” and “great hope” as the country faces the weeks ahead. A total of 15,314 people have been given vaccinated since December 29. “It has given a great lift to the country and it has given a great inspirational lift to our healthcare workers,” he said.
7th Jan 2021 - Belfast Telegraph
Most vulnerable to get vaccine by mid-Feb as Covid deaths soar
The UK has recorded more than 1,000 new coronavirus deaths overnight for the second day in a row while hospital admissions have risen above the peak of the first wave, new figures show. Some 3,600 Covid-19 patients were admitted to hospital in the UK on January 3, the first time it has been higher than the peak of 3,565 recorded on April 1. It comes as London’s hospitals are on the verge of being overwhelmed as health bosses scramble to find more beds to deal with a surge in infections across the country. The sobering figures were published as Boris Johnson admitted that the UK roll-out of Covid vaccines is a “challenge on a scale like nothing we’ve seen before”.
7th Jan 2021 - Evening Standard
GPs struggling with Covid vaccine delivery timing uncertainties
GPs are having to do a ‘huge amount’ of cancellations and rebooking of Covid vaccine appointments amid last-minute changes to vaccine delivery times, regional GP leaders have claimed. LMC leaders said this was giving practices ‘a headache’ and called for some ‘assurance’ about ‘when vaccine will be supplied’. This week, GP sites in wave five of the rollout were expecting their first vaccine deliveries between Wednesday and Friday, while sites in wave six will be told today (Thursday 7 January) whether they have passed their ‘readiness assessment’ to commence vaccinations next week. Slides presented in an NHS England webinar for GPs on Tuesday evening said ‘site-specific delivery dates have been confirmed’.
7th Jan 2021 - Pulse
Nicola Sturgeon confirms covid vaccine to be rolled out to all over 80s in next four weeks
All over-80s in Scotland will receive their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine in the next four weeks, Nicola Sturgeon has announced. Speaking at today's daily briefing, the First Minister confirmed that 113,459 people have received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, with the Oxford/AstraZeneca inoculation being first used on Monday. She said: "I can confirm that this shows that by Sunday, the 30th of January, 113,459 individuals had received their first tools of the Pfizer Covid vaccine.
7th Jan 2021 - Glasgow Live
Hancock: 'We're working with Pfizer and AstraZeneca to increase Covid-19 vaccine supply'
Health Secretary Matt Hancock visited a GP surgery in London to promote the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines. Mr Hancock said they were working with the Pfizer and AstraZeneca to increase the supply.
7th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Covid-19: Vaccine rollout widens as hospital pressure rises
GPs in England are receiving doses of the Oxford Covid jab as medics warn about overstretched hospitals. The rollout of the Oxford vaccine is part of the NHS's biggest-ever effort and aims to offer jabs to 13 million by mid-February - including all over-80s. But Health Secretary Matt Hancock admitted vaccine supply was a "rate-limiting" factor. Birmingham's NHS said there are enough supplies with more to come as politicians warned doses may run out. Some hospitals in England are at risk of becoming Covid-only sites, with rising admissions for the virus forcing trusts to cut back on other services.
7th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Ireland tightens lockdown as COVID-19 'tsunami' threatens hospitals
Ireland announced its strictest lockdown measures since early last year on Wednesday as a “tsunami” of infections caused by a new COVID-19 variant pushed hospitalisations to a record high and sparked fears the healthcare system could be overwhelmed. Ireland’s 14-day infection rate has quadrupled in the past 10 days to 819 cases per 100,000, fueled by a new more transmissible COVID-19 variant first identified in Britain and the relaxation of restrictions ahead of Christmas. Officials reported a record high of 7,836 cases on Wednesday. “Already exhausted healthcare workers now face a tsunami of infection even greater than the first wave,” Prime Minister Micheal Martin told a news conference announcing the new measures. “In addition we have a more infectious strain of the virus in our midst... which can rapidly lead to growth well beyond previous worst case scenarios.”
7th Jan 2021 - Reuters UK
Covid vaccine: National vaccination booking system will be launched in the UK
A new national system allowing the public to book a Covid-19 vaccination will be launched in the UK to make it easier to roll out the immunisation programme, Boris Johnson has announced. The Prime Minister said during a press conference on Thursday that nearly 1.5 million people have now been vaccinated against coronavirus in the UK, including 1.26 million in England. The process of getting a vaccination will be made easier, he said, by the launch of the new national appointment booking service – but did not reveal any further details about how it would work.
7th Jan 2021 - iNews
Pharmacies to roll out Covid vaccine in ‘Herculean effort’ to immunise Britain
High street pharmacies will form a major part of the “Herculean effort” to vaccinate the nation against coronavirus, the vaccines tsar has announced. Nadhim Zahawi, the minister for Covid Vaccine Deployment, told BBC’s Today programme that community pharmacy networks will be “very much involved” in plans to vaccinate 13.4m Brits by mid-February. Current government plans will see vaccines given to GPs to be rolled out to the public, then national vaccination centres, and then distributed across local pharmacies, Zahawi announced. “The NHS has a very clear plan and I’m confident that we can meet it,” he said, adding that it would require a “Herculean effort” to roll out the jab to the most vulnerable in just seven weeks’ time. It comes after ministers were yesterday accused of ignoring an army of trained vaccinators at pharmacies. Simon Dukes, the chief executive of the Pharmaceutical Negotiating Services Committee, told the Telegraph the NHS was “scrabbling around” for vaccinators while trained medics in the pharmaceutical industry were ready to help.
7th Jan 2021 - City A.M.
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 7th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullAround 50,000 receive first dose of Covid-19 vaccine in Northern Ireland
Around 50,000 people have received a first dose of coronavirus vaccine in Northern Ireland, Health Minister Robin Swann said. Nine in 10 care home residents have been inoculated. By January 18, more supplies are expected to be received from manufacturer AstraZeneca. Mr Swann urged the public to stay at home while the programme gathers steam. "This is a time to hunker down and weather the crisis," he said.
6th Jan 2021 - ITV News
As cases spike, Europe mulls delaying 2nd coronavirus vaccine shot
Faced with surging coronavirus cases, some European countries are considering whether to change tack and join the U.K. in vaccinating as many people as possible with just one dose rather than the two administered during clinical trials so far. This issue has been live since December 30, when the U.K. announced its decision to delay second doses by up to 12 weeks when it approved the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use. The switch also applied to the BioNTech/Pfizer jab. Just this week, Denmark announced its decision to delay the second dose of both the Pfizer and forthcoming Moderna jabs by up to six weeks. The German health ministry has also confirmed looking into widening vaccination coverage by similar delays between doses.
6th Jan 2021 - POLITICO.eu
Record-high COVID-19 hospitalizations strain southwestern Ontario health-care system
A southwestern Ontario hospital grappling with record-high COVID-19 admissions was cancelling surgeries and transferring patients to other facilities this week while another scrapped procedures to free up staff who could care for the gravely ill. The capacity crunch due to rising cases of the novel coronavirus had the head of a group representing Ontario’s hospitals warning that the acute-care system is more stretched than ever and the situation could get worse. The Windsor Regional Hospital cancelled all non-urgent, elective surgeries indefinitely and is preparing to send patients to hospitals near and far, hospital CEO David Musyj said Wednesday.
Some acute-care patients are being transferred to the hospital in nearby Chatham-Kent, Ont., he said, while those with higher needs are being transferred to London, Ont.
6th Jan 2021 - The Star
U.S. sets COVID-19 hospitalization record as states work to ramp up vaccination efforts
More Americans were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Wednesday than at any time since the pandemic began, as total coronavirus infections crossed the 21 million mark, deaths soared across much of the United States and a historic vaccination effort lagged. U.S. COVID-19 hospitalizations reached a record 130,834 late on Tuesday, according to a Reuters tally of public health data, while 3,684 reported fatalities was the second-highest single-day death toll of the pandemic. That appalling toll meant that on Tuesday someone died from COVID-19 every 24 seconds in the United States. With total deaths surpassing 357,000, one in every 914 U.S. residents has died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to a Reuters analysis.
6th Jan 2021 - Reuters UK
Swamped Hospitals Expose Depth of Britain’s Unfolding Crisis
If the British government’s goal throughout the coronavirus pandemic has been to protect the health service, the next few weeks will be the biggest challenge yet. After overtaking Italy again as the country with Europe’s highest death toll, the U.K. is at the epicenter of the continent’s struggle to contain Covid-19. Daily infections are at a record—one in 50 people in England now have the disease—while Prime Minister Boris Johnson this week shut schools and ordered the population to stay at home. Medical staff say they may be forced to turn people away from hospitals if the latest lockdown fails to curb quickly enough a new strain of the virus that emerged in southeast England last month.
6th Jan 2021 - Bloomberg
Covid Vaccine Rollouts in Europe Are Off to a Shaky Start
With a more contagious variant of the coronavirus forcing England to impose a strict new national lockdown and European nations extending restrictions in the face of rising cases, political leaders have promised that mass vaccinations will bring an end to the suffering. But in the race to beat the virus, the virus is still way out in front. There are shortages of needles in Italy, Greece and other countries. Spain has not trained enough nurses. France has only managed to vaccinate around 7,000 people. Poland’s program was rocked by scandal after it was revealed that celebrities were given preferential treatment. There are calls in Germany to take control over vaccine purchases from European Union authorities. Nearly every country in Europe has complained about burdensome paperwork.
6th Jan 2021 - The New York Times
Covid-19 pre-departure tests and more lockdowns: Additional measures rolled out to battle new variant
Since the new Covid-19 variant began spreading rapidly around the world, new measures have been rolled out to slow it down. The B.1.1.7 strain, which was first identified in the UK on September 20, is more transmissible than other coronavirus variants. According to Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield, it is roughly one-and-a-half times more infectious than earlier versions of the virus. The new variant has since been found in more than 30 countries, including New Zealand.
6th Jan 2021 - Stuff.co.nz
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 6th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullWhat do we know about the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out in Scotland?
Vaccination of the public and vulnerable people from Covid-19 in Scotland is well underway, but information on when the Scottish Government expects vaccines to reach all of the population remains thin on the ground.
5th Jan 2021 - The Scotsman
Baker says 70,000 staff members at Mass. hospitals have received COVID-19 vaccine
Governor Charlie Baker said Tuesday that more than 70,000 “COVID-facing” staff members at Massachusetts hospitals have received the COVID-19 vaccine amid the ongoing distribution program that’s slated to expand to first responders on Jan.
5th Jan 2021 - The Boston Globe
COVID-19: More than a million have coronavirus in England, says PM - as variant is 'taking off' around UK
More than a million people in England are currently infected with coronavirus, the prime minister has said. Boris Johnson was speaking at a Downing Street news conference on the first full day of the nation's third lockdown, as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said one in 50 people in England have COVID-19. Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said it was "really quite a large number indeed" and warned the new variant is "taking off" in areas outside London and the South East.
5th Jan 2021 - Sky News
Elderly residents who waited overnight for Covid vaccine are turned away as Florida centre hits capacity
Distribution has stalled in places across the United States due to the limited number of coronavirus doses currently available, and it caused one Florida vaccine centre to close its doors once it reached capacity. On Monday, a vaccination centre at Daytona Stadium, in Daytona Beach, Florida, reached capacity for distributing the Moderna vaccine. It was announced that the centre would be open Monday, 4 July, and Tuesday, 5 July, on a first come, first serve basis to administer the coronavirus vaccine to those who qualified. About 2,000 doses were available.
5th Jan 2021 - The Independent
France cranks up vaccine rollout to deliver shots faster
France is stepping up its COVID-19 vaccine rollout by widening further its first target group to include more health workers and simplifying a cumbersome process to deliver jabs more quickly, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Tuesday. France’s inoculation campaign got off to a slow start, hampered in part by red tape and President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to tread warily in one of the most vaccine-sceptical countries in the world. But France has fallen behind neighbours such as Britain and Germany, and the president is now demanding the vaccination programme be expedited.
5th Jan 2021 - Reuters
France's go-slow coronavirus vaccination strategy backfires
France’s cautious approach to rolling out a coronavirus vaccination program appears to have backfired, leaving barely 500 people inoculated in the first week and rekindling anger over the government’s handling of the pandemic. Amid public outcry, the health minister vowed Monday to step up the pace, and made a belated public plea on behalf of the vaccine, saying it offers a “chance” for France and the world to vanquish a pandemic that has killed more than 1.8 million people. President Emmanuel Macron was holding a special meeting with top government officials Monday to address the vaccine strategy and other virus developments. The slow rollout of the vaccine made by Pfizer and the German firm BioNTech was blamed on mismanagement, staffing shortages during holiday vacations and a complex French consent policy designed to accommodate unusually broad vaccine skepticism among the French public.
5th Jan 2021 - The Associated Press
UK lockdowns force British Airways, easyJet to review flying plans
UK-based airlines British Airways and easyJet said they were reviewing their plans in response to new national COVID lockdowns, with reductions to already low levels of flying almost certain. Restrictions on travel due to the pandemic, and particularly a halt by some countries to passenger traffic from Britain due to an outbreak of a new variant of the coronavirus, means that there are only a fraction of flights currently operating. But the new lockdown in England stops most people from travelling abroad, making more cuts likely, and putting airline finances under renewed pressure as carriers had hoped for a recovery in travel by the spring. Goodbody analysts said the lockdown would wipe out income from the school half-term holiday in February, usually a strong travel period, and risked impacting bookings for Easter and summer.
5th Jan 2021 - Reuters UK
China steps up COVID measures near Beijing as local infections rise
-Chinese authorities shut sections of highways running through Hebei province that surrounds Beijing on Wednesday and closed a key long distance bus terminal in the provincial capital Shijiazhuang in efforts to stave off another coronavirus wave.
The province, which entered a “wartime mode” on Tuesday, accounted for 20 of the 23 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases reported in mainland China on Jan. 5, more than the total of 19 cases in the province in the three previous days. The total number of new mainland cases, including those originating from overseas, fell to 32 from 33 a day earlier. Hebei also accounted for 43 of the 64 new asymptomatic cases - patients who have been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus but not yet showing symptoms of COVID-19.
5th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 5th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullFirst NHS staff in the region receive the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
Frontline NHS staff in South Tyneside and Sunderland are among the first in the region to receive the newly approved Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine. Tracy Barnett from the South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust’s Community Stroke Team was the very first to be vaccinated at South Tyneside District Hospital today.
4th Jan 2021 - ITV News
Moderna raises production goal of its coronavirus vaccine from 500 to 600 million by the end of 2021
On Monday, Moderna Inc said it will produce a minimum of 600 million coronavirus vaccine doses in 2021. This is 20% higher that the 500 million doses the firm said it would be able to manufacture by year's end. So far, Moderna has distributed 18 million doses of the 200 million it has promised the federal government. The vaccine rollout in the U.S. has been very slow, with just 4.2 million people receiving shots, short of the 20 million the Trump administration hoped for
4th Jan 2021 - Daily Mail
Houston's free COVID-19 vaccination clinic sees overwhelming public response
Houston's free COVID-19 vaccination clinic was met with overwhelming response. At least 1,000 people received the much-anticipated Moderna vaccine at Houston's first free public COVID-19 vaccination clinic,
4th Jan 2021 - San Francisco Chronicle
Covid-19: The areas in England seeing a surge in cases and hospital patient numbers
Covid-19 case rates are increasing in all parts of England and the prime minister has warned there is "no question" tougher measures are needed to control the virus. NHS hospitals are under increasing pressure with a rising number of coronavirus patients requiring care. Most areas around the country are reporting a record number of Covid-19 patients in hospital, beyond the peaks seen in April.
Here's a rundown of the case rate in your area and the number of Covid patients in your local hospitals.
4th Jan 2021 - ITV News
NYC is only handing out COVID-19 vaccine shots during 'business hours'
Cuomo said on Monday that his state has administered almost 300,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses - or about 46 percent of its allocation - in the last three weeks
The latest CDC data, however, shows that New York state has administered 236,941 of its 774,075 distributed doses. In New York City, 110,241 of 443,000 vaccine doses have been administered since vaccinations started three weeks ago
Gov Andrew Cuomo on Monday said hospitals will be fined $100,000 if they fail to use up their dose allocations by the end of the week. Facilities now also must use up their vaccine allocations within seven days going forward or risk being allowed to receive any future doses. NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio said he expects the city to administer 400,000 doses per week by the end of the month with 250 new vaccine sites set to open. NYC Councilman Mark Levine has slammed the current rate of vaccine distribution, saying shots need to be handed out 24/7
4th Jan 2021 - Daily Mail
US may cut Covid vaccine doses by half to speed up rollout
The federal government of US is thinking about reducing Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine dosages to half to some people in order to speed up the vaccine rollout amid concerns intensifying that the distribution drive is slower than expected. Moncef Slaoui, head of Operation Warp Speed, an initiative to accelerate coronavirus vaccine efforts, said Moderna vaccine’s single shot to people between the age group 18-55 gives “identical immune response” to the recommended two injections dose. He said that the officials are in discussion with Moderna and the Food and Drug Administration.
4th Jan 2021 - The Independent
Lockdown in Wales could remain in place until the end of January
A review of the Level 4 lockdown restrictions in Wales is due to be held this week, but First Minister Mark Drakeford has warned that there is not "much headroom for change". The restrictions, which has seen people being told to stay at home and avoid all but essential travel, have been in place since Sunday, December 20 and are reviewed every three weeks. All non-essential shops, gyms and hospitality were also told to close. Ministers are to review restrictions this Thursday ahead of an announcement on Friday, January 8. It is likely that not much will change, and with the next review not for another three weeks it means the lockdown could extend to the end of January. But Mark Drakeford said in a BBC interview that it was "very hard to see where the room for manoeuvre is at the moment" with the NHS "under huge pressure".
4th Jan 2021 - Wales Online
France ramps up Covid-19 vaccination programme as slow start sparks anger
France is overhauling its Covid-19 immunisation campaign after a cautious, phased strategy aimed at placating the world’s most vaccine-sceptical population fell flat in its first week. The country has only vaccinated some 350 people to date — compared with the UK’s 1m and Germany’s 238,000 — although the government has received 500,000 doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine and will get a similar amount each week in January. The situation is piling pressure on President Emmanuel Macron and risks sparking another political fight over how the government has managed the pandemic. Opposition politicians have criticised the government over how it bungled mask supplies and struggled to roll out mass testing last year.
4th Jan 2021 - Financial Times
Education unions call for ‘pause’ in school reopenings as councils defy government
Half a dozen unions representing teachers and support staff have called on the government to "pause" its "chaotic" reopening of schools, as councils across the country move to defy ministers. Local authorities in some areas of England say they will unilaterally keep their primary schools shut, ignoring orders from Whitehall on public health grounds. Conservative-controlled Essex is among local authorities to recommend the continued closure of its primary schools, despite government designs that some would reopen as planned on Monday.
4th Jan 2021 - The Independent
New death risks noted in nursing home residents with COVID-19
Older age, male sex, and physical and cognitive impairments were linked to higher death rates from any cause in 5,256 residents at 351 US nursing homes, according to a study published today in JAMA Internal Medicine. Led by researchers at Brown University, the cohort study involved mining the electronic health records, daily infection logs, and minimum data sets of resident assessments from a large chain of nursing homes in 25 states from Mar 16 to Sep 15, 2020. By 30 days after their first positive COVID-19 test result, 1,129 of the 5,256 residents (21%) had died from any cause.
4th Jan 2021 - CIDRAP
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 4th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullSchools are safe, say PM Johnson as COVID-19 cases surge
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday tougher lockdown restrictions were probably on the way as COVID-19 cases keep rising, but that schools were safe and children should continue to attend where permitted. COVID-19 cases in Britain are at record levels and the increase in numbers is fuelled by a new and more transmissible variant of the virus. The government has cancelled the planned reopening of schools in and around London but teaching unions want wider closures.
4th Jan 2021 - Reuters UK
Thailand bans food and magazines on domestic flights in bid to stop spread of coronavirus
Thailand has banned food and drink services and magazines on domestic flights. Airlines who do not follow the new regulations face a penalty from the regulator. It marks the second time the ban has come into force during the pandemic
2nd Jan 2021 - Daily Mail
Pfizer and BioNTech to offer COVID vaccine to volunteers who got placebo
Pfizer Inc and its partner BioNTech Se plan to give volunteers who received a placebo in its COVID-19 vaccine trial an option to receive a first dose of the vaccine by March 1, 2021, while staying within the study. The trial's Vaccine Transition Option allows all participants aged 16 or older the choice to discover whether they were given the placebo, "and for participants who learn they received the placebo, to have the option to receive the investigational vaccine while staying in the study," the companies said on their website here for trial participants. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and a panel of its outside advisers have expressed concerns over Pfizer’s “unblinding” plan, saying it could make it harder to continue collecting data on safety and effectiveness needed to win full FDA approval of the vaccine.
2nd Jan 2021 - Reuters
Covid: All London primary schools to stay closed
All primary schools in London will remain closed for the start of the new term, the government has confirmed. London mayor Sadiq Khan said the government had "finally seen sense and U-turned" on its plan to allow pupils in some areas to return on Monday. Leaders of nine London local authorities had written to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson urging him to rethink the decision. Mr Williamson said the city-wide closures were "a last resort". The government said it had decided all primary schools in the capital would be required to provide remote learning after a further review of coronavirus transmission rates. Vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers will continue to attend school, the government said.
1st Jan 2021 - BBC News
AstraZeneca expects to supply two million doses of COVID-19 vaccine every week in UK - The Times
About two million doses of COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca are set to be supplied every week by the middle of January in the United Kingdom, The Times reported. AstraZeneca expects to supply two million doses of the vaccine in total by next week, the newspaper reported, citing an unnamed member of the Oxford-AstraZeneca team. “The plan is then to build it up fairly rapidly - by the third week of January we should get to two million a week,” the report added.
1st Jan 2021 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus in Ireland: Sluggish vaccine programme will hurt high street, sector warns
A retail group has expressed concern that a slow rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine in Ireland will lead to long-term closures for non-essential retail.Retail Excellence Ireland (REI), an industry group
31st Dec 2020 - The Times
Doctors can't get a Covid vaccine in Wales and say the health service is in danger of collapse
Frontline doctors and other healthcare professionals are still struggling to access the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine in Wales, it is claimed. Dr David Bailey, chairman of the British Medical Association's (BMA) Welsh Council, said the Welsh NHS was "in danger of collapse" due to soaring staff absence levels. He said it was "unacceptable" that frontline clinicians were still being exposed to the virus day in, day out without proper protection. His comments come following the announcement that the Oxford University AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved for use by the MHRA and will be rolled out in Wales from next week.
31st Dec 2020 - Wales Online
'Vaccine diplomacy' sees Egypt roll out Chinese coronavirus jab
When Egypt’s health ministry sent out an invitation to doctors to be vaccinated against Covid-19, they neglected to make clear it was a clinical trial. Instead, it assured them that two Covid-19 vaccines developed by China’s National Biotec Group, part of a state-owned conglomerate known as Sinopharm, had no side-effects and that “the minister of health was vaccinated today, and orders were issued to vaccinate all doctors and workers who wish to be vaccinated”. Many were sceptical. “When my colleagues and I got that message, none of us participated, as we cannot trust it,” said one worker at a state hospital, who said there was a “lack of credibility” in the government’s approach to the pandemic and the vaccines. The doctor, who cannot be named to protect their safety, described Egypt’s extensive publicity campaign around the vaccines, featuring a well-known actor driving to a sunlit clinic to get his jab, as “government propaganda intended to boost people’s morale”.
31st Dec 2020 - The Guardian
Some Doctors in Britain Plan to Defy Instructions to Delay Vaccine Booster Shots
Some family doctors in Britain said on Thursday that they would defy the government’s instructions to postpone patients’ appointments for a second dose of coronavirus vaccine, a signal of unease in the medical community over Britain’s new plan to delay second shots as a way of giving more people the partial protection of a single dose. British doctors, who have been instructed to begin rescheduling second-dose appointments that had been set for next week, said they were loath to ask older, vulnerable patients to wait an extra two months for their booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. They said those patients had been counting on having the full protection of two doses, had already arranged for caregivers to help them get to their doctors’ offices, and could ill afford to rely on a new and untested vaccination strategy.
31st Dec 2020 - The New York Times
Israel leads the world in vaccination drive with 7% getting a dose
Israel has already given a dose of the vaccine to 644,000 of its 8.7million people
Bahrain is second in the per-capita table, followed by the UK, US and Canada
UK today became the first in the world to approve the Oxford/AstraZeneca shot
30th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
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View this newsletter in fullCare homes still waiting weeks for Covid vaccines - despite 'tsunami' of cases
Care homes are still waiting for coronavirus jabs, weeks after the Tories promised them. One boss warned they face a Covid “tsunami” as they battle the new virus variant. Raj Sehgal said: “We’ve had no vaccines at all.” And staff fear the growing crisis could leave them on their knees as they battle a worrying shortage of workers struck down by the virus. It comes as officials last night said approval of the Oxford vaccine was “imminent”, which would be a game-changer for care homes. Mr Sehgal, who runs homes in Norfolk, including Summerville House in Heacham, said he was still desperately waiting for jabs, despite those in care being identified as the most urgently in need of them.
30th Dec 2020 - Mirror Online
Covid vaccine uptake high despite concerns over hesitancy
Uptake of the Covid-19 vaccine has been high among those offered it, doctors say, despite fears that vaccine hesitancy could undermine efforts to control the pandemic. Experts have feared mass uptake of the jab could be jeopardised by widespread misinformation, concerns among the public about the speed at which the vaccine has been developed and approved, and lack of trust in vaccines and the pharmaceutical companies and governments calling for it. But for now, at least, it seems few are shying away from vaccination. “We’ve had reports from our members that despite inevitable teething problems – to be expected when delivering a completely new and complicated vaccine at scale and speed – the programme seems to be running well overall with very positive take-up rates, so far,” said Prof Martin Marshall, chair of the Royal College of GPs and a practising GP in east London.
29th Dec 2020 - The Guardian
Covid-19: Health workers 'back in eye of storm', says NHS chief
Health workers are "back in the eye of the storm" as coronavirus cases continue to rise, NHS England's chief executive Simon Stevens has said. It has been the "toughest year" for the NHS, which has treated 200,000 severely ill Covid-19 patients, he added. Hospitals in England are currently treating more Covid patients than at the peak of the first wave in April. A government scientific adviser has warned national restrictions are needed to prevent a "catastrophe". On Monday, a record 41,385 new Covid cases were reported in the UK, though it is thought the infection rate was higher during spring when testing was much more limited.
29th Dec 2020 - BBC News
Covid patient numbers exceed April peak as Nightingale hospitals stand empty
There are now more coronavirus patients in England’s hospitals than there were during the peak of the first wave of the pandemic, new figures show. As of 8am on Monday, there were 20,426 patients in the country’s NHS hospitals compared to the 18,974 patients recorded on April 12, NHS England revealed. The sobering update comes after the UK recorded its highest daily number of Covid-19 cases to date, with 41,385 infections confirmed as of 9am on Monday, according to the Department of Health. Meanwhile, London’s Nightingale hospital has been stripped of its beds as medics warn there are not enough staff to run the facility, the Telegraph reported.
29th Dec 2020 - Evening Standard
Staggered school return to go ahead as planned in January despite new Covid strain fears - Michael Gove
The staggered reopening of schools in January is expected to go ahead as planned, Michael Gove said on Monday. The Cabinet Office minister confirmed that secondary school pupils in Years 11 and 13, as well as children of key workers, will return on January 4. All primary school children will also resume classes while other pupils will return a week later. Mr Gove told Sky News: "We always keep things under review but teachers and head teachers have been working incredibly hard over the Christmas period since schools broke up in order to prepare for a new testing regime — community testing — in order to make sure that children and all of us are safer.
29th Dec 2020 - Evening Standard
Moscow extends school holiday amid rise in coronavirus infections in Russia
Moscow will extend the school holiday by one week until Jan. 17 in hopes of stabilising the situation regarding new coronavirus infections and avoid new COVID-19-related restrictions, the Russian capital’s mayor said on Tuesday. Russia, which launched a voluntary vaccination programme with the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine earlier this month, has resisted imposing a strict lockdown as it did early this year, relying on targeted measures instead.
29th Dec 2020 - Reuters India
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View this newsletter in fullHospital Covid admissions are set to surge PAST first wave peak amid fears NHS is being 'overwhelmed' by highly infectious new strain - with ministers to decide in days if ...
The number of patients in hospital with the virus is likely to exceed the peak in the spring, with 21,286 coronavirus patients being treated on December 22. In comparison, the figure on April 12 was 21,
29th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
UK faces Covid third wave unless vaccination target is doubled, ministers warned
Britain must vaccinate two million people a week to avoid a third wave of the coronavirus outbreak, a new study claims. The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) paper has issued ministers with the stark warning coming as hospital admissions surpassed the peak of the first wave of the pandemic. Around 200,000 people are being inoculated each week, which is expected to raise to one million by the middle of January, according to the Daily Telegraph. "The most stringent intervention scenario with tier 4 England-wide and schools closed during January and 2 million individuals vaccinated per week, is the only scenario we considered which reduces peak ICU burden below the levels seen during the first wave," the study said.
29th Dec 2020 - Mirror Online
Covid-19: Hospitals under pressure as coronavirus cases rise
England's "very high" Covid infection level is a "growing concern" as the NHS struggles to cope with rising patient numbers, a health official has said. On Monday, a record 41,385 Covid cases and 357 deaths were reported in the UK. NHS England said the number of people being treated for the virus in hospital is now 20,426, which is higher than the previous peak of about 19,000 in April. BBC health editor Hugh Pym said Monday's figure included some infections where reporting was delayed, but that officials did not deny there had been a significant increase in infections.
28th Dec 2020 - BBC News
'The beginning of the end': Europe rolls out vaccines to see off pandemic
Europe launched a mass COVID-19 vaccination drive on Sunday with pensioners and medics lining up to get the first shots to see off a pandemic that has crippled economies and claimed more than 1.7 million lives worldwide. “Thank God,” 96-year-old Araceli Hidalgo said as she became the first person in Spain to have a vaccine at her care home in Guadalajara, near the capital Madrid. “Let’s see if we can make this virus go away.” In Italy, the first country in Europe to record significant numbers of infections, 29-year-old nurse Claudia Alivernini was one of three medical staff at the head of the queue for the shot developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.
27th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Health officials brace for a surge in US Covid-19 cases after the holidays
With Christmas in the rear view mirror, public health experts are bracing for yet another surge in Covid-19 cases, similar to those seen after other US holidays in recent months. "We've just seen these amplification events, and that's what's happened at the end of this year in the US," said Erin Bromage, an associate professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
"We had Thanksgiving, we had Labor Day, we had Halloween, and each one of these events brought lots of people together and just gave the virus more fuel to move through the population," Bromage said. "Christmas is going to do a similar thing."
26th Dec 2020 - CNN
Moderna’s Coronavirus Vaccine Begins Arriving at Strained Hospitals Across the U.S.
Just one week after the first doses of a coronavirus vaccine were administered in the United States, a new batch of vaccines fanned out across the country on Monday, an urgently needed expansion of a vaccination effort that is expected to reach vulnerable populations and rural areas where hospitals are strained as soon as this week. The vaccine, from Moderna, comes as the virus continues to spread virtually unabated: hospitalizations are over 115,000 for the first time, according to the Covid Tracking Project. Parts of California are down to their last I.C.U. beds and almost one-fifth of U.S. hospitals with intensive care units reported that at least 95 percent of their I.C.U. beds were full in the week ending Dec. 17. Nationwide, 78 percent of I.C.U. beds were full on average.
25th Dec 2020 - The New York Times
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View this newsletter in fullSingapore gets first batch of COVID-19 vaccines - DHL
Singapore received its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines on Monday, said logistics firm DHL, which is involved in the transportation of the shots to the city-state from Belgium. DHL in a statement did not specify the size of the batch or name the vaccines being delivered, but Singapore last week said it had approved Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine, becoming the first Asian country to do so.
21st Dec 2020 - Reuters
Covid-19: Qatar and Oman to receive vaccine this week
Qatar's health ministry granted emergency use authorisation for the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech and is due to receive the first shipment on Monday, state media reported. A ministry statement said people aged 16 years and above would be eligible. Qatar has also signed an agreement with drugmaker Moderna Inc to buy its vaccine. Fellow Gulf Arab state Oman will receive its first Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine shipment on Wednesday, a health ministry official said in remarks carried on a government Twitter account on Monday, adding the initial phase would cover 20 percent of the population.
21st Dec 2020 - Middle East Eye
U.S. loses one life every 33 seconds to COVID-19 in deadliest week so far
In the United States last week, someone died from COVID-19 every 33 seconds.
The disease claimed more than 18,000 lives in the seven days ended Dec. 20, up 6.7% from the prior week to hit another record high, according to a Reuters analysis of state and county reports. Despite pleas by health officials not to travel during the end-year holiday season, 3.2 million people were screened at U.S. airports on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Health officials are worried that a surge in infections from holiday gatherings could overwhelm hospitals, some of which are already at capacity after Thanksgiving celebrations.
22nd Dec 2020 - Reuters
Covid UK: Give NHS staff the vaccine to open up abandoned Nightingales, say health chiefs
NHS staff must start receiving the coronavirus vaccine urgently because so many are off sick, hospital bosses in England have claimed amid fears there are not enough nurses and doctors to open the Nightingale sites. The temporary purpose-built hospitals constructed for £220million to help fight the Covid-19 crisis were hailed at the start of the pandemic as a solution to the growing crisis in hospital capacity across the country. But many are lying empty as doctors and nurses plead with their hospitals to vaccinate them after being told they must wait until early next year because they are a lower priority than the over-80s and those in care homes
21st Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
Covid: Vaccine clinics operating up to Christmas Eve
In Northern Ireland, vaccination clinics for health and social care workers in priority groups will be operating up to Christmas Eve. The chief medical officer urged those eligible to take up the vaccine offer. About 14,000 people have received the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine in Northern Ireland, including vaccinators, care home residents and care home staff. More vaccine doses arrived in recent days, but Dr Michael McBride said supplies were limited and people would be prioritised in the next few weeks. Staff have been instructed to wait until they are called.
21st Dec 2020 - BBC News
Fifty million people in U.S. to have first COVID-19 shot by end January - Azar
About 50 million people in the United States will have had the first of two COVID-19 shots needed for immunization by the end of January, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said on Monday. Azar was speaking at a press conference on the first day of shots of Moderna Inc.’s vaccine and the roll out of the Pfizer Inc-BioNTech SE vaccine to nursing homes.
21st Dec 2020 - Reuters
UK gives dark glimpse of pandemic’s next act
Despite the initial shock of Britain’s not-so-splendid isolation, the new strain could have some helpful domestic effects. The UK is now spared a five-day period over Christmas that could have exacerbated an already dangerous viral spread. It also acts as a handy stress test of how prepared Britons really are for tangible shortages of goods. Every day 5,000 trucks enter Britain from the continent via the Dover-Calais crossing. In the winter, they carry nearly all Britain’s fresh fruit and vegetables. Retailer J Sainsbury predicted shortages of items like lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower within days. If they happen, Prime Minister Boris Johnson may see the logic of agreeing a post-Brexit trade deal before his Dec. 31 deadline.
21st Dec 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus: Royal Mail halts deliveries to Europe amid transport turmoil
Royal Mail has halted deliveries to Europe, except for the Republic of Ireland, due to a UK travel ban triggered by the discovery of a new faster spreading coronavirus strain. The company has also added Canada and Turkey to its "on suspension" list due to delays caused by "severely limited" air capacity. In addition, Royal Mail said it could not guarantee special delivery items posted on 23 December would arrive before Christmas due to tighter COVID-19 restrictions being introduced in England.
21st Dec 2020 - Sky News
UK business despairs at new lockdown restrictions
Business groups reacted with despair and anger this weekend as they called for urgent government support to help companies survive “the hammer blow” of UK prime minister Boris Johnson’s clampdown on pre-Christmas trading. A clutch of trade bodies issued pleas for further financial relief to help non-essential retail, leisure and entertainment businesses to cope with a shutdown in high-risk areas in south-east England during a crucial period for sales. The Welsh government also enforced a new national lockdown at the weekend. Specific demands include an extension of the rates holiday for a further 12 months from January, VAT relief and additional direct support for businesses forced to shut their doors.
20th Dec 2020 - Financial Times
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View this newsletter in fullPfizer says Covid-19 vaccine supply will continue into early 2021 after Jeremy Hunt suggested they will run out within weeks
Pfizer has responded to reports that its Covid-19 vaccine could run out after former health secretary Jeremy Hunt suggested they would run dry by February. The pharmaceutical giant said deliveries were “on track”. In a statement, Pfizer said: "The deliveries are on track and progressing according to our agreed schedule. "We can confirm, in accordance with the schedule, that there will be continued deliveries into the UK in early 2021, with shipments scheduled to arrive before March.” The statement came after Mr Hunt suggested the UK’s stocks were set to run out within weeks with no more supplies likely to arrive before March.
19th Dec 2020 - Evening Standard
U.S. COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan in focus as Moderna shots leave warehouses
The United States will recommend on Sunday who will be next in line to get inoculated as the distribution of the second approved coronavirus vaccine began with shipments of Moderna Inc's leaving warehouses for healthcare facilities across the country.
19th Dec 2020 - Reuters
Sydney virus cluster grows, border restrictions isolate city
The New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has warned residents of greater Sydney to prepare for an increase in restrictions if the outbreak of Covid-19 expands beyond the northern beaches. Meanwhile travellers from NSW to Queensland will needed a border pass declaration from 1am Sunday and Western Australia announced it was reinstating its hard border with NSW. The Sydney to Hobart yacht race was cancelled after Tasmania also introduced border restrictions with Sydney.
19th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
COVID vaccine is bonanza for digital supply chain tracking industry
Logistical hurdles are a significant risk for efforts to rapidly distribute COVID-19 vaccines, but they have resulted in booming business for companies such as private California-based Cloudleaf, Germany’s SAP SE and others that sell technology for monitoring shipments from factory freezer to shot in the arm. Cloudleaf, backed by Intel Capital, the venture arm of chipmaker Intel Corp, uses sensors attached to material containers to track the location, temperature, humidity, vibration and acceleration. The sensors send data to the cloud, where an artificial intelligence algorithm can predict if action is needed to prevent a product from becoming exposed to temperatures outside the recommended range, known as excursions.
18th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
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View this newsletter in fullStates report confusion as feds reduce vaccine shipments, even as Pfizer says it has ‘millions’ of unclaimed doses
The changes prompted concern in health departments across the country about whether Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s vaccine accelerator, was capable of distributing doses quickly enough to meet the target of delivering first shots to 20 million people by year’s end. A senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal plans, said the revised estimates for next week were the result of states requesting an expedited timeline for locking in future shipments — from Friday to Tuesday — leaving less time for federal authorities to inspect and clear available supply.
18th Dec 2020 - The Washington Post
Pfizer Says No Vaccine Shipments Have Been Delayed
Pfizer Inc. pushed back on claims it is experiencing problems producing its Covid-19 vaccine, as the company and the federal government continued to try to reach a deal that would eventually double the number of doses available for the U.S.’s vast immunization effort. Moncef Slaoui, the chief scientific adviser to Operation Warp Speed, said in an interview on Thursday that the U.S. is close to a deal for another 100 million doses of the vaccine Pfizer developed in partnership with BioNTech SE. Through the agreement, Pfizer would deliver the additional supply in the second quarter of 2021, Slaoui said.
17th Dec 2020 - Bloomberg
Covid: Sir Ian McKellen praises NHS after first dose of Pfizer vaccine
Sir Ian McKellen has praised the NHS saying he wants to "give them all a big hug" after having his first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. The 81-year old also urged others to get the Covid-19 jab if they could. "I would encourage everybody to do the sensible thing, not just for themselves but for everybody else because if you're virus-free that helps everybody else, doesn't it?"
17th Dec 2020 - ITV News
Storm may help U.S. Northeast contain coronavirus but could disrupt vaccine delivery
A winter storm piled historic amounts of snow onto parts of the U.S. Northeast on Thursday and wreaked havoc throughout the region, hobbling if not paralyzing travel as it moved up the coast and bore down on New England. The first major snowstorm of the season, which was expected to move out to sea by the end of Thursday, prompted officials to urge the region’s 50 million residents to stay home, a warning many had been routinely issuing anyway because of the pandemic. “Given the heavy (snow) and difficult travel conditions, drivers are encouraged to stay off the road if they can during the storm,” Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker said on Twitter.
17th Dec 2020 - Reuters
Covid-19: 'Nightmare six weeks' ahead for NI health service
Paramedics from the Republic of Ireland's National Ambulance Service (NAS) will be working in Northern Ireland this weekend. It comes amid severe Covid-19 related pressures on the health service in NI. Hospitals have faced severe pressures over the past few days, with ambulances queuing outside hospitals. It is not the first time NAS ambulances have helped out in NI, they assisted during the first wave of the pandemic and also in 2019. Irish Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said ambulance crews from the Republic of Ireland will "provide support" to the Northern Ireland Ambulance service (NIAS) over the weekend "due to the pressures being experienced".
17th Dec 2020 - BBC News
Germany facing lockdown to Easter with hospitals 'on brink of overload'
Germany’s Covid-19 death toll has risen by nearly 1,000 in a single day, leading to speculation that its lockdown could last until Easter. One of the country’s regional chief ministers has warned that for the first time the hospital system is “on the brink of overload” as the infection rate continues to rise and spare intensive care capacity dwindles. The World Health Organisation has advised Europeans to wear masks when meeting family and friends at Christmas. People should also meet outdoors whenever possible, it said. Yesterday, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), which compiles the German government’s coronavirus statistics, reported 952 deaths within the past 24 hours, well above the previous daily record of 590 on Friday. It said that there were 27,728 new cases.
17th Dec 2020 - The Times
Ardern unveils New Zealand Covid vaccine deals as economy rebounds
New Zealand has ordered 15m courses of Covid-19 vaccine from four providers as the country approaches the end of 2020 on a promising note, with a recovering economy and plans to open numerous travel corridors in the new year. On Thursday, the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, confirmed the treatment would be free for everyone, with health workers and border officials prioritised. The vaccine will be made available in the second quarter of next year. Ardern said readiness for New Zealand’s “largest-ever immunisation programme” was progressing well, and the country had now pre-ordered vaccines from four providers: 750,000 courses from Pfizer, 5m from Janssen, 3.8m from Oxford/AstraZeneca and 5.36m from Novavax. One course refers to all the doses needed for one person.
17th Dec 2020 - The Guardian
NHS hospitals running out of beds as Covid cases continue to surge
Growing numbers of hospitals in England are running short of beds and having to divert patients elsewhere and cancel operations as the NHS struggles to cope with the resurgence of coronavirus, a Guardian analysis shows. According to the NHS figures, hospitals had to tell ambulance crews to divert patients elsewhere 44 times last week – the highest number for four years. With hospitals in London, Leicester and Northampton particularly hard hit, Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, warned: “It already feels like we’re in the grips of a really bad winter, and there’s a very long way to go.”
17th Dec 2020 - The Guardian
Palestinians left waiting as Israel is set to deploy vaccine
Israel will begin rolling out a major coronavirus vaccination campaign next week after the prime minister reached out personally to the head of a major drug company. Millions of Palestinians living under Israeli control will have to wait much longer. Worldwide, rich nations are snatching up scarce supplies of new vaccines as poor countries largely rely on a World Health Organization program that has yet to get off the ground. There are few places where the competition is playing out in closer proximity than in Israel and the territories it has occupied for more than half a century.
17th Dec 2020 - Washington Post
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View this newsletter in fullSome vaccine doses kept too cold, Pfizer having manufacturing issues, U.S. officials say
The first days of Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout have seen unexpected hitches including some vaccines being stored at excessively cold temperatures and Pfizer reporting potential challenges in its vaccine production, U.S. officials said on a Wednesday press call. At least two trays of COVID-19 vaccine doses delivered in California needed to be replaced after their storage temperatures dipped below minus 80 Celsius (minus 112 Fahrenheit), U.S. Army General Gustave Perna said on the call. Pfizer’s vaccines, made with partner BioNTech SE, are supposed to be kept at around minus 70C. Officials are investigating whether storing the vaccines at excessively cold temperatures poses a safety or efficacy risk, he said. Pfizer also has reported some production issues, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said.
17th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Rollout of US COVID-19 vaccines is 'on track' to get 20 million Americans vaccinated this year
The U.S. has delivered coronavirus vaccines to all 50 states since Pfizer's shot was given emergency FDA approval on Friday. Doses have reached all 636 locations slated for the first wave of deliveries. Another 2 million doses of Pfizer's shot will be rolled out next week. If Moderna's shot is given emergency FDA approval this week, as expected, 5.9 million doses of its vaccine will ship out next week. Most states are vaccinating high-risk health care workers only, but Florida and West Virginia have started inoculating nursing home residents. The U.S. is negotiating with Pfizer for another 100 million doses of its vaccine but officials said the firm has been 'unable to specify' how many it can supply.
16th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
Prisoners have been excluded from Covid vaccine plans, and health experts are sounding the alarm
As coronavirus cases and related deaths surge, experts are questioning the ethics of how governments plan to distribute the first vaccines. Incarcerated individuals in the U.S. are almost four times more likely to become infected than people in the general population — and twice as likely to die, according to a study by a criminal justice group. “If the biggest hotspots for Covid are prisons, doesn’t it make sense to inoculate everyone from the guards to the prisoners?” said Ashish Prashar, a justice reform advocate at Publicis.
16th Dec 2020 - CNBC
Coronavirus vaccine: More than 18,000 Scots given first dose as weekly updates begin
More than 18,000 Scots have been given a first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, it has been announced, in the first of what will be weekly updates on the Covid-19 vaccination programme.
16th Dec 2020 - The Scotsman
Coronavirus vaccine: 137,000 people in UK get COVID jab in first week
More than 137,000 people have received a coronavirus vaccine in the UK, it has been announced. Nadhim Zahawi, the minister responsible for the jab's deployment, tweeted that it was a "really good start". In seven days, he said the number of doses administered were: 108,000 in England - 7,897 in Wales - 4,000 in Northern Ireland - 18,000 in Scotland
16th Dec 2020 - Sky News
Covid-19 vaccines to start 'the same day' across EU
The EU's 27 member countries aim to start Covid-19 vaccinations on "the same day" in a sign of unity, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has said.
Her statement to the European Parliament came as pressure mounted on the bloc to catch up with the United States and Britain, which have already started inoculating people with a vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech. "To get to the end of the pandemic, we will need up to 70% of the population vaccinated. This is a huge task, a big task. So let's start as soon as possible with the vaccination together, as 27, with a start at the same day," Ms von der Leyen told MEPs.
16th Dec 2020 - RTE.ie
Bed shortage looms as S.Korea reports record new coronavirus cases
South Korea reported a record daily rise in novel coronavirus cases on Wednesday and the prime minister issued an urgent call for more hospital beds to cope with the country’s worst outbreak since the start of the pandemic. Hospitals were at breaking point with only three critical care beds available in greater Seoul, an area with a population of almost 26 million people, officials said. “The top priority is securing more hospital beds,” Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun told a government meeting, according to a transcript. “Full administrative power should be mobilised so that no patient would wait for more than a day before being assigned to her bed.”
16th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
'On the brink': Covid pressure mounts at hospitals in Northern Ireland
When ambulances started queueing outside hospitals across Northern Ireland, revealing a health system overwhelmed by Covid-19, Sean Brophy was not surprised. Weeks earlier the 52-year-old hospital transport worker had himself been hospitalised with the virus and saw how even then the system was cracking under pressure. “When someone died or was discharged the bed was filled within an hour – they were already at capacity. Staff were brilliant but they looked as fatigued as those of us with Covid. It was just wrong. I could see where it was heading,” said Brophy.
16th Dec 2020 - The Guardian
Denmark to close shops and shopping malls during Christmas, Ekstra Bladet newspaper reports
Denmark will impose a hard lockdown over Christmas and the New Year to limit the spread of COVID-19, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Wednesday. Shopping malls will close starting Thursday, and other stores, with the exception of supermarkets and food shops, will close from Dec. 25. Students still in school will be sent home as of Monday. “Our healthcare system is under pressure,” Frederiksen said. “We have to act now.” Danish authorities expect the coming months to be the worst of the pandemic, she said.
16th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Amazon asks U.S. to include warehouse, grocery staff in vaccine rollout
Amazon.com Inc on Wednesday asked the U.S. government to prioritize essential workers including its warehouse, grocery store and data center staff for receipt of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a letter seen by Reuters. The request shows how the country’s second-biggest private employer, with 800,000 workers in the United States, considers the vaccine important to keeping its staff safe and its facilities open. The U.S. National Retail Federation made a similar request on the industry’s behalf Wednesday as well.
16th Dec 2020 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullU.S. Government Begins Covid-19 Education Campaign
The U.S. government is hurrying to start a messaging campaign on social media, TV and radio this week to motivate the public to get inoculated with Covid-19 vaccines once supply increases and they become available, likely next year. The $250 million effort aims to increase vaccine acceptance by focusing on the science behind Covid-19 vaccines, including one from Pfizer and BioNTech. It is the government's second try after officials scrapped a previous one that sought to pair doctors with celebrities. Set to run through August, the aim is to appeal to ethnic and minority groups, older Americans and others who may be skeptical about taking the shots, said Mark Weber, deputy assistant secretary for public affairs at Health and Human Services
15th Dec 2020 - Wall Street Journal
Parisians enjoy taste of lockdown freedom ahead of Christmas, while hospitality workers protest bar and restaurant ban set to last until January 20
Parisians last night enjoyed a taste of lockdown freedom ahead of Christmas, while hospitality workers took to the streets in protest at a festive season ban. In a Christmas Village at Hotel de Ville in the heart of the French capital last night, masked revellers were seen enjoying fairground rides and market stalls. But while some enjoyed the festivities, just a short distance away, near the Arc de Triomphe, face mask-wearing police officers protested their working conditions. Hospitality workers also protested a possible ban on reopening bars and restaurants until January 20. It comes as France plans to ease measures from its second national lockdown today.
15th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
France's culture sector mobilises over continued closures as Covid-19 lockdown lifts
France emerges from its second Covid-19 lockdown on Tuesday. But with new daily coronavirus infections still high above the government's 5,000-a-day objective, the easing will not look like it did in May. An 8pm-to-6am curfew goes into effect, except for Christmas Eve, and cultural venues remain closed, sparking anger in the sector. As the second lockdown lifts, theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and sporting venues remain closed, at least until January 7 – after a holiday season that, while normally lucrative for the culture sector, has authorities concerned festive gatherings this year will spur further the spread of the novel coronavirus. French authorities justified keeping the venues shuttered in order to "avoid increasing public crowd flows, concentrations, and intermingling", but the decision has irked the culture sector in France after a difficult year.
15th Dec 2020 - FRANCE 24 English
Delivery Workers in South Korea Say They’re Dying of ‘Overwork’
At a logistics depot the size of an airplane hangar in southern Seoul, couriers recently held a ritual at the start of another grueling work day: They stood for a moment of silence to remember more than a dozen fellow couriers who they say died this year from overwork. “We won’t be surprised here if one of us drops dead, too,” said Choi Ji-na, one of the couriers. Ms. Choi, 43, and other delivery workers in South Korea say they feel lucky to have jobs amid growing unemployment, and that they are proud to play an essential role in keeping the country’s Covid-19 cases down by delivering record numbers of packages to customers who prefer to stay safe at home.
15th Dec 2020 - The New York Times
Europe wanted to keep schools open this winter. Coronavirus surges have disrupted those plans.
Surging coronavirus outbreaks in a number of nations are forcing governments to close schools, despite initial promises to keep them open this winter. The latest country to change course is Germany, where most schools will move to distance learning Wednesday as part of tougher new lockdown rules. Widening outbreaks have also triggered the closure of schools in the Netherlands and in Asia, where the South Korean capital, Seoul, opted for similar measures this week.
15th Dec 2020 - Washington Post
Northern Ireland hospital treating patients in parked ambulances
Patients were being treated in the back of ambulances in a Northern Ireland hospital car park on Tuesday, a health official said, a day after a warning that COVID-19 was putting healthcare under “unbearable pressures”. The British-run region has been in and out of some form of lockdown since mid-October when it was one of Europe’s worst COVID-19 hotbeds. The most recent curbs were lifted last week, when all shops, restaurants and pubs serving food reopened.
15th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
California orders 5,000 body bags amid "most intense" coronavirus surge
California has ordered 5,000 body bags as the state undergoes its "most intense" COVID-19 surge to date, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday. Why it matters: California saw 32,326 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday and has reached a 14-day average positivity rate of 10.7%, its highest since the pandemic began. With daily COVID deaths four times higher than they were just a month ago, the state has placed 60 53-foot refrigerated storage units on standby and activated its coroner mutual aid and mass fatality program.
15th Dec 2020 - Axios
Dutch shopkeepers grapple with sudden Christmas lockdown
Shopkeepers in the Netherlands on Tuesday were grappling with the effects of a new lockdown, which meant they suddenly had to close their doors in what should have been the busiest and most lucrative part of the year. “Obviously it is a big loss, this time of year is extremely important to us”, said Robert Reuter, the owner of City Diamonds in the center of Amsterdam. “It is a very hard decision, it is bitter for us, but I think it is necessary.” Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Monday night announced a tough second lockdown in the Netherlands, in a push to drive down the coronavirus infection rate, which has rapidly moved back to record levels in the past week.
15th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
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View this newsletter in fullNurse gets New York's first COVID-19 vaccine as U.S. rollout begins
A New York City intensive care unit nurse on Monday became the first person in the United States to receive a coronavirus vaccine, calling it a sign that “healing is coming,” as the nation’s COVID-19 death toll crossed a staggering 300,000 lives lost. Sandra Lindsay, who has treated some of the sickest COVID-19 patients for months, was inoculated at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in the New York City borough of Queens, an early epicenter of the country’s coronavirus outbreak, receiving applause on a livestream with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. “It didn’t feel any different from taking any other vaccine,” Lindsay said. “I feel hopeful today, relieved. I feel like healing is coming. I hope this marks the beginning of the end of a very painful time in our history. “I want to instill public confidence that the vaccine is safe,” she added.
14th Dec 2020 - Reuters
US set for first COVID-19 shots as shipments begin arriving
Hospital workers begin unloading precious frozen vials of COVID-19 vaccine Monday, with the first vaccinations against a scourge that has killed nearly 300,000 Americans expected later in the day. “It feels like the cavalry is arriving,” Robert C. Garrett, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health, said as New Jersey’s largest health network awaited delivery. Shots made by Pfizer Inc. and its German partner BioNTech are the first authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration -- beginning what will become the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history. Several other countries also have OK'd the vaccine, including the U.K. which started vaccinating last week.
14th Dec 2020 - The Independent
Canada's first COVID-19 vaccinations set to start as soon as Monday
Canada kicked off its inoculation campaign against COVID-19 on Monday by injecting frontline healthcare workers and elderly nursing home residents, becoming just the third nation in the world to administer the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. The first dose broadcast on live TV went to Anita Quidangen. The personal support worker at the Rekai Centre, a non-profit nursing home for the elderly in Toronto, Canada’s largest city, said she was “excited” to have been first in line. Healthcare workers in masks and white coats applauded after she was injected. “Today really we turn a corner,” said Dr. Kevin Smith, president and chief executive of the University Health Network’s Michener Institute, where the shot was administered.
14th Dec 2020 - Reuters
Covid-19: London mayor calls for schools to close early
London's mayor has urged the government to ask all secondary schools and colleges in the capital to shut early ahead of Christmas. In a letter to ministers, Sadiq Khan said he also wanted schools to reopen later in January amid "significant" Covid outbreaks in 10 to 19-year-olds. It comes as the BBC was told London was likely to move into tier three. Greenwich and Islington councils are the first in England to urge schools to switch this week to online learning. Council officials in Greenwich have advised schools to shut from the end of Monday, although some academies will remain open, while Islington schools have been asked to move online from the end of Tuesday.
14th Dec 2020 - BBC News
Germany calls on all to forgo Xmas shopping before lockdown
The German government called on citizens Monday to forgo Christmas shopping, two days before the country heads into a hard lockdown that will shut most stores tighten social distancing rules and close schools across the country. “I wish and I hope that people will only buy what they really need, like groceries,” Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said late Sunday. “The faster we get these infections under control, the better it is for everyone.” Chancellor Angela Merkel and the governors of Germany’s 16 states agreed Sunday to step up the country’s lockdown measures beginning Wednesday and running to Jan. 10 to stop the exponential rise of COVID-19 cases.
14th Dec 2020 - The Independent
UK pubs fear for future as £650m Covid losses forecast for December
Pubs expect December sales to be as much as 90% lower than last year, costing the industry £650m and fuelling concern that vast parts of the sector will disappear for good. December is typically the most lucrative month of the year for the UK’s ailing pub sector, accounting for as much as a quarter of annual profit, thanks to Christmas parties and New Year’s Eve festivities. However, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) said its forecasts showed pubs would sell 270m fewer pints than usual over the period, with only one in five of the UK’s 47,200 pubs expected to be open. “I’d be stunned if sales across the industry were any better than 10% or 20% as good as last year,” said Chris Jowsey, the chief executive of Admiral Taverns, which has 1,000 pubs across the UK. “It’s not unusual for lots of pubs to make anywhere up to 25% of their profit in December. For a lot of smaller pubs it’s really important because it carries you through the lean months of January and February, so it’s a bit of a disaster.”
14th Dec 2020 - The Guardian
Australia's Shops See Year-End Spending Boom as Optimism Returns
Australia’s retailers are preparing for a late-December spending splurge that could fuel the kind of recovery on the year-end wishlist of Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Philip Lowe. Consumer confidence rose for a fourth straight month in December, climbing to a 10-year high. Lowe said just two months ago that greater confidence was the catalyst needed to prompt households to part with the extra savings they squirreled away during the lockdown.
14th Dec 2020 - Bloomberg
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View this newsletter in fullSouth Korea begins anti-coronavirus period ahead of college entrance exam
South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in warned on Sunday that COVID-19 restrictions may be raised to the highest level after a second day of record increases in cases as the country battles a harsh third wave of infection. Presiding over an emergency meeting at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for the first time since February, Moon urged vigilance and called for an all-out efforts to contain the virus. “Unless the outbreak can be contained now, it has come to the critical point of considering escalating social-distancing measures to the third level,” he said, referring to the tightest curbs under the country’s five-tier system.
13th Dec 2020 - Reuters
Historic journey: Pfizer prepares to deliver 6.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines
Three semi-trucks loaded with the U.S.'s first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine rolled out of the parking lot of the Pfizer manufacturing plant early Sunday morning, met with cheering crowds of local residents who said they were proud of their hometown's contribution to science, and helping to bring the end to the coronavirus pandemic. The caravan of FedEx, UPS and Boyle Transportation trucks — led and tailed by unmarked police cars — pulled out of the parking lot about 8:25 a.m., headed to airports and distribution centers on a historic journey. Millions of doses of the company's coronavirus vaccine were inside those trucks, and could be injected into the arms of the American people as early as Monday morning.
13th Dec 2020 - USA Today
Walgreens to hire 25,000 as part of plan to give COVID-19 vaccine to nursing home residents and staff
Walgreens expects to receive its first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine Dec. 21 and plans to inoculate nursing home residents and workers at more than 30,000 long-term care facilities nationwide. The company plans to hire about 25,000 people across the U.S., including up to 9,000 pharmacists and other health care workers, to administer the vaccine to long-term care facilities through a partnership with pharmacy service provider PharMerica, the companies said during a panel discussion Friday on the vaccine rollout.
12th Dec 2020 - Bangor Daily News
Dozens of GPs opt out of Pfizer vaccine rollout next week forcing 100,000 patients to get their jabs elsewhere due to 'concerns over heavy workloads'
Doctors told to prioritise those from ethnic minorities if they run shot of vaccine
Several GPs in Manchester, Yorkshire, Sussex and Lincolnshire have opted out
Some 280 of Primary Care Networks set to administer the vaccine next week
Follows initial Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine roll-out in 70 hospital hubs last Tuesday
12th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
Engineers develop mini Covid vaccine factory that can create 30,000 doses a day
British engineers have invented a miniature Covid-19 vaccine factory that can make 30,000 doses a day. Experts at King’s College London designed it to manufacture vaccines such as the Pfizer/BioNTech inoculation. It could end the logistical problems of delivering the frozen vaccine from factories on the continent to UK communities. Plans are on track to submit the game-changing “factory in a box” technology for regulatory approval by as early as March. It is estimated that 60 of the devices could make enough doses to immunise the nation in a matter of weeks. The innovative machine was designed by Professor Makatsoris Harris.
12th Dec 2020 - Mirror Online
Nicola Sturgeon: Care homes with Covid-19 outbreaks must tell families of residents
There is a “big responsibility” on care home providers to ensure good communication with relatives, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said. Speaking at the coronavirus daily update on Friday, Ms Sturgeon said she would investigate the reported case of a woman who first found out about a Covid-19 outbreak at the care home of a relative in the North East through the media. It comes after investigations were launched by the Crown Office into outbreaks at two care homes in the North East.
11th Dec 2020 - The Scotsman
Brazil rolls out COVID-19 vaccination plan
The Brazilian government unveiled its long-awaited national vaccination plan against COVID-19 on Saturday with an initial goal of vaccinating 51 million people, or about one-fourth of the population,
12th Dec 2020 - Reuters on MSN.com
US offers to help increase production of Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine
The US government is offering to help increase production of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, as it tries to secure another 100m doses of the jab that regulators are reviewing. Operation Warp Speed, the government programme to accelerate the development of a vaccine, is trying to double its pre-order of doses, after soaring demand has led to a shortage, according to people familiar with the matter. Operation Warp Speed is trying to help Pfizer obtain more raw materials and equipment under the Defense Production Act to ensure it can produce the extra doses by June 2021, according to one of the people.
11th Dec 2020 - Financial Times
Ultra-cold freezing presents next challenge in Covid vaccine race
Demand for ultra-cold storage freezers has spiked as governments and manufacturers prepare to ship Covid-19 vaccines around the world and along the so-called last mile to those most vulnerable to the disease. Unique characteristics of the two leading Covid-19 vaccines mean they both have to be transported frozen. The shot developed by US biotech Moderna, currently under regulatory review in the US and the EU, can survive for six months at minus 20C, the temperature of a standard domestic freezer. The vaccine developed by Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech, approved for use in the UK this month, must, in contrast, be transported at minus 70C.
7th Dec 2020 - Financial Times
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View this newsletter in fullCalifornia's hospitals are close to 'breaking point' as COVID-19 surges
Governor Gavin Newsom is now bringing in hundreds of hospital staff from outside the state and preparing to re-start emergency hospitals that were created but barely used when the coronavirus surged last spring to cope with the new surge. The seven-day rolling average for new cases in the county's most populous state has doubled over the past two weeks to 23,000 a day. During the summer surge, average infections in California peaked at 10,000 per day.
9th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail on MSN.com
Covid cases: Hospital admissions rise in most of England’s NHS regions despite lockdown, figures show
Admissions to hospital of patients with Covid-19 are rising in four out of seven NHS regions of England despite the month-long lockdown in November, official figures have shown. The increases are in London, east of England, south east and the Midlands, suggesting a third wave of the epidemic could be threatening the NHS just before the Christmas relaxation period.
9th Dec 2020 - iNews
Covid cases revealed for each London borough as millions urged to help keep capital out of Tier 3
Every single Londoner was today urged to join the battle to keep the city out of Tier 3 as official figures showed Covid-19 cases rising in more than two thirds of boroughs. MPs and Mayor Sadiq Khan called on millions of people across the capital to stick to social distancing, self-isolation, mask wearing and good hygiene rules and guidance to reverse the latest coronavirus surge. The number of confirmed cases is increasing across east London, apart from Redbridge which saw a very small decrease in the week to December 3, compared to the previous seven days.
9th Dec 2020 - Evening Standard
More afraid of hunger: COVID-19 rules causing many in Philippines to starve
Daniel Auminto lost his job and then his home when the coronavirus pandemic sent the Philippines into lockdown. Now he and his family live on the street, relying on food handouts to survive. Charities are struggling to meet the ever-growing demand for food as millions of families go hungry across the country. COVID-19 restrictions have crippled the economy and thrown many out of work. “I’ve never seen hunger at this level before,” said Jomar Fleras, executive director of Rise Against Hunger in the Philippines, which works with more than 40 partners to feed the poor.
9th Dec 2020 - The Japan Times
David Staples: Alberta's new measures can wipe out COVID but how far should we go?
The Alberta government is imposing the kind of severe lockdown measures that have worked to stop COVID-19 spread in places like Canada’s Maritime provinces, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan, jurisdictions which in the past two weeks have had zero COVID-19 deaths. Compare that to Alberta and B.C., each with 35 deaths per million in the past two weeks, Quebec with 51 per million and Manitoba with 124 deaths per million, with all of those death rates trending up quickly.
9th Dec 2020 - Edmonton Journal
UK firms avoid hiring permanent staff in November lockdown
British employers recruited fewer permanent staff during an England-wide lockdown last month, and relied instead on temporary workers to plug the gap, a monthly survey of recruiters showed on Wednesday. The number of permanent staff recruited fell for a second month in a row in November and dropped by its most since July, when Britain had just emerged from its first coronavirus lockdown, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation said.
9th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Sri Lanka to cremate Muslim COVID-19 victims despite objections
Families have refused to claim the bodies in protest over the government’s policy of cremation, which is forbidden under Islamic law.
9th Dec 2020 - Al Jazeera English
White House task force: Vaccine may not reduce virus spread until late spring
The White House coronavirus task force this week warned governors that coronavirus vaccinations will not drive down the spread of COVID-19 until late spring, calling for states to emphasize the need for other mitigation measures. "The current vaccine implementation will not substantially reduce viral spread, hospitalizations, or fatalities until the 100 million Americans with comorbidities can be fully immunized, which will take until the late spring," the task force wrote in its weekly report to states, issued Tuesday and obtained by The Hill. "Behavioral change and aggressive mitigation policies are the only widespread prevention tools that we have to address this winter surge," the report adds.
9th Dec 2020 - The Hill
Pfizer's first shipment of its coronavirus vaccine will include 2.9 million doses upon FDA approval
Pfizer Inc's first shipment of its vaccine to the US will include 2.9 million doses and another shipment 21 days later with the same amount. The jabs will be going to 636 locations, mostly large health-care systems with enough storage capacity. Gen Gustave Perna said he has set aside a reserve of 500,000 doses from the total supply of 6.4 million available to the US. At an Operation Warp Speed briefing on Wednesday, HHS Secretary Alex Azar said he'd be willing to get vaccinated publicly
The team said they have not considered who would receive the very first vaccine or where. The FDA will meet Thursday and Friday - and are expected to approve the vaccine by the end of the week
9th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
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View this newsletter in fullUK retail sales growth slows as November lockdown hits non-food sales - BRC
British retail sales growth slowed in November when non-essential stores shut as part of a four-week lockdown in England, but online sales were able to fill more of the gap than in the first lockdown in March, industry data showed on Tuesday.
9th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Singapore 'cruise-to-nowhere' turns back after COVID-19 case aboard
A passenger aboard a Royal Caribbean ‘cruise-to-nowhere’ from Singapore has tested positive for COVID-19, forcing all guests to be quarantined in their cabins and the Quantum of the Seas ship to return to dock on Wednesday. Singapore has been piloting the trips, which are open only to residents, make no stops and sail in waters just off the city-state. There were around 2,000 passengers aboard at the time who have all been confined to their rooms. The global cruise industry has taken a major hit from the coronavirus pandemic, with some of the earliest big outbreaks found on cruise ships. In one case in February off the coast of Japan, passengers were stuck for weeks aboard the Diamond Princess with over 700 guests and crew infected.
9th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
U.K. Covid-19 Vaccine: What You Need to Know About the Immunization Campaign
The U.K. became the first Western country to start inoculating its population with a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. and Germany’s BioNTech SE . Maggie Keenan, 90 years old, received the first shot at a hospital in Coventry early Tuesday morning in a program that could provide a taste of the logistical challenges facing other countries, including the U.S., as they prepare to roll out their own large-scale vaccination plans.
8th Dec 2020 - Wall Street Journal
Covid19 vaccinations begin in Scotland today - everything you need to know
The first of the long-awaited vaccinations against Covid-19 will be issued on Tuesday at hospitals across Scotland. It's a landmark day in the global battle against coronavirus which has raged throughout 2020. While it's a welcome breakthrough, it will take several months at least for the vaccination to be rolled out across all age groups.
8th Dec 2020 - Daily Record
GPs to prioritise elderly BAME patients for first Covid-19 vaccine batch
GPs have been instructed to prioritise patients from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds in their first over-80s Covid-19 vaccination cohorts. Details outlined in a letter sent yesterday from NHS England advise that GP practices must select and contact priority vaccination patients by tomorrow (9 December). GP sites selected to begin vaccinations next week, of which there are expected to be around 280, will each receive one batch of 975 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. If a Primary Care Network (PCN) designated site has more than 975 patients over 80 years of age, they must prioritise based on comorbidities and ethnicity. GP surgeries will be responsible for generating patient lists based on this new priority cohort definition.
8th Dec 2020 - Pulse
GPs could deliver COVID-19 vaccine to care homes from next week
GP-led sites could deliver COVID-19 vaccinations to care home residents as soon as next week, LMCs believe, as NHS England's medical director confirmed rollout to this group would start before Christmas. Scottish health minister Jeane Freeman said last week that in Scotland, vaccination of care home residents - the group idenfied by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) as the top priority - would start from 14 December. The Westminster government has yet to confirm when vaccination of care home residents will start in England - but a senior GP involved in rolling out the COVID-19 vaccination campaign has told GPonline that GP-led vaccination sites in the first wave set to start from next week could administer some vaccines in care homes.
8th Dec 2020 - GP online
Californians endure another lockdown as COVID-19 patients overwhelm hospitals
Most Californians face heavy new restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19, while New York’s governor threatened to ban indoor restaurant dining in New York City as the United States feared infections would continue skyrocketing. Restaurants in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area and the state’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley shut for all but takeout and delivery. Playgrounds closed, stores reduced capacity and hair salons and barbershops shuttered. The moves affected about three-quarters of the nearly 40 million people in America’s most-populous state. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s order allowed some schools to continue to hold classes.
8th Dec 2020 - Reuters
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View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: V-Day is a 'key moment in our fight back against this terrible disease'
People in the UK will start being vaccinated today against COVID-19, on what's being dubbed V-Day. Fifty hospitals will administer the jab from early this morning.
The vaccine, developed by Pfizer/BioNTech, has been distributed across the whole of the UK.
8th Dec 2020 - Sky News
Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout Faces Public Concerns Over Safety
Governments are accelerating toward approving the first vaccines to contain Covid-19, but public anxiety over the safety of the doses is threatening to undermine those efforts. A survey from the University of Hamburg showed the percentage of people hesitant or unwilling to get a Covid-19 vaccine ticking up in November to around 40% of respondents across seven European countries. An October poll by market researcher Ipsos found that nearly a third of Japanese and almost half of French respondents said they wouldn’t get inoculated for the coronavirus. One of the biggest factors behind the hesitancy is the very speed at which things have been moving.
7th Dec 2020 - Wall Street Journal
South Korea, Japan to deploy military to combat COVID-19
South Korea and Japan are deploying their militaries to assist healthcare workers in combatting COVID-19, with South Korean soldiers called in to expand coronavirus testing and tracing and Japanese military nurses tapped to fill a shortage of staff at hospitals in the hard-hit regions of Hokkaido and Osaka. Moon Jae-in, the president of South Korea, on Monday ordered the government to mobilise “every available” resource to track infections and to expand testing by deploying the military and more people from the public service, presidential Blue House spokesman Chung Man-ho told a briefing.
7th Dec 2020 - AlJazeera
Austrian shops open after 3 weeks as lockdown loosened
Austrians lined up to enter stores on Monday as the country relaxed its coronavirus lockdown, allowing nonessential shops to reopen after three weeks. But many restrictions remain in place, and the country’s leader advised people against all rushing to the shops at once. Tough lockdown measures took effect Nov. 17. The government decided last week that enough progress had been made in cutting coronavirus infections to relax some restrictions. Schools were reopened, except for older students, as were museums, libraries and some other businesses such as hairdressers. But restaurants remain closed for all but takeout and deliveries, as do bars, and hotels are only open to business travelers
7th Dec 2020 - Washington Times
Christmas market closed as shopping crowds spark concern in Nottingham and London
Christmas shoppers hit the high streets in droves on the first weekend since lockdown was lifted in England, sparking concerns over social distancing. Queues formed in London’s West End as crowds flooded Oxford Street and Regent Street on Saturday to make the most of non-essential shops reopening under the new tiered system. The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, was out in the West End on Saturday as a show of support for retailers, but he warned people to continue following coronavirus rules, with the majority of England under tier 2 or tier 3 restrictions, which limit social contact between households.
7th Dec 2020 - The Independent
As UK prepares to roll out COVID-19 vaccines, scepticism remains
A sizeable minority of people believe conspiracy theories about the coronavirus and COVID-19 vaccines, some experts have warned, just as countries prepare to launch mass inoculations to get the pandemic under control. Britain begins its vaccine programme this week and others are likely to follow soon, so governments are seeking to reassure people of vaccines’ safety and efficacy in order to get a critical mass to take them. In the United States, President-elect Joe Biden said he would have a coronavirus vaccine publicly to demonstrate its safety, and referred to people losing faith in the vaccine’s ability to work. “What we’re finding is, in the wake of the pandemic, that conspiracy beliefs may have gone mainstream, that they’re no longer confined to the fringes,” Daniel Freeman, Professor of Clinical Psychology at Oxford University, told Reuters.
7th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Greece to keep schools, restaurants shut until after Christmas
Greece said on Monday that it will not re-open schools, restaurants and courts until Jan. 7, effectively extending most of the restrictions the country imposed last month to contain the spread of coronavirus. Greece had to enforce a nationwide lockdown in November, its second this year, after an aggressive surge in COVID-19 cases. It has extended it twice since then, most recently until Dec. 14. In a televised briefing, government spokesman Stelios Petsas said the health system was still under enormous pressure and some restrictions should not be lifted until next month, including a night curfew and movement between regions.
7th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
England's malls attract Christmas shoppers after lockdown ends
Footfall across all retail destinations in England rose by 81% compared to the previous week after a second lockdown ended on Wednesday, allowing non-essential shops to begin trading again, Springboard said on Monday. Shopping centres saw the biggest boost, with a 121.3% rise from Wednesday, while high streets saw a 79.8% rise and numbers in retail parks were up 40.7%, Springboard said.
7th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Navajo Nation implements another three-week lockdown as ICUs reach capacity amid coronavirus surge
The Navajo Nation has extended its lockdown for three more weeks to try to slow the growth of Covid-19 cases in the community that has already filled nearly all of their ICUs to capacity. "We are near a point where our health care providers are going to have to make very difficult decisions in terms of providing medical treatment to COVID-19 patients with very limited resources such as hospital beds, oxygen resources, medical personnel, and little to no options to transport patients to other regional hospitals because they are also near full capacity," Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez warned in a statement issued Sunday. A public health order issued by the Nation said it is "experiencing an alarming rise in positive COVID-19 cases and uncontrolled spread in 75 communities across the Navajo Nation."
7th Dec 2020 - CNN
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View this newsletter in fullMilitary planes could fly-in Covid-19 vaccine amid fears of post-Brexit delays
Military planes could fly-in the Covid-19 Pfizer vaccine amid fears of post-Brexit delays at Britain's ports. The majority of doses for Pfizer's vaccine, which offers up to six months of immunity to the coronavirus, are being produced in the town of Puurs, Belgium. But as the Government tries to roll-out its vaccination scheme, the Department for Health and Social Care has had talks with the Ministry of Justice to ensure the doses can arrive on time.
6th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus: NHS to begin vaccine rollout this week
The coronavirus vaccine is the "beginning of the end" of the epidemic in the UK, Prof Stephen Powis has said, as vaccinations begin on Tuesday. But the NHS England medical director warned the distribution of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine would be a "marathon not a sprint". It will take "many months" to vaccinate everybody who needs it, he said. Frontline health staff, those over 80, and care home workers will be first to get the Covid-19 vaccine. In England, 50 hospitals have been initially chosen to serve as hubs for administering the vaccine.
6th Dec 2020 - BBC News
Victoria eases Covid restrictions again as it reaches 37 days without a case
Victoria has announced a significant easing of its Covid-19 restrictions in time for summer, allowing households to receive 30 visitors a day, relaxing mask-wearing rules, and increasing public gatherings to 100. Victoria, once the worst hit state in the country, has now had 37 straight days free of Covid-19. The result, praised by premier Daniel Andrews as “amazing” on Sunday, has allowed a further easing of restrictions. Victorians will, as of midnight local time, be allowed to have 30 visitors daily to their home from any number of other households, a doubling of the previous limit of 15.
6th Dec 2020 - The Guardian
PPE glut leaves UK manufacturers fearful for their future
When the UK government issued a desperate plea for British manufacturers to tackle a shortfall of urgently needed personal protective equipment for health staff as Covid-19 hit, James Eden answered the call. His clothing company, Private White VC, borrowed money for a new factory to make face masks and switched its lines to make hospital gowns, hiring dozens of staff, as the government announced it was aiming to source 70 per cent of its PPE domestically. But at the same time, ministers were awarding companies or middlemen with no prior experience in the field lucrative contracts to import the much needed equipment, often at inflated prices, creating a stockpile that has left nascent domestic producers without a market.
5th Dec 2020 - The Financial Times
Britain gets ready for roll-out of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine this week
Britain is preparing to become the first country to roll out the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine this week, initially making the shot available at hospitals before distributing stocks to doctors’ clinics, the government said on Sunday. The first doses are set to be administered on Tuesday, with the National Health Service (NHS) giving top priority to vaccinating the over-80s, frontline healthcare workers and care home staff and residents. Britain gave emergency use approval for the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech last week - jumping ahead in the global race to begin the most crucial mass inoculation programme in history. In total, Britain has ordered 40 million doses - enough to vaccinate 20 million people in the country of 67 million.
5th Dec 2020 - Reuters
Wales to give citizens ID cards to prove they got the Covid vaccine
People in Wales will be given ID cards by the NHS after getting the coronavirus vaccine so they can prove they have had the jab, the Welsh government has announced. Welsh health minister Vaughan Gething said vaccinated people will receive a “credit-card sized” token, after the UK became the first nation to approve the jab developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. While plans for so-called “immunity passports” remain unclear in other parts of the UK, Welsh ministers believe new cards will help remind people to get the second part of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine.
In a written statement Mr Gething said: “Those receiving a Covid-19 vaccination will be given a credit card-sized NHS Wales immunisation card which will have the vaccine name, date of immunisation and batch number of each of the doses given handwritten on them.”
4th Dec 2020 - The Independent
Moscow key workers register for jabs of Russian-made COVID-19 vaccine
Muscovites from high-risk groups such as healthcare workers began registering for jabs of a Russian-made COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, two days after President Vladimir Putin called for large-scale vaccinations. Sputnik V, one of two Russian-made vaccines to have received regulatory approval in Russia despite clinical trials being incomplete, requires two injections. Interim trials showed it is 92% effective at protecting people from COVID-19. Mass testing for the second Russian vaccine, EpiVacCorona, began on Monday. The online registration service allows Moscow residents in specified high-risk jobs and aged between 18 and 60 to book free vaccination appointments at 70 points around the city, starting from Saturday, the mayor’s website said.
4th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Nursing home residents added to first wave of Texans eligible for COVID-19 vaccine
Residents at nursing homes and assisted living facilities will be among the first wave of Texans eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, joining the ranks of healthcare workers already at the front of the line. State officials announced the addition Friday, while also unveiling plans to send the state’s first 224,250 doses to hospitals, including nine in Dallas County.
4th Dec 2020 - Dallas Morning News
HSE reveals specialist freezers for Covid-19 vaccines News
Specialist freezers to store Covid-19 vaccines have started to arrive in Ireland, the Health Service Executive chief Paul Reid revealed. He posted a photo on Twitter and explained: "We're preparing for the #COVID19 vaccine roll-out in Ireland. "At the HSE National Cold Chain Centre, we have received and are currently commissioning & validating a consignment of 9 x Ultra Low Temperature Freezers for storage of the vaccines at -75 degrees." It follows a press briefing yesterday during which Mr Reid said Ireland has the capacity to acquire 16 million doses of a Covid-19 vaccine. "Although there will be no shortage of the vaccine", he said, they will arrive at different stages, which "will require sequencing or prioritisation process which is currently being finalised".
4th Dec 2020 - RTE.ie
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 4th Dec 2020
View this newsletter in fullU.K.’s Covid-19 Vaccine Program to Test Its National Health Service
Britain’s authorization of a Covid-19 vaccine, the first in the West, sets in motion an ambitious plan that will test the capabilities of its state-run National Health Service: Inoculate everybody in the country over 50 within months. The U.K. has been laying the groundwork for some time. The scale and urgency of the task is such that the NHS, already under enormous pressure because of the pandemic, has appealed for retired doctors and nurses to rejoin the service and for thousands of volunteers to train as vaccinators and support staff. The project will be “the biggest vaccination campaign in our history,” NHS Chief Executive Simon Stevens said Wednesday.
3rd Dec 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Meals on wheels: Camper van dining beats lockdown rules in Belgium
A Belgian restaurant has found a way to keep orders rolling in during lockdown - by serving its seafood to customers in camper vans. People can rent a vehicle or bring their own, park up outside the “Matthias and Sea” restaurant and wait for masked staff to bring the food over from the kitchens. COVID-19 restrictions have banned indoor dining. But restaurants can still do takeaways and serve food outside. Owner Mattia Collu said he got the idea while delivering orders to people’s houses in and around his base in the southern village of Tarcienne.
3rd Dec 2020 - Reuters
Lebanese minister says COVID cases rising, beds won't suffice
Lebanon will not have enough hospital beds to cope with increasing COVID-19 cases, the health minister in the caretaker government warned on Thursday, saying compliance with a two-week lockdown that ended this week had been patchy. In a Tweet, Hamad Hassan said cases were on the rise and although more hospital beds had been added, these would not be enough. Intensive care units were at critical capacity when Lebanon ordered the lockdown and caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab had warned the shutdown may be extended if people did not comply.
3rd Dec 2020 - Reuters India
Pfizer Slashed Its Original Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout Target After Supply-Chain Obstacles
When Pfizer Inc. said last month it expects to ship half the Covid-19 vaccines it had originally planned for this year, the decision highlighted the challenges drug makers face in rapidly building supply chains to meet the high demand. “Scaling up the raw material supply chain took longer than expected,” a company spokeswoman said. “And it’s important to highlight that the outcome of the clinical trial was somewhat later than the initial projection.”
3rd Dec 2020 - Wall Street Journal
Key test: South Koreans sit university exam amid COVID-19 surge
Nearly 500,000 high school students are sitting the test with stringent measures imposed to curb the virus. South Korea fell quiet on Thursday as hundreds of thousands of students sat for the country’s high-stakes national university entrance exam amid a surge in coronavirus cases that has prompted new measures to curb its spread, including for candidates sitting the test. Teenagers spend years preparing for the exam, which can mean a place in one of the elite colleges that are seen as key to future careers, incomes and even marriage prospects.
3rd Dec 2020 - Al Jazeera English
Staggered return planned for university students in England after Christmas
Students in England will be asked to stay at home after Christmas and continue their studies online at the start of the new year as part of a staggered return to university to minimise the risk of Covid transmission. The government wants students to stagger their journeys back to campus over a five-week period beginning on 4 January 2021, with everyone expected to be back at university by 7 February, and coronavirus tests available to all returning students. Many students have expressed frustration with their experience at university this term, with the bulk of studies online, social activities curtailed because of Covid restrictions, long periods of self-isolation and harsh penalties for breaches.
3rd Dec 2020 - The Guardian
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 3rd Dec 2020
View this newsletter in fullArizona hospitals scramble to boost staffing as state's COVID-19 crisis deepens
A shortage of medical providers could exacerbate Arizona's growing COVID-19 crisis, as hospitals compete for contract labor in the midst of a pandemic that is gripping the entire United States. Arizona hospital officials are most worried about finding enough staff — not PPE or beds — to treat a surge of new COVID-19 patients. "The number one limiting factor is staffing right now," said Ann-Marie Alameddin, president and CEO of the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association. "It's a much tighter supply because the whole country is in need of the same skill set." What's happening with COVID-19 in Arizona in this latest second wave of infection is a different situation than the summer.
2nd Dec 2020 - USA Today
Covid-19: Traders hope shoppers return for Christmas after lockdown
Many businesses are getting ready to welcome back customers after four weeks of closure. When England's new tier system comes into force on Wednesday, shops, gyms and personal care services, like hairdressers, can reopen, if they are Covid-secure. But pubs and bars in tier three will be unable to open and only if they serve a "substantial meal" under tier two.
2nd Dec 2020 - BBC News
Queues form as England's high streets reopen after lockdown
England’s high streets were back in business on Wednesday – but shoppers returned slowly, with queues outside only a few stores such as Primark and Debenhams, which had announced it was going into liquidation the day before. Non-essential stores in England reopened after the month-long lockdown brought in by the government in its latest effort to control the spread of Covid-19. The number of shoppers out and about on English high streets, retail parks and in shopping centres on Wednesday was up 85% on the same day a week before, but the expected rush to make up for lost time did not materialise: numbers were still down by 22% on last year.
2nd Dec 2020 - The Guardian
To slow down a killer virus, Spain breaks with decades-old Christmas traditions
For 41 years, families in the Spanish capital have kicked off the Christmas season by gathering behind the department store El Corte Inglés to watch a performance by giant singing puppets. The store’s “Cortylandia” show has treated crowds in the past to festive depictions of “Gulliver’s Travels” and “Aladdin,” among numerous others, including the Noah’s ark story. But this year, as all the world battles a killer virus, the tradition has been replaced with a light display that simply reads, in lowercase letters, felices fiestas. Happy holidays. The loss of a beloved 15-minute puppet show is among the Christmastime traditions of this traditionally Catholic country being altered or even eliminated, as the government tries to keep its physically demonstrative populace a step ahead of a virus that has killed 45,069 to date in the country.
2nd Dec 2020 - MarketWatch
Austrian schools, shops to reopen, as lockdown eases, ski opening looms
Austria on Wednesday chose a middle way in its standoff with neighbouring countries on whether skiing over Christmas is safe, by letting resorts reopen on Christmas Eve but making ski holidays virtually impossible. In an apparent concession to Rome, Berlin and Paris, which had expressed concern about cross-border trips, Austria also said it was introducing a new quarantine requirement for anyone arriving from their countries and many more. As of Monday, shops, museums and libraries in Austria will be allowed to reopen and primary schools will return to in-person learning. Christmas markets, however, will remain banned.
2nd Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
NHS volunteers to be trained up to give Covid vaccine and 'deal with adverse effects'
In England, hundreds of thousands of volunteers will be called upon to deliver a mass roll out of the coronavirus vaccine, according to reports. The NHS recruited more than 750,000 people in April, with duties to include delivering goods to the elderly and taking patients for hospital appointments. But with the vaccine - which could be approved by next week - seen as the best shot at stamping out Covid-19 for good, they are now reportedly set to be trained up to administer the actual jabs.
2nd Dec 2020 - Mirror
Coronavirus: How Germany is preparing for a vaccination drive
Germany's federal and state governments came up with their "national vaccination strategy" early in November. It aims to build up infrastructure as quickly as possible to enable mass-vaccination programs. The work is a little complex and ad hoc, not least because, as the 15-page document concedes, it's not yet clear which vaccines will be available when, and in what quantities. But the plan's main aim is to avoid the opposite scenario: that a working vaccine cannot be distributed to the people because the logistics are lacking.
2nd Dec 2020 - Deutsche Welle
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View this newsletter in fullHow USA has become one giant hotspot: 1,172 Americans are now dying each day - an 80% increase in just one month - while hospitalizations soar to a record 96,000
A new map from an internal federal government brief shows that 48 US states and the District of Columbia are marked as 'sustained hotspots' of coronavirus
Only two states on the map, dated November 29 and labeled 'not for distribution', did not fall in this category, which were Hawaii and Rhode Island. Another map from the brief also revealed the incidence rate of COVID-19 across the country is 336 cases per 100,000 people, up from 322 cases per 100,000 two weeks prior
Most US counties on the map had incidence rates of either 200-499 new cases per 100,000 or 500+ new cases per 100,000. It comes as the US hit a grim new record of 96,039 coronavirus hospitalizations across the nation. Hospitals in several states are beyond capacity with health officials blaming 'COVID fatigue' and travel that occurred over Thanksgiving
1st Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
Major study shows how many of us followed the rules for lockdown two
A quarter of people have found it harder to follow rules during the UK’s second lockdown, citing bad weather, feeling worn out and a sense of unfairness, a study has found. Some 24% of people are finding the second lockdown harder, 24% said the rules are easier to follow now and 48% said they are coping about the same, according to King’s College London (KCL) research. The majority (82%) said they are being just as careful or more careful now about obeying the rules.
1st Dec 2020 - Wales Online
Dublin has shopping fever as Ireland ends second virus lockdown
Dublin thronged with face-masked Christmas shoppers on Tuesday as Ireland ended a second partial coronavirus lockdown, allowing non-essential retail to resume after six weeks of tough restrictions. Dozens queued for the mid-morning reopening of upmarket department store Brown Thomas, festooned with seasonal decorations in the epicentre of the capital's shopping district. Amidst tables of designer handbags one customer confided in staff that she had taken the morning off work to shop.
1st Dec 2020 - FRANCE 24
Europe Keeps Schools Open, not Restaurants, Unlike U.S. cities
As a second lockdown appeared inevitable amid skyrocketing coronavirus infections, the scientists advising the French government in October warned that keeping students in their classrooms meant it would take longer to tame the surge. The government kept the schools open anyway, even as the country became an epicenter of the second wave of the coronavirus in Europe. French leaders decided that they would try to subdue the surge, while also trying to minimize economic and academic damage by keeping children learning where they do it best: in school. Five weeks into a second nationwide lockdown, France, like much of Europe, has proved that it is possible to bring the rate of known infections down, even with schools open. It is a lesson that has been taken up late in the United States
1st Dec 2020 - The New York Times
One quarter of Britons found the second national lockdown harder to follow
More than a quarter of Britons found it harder to follow the second lockdown compared to the first, a survey has revealed. The most common reasons for struggling were feeling fatigued by Covid restrictions, a belief measures were unjust and bad weather restricting people from going outside and seeing friends and family. Experts feared that 'lockdown fatigue' would mean many Brits would defy the second shutdown and see loved ones anyway. But King's College London scientists found a 'remarkable resilience' in the British public, with 82 per cent still following the rules to the best of their abilities.
1st Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
Hospitals catch up with Covid-19 lockdown cancer backlog, Cancer Control Agency says
In New Zealand, the country's hospitals have caught up with the cancer backlog caused by the Covid-19 lockdown in March and April, Te Aho o Te Kahu Cancer Control Agency chief executive Diana Sarfati says. Diagnostic services and cancer screening programmes stopped during lockdown as the health service prepared for the pandemic, and the Cancer Society in June warned 400 people could die if hospitals didn’t act quickly. But unpublished figures for September show the number of people diagnosed with cancer mirrors that of last year, indicating hospitals have worked through the backlog, Sarfati said.
1st Dec 2020 - Stuff.co.nz
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View this newsletter in fullAirlines Face ‘Mission of the Century’ in Shipping Vaccines
In cooled warehouses on the fringes of Frankfurt airport, Deutsche Lufthansa AG is preparing its depleted fleet for the gargantuan task of airlifting millions of doses of the vaccines meant to end the global pandemic. Lufthansa, one of the world’s biggest cargo carriers, began planning in April in anticipation of the shots that Pfizer Inc. to Moderna Inc. and AstraZeneca Plc are developing in record time. A 20-member task force is at work devising how to fit more of the crucial payload onto the airline’s 15 Boeing Co. 777 and MD-11 freighters, along with hold space in a vast passenger fleet now flying at just 25% of capacity.
29th Nov 2020 - Bloomberg
'Limited number' of pharmacies to give 1000 COVID-19 vax a week
A “limited number” of pharmacies in England will be asked to offer COVID-19 vaccinations from late December, provided they can deliver 1,000 doses a week, NHSE&I has said. NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I) will commission a small number of pharmacy contractors to deliver the COVID-19 vaccination programme as a local enhanced service (LES), it said in a letter to contractors last week (November 27). The selected pharmacy-led sites will need to comply with a list of requirements, which NHSE&I said it does not “expect the majority of contractors sites will be able to meet”. NHSE&I regional teams will select suitable pharmacy sites, following a designation process. Those successful will be required to administer “a minimum of 1,000 doses of vaccine over a seven-day period from each designated site” from “late December or early January”, but the exact date will depend on vaccine availability. A final LES agreement will be published “as soon as details are clear”, NHSE&I said in the letter – which was signed by NHS chief commercial officer and senior responsible owner for the vaccine programme Emily Lawson, director of primary care Ed Waller and chief pharmaceutical officer for England Dr Keith Ridge.
30th Nov 2020 - Chemist+Druggist
Russian hospital says it began civilian coronavirus vaccinations last week
Russia has delivered the first known batch of Sputnik V vaccines for civilian use to a hospital just south of Moscow, which said on Monday it began vaccinating the local population last week. Russia, which is rushing to keep up with Western drugmakers in the race for a coronavirus shot, has said interim trial results show its Sputnik V vaccine to be 92% effective at protecting people from COVID-19.
30th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Germany partial lockdown pushes more companies into short-time work: Ifo
The share of companies in Germany using short-time work schemes rose in November compared to the previous month, economic institute Ifo said on Monday, as a partial lockdown hit employment in tourism and restaurant industries. Ifo said a survey of around 7,000 companies showed that the share of companies using the scheme rose to 28% in November from 24.8% in October. Short-time work, also known as Kurzarbeit, allows employers to switch employees to working fewer hours or even none during an economic downturn. It aims to stop immediate shocks from leading into mass unemployment.
30th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Many retailers prepare to reopen for first time in six weeks
Non-essential retailers around the country are finalising preparations ahead of reopening their doors for the first time in six weeks. Level 5 restrictions will begin to ease tomorrow, with restaurants and gastro pubs following suit on Friday. The Government expects to see new cases of Covid-19 increasing in two weeks' time, once restrictions are eased. But Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said there is no intention to reimpose tighter restrictions unless there is a huge rise in cases.
30th Nov 2020 - RTE
US braces for continued surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitalisations
As newly reported cases of the coronavirus continued to spike across much of the United States, breaking records for hospitalisations, some local leaders are moving to enact more stringent restrictions. US officials had pleaded with Americans to avoid travel and limit social gatherings as the nation entered its winter holiday season. But many appear to have disregarded those pleas over the long Thanksgiving weekend as the Transportation Security Administration screened nearly 1.2 million airline passengers on Sunday, the highest since mid-March.
30th Nov 2020 - Al Jazeera English
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 30th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullPressure on critical care facilities in covid-19 patients in India
The covid-19 pandemic has presented multiple challenges to healthcare systems around the world. We want to highlight the difficulties in Kerala, India, of providing palliative care for patients with pre-existing advanced disease who are infected with coronavirus. There are difficult ethical issues related to triage and care rationing when resources are limited and demand is high, alongside the logistical challenge of making such decisions. The pandemic has now laid bare issues about futile and inappropriate medical interventions in certain contexts.
28th Nov 2020 - The BMJ
GPs step up in 2020 to tackle Covid-19
After the toughest year ever for general practice, Nicola Merrifield reflects on how GPs have stood up to be counted. This year’s battle with Covid-19, has meant GPs have had to be more dedicated and adaptable than ever. They have taken on new ways of remote working and run outdoor or socially distanced clinics, often with smaller teams due to staff self-isolating. There has also been a monumental effort to maintain normal services as far as possible, at a time when GP numbers continue to fall – down by 1.2% on last year, with 334 fewer full-time-equivalent GPs in England, according to the latest official NHS data from September.
28th Nov 2020 - Pulse
South Korea bans year-end parties, some music lessons, as virus spikes again
South Korean authorities announced a ban on year-end parties and some music lessons on Sunday and said public saunas and some cafes must also close after coronavirus infections surged at their fastest pace since the early days of the pandemic. South Korea has been one of the world’s coronavirus mitigation success stories but spikes in infections have reappeared relentlessly, triggering alarm in Asia’s fourth-largest economy. Authorities reported 450 new infections on Sunday after more than 500 cases were recorded for three days in a row, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. What authorities are calling a third wave of infections is spreading at the fastest rate in nearly nine months, driven by outbreaks at military facilities, a sauna, a high school and churches.
30th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
With no action by Washington, states race to offer virus aid
Faulting inaction in Washington, governors and state lawmakers are racing to get pandemic relief to small-business owners, the unemployed, renters and others whose livelihoods have been upended by the widening coronavirus outbreak. In some cases, elected officials are spending the last of a federal relief package passed in the spring as an end-of-year deadline approaches and the fall COVID-19 surge threatens their economies anew. Underscoring the need for urgency, the number of new COVID-19 cases reported in the United States reached 205,557 on Friday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University – the first time its daily figure topped the 200,000 mark. Its previous daily high was 196,000 on Nov. 20.
28th Nov 2020 - Houston Chronicle
Covid: Hospitals could be overwhelmed without new tiers, says Gove
Hospitals in England could become "overwhelmed" with Covid cases if MPs do not back new restrictions, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove has said. Many Tory MPs oppose the tougher tier system, which begins on 2 December. But writing in the Times, Mr Gove said MPs - who will vote on the measures next week - need to "take responsibility for difficult decisions". Labour is yet to decide whether it will support the new restrictions. It has warned, however, that areas in tier three will be stretched to "breaking point" without further financial support from the Treasury.
It comes as a further 479 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were reported in the UK, bringing the total to 58,030. There were also a further 15,871 positive cases registered in the past 24 hours.
28th Nov 2020 - BBC News
Shops reopen in France as national lockdown eases
Queues formed outside hairdressers’ shops and department stores sold gifts and Christmas decorations on Saturday as France partially reopened after a month-long lockdown. Shops selling non-essential goods, such as shoes, clothes and toys, reopened in the first easing of national restrictions since 30 October. Bars and restaurants remain closed until 20 January. As a condition for reopening, the government reduced the number of people allowed in shops. Many small business owners complained it was hard to operate under the new rules
28th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
England's hospitals could be overwhelmed without new tier system - minister
England needs tough restrictions after its current lockdown ends if hospitals are not to become overwhelmed, a senior minister said, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote to lawmakers to say the measures would end in February to try to quell opposition. Britain upped preparations for a vaccine roll-out on Saturday as Johnson named Nadhim Zahawi as a new health minister to oversee its deployment and the Financial Times reported that the UK is set to approve the BioNTech Pfizer vaccine next week. But despite progress on the vaccine, the government still needs to convince lawmakers to back its new tougher tiered measures which will put 99% of English people into the highest two levels of restrictions when the current national lockdown ends on Dec. 2.
28th Nov 2020 - Reuters Canada
Queues at barber shops as France eases coronavirus lockdown
People eager to get a haircut stood in line outside barber shops and department stores selling gifts and Christmas decorations were busy on Saturday as France partially reopened following a month-long lockdown. Shops selling non-essential goods such as shoes, clothes and toys reopened in the first easing of a nationwide lockdown that started on Oct. 30 and will remain in place until Dec. 15. Bars and restaurants remain closed till Jan. 20,
28th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
MPs raise concerns over vaccine supply after Pfizer shuts cold storage site
Concerns have been raised about the risk of disruption to supplies of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine and added costs after the drugs company shut a cold storage facility in the south of England ahead of the end of the Brexit transition period next month. Britain has ordered 40 million doses of the vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech, its German partner, which unveiled breakthrough interim results from a late-stage trial this month. Operations at a Pfizer vaccine packaging and distribution plant in Havant have been winding down before a transfer to a manufacturing site at Puurs in Belgium in October
28th Nov 2020 - The Times
Here’s why pubs reopened in July – and why it’s different now
The UK’s hospitality industry is not happy with the new Covid-19 plan to be adopted from December 2 in England. On the opposite end of the debate, academics and doctors have expressed reservations about pubs being allowed to reopen at all. Neil Ferguson, an Imperial College epidemiologist and former government adviser, suggested that the decision might lead to a rise in infection levels. The decision to reopen pubs on July 4 was taken after a data-crunching tool built by British artificial intelligence firm Faculty flagged up that “large numbers of pubs” risked going out of business due to the lockdown restrictions, according to Faculty’s chief operating officer Richard Sargeant.
27th Nov 2020 - Wired UK
WHO warns countries with falling COVID cases to stay alert
Even if countries see a fall in coronavirus cases, they need to stay vigilant, Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization’s technical lead for COVID-19, said on Friday. “What we don’t want to see is situations where you are moving from lockdown to bringing (the virus) under control to another lockdown,” she told a virtual briefing in Geneva. Nearly 61 million people have been reported to be infected by the coronavirus globally and 1.4 million have died, according to a Reuters tally. “It is in our power to keep transmission low,” she said. “We have seen dozens of countries show us that it can be brought under control and kept under control.”
27th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Lockdown in Los Angeles: LA County asks its 10 million residents to stay home for THREE weeks - but churches and protests are exempt
Los Angeles County confirmed 24 new deaths and 4,544 new cases on Friday
Officials banned most gatherings but stopped short of full shutdown on stores
Restrictions were brought on by average of 4,751 cases a day for last five days
Residents of nation's most populous county are being urged to stay home
People are also not allowed to gather with those from outside their household
Exceptions are being made for church services and protests, officials said
Non-essential retail businesses could stay open, but at 20 per cent capacity
27th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 27th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullMidwestern Governors Seek More Federal Covid-19 Aid for Businesses
A growing number of governors are calling for another round of coronavirus-relief legislation from Washington, saying they are unable to provide additional funds to small businesses amid budget shortfalls. The issue is gaining urgency as money from federal relief passed earlier this year runs out ahead of a year-end deadline to spend it. States have funneled hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid into everything from personal-protective equipment and hazard pay for front-line health-care workers to schools and food banks.
26th Nov 2020 - Wall Street Journal
Covid-19: Preparation for NI vaccination programme in December
Plans are under way to allow Northern Ireland's vaccination programme to begin next month, according to the Health Minister Robin Swann. Without regulatory approval any plans at this stage are provisional. According to the Department of Health, the vaccination programme will be on a phased basis, and will run well into 2021. Plans include a public information campaign to encourage take up among the public.
26th Nov 2020 - BBC News
Lockdown tiers will mean hospitality ‘never recovers’
The hospitality industry has responded with fierce criticism of the new tier system, warning that it will wipe out billions of pounds of trading and lead to huge numbers of job losses.The new tier
26th Nov 2020 - The Times
Students may be compensated for lost teaching during UK lockdown
Students could be awarded financial compensation for lost teaching time during the Covid-19 lockdown after the higher education complaints watchdog told an institution to pay £1,000 to an international student. However, the National Union of Students (NUS) described the process for dealing with complaints about university disruption during the pandemic as “farcical” and “inadequate” as the Office of the Independent Adjudicator published details of a handful of individual cases. About 200 complaints have been submitted to the ombudsman so far. Many more are expected, as students can only take their case to the OIA if they have exhausted the internal complaints procedure at their own university. The NUS says the system must be simplified to speed up redress.
26th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Germany Extends Strict Lockdown Measures With Eye Towards Reopening Ski Slopes
Germany is extending its current coronavirus lockdown measures through mid-December, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced this week. The country will remain under measures introduced in early November that include limits on private gatherings and it will keep bars, restaurants, and museums closed. Residents will be given some leeway around the Christmas holiday. Members of one household can meet up with 10 people between Dec. 23 to Jan. 1. Children under 14 are exempt. The overall restrictions are set to continue until Dec. 20, but it's expected, with the continued surge in infections, that these rules will stay in place until early January, Merkel said.
26th Nov 2020 - NPR
In Italy’s South, War Zone Doctors Are Called to the Rescue Amid Covid-19 Upsurge
Italy’s troubled south, which was largely spared earlier on in the pandemic, is now struggling to cope—so much so that the government is turning for help to a medical charity used to working in war zones. The Milan-based nongovernmental organization Emergency is best known for assisting war victims in countries such as Afghanistan, or Ebola patients in Sierra Leone. It has now agreed to help confront the crisis in Italy’s poorest region of Calabria, where the dysfunctional health care system is ill-equipped to deal with a viral outbreak.
26th Nov 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
London pubs to reopen if they serve food as capital placed in tier 2
Pubs in London will be allowed to open next week if they serve food, after the capital was placed in tier 2 of the new restrictions. The move will delight MPs and businesses in London – but is likely to kick off a political row as most cities in the North and Midlands face the harshest tier 3 curbs. Success in curbing Covid-19 infections in Liverpool means it will drop into tier 2, but Manchester faces the toughest restrictions after lockdown ends on 2 December – shutting pubs and restaurants except for takeaways.
26th Nov 2020 - The Independent
UK pub operators report losses, job cuts as lockdown pain builds
British pub operators Mitchells & Butlers and Fuller, Smith & Turner said on Thursday they had cut around 1,650 jobs and suffered millions in financial losses as the hospitality industry reels from new lockdowns. The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has warned of thousands, if not tens of thousands, of job losses if the government does not give pubs more freedom or grants to help them cover fixed costs in order to survive winter. M&B, which owns All Bar One, Harvester and Browns, said it had cut 1,300 jobs. Smaller rival Fuller’s said its total number of employees had been reduced by 20% following about 350 job cuts, the sale of its pizza chain The Stable and through natural attrition. The companies said they have enough resources to operate in the foreseeable future, but the downside scenarios cast doubts about their ability to continue as going concerns.
26th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
EasyJet says domestic bookings rise as England lockdown ends
British airline easyJet said domestic bookings for December had risen significantly this week compared to last week after news that some COVID-19 restrictions in its home market would be eased. England’s current lockdown bans most international travel, but when it ends on Dec. 2 people will be free to go abroad. Over Christmas, COVID-19 restrictions across the UK will be relaxed to allow families to mix for five days.
26th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Cleaning up: COVID-19 vaccine will not derail disinfectants market, industry exec says
Vaccines against COVID-19 will take some steam out of the market for hygiene products, but demand will remain above pre-pandemic levels as frequent hand-cleaning is here to stay, an executive at Ecolab, a leading firm in the sector, said on Thursday.
26th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
CureVac ties up Wacker to churn out more than 100M doses of mRNA coronavirus vaccine
Riding a wave of interest in mRNA-based vaccines, Germany's CureVac is looking to rapidly drive manufacturing of its own shot candidate. After announcing a plan to bring more partners on board, CureVac has knotted the first of those deals to the tune of 100 million doses. CureVac has tagged German chemical company Wacker to churn out drug substance for its mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine with the goal of adding 100 million doses per year to the biotech's stockpile, the partners said this week. Wacker will produce those doses at its Amsterdam facility starting in the first half of 2021, the companies said. The firm plans to "ramp up" its manufacturing capacity to meet that demand and is prepared to expand in the future to add more doses.
25th Nov 2020 - FiercePharma
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 26th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullSoaring Covid-19 Hospitalizations Again Put Traveling Nurses in Demand
As the number of people hospitalized due to the coronavirus rises across the U.S., hospitals are turning to a tactic they used in earlier surges: hiring more traveling nurses. Demand is so great that hospitals are paying as much as twice the usual hourly pay for nurses, in one case $140 an hour, traveling-nurse agencies and hospital-industry leaders say. Hospitalizations, which have set new records every day for two weeks, hit a fresh high of 85,836 on Nov. 23, according to the Covid Tracking Project. That is higher than any of the prior surges in the U.S., where hospitalizations—at their highest—were pushing the 60,000 mark.
25th Nov 2020 - Wall Street Journal
As COVID-19 Vaccine Nears, Employers Consider Making It Mandatory
Just a few months into the coronavirus pandemic, Holly Smith had already made up her mind. She was not going to reopen her restaurant to diners until there was a vaccine. She just didn't think it was safe. When she shared the decision with her staff, they asked: Would the vaccine be mandatory? Yes, she said. It would be. "I'm not going to open until I can indeed be sure that everyone on my staff is vaccinated," says Smith, chef and owner of Cafe Juanita in Kirkland, Wash. "The immediate people on the team — you've got to take care of them. If you don't take care of them, they cannot help you take care of business."
25th Nov 2020 - NPR
Greater Manchester's largest NHS trust draws up Covid-19 vaccination plans for staff
Manchester's largest NHS trust is drawing up plans to vaccinate its staff against coronavirus. The Manchester Evening News has seen an early internal planning document circulated within Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. The Trust runs a number of hospitals including Manchester Royal Infirmary, Wythenshawe Hospital, Saint Mary's Hospital, Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and Trafford General. Several potential Covid-19 vaccines are in the later stages of clinical trials, but still have to pass safety tests. It's not yet known whether - or when - a vaccine could be approved for use. But in line with Government instruction the NHS in all settings is gearing up to be ready to roll out vaccination programmes from any date in December, although mass vaccination is said to be more likely to happen in the new year.
25th Nov 2020 - Manchester Evening News
COVID Christmas rules: What's allowed during the festive season?
Coronavirus rules will be relaxed over the festive season across the UK with people allowed to celebrate in three-household "Christmas bubbles" with their families.
Leaders in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have all agreed that groups can meet at home, outdoors or in a place of worship from 23 to 27 December. Individuals will also be able to travel between tiers and across the whole of the UK without restriction within the five-day period for the purposes of meeting with their bubble.
25th Nov 2020 - Sky News
Coronavirus pandemic: Germany seeks EU deal to close ski resorts
Germany is seeking an agreement with EU countries to keep ski resorts closed until early January, in an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus. "I will say this openly that it won't be easy, but we will try," Chancellor Angela Merkel said after speaking to Germany's regional leaders on Tuesday. The news came as the country extended its partial lockdown until 20 December. Some of the early European coronavirus hotspots were at ski resorts, helping spread infections across the continent.
25th Nov 2020 - BBC News
'Essential workers' likely to get earlier access to Covid-19 vaccine
Essential workers are likely to move ahead of adults 65 and older and people with high-risk medical conditions when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signs off on Covid-19 vaccine priority lists, coming after health care workers and people living in long-term care facilities, a meeting of an expert advisory panel made clear Monday. The intention is to bring many people of color closer to the front of the vaccine priority line — should they want to be vaccinated — in recognition of the fact that the pandemic has disproportionately hit Black and Latino communities.
23rd Nov 2020 - STAT News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 25th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullThe ‘daunting’ hurdles of distributing Covid-19 vaccines in America
James English has $74,000 to figure out how to distribute the world’s first ultra-cold storage drug to a staff of skeptical and worn-out healthcare workers, as the major sources of supports to contain Covid-19 so far come to an end. English is the regional operations chief and health branch director for Covid-19 in Washoe county, Nevada, and is one of the hundreds of local public health directors across the US who will eventually help distribute Covid-19 vaccines. English faces difficulties likely to be encountered nationally, as the nation undertakes the most logistically challenging vaccination campaign in its history. “The largest hurdle – we have as a small health department – is we do multiple roles,” said English. “Our funding is very minimal.”
24th Nov 2020 - The Guardian on MSN.com
Kremlin says healthcare under heavy strain as COVID-19 deaths hit new high
The Kremlin said on Tuesday Russia’s healthcare system was under heavy strain as authorities reported a record 491 deaths linked to COVID-19 and infections surged. Russia has resisted imposing national lockdown restrictions, as it did earlier this year, preferring targeted regional measures, even as thousands of cases are reported each day, with 24,326 new infections on Tuesday. “The healthcare system is working under heavy strain, but with the exception of a few regions...the situation remains under control,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
24th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Restauranteurs Look To Australia For A Guide On Surviving A Winter Lockdown
In the US, as Covid-19 cases continue to rise by the day, hitting new mind-boggling heights, new dine-in ordinances are being introduced on state and country-wide levels and more states report considering closures by the day. Without bold Congressional action, restaurant and bar owners are left to their own devices to finagle new business approaches in an attempt to survive a challenging winter ahead. “Northern hemisphere restaurants would be wise to take a page from the playbook of some of their southern hemisphere counterparts,” Juan Garcia, founder of restaurant rating and review site Foodporn tells me. “In Melbourne, Australia, for example, the entire winter months of July to October were spent in stage-four lockdown; meaning restaurants, cafes and bars were completely closed to dine-in customers. This forced a transformation never before seen in Melbourne hospitality.”
24th Nov 2020 - Forbes
French business morale hits five-month low on new lockdown
French business confidence dropped in November to a five-month low as the country entered a new coronavirus lockdown, hitting the services sector particularly hard, a survey showed on Tuesday. INSEE, the official stats agency, said its monthly business climate index fell to 79 from 92 in October, the lowest reading since June, when France was still emerging from its first lockdown. French President Emmanuel Macron is due to announce on Tuesday evening a relaxation of the second lockdown following a decline in new case numbers since it was imposed on Oct. 30.
24th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Hong Kong to shut bars, nightclubs for the third time as new COVID-19 cases jump
Hong Kong will close bars, nightclubs and other entertainment venues for the third time this year, Health Secretary Sophia Chan said on Tuesday (Nov 24) as authorities scramble to tackle a renewed rise in COVID-19 cases. Authorities are also reopening a temporary COVID-19 treatment hall near the city's airport. On Tuesday, Hong Kong reported 80 new coronavirus cases, taking the total since late January to 5,782 COVID-19 infections and 108 deaths. The financial hub has so far managed to avoid the widespread outbreak of the disease seen in many major cities across the world, with numbers on a daily basis mostly in single digits or low double digits in the weeks prior to the spike.
24th Nov 2020 - Channel News Asia
Coronavirus vaccine: Transport staff and teachers should be prioritised
Key workers including transport staff and people from deprived areas should be among those included in the priority list for the Covid-19 vaccine, experts involved in health inequalities have said. Nicola Sturgeon this week set out the Scottish Government’s plan to vaccinate 4.4million Scots over the age of 18. There are hopes that around 1million people could receive the jag before the end of January.
Frontline health and social care staff, care home residents and staff and all those aged 80 and over will be the first to receive the vaccine.
24th Nov 2020 - HeraldScotland
Nursing homes will be first to get COVID-19 vaccine in Spain
Elderly residents and staff in nursing homes will be the first to get vaccinated against the coronavirus in Spain, starting as early as January, Health Minister Salvador Illa said on Tuesday, unveiling a national vaccination plan. Other healthcare workers will be next in line, with a total of 18 groups of citizens being, one after the other, allowed to get the vaccine in one of 13,000 local public health centers. Spain expects to cover a substantial part of the population within the first six months of 2021. “The COVID-19 vaccine will be free,” Illa told a news conference, adding vaccination would not be compulsory. “We’re convinced that a vaccine is better accepted if it’s voluntary.”
24th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Ford snaps up freezers to store COVID-19 vaccine for autoworkers
Workers at automotive assembly plants are considered essential in most US states, but are not at the top of the list for early vaccine distribution. Ford Motor Co said on Tuesday that it has ordered a dozen ultra-cold freezers that can safely store Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine, a move aimed at ensuring the United States automaker’s workers have access to vaccines when they are rolled out nationally. Ford’s purchase mirrors efforts by US states and cities to buy equipment to store millions of doses of Pfizer’s vaccine at temperatures of -70C (-94F), significantly below the standard for vaccines of 2-8C (36-46F).
24th Nov 2020 - Aljazeera.com
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 24th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullEngland to use testing to shorten quarantine for incoming passengers
England will introduce a new system on Dec. 15 allowing passengers arriving from high-risk countries to take a COVID-19 test after five days of quarantine and to be released from any further self-isolation if they test negative. Airlines and other companies in the travel and tourism industries had been calling for such a scheme for months, having suffered devastating consequences from a 14-day quarantine rule that has deterred people from travelling. “The move will give passengers the confidence to book international trips in the knowledge that they can return home and isolate for a shorter period if they have received a negative test,” the government said in a statement on Tuesday.
24th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Here’s how the U.S. government plans to distribute the first Covid-19 vaccines.
In the wake of a steady stream of positive results indicating the effectiveness of several coronavirus vaccines, the official in charge of the federal coronavirus vaccine program explained on Sunday news shows how the vaccines might be distributed to Americans as early as next month. Dr. Moncef Slaoui, head of the administration’s Operation Warp Speed, said that within 24 hours after the Food and Drug Administration approves a vaccine, doses will be shipped to states to be distributed. “Within 48 hours from approval,” the first people would likely receive injections, Dr. Slaoui said on ABC’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos.”
23rd Nov 2020 - New York Times
Qantas announces Covid-19 vaccination will be mandatory for all passengers
An airline has revealed that it will demand proof of a Covid-19 vaccination from international passengers. Head of Australian carrier Qantas has confirmed that having the jab - and being able to prove it - will be required by every passenger wanting to fly abroad on their services. CEO Alan Joyce said that as soon as a vaccine became available, it will become a condition of travel, deeming it a necessity for international travel.
23rd Nov 2020 - Manchester Evening News
Covid-19 visiting scheme in place at 'small number' of care homes
Most of Northern Ireland's care homes have not implemented a visiting scheme eight weeks after it was announced by the health minister, the chief nursing officer has said. Charlotte McArdle said a "small number" of homes had started up the so-called care partners scheme. Normal care home visits have been suspended due to Covid-19. The care partner initiative allows a designated relative or carer to visit a resident. Guidance on the scheme was announced by Health Minister Robin Swann on 23 September.
23rd Nov 2020 - BBC News
US, Germany and UK could start Covid vaccinations as early as December
As G20 leaders pledged to ensure the equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, drugs and tests so that poorer countries are not left out, the US, UK and Germany each announced plans to begin vaccinations in their countries in December, while Spain said it would start administering the vaccine to its citizens in January. Britain could give regulatory approval to Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine as early as this week, even before the US authorises it, the UK’s Telegraph newspaper reported on Sunday. Pfizer and BioNTech could secure emergency US and European authorisation for their Covid-19 vaccine next month after final trial results showed a 95% success rate and no serious side effects.
23rd Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Gyms and non-essential shops will open after England lockdown ends: BBC
Gyms and non-essential shops in all areas of England are expected to be allowed to reopen when the country’s current lockdown ends on Dec. 2, the BBC reported on Monday.
23rd Nov 2020 - Reuters
Hungary imposes restricted shopping hours to protect elderly in pandemic
Hungary’s government on Monday limited retail store visits in an effort to separate elderly shoppers and contain the coronavirus pandemic in the most vulnerable over-65 age group. “This government decree serves the protection of the elderly,” Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in a Facebook video. “The pandemic’s statistics clearly show that the most endangered age group is that of our parents and grandparents. Let’s take care of them.” Hungary has tried for months to avoid a second lockdown and prevent further harm to the economy but was forced to close secondary schools and impose an 8 p.m.-5 a.m curfew.
23rd Nov 2020 - Reuters
Gaza declares COVID-19 disaster with health system near collapse
A rapid rise in coronavirus infections in the Gaza Strip has reached a “catastrophic stage”, with the blockaded Palestinian enclave’s medical system likely to collapse soon, health officials warn. COVID is spreading exponentially in Gaza – one of the most crowded places on Earth – especially in refugee camps, and the health ministry has warned of “disastrous” implications.
23rd Nov 2020 - Al Jazeera English
UK aims to inoculate those most at risk from COVID by Easter - Johnson
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that he hoped almost all Britons at high risk from COVID would be vaccinated against the disease by Easter.
“We should be able to inoculate, I believe on the evidence I’m seeing, the vast majority of the people who need the most protection by Easter,” Johnson told a news conference.
23rd Nov 2020 - Reuters
England to allow 4,000 fans at elite events in lowest-risk areas
Up to 4,000 spectators will be allowed to attend outdoor elite sports events in the lowest-risk tier one areas of England when a month-long national lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19 is lifted on Dec. 2, the British government said on Monday.
23rd Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 23rd Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullMaine planning for massive rollout of COVID-19 vaccines
When the trucks roll into Maine with the first batches of COVID-19 vaccine doses – perhaps as soon as mid-December – the state will need to overcome many logistical hurdles to bring the vaccines to pharmacies, doctors’ offices, hospitals, schools, fire halls and eventually the arms of patients. The mass vaccination effort will be a daunting operation, and planning for it has been underway for months. The pandemic has accelerated this fall, so getting people vaccinated as quickly as possible is a top priority for public health officials. Since the pandemic began last winter, more than 255,000 people have died in the United States from COVID-19, including 174 in Maine.
22nd Nov 2020 - Press Herald
Some Russian hospitals face shortages of COVID-19 drugs
Some Russian hospitals are experiencing serious shortages of drugs used to treat COVID-19 and cannot restock because of panic buying, high demand and problems with a new labelling system, officials, distributors and doctors said.
21st Nov 2020 - Reuters on MSN.com
Polish malls to reopen, but PM warns against Christmas travel
Shopping centres will reopen in Poland in a week’s time, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Saturday, in a boost to retailers in the run-up to Christmas, but he added that the government was working on rules to limit travel. The government closed entertainment venues and some shops from Nov. 7 after a surge in COVID-19 cases, but infections have levelled off since then, allowing some loosening of restrictions. There is one condition: ... the discipline of every shop, mall, furniture store. If not, these stores will be closed,” Morawiecki told a news conference. “These decisions can save hundreds of thousands of jobs, which is why we are taking them,” he said.
21st Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Britain hopes Christmas can be saved as COVID cases flatten
Britain could ease stringent COVID-19 rules to allow families to gather for Christmas as signs indicate that coronavirus cases are starting to flatten as a result of current lockdowns, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Friday. The United Kingdom has the worst official COVID-19 death toll in Europe and Prime Minister Boris Johnson has imposed some of the most stringent curbs in peacetime history in an attempt to halt the spread of the coronavirus. But heading into the holiday season, the government faces a dilemma - to ease restrictions, with the risk of renewed spread of the disease and death, or to ban large get-togethers.“It of course won’t be like a normal Christmas, there will have to be rules in place,” Hancock told Sky News.
21st Nov 2020 - Reuters
Trudeau warns Canada's hospitals could be swamped, Toronto to enter COVID-19 lockdown
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday that Canada’s hospital system could be overwhelmed by a possible quadrupling of new COVID-19 cases by year end as its biggest city Toronto prepared to impose a lockdown. Trudeau implored Canadians to stay home as much as possible as a second wave of the novel coronavirus rips across the country, forcing several of the 10 provinces to reimpose curbs on movement and businesses. Cases continue to spike and authorities complain some people are being more careless about taking precautions.
21st Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
NHS assembles army of staff for mass coronavirus vaccinations
The NHS is bringing together an army of retired doctors, health visitors and physiotherapists to embark on the country’s biggest ever mass vaccination programme, the Guardian has learned. The extraordinary effort in England will also include district nurses and high street chemists alongside GPs in the drive to immunise 22 million vulnerable adults, followed by the rest of the population. NHS documents seen by the Guardian show the rollout will rely in part on “inexperienced staff” who will have undergone two hours of online training before starting work. The slides also reveal codenames for two of the most promising vaccines in development: the Pfizer/BioNTech version is called “Courageous” and the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is known as “Talent”.
20th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Covid vaccine: US military ready to deliver 40 million doses once FDA approves
A US general said the military is prepared to deliver Pfizer and Moderna's coronavirus vaccines as soon as they receive emergency use authorisation from the government. US General Gustave Perna, chief operations officer for Operation Warp Speed, told ABC News Friday that the military is ready to deliver millions of vaccine doses once the US Food and Drug Administration grants them emergency use authorisation. Pfizer submitted its vaccine to the US FDA today. Moderna will submit its vaccine later this month. The companies said they expect to produce 50 million doses in 2020 and up to 1.3bn doses by the end of 2021.
20th Nov 2020 - The Independent
Families ‘can visit relatives in care homes at Christmas’ with roll out of rapid 30 minute coronavirus tests
A London council has vowed relatives will be able to see their loved one in care homes this Christmas as they started planning 30-minute on-the-spot Covid tests for families. Hammersmith and Fulham began borough-wide targeted coronavirus testing this week using the lateral flow swabs - piloted in Liverpool - which produce results in under an hour. The council, which is running the operation in conjunction with the Government, will initially test asymptomatic frontline workers in nursing homes and in GP practices, followed by school staff, social workers, people in sheltered homes and other key workers.
20th Nov 2020 - Evening Standard
The world's now scrambling for dry ice. It's just one headache in getting coronavirus vaccines where they need to go
Vaccines like to be kept cool, none more so than the Pfizer candidate for Covid-19, which has to be deep-frozen. And that's going to be an issue for developing countries -- and for rural areas in the developed world. The "cold chain" is just one of the challenges in distributing vaccines worldwide. There are plenty of others: decisions about priority populations and databases to keep track of who's received what vaccine, where and when. Additionally, different vaccines may have more or less efficacy with different population groups; and governments will need PR campaigns to persuade people that vaccines are safe.
20th Nov 2020 - CNN
Toronto is under a 28-day COVID-19 lockdown starting Monday. Here’s what that means
With the risk of overwhelming hospitals in red zones with COVID-19 patients now imminent, Premier Doug Ford is moving Toronto into a 28-day lockdown along with Peel Region. The new measures will return the city to an experience similar to the earlier days of the pandemic with widespread closures. In Toronto, here is what that means as far as closures and new limitations as of 12:01 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 23:
20th Nov 2020 - Toronto Star
Covid-19: A 'step forward' in vaccine roll-out plans and infections levelling off
The UK government has formally asked the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to assess the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, one of the frontrunners in the race for a coronavirus cure. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was "another important step forward" and that, if approved, it would be available across the NHS for free across all of the UK. He said the UK has contributed more than any other country towards researching a vaccine, something he said the country should be proud of. It follows Pfizer and BioNTech seeking emergency authorisation for the vaccine in the US.
20th Nov 2020 - BBC News
Health staff, care homes and over 80s to get Covid vaccine first
Frontline health workers, care home residents and staff and over 80s will be first to get a coronavirus vaccine in Scotland. Next in line will be over 65s and younger people with underlying health conditions likely to badly affected by the virus. More than one million people in Scotland could be vaccinated by the end of January, the health secretary Jeane Freeman told parliament on Thursday. Everyone aged over 18 – around 4.4m people – will eventually be offered the protection from Covid-19, with rollout possibly starting from the first week of December if a vaccine is approved by then.
20th Nov 2020 - STV News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 20th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullThese 10 jobs could disappear or decline because of COVID-19
The COVID-19 crisis has upended the labor market like no other U.S. recession, wiping out 22.2 million jobs in early spring as states ordered business shutdowns.
Since then, about 12 million have been recouped as restaurants and other outlets reopened and brought back furloughed workers.vWhile some of the remaining 10 million lost jobs are expected to return in coming months, many are likely to come back only after a vaccine is widely available next year. Still others may not return for several years, if ever, as the pandemic reshapes the economy, according to a new report by Glassdoor, the job posting and employee review site. “COVID is going to change the way we organize work and the way we spend,” says Glassdoor Chief Economist Andrew Chamberlain.
19th Nov 2020 - USA Today
Asylum seekers in the EU must be given access to new Covid-19 vaccines, UN says
Asylum-seekers in the EU should have equal access to promising Covid-19 vaccines, the head of the UN's migration agency told the European Parliament on Thursday. 'It is for the sake of their safety and well-being of the entire host communities' in the countries taking them in, said Antonio Vitorino, director general of the International Organisation for Migration. He was one of several high-profile speakers dialling in for a virtual conference organised by the European Parliament and Germany on migration and asylum in Europe
19th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail on MSN.com
Finland and Norway Avoid Covid-19 Lockdowns but Keep the Virus At Bay
While the U.S. and Europe struggle to contain an autumn surge in coronavirus infections, two small nations are bucking the trend, keeping cases under control without stringent restrictions. In the north of Europe, Finland and Norway boast the West’s lowest rates of mortality linked to Covid-19 and a low incidence of coronavirus infections even though they have kept their economies and societies largely open while lockdowns returned to the continent. While Sweden has captured global attention with its refusal to adopt mandatory restrictions—a policy now being reversed in the face of spiraling infections and deaths—its two northern neighbors now stand out as the closest Western equivalents to Asian nations that have managed to avoid the worst of the pandemic.
19th Nov 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Lockdown 2.0 Shows Europe’s Businesses Are Learning From the Pandemic
European small businesses that survived the first coronavirus lockdowns are getting creative to weather the second wave and the long-term fallout from the pandemic. Faced with the prospects of another recession and uncertainty over how long the crisis may last, firms are fighting to retain existing customers and hunting for new ones to stay afloat. Many have learned from the painful experience of the first lockdown to navigate some of the drastic long-term changes to work and consumer behavior brought about by the virus.
19th Nov 2020 - BloombergQuint
In Autumn in Paris, struggling shops get creative to survive
Toy store owner Marie Boudier is grateful November has been unusually mild in Paris this year - she’s trying to survive France’s second coronavirus lockdown by selling Lego sets and colouring books through her open front door. From behind a trestle table, Boudier has taken to handing over her orders without letting customers in, a makeshift measure replicated up and down her street and across France amid a minefield of dos and don’ts for stores deemed non-essential. “It’s not exactly clear to what extent we’re doing it right,” Boudier said, breaking away to show one shopper little bags of marbles.
19th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Promise of season’s greetings as France lifts lockdown on Christmas trees
Florists in France have been given the green light to sell Christmas trees from Friday, in what many hope is a sign that the government is set to ease the Covid-19 lockdown and allow family celebrations to go ahead. Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie said the sale of sapins de Noël was to be limited to outdoors, to allow social distancing. "Many places where Christmas trees can be sold are already open, such as supermarkets and DIY stores," he said. "But for florists, outside sales can also be organised." With the holiday season just around the corner, shop owners are keen on returning to business as usual.
19th Nov 2020 - Yahoo News UK
French finance minister calls for postponement of Black Friday amid lockdown
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Wednesday called on supermarkets and on-line retailers to postpone the "Black Friday" sales shopping day due to take place on Nov. 27 as shops selling non-essential goods remained closed during lockdown.
19th Nov 2020 - FRANCE 24 English
SA police out on empty streets as state goes into first day of lockdown
The busy streets of Adelaide looked like a ghost town as South Australians woke up to their first day in lockdown. On Thursday morning, many chose to sleep in and remained indoors to keep cool as the mercury rose to 36C. Regular peak hour traffic heading into the CBD was nowhere to be seen. While the city was near-empty — with the exception of essential workers — SA Police officers hit the streets to hand out face masks to homeless people and essential workers that passed by. Police Commissioner Grant Stevens told ABC Radio additional patrols would be out over the next six days to ensure South Aussies were complying with the tough restrictions.
19th Nov 2020 - NEWS.com.au
UK will set up dozens of mass vaccination centres as soon as vaccines are available - the Telegraph
Britain will set up dozens of mass vaccination centres to immunize people against coronavirus as soon as vaccines are available, the Telegraph reported. One of the first locations for administering Pfizer Inc vaccine from mid-December has been confirmed as being in Derby, the newspaper added.
19th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 19th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in full'A catastrophic situation': COVID-19 threatens to overwhelm Canada's health system
In July, the Canadian province of Manitoba went two weeks without a single new case of COVID-19. Theaters and casinos reopened and children soon returned to school. By October, the 1.4 million people living in a province only slightly smaller geographically than Texas had Canada’s highest rate of active cases - now 512 per 100,000 people, or nearly quadruple the national rate. “In a couple of weeks, we’re going to be in a catastrophic situation,” said Dr. Anand Kumar, a Manitoba intensive care physician.
18th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Brutal Covid second wave exposes Italy's shortage of intensive care staff
Italian hospitals are struggling with a shortage of intensive care specialists as the country battles a severe coronavirus second wave, while some citizens are also turning against health workers. Covid-related deaths rose by 731 on Tuesday – the highest daily toll since early April, when Italy was in complete lockdown – and by 753 on Wednesday, as weaknesses in the healthcare system across the country become more exposed. According to a study by Johns Hopkins University in the US, Italy has recorded four deaths per 100 infections - the third highest rate in the world. Tuesday’s count equated to one death every two minutes. Admissions to intensive care units have almost doubled to 3,612 since 1 November and the number of people in hospital with coronavirus – 33,074 – has eclipsed that reached during the first wave.
18th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Is lockdown working? London businesses urge Government to give city a chance amid claims curbs are helping
In England, lockdown is starting to work in the battle against Covid-19, a Cabinet minister claimed today, as business chiefs appealed for London to be given a chance to recover when restrictions are lifted. Official data is understood to show that the number of coronavirus infections in the community in England is still growing but less quickly in recent weeks. Business chiefs warned that London must be put into a tier which will allow the city to reopen. Jace Tyrrell, who is chief executive of New West End Company, said: “Our hope is that the Government will recognise that the capital can be safely and sustainably reopened for business from December 3.
18th Nov 2020 - Evening Standard
German police fire water cannons at protesters as thousands gather in Berlin anti-lockdown rally
Thousands gathered at Brandenburg Gate to protest covid restrictions in Germany as case numbers rose. Police used water cannons to break up the huge crowds with some protesters throwing flares. Demonstration came as government debated a bill that would make mask wearing, social distancing and shop closures enforceable by law
18th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
Panic-buying across South Australia as state goes into lockdown
Adelaide residents have started panic-buying in supermarkets after Premier Steven Marshall announced a six-day coronavirus lockdown. South Australia is battling a cluster of 22 cases in the city's northern suburbs and will introduce the harshest restrictions the country has seen to slow the spread from midnight. The lockdown - described as 'extreme' by state chief health officer Nicola Spurrier - bans residents from leaving home for exercise and allows one shopping trip per household a day.
18th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
'Where there's a will there's a way' as English doctors prepare COVID vaccine roll-out
English doctors are grappling with the prospect of seven-day service, -75 degree Celsius freezers and vaccines known as “Talent” and “Courageous” as they prepare for an unprecedented logistical challenge: the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccinations. Health minister Matt Hancock has set a target for England’s National Health Service that it should be ready to administer vaccines by Dec. 1, although he has said his central expectation is for the bulk of the roll-out to happen next year. Any distribution of vaccines would also require approval from the country’s medical watchdog, the MHRA. On Wednesday, NHS England medical director Stephen Powis confirmed that general practitioners (GPs), pharmacies and large-scale inoculation centres could all be involved in the vaccine roll-out, adding more details would be given in the coming days
18th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Japan to monitor virus cases, hospitals before any emergency declaration decision
Japan will not immediately declare a health emergency following a record rise in coronavirus cases, and will continue to monitor infection rates and the capacity of hospitals to cope, the government’s chief spokesman said on Thursday. “We will respond appropriately based on conditions,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a regular press briefing. Coronavirus infections in Japan hit a record daily high of 2,201 cases on Wednesday, public broadcaster NHK reported. Almost a quarter of those were in Tokyo, which is expected to raise its pandemic alert level on Thursday, according to local media reports.
18th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine deliveries could start 'before Christmas'
Pfizer Inc PFE.N and BioNTech 22UAy.DE could secure emergency U.S. and European authorization for their COVID-19 vaccine next month after final trial results showed it had a 95% success rate and no serious side effects, the drugmakers said on Wednesday. The vaccine’s efficacy was found to be consistent across different ages and ethnicities - a promising sign given the disease has disproportionately hurt the elderly and certain groups including Black people. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration could grant emergency-use by the middle of December, BioNTech Chief Executive Ugur Sahin told Reuters TV. Conditional approval in the European Union could be secured in the second half of December, he added.
18th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Conspiracy Video Goes Viral in Threat to France’s Vaccine Push
A documentary questioning the purpose of coronavirus vaccines has gone viral in France after endorsements from politicians and celebrities, some of whom later withdrew their support. “Hold Up” got more than 4 million views on Google’s YouTube and other platforms over a couple of days last week, helped along on social media by public figures including lawmakers, former First Lady Carla Bruni--Sarkozy and actor Sophie Marceau. Suspicions over the safety and effectiveness of vaccines are widespread in France. In a study released this week by the liberal think tank Fondation Jean-Jaures, 43% of respondents said they would refuse to get a shot -- 7 percentage points more than in the U.S., and twice as many as in the U.K.
18th Nov 2020 - Bloomberg Quint
Covid Stalks U.S. Nursing Homes Again With Pandemic Redoubling
The tip of the coronavirus spear is piercing the country’s long-term care facilities again in a surge that underscores the nation’s repeated failure to protect its most vulnerable. States reported over 29,000 new infections last week in places such as nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, the steepest uptick since at least May, according to Covid Tracking Project data. They come as national daily case counts were higher than ever in November, with a record of more than 170,000 new cases reported Nov. 13.
18th Nov 2020 - Bloomberg
Covid: New York City closes all schools amid virus spike
New York City has been ordered to close its schools from Thursday, amid a Covid-19 spike. The decision to close the US's largest public school system comes as positive test rates for the virus surpassed the 3% threshold, officials say. It will affect some 300,000 children. New York, where 35,000 residents have died with coronavirus, was the epicentre of the outbreak in the US in the spring. It now appears to be facing a new wave. The US has more infections and more deaths from the virus than any other nation, and has reported record levels of cases in recent days.
17th Nov 2020 - BBC News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 18th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullThe Infection Of Hundreds Of Thousands Of Healthcare Workers Worldwide Poses A Threat To National Health Systems
A study recently published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases from thirty-seven countries found that nearly 300,000 healthcare workers had been infected with Covid-19. In addition to the high number of infections, over 2,500 healthcare workers died from the virus as of August 15th.
17th Nov 2020 - Forbes
Lockdowns, Round 2: A New Virus Surge Prompts Restrictions, and Pushback
California and Michigan moved to shut down indoor dining, and Philadelphia severely limited indoor gatherings. With more than 150,000 virus cases daily, the nation is shutting down again.
17th Nov 2020 - The New York Times
Teachers say Scots school closures should be on the cards as Level 4 lockdown is imposed in 11 council areas
School closures should be on the cards in the 11 local authority areas - including Glasgow - that face Scotland's toughest Covid restrictions on Friday. The level four rules will see the closure of non-essential shops, pubs, restaurants and gyms. Now the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), the country’s largest teaching union, has said schools in Level Four should be allowed to implement blended or remote learning contingency measures
17th Nov 2020 - heraldscotland.com
Will Christmas be in lockdown? What Covid restrictions might look like in the UK, according to experts
As the current end date for England’s second national lockdown approaches, people’s minds will be on what type of Christmas they will enjoy. Announcing the strict measures, lasting from 5 November to 2 December, Boris Johnson told the nation: “Christmas is going to be different this year, very different, but it is my sincere hope and belief that by taking tough action now, we can allow families across the country to be together.”
17th Nov 2020 - iNews
German officials ban anti-lockdown protest near parliament
German officials have cited security concerns in their decision to ban a series of protests planned Wednesday outside the federal parliament by people opposed to coronavirus lockdown measures. The unusual move comes amid fears that extremist groups could try to use a rally initially planned for Wednesday to attack the Bundestag, echoing an unsuccessful attempt to storm the parliament building during a similar demonstration in August.
The Interior Ministry said Tuesday it had rejected 12 requests to hold rallies within a specially designated zone around parliament. Unlike elsewhere in Germany, protesters have to seek permission to stage demonstrations within the security perimeter surrounding certain federal buildings.
17th Nov 2020 - The Associated Press
Italy’s Covid Lockdown Empties Tourist Hotspots, Again
Italy’s spring lockdown, one of the longest and strictest in Europe, gifted extraordinary experiences and photos of the country’s iconic tourist attractions devoid of people. As Italy’s latest COVID rules see regional borders closing and international travel continues to be restricted, these tourist hotspots are once more emptying. The situation is bittersweet. Many businesses, particularly those dependent on tourism, wonder if they’ll manage to survive a second travel hiatus.
17th Nov 2020 - Forbes
Spanish cops raid Instagram influencers' anti-lockdown party at Marbella villa and evict 40 people
Cops called amid reports youngsters were flouting national covid restrictions
Video shows mask-free influencers jumping into pool from roof of Marbella villa
Spain's state of emergency limits public and private gatherings to six people
17th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
China clamps down on frozen food over coronavirus fears
China is zeroing in on cold chain goods to prevent any outbreaks of Covid-19 after packaging of frozen Argentine beef, German pork and Indian cuttlefish tested positive for the virus. Cities across China, the world’s largest importer of beef and pork, have pledged to strengthen screening and sterilisation of imports. The latest campaign to safeguard China’s borders against any reintroduction of Covid-19 began after officials in the north-eastern city of Tianjin, one of the country’s largest ports, tied an infection of a worker in a warehouse to frozen pork imports from Germany last week. In the following days, food packaging tested positive for coronavirus in cities ranging from eastern Jining to southern Xiamen and central Zhengzhou.
17th Nov 2020 - Financial Times
Sask. nurses' union head pitches short-term 'circuit break' lockdown to help turn back tide of new COVID-19 cases
Saskatchewan Union of Nurses president Tracy Zambory joined CTV News at Five anchor Jeremy Dodge to explain why she thinks the province's new COVID-19 rules don't go far enough and how a novel approach taken in Australia could help stop the spread of coronavirus in Saskatchewan. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. So last week, you spoke to us here at CTV News about some of your concerns. And they proved not to be unfounded with, you know, over 400 cases of COVID-19 being confirmed on the weekend. Of course, the impact on the healthcare system has been felt by nurses and everybody on the front lines. Now, the government has taken some action, with new restrictions, what are your thoughts on where we stand?
17th Nov 2020 - CTV News Saskatoon
Jacinda Ardern refutes China's claims it found coronavirus in meat imported from New Zealand
Jacinda Ardern has hit back at claims from China that traces of coronavirus were detected in frozen meat imported from New Zealand. The Prime Minister is now seeking official clarification from China in a determined bid to get to the bottom of the matter after claims emerged from the eastern province of Shandong. Health authorities in the Chinese city of Jinan claimed coronavirus was detected on beef, tripe and product packaging from Brazil, Bolivia and New Zealand.
17th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
UK shopper numbers plunge as English lockdown makes impact
Total shopper numbers across British retail destinations plummeted 57.7% in the week to Nov. 14 year-on-year, reflecting the impact of England’s second national lockdown, market researcher Springboard said on Monday. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland enacted new COVID-19 health restrictions last month and England began a one-month lockdown on Nov. 5 to curb a second wave of the pandemic that has left the United Kingdom with Europe’s highest death toll.
17th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
How bad is Russia's Covid crisis? Packed morgues and excess deaths tell a darker story than official numbers suggest
The limbs of a lifeless body hang off a stretcher in a hospital ward as coronavirus patients battle for their lives just a few feet away. An elderly woman gasps for breath, her desperate panting a grim soundtrack to one of many disturbing cell-phone videos emerging from hospitals across Russia. "This is how our nights look: horrifying," says a male voice narrating the footage, given to CNN by a prominent opposition-linked Russian doctors' union, "Doctors' Alliance," which says it was recorded in mid-October by a hospital staff member in Ulyanovsk, a city around 500 miles east of Moscow. "Two more down in our ward," he says, while filming a corpse. "This is how Covid-19 is killing everybody."
17th Nov 2020 - CNN
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 17th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullInsurers cannot provide unlimited cover in pandemic - UK Supreme Court told
Major insurance companies told the UK Supreme Court on Monday that thousands of small companies battered by the coronavirus pandemic were not eligible for business interruption payouts and to suggest differently was “reverse engineering”. On the first day of a four-day appeal of a test case brought by Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) against insurers, industry lawyers told top judges that businesses could not claim for losses stemming from nationwide lockdowns to curb the virus. Gavin Kealey, a lawyer for insurer MS Amlin, said that only business losses related to COVID-19 infections within a 25-mile radius of insured properties were covered.
16th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
COVID-19 forced at least 11 US patients to undergo DOUBLE lung transplants with 7 at one hospital
At least 11 double lung transplants have been performed across the country including in Florida, New Mexico, Texas and Wisconsin. Seven of those 11 operations have been done at Northwestern Medicine in Illinois between June and October. The first-ever patient was Mayra Ramirez, a 28-year-old Chicago native who spent six weeks on a ventilator before receiving a new set of lungs. Other patients have included healthcare professionals such as Kari Wegg, a 48-year-old NICU nurse, from Indiana. Andrew Lawrence, 54, from Texas, contracted the virus in July while treating patients and was the fifth patient to undergo a transplant at Northwestern
16th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
Schools and parties in spotlight as Germany weighs new Covid rules
Angela Merkel has said she does not have backing among state leaders for new restrictions to give Germany’s “soft” lockdown a harder bite, postponing any decision until a further meeting between the chancellor and 16 state premiers next week. The chancellor had been in favour of people limiting social interactions in private to only one set second household, and forgo any kind of party until Christmas Eve, according to a draft proposal cited by several news outlets including Der Spiegel. The plans were also reported to include advising citizens to quarantine at home for up to seven days, even if they display only the symptoms of an ordinary cold, and tightening hygiene requirements at schools, with teachers and students of all year groups asked to wear face masks throughout lessons.
16th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
'There is no money left': southern Italy's poor pummelled by Covid
For the past 30 years, Grazia Santangelo has made a living selling books and jewellery from a stall at the Ballarò street market in Palermo. It is one of the oldest and liveliest markets in southern Italy — but now it is almost deserted. Because of the coronavirus crisis, 62-year-old Ms Santangelo has lost almost all of her clients and is struggling to pay for basic necessities such as food and medicine. Now that a second round of restrictions has come into force, she says she is lucky to earn €3 a day.
16th Nov 2020 - Financial Times
Morrison government looks at allowing extra flights home as Australians locked out due to COVID-19
Australians trying to flee coronavirus-riddled Europe struggling to secure flights
Demand outstripping supply despite overseas arrival cap rising to 6,000 a week
Government looking at more flights for citizens and then international students
Education Minister Dan Tehan said country becoming 'victim of its own success'
States and territories are asked to make a plan to allow in more overseas arrivals
16th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
UK shopper numbers plunge as English lockdown makes impact
Total shopper numbers across British retail destinations plummeted 57.7% in the week to Nov. 14 year-on-year, reflecting the impact of England’s second national lockdown, market researcher Springboard said on Monday. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland enacted new COVID-19 health restrictions last month and England began a one-month lockdown on Nov. 5 to curb a second wave of the pandemic that has left the United Kingdom with Europe’s highest death toll.
16th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 16th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullSchools start closing — or delay reopening — as covid-19 cases jump across the country
Schools in some parts of the United States have started to close down and numerous districts are postponing plans to reopen in the face of skyrocketing community covid-19 cases, setting back efforts to try to reopen campuses closed since this past spring when the coronavirus pandemic began. Though the latest covid-19 surge is being blamed by health experts on social gatherings and not on schools, officials in Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Topeka, San Diego, Sacramento, Minneapolis, D.C. and other districts have put off plans to soon reopen school buildings for the first time in the 2020-21 school year. Instead students will keep learning remotely at home, with no set date to return to school
14th Nov 2020 - Washington Post
Covid: Vaccine or no vaccine, we have to get through this first
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has promised the NHS will be ready to start rolling out the vaccine from 1 December if its passes its final regulatory hurdles. But that doesn't mean the epidemic will be brought to a sudden halt. There is a huge logistical exercise in vaccinating large numbers of people - the UK has bought enough for 20 million people. And don't forget, unlike the flu vaccine, this one requires two doses. Health and care workers along with older age groups will be prioritised. But given it takes a month from the first dose for an individual to get the full protection and the fact there are 12 million over 65s - nine in 10 deaths have been in this age group - winter is likely to be well gone by the time significant numbers are protected.
14th Nov 2020 - BBC News
Coronavirus: Italy extends 'red zones' as infections soar
Italy has added more regions to its coronavirus high-risk "red zones" as cases across the country hit a new daily record. Campania and Tuscany will join other regions placed under the strictest lockdown measures from Sunday. Authorities in Campania, which includes Naples, have warned that the health system there is close to collapse. Friday's announcement came as Italy confirmed 40,902 new infections - its highest ever daily total. It passed the one million mark earlier this week and there have been more than 44,000 deaths. The government's coronavirus consultant, Walter Ricciardi, told reporters that the country has "two to three weeks to decide whether to impose a new national lockdown".
14th Nov 2020 - BBC News
Melbourne's COVID-19 restrictions are easing, but hundreds of refugees still face indefinite lockdown
It's been a tough year for Melburnians, who are now experiencing their first taste of relative freedom after one of the world's longest and harshest COVID-19 lockdowns. But for hundreds of asylum seekers and refugees living in Melbourne, their perpetual lockdown remains in place with no end in sight. After living in detention in Nauru and Christmas Island for six years, Minah, an asylum seeker from Iran, was moved to Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation (MITA) in Broadmeadows 13 months ago. "For no reason, for no crime, I have to stay in detention," Minah said. Her name has been changed to protect her identity.
14th Nov 2020 - ABC News
Iran blames U.S. sanctions for vaccine payment problems
U.S. sanctions are preventing Iran from making advance payment to the global COVAX facility set up to provide COVID-19 vaccines to poorer countries, the Iranian government said as the virus death toll kept climbing in the Middle East’s hardest-hit state. Battling a third wave of the coronavirus, Iran is considering imposing a two-week total lockdown in the capital, state media reported as the death toll rose by 461, close to a daily record, to 40,582 on Friday. Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV that Iran had identified 11,737 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, taking the total number to 738,322.
14th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Paris boulevards deserted as lockdown claims Christmas shopping trade
Boarded-up windows outside flagship branches of department stores Galeries Lafayette and Printemps bore testimony on Saturday to the impact of a COVID-19 lockdown in Paris. On what would usually be a busy weekend for Christmas shopping, only handfuls of people were out on Boulevard Haussmann, where the stores are located. “It’s sad. We are outside Galeries Lafayette and everything is closed,” said one would-be shopper, Emmanuelle Tiger. “They’ve put up (shop window) lights. That’s great, but we don’t feel the Christmas spirit at all.”
14th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Vaccine is inexact bonus for freight and freezers
Every challenge is also a business opportunity. Rolling out a potential Covid-19 vaccine is no exception. The shots developed by U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, which clinical trials have shown to be highly effective at preventing coronavirus, must be transported and stored at temperatures of minus-70 degrees Celsius or below. The daunting task for authorities eager to quickly deliver billions of doses across the world is a potential boon for those making freezers and handling freight.
14th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Uneasy Under Coronavirus Lockdown, Pubs in England Count Days Till Christmas
At the Crooked Well, a neighborhood pub in south London that prides itself on its food, the Christmas menu is already decided. There will be venison and beef stews. But whether the stews will actually be served is another question. Under a new lockdown planned to last a month, pubs in England have closed again. From Nov. 5 to Dec. 2, restaurants, gyms and nonessential shops are being shuttered by the government’s efforts to suppress a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Britain’s first lockdown lasted more than three months, followed by an ever-changing array of restrictions since. No one knows how long this lockdown will really last.
13th Nov 2020 - The New York Times
Lockdown 2.0: Food companies overhauled production to put more toilet paper, pasta sauce in stores
When rumors first began to circulate that the UK would go back into lockdown, Leanne Barnes despaired as bread and toilet roll flew off the shelves again at her local supermarket. But to her surprise, shelves were back to being fully stocked within a few days. Barnes stocked her pantry last time around with a few additional comfort foods - macaroni cheese, ravioli, soup and spaghetti. But as of last week, she said she felt no urge to stockpile goods. So far, consumers haven’t returned to the sort of panic buying frenzy that sent packaged-food manufacturers scrambling earlier this year.
13th Nov 2020 - Reuters
‘Lockdown fatigue’ behind Delhi’s third Covid wave, experts call for behavioural change
Standing under the shade of an umbrella, Vinod Kumar is rolling out one paratha after another for office-goers in Delhi’s central district, just as he has done for 31 years now. But a mask is missing on his face. He doesn’t plan on wearing one either. “This coronavirus is nothing. I don’t believe it will harm me or my family. If something happens, it’s up to God to save us,” he says.
13th Nov 2020 - ThePrint
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 13th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullU.S. govt partners with pharmacy chains to increase COVID-19 vaccine access
The U.S. government is partnering with regional pharmacy chains and independent community pharmacies to increase access to COVID-19 vaccines whenever they are made available, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said on Thursday. The partnership will cover about 60% of pharmacies throughout the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the U.S. health agency said. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc, CVS Health Corp, Walmart Inc, Kroger Co and Costco Wholesale Corp are among the companies that have so far agreed to participate, the U.S. agency said in a statement.
12th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Italian hospitals face breaking point in fall virus surge
Dr. Luca Cabrini was certain his hospital in the heart of Lombardy‘s lake district would reach its breaking point caring for 300 COVID-19 patients. So far, virus patients fill 500 beds and counting. Italy, which shocked the world and itself when hospitals in the wealthy north were overwhelmed with coronavirus cases last spring, is again facing a systemic crisis, as confirmed positives pass the symbolic threshold of 1 million. “We are very close to not keeping up. I cannot say when we will reach the limit, but that day is not far off,” said Cabrini, who runs the intensive care ward at Varese’s Circolo hospital, the largest in the province of 1 million people northwest of Milan.
12th Nov 2020 - The Associated Press
Catalonia’s bars and restaurants to remain closed 10 more days
On a day when the official death toll from Covid-19 in Spain exceeded 40,000 since the start of the pandemic, authorities in several parts of the country announced new restrictions in a bid to curb the spread of the virus. The Catalan government on Thursday announced that bars and restaurants across the region will remain closed for an additional 10-day period in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Food and drink establishments have been closed for a month, and will remain so at least until November 23. The measure has evidenced a division of opinion among the governing partners and it has also met with criticism from all affected sectors of the economy.
12th Nov 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
New survey shows more than half the French flout Covid-19 lockdown rules
The Ifop survey confirmed that the French are taking the second nationwide shutdown far less seriously than the first in March-April. It showed that 60 percent had flouted the rules at least once, either by giving a false reason for going out on their self-signed permission slip or by meeting up with family and friends. The figure was far higher than during the first lockdown when the proportion of rule-breakers stood at under 40 percent during the first six weeks.
12th Nov 2020 - YAHOO!
New EU Travel Bans: Country By Country Covid-19 Restrictions As Europe Locks Down
In a week when most European countries saw hospitals reach near-saturation point, many nations had no choice but to implement lockdowns, curfews and new travel restrictions. The U.K. reached 50,000 deaths, many countries moved from implementing curfews to full lockdowns, Denmark and other countries restricted movement due to a Covid-19 outbreak in minks and many European countries entered red lists, meaning residents from those countries cannot travel without a negative PCR test.
12th Nov 2020 - Forbes
As U.S. Breaks Hospitalization Records, N.Y. and Other States Add Restrictions
With coronavirus cases surging in New York and across the country, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Wednesday that private indoor and outdoor gatherings statewide would be limited to 10 people and that gyms, bars and restaurants must close daily at 10 p.m. The restrictions will take effect Friday, and Mr. Cuomo said that local governments will be responsible for enforcing them. The limit on gatherings will apply to private homes. The curfew will apply only to bars and restaurants licensed by the state liquor authority, and restaurants can continue to provide takeout and delivery after 10 p.m., but only for food. Mr. Cuomo said that officials were moved to announce the new restrictions as they confronted an increase in cases.
12th Nov 2020 - The New York Times
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 12th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullPfizer's COVID-19 vaccine needs to be thawed from -94F and has to be used within five days: State officials scramble to carry out 'very complex' plans and overcome logistical ...
State health officials in the US are concerned the 'very complex' race to prepare for effective vaccine distribution could be thwarted by logistical challenges. While distribution is being handled on a federal level, state and local healthcare providers are responsible for storing and administering vaccines once delivered. Officials say they've had just weeks to prepare large-scale efforts after recently learning of specific storage requirements for vaccines. Pfizer's vaccine poses the biggest logistical issues so far given doses must be stored at -94F. Other vaccines currently being developed do not need to be stored as such a low temperature
The US government plans to start vaccinating Americans next month if Pfizer has its COVID-19 vaccine approved by the FDA
12th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
Deep-Freeze Hurdle Makes Pfizer’s Vaccine One for the Rich
When Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE’s Covid-19 vaccine rolls off production lines, Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. will be waiting to distribute it through a complex and costly system of deep-freeze airport warehouses, refrigerated vehicles and inoculation points across China. After they reach vaccination centers, the shots must be thawed from -70 degrees celsius and injected within five days, if not they go bad. Then the herculean journey from warehouse freezer to rolled-up sleeve must be undertaken all over again -- to deliver the second booster shot a month later. The roadmap sketched out by the company, which has licensed the vaccine for Greater China, offers a glimpse into the enormous and daunting logistical challenges faced by those looking to deliver Pfizer’s experimental vaccine after it showed “extraordinary” early results from final stage trials, raising hopes of a potential end to the nearly year-long pandemic.
12th Nov 2020 - Bloomberg
What you need to know about BioNTech — the European company behind Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine
Pfizer says its coronavirus vaccine — developed in partnership with BioNTech — was more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 infection. The news was hailed as a significant milestone in the race to deliver a vaccine that can help bring an end to the coronavirus pandemic. There are still huge challenges ahead for the development of a vaccine, but as hopes rise worldwide, CNBC takes a look at BioNTech’s history.
11th Nov 2020 - CNBC
Record Covid-19 Hospitalizations Strain System Again
Hospitals across the nation face an even bigger capacity problem from the resurgent spread of Covid-19 than they did during the virus’s earlier surges this year, pandemic preparedness experts said, as the number of U.S. hospitalizations hit a new high Wednesday. The number of hospitalized Covid-19 patients reached 65,368, according to the Covid Tracking Project, passing the record set Tuesday for the highest number of hospitalizations since April. A spring surge in the Northeast pushed hospitalizations near 60,000. Hospitalizations hit a nearly identical peak again in late July, as the pandemic’s grip spread across the South and West. Epidemiologists said the record is likely to be swiftly replaced by another as Covid-19 cases soar nationally. “We already know this is going to go far north,” said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
11th Nov 2020 - Wall Street Journal
Spain hopes to receive first Pfizer vaccines in early 2021 - minister
Spain stands to receive its first vaccines against COVID-19 developed by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech in early 2021, the health minister said on Tuesday, under a deal being negotiated by the European Union. The EU hopes to sign a contract soon for millions of doses of the vaccine, the European Commission announced on Monday, hours after the two companies said it had proved more than 90% effective, in what could be a major victory in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Spain would initially get 20 million vaccine doses, enough to immunize 10 million people, Health Minister Salvador Illa said on state broadcaster TVE, adding that the vaccination would be free.
11th Nov 2020 - Reuters
India’s Covid-19 Cases Have Plummeted. Many Fear a New Wave.
Two months ago, India looked like a coronavirus disaster zone. Reported infections neared 100,000 a day, deaths were shooting up, and India seemed ready to surpass the United States in total recorded cases. Today, India’s situation looks much different. Reported infections, deaths and the share of people testing positive have all fallen significantly. By contrast, infections in Europe and the United States are surging.
11th Nov 2020 - New York Times
Road to recovery for rural India post-pandemic; how skilled migrant workers can boost hinterland’s growth
As a measure to contain the virus, India declared a lockdown on 24 March 2020 for 1.3 billion people with the prime minister calling for joint action by people, not-for-profits, corporates, and governments. The complete lockdown in the country significantly impacted the quality of life and livelihoods of people. Considering that there has been a historical divide between rural and urban India with regard to the essential infrastructure for Health, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), supply chains, and other important services, the impact of COVID-19 was far more alarming for the rural community.
11th Nov 2020 - The Financial Express
Melbourne counts economic cost of coronavirus lockdown, offering harsh lesson to other cities
The lockdown cost US$71 million a day and resulted in a daily average of 1,200 jobs being lost across the state in August and September. Business leaders say it may take years for Melbourne – which was last year ranked as the world’s second-most liveable city – to recover.
11th Nov 2020 - South China Morning Post
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 11th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullUK making good progress on travel testing to cut quarantine - minister
Britain is making good progress with a plan to allow COVID-19 tests to cut a 14-day quarantine period for those returning from abroad, a change which could help fuel a travel recovery once current lockdowns end, the transport minister said. Airport bosses welcomed the update from the minister, Grant Shapps, at an online conference but said more needed to be done. The top priority for them is that the government eliminates the requirement for quarantine through testing for the coronavirus. “We’re making very good progress on a ‘test to release programme’ to launch once we’re out of this lockdown,” Shapps said on Monday. “Once we emerge from the lockdown, we can roll out new systems to help get people flying and travelling again.”
10th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
French Teachers Strike Over Covid-19 Risks
French teachers' unions called a nationwide strike on Tuesday, protesting over inadequate protection against Covid-19, as the Italian government introduced tough new rules across much of the country following the continued rapid spread of the virus there. Teachers in France say it is impossible for schools to enforce social distancing among pupils even after sanitation rules were tightened earlier this month. Classes are too big, and schools lack staff and equipment such as individual tables, they say. “We are raising the alarm because we don’t want schools to become clusters,” elementary school teacher and union leader Guislaine David said. She said she wants schools to remain open.
10th Nov 2020 - Wall Street Journal
PSNC pushes for pharmacy COVID-19 vaccination service parity with GPs
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) is pushing for a COVID-19 vaccination service in pharmacy “to have parity” with the one commissioned for GP practices. The details for a community pharmacy COVID-19 vaccination service are still being discussed, with the PSNC, the Department of Health and Social Care (DH) and NHS England and Improvement (NHSE&I) having entered “urgent negotiations” about the sector’s role in a vaccination programme, the negotiator announced last week (November 6). Following news of positive interim results released by Pfizer/BioNTech regarding their COVID-19 vaccine, health secretary Matt Hancock said on the BBC Breakfast programme today (November 10), that the “NHS is ready” to deliver a potential COVID-19 vaccine. “The GPs are ready, we’re working with the pharmacists…who’ve got a very important role to play,” he said.
10th Nov 2020 - Chemist+Druggist
Waiting in the wings: how a second lockdown halted theatre's comeback
Two of this autumn’s most anticipated UK theatre shows opened last Wednesday – and promptly closed that night. A revival of the classic musical Rent at Manchester’s Hope Mill and a sequel to the hit play Death of England at the National Theatre in London were scuppered by the introduction of a second lockdown in England on 5 November. Their sold-out runs ended after a handful of previews and a press night. This month was supposed to find England’s theatres welcoming back audiences, albeit at reduced capacity, and plotting a path through the turmoil wrought by coronavirus. Perhaps they would even learn of the long awaited date for stage five of culture secretary Oliver Dowden’s roadmap to fully reopen venues. Instead, productions around the country have been cancelled, postponed or streamed for an online audience instead.
10th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Lockdown 2 leaves music venues in search of an encore
On the genteel Royal Tunbridge Wells Common, a converted toilet has for almost three decades housed The Forum, the Kent town’s premier independent music venue. With a capacity of 250, acts from Oasis to Mumford & Sons have packed out this sweaty little building, epitomising what is most loved about live music. In these dreary lockdown days, we yearn for such evenings. The Forum shut on March 17, in accordance with the UK’s first lockdown, and has since subsisted on donations and sales of merchandise. With help from the government’s £1.6bn cultural recovery fund, the venue was ready to host socially-distanced gigs this month, albeit with a mere 55 patrons. Then came last week’s lockdown mark two, meaning more closures and cancellations.
10th Nov 2020 - The Financial Times
In Italy’s Second Coronavirus Wave, Milan Staggers as Hospitals Fill Up
Italy’s business capital has become the center of a second wave of the coronavirus, putting at risk the country’s economic recovery and reviving the specter of a health-care crisis Italians thought they had overcome this spring. With infections, hospitalizations and deaths linked to Covid-19 rising exponentially, hospitals in Milan are running out of beds even after having converted wards and suspended nonurgent procedures. Ambulances have been forced to wait for hours to drop off patients at hospitals where Covid-19...
10th Nov 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Swaths of European firms risk collapse despite subsidies, ECB warns
One in seven Spanish workers are in businesses at risk of collapse, according to new research by the European Central Bank, excluding those who work for financial companies. This is the highest rate of all large eurozone economies, and comes despite the country’s national furlough scheme. It compares with about 8 per cent of employees in Germany and France and 10 per cent in Italy, also taking into account the use of subsidies to keep people in work, the ECB found. Companies at risk of collapse are defined as having negative working capital and high debt levels.
10th Nov 2020 - Financial Times
How a communist physics teacher flattened the COVID-19 curve in southern India
When the World Health Organization (WHO) issued its first statement on the spread of a novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China, on 18 January, few local governments in India paid close attention. But K. K. Shailaja, the diminutive woman running the health ministry in the southern state of Kerala, immediately perked up her ears.
Shailaja knew many students from Kerala were studying at Wuhan University; some had asked her for internships the previous year. She also knew firsthand the havoc an outbreak could cause. In 2018, during her first stint as a minister, she faced an outbreak of Nipah virus, another deadly pathogen spread from animals to people. “We knew anything could happen at any time,” she says.
10th Nov 2020 - Science Magazine
Ahead by a nose: Covid sniffing dogs prevent surveillance overreach
A British security agency says it is giving up on high-tech solutions to the pandemic in favor of Covid-19 detecting sniffer dogs — because they are a “softer touch.”
Already deployed at Helsinki airport and in airports in the United Arab Emirates, researchers say specially-trained dogs can sniff out a person infected with Covid-19 within seconds — and with almost 100% accuracy. “The results are great,” said Jonathan Ratcliffe, director of the UK security company Guards, during a phone call. Ratcliffe is advocating for the use of dogs in shopping centers and airports. “With the right deployment I think dogs would be really good: they’re a lot less intrusive and negative.”
10th Nov 2020 - Coda
Covid: NHS staff helped through crisis by 'wobble room'
In small room in the Royal Derby Hospital, there's a table bearing a laminated sign. "You are not alone," it says. It continues: "Kindness will get you through. Embrace the challenge. Look after each other. You are stronger than you think." This is the "wobble room", set aside not for patients but for front-line staff to get them away - briefly - from the intense pressure and strain experienced in the first wave of Covid-19. "We made a wobble room because that's what we needed," Kelly-Ann Gurney, an intensive-care nurse, told the BBC.
10th Nov 2020 - BBC News
COVID vaccine breakthrough raises hopes, poses logistical headache
Monday’s potential breakthrough in the race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine has left governments scrambling to meet the logistical challenge of distributing hundreds of millions of doses once it becomes available in coming months. Interim trial data showed the experimental vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and Germany’s BioNTech was 90% effective, spurring hopes of an end to a pandemic that has cost more than a million lives and crashed the world’s major economies. With the two groups expecting to produce some 50 million doses by the end of the year and 1.3 billion doses next year, assuming regulatory approval, German Health Minister Jens Spahn, said the vaccine was a “light at the end of the tunnel”.
10th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Sick patients ‘in limbo’ as operations suspended and mental health problems soar - GPs voice fears over the winter ahead
Family doctors have voiced worries about a growing mental health crisis, battles to get patients into hospital and how exactly the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out will work, as entire surgeries find themselves self-isolating
10th Nov 2020 - Manchester Evening News
Coronavirus doctor's diary: 'We are first-hand witnesses of this devastation'
The second coronavirus wave has already put many hospitals under great pressure, and it's nurses and physios who bear the brunt of it, writes Dr John Wright of Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI). Here he introduces four nurses, who describe the strain they are now under. Work. Sleep. Repeat. Our doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and support staff have settled in to a weary routine. The hospital is nearly full. The patients we admit were infected a fortnight beforehand. The patients who are dying were infected a month ago - when the government's scientific advisory group, Sage, was recommending a circuit break. The virus has used this time to great effect. In Yorkshire, one in 37 people tested positive in the last week of October - almost 3% of the population. This is a prevalence figure beyond our comprehension.
10th Nov 2020 - BBC News
GPs in England will scale back care to deliver Covid vaccines
GP services will be cut back well into 2021 so family doctors can immunise millions of people against coronavirus at new seven-day-a-week clinics, NHS England has said. Health leaders warned that surgeries will not be able to offer their full range of care for patients from next month as doctors and nurses will be immersed in administering jabs at more than 1,200 mass vaccination centres across England, potentially including sports halls, conference centres and open air venues. It came as Britain reported 532 new deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test on Tuesday, the highest daily figure since May. Some 20,412 people tested positive for Covid-19, down slightly from the previous day.
10th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 10th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullRevealed: Covid recovery plans threaten global climate hopes
The prospect of a global green recovery from the coronavirus pandemic is hanging in the balance, as countries pour money into the fossil fuel economy to stave off a devastating recession, an analysis for the Guardian reveals. Meanwhile, promises of a low-carbon boost are failing to materialise. Only a handful of major countries are pumping rescue funds into low-carbon efforts such as renewable power, electric vehicles and energy efficiency. A new Guardian ranking finds the EU is a frontrunner, devoting 30% of its €750bn (£677bn) Next Generation Recovery Fund to green ends. France and Germany have earmarked about €30bn and €50bn respectively of their own additional stimulus for environmental spending.
9th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Why Pfizer’s ultra-cold COVID-19 vaccine will not be at the local pharmacy any time soon
Work to distribute the experimental COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and BioNTech is gearing up after the companies announced successful interim data earlier on Monday, but it will not be coming to local pharmacies for the general public any time soon.
10th Nov 2020 - Reuters India
Israelis may be infected with new coronavirus strain from Denmark minks
Three Israelis who returned from Denmark and were confirmed as infected with the novel coronavirus may have been infected with the new strain discovered among minks in the country recently, according to KAN news. The new strain may have decreased sensitivity to antibodies, which could impact future vaccines, although studies are still being conducted to verify this.
10th Nov 2020 - The Jerusalem Post
Italy faces 10,000 Covid deaths in a month with no lockdown – medics
Doctors in Italy have warned there will be an additional 10,000 Covid-19 deaths in a month in the country unless a national lockdown is imposed. The government is moving toward placing further restrictions in four more regions considered high risk: Campania, Liguria, Abruzzo and Umbria. The Italian Order of Doctors, however, has urged tougher action as hospitals struggle to find space for coronavirus patients. Ambulances have been queuing outside emergency units from Turin in the north to Naples in the south. People were treated for Covid-19 in their cars outside Cotugno hospital in Naples, the capital of Campania, over the weekend. One 78-year-old woman waited in an ambulance for 26 hours before being admitted to hospital.
9th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
New COVID Lockdown Triggers Fight Over Fate Of France's Bookstores
While small business owners across France are feeling the pinch of the nation’s second COVID lockdown, the economic plight of bookstores has taken center stage in the roaring debate about how to fight the pandemic. Late last month, President Emmanuel Macron announced the nation would go into confinement again as COVID rates raced out of control. But he also signaled that this second lockdown would be different based on lessons learned from the two-month shutdown in the Spring. For instance, schools that closed earlier this year have remained largely open.
9th Nov 2020 - Forbes
France to 'limit impact' of new lockdown with schools, public services open
The Banque de France predicts economic activity in November will decline by 12 percent under the country's second Covid-19 lockdown. That compares to a 31 percent decline during the first confinement in April, with the decision to maintain public services and keep schools open playing "a key role" in limiting the economic impact. The new figures were published on Monday in Banque de France's economic forecast under the new lockdown measures.
9th Nov 2020 - Yahoo News UK
Coronavirus: Has pandemic fatigue taken hold in India?
People in India are increasingly lowering their guard during the ongoing festival season, despite the high risk of contracting COVID-19. Many restrictions have been lifted, but the pandemic is far from over. Rudra Nath, 42, a factory foreman in Alwar district of northwestern Rajasthan state, says he feels exasperated having to tell his co-workers to keep their masks on all the time. It has been over a month since the iron fabrication factory resumed production. Since June, the government has been gradually relaxing restrictions on public movement and commerce meant to contain the coronavirus.
9th Nov 2020 - DW (English)
Researchers worry over children with COVID-19
Are children a major source of contagion for COVID-19? Ten months into a pandemic that has claimed 1.2 million lives, experts are still divided on the question, even as governments must decide whether to keep classrooms open or shut.
During the first wave of infection, scientific consensus formed around the concern that children might be a crucial vector — as they are for the flu — in spreading the novel coronavirus.
And then, moving into the summer, the opposite idea took hold: Children, especially young ones, did not infect others that much, several studies suggested. “If you look at the scientific literature, it’s really not very clear,” said Dominique Costagliola, an epidemiologist at the Marie and Pierre Curie Faculty of the Sorbonne University in Paris.
9th Nov 2020 - The Japan Times
Victoria's lockdown 'went too far, businesses have been crushed'
Melbourne restaurateur Chris Lucas says the Victorian government needs to be sensitive that the decision to lockdown the state went too far, crushed businesses, caused hundreds to lose their jobs and took away the futures of so many people.
His comments come regarding the recent develops to Victoria’s reopening, with the 'ring of steel' surrounding the city coming down. Pubs, cafés and restaurants can now serve up to 40 people inside and 70 outside, with increases to 100 patrons indoors, and 200 outside expected from the 23rd of November. “The government needs to be a little bit sensitive about what is going on with regards to these re-opening plans,” Mr Lucas told Sky News host Peta Credlin.
9th Nov 2020 - Sky News Australia
UK shopper numbers plummet as new English lockdown bites
Total shopper numbers, or footfall, across British retail destinations fell 15.4% in the week to Nov. 7 versus the previous week, reflecting the start of England’s new national lockdown, market researcher Springboard said on Monday. With COVID-19 infections rising at an alarming rate the British government imposed a second national lockdown for England, starting last Thursday and running until Dec. 2.
9th Nov 2020 - Reuters India
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 9th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid: Lack of medical supplies 'hits' disabled people
A hospital trust has declared a major incident as demand for oxygen surges among coronavirus patients. Grimsby and Scunthorpe hospital Trust has seen a surge in coronavirus patients admitted as one of the worst affected areas in the country.
As of this morning, there were 106 Covid-positive patients being treated in the Trust's three hospitals - 56 at Grimsby's Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, 47 at Scunthorpe General Hospital and three at Goole. There are six people in ICU in each of the Grimsby and Scunthorpe hospitals, reports the Grimsby Telegraph. Additional nursing staff have been called in to work extra shifts as the virus continues to take its toll on staff.
9th Nov 2020 - BBC News
COVID-19 Nursing Home Cases Up 400% in Surge States
The number of coronavirus infections among nursing home residents in 20 of the hardest-hit states has increased by 400 percent since May, reports the Associated Press. The new data comes from a study by the University of Chicago which determined that cases rose from 1,083 to 4,274 between the week ending May 31 and the week ending October 31. Nursing home resident deaths more than doubled to 699 during the same period and infections among staff more than quadrupled to more than 4,000 in the same five-month period. The rise comes even though the Trump administration has allocated $5 billion to help beef up testing in the country’s nursing homes, including more than 14,000 fast test machines. The 20 states analyzed in the study are those with the highest COVID-19 hospitalizations: Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
9th Nov 2020 - The Daily Beast
Restaurants Defend Dining Rooms as Covid-19 Spreads
Restaurant chains are setting long-term plans to keep dining rooms open whenever and wherever possible as the coronavirus pandemic shows no sign of relenting.
McDonald’s Corp. Starbucks Corp.and other chains are serving customers inside, in line with safety standards they say they have honed during roughly nine months of grappling with the virus. Some executives say they see an immediate boost in sales when dining rooms reopen. However, with Covid-19 cases rising to new heights, these chains and other restaurant owners are closing some dining rooms again now where officials have instructed them to do so. Illinois suspended indoor dining statewide on Wednesday, while a two-week stay-at-home order imposed by El Paso, Texas, through Nov. 11 has shut dining rooms.
8th Nov 2020 - Wall Street Journal
Covid-19: Nursing shortage warning as winter looms
Widespread nursing shortages across the NHS could lead to staff burnout and risk patient safety this winter, the Royal College of Nursing has warned. The nursing union said a combination of staff absence due to the pandemic, and around 40,000 registered nursing vacancies in England was putting too much strain on the remaining workforce. The government says more than 13,000 nurses have been recruited this year. It has committed to 50,000 more nurses by 2025. It also hopes England's four-week lockdown will ease pressure on the NHS. The RCN has expressed concern that staff shortages are affecting every area of nursing, from critical care and cancer services to community nursing, which provides care to people in their own homes.
8th Nov 2020 - BBC News
Manufacturing of AstraZeneca Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine to start in Australia tomorrow
About 30 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine will start production on Monday
Biotech company CSL announced manufacturing would begin in Melbourne
The doses pending approval are expected to be released in the first half of 2021
8th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
Northumberland company chosen for groundbreaking Covid-19 trials
A Northumberland pharmaceutical company has been chosen to take part in ground breaking clinical trials to counter the effect of Covid-19. Morpeth-based Pharma Nord's Bio-Vitamin D3 will be part of the research designed to look at the effects of vitamin D supplementation on the immune system and protecting against the coronavirus. The supplements will be taken by over 5,000 people for a period of six months as they take part in the Queen Mary University of London ‘Coronavit’ study. Scientists hope that the large-scale trial will help to find out if correcting people’s vitamin D deficiencies over winter can reduce the risk and/or severity of Covid-19 and other acute respiratory infections.
8th Nov 2020 - Chronicle Live
Hospital trust declares major incident as Covid-19 surge sees oxygen demand jump
A hospital trust has declared a major incident as demand for oxygen surges among coronavirus patients. Grimsby and Scunthorpe hospital Trust has seen a surge in coronavirus patients admitted as one of the worst affected areas in the country. As of this morning, there were 106 Covid-positive patients being treated in the Trust's three hospitals - 56 at Grimsby's Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, 47 at Scunthorpe General Hospital and three at Goole. There are six people in ICU in each of the Grimsby and Scunthorpe hospitals, reports the Grimsby Telegraph.
Additional nursing staff have been called in to work extra shifts as the virus continues to take its toll on staff. Across the Trust last week, 140 staff members were unavailable to work. This includes 71 from Grimsby's hospital, 48 at Scunthorpe, 6 in Goole, and 15 'across the trust'.
8th Nov 2020 - Mirror Online
Paris police step up patrols to limit lockdown violators
French police have stepped up checks to ensure that the nationwide lockdown is respected across the country, and non-essential travel is avoided. Edward Baran reports.
8th Nov 2020 - Reuters
British police arrest 104 Londoners for breach of lockdown restrictions
British police said they arrested 104 Londoners on Thursday for breach of coronavirus regulations, adding that they expected more arrests as policing operations continued into the night. People gathered in central London despite new restrictions that have been imposed to limit the spread of the coronavirus. “Tonight, a crowd of people chose to ignore the new regulations, to behave irresponsibly and meet in a dangerous manner. More than 100 of these people have now been arrested and will have to face the consequences of their actions”, the Metropolitan Police said.
8th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus: Parents hit hardest by lockdown energy costs in UK
UK families are the hardest hit by coronavirus lockdown energy costs, according to new research from Credit Karma. School closures during lockdown cost parents a total of £368m ($481m) a month in extra energy costs, with each family facing an average £68 spike in inflated energy bills since the UK went into lockdown. This is more than double the rise in energy bills suffered by the average UK household, as the extra energy used by the average household due to lockdown equated to an additional monthly cost of £32.31, according to a Populus poll. As England goes into a second national lockdown set to last until at least 2 December, families are bracing themselves for rising energy bills, with many unsure on how they’ll afford them.
7th Nov 2020 - YAHOO!
Teachers are NOT more likely to get coronavirus than other key workers, official study finds
Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures reveal there is 'no difference' in risk
Other key workers were those working outside the home for at least a day
Trade unions have blasted the Government for keeping schools open
7th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
Covid-19: Lockdown 'opportunity' to fix England's roads
Councils in England have a "unique opportunity" to fix potholes, road junctions and roadside drainage during lockdown, the AA has said. It urged local authorities to ask drivers to move their vehicles to car parks near disused shops, pubs and restaurants while repairs take place. Reduced traffic means work could happen safely and without causing congestion, AA president Edmund King said. Councils said £10bn was needed to bring roads "up to scratch". The government said it had already committed £2.5bn for repairs "as part of the biggest nationwide programme ever announced".
7th Nov 2020 - BBC News
Coronavirus vaccine 'could be distributed by GPs on Christmas and Boxing Day'
GPs could distribute a Covid vaccine on Christmas Day and Boxing Day in a bid to protect people in the UK, it has been reported. Health Secretary Matt Hancock is expected to announce plans next week for jabs to be supplied as early as next month. According to The Sun, family doctors could have capacity to offer the jab seven days a week between 8am and 8pm. It is believed major cities will also have a Covid-19 vaccination centre to help speed up the distribution of the jab. GPs could be supported by 3,000 mobile units, with teams visiting care homes and vulnerable people, the newspaper reported.
7th Nov 2020 - Mirror Online
Coronavirus lockdown England: Internet usage surges on night one
Lockdown 2.0 yesterday came into force with shops and bars closed
As a result people were stayed at home and many streamed and went online
At 9:10pm internet usage surged to a peak of 6.46 Terabytes per second
6th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
Covid-19 vaccine market worth $10bn a year, analysts say
The future Covid-19 vaccine market could be worth more than $10bn a year, generating bumper revenues for pharmaceutical companies that have funded large parts of their research with government money. The calculations by analysts at Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse assume that people will need to take a Covid-19 vaccine every year, like a flu jab, and are based on projected costs for the shot, currently hovering at about $20 a dose. “My base case assumption right now is that you will need annual vaccinations,” said Matthew Harrison, an analyst at Morgan Stanley. “[Covid-19] is not going to go away.” Even taking a “conservative approach” in which only those people who get a flu vaccine also take one for Covid-19, the market would be worth $10bn across developed countries, he said.
5th Nov 2020 - The Financial Times
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 6th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullSweden and Germany removed from England's travel corridors
Britain said on Thursday it was removing Germany and Sweden from its list of countries where travellers would not have to quarantine on arrival in England.
“From 4 a.m. Saturday 7th November, if you arrive into the UK from these destinations you will need to self-isolate,” transport minister Grant Shapps said on Twitter. He added no countries were being added to the list of travel corridors. England entered a second countrywide lockdown on Thursday meaning people must stay at home, barring a limited number of exceptions.
6th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Covid-19: Warning over tough fines as new lockdown begins
People who seriously flout new lockdown restrictions in England will face steep fines, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland has warned. Under the rules, people have been told to stay at home and non-essential shops, pubs and gyms ordered to close. Households are also banned from mixing indoors or in private gardens, unless in a support bubble. Currently there is a £200 fine for each breach which doubles on every offence up to a maximum of £6,400. And organisers of large gatherings face a £10,000 fine. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will give a Downing Street press conference at 17:00 GMT, alongside NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens.
5th Nov 2020 - BBC News
Reluctant last orders as England enters new lockdown
After downing a final round of drinks, queueing outside soon-to-close shops or getting a last haircut, England's 56 million people entered a second coronavirus lockdown on Thursday with more doubts about the stringent policy than the first time around. Prime Minister Boris Johnson abandoned a recently introduced system of regional curbs and announced an England-wide shutdown, after dire warnings that hospitals could soon be overwhelmed with Covid-19 cases. The death toll is hitting six-month highs.
5th Nov 2020 - FRANCE 24
China bans non-Chinese arrivals from UK as England enters lockdown
China has barred non-Chinese travellers from the UK, Belgium and the Philippines, imposing new border restrictions in response to the worsening Covid-19 pandemic.
The Chinese embassy in the UK said on Wednesday that China’s borders were now closed to those arriving from the UK, including those with valid visas and residence permits. The measure, a reversal of recently loosened restrictions, comes as England began a month-long lockdown in an effort to stop a resurgent outbreak. The country has the highest death toll in Europe of almost 48,000 deaths. “This is a temporary measure taken by China in response to the current pandemic,” the Chinese embassy in the UK said.
5th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
How lockdown is killing restaurants, cafes and bars a second time
Hospitality industry suffering a staff shortage due to lack of international visitors
Catering Australia CEO Wes Lambert said issue was pronounced in Melbourne
He said backpackers or international students filled most jobs prior to COVID-19
5th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
Lockdown England: Police attacked as revellers hit streets after pubs call last orders for final time
The final hours before lockdown came into effect across England saw police tackling violent scenes around the country as revelllers gathered for the last night out in what could be more than a month.
5th Nov 2020 - The Independent on MSN.com
Barely back on their feet, UK small businesses face crushing new lockdown
Business has been tough for Mandy Yin, chef and owner of a Malaysian restaurant and takeaway in London, since she tentatively reopened in June after being forced to shut down for two months during Britain’s first national coronavirus lockdown.
5th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
U.S. coronavirus cases climb by record for second day in a row, up over 109,000
Coronavirus cases in the United States surged by at least 109,757 on Thursday, according to a Reuters tally, the second consecutive daily record rise as the outbreak spreads in every region. The tally is expected to push higher still when California’s county-by-county data is added. U.S. cases have risen by over 100,000 for three out of the last seven days, putting pressure on hospitals in several states and causing families to rethink their plans for Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 26. Nineteen out of 50 states reporting record one-day increases on Thursday. Previously, the most states that reported records for new cases in a single day was 16 on Oct. 30, according to Reuters data.
5th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Uzbekistan to test three COVID-19 vaccines, plans no lockdown
Uzbekistan has no plans to impose another lockdown despite the growth in COVID-19 cases globally, and intends to take part in the final trials of Chinese and Russian vaccines, a senior health official said. Tashkent is in talks with China’s Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical, a unit of Chongqing Zhifei, and Sinopharm about stage III trials, as well as the developers of Russia Sputnik V vaccine, deputy health minister Shakhrukh Sharakhmetov said. The country of 34 million has imposed two nationwide lockdowns this year to curb the spread of the coronavirus, but hopes that extensive preparations for a potential second wave will allow it to avoid imposing severe restrictions again.
5th Nov 2020 - Reuters India
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 5th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 drive to clear hospital beds left some of those discharged with unmet needs and no support
The drive to rapidly clear hospital beds at the start of the pandemic left some of those discharged unsupported with unmet care needs, research has found. More than four in five of those discharged between March and August 2020 (82%) did not receive a follow-up visit and assessment at home, with 18% of this group reporting an unmet care need, found a survey of 352 patients and 177 carers of people discharged during this time. Almost half (45%) of disabled respondents to the survey by Healthwatch and the British Red Cross reported unmet needs following their discharge, as did 20% of those with long-term conditions. Issues reported by those with unmet needs included problems accessing aids and equipment, a lack of consideration of their home situation and being unsure how to manage their conditions.
4th Nov 2020 - Communitycare.co.uk
Lloyds and John Lewis axe thousands of jobs on eve of second lockdown
More than 3,000 jobs are being cut after a number of big employers launched redundancy plans on the eve of the second national lockdown in England. They include 1,070 job losses at Lloyds Banking Group, as well as 1,068 roles at Do & Co, an Austrian catering company operating at Heathrow airport, according to Unite, Britain’s biggest union which has hit out against the plans.
4th Nov 2020 - The Times
Covid-19: NHS in England moves to highest alert level
The NHS in England has been placed on its highest alert level, bosses have announced. The move by NHS England means staff can be moved around the country, while patients may be sent to other regions for treatment if Covid threatens to overwhelm local services. Health bosses said they were seriously concerned, adding the NHS was facing a "very difficult winter". But they said they hoped lockdown would help avoid major disruption. Evidence presented at a press briefing in London suggested hospitals could take a maximum of 20,000 Covid patients before other services, such as routine surgery, would be disrupted. Hospitals are currently treating just over 10,000 patients - and are expected to get close to the 20,000-mark in the coming weeks, given the infection levels seen recently.
4th Nov 2020 - BBC News
Nearly one-third of all intensive care beds in Spain occupied by coronavirus patients
A third of Spain’s intensive care unit (ICU) beds are now occupied by coronavirus patients, according to the latest report on the pandemic supplied on Tuesday by the Health Ministry. In total, 2,754 people are receiving intensive care treatment for Covid-19, 104 more than on Monday, and with 531 more admissions than discharges. Since the pandemic took hold in March, a total of 15,898 patients have needed ICU treatment for the coronavirus.
4th Nov 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
France ups its lockdown police patrols
France reinstated a one-month national lockdown on Friday (October 30) to try and contain the resurgence of the pandemic. Movement is restricted to 1 kilometre from one's residence, with exceptions for reasons such as work that cannot be done from home, family obligations and medical visits. Patrol commander Gilles Foliard said lockdown rules were generally being followed, but that they would be more strict in asking people to show certificates if they were traveling outside the 1-km zone. Violators faced an initial fine of 135 euros, and three violations over 30 days could be penalised by a 3750 euro fine and 6 months' imprisonment.
4th Nov 2020 - YAHOO!
Australia's Victoria reports no COVID-19 cases for fifth straight day
Australia's coronavirus hot spot of Victoria state on Wednesday reported zero COVID-19 cases for the fifth straight day as states began easing regional border restrictions, raising prospects of a faster return to normal. South Australia on Tuesday said it would reopen its border with Victoria in two weeks, while the country's most populous state of New South Wales is expected to take a decision on border restrictions later in the day. Victoria last week ago allowed restaurants and cafes in state capital Melbourne - home to 5 million people - to reopen after more than three months under a stringent lockdown but gatherings remain under tight control.
4th Nov 2020 - YAHOO!
Will Melbourne ever be the same again post COVID lockdown?
Will Melbourne bounce back once it has conquered the coronavirus pandemic, or will COVID-19 leave lasting scars on the city, just as the virus appears to do on many of the people who survive it? On Wednesday, Victoria recorded its fifth straight day of no new cases of coronavirus and no deaths after Melburnians spent their first weekend out of lockdown. The pressure is now on for economic recovery, with businesses and the city hoping that people will now be confident to head back into the CBD.
4th Nov 2020 - ABC News
Corporate New Zealand's quick to return to air travel providing massive boost to travel industry
Zoom may have been one of the buzzwords of 2020, but more and more New Zealand businesses are returning to a different kind of zooming: flying. Research from travel management company FCM Travel Solutions - which is part of the Flight Centre Travel Group - shows a staggering 56 percent of New Zealand businesses have employees and executives flying as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on internationally. That puts Aotearoa's rate six percent above the global average.
Nick Queale, General Manager Flight Centre Corporate says FCM bookings show that after the first period of national lockdown and compared to the same time last year, travel bookings returned to 11 percent within one week, and 24 percent within five weeks.
4th Nov 2020 - Newshub
Australia records one local COVID-19 case, New Zealand quarantine worker tests positive
Australia reported on Tuesday one locally acquired case of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, while New Zealand registered its first community transmissions in more than two weeks, after two workers at a quarantine facility tested positive. Australia's most populous state of New South Wales reported the single case, although it and northeastern Queensland state said there were six infections among people returning from overseas and in quarantine. The result means that the southeastern state of Victoria, the epicentre of Australia's outbreak, has now gone four days without any new infections detected. With infections curtailed, South Australia said it would reopen the border with Victoria in two weeks. Anyone travelling from Victoria will have to quarantine for two weeks after arrival, said South Australian Premier Steven Marshall.
4th Nov 2020 - Reuters on MSN.com
Jordan suffers Covid surge after early success against virus
Rates of new Covid-19 cases in Jordan have risen to among the highest in the world a few months after the kingdom appeared to have eliminated community transmission of the virus and relaxed most public health restrictions. As recently as three months ago, Jordan was counted alongside New Zealand, Thailand and Vietnam as a coronavirus success story, after going weeks without detecting infections in the community and registering just over 1,100 cases and 11 deaths as of late July. On Monday this week the country of 10 million people announced it had detected a daily record 5,877 cases – one of the highest per capita rates in the world – with more than 80,000 detected overall. Nearly 970 people have died.
4th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Nearly 600 NHS staff are off work amid Covid outbreak at hospitals in Stoke and Stafford as six workers at trust test positive for coronavirus after sharing car without wearing masks
Nearly 600 NHS staff at hospitals in Stoke and Stafford are self-isolating. Trust reported nearly 1,000 staff are off sick amid the coronavirus pandemic. Six workers fell ill with Covid-19 after not wearing face masks in car share
4th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 4th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullYorkshire town's bleak Covid outlook as hospital faces staffing crisis
Barnsley is in the midst of a coronavirus crisis with the town's health boss warning the situation is "extremely serious". As the UK heads into a second national lockdown Julia Burrows, director of public health for the borough, says she is concerned at the number of people in intensive care with the virus.
4th Nov 2020 - Yorkshire Live
Ending England’s lockdown in December is realistic, says medical chief
It is realistic that England’s forthcoming national lockdown can end on Dec. 2, chief medical officer Chris Whitty said on Tuesday, as it is designed reduce COVID-19 transmission rates enough to move into less stringent measures. Whitty said that any decision on whether to extend the lockdown, due to come into force on Thursday, would be for government, but he had faith that the public would adhere to the new restrictions.
3rd Nov 2020 - Metro US
Coronavirus: Panic buyers strip shelves as England prepares for lockdown
In scenes reminiscent of the first lockdown in March, some supermarket shelves have begun emptying once more, ahead of the second lockdown in England. Social media users have shared pictures of empty shelves where usually there would be toilet roll, bread, vegetables and meat, despite stores insisting there are no stock shortages. All non-essential shops will close from Thursday, as England enters another strict coronavirus lockdown. But food shops, supermarkets, garden centres and certain other retailers providing essential goods and services can remain open. The lockdown is due to end on 2 December, with the government hoping to then reintroduce a localised tiered system of restrictions.
3rd Nov 2020 - Sky News
Europe's shopkeepers on the warpath over lockdowns
Many European shopkeepers reluctantly accepted the need to close during the coronavirus lockdowns in the spring, but the second round of shutdowns in the autumn is proving a more difficult pill to swallow for bookstore owners, florists and hairdressers from Italy to Ireland — and harder for governments to enforce. France’s small traders, backed in some cases by their local mayors, have complained about the injustice of the measures imposed by Emmanuel Macron’s government from last Friday, arguing the restrictions on shops favoured big chain stores and online retailers such as Amazon. They were further enraged by Amazon’s launch of a premature “Black Friday” sale, supposed to be on November 27, which prompted remonstrations from the French finance ministry and a promise from Amazon to stop publicising the presale.
3rd Nov 2020 - Financial Times
Italian doctors urge tougher restrictions fearing 'tsunami' on hospitals
Italian doctors have urged the government to impose more aggressive measures to contain escalating infections over fears of a coronavirus “tsunami” on hospitals.
Giuseppe Conte’s government is working towards a “light lockdown” to avoid paralysing the country, Sandra Zampa, a health ministry undersecretary said before a meeting with regional presidents to thrash out an agreement that could see shutdowns only in badly affected and at-risk regions.
3rd Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Primark calls for extended trading hours after UK lockdown
Primark has called for store trading hours to be extended in December to help retailers offset the impact of the latest round of lockdowns in the UK, its most important market. George Weston, chief executive of Primark parent company Associated British Foods, said extending Sunday opening hours in particular “would help us, help consumers, help the high street”. “In some locations we could even open 24 hours. We know the demand is going to be there,” he said on Tuesday, based on the experience when Primark reopened after the first lockdowns.
3rd Nov 2020 - Financial Times
French government details products that can be sold during second lockdown
France’s government on Tuesday updated its conditions for businesses to continue selling products deemed to be essential during the new confinement declared to fight the second wave of Covid-19. Large retailers have until Wednesday to close off sections selling goods not on the list.
3rd Nov 2020 - RFI English
English retailers fret over Christmas as lockdown 2.0 looms
This year, the annual illumination of the Christmas lights on London’s famous Oxford Street was very much a bittersweet moment. The lights, which were turned on this week, are celebrating the people who helped during the coronavirus pandemic. They should have symbolized the start of a keenly awaited retail season following a year marked by lockdown restrictions. But with a second lockdown in England set to come into place on Thursday, shops selling nonessential items such as books and sneakers have been ordered to close, at least until Dec. 2. During the first lockdown they closed for nearly three months until mid-June.
3rd Nov 2020 - Associated Press
China changes school curriculum to reflect Beijing's positive Covid narrative
Chinese government-endorsed content about the pandemic and the “fighting spirit” of the country’s response will be added to school curriculum, the country’s ministry of education has said, in a move to enshrine the country’s narrative of success against the virus. The content will be added to elementary and middle school classes in biology, health and physical education, history, and literature, and will “help students understand the basic fact that the Party and the state always put the life and safety of its people first”, the ministry said on Wednesday. “Students will learn about key figures and deeds which emerged during the epidemic prevention and control efforts. They will learn to foster public awareness and dedication, to enrich knowledge about the advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics,” the ministry said.
3rd Nov 2020 - The Guardian
More than 400 people arrested at anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne
A policewoman was taken to hospital after she was injured when officers shut down a large anti-lockdown rally and arrested more than 400 protesters in Melbourne’s CBD. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Victorian parliament on Tuesday to oppose the state government’s strict Covid-19 lockdowns in Melbourne that were eased last week, holding up signs that read “Tell the Truth”, “Not Happy Dan”, “Masks Don’t Work” and “Corona Hoax 1984”. A Victoria police spokeswoman told Guardian Australia the force “was disappointed to arrest a large number of protestors who again showed disregard for the safety of the broader community and the directions of the chief health officer”.
3rd Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Ireland's latest coronavirus curbs put 85,000 temporarily out of work
Around 85,000 more people have claimed temporary COVID-19 jobless benefits since Ireland moved to the highest level of restrictions to fight the virus two weeks ago, data showed on Tuesday. Limiting restaurants to takeaway service and the closure of non-essential retail pushed claims up to almost 330,000, from 244,153 before the six-week measures were introduced on Oct. 22, but far below a peak of 600,000 during a stricter lockdown in May. Recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) have been on the rise since hitting a post-lockdown low of 205,000 at the start of October. They are expected to have helped push Ireland’s unemployment rate up to around 20% in October, from 14.7% in September. October unemployment data is due on Wednesday.
3rd Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Third of staff 'fear catching Covid at work'
More than a third of workers are concerned about catching coronavirus on the job, according to a study by the Resolution Foundation think tank. The poorest paid are particularly worried, the research found, but also the least likely to speak up about it. Younger workers are also less likely to raise a complaint, the Resolution Foundation said. The widespread concerns come despite government advice on making workplaces Covid-secure, researchers said. Lindsay Judge, research director at the Resolution Foundation, said: "More than one-in-three workers are worried about catching coronavirus on the job, despite the extensive steps employers have taken to make workplaces Covid-secure.
3rd Nov 2020 - BBC News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 3rd Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullBritish business warns of ‘devastating’ lockdown hit
UK companies have warned of hundreds of millions of pounds in lost business over the coming weeks as they scramble to assess the cost of the new lockdown in England. Associated British Foods said its Primark high-street fashion chain would lose £375m in sales after the government ordered all non-essential shops in England to close for at least four weeks from November 5, alongside similar measures elsewhere in Europe. Retailers warned over the weekend that the forced closure would be a “nightmare before Christmas”. Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said the lockdown “will cause untold damage to the high street in the run-up to Christmas, cost countless jobs and permanently set back the recovery of the wider economy”.
2nd Nov 2020 - The Financial Times
UK aviation needs government support for new lockdown pain: airport boss
Britain’s airports and airlines need urgent support to survive the “very bleak future” posed by a new lockdown in England, warned the boss of one of the country’s biggest airport groups. Very low levels of travel in recent months have put airlines and airports under renewed financial strain after they were effectively shut during Britain’s first lockdown, and they now face another month without income during its second. “An urgent package of support must materialise,” said Manchester Airport Group’s (MAG) chief executive Charlie Cornish in a statement on Monday. He said the new lockdown for England, due to start on Thursday and which bans international leisure travel, will make parts of the aviation sector unsustainable.
2nd Nov 2020 - Reuters
'Lenient' start to France's lockdown as police dish out 5,000 fines
French police will be stepping up lockdown inspections from Monday after a “lenient” start to the nationwide reconfinement that saw nearly 5,000 people fined for breaking the rules. Interior Ministor Gérald Darmanin told BFMTV more than 100,000 checks have been carried out since strict new measures came into effect on Friday – with police now under orders to carry out “reinforced controls”. "The first days of real confinement, if I dare say so, are starting today", Darmanin said, adding the flexibility over the weekend – the end of school holidays – was to allow people to return from vacation. Non-essential businesses including restaurants, bars and shops have been closed until at least 1 December as France tackles a difficult second wave of coronavirus infections.
2nd Nov 2020 - YAHOO!
Australia records zero Covid-19 cases for first time in five months
Australia has recorded its first day of no local cases of Covid-19 in almost five months. Zero cases were reported in the 24 hours between 20:00 on Friday and 20:00 on Saturday - the first time this has happened since 9 June. The state of Victoria - epicentre of Australia's second wave - recorded zero cases for the second day in a row after a 112-day lockdown. Health officials say more restrictions may be eased in the coming days. "Thank you to all of our amazing health & public health workers & above all else the Australian people," Health Minister Greg Hunt said on his Twitter account.
2nd Nov 2020 - BBC News
Covid: 'We are hanging by a thread' - hospital doctor
If you want to know why England is going into lockdown, Liverpool's intensive care units may help give you the answer. They are struggling to cope. "We are hanging by a thread," says Dr Oliver Zuzan, divisional medical director at the Royal Liverpool Hospital. He is speaking to me in a six-bed intensive care unit, reserved for non-Covid patients. At least here there's no requirement for the staff to spend their shifts in full PPE, with tight-fitting masks that dig into their faces. Here it's just an apron, gloves and surgical mask. The intensive care unit has had to be split into Covid and non-Covid areas. In the side rooms, patients wait for a diagnosis that will determine whether they are cared for in a red zone (Covid) or green zone (non-Covid). "People are right to say that these are pressures that occur every winter, but this time it's just a lot worse. This is winter plus, plus, plus," says Dr Zuzan.
2nd Nov 2020 - BBC News
'Summer's first line of defence': new rules, fines for cafes, restaurants, bars and pubs
The NSW government is finalising plans to mandate QR check-in codes in all hospitality venues ahead of summer, including on-the-spot fines for businesses that fail to use the technology. QR codes will be the state's first line of defence over summer, with the government working to enforce electronic customer sign-in systems in all cafes, restaurants, bars and pubs.
2nd Nov 2020 - Sydney Morning Herald
UK regulator, insurers, set for November court battle over COVID-19 case
The UK Supreme Court will hear an appeal on Nov. 16 of the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) test case over which insurance companies should offer payouts to small businesses battered by the coronavirus pandemic, it said on Monday. The hearing is expected to last four days, the court said in a statement. Small businesses – from cafes and wedding planners to events businesses – have said they faced ruin after attempts to claim compensation for business losses during the pandemic, which prompted a three-month national lockdown in March followed by other restrictive measures, were rejected by insurers. The FCA, six insurers and an action group are appealing a lower court judgment that sought to clarify whether 21 policy wordings, affecting potentially 700 types of policies, 60 insurers, 370,000 policyholders and billions in claims, cover disruption and government-ordered closures to curb the virus.
2nd Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Europe Aims to Emerge Smarter From Latest Lockdowns
One by one, governments across Europe are reintroducing strict new measures to tame a resurgent pandemic after concluding that light-touch strategies aimed at containing Covid-19 have failed to keep infections in check. Britain, France, Germany, Ireland, Austria and Belgium are all now back under pandemic-containment regimes similar to those imposed in the spring, with bars and restaurants shut and people’s freedom to socialize with others curtailed. Schools by and large remain open, though, and governments have expressed hope the new restrictions will be lifted within weeks. Some public-health experts say the reimposition of lockdowns shows the middle-way policies deployed over the summer, such as restrictions targeted at specific places or demographic groups, haven’t succeeded in curbing the spread of the virus. New coronavirus cases in the European Union and the U.K. are running in excess of 175,000 a day on average, according to the latest official tallies, while in the U.S. daily cases are around 80,000. Without tougher action, these governments say hospitals in many places will be overwhelmed in weeks.
1st Nov 2020 - Wall Street Journal
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View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Two fifths of doctors say pandemic has worsened their mental health
More than two fifths of doctors in the UK say that their mental health is now worse than before the pandemic, a BMA survey has found. The association received responses from 6610 doctors working across England to a snapshot survey it conducted in October. Of the 6550 doctors who responded to a question about their mental wellbeing, 43% said that they were currently experiencing work related depression, anxiety, stress, burnout, emotional distress, or other mental health condition and that it was worse than it had been before the pandemic started. A further 12% said they had a work related mental health problem but it was no different than it had been before the pandemic, while 39% said they did not have a work related problem, and 6% preferred not to say. Of 6559 doctors who responded to a follow-up question, a third (32%) said that their health and wellbeing were slightly worse than it had been during the first wave of the pandemic and 10% said it was much worse. More than a third (37%) said it was the same, while 21% said it was better.
27th Oct 2020 - The BMJ
WHO chief in quarantine after Covid contact
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), has gone into self-quarantine, he announced late on Sunday, after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19. “I have been identified as a contact of someone who has tested positive for #COVID19. I am well and without symptoms but will self-quarantine over the coming days, in line with WHO protocols, and work from home,” he wrote on Twitter.
2nd Nov 2020 - South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: Spain's funeral homes strike as cases rise
Staff at funeral homes in Spain have gone on strike to demand more workers as coronavirus deaths continue to rise. Unions say more staff are needed to prevent the delay in burials that was seen during the first wave of the pandemic in March.
Europe is grappling with a second wave as cases and deaths continue to rise. A number of countries have introduced new measures such as curfews and lockdowns to try and bring infection rates down. On Saturday, Austria and Portugal became the latest countries to announce new restrictions.
2nd Nov 2020 - BBC News
Russia's remote regions struggle to cope with burgeoning Covid cases
Months after the Kremlin said it had the coronavirus pandemic under control, record numbers of Russians are falling ill and dying of the disease every day, pushing the country’s health services to breaking point while Vladimir Putin has ruled out a new nationwide lockdown. The official daily tally of new cases rose above 18,000 for the first time on Friday, when 355 deaths were also reported. Critics say the death toll indicated by tallies of excess deaths could be far higher. The increases have mirrored those in European countries such as France and Spain, but the brunt of the outbreak has been borne by far-flung regions that rarely make the evening news. As opposed to the spring outbreak, when Moscow, St Petersburg and the Caucasus region were worst affected, the new rise has been driven by the disease’s spread across the Urals, Siberia and the border with Kazakhstan, where colder weather has already driven many people indoors.
1st Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Businesses say second second lockdown is ‘nightmare before Christmas’
Retail and hospitality leaders have laid bare the difficulties they face over the next month, as they rush to put measures in place to cope with the ‘devastating blow’ of a second lockdown. The British Retail Consortium described the latest restrictions as the ‘nightmare before Christmas’,
1st Nov 2020 - Metro
France faces lockdown resistance as small shops pay the price
The French government promised on Sunday to protect the nation’s beloved independent shops that fear losing their business to international giants, such as Amazon, as it sought to quell opposition to a new coronavirus lockdown. In common with other European nations suffering from an upsurge in the novel coronavirus, France has entered a second strict lockdown, which includes closing non-essential stores for at least 15 days.
1st Nov 2020 - Reuters
19 NHS trusts are already treating more Covid-19 patients than in April, analysis
Liverpool, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Warrington, Greater Manchester, Bradford and Leeds all affected. Even some places in Tier Two lockdowns treating more coronavirus patients than at peak six months ago. Dominic Raab today hinted Government could introduce a new Tier Four set of even stricter restrictions
31st Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
Fact check: Will private insurance be required to cover a Covid vaccine if Obamacare is overturned?
On Wednesday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced rules for insurers to cover the cost of administering a Covid-19 vaccine when one is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Yet on the campaign trail, former Vice President Joe Biden has been warning that if the Affordable Care Act is overturned, as the Trump administration is attempting to do, vaccines would not necessarily be covered by insurance, and that many people will have to pay for them out of pocket. "[O]verturning the ACA could mean that people have to pay to get Covid-19 vaccine once it's available," Biden said Wednesday. "That's right. The law that says insurers are required to cover vaccines for free is the Affordable Care Act."
31st Oct 2020 - CNN
Someone leaked the COVID hospitalization data taken from the CDC
Earlier this year, the federal government made a major change to how data on the pandemic is reported, taking the aggregation of hospital data away from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and shifting it into the CDC's parent organization, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). At the time, there were worries that this represented an attempt to limit the public's ability to see how bad the pandemic was—worries that were reinforced when the data was no longer made public as it came in. But some recent reporting indicated that the change was primarily the work of White House Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator Deborah Birx, who wanted greater control over the data gathering and processing. Still, regardless of the motivation, the data flowing in to HHS only made its way out to the public via weekly summaries.
31st Oct 2020 - Ars Technica
Study launched to establish the impact of Covid-19 on health of Wales' care workers
A study has been launched to establish the risk of Covid-19 to domiciliary care workers across Wales. The pandemic is thought to have had a significant impact on the health of 20,000 workers offering care to the elderly or people with life-limiting conditions in their homes. The study, led by Cardiff University, will assess the health of public and private care workers, including Covid-19 infection itself, mental health and other illnesses. Earlier this year, carers told ITV News they were under extreme pressure with extra responsibilities due to a lack of district nurses and GPs available to see patients in the community. Health professionals have also issued stark warnings about the potential crisis if carers' mental health needs aren't addressed.
30th Oct 2020 - ITV News
Coronavirus: Parisians eager to 'get rid' of virus on day one of second lockdown
Paris is a strange place to be on this first morning of a new lockdown. Usually here you need to navigate the mass of people, the crazy traffic. There are some people and vehicles out there but it's the first time I've see the road around the Arc De Triomphe with free flowing traffic. On the usually busy streets nearby where you expect to queue for a morning coffee, the cafes, bars and restaurants are shut - the area missing the pulse of the people.
30th Oct 2020 - Sky News
Pakistan's early exit from COVID-19 lockdown helps it win big on exports orders
Pakistan's decision to loosen pandemic restrictions early has helped the nation's exports emerge stronger than its South Asian peers. Outbound shipments have grown at a faster pace than Bangladesh and India as textiles, which account for half of the total export, led the recovery. Islamabad saw total shipments grow 7 per cent in September, compared with New Delhi's 6 per cent and Dhaka's 3.5 per cent. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's administration was the first in the region to ease pandemic restrictions, allowing export units to reopen in April, a month after locking them down to stem the spread of COVID-19. That's helped draw companies from Guess? Inc., Hugo Boss AG, Target Corp. and Hanesbrands Inc. to the South Asian nation.
30th Oct 2020 - Gulf News
Will the Hardest-Hit Communities Get the Coronavirus Vaccine?
It is an idea that may never have been tried in wide-scale vaccine distribution: Citing principles of equity and justice, experts are urging that people living in communities hardest-hit by the pandemic, which are often made up of Black and Hispanic populations, get a portion of the first, limited supply of coronavirus vaccines set aside just for them. A committee of experts advising Dr. Robert R. Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is considering the idea. But as it comes into focus, its underlying concepts and execution must be further defined, and the approach may then face legal and political challenges, even as the medical system grapples with the anticipated logistical hurdles of distributing new vaccines.
30th Oct 2020 - The New York Times
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View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Eat Out to Help Out 'accelerated second wave of COVID-19', study says
The Eat Out to Help Out scheme caused a "significant" rise in new coronavirus infections, a new study suggests. According to the University of Warwick, the sharp increase in COVID-19 infection clusters emerged a week after the scheme began.
The government's initiative was designed to boost the economy after the national lockdown, and allowed pubs and restaurants to offer heavily discounted meals on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in August.
30th Oct 2020 - Sky News
WHO: Europe now has more than 10 million COVID-19 cases
The World Health Organization’s Europe director said Thursday that the 53-country region has again reached a new weekly record for confirmed cases, with more than 1.5 million confirmed last week and more than 10 million since the start of the pandemic. During a meeting with European health ministers, WHO European regional director Dr. Hans Kluge said, “hospitalizations have risen to levels unseen since the spring” and that deaths have risen by more than 30% in the last week.
“Europe is at the epicenter of this pandemic once again,” Kluge said. “At the risk of sounding alarmist, I must express our very real concern.”
29th Oct 2020 - Washington Post
Covid-19: Number of patients in hospital grows again
The number of patients in hospital with coronavirus in Wales has grown again - up nearly a quarter on last week. Latest NHS Wales figures show 1,110 Covid-19 patients in hospital beds, which is more than 80% of the level at the pandemic's peak in April. Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board has nearly 100 more patients in its hospitals compared with last week. There have been rises elsewhere, with numbers doubling in Hywel Dda, which had only 33 Covid patients a week ago.
29th Oct 2020 - BBC News
Pret founder says UK should not lock down to save few thousand people
The founder of Pret a Manger and Itsu has said society will “not recover” if the UK enters a second lockdown “for the sake of a few thousand lives of old and very vulnerable people”. Julian Metcalfe, whose fortune is estimated at £215m, said a lockdown would be “impossible”. He told the Daily Mail: “The young people of this country will be paying for this for the next 20 to 30 years. It's terrible what's happening. “Just because France does this with its socialist government, doesn't mean we have to.”
29th Oct 2020 - The Independent
French bookshops ask to be treated as essential services during new lockdown
French authors, booksellers and publishers are imploring the French government to allow bookshops to stay open because reading is “essential”, as the country enters a national four-week lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus. France’s second lockdown, announced on Wednesday evening by president Emmanuel Macron, begins at midnight on Thursday. Macron said he hoped it would put a “brutal brake” on the infection rate, as France is “submerged by the acceleration of the spread of the virus”. All non-essential businesses, including bars and restaurants, are to close, while individuals will require sworn declarations to leave home.
29th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Toilet paper and pasta: France girds for second virus lockdown
Stores and businesses across France were filled Thursday by people racing to get supplies -- and maybe a last-minute haircut -- ahead of a new coronavirus lockdown coming into effect at midnight. Essentials like pasta and toilet paper were in high demand, as were printer ink and electronics for working from home, while yoga mats were no longer to be found at many sporting goods stores. "I'm stocking up, since we don't know when this will end," said Catherine Debeaupuis while shopping at an electronics retailer in central Paris.
29th Oct 2020 - FRANCE 24
Fauci says first U.S. COVID-19 vaccines could ship late December or early January
If all goes well, the first doses of a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine will likely become available to some high-risk Americans in late December or early January, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious diseases expert, said on Thursday. Based on current projections from vaccine front-runners Moderna Inc and Pfizer Inc, Americans will likely know “sometime in December whether or not we have a safe and effective vaccine,” Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a live chat on Twitter and Facebook. “The first interim look (at trial results) should be, we hope, within the next few weeks,” he said.
29th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Inside the Mexican factory preparing to produce Covid-19 vaccine
CNN's Matt Rivers visits Neolpharma, a Mexican pharmaceutical company that says it plans to eventually produce millions of coronavirus vaccine doses.
29th Oct 2020 - CNN
Verdict on coronavirus vaccine expected by Christmas as UK stocks up on 20 million doses
Britain has already stocked up on 20 million doses from six different candidate vaccines, but senior government officials reportedly claim Downing Street is confident Pfizer-Biontech will win the race
29th Oct 2020 - Mirror Online
Coronavirus: 10,000 UK patients now in hospital with Covid-19
More than 10,000 Covid-19 patients are now being treated in UK hospitals — nearly 1,000 of them ventilators — according to latest daily figures from the government. The number has risen in recent days, but has yet to reach the 20,000 seen at the height of the first wave of the pandemic earlier this year. However figures have continued to grow beyond those seen during the first peak in isolated regions. Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust had the highest number of beds occupied by coronavirus patients in England on Tuesday at 450, according to new NHS England data - followed by Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust in Greater Manchester which had 290.
28th Oct 2020 - The Independent
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View this newsletter in fullWikipedia and W.H.O. Join to Combat Covid-19 Misinformation
As part of efforts to stop the spread of false information about the coronavirus pandemic, Wikipedia and the World Health Organization announced a collaboration on Thursday: The health agency will grant the online encyclopedia free use of its published information, graphics and videos. The collaboration is the first between Wikipedia and a health agency. “We all consult just a few apps in our daily life, and this puts W.H.O. content right there in your language, in your town, in a way that relates to your geography,” said Andrew Pattison, a digital content manager for the health agency who helped negotiate the contract. “Getting good content out quickly disarms the misinformation.” Since its start in 2001, Wikipedia has become one of the world’s 10 most consulted sites; it is frequently viewed for health information.
22nd Oct 2020 - The New York Times
Covid hospital cases in UK ‘could pass spring peak in November’
The number of coronavirus patients in UK hospitals could pass the spring peak by the end of November without further lockdown measures, a leading government scientific adviser has warned. Sir Mark Walport, a member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said it was “not unrealistic” that there would be 25,000 people in hospital with Covid by the end of next month – higher than the April peak. Walport compared the UK’s situation with France, where he said 16,000 Covid patients were in hospital including 2,500 people in intensive care – roughly half of its capacity – compared with 852 in intensive care in the UK. The picture was similar in Spain, he said, in spite of these countries implementing similar restrictions to the UK.
28th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Dashboard designed to chart England's Covid-19 response finds major gaps in data
There are crucial gaps in the data available to map England’s response to Covid-19, according to researchers who have developed an interactive, visual tool condensing disparate streams of publicly available information to help the public make sense of the numbers. The one-stop dashboard – developed by an interdisciplinary research team from University College London (UCL) – found substantial shortcomings in the quality, consistency and availability of reliable figures required to manage the pandemic.
28th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Germany Moves to Shutter Bars and Restaurants for One Month
Chancellor Angela Merkel is pushing for a partial lockdown in Germany that would include closing bars, restaurants and leisure facilities through the end of November, as coronavirus infections continue to surge across Europe. Merkel is also urging citizens to keep social contacts to an absolute minimum and avoid all non-essential private travel, according to a draft federal government briefing paper obtained by Bloomberg. Germany will help companies affected by the toughest restrictions since the end of the spring lockdown by making up to 10 billion euros ($11.7 billion) in aid available in November, when the measures will be in place, according to a person familiar with the matter.
28th Oct 2020 - Bloomberg
Milan fights against new local coronavirus lockdown
As Italian businesses grapple with the sweeping new Covid-19 restrictions introduced by the central government, the country’s financial capital is fighting to avoid a local lockdown that some people fear will cripple its economy. Milan, the capital of the Lombardy region with a population of 1.3m and a host of high-profile companies, is one of Europe’s coronavirus hotspots. Since the pandemic, commuter and tourist numbers have plummeted — dropping more than 70 per cent this year — leaving retailers, restaurants, bars and hotels with losses nudging €10bn.
28th Oct 2020 - Financial Times
Europe heads back into lockdown after warning hospitals are filling with COVID patients
A number of European countries are locking down again as COVID-19 surges across the continent. Tuesday’s World Health Organization (WHO) figures showed the region reported 1.3 million new cases in the past seven days, nearly half the 2.9 million reported worldwide, and over 11,700 deaths, a 37% jump over the previous week. The WHO’s Dr Margaret Harris warned that deaths are spiking and hospitals filling up across Europe. Germany and France are among the European countries preparing to announce restrictions that approach the severity of the blanket lockdowns seen in spring.
28th Oct 2020 - YAHOO!
'We're in Hell': Russia's second wave of Covid-19 is catching the regions off guard
In a video widely shared across Russian social media last week, dozens of bodies wrapped in black plastic bags line the walls of a decrepit basement in a hospital in Barnaul, the capital city of the Altai region in Siberia. “The deceased Covid-19 patients were being stored in the basement of the hospital due to a shortage of pathologists and an increase of coronavirus infections and deaths,” the region’s Health Ministry said in a statement on Thursday, confirming the authenticity of the disturbing footage. Russia’s health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor on Saturday sounded a further alarm, saying the region is approaching an “Italian Scenario,” a reference to Northern Italy, one of the world’s worst-hit areas by the coronavirus.
28th Oct 2020 - The Independent Barents Observer
English COVID data patchy, researchers say, as new dashboard launched
There are significant problems with the availability and quality of COVID-19 data in England, British researchers said on Wednesday as they launched a dashboard to help make sense of the patchwork of stats. The COVID Response Evaluation Dashboard (COVID RED) presents available statistics from Public Health England (PHE), the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the National Health Service (NHS) and also highlights where more data are needed. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has introduced a three-tier system of local lockdowns for England in a bid to tackle local flare-ups in infections while avoiding a new national lockdown.
28th Oct 2020 - Reuters India
Partial covid-19 lockdown in Germany prioritizes in-person schools over dining out
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron each announced month-long national lockdowns Wednesday, saying health authorities have lost control of skyrocketing new infections while hospitals fill rapidly. The announcements came as governments across Europe struggle to contain a second wave of the virus in colder weather, even after the relative success of strict lockdown restrictions in the spring. “We in Europe are all surprised by the propagation of the virus,” Macron said in a televised address to the nation.
28th Oct 2020 - Washington Post
Covid second wave at 'critical stage' as nearly 100,000 catch virus every day, research shows
The second wave of coronavirus in England has reached a "critical stage” with almost 100,000 people a day in England being infected, experts have warned. Researchers say they are detecting early signs areas that previously had low rates of infection are following trends observed in the country's worst-affected regions.
They add that there has to be change before Christmas, and if more stringent measures are to be implemented, it needs to be sooner rather than later as the current measures are "not sufficient". The interim data from round six of the React study uses data and swab results from 86,000 people between October 16-25, and estimates there are around 96,000 new infections per day.
28th Oct 2020 - Evening Standard
Coronavirus England: 5.5% slump in bus passenger journeys to 4.07bn
The number of bus passenger journeys in England fell by 238million in the year ending March 31, figures show. The total of 4.07billion journeys was a 5.5 per cent reduction on the previous 12 months. The Department for Transport (DfT) said the fall can 'largely be attributed' to the coronavirus pandemic.
28th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
The pandemic may be leading to fewer babies in rich countries
When Kampala went into covid-19 lockdown, singletons in the Ugandan capital were looking for “lockdown partners”, says Allan Creed, who works in digital marketing. He and his friends couldn’t get to their local shops to buy contraceptives. Mr Creed has been relying on free condoms doled out by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) via a local motorbike ride-hailing app called SafeBoda. But three of his friends now have unplanned pregnancies in the midst of their university degrees. “We were not moving, we were not working, nothing was happening, so you had a lot of time on your hands,” the 26-year-old explains. Meanwhile in wealthy Singapore, where contraception is easy to come by, young people who were already reluctant to start a family before the pandemic are even more so during a global recession. The government is trying to coax people into reproducing with a one-off grant of S$3,000 ($2,200) for having a child in the next two years on top of pre-existing payments and savings schemes. For Keith, even that doesn’t make up for the cost of becoming a father. “I know that me and my wife will have a very good time in the next 30, 40 years without kids,” the 36-year-old says. “Do we want to risk that?”
29th Oct 2020 - The Economist
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View this newsletter in fullProduction of Covid-19 vaccine could top 16 billion doses, but delivery is still a challenge
Manufacturing limits, a nation’s health care system and intellectual property rights could all affect which countries receive vaccines and how quickly. Of 16 billion doses manufacturers expect to make next year, over 8 billion have already been committed to countries
28th Oct 2020 - South China Morning Post
Covid-19: Scotland to ease pub and restaurant restrictions
Nicola Sturgeon said the move would allow licensed premises in level two of the country's new five-tier system to serve alcohol with a meal until 20:00. In level three areas - likely to be much of the central belt - they can reopen until 18:00 but cannot serve alcohol. The new rules will start on Monday. The level that each of the 32 council areas in Scotland will fall under is expected to be confirmed on Thursday.
The new system will add two levels to the three-tier system currently in use in England, adding a "level zero" at the bottom - where life can return almost to normal - and strict measures similar to a full lockdown in level four.
27th Oct 2020 - BBC News
Mafia stokes violent anti-lockdown protests in Italy
The Italian mafia are doing all they can to prevent coronavirus from harming their business — including orchestrating violence at anti-lockdown protests. According to Italian authorities, the mob planned and directed demonstrations in Naples that descended into violence and attacks on police on Friday. Similar protests have taken place across the country for the past four days, with bar and restaurant owners expressing concerns that tighter measures, brought in by the government to counter a surge in coronavirus cases in the country, will destroy their businesses. While the economic turmoil caused by the crisis has presented opportunities for the mafia to snap up stricken firms, curfews and lockdown restrictions are bad news, because increased police checks curtail the mob’s freedom to operate. Police estimate that with the closure of nightlife in Italy, the Camorra mafia’s drugs revenue will be hit by as much as 60 percent.
27th Oct 2020 - POLITICO.eu
Spain's Rioja wine region bans wining, dining as pandemic curbs grow
The wine-producing region of La Rioja on Tuesday ordered the closure of restaurants and bars in its two largest towns for a month as part of widening restrictions across Spain to curb the coronavirus outbreak. The number of cumulative infections rose by 18,418 to nearly 1.12 million and the health ministry added 267 deaths from Monday, the highest toll in the second wave of the pandemic, bringing the total to 35,298. Daily deaths during the first wave in late March peaked at almost 900. A nationwide curfew has been in place since Sunday, while a growing number of regions have banned people from entering or exiting their territory. Deputy head of the Madrid regional government, Ignacio Aguado, said on Tuesday he backed such a lockdown for his central region.
27th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Covid: Melbourne's hard-won success after a marathon lockdown
Melbourne's grinding second coronavirus lockdown began in the chill of winter. In early July, the nights were long and dark, and Australia's cultural capital was confronting the terrifying reality of another deadly wave of infections. More than 110 days later, experts say it is emerging as a world leader in disease suppression alongside places including Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea, New Zealand and Hong Kong. Raina McIntyre, a biosecurity professor at the University of New South Wales' Kirby Institute, told the BBC that Australia's response had been "light years ahead" of the US and the UK. "It is just thoroughly shocking. When we think of pandemics we don't think that well-resourced, high-income countries are going to fall apart at the seams, but that is exactly what we have seen," she said.
27th Oct 2020 - BBC News
Safe and sound: How New Zealand musicians have been able to return to the stage
It's early October, and Elizabeth Stokes and Jonathan Pearce of New Zealand indie-rock band the Beths are in Raglan, a small surf town on the west coast of the country's north island. In an empty Sprinter van sitting snugly side-by-side so as to better squeeze in the laptop's camera frame, they flip the camera to show off their view: a mountain-ringed suburban neighbourhood on a lovely, quiet, sunny afternoon. It's their second day on the road in support of new album Jump Rope Gazers. The night before they played Raglan's Yot Club and ended up hanging with inebriated members of the New Zealand national cricket team. The batsman Martin Guptill and the bowler Kyle Jamieson just happened to be at the venue and the proprietor of the place – “an absolutely classic New Zealand bloke,” Pearce explains, “shaggy hair, shorts, so loose” – made all parties hang out.
27th Oct 2020 - The Independent
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 27th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullNHS short of over £1bn for Covid second wave and onset of winter
The NHS has been given in excess of £1bn less than it needs to tackle the second wave of Covid-19, deal with the coming winter and restart routine operations, the Guardian has learned. The disclosure raises questions about the pledge from the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, at the start of the pandemic to give the NHS “whatever resources it needs” to cope with the pandemic. Hospitals across England face holes in their budget for the rest of the year of up to £20m, which they say is hampering their efforts to prepare properly for the service’s annual winter crisis and get back to pre-pandemic levels of surgery.
26th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Covid-19: US pulls plan to give early vaccine to Santa Claus
The US has cancelled plans to offer Santa Claus performers early access to a coronavirus vaccine in exchange for their help in promoting it publicly. Those who perform as Mrs Claus and elves would also have been eligible for the jabs. The festive collaboration was part of a $250m (£192m) government campaign to garner celebrity endorsements of vaccinations once they are approved. But health authorities confirmed the advertising campaign had been scrapped. Ric Erwin, chairman of the Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas, called the news "extremely disappointing."
26th Oct 2020 - BBC News
Covid-19: How the Czech Republic's response went wrong
The Czech Republic was praised for its swift initial response to the coronavirus crisis, but seven months on it's now recording 15,000 new cases a day and has the second highest per capita death rate over seven days in the world. So what went wrong? Letnany Exhibition Grounds on the northern outskirts of Prague is usually where you go to check out the latest caravans or fitted kitchens. But its cavernous halls are now home to a ghostly field hospital, built by the army in just over seven days. On Sunday it was formally handed over to Prague's main infectious diseases hospital. "Our task is to enhance the capacity of civilian hospitals," said Colonel Ladislav Slechta, commander of the Czech Army's Military Medical Agency which built the facility.
26th Oct 2020 - BBC News
Arsonists throw petrol bombs at Germany's Robert Koch Institute
A window was destroyed and walls discoloured during Sunday's arson attack
Berlin police are now investigating whether the attack was politically motivated
The German capital has seen some angry protests against the lockdown rules
26th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
Australia's coronavirus epicenter records no new cases as the US and Western Europe struggle to contain the pandemic
Melbourne, the city at the epicenter of Australia's coronavirus epidemic, will move out of lockdown this week after the Victoria state health department on Sunday reported no new cases and no deaths due to the virus for the first time in more than four months. Announcing the relaxation of restrictions at a news conference on Monday, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said starting on Tuesday at 11:59 p.m., Melbourne residents will be allowed to leave their homes and most businesses in the state can reopen with restrictions on the number of people.
"With 0 cases and so much testing, we are able to say that now is the time to open up. Now is the time to congratulate every single Victorian who has stayed the course," Andrews said. The remarkable milestone of no new cases comes just months after Andrews declared a "state of disaster" to stem an outbreak that saw as many as 725 people in the state test positive for the virus in a single day.
26th Oct 2020 - CNN
The U.S. and Europe are losing the coronavirus battle
European leaders are bracing for disaster, too. After a summer of reopenings and revived travel and tourism, a second wave is ravaging countries that both evaded and suffered from the first. France reported a daily record in cases on Sunday. Cases in Poland doubled in less than three weeks (and the country’s president now has the virus). In the Czech Republic, more than 250,000 people in a country of 10.7 million are infected.
26th Oct 2020 - The Washington Post
German business sentiment falls on coronavirus angst
German business morale fell for the first time in six months in October, weighed down by companies’ concerns about rising coronavirus infection rates that are making them more sceptical about the coming months, a survey showed on Monday. The Ifo institute said its business climate index fell to 92.7 from a downwardly revised 93.2 in September. A Reuters poll had foreseen a decline to 93.0. “Companies are considerably more sceptical regarding developments over the coming months,” Ifo President Clemens Fuest said in a statement. “In view of rising infection numbers, German business is becoming increasingly worried.” The German economy contracted by 9.7% in the second quarter as household spending, company investments and trade collapsed at the height of the pandemic.
26th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Sri Lanka shuts parliament after coronavirus case detected
Sri Lanka’s parliament has been closed after a police officer at the complex tested positive for the coronavirus amid a new surge of cases in the country. Parliament will be closed for two days as a precautionary measure so the premises can be disinfected, said Narendra Fernando, the parliament’s sergeant at arms.
26th Oct 2020 - Al Jazeera English
Guatemala health workers face retaliation over COVID-19 concerns
Paty Chavez has had a rough few weeks. A nurse at a regional hospital in the Indigenous highlands of Guatemala, she tested positive for COVID-19, recovered, protested against the hospital’s response to the virus, and then was fired – all in the span of 15 days. “My colleagues are all scared. They say, ‘look what happened to the person who most spoke out’,” said Chavez, an Indigenous Maya K’iche mother of three who worked for four years at the El Quiche Regional Hospital, 137km (85 miles) northwest of the capital. But as is the case with so many public health workers in Guatemala, basic labour rights eluded Chavez because she works on a contract basis, a problem that has been exacerbated by COVID-19.
26th Oct 2020 - Al Jazeera English
Coronavirus: Plane food sold in shops and 'flights to nowhere' - airlines try to stem pandemic losses
Finland's national carrier has started selling its business class meals in a supermarket to prevent jobs cuts at its catering unit - and the food has been a hit.
Some 1,600 meals were sold in the first few days at the supermarket, which is near the airline's main hub of Helsinki-Vantaa airport. Plans are being made to sell the meals from more outlets. Kimmo Sivonen, a shopkeeper at Kesko's K-Citymarket Tammisto in Vantaa told Reuters that there had been "positive feedback" from customers and the product was "one of the best-selling products in our store".
26th Oct 2020 - Sky News
Covid rips through Kenya’s private school system
As Kenya pushes the reopening of its schools to 2021, thousands of private schools are at risk of shutting their doors permanently
26th Oct 2020 - Financial Mail
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 26th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullGermany grapples with coronavirus spike months after it was hailed for good practice
A few months can make a world of difference during a pandemic. After being lauded for its response to Covid-19 after Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government flattened the curve this spring, Germany is now grappling with more than 10,000 daily coronavirus infections, the most it has seen since the outbreak started, and admissions to hospital intensive care units have doubled in the last two weeks.
In response, the country is betting on a different, more local approach to the crisis.
25th Oct 2020 - NBC News
Italy orders bars, restaurants to close early as COVID infections surge
Italy on Sunday ordered bars and restaurants to close by 6 p.m. and shut public gyms, cinemas and swimming pools to try to halt a rapid resurgence in the coronavirus that has pushed daily infection rates to new records. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the measures were aimed at protecting both public health and the economy and should bring the rising curve of the epidemic under control in the next few weeks to allow a “serene” Christmas.
25th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Initial lockdown in France substantially curbed COVID-19, but many remain susceptible to the virus
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic first started in late December 2019 in Wuhan City, China. From there, it has spread across the globe. During the first peak of cases in March, France is one of the hardest-hit countries, with the cases now reaching more than 1 million, with at least 34,000 deaths. The government has imposed an initial lockdown in March, banning large gatherings and closing schools. In August, when restrictions were eased, there was a resurgence of new COVID-19 cases. Now, a new study by researchers at the Santé Publique France conducted seroprevalence estimates in France, one of the countries with high COVID-19 cases in Europe
25th Oct 2020 - News Medical
Dr Reddy's: Covid vaccine-maker suffers cyber-attack
Pharmaceutical company Dr Reddy's, which is developing a Covid-19 vaccine, says it has been hit by a cyber-attack. Sites around the world have been affected, including those in the UK, Brazil, India, Russia and the US. The India-based company said it had isolated all of its data centre services to contain the attack.
Last week, Dr Reddy's was given permission to begin its final stage trials of Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine. The company refused to comment on whether or not its manufacturing facilities had been affected.
25th Oct 2020 - BBC News
Oxford coronavirus vaccine scientists will be rewarded for saving world
The last time Oxford University saved the world from infectious disease, with the development of penicillin, it made barely a penny. This time, with its vaccine, it has worked hard to ensure that it does not repeat the mistake. The university has negotiated a 6 per cent stake in any royalties from its vaccine if it is successful, according to reports in The Wall Street Journal.
25th Oct 2020 - The Times
Australian production of non-protein Covid-19 vaccine may take an extra year, minister says
It could take up to a year for Australian biotech company CSL to develop the capability to make a Covid-19 vaccine if a non-protein-based version proves safe and effective, the country’s industry minister has said. Karen Andrews said CSL would be able to immediately start making a protein-based vaccine, but “significant work” would be required if it was another type based on mRNA, or messenger ribonucleic acid. Vaccines traditionally introduce proteins into the body to provoke the immunity system into responding but if an mRNA vaccine of the kind being developed by US company Moderna is approved it would be the first of its type, experts say.
25th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
In the restaurant where I work, Covid has brought out the worst in customers
Waitressing can be a difficult job at the best of times. The hours are long, the work is exhaustingly physical and the customers have a tendency to take out on you whatever frustrations have been building in them all week.
25th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Virus is pummeling Europe’s eateries — and winter is coming
As the Friday night dinner service began earlier this month at the De Viering restaurant outside Brussels, it seemed the owners’ decision to move the operation into the spacious village church to comply with coronavirus rules was paying off. The reservation book was full and the kitchen was bustling. And then Belgium’s prime minister ordered cafes, bars and restaurants to close for at least a month in the face of surging infections. “It’s another shock, of course, because — yes, all the investments are made,” said chef Heidi Vanhasselt. She and her sommelier husband Christophe Claes had installed a kitchen and new toilets in the Saint Bernardus church in Heikruis, as well as committing to 10 months’ rent and pouring energy into creative solutions.
25th Oct 2020 - Associated Press on MSN.com
Rush for results could lead to inferior Covid vaccine, say scientists
Scientists have warned that early adoption of a Covid vaccine with only moderate effectiveness could disrupt efforts to test and create improved versions. Immunising against the disease is not going to be a simple business of turning off the virus once the first vaccine appears, they say. In fact, there could be considerable confusion as researchers struggle to pinpoint the best versions for different vulnerable groups, such as the elderly. “The vaccines coming through fastest are the most experimental. It is possible they won’t be all that great and that others – created using more tried-and-tested but slower methods – might be better,” said Professor Adam Finn of Bristol University. “But to prove that point will become very difficult if lots of individuals have already been given the first vaccine. It will need vast numbers of people to demonstrate which is best or if a different vaccine is more suitable for particular groups, like the elderly.”
25th Oct 2020 - The Observer
People are traveling across China in the hopes of getting an experimental Covid-19 vaccine shot
When Anny Ku heard that there were coronavirus vaccines on offer in Yiwu, a city in China's eastern Zhejiang province, she traveled more than 600 miles (965 kilometers) for a chance to get the shot. Ku worked in Chile for more than 20 years as an importer and exporter, but she returned to her home in southern China earlier this year after the coronavirus pandemic worsened and a large number of cases appeared in South America. There had been no official announcement that a vaccine was available in Yiwu -- just a series of articles in local media -- but Ku believed she needed the shot in order to leave China and get back to her job overseas. "If one has (the vaccine), it's much safer to leave the country," she said
24th Oct 2020 - CNN
Australia's COVID-19 hotspot sees more school cases before easing curbs
Australia’s Victoria state, the country’s COVID-19 hotspot, reported four cases related to infections in schools on Saturday, a day before the expected easing of strict social distancing restrictions. Melbourne, the capital of Australia’s second-most populous state, is emerging from a second wave as a hard lockdown since July has brought daily infections of the new coronavirus down to single digits from an August peak over 700. In the previous 24 hours, the state found seven new cases, officials said, including four related to a cluster linked to two schools in Melbourne’s northern suburbs that prompted authorities to order 800 people to self-isolate.
24th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Dutch transfer patients to Germany again as COVID infections spike
The Netherlands began transferring COVID-19 patients to Germany again on Friday, as hospitals come under increasing strain from a second wave of infections. The Flevo hospital in the central Dutch town of Almere said it would transfer two of its intensive care patients by helicopter to a hospital in Muenster, around 65 km (40 miles) east of the Dutch-German border. The transfers were the first during the second wave that began in the Netherlands early last month. During the first wave in March and April dozens of Dutch patients were transferred to Germany, where intensive care capacity is larger.
24th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Retailers urge Welsh government not to dictate what people can buy in 'fire-break' lockdown
Retailers in Wales have written urgently to First Minister Mark Drakeford expressing alarm over new regulations that restrict the sale of “non essential” products in essential shops during the country’s two-week COVID-19 lockdown. Wales’ “fire-break” begins on Friday at 1700 GMT and ends on Nov. 9. Everybody but essential workers will have to work from home. All non-essential retail, leisure, hospitality and tourist businesses will have to close. Retailers that can stay open, such as supermarkets, were told on Thursday that the regulations require them to only sell what the Welsh government deems to be “essential” product lines, partly to protect smaller businesses that do have to close being put at an unfair advantage.
24th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Brussels edges towards lockdown as Belgian COVID-19 cases hit record high
City's curfew has also been tightened to 10pm-6am with shops shutting at 8pm. The new changes will come in on Monday Brussel premier Rudi Vervoort said. Working from home will be obligatory and masks will have to be worn in public
24th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
India to have covid vaccine by June: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
The buzz around an imminent covid-19 vaccine has raised hopes of a way back to normalcy for the billions affected by the pandemic around the world, said Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairperson and managing director of Bengaluru-based Biocon Ltd. Mazumdar-Shaw is hopeful that the vaccine will be in India by June, but added delivering the vaccine to India’s over 1.2 billion population has its own challenges.
"I expect that by January, some of the other vaccines could be approved like AstraZeneca’s or one of our own Indian vaccines like the one by Bharat Biotech. If we finish the clinical trials in the next 2-3 months, even those may be approved by January-February. So I would expect that in Q1FY22 we should have vaccines available in India and other parts of the world," said Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw in an interview to Mint.
24th Oct 2020 - Mint
Covid: More coronavirus vaccine trials in Wales 'within weeks'
New trials of coronavirus vaccinations will start in Wales "within weeks". A top scientist who works for the body responsible for organising the pilots said different vaccines will be trialed across parts of Wales "very soon". About 500 volunteers in the Gwent area have already taken part in trials of the Covid-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. The new trials will be for different vaccines, but Health and Care Research Wales would not confirm which products.
24th Oct 2020 - BBC News
Thousands of long-term care facilities have already opted into CVS and Walgreens coronavirus vaccine deal, HHS says
Thousands of long-term care and assisted living facilities have already opted into the Trump administration’s program with CVS Health and Walgreens to administer coronavirus vaccines to seniors, a senior administration official said. Between 9,000 and 10,000 facilities have opted into the program since it was announced last week, Paul Mango, a deputy chief of staff at HHS, told reporters.
23rd Oct 2020 - CNBC
Increase medical workforce to tackle covid-19 backlog, doctors' leaders urge
The NHS will not be able to meet the demands of the covid-19 pandemic and a potential second wave without more staff, doctors’ leaders have warned. In a report1 published on 19 October, the BMA, with support from medical royal colleges, said that medical workforce numbers—including consultants—must increase to overcome the backlog of work from the pandemic, reduce NHS waiting lists and waiting times, and restore activity to previous levels. To do this, medical school, foundation training programme, and specialty trainee numbers must be increased, the report said. The report set out a range of short and medium term solutions to tackle consultant shortages and meet the demands of the pandemic. Among the suggested short term measures were making the most effective use of retired doctors who would like to return to work. “During the first peak of the pandemic, 28 000 doctors made themselves available to return to work,” the report said, “but only a small proportion of them were eventually deployed.”
19th Oct 2020 - The BMJ
NHS short of over £1bn for Covid second wave and onset of winter
The NHS has been given in excess of £1bn less than it needs to tackle the second wave of Covid-19, deal with the coming winter and restart routine operations, the Guardian has learned. The disclosure raises questions about the pledge from the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, at the start of the pandemic to give the NHS “whatever resources it needs” to cope with the pandemic. Hospitals across England face holes in their budget for the rest of the year of up to £20m, which they say is hampering their efforts to prepare properly for the service’s annual winter crisis and get back to pre-pandemic levels of surgery.
26th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 23rd Oct 2020
View this newsletter in full'It has been a trauma': nurses on 'shambolic' 111 Covid-19 clinical service
Ten nurses who worked for the NHS 111 Covid-19 Clinical Assessment Service have come forward to blow the whistle on their unit’s organisation, describing it as shambolic, and lacking in adequate training and safeguards. The nurses, who had retired or left the NHS after many years’ experience, were recruited to the CCAS, a new national division of NHS 111, after the health secretary, Matt Hancock, urged doctors and nurses to return and work on the response to the pandemic. The former CCAS nurses came forward to talk about their experiences after it was revealed that an audit had found that 60% of calls to patients, by nurses and allied healthcare professionals (AHPs), had not been safe.
22nd Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Covid-19: Services for special needs children 'went to zero overnight'
Essential services for many young people with disabilities "went to zero overnight" due to lockdown, a Stormont committee has heard. MLAs were told that as a result, some children had harmed themselves and injured their parents. Donna Jennings, from the Evangelical Alliance, said the need for help increased, "but services disappeared". Schools, including most special schools, closed to the majority of pupils for a number of months. Many respite and other support services were also suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
22nd Oct 2020 - BBC News
Coronavirus: First Nightingale hospital in England reopens in Manchester for Covid-19 patients
Hospital was set up in Manchester's Central Conference Centre but closed in June when last Covid patient left. It will be reopened in anticipation of a surge in Covid-19 patients in the city, to open bed capacity elsewhere. Manchester faces Tier Three lockdown rules from midnight on Friday as city's outbreak rumbles on
Local rules are now springing up nationwide, with worries in Nottingham and Stoke as Slough enters Tier Two. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is still refusing a national lockdown despite calls from top scientists
22nd Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
Stretched Dutch hospitals to send COVID patients to Germany within days
The Dutch hospital system is coming under increasing strain from coronavirus admissions as daily cases hit a record high, and it expects to begin transferring some patients to Germany within two days, the hospital association said on Thursday. Almost half the country’s intensive care beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients, the LNAZ association’s head Ernst Kuipers said. “And we certainly have not seen the end of it”, he told reporters. “Hospital numbers will continue to rise at least until the end of this month.” The number of daily infections hit 9,271 on Thursday, the National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said
22nd Oct 2020 - Reuters
Germans Are Panic Buying Toilet Paper And Disinfectants As Covid-19 Surges Again
Sales of toilet paper, disinfectants and soaps are rising once again in Germany, the country’s statistics office announced on Thursday, highlighting fears of an imminent lockdown as Europe’s largest economy sees a resurgence in Covid-19 cases. Unlike the April lockdown, where massive hoarding led to empty store shelves, German retailers claim that they are better prepared this time. “After the events we saw earlier this year, we are monitoring changes in demand more closely than ever to ensure that nothing is in short supply”, discount retailer Aldi Süd told news website Local.de last week. Another retailer Lidl also said it was “well prepared” to react quickly and provide stores with “sufficient supplies” if demand increases.
22nd Oct 2020 - Forbes
German disease control center urges vigilance as virus rises
The head of Germany’s disease control center urged people Thursday to be vigilant about following coronavirus precautions as the country posted a record number of new cases, saying a rapid increase in infections could be reversed but only if everyone works together. Robert Koch Institute President Lothar Wieler said the daily number of confirmed cases hit 11,287, the first time Germany’s 24-hour tally has been over the 10,000 mark since the beginning of the pandemic and shattering the previous daily record of 7,830 set on Saturday. The country had a nationwide infection rate of 56.2 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days. Some hot spots, including several districts of the capital, had rates well over double that.
22nd Oct 2020 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus: Italians find new ways to eat out
The ebb of the first wave and summer al fresco dining saw an encouraging return to business for many Italian eateries and bars; but as the cold sets in, this second wave in is forcing restaurateurs to find new ways to stay afloat. New national restrictions mean restaurants and bars have to close by midnight until 13 November and can seat a maximum of six people per table. Vagh in ufezzi is a simple restaurant with paper place mats and no cover charge. Until two weeks ago, diners would have paid for each dish they ordered; now they are paying by the hour.
22nd Oct 2020 - BBC News
Bars and restaurants account for less than 3% of COVID-19 outbreaks in Spain since end of lockdown
In Spain, bars and restaurants are responsible for less than 3% of coronavirus outbreaks, a new report has found. A study released by the Ministry of Health which analysed data from the end of lockdown to October 15 said family reunions accounted for almost 40% of outbreaks. The report also warns of the high number of outbreaks with mixed origins, where transmission shifts from the family environment to other areas such as work
22nd Oct 2020 - Olive Press
South Korea's virus battle faces new cluster challenge
A cluster of infections around the Greater Seoul area has given South Korea yet another challenge to mount in its fight against COVID-19. The country reported 121 new infections on Thursday, highest in almost a month, taking the nationwide tally up to 25,543, Yonhap News Agency reported. The death toll increased by three to reach 453, with the fatality rate remaining at 1.77%. Thursday’s figures were the highest since 109 cases were reported on Sept. 24, but infection numbers had dropped down to double digits since then. The spike in cases is due to clusters at senior care hospitals and other health facilities. Health authorities have intensified efforts to track down suspected patients, many of whom have been linked to a hospital in Gwangju, south of Seoul.
22nd Oct 2020 - Anadolu Agency
Coronavirus: China continues to ban tour groups to prevent COVID-19 from spreading
China will continue to suspend outbound and inbound group tours in a move aimed to prevent international travellers from bringing the coronavirus into the country. The decision was made due to the risk of a resurgence in COVID-19 cases across the country this winter, authorities said yesterday. In China, where COVID-19 was first discovered, the virus appears to have been mostly banished through a combination of lockdowns and travel restrictions that have officials touting the nation as a coronavirus success story.
22nd Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
Australia still the lucky COVID-19 country
While Canberrans were concentrating on the ACT election and the rest of the country was distracted by the Gladys Berejiklian and Daniel Andrews shows the global crisis has gone from terrible to catastrophic. New cases are being logged at the fastest rate so far, health systems in many countries are being swamped, and much of Europe is heading back under the lockdown "doona". Just when it seems Australians may be able to enjoy some sort of "COVID-19 normal" Christmas billions of people are doing it tougher than ever as second waves rage out of control.
22nd Oct 2020 - The Canberra Times
'Call for data on Covid-19 health impacts'
New Zealand has not released any analysis about the negative health impacts of the Covid-19 elimination and lockdown policy. This is highlighted this week, by a study released in the UK this week which indicates that their lockdowns are responsible for thousands of deaths and new illnesses, principally as a result of delayed cancer diagnoses. The only known study of lockdown health impacts in New Zealand was of a Dunedin primary health clinic, where referrals and tests had dropped 100% and 99% respectively. Anecdotal evidence provided to the Covid Plan B group is that referrals and tests may be down across the country by two thirds. Auckland District Health Board is also investigating after four women died during and after pregnancy this year, with three dying since alert level 3 was instituted in late March. Expected numbers of deaths are between 0 and one from previous years. Evidence provided from affected individuals indicate illnesses and health prognosis have worsened due to delayed tests and treatment. Whether these cases represent a wider problem is not known. Dr Simon Thornley, spokesman for Covid Plan B, said the Government’s elimination and lockdown policy was based on hope, because little analysis of the downsides of the policy has been carried out.
22nd Oct 2020 - Voxy
Spike in South Korea flu shot deaths fuels vaccine doubts
At least 13 South Koreans have died after receiving flu shots in recent days, according to official and local media reports, fuelling doubts about vaccine safety even as authorities rule out a link and as global efforts to find a vaccine against COVID-19 intensify. Health authorities said on Wednesday there were no plans to suspend the programme to vaccinate approximately 19 million people for free after a preliminary investigation into six deaths found no direct connection with the drug they had received.
22nd Oct 2020 - Al Jazeera English
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 22nd Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullUS is nearing 'rapid acceleration' of Covid-19 cases, expert warns, as daily infections hit about 60,000
With the number of people with Covid-19 being admitted to hospitals rising, several states are looking at their supply of beds. On Wednesday, an overflow medical facility set up at the Wisconsin State Fair Park in the Milwaukee suburb of West Allis received its first patient. "We are thankful to have this facility available to Wisconsinites and our hospitals, but also saddened that this is where Wisconsin is at today," Gov. Tony Evers said. "Folks, please stay home. Help us protect our communities from this highly contagious virus and avoid further strain on our hospitals." The facility will take patients who meet specific criteria, and doctors and nurses there can give remdesivir and oxygen treatment, according to the governor's statement.
22nd Oct 2020 - CNN
Why the second wave of Covid-19 appears to be less lethal
While coronavirus infections have been surging again across Europe since late summer, the chances of surviving the respiratory disease seem to have improved from the first phase of the outbreak. The number of Covid-19 patients ill enough to go to hospital has risen less steeply — and mortality more slowly still, according to an FT analysis. Health services are not overwhelmed as they would have been if severe disease had followed infection in the way it did between March and April.
“In western Europe, pretty much every country including the UK is still seeing a much smaller per capita death rate in this second wave than in the first one during the spring,” said Mark Woolhouse, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh.
21st Oct 2020 - The Financial Times
COVID-19: U.S. Northeast states discourage travel; California rebuffs theme parks
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on Tuesday urged their residents to not travel between the three states as the U.S. Northeast sees a rise in COVID-19 cases, while California said major theme parks including Disneyland would not be opening anytime soon.
21st Oct 2020 - Reuters
Urgent appeal for plasma donations from Covid-19 survivors
People from Greater Manchester who have had the coronavirus are being urged to register as blood plasma donors to save lives. They can donate their antibody-rich plasma which could help those who are seriously ill with Covid-19 to survive. Around 1,700 donations have been made in Manchester so far, at the donor centre in Norfolk House and Plymouth Grove. People can register as online donors. Around 70 people have received transfusions of plasma at hospitals in Greater Manchester since the treatment began in April. NHS Blood and Transplant is collecting blood plasma for coronavirus treatment - known as convalescent plasma - around the country. The neutralising antibodies in the plasma could stop the virus spreading.
21st Oct 2020 - Manchester Evening News
Inmates locked up for 23 hours due to Covid is ‘dangerous’ warns chief of prisons
Inmates locked up for 23 hours due to Covid is ‘dangerous’ warns chief of prisons.
In an interview with BBC Newsnight, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Peter Clark, said keeping inmates in their cells for such lengthy periods under Covid restrictions impacted on their mental health. While the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) claims the move to reduce the spread of the virus has led to a drop in violence and self harm, Clark disagrees claiming the argument is “shallow”. He said self harm was in fact on the rise in women’s prisons.
21st Oct 2020 - Euro Weekly News
New Zealand records nearly a dozen new Covid-19 cases after eliminating virus — twice
Eleven fishermen have tested positive for coronavirus while quarantining in a New Zealand hotel, ending the country’s second extended streak of zero cases. The workers reportedly flew in from Moscow via Singapore on Friday, and are among 440 fishermen from Russia and Ukraine currently quarantining in Christchurch’s Sudima Hotel. All of the men are believed to have tested negative for the virus before leaving their countries. A further 14 cases from within the group are also now “under investigation”, the country’s Health Ministry has said. The 11 new cases were discovered during “routine” coronavirus testing and, as a result, the hotel was put into lockdown on Tuesday.
21st Oct 2020 - The Independent on MSN.com
Cyberattacks on coronavirus vaccine projects confirmed in Japan
Some Japanese research institutions developing coronavirus vaccines have been hit by cyberattacks, apparently from China, in what are believed to be the first cases of their kind in the country, a U.S. information security firm said Monday. Amid an intensifying race to develop vaccines against COVID-19, those bodies have been targeted by attacks since April but no reports of information leaks have been made, according to CrowdStrike. The government’s National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity has urged drugmakers and research organizations to raise alert levels against such attempts to steal confidential information. The U.S. firm did not disclose the names of the targeted institutions, but said it suspects the attacks have been made by a Chinese hacker group, based on the techniques employed.
21st Oct 2020 - Kyodo News on MSN.com
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View this newsletter in fullWhat are the treatment options for COVID-19?
What are the treatment options for COVID-19? There are several, and which one is best depends on how sick someone is. For example, steroids such as dexamethasone can lower the risk of dying for severely ill patients. But they may do the opposite for those who are only mildly ill. In the United States, no treatments are specifically approved for COVID-19 but a few have been authorized for emergency use and several more are being considered. A panel of experts convened by the National Institutes of Health updates guidelines as new studies come out. Here’s what’s advised for various patients: -- Not hospitalized or hospitalized but not needing extra oxygen: No specific drugs recommended, and a warning against using steroids.
20th Oct 2020 - The Independent
Rural U.S. Hospitals Are On Life Support As a Third Wave of COVID-19 Strikes
When COVID-19 hit the Southwest Georgia Regional Medical Center in Cuthbert, a small rural town in Randolph County, in late March, the facility—which includes a 25-bed hospital, an adjacent nursing home and a family-medicine clinic, was quickly overwhelmed. In just a matter of days, 45 of the 62 nursing home residents tested positive. Negative residents were isolated in the hospital while the severely ill patients from both the nursing home and the local community were transferred to other better-equipped facilities. “We were trying to get the patients out as fast as possible,” says Steve Whatley, Southwest Georgia Regional’s board chairman. “It was a daily nightmare.”
20th Oct 2020 - Yahoo! News
COVID, tech advances could disrupt 85 million jobs by 2025: WEF
The coronavirus pandemic has deepened inequalities across labour markets and accelerated the urgency with which the public and private sectors must act to ensure millions of people remain employable in a changing jobs market, the World Economic Forum (WEF) stressed on Tuesday. Within the next five years, automation and a new division of labour between humans and machines will disrupt 85 million jobs around the world, WEF’s Future of Jobs Report 2020 found. Remote work is here to stay and going forward, workers should expect to change careers and hone skills multiple times throughout their careers to adapt to new labour trends.
20th Oct 2020 - Al Jazeera English
Remember concerts? In covid-free New Zealand, it’s a reality and not just a memory.
New Zealand is one of a handful of countries to have successfully curtailed community spread of covid-19, having been widely praised for its “go hard, go early” approach. With a population around 5 million, New Zealand has to date registered fewer than 2,000 cases of covid-19 and 25 deaths. New Zealand also boasts an embarrassment of music talent. That ranges from small, scrappy, critically adored bands like the Beths to festival headliners like drum and bass act Shapeshifter, pop A-lister Lorde, arena rock unit Six60, and TikTok-fueled starlet Benee. The latter has just wrapped a tour during which she live-streamed a concert from the 12,000-person capacity Spark Arena. “That’ll be one of the only live streams [that’s not] someone alone in their living room,” Campbell Smith, who co-manages Benee, said a few days before the event. “You can see, in New Zealand, thousands of people jammed together at a concert, legitimately.”
20th Oct 2020 - Washington Post
China Moving On From Pandemic As Europe, Parts Of U.S. Brace For More
The SARS 2 pandemic is still raging on in Europe. Parts of the U.S. are seeing hospitals under duress. But China, where all this began, is moving along. China’s GDP grew 4.9% year-on-year in the third quarter, accelerating from 3.2% growth in the previous quarter, official data showed yesterday. Market consensus had it growing a little stronger than that — at 5.5% — but it’s better than the rest of the world’s economic progress as the pandemic continues. The latest encouraging data from China gives us an insight into the recovery in store once a vaccine is released and the outbreak is contained.
20th Oct 2020 - Forbes
Beyond the police state to COVID-safe: life after lockdown will need a novel approach
As second-wave outbreaks of COVID-19 around the world demonstrate, it’s a tricky transition from hard lockdowns to more relaxed, but still effective, measures. The responses of different nations (Sweden and Taiwan, for example) have their champions, but the truth is there no shining example to follow on how to keep the coronavirus in check while returning, as much as possible, to living life as before. Right now the government of Victoria, Australia’s second most populous state, is involved in just such an experiment. Its success in moving beyond lockdown to a sustainable “COVID-normal” will hold lessons for nations still on the upward curve of their own second waves (such as Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Britain).
20th Oct 2020 - The Conversation AU
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View this newsletter in fullMigrant Workers Restricted to Farms Under One Grower’s Virus Lockdown
This year, there is a new and even more difficult working condition: To keep the coronavirus from spreading and jeopardizing the harvest, Lipman has put its crews on lockdown. With few exceptions, they have been ordered to remain either in the camps, where they are housed, or the fields, where they toil. The restrictions have allowed Lipman’s tomato operations to run smoothly, with a substantially lower caseload than many farms and processing facilities across the country that have wrestled to contain large outbreaks. But they have caused some workers to complain that their worksite has become like a prison.
19th Oct 2020 - The New York Times
Over 60% of Covid-19 patients report fatigue and breathlessness 3 months after onset
From a dry cough to a fever, coronavirus is known to be associated with a range of unpleasant symptoms. Now, a new study has warned that several symptoms can persist for months. Researchers the University of Oxford have found that a large proportion of Covid-19 patients still experience breathlessness, fatigue, anxiety and depression up to 3 months after contracting the virus. In the study, the researchers analysed 58 coronavirus patients with moderate to severe Covid-18, as well as 30 uninfected controls from the community. The participants underwent MRI scans of their brain, lungs, heart, liver and key, as well as lung function tests, and assessments of their quality of live, cognitive and mental health.
19th Oct 2020 - The Mirror on MSN.com
People who have Covid-19 vaccine could still contract virus, warns doctor
A doctor has warned that people who have the Covid-19 vaccine when it becomes available could still contract the virus. Speaking to Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford on Monday’s This Morning, Dr Sara explained that the vaccine won’t work for everyone – and that we still need to be cautious. ‘In addition to Pfizer, we know that Jonathan Van-Tam, the deputy chief medical officer has been reported as saying that he doesn’t think it’s unrealistic that we’ll be able to have the vaccine from the Oxford trial during December time,’ she began.
19th Oct 2020 - Metro.co.uk
Italy orders bars to shut from 6pm and 'public spaces' to close after 9pm amid rising covid cases
Italy reported 11,705 cases on Sunday, eclipsing Saturday's highest ever toll
Bars and restaurants have to close at 6pm unless they can offer table service
Festivals, fairs and amateur sport have all been closed but gyms remain open
Lombardy, the former epicentre of the virus, is experiencing another surge
Across Europe, many countries are imposing harsh new measures to curb virus
19th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
Prague holding off on lockdown decision until early November
The Czech Republic, which has the highest coronavirus infection rate in Europe, will wait at least two weeks before deciding whether to order a full lockdown to stem its epidemic, deputy prime minister Karel Havlicek said on Sunday. Italy, the first country in Europe to be hit hard by Covid-19, is also experiencing a sharp rise in cases and is preparing new measures to combat the spread of the virus. In the Czech Republic, bars and restaurants in the country of 10.7 million have been ordered in the past week to close except for takeout orders, and schools have moved to distance learning. Sport and fitness clubs, theatres and cinemas had already shut, but shops have remained open.
19th Oct 2020 - The Irish Times
Bar owners in Holland become the latest to go to court to fight covid laws
Dutch caterers say the closures will cause 'incalculable' damage to their industry
At least 30 businesses have launched a lawsuit to get two-week closure blocked
Berlin bar curfews were blocked while Madrid region has battled Spanish leaders
19th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
Covid: How other countries are tackling the second wave differently from the UK
After entire nations were shut down during the first surge of the coronavirus earlier this year, some countries are trying more targeted measures as cases rise again, especially in Europe and the Americas. Here's a look at lockdown restrictions around the world:
19th Oct 2020 - ITV News
Restrictions stay after ship records 24 new COVID-19 infections in WA
An operation to remove crew from a COVID-19 infected livestock ship is due to get underway this morning at Fremantle Port in Western Australia. It comes as a number of passengers who arrived in Perth overnight from Sydney on board a plane have now been put onto buses and taken to hotel quarantine.
The 45 travellers are believed to have come from New Zealand via the newly-opened travel bubble.
19th Oct 2020 - 9News
'I had 60 texts straight away': hair salons booked out as Melbourne lockdown gets a trim
On Sunday the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, announced a partial reopening of Melbourne as case numbers continue to drop. As the city didn’t quite reach the required benchmark of less than five average daily cases, the majority of hospitality and retail restrictions stayed in place. But hairdressers were the exception and were allowed to open their doors from midnight. “My manager said that after the announcement was made we had 250 bookings within an hour and today we have just been running around like crazy,” Covelli says.
19th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
No lockdown needed in Bulgaria to contain new wave of pandemic - IMF
Bulgaria will not need to impose a full lockdown to contain the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic if it follows protective measures like mask-wearing and social distancing, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said. “Bulgaria risks, like every other country, a shock from a second wave,” Bulgarian-born Georgieva told a briefing for Bulgarian media on Sunday by videoconference. “It does not mean a full lockdown when you follow protective measures, like wearing masks, social distancing and testing. This is what we should do now in the face of a second wave.”
19th Oct 2020 - Reuters
More than half of workers worldwide fear they’ll lose their jobs
More than half of workers around the world are worried about losing their jobs, according to a survey measuring labor-market insecurity wreaked by the coronavirus crisis. The poll of 12,430 people for the World Economic Forum showed 54% of them are either “very concerned” or “somewhat concerned” that their employment will cease in the next year. Respondents were from 27 countries spread around the world, including almost all of the Group of 20 economies.
19th Oct 2020 - Aljazeera.com
Insufficient funds: COVID-19 leaves more US families unbanked
After years of increasing access to banking, many poorer Americans will struggle to keep a foothold in the system due to the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, a United States banking regulator warned Monday. A new report from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) found that in 2019, just 5.4 percent of Americans lacked a chequing or savings account, the lowest level recorded in the decade-old survey.
19th Oct 2020 - Al Jazeera English
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View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: NHS trials drones to carry tests and equipment
An NHS drone is being used to carry Covid-19 samples, test kits and protective equipment between hospitals. The trial in Essex aims to establish a network of secure air corridors for drones to navigate via GPS. They will initially fly between Broomfield Hospital, Basildon Hospital and the Pathology First Laboratory in Basildon. The project is being funded through a share of a £1.3m grant from the UK Space Agency.
18th Oct 2020 - BBC News
Covid-19: Firms warn of 'catastrophic' impact of new coronavirus rules
Firms are calling for more financial support to avoid "catastrophic consequences" from tougher coronavirus restrictions. Without more help there could be mass redundancies and business failures, the British Chambers of Commerce warns.
Its call for a new approach comes as tougher restrictions are imposed on large parts of the UK. The government said it had already put in place support worth more than £200bn to help firms cope. "We know this continues to be a very difficult period for businesses," a spokesman said. "That's why we have put in place a substantial package of support."
18th Oct 2020 - BBC News
Europe braces for impact of 2nd-wave pandemic restrictions
Millions of residents across Europe are bracing for what is likely to be a difficult winter ahead. After making the necessary sacrifices to get through the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring, Europeans enjoyed a period of relative freedom — to return to schools and bars, fly between countries and go on holiday.
But rising infections in the last month have forced governments to consider tightening restrictions again. While some countries have seen COVID-19 case numbers return to what they were before the spring, others are being hit harder than ever. For example, the Czech Republic warned earlier this week that the country's medical system could be on the brink of a breakdown. "We are in danger of collapsing here," Interior Minister Jan Hamacek warned Czech media earlier this week. If the current outbreak, which saw a record 9,721 cases confirmed within a 24-hour period on Thursday, is not contained soon, Hamacek said, there will be "corpse freezers in the streets."
18th Oct 2020 - CBC.ca
Are we near to having a vaccine for Covid-19?
In March, Boris Johnson said we would turn the tide in 12 weeks and “send the coronavirus packing” and by May ministers were boasting of having a vaccine by September. Last week the prime minister sounded far less confident, telling MPs that there was still no vaccine for SARS, 18 years after it emerged. A vaccine may not be far away though. Studies - The World Health Organization is tracking 196 vaccine studies. Of these, 42 are undergoing clinical trials on humans, and eight are in phase three: large-scale trials to test their effectiveness. AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford have developed a vaccine based on a virus taken from chimpanzees, but the trial stopped for a week after one volunteer fell ill – it is continuing in the UK but not the US. Another, Novavax, is launching a larger phase three trial after a study of 10,000 volunteers in the UK.
18th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Hospitality industry: the case for a lockdown
From tomorrow, all bars, cafes and restaurants in Belgium are in lockdown the second enforced closure this year, introduced for one month in an attempt to slow or stop the growth of the coronavirus epidemic in the country. Bars and restaurants were closed down in March, at the start of the epidemic in Belgium, as were non-essential shops and other places where people might gather in close proximity.
18th Oct 2020 - The Brussels Times
New Zealand reports first locally acquired Covid case in three weeks
New Zealand has reported its first locally acquired case of Covid-19 in more than three weeks on the heels of a sweeping electoral victory for Jacinda Ardern’s Labour party, dealing a blow to hopes the country had eliminated transmission of the virus within its shores. The positive test was recorded on Saturday — election day in New Zealand — by a person who worked on ships docked at ports in Auckland and Taranaki. Authorities said the case had been caught early and the risk is contained, while close contacts of the man are undergoing testing and hotels where he stayed are deep cleaned.
18th Oct 2020 - The Financial Times
Israel to require 14-day isolation for travelers from United Kingdom
Israel will require incoming travellers from the United Kingdom to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival under new coronavirus guidelines, information on an Israeli government website showed on Sunday. The infection rate in the UK has risen sharply in recent weeks, prompting British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to introduce tighter restrictions and local lockdowns. The UK had been one of 31 “green” countries from which travellers who meet a series of special requirements could enter Israel without a mandatory quarantine period. The UK’s status will change to “red” on Oct. 23, Israeli health ministry information showed.
18th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Covid: Greater Manchester running out of hospital beds, leak reveals
Greater Manchester is set to run out of beds to treat people left seriously ill by Covid-19, and some of the region’s 12 hospitals are already full, a leaked NHS document has revealed. It showed that by last Friday the resurgence of the disease had left hospitals in Salford, Stockport and Bolton at maximum capacity, with no spare beds to help with the growing influx. The picture it paints ratchets up the pressure on ministers to reach a deal with local leaders over the region’s planned move to the top level of coronavirus restrictions.
18th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Melbourne salon owners defiant after opening despite lockdown laws
The owners of a Melbourne hair salon have been fined close to $10,000 and threatened with arrest after they opened their doors, despite the coronavirus lockdown laws. The Hughesdale business owners' efforts attracted a small crowd of support, but Victorian Premier Dan Andrews said the move was counter-intuitive.
However, owner Jomana Najem had strong words for the government.
17th Oct 2020 - 9News
Italy Imposes Curfew and Shutters High Schools After Weeks of Spiking Cases
Italy—once the European epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak and until this month an exemplar of how to contain the spread of a deadly pandemic—is heading back into a protracted state of lockdown as the government imposed a curfew to begin Saturday evening and announced the closure of all high schools until further notice.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has for weeks bristled at the thought of plunging the nation into a lockdown like the one it underwent in March, after cases and deaths rapidly spread through the country's north.
17th Oct 2020 - Newsweek
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View this newsletter in fullDutch hospitals ask for German help to cope with COVID-19 surge
Hospitals in the Netherlands on Thursday said they would ask their German counterparts to take patients after the number of those hospitalised with coronavirus doubled in the past week, to 1,526. “We are about to ask for the transfer of patients to hospitals in Germany again”, the head of the Dutch hospital association LNAZ told reporters.
15th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
South Africa puts public works, jobs at heart of COVID-19 recovery plan
South Africa will embark on a massive public works and job-creation drive in response to the coronavirus crisis, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday, unveiling a plan to return Africa’s most industrialised economy to growth. South Africa was in recession before it recorded its first coronavirus infection in March, with one of the world’s strictest lockdowns and a global drop in demand for its exports causing GDP to fall by more than 17% in annual terms in the April-June quarter, when over 2 million jobs were lost. Ramaphosa’s government has been in talks with business and labour leaders for months trying to plot a path to recovery.
15th Oct 2020 - Reuters
French police search politicians' homes in coronavirus inquiry
French police have searched the homes and offices of French officials including the former prime minister as part of an investigation into the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis. Current and former ministers have been targeted by at least 90 formal legal complaints from civic groups and members of the public over their response to the health emergency. Investigators targeted the home of former PM Édouard Philippe on Thursday as well as the current health minister, Olivier Véran, the former health minister Agnès Buzyn, the former government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye and the head of France’s health authority, Jérôme Salomon. Salomon became known as Monsieur Covid for his daily health briefings at the height of the epidemic in March and April.
15th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Japan mulls lowering international travel advisories issued over pandemic
Japan is considering lowering travel advisories that it issued for all countries and regions in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, government officials said Thursday. The ministry may lower the travel advisory to Level 1, asking citizens to exercise caution or lift it completely. As for more specific travel alerts for infectious diseases, 159 countries and regions are now placed at Level 3, warning against all travel. The ministry is expected to lower the alert by one level for Vietnam and some other countries that have a low number of infections, according to the officials.
15th Oct 2020 - Kyodo News
Thousands of stranded Australians could get ticket home under new Darwin quarantine deal
A push to expand the intake of stranded Australians trying to get home is facing delays after Friday's scheduled National Cabinet meeting was postponed. Thousands of Australians stranded overseas could soon return home under a deal to allow people to quarantine near Darwin. The ABC reported on Thursday up to 1000 people a month would isolate at the NT's Howard Springs facility after returning home on commercial and charter flights.
15th Oct 2020 - SBS News
Indian cinemas reopen amid fewest coronavirus deaths in 11 weeks
After seven months of total blackout, cinemas have reopened in several parts of India as the country reported its lowest daily increase in coronavirus deaths in 11 weeks. The reopening of movie theatres on Thursday came as India’s health ministry reported 680 deaths in the past 24 hours, the lowest number in nearly three months, raising the country’s death toll since the pandemic began to 111,266.
15th Oct 2020 - Al Jazeera English
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View this newsletter in fullNHS Wales boss reveals pressure on hospitals as coronavirus admissions leap and ICU beds full
The amount of people being treated for coronavirus in Wales' hospitals has shot up in the last seven days, the head of NHS Wales has revealed. Andrew Goodall, chief executive of NHS Wales, told Wednesday's Welsh Government coronavirus briefing how the recent spike in cases is not being felt in Wales' hospitals. He said that the nation's intensive care beds were all now full, although mainly not with Covid patients, and that health boards were already looking to use alternative field hospital capacity. "Today, there are just over 700 people being treated for coronavirus in Welsh hospitals," he said. "This is 49% more than last week. This is the highest number since late June."
15th Oct 2020 - Wales Online
Qatar extends quarantine rules for travellers to December 31
Qatar has extended strict quarantine rules requiring travellers to isolate for up to 14 days upon their arrival in the country, local media reported on Tuesday. “For all arrivals – including nationals, residents and visa holders – quarantine requirements are now extended for all arrival dates up to 31 December 2020,” The Peninsula newspaper reported, quoting the Discover Qatar website.
15th Oct 2020 - Al Jazeera English
Coronavirus: YouTube bans misleading Covid-19 vaccine videos
YouTube has pledged to delete misleading claims about coronavirus vaccines as part of a fresh effort to tackle Covid-19 misinformation. It said any videos that contradict expert consensus from local health authorities, such as the NHS or World Health Organization, will be removed. It follows an announcement by Facebook that it would ban ads that discourage people from getting vaccinated. However, that restriction will not apply to unpaid posts or comments. YouTube had already banned "medically unsubstantiated" claims relating to coronavirus on its platform.
But it is now explicitly expanding the policy to include content relating to vaccines.
14th Oct 2020 - BBC News
Germany's economic recovery loses momentum as daily cases spike above 5,000
Germany’s growth prospects for 2020 are looking increasingly bleak, with the country’s leading economic research institutes downgrading GDP forecasts for 2020 and beyond. Publishing a joint economic forecast Wednesday, Germany’s leading economists warned that the coronavirus pandemic is leaving what they called “substantial marks” on the German economy. The impact of the virus “is more persistent than assumed in spring.”
14th Oct 2020 - CNBC
Italian research shows low transmission of SARS-CoV-2 within schools
A team of scientists from Italy has recently conducted a study to investigate the incidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among students attending Italian schools after reopening after COVID-19 lockdown. The findings reveal that the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is low among younger students. The study is published on the medRxiv* preprint server.
14th Oct 2020 - News-Medical.Net
Spain's Catalonia region orders bars and restaurants to shutdown for 15 days
The Spanish region of Catalonia, which includes the city of Barcelona, ordered bars and restaurants to close for 15 days from Thursday night onwards and limited the numbers of people allowed in shops to try to curb a surge in coronavirus cases. With close to 900,000 registered cases and more than 33,000 deaths, Spain has become the pandemic’s hotspot in Western Europe. The capital Madrid and nearby suburbs were put on partial lockdown last week.
14th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Why complacency and lifting restrictions could be driving India's high COVID-19 numbers
Megha Mogare, a chauffeur in Mumbai, has been out of work since March, when the Indian government introduced one of the world's strictest lockdowns in reaction to the coronavirus pandemic. Mogare lives in the poor neighbourhood of Dharavi. Often described as one of Asia's largest slums, it is a labyrinth of small, cramped lanes and home to one million residents. Earning just 15,000 rupees ($268 Cdn) a month before the pandemic struck, it was always a struggle for the 56-year-old to make ends meet, let alone build up enough savings to see him through a crisis.
"The situation now is so bad I can't run my own house," he said. "I've had to take out loans."
14th Oct 2020 - YAHOO!
Melbourne beauty salons devastated, urge easing of lockdown
Melbourne beauty salons have lost 80 to 95 per cent of their income in sweeping devastation to the sector since the COVID-19 pandemic started, industry experts say. Salon owners are now pleading with the Victorian government to reopen from Sunday, saying changes are needed “for the sake of all of our wellbeing”. “We understood when we were asked to close down on the 25th of March, however to still be closed down is now destroying the lives of over 45,000 team members – it is obliterating our industry,” Australian Hair and Beauty Association board member Sia Psicharis said.
14th Oct 2020 - The Australian
Malaysian royal palace postpones meetings due to coronavirus curbs
Malaysia’s royal palace postponed from Wednesday all meetings for two weeks because of new coronavirus curbs, a palace official said, likely putting off a decision on a bid by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to form a new government. Anwar had on Tuesday met King Al-Sultan Abdullah to try to prove he had a “convincing” parliamentary majority to form a government, sparking a fresh bout of political wrangling just months after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin took office. The king was scheduled to meet leaders of main political parties to verify Anwar’s claim but a two-week partial lockdown took effect from Wednesday in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, and neighbouring state of Selangor.
14th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Northern Ireland to shut restaurants and suspend school in strictest UK lockdown
Northern Ireland announced the strictest COVID-19 restrictions seen in the United Kingdom since early summer on Wednesday, closing schools for two weeks, restaurants for four weeks and leading Ireland to respond by tightening curbs in bordering counties. The British-ruled region of Northern Ireland has become one of Europe’s biggest COVID-19 hotspots in recent weeks. Its health minister described the situation last Friday as becoming graver by the hour.
14th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Countries Rush to Hoard Food as Prices Rise and Covid Worsens
Jordan has built up record wheat reserves while Egypt, the world’s top buyer of the grain, took the unusual step of tapping international markets during its local harvest and has boosted purchases by more than 50% since April. Taiwan said it will boost strategic food stockpiles and China has been buying to feed its growing hog herd.
The early purchases underscore how nations are trying to protect themselves on concerns the coronavirus will disrupt port operations and wreak havoc on global trade. The pandemic has already upset domestic farm-to-fork supply chains that provided just enough inventory to meet demand, with empty store shelves across the world leading consumers to change their shopping habits. “Covid-19 has forced consumers to shift from just-in-time inventory management to a more conservative approach which was labeled just-in-case,” said Bank of America Corp. analysts led by Francsico Blanch, head of global commodities. “The result is that consumers are holding more inventory as a precaution against future supply disruptions.”
14th Oct 2020 - Bloomberg
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View this newsletter in full'Hunker down': The fall Covid-19 surge is here
As predicted, the US is now grappling with a new Covid-19 surge -- one that could overwhelm hospitals, kill thousands of Americans a day by January and leave even young survivors with long-term complications. "We went down to the lowest point lately in early September, around 30,000-35,000 new cases a day. Now we're back up to (about) 50,000 new cases a day. And it's going to continue to rise," Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, said Tuesday. "This is the fall/winter surge that everyone was worried about. And now it's happening. And it's happening especially in the northern Midwest, and the Northern states are getting hit very hard -- Wisconsin, Montana, the Dakotas. But it's going to be nationally soon enough. "Across the country, more than 30 states have reported more Covid-19 cases this past week than they reported the previous week, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
14th Oct 2020 - CNN
Italy Targets Bars, Restaurants, Parties in New Virus Curbs
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte imposed a series of new curbs on nightlife, social events and amateur sports as the coronavirus pandemic intensifies throughout the country, albeit at a slower pace than in other major European nations. Conte signed a decree that focuses especially on bars and restaurants, as the government seeks to avert a new national lockdown that the economy, ravaged by one of the strictest and longest in the continent earlier this year, could ill afford.
13th Oct 2020 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus: Czech schools and bars shut in new emergency
The Czech Republic is imposing a three-week partial lockdown shutting schools, bars and clubs, as Europe struggles to contain a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases.
The country has the region's highest new infection rate per 100,000 people. Restaurants will be closed and public consumption of alcohol is banned. In the Netherlands, a partial lockdown was announced, and masks have become compulsory in public indoor spaces. Meanwhile, hospital admissions are rising fast again in many countries.
13th Oct 2020 - BBC News
Across the world central governments face local covid-19 revolts
Speaking in Parliament, on October 12th, Boris Johnson, Britain’s prime minister, grappled with a problem facing countries across the world: how to contain a resurgence of the coronavirus, without imposing a national lockdown. From northern England to the Mediterranean, local politicians are in revolt. In Manchester, the mayor has complained that the lack of discussion and consultation makes the government “impossible to deal with”; in Marseilles, the deputy mayor has grumbled that decisions from Paris “come like a stone dropped from a bridge”; a battle between the Spanish government and the local authorities in Madrid ended up in court. All three cities were aghast at new local lockdowns imposed by the central government.
13th Oct 2020 - The Economist
England's pubs ponder if pasties or chips make a meal amid COVID lockdown
Pub owners across England’s COVID-19 hotspots were on Tuesday pondering a question that could decide if they survive or sink due to the coronavirus lockdown - when is a pub a pub, and when does it become a restaurant? The question has sparked a bizarre discussion about some of England’s favourite snacks: fries, chips and pork scratchings - roasted pork rind - do not count as a meal, according to a government minister quizzed on the status of the delicacies. But Cornish pasties, a much-loved meat and vegetable pie that dates back to England’s ancient tin mines, do count as a meal.
13th Oct 2020 - Reuters
India sees fewest new coronavirus cases in nearly two months
India has registered 55,342 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, its lowest single-day tally since the middle of August. The health ministry on Tuesday raised India’s confirmed total to more than 7.18 million cases but said the country was showing a trend of declining daily cases over the last five weeks.
13th Oct 2020 - Al Jazeera English
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 13th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullNumber of COVID patients in French intensive care units highest in nearly five months
The number of people being treated in French intensive care units for COVID-19 exceeded 1,500 on Monday for the first time since May 27, authorities said, raising fears of local lockdowns being imposed across the country. The new figure of 1,539 is still almost five times lower than an April 8 high of 7,148 but also four times higher than a July 31 low of 371. And as there are normally more people hospitalised with varios illnesses in the autumn than in the spring, health experts fear the hospital system will be quickly overwhelmed if nothing is done to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.
12th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Most people try to avoid Covid-19. But thousands are signing up to be deliberately exposed
As most of us obsess with avoiding Covid-19 at all costs, a rapidly growing group of people around the world say they are prepared to deliberately take on the virus.
Tens of thousands of people have signed up to a campaign by a group called 1 Day Sooner to take an experimental vaccine candidate and then face coronavirus in a controlled setting. Among them is Estefania Hidalgo, 32, a photography student in Bristol, England, who works at a gas station to pay the bills.
12th Oct 2020 - CNN
Covid: Nightingale hospitals in northern England told to get ready
NHS Nightingale hospitals in Manchester, Sunderland and Harrogate are being asked to get ready to take patients. Government advisers say admissions are rising, with more elderly people needing urgent treatment for Covid. More people are now in hospital with Covid than before restrictions were announced in March.
It comes as a new three-tier system of lockdown rules for England has been announced.
12th Oct 2020 - BBC News
Major regional discrepancies in Covid-19 response, report finds
EU regions were unevenly hit by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report published on Monday (12 October) by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). The most economically hard-hit regions were those under strict lockdown measures for the longest - not necessarily those with the highest death-rates or most cases detected, it finds.
12th Oct 2020 - EUobserver
Some U.S. doctors flee to New Zealand where the coronavirus outbreak is under control and science is respected
Some U.S.-based doctors and nurses are fleeing the country because the lack of PPE and coordinated U.S. response made them feel unsafe during the coronavirus pandemic. Some have been feeling burned out for years due to the complex U.S. health system. New Zealand, which led with science, has declared victory over Covid-19 yet again and hasn’t reported a positive case in more than a week.
12th Oct 2020 - CNBC
Australia in travel talks with Japan, Korea as coronavirus cases ease
Australia is in talks with Japan, South Korea, Singapore and South Pacific nations on reopening travel as coronavirus infections ease, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday. Australia shut its borders in March to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus and is looking to revive tourism to help pull the country out of its first recession in nearly three decades. While Australia has managed to contain the outbreak better than others, it is facing a second wave in the state of Victoria, where Melbourne remains under a tight lockdown. But infections there have been falling since early August. Morrison said he had spoken to his counterparts in Japan, South Korea and some Pacific nations, while Foreign Minister Marise Payne had held talks in Singapore this week on resuming travel.
12th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
English pub, night club group plans legal action over any new shutdowns
A group of English pub and night club owners have paused plans for a legal challenge against new COVID-19 shutdowns after the government limited closures to the Merseyside region. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out new measures on Monday, but so far Liverpool and the surrounding area is the only one that will have to close pubs, clubs, gyms, leisure centres, betting shops, adult gaming centres and casinos. Britain’s pub, restaurant, night club and event industry has been hammered by the coronavirus crisis and after months of lockdown in the spring, a second wave and new measures limiting socialising now threaten hundreds of thousands more jobs.
12th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Covid-19: Worldwide airport passenger numbers plummeted 58% in the first half of 2020, says report
Data was released by Airports Council International in its airport traffic report. In the first half of 2020, overall aircraft movements globally fell by 41.6 per cent. Atlanta, the world's busiest airport, saw passenger numbers drop 56.6 per cent
12th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 12th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullGermany Donates $1 Million in Medical Equipment to Peru Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
Germany has donated just over $1 million in medical equipment to Peru to help people in remote sections of the Amazon cope with the coronavirus pandemic.
Thursday’s humanitarian gift of oxygen concentrators, digital thermometers, oximeters and more than 32,000 coronavirus tests for health professionals aims to help some 90,000 people from underserved communities in the Indigenous and rural areas of Peru’s Amazon. Pilar Mazzetti of Peru's Health Ministry thanked Germany for donation, saying it opens the possibility to tend better to the indigenous communities, which have always been left behind, and which are difficult to tend to due to the distance. The donation, part of binational agreements signed in August, aims to provide primary health care to majority of the Indigenous communities, which have no health center.
9th Oct 2020 - Voice of America
German hospitals warn of staff shortages amid surging coronavirus cases
German hospitals warned of staff shortages on Friday, saying the sharp rise in new coronavirus infections also meant medics, nurses and support staff were getting sick or needing to isolate, leading to strains in providing care for patients. Germany, which has managed to keep the number of cases and deaths lower than many of its neighbours, is now seeing the biggest jumps in new infections since April, with more than 4,000 on both Thursday and Friday. At the Frankfurt university hospital, twice as many employees caught the virus in the past two weeks as in the three months before, its medical director Juergen Graf said at a news conference in Berlin. “This will be the bottleneck in the care supply,” he said.
9th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Australia in travel talks with Japan, Korea as coronavirus cases ease
Australia is in talks with Japan, South Korea, Singapore and South Pacific nations on reopening travel as coronavirus infections ease, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday. Australia shut its borders in March to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus and is looking to revive tourism to help pull the country out of its first recession in nearly three decades. While Australia has managed to contain the outbreak better than others, it is facing a second wave in the state of Victoria, where Melbourne remains under a tight lockdown. But infections there have been falling since early August.
11th Oct 2020 - Reuters Australia
Florida will be 'like a house on fire' in weeks with loose coronavirus restrictions, infectious disease expert says
As health officials in Florida reported nearly 3,000 new cases of coronavirus on Friday, the state is bracing to become "like a house on fire," an infectious disease expert says. "Florida is ripe for another large outbreak," said Mike Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. "What they've done is opened up everything as if nothing had ever happened there and you and I could be talking probably in eight to 10 weeks, and I will likely bet that Florida will be a house on fire," Osterholm told CNN's Jake Tapper.
Health officials in Florida reported 2,908 new cases of Covid-19 and 118 deaths on Friday, according to data from the Florida Department of Health. The agency has reported at least 2,200 new cases daily for four consecutive days.
10th Oct 2020 - CNN
How & Why Bengaluru Is Emerging as India’s Worst Hit COVID-19 City
Statistically speaking, Pune has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in India, as on 7 October. Bengaluru has the third-highest number of cases. However, at present, Bengaluru is the city worst affected by COVID-19 in India, and perhaps in the world. The key to understanding the severity of Bengaluru’s COVID situation is in the number of cases reported in a 15-day period – between 23 September and 7 October, to be precise.
10th Oct 2020 - The Quint
Nurses suffer burn-out, psychological distress in COVID fight - association
Many nurses caring for COVID-19 patients are suffering burn-out or psychological distress, and many have faced abuse or discrimination outside of work, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) said. Supplies of personal protective equipment for nurses and other health workers in some care homes remain insufficient, it said, marking World Mental Health Day on Saturday. “We are extremely concerned about the mental health impact on nurses,” Howard Catton, a British nurse who is the ICN’s chief executive, told Reuters Television at the association’s headquarters in Geneva.
10th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Fauci calls White House event a coronavirus ‘superspreader’
The United States’ top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci has said an event held in the White House on September 26 was a “superspreader event” that is suspected to have infected numerous people, including President Donald Trump, with the novel coronavirus. “I think the data speak for themselves. We had a superspreader event in the White House,” Fauci said during an interview with CBS News Radio. “And it was in a situation where people were crowded together and were not wearing masks, so the data speak for themselves.”
10th Oct 2020 - Al Jazeera English
Coronavirus death rate in Bali could mean no Australian tourists
The virus is spreading as Indonesians are now allowed to move between islands
In July, Bali's active cases sat at 1914 before soaring to 3671 in September
The confirmed cases are believed to be only a fraction of actual infections
9th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 9th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullPubs and restaurants take blame for UK’s Covid spike
Health authorities across the UK believe the normalisation of eating out and drinking in pubs has contributed to the UK’s second wave of Covid-19, triggering howls of rage from the battered hospitality sector, which says there is little proof they are responsible for spreading the virus. However, the dispute over the evidence is unlikely to stop England’s politicians following Scotland’s lead in shutting pubs and restaurants in the north of England from next week — a move likely to coincide with the end of Britain’s post-lockdown economic recovery.
8th Oct 2020 - The Financial Times
North of England leaders vow to oppose lockdown without financial support
Ministers are facing open revolt from leaders in northern England over fresh coronavirus restrictions due to be announced within days, with mayors, MPs, council chiefs and business groups vowing to fiercely oppose any new measures without substantial financial support. Pubs, bars and restaurants across Merseyside, Greater Manchester and parts of West Yorkshire and the north-east could be forced to close next week in an effort to slow the region’s soaring infection rate. The leaders of the big northern cities are planning a formal alliance in opposition to any attempt by government to force restrictions on them without significant Treasury funding.
8th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
COVID-19 is predicted to make child poverty worse. Should NZ's next government make temporary safety nets permanent?
Despite the 2017 Labour-led government taking power with a mandate to fight Aotearoa New Zealand’s abysmally high child poverty rate, only incremental progress has been made. The percentage of children living in poor households dropped only slightly, from 16.5% in June 2018 to 14.9% by June 2019. That equates to approximately one in seven children (168,500) living in poverty, according to one official measure used in New Zealand and internationally: households with incomes less than 50% of the median disposable household income before housing costs (BHC).
8th Oct 2020 - The Conversation AU
Ukraine's medical system may not stand, health minister says
Ukraine’s medical system could break down because of a surge in new coronavirus cases and the number of hospitalised people, the country’s health minister warned on Thursday. Ukraine registered a record 5,397 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, up from the previous record of 4,753 new cases reported on Wednesday. The number of deaths grew by 93 and reached 4,690, Maksym Stepanov told a televised briefing. “The medical system will simply not stand it if we all, without exception, simply do not begin to adhere to the rules,” Stepanov said.
8th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Europe’s Second Covid-19 Wave Starts to Spill Over From Young to Old
Since the summer, Europe’s second wave of the coronavirus has mainly affected young people, who usually have mild or no symptoms. But infections are beginning to leak into older age groups, the latest data show, often spreading from younger to older members of the same family. Cases among those aged over 65 are increasing in most European countries, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
8th Oct 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
NHS ready to roll out coronavirus vaccine next month if jab gets green light
A coronavirus vaccine could be rolled out from next month with the jabs being offered at five giant sites across the UK, it has been reported. Leaked documents say the NHS is hopeful that two vaccines will be available before the end of the year with officials drawing up plans to ensure they are given to those at the top of the priority list. Trainee nurses, physiotherapists and paramedics will be deployed to the vaccination sites so they can treat tens of thousands of people a day, it has been claimed. According to the documents, major cities including Leeds, Hull and London have been earmarked as locations for the vaccination sites. There will also be hundreds of mobile units scattered across the country and vaccination teams will visit care homes and vulnerable people.
8th Oct 2020 - Mirror Online
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 8th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullAbbott says fast COVID-19 test correctly identifies positive cases 95% of the time
Abbott Laboratories on Wednesday released early data from a study on the accuracy of its ID NOW COVID-19 test, which is used in the White House, that could help alleviate concerns the diagnostic frequently fails to detect the virus. Interim data from Abbott’s 1,003-participant study shows that its test, which can deliver results in under 15 minutes, correctly identified positive COVID-19 cases 95% of the time when used within seven days of symptom onset.
7th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Most Patients’ Covid-19 Care Looks Nothing Like Trump’s
As a buoyant President Trump emerged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center this week, appeared on a balcony at the White House, and proclaimed on Twitter that the public should have no fear of the coronavirus, many Americans saw few parallels between Mr. Trump’s experience with the virus and their own. Some Covid-19 survivors, even those who support Mr. Trump, found what they consider his lack of compassion off-putting.
7th Oct 2020 - The New York Times
COVID-19 spread in hospitals to be mapped to 'break the chain'
A new study will map the spread of coronavirus in hospitals in a bid to break the chain of transmission. The clinical trial, led by scientists at University College London (UCL), will evaluate the use of real-time viral genomic data to reduce the spread of COVID-19 within hospitals. The findings could help the NHS reduce further transmission by determining if an individual caught the virus from someone else within the same hospital, researchers say. “Spread of COVID-19 infections in hospitals is now recognised to be a major problem for both healthcare workers and patients, and breaking the chain of these transmissions is critical,” said Professor Judith Breuer, director of UCL/UCLH/GOSH biomedical research centres funded pathogen genomics unit, and trial lead.
7th Oct 2020 - BBC Focus Magazine
'COVID-19 free' hospital areas could save lives after surgery – global study
Setting up ‘COVID-19 free’ hospital areas for surgical patients could save lives during the second wave of the pandemic – reducing the risk of death from lung infections associated with coronavirus, a new global study reveals.
7th Oct 2020 - University of Birmingham
Scotland circuit break: What might it be like?
New lockdown restrictions will be announced on Wednesday, the first minister has said. It is possible this could be in the form of a "circuit-breaker" lockdown for a relatively short period. Nicola Sturgeon says it won't be the same as the lockdown introduced in March - so what might it look like?
7th Oct 2020 - BBC News
Belgium closes cafes and bars for a month in Brussels as the country moves towards second lockdown
Brussels cafes and bars will be closed and drinking alcohol in public banned. The latest round of measures will be in place until November 8, then re-assessed.
Belgium recorded an average of 2,500 new COVID-19 cases per day in past week
This represents a 57 per cent increase on the previous seven day period. Paris enforced similar measures yesterday, Madrid entered lockdown on Friday
7th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
The Uneven Decline of Health Services Across States During the Lockdown
The national lockdown in April-May 2020 had devastating effects on people’s employment and earnings. About half of urban workers, for instance, did not earn any income during that period, according to a recent survey by the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics. For good measure, many public services were also reduced or discontinued. This includes routine health services.
7th Oct 2020 - The Wire Science
Australia's Victoria state reaches lower infection milestone
Australia’s city of Melbourne, capital of the coronavirus hotspot state of Victoria, on Wednesday reported the lowest two-week average of new cases after a second contagion wave that led to one of the world’s toughest lockdowns. For the first time since the second coronavirus outbreak caused more than 800 deaths in the state - more than 90% of the country’s 897 virus-related deaths - the two-week average has fallen below 10. The metric is key as officials in the second-most-populous state are reluctant to ease mobility restrictions until the rolling average in the two-week window falls below five. “The strategy is working,” premier Daniel Andrews told reporters at his daily briefing. “Its success is pinned ultimately to whether symptomatic people come forward and get tested.”
7th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
How Much Would Trump’s Coronavirus Treatment Cost Most Americans?
President Trump spent three days in the hospital. He arrived and left by helicopter. And he received multiple coronavirus tests, oxygen, steroids and an experimental antibody treatment. For someone who isn’t president, that would cost more than $100,000 in the American health system. Patients could face significant surprise bills and medical debt even after health insurance paid its share.
7th Oct 2020 - New York Times
‘Guinea pig for white people’: Black Americans react to being asked to take part in coronavirus vaccine trial
Recruiting black volunteers for vaccine trials during a period of severe mistrust of the federal government and heightened awareness of racial injustice is a formidable task. So far, only about 3 per cent of the people who have signed up nationally are black. Yet never has their inclusion in a medical study been more urgent. The economic and health effects of the coronavirus are falling disproportionately hard on communities of colour. It is essential, public health experts say, that research reflect diverse participation not only as a matter of social justice and sound practice but, when the vaccine becomes available, to help persuade black, Latino and Native American people to actually get it.
7th Oct 2020 - The Independent
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 7th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 hospital cases jump 25% in a day
The number of people admitted to hospital with Covid-19 on one day has jumped by nearly a quarter in England. There were 478 people admitted to hospital on Sunday - the largest daily figure since early June - up from 386. More than two-thirds of those were in the North West, North East and Yorkshire. It comes as a further 14,542 cases were confirmed across the whole of the UK on Tuesday. That daily figure has trebled in a fortnight.
6th Oct 2020 - BBC News
NHS in race to reach 50,000 Covid-19 contacts missed in data blunder
The race is on to trace contacts of almost half of the thousands of positive coronavirus cases initially not recorded in England due to a technical glitch. Some 49 per cent of the almost 16,000 cases had still not been reached for contact tracing purposes as of Monday following data issues over the weekend. The Times newspaper said contact tracers had reported conversations disconnecting mid-call, but a spokesman for the department said no such incidents had been reported either on Monday or over the weekend.
6th Oct 2020 - Evening Standard
Matt Hancock warns cancer patients may not be treated if Covid-19 is 'out of control'
Cancer patients could face having their treatments withdrawn if the virus does not stay 'under control.' Matt Hancock's admission comes after an Excel Spreadsheet failure saw 16,000 positive cases overlooked. The oversight means thousands have been wandering the community after being exposed to the virus. Number 10 revealed this afternoon that only 63 per cent of these cases have now been contacted for tracing
6th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
UK government urged to classify leisure centres 'essential' or face mass closures
The UK government has been urged to reclassify swimming pools, gyms and leisure centres as essential services vital to public health or face the prospect of thousands of facilities being shut permanently if a second lockdown is introduced. As the Guardian revealed in June, nearly half of Britain’s public leisure centres and 20% of the country’s swimming pools risk being closed for good before Christmas – putting more than 58,000 jobs in peril – because of the coronavirus pandemic. Even though lockdown restrictions have been eased, a third of leisure centres have still not reopened because of their parlous financial state.
6th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
More than 5.2 million Spaniards are now under coronavirus mobility restrictions
The rising number of coronavirus cases in Spain is accelerating the introduction of new confinements across the country. For now, the restrictions being introduced are not as severe as they were during the first wave, when the central government implemented a state of alarm that saw Spaniards confined to their homes for several months. But perimetral lockdowns are being established where the transmission rate of the virus is on the rise.
6th Oct 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Coronavirus: Lockdown in Scotland 'profoundly disruptive' to NHS care
The Covid pandemic has had a “profoundly disruptive” impact on hospital-based care across NHS Scotland, researchers have warned. They said the response to the crisis has “likely led to an adverse effect on non-Covid-19-related illnesses” and that the long-term impact on avoidable deaths and disease should be monitored. A detailed analysis of the impact of the virus on patient numbers reveals that A&E attendance fell to 41 per cent below average between the World Health Organisation declaring a pandemic on March 11 and the announcement of a UK-wide lockdown on March 23.
6th Oct 2020 - heraldscotland.com
France's daily COVID-19 cases slow, but hospitalisations spike
France reported a marked slowing in new daily COVID-19 cases on Monday but the number of people hospitalised for the disease shot up by more than 300 for the first time since Apr. 12, when the country was in the middle of a lockdown. Among the 7,294 patients hospitalised, more than 1,400 were treated in intensive care units (ICUs) - the highest number since May 28.
6th Oct 2020 - Reuters India
Half a billion travelers show China's economy moving past COVID-19
With the COVID-19 pandemic largely under control in China, the Golden Week holiday is putting on display the country’s confidence in its economic rebound and its public health measures. Through the first four days of the weeklong holiday that started Oct. 1, some 425 million people traveled domestically, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, nearly 80 percent of last year’s throngs. The surge of activity stands in stark contrast to the rest of the world — the global tourism industry is expected to lose at least $1.2 trillion in 2020 — and underscores the relative strength of China’s economic recovery.
6th Oct 2020 - The Japan Times
Australia to pay businesses to employ young people after COVID-19 shutdowns
Australia will spend A$4 billion over the next year to pay businesses that hire those under the age of 35, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said, as part of an ambitious plan to boost jobs and growth. Australia has been widely lauded for limiting the spread of COVID-19, but strict lockdown measures forced shut entire sectors of the economy, sending unemployment to a 22-year high of 7.5% in July. The impact on younger Australians is even worse, with recent data showing the unemployment rate for 15- to 24-year olds was hovering near 20%. As part of the government's hiring credit scheme, Canberra will pay businesses A$200 a week for the next a year if they employ a person under 29.
6th Oct 2020 - Yahoo
Pandemic tops 35 million cases, disrupts mental health services
Over the weekend, the pandemic total topped 35 million infections, as European countries experiencing second waves of activity dialed up their COVID-19 measures and the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the virus has disrupted services for mental health, neurologic conditions, and substance abuse.
The global total today reached 35,333,085 cases, and 1,039,000 people have died from their infections, according to the Johns Hopkins online dashboard.
6th Oct 2020 - CIDRAP
Moscow schools start unplanned holidays as COVID-19 cases rise
Moscow schools began unplanned holidays on Monday and businesses were required to have at least 30% of their staff working remotely, as COVID-19 cases across Russia hit their highest level since May 12. Authorities were also weighing the possibility of re-introducing tough lockdown measures last seen in the capital in late spring, the Vedomosti newspaper reported, as the daily tally of new cases reached 10,888 nationwide, including 3,537 in Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he was unaware of plans to impose a strict lockdown however, despite new restrictions aimed at limiting social interaction taking effect in the Russian capital on Monday.
6th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Moderna coronavirus vaccine trial contractors did not enroll enough minority volunteers
Private contractors hired by Moderna Inc did not hire enough black, Hispanic and Native America volunteers for the company's coronavirus vaccine trial. This has slowed down the late-stage trial and research centers have been told to focus on increasing participation among minorities. As of September 17, black Americans made up only about 7% of participants, but a reflection of the US population should put that figure closer to 13%. It is important to test a jab among communities of color because they are at higher risk of being infected with, and dying from, COVID-19. Moderna says it could seek emergency approval for inoculating high-risk groups such as healthcare workers as early as November
6th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
Covid-19: NHS tests threatened by Roche supply chain failing
Coronavirus swabs and other key NHS tests for conditions including cancer are under threat, after a supply chain failure at a major diagnostics company. Swiss pharmaceutical firm Roche said problems with a move to a new warehouse had led to a "very significant" drop in its processing capacity. A spokesperson said Covid-19 tests would be prioritised, but it could take two weeks to fix the issue. One NHS trust has already advised its GPs to stop all non-urgent blood tests. In a statement, Roche said: "We deeply regret that there has been a delay in the dispatch of some products. "We are prioritising the dispatch of Covid-19 PCR [diagnostic] and antibody tests and doing everything we can to ensure there is no impact on the supply of these to the NHS."
6th Oct 2020 - BBC News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 6th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullCobra Biologics steps up work to develop Covid-19 vaccine with new manufacturing agreement
A North Staffordshire biologics business has entered a collaboration which will see it manufacture a Covid-19 vaccine for an Oxford-based medical firm. Keele-based Cobra Biologics has signed a good manufacturing practice (GMP) agreement with Scancell for the production of a new vaccine which has the potential to provide long-lasting immunity against Covid-19 - by generating protection not only against this strain, but also against new strains of coronavirus that may arise in the future. The project – which is being funded by an Innovate UK grant – represents a crucial development in the production of a Covid-19 vaccine for use in the Phase 1 clinical trial, COVIDITY.
5th Oct 2020 - Business Live
Why a second lockdown could turn the lights out on the UK economy
James Reed is chairman and chief executive of recruitment firm REED. He writes about a second wave of Covid-19: "While I agree that extra measures might be needed to combat the spread of this disease, a blanket second full lockdown will certainly drive a coach and horses through the early signs of economic recovery" "A lockdown is a short-term fix based upon the hope that a vaccine for Covid-19 is just around the corner, which it may or may not be. It’s something that should only be considered as an absolute last resort, after all other options have been exhausted."
5th Oct 2020 - City A.M.
Point of view of the Italians pediatric scientific societies about the pediatric care during the COVID-19 lockdown: what has changed and future prospects for restarting
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is currently rare in children and they seem to have a milder disease course and better prognosis than adults. However, SARS-Cov-2 pandemic has indirectly caused problems in pediatric medical assistance. In view of this we wanted to draw a picture of what happened during health emergency and analyze future prospects for restarting. We involved the Italian pediatric scientific societies institutionally collected in the Italian Federation of Associations and Scientific Societies of the Pediatric Area (FIARPED); We sent a questionnaire to all scientific societies about the pediatric care activity during the COVID-19 emergency and future perspectives for the phase of post-containment.
5th Oct 2020 - DocWire News
Business as usual? Scant enforcement of Madrid's new lockdown
Madrid residents were largely coming and going as normal on Monday despite a prohibition on non-essential travel in the first European capital to return to a coronavirus lockdown due to resurgent infections, which rose above 800,000 nationally. Police said 300 officers were manning 60 checkpoints, but commuters poured into the Spanish capital as usual and few said they had noticed extra controls. With 850 COVID-19 infections per 100,000 people, the Madrid area has Europe’s highest rate, so 4.8 million people in the city and nine satellite towns came under new restrictions from Friday night.
5th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus: Paris to shut bars and raise alert to maximum
Paris will shut all bars completely from Tuesday after the French government raised the city's coronavirus alert to maximum following a period of high infection rates.
Bars, gyms and swimming pools will all be closed for two weeks in a bid to curb the spread of the virus, the city's police chief said. But restaurants will remain open if strict hygiene rules are in place. On Sunday France reported 12,565 cases of Covid-19. "These are braking measures because the epidemic is moving too fast," police chief Didier Lallement said during a press conference on Monday.
5th Oct 2020 - BBC News
The Uneven Decline of Health Services Across States During Lockdown
In India, the national lockdown in April-May 2020 had devastating effects on people’s employment and earnings. About half of urban workers, for instance, did not earn any income during that period according to a recent survey by the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics. For good measure, many public services were also reduced or discontinued. This includes routine health services. Clear evidence of the massive disruption of health services during the lockdown is available from the Indian government’s Health Management Information System (HMIS).
5th Oct 2020 - The Wire
Mumbai restaurants, bars to open today after months of lockdown
Restaurants, bars and cafes to reopen in Mumbai from Monday after over six months of lockdown restrictions because of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic. The dine-in facility will be reopened at 50% capacity and will adhere to several restrictions by following guidelines of the Maharashtra government that were issued last week. However, because of an acute crunch in staff several restaurant owners have asked their workers to return to Mumbai at the earliest and many are booking their flights in a bid to ensure employees could resume their duties at the earliest
5th Oct 2020 - Hindustan Times
'Heavy-handed' cops slammed after new COVID-19 fines data emerges
Victorians have been hit with far more COVID-19 fines than any other state in Australia, an economist's numbers show. Data released by economist Saul Eslake on coronavirus breaches during the state's first lockdown showed a huge imbalance between Victoria and the rest of Australia. COVID-19 fines in Victoria averaged out to $90 per 100,000 people. For all other states and territories it was about $20 – and just $16 for New South Wales. Community lawyer Lloyd Murphy claimed police had been "heavy handed", with young people disproportionately affected. "And now here's even more data to suggest people from migrant backgrounds and people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds are being targeted even further."
5th Oct 2020 - 9News.com.au
Bali's exploding coronavirus death rate could make island last place Aussies return to
The coronavirus death rate is exploding in Bali, sparking fears it'll be among the last places to welcome Aussie visitors again. Business is suffering so severely even major chains are permanently closing, including McDonald's in the centre of usual-hotspot Kuta.
5th Oct 2020 - 9News
Aussies defy COVID limits and crowd Victoria’s beaches, parks
The premier of Australia’s Victoria state has called on citizens to “stay the course” after large groups flooded beaches and parks at the weekend in defiance of lockdown regulations. Victoria, emerging from a major winter spike in coronavirus cases, relaxed lockdown regulations last weekend but still allowed only five people from up to two households to congregate outside.
5th Oct 2020 - Al Jazeera English
'Enormous' planning to distribute coronavirus vaccine in UK
An "enormous amount of planning" is currently going into distributing a coronavirus vaccine, Downing Street has said. A spokesman said that a huge amount of planning and preparation is in place to make sure an eventual vaccine could be sent across the country. “The priority will be the most vulnerable groups and we take advice from the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on which groups should get the vaccine, based on these factors and we keep it under review,” the prime minister’s official spokesman said.
5th Oct 2020 - South Wales Argus
Coronavirus vaccine will be given to less than half the UK population, taskforce chief says
The head of the UK's vaccine taskforce has warned that less than half of the British population should expect to receive a coronavirus vaccine. Kate Bingham said it is "misguided" to expect that every UK citizen will get a Covid-19 vaccine injection when it is widely released, as they will initially be reserved for at-risk groups only.
The priority groups top of the list for the vaccine will include the over-50s and health and social care workers.
5th Oct 2020 - Evening Standard
NHS calls in Armed Forces to help distribute coronavirus vaccine
The British armed forces will be involved in distributing a coronavirus vaccine across the UK ‘according to priority’, the Health Secretary has said. Speaking at the Conservative Party conference on Sunday, Matt Hancock confirmed that a ‘combination of the NHS and the armed forces’ are already working on ‘making the rollout happen’. He said the doses would be distributed based on a prioritisation list, noting that it was important to ‘get the vaccine to the people who are most likely to be badly affected by coronavirus first’. Calling the vaccine a ‘great hope’, he told the conference: ‘The Prime Minister said this morning there will be some bumpy months ahead but we are working as hard as we can to get a vaccine as fast as is safely possible.
5th Oct 2020 - Metro
Cargo airlines face challenges shipping coronavirus vaccine: report
Even if a coronavirus vaccine is approved soon, it will likely be years until it can be distributed around the world, according to cargo airline and logistics executives.
Challenging storage and shipping requirements, combined with reduced cargo availability and higher demand, are likely to delay distribution, according to a new Wall Street Journal report. Although cargo airlines are trying to prepare, a host of unknowns — including where the vaccine will be made, how many doses are needed, and how it will need to be stored — means there's only so much that can be organized in advance.
5th Oct 2020 - Business Insider
Overtaking China in number of COVID-19 cases, carefree Nepalese now worry about possible lockdown
The coronavirus barometer of the Himalayan Nation has surged high in recent days with the number of cases reaching 86,823 on October 4. Nepal on Sunday overtook China in the number of infections which has reported 85,450 cases amid speculation that the toll could be higher. Nepal on Sunday alone logged 2,253 new cases with 1,329 cases of recoveries and seven deaths. Out of new cases, Kathmandu Valley alone contributed 1,373 new cases while Lalitpur registered 187 and Bhaktapur 39 new cases of coronavirus. Despite the increasing number of cases, the buzz in the market and roads in Kathmandu is as normal as before. Social distancing, sanitisation and other basic health protocols issued by the government are flaunted by shoppers who are all in a festive mood to celebrate the upcoming festival of Dashain
4th Oct 2020 - YAHOO!
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 5th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 Vaccines Should First Go to Health Workers, First Responders, Group Recommends
Certain health workers and first responders should be the first to receive a Covid-19 vaccine when one becomes available, followed by people with health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe Covid-19 disease, a special U.S. committee recommended. As supplies of vaccines rise, the committee recommended vaccinating groups like teachers, child-care staffers and transit workers. Only later should other groups and finally remaining Americans get vaccinated, the committee said in a report released Friday by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
2nd Oct 2020 - Wall Street Journal
Surge of Covid cases in London health workers sparks fear of spread on wards
Covid infection rates among doctors, nurses, and other hospital and care home staff have risen more than fivefold over the past month in London, scientists have discovered. The figures – provided by the Francis Crick Institute – have triggered considerable concern among scientists, who fear similar increases may be occurring in other regions of the UK. Increasing numbers of infected healthcare workers raise fears that the spread of Covid-19 into wards and care homes – which triggered tens of thousands of deaths last spring – could be repeated unless urgent action is taken.
4th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
‘Exhausted’ teachers warn they have no additional funding to handle Covid-19
In England, headteachers have warned they do not have enough funding from the government to meet the extra costs of the Covid-19 crisis, leaving school budgets “in the lap of the gods”. The new president of the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT), Ruth Davies, said schools are being expected to implement Covid safety arrangements “without any additional funding at all”, placing pressure on “exhausted” school leaders. She called on the government to provide money for items such as personal protective equipment, extra cleaning, more staff and the physical adaptations made to schools.
4th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus: The difficulty of policing Covid-19 restrictions
In Northern Ireland, the PSNI has handed out about 800 spot fines of £60 or more during the Covid-19 pandemic - but finds itself in a debate over claims of inaction on face coverings. Not a single penalty has been issued in respect of masks in shops or on public transport since they became mandatory. In England and Wales (a population of 60m), just 89 fines have been handed out, showing this law is being enforced with a light touch across the UK. By his own admission, it is not a space the Chief Constable Simon Byrne wants his officers to rush into.
4th Oct 2020 - BBC News
Schools and mosques closed in Tehran as COVID-19 infections rise
Schools, libraries, mosques and other public institutions in Tehran were closed for a week on Saturday as part of measures to stem a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases, state media cited authorities in the Iranian capital as saying. The closure plan, which will also affect universities, seminaries, libraries, museums, theatres, gyms, cafes and hair salons in the Iranian capital, came after Alireza Zali, head of the Tehran Coronavirus Taskforce, called for the shutdown to help control the epidemic.
4th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Police set up traffic controls as Madrid heads back into lockdown
Police set up controls and stopped cars on major roads into and out of Madrid on Saturday as the city went back into lockdown due to surging coronavirus cases. Some 4.8 million people are barred from leaving the capital area, while restaurants and bars must shut early and reduce capacity by half. The new restrictions, which started on Friday evening, are not as strict as the previous lockdown in March, when people were barred from leaving their homes.
4th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Military will be involved in distributing coronavirus vaccine, Matt Hancock says
The military will be involved in the distribution of a coronavirus vaccine, Matt Hancock has said, as he confirmed the NHS Covid-19 app had been downloaded 15 million times. Speaking at the virtual Conservative Party conference, the Health Secretary said a Covid-19 vaccine was the "great hope". Reiterating Boris Johnson's comments about the "bumpy months ahead", Mr Hancock said the nation was "working as hard as we can to get a vaccine as fast as is safely possible".
4th Oct 2020 - Evening Standard
India seeks up to 500 million coronavirus vaccine doses by July
India hopes to receive up to 500 million doses of coronavirus vaccine by July to inoculate about 250 million people, health minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday, as infections in the world’s second-worst affected country continue to surge. India’s has recorded some 6.55 million infections, with 75,829 in the past 24 hours, while COVID-19-related deaths have totalled 101,782, health ministry data showed.
“There is a high-level expert body going into all aspects of vaccines,” Vardhan wrote on Twitter. “Our rough estimate and the target would be to receive and utilise 400 to 500 million doses covering (200 million-250 million) people by July 2021.”
4th Oct 2020 - Reuters India
Nearly 20,000 Covid-19 cases among Amazon workers
Amazon said that more than 19,816 of its frontline workers in the US have contracted Covid-19 since March. The number equates to 1.44% of its 1.37 million workers across Amazon and its subsidiary Whole Foods. Amazon had faced criticism from employees, unions and elected officials, who have accused the company of putting employees' health at risk. But the online retailing giant said its infection rate is lower than expected. Amazon has kept its facilities open throughout the pandemic to meet a surge in demand from shoppers stuck at home.
2nd Oct 2020 - BBC News
As lockdown eases, Kenyan doctors warn Covid still lurking
Kenya is reporting a decline in coronavirus cases, and hospital admissions for Covid-19 have fallen sharply, but some frontline health workers say infections are going undetected and could even be rising. For several weeks, the health ministry has been recording between about 50 and 250 new infections every day, a sudden and considerable slump from highs approaching 900 in just late July. The government has responded by easing some of the strictest measures imposed to contain the pandemic.
2nd Oct 2020 - FRANCE 24
Top Paris chefs in protest as restaurants face coronavirus lockdown
Paris's top restaurateurs vented their anger today as the French capital’s celebrated hospitality industry faced having to shut down to contain a surge in coronavirus infections. Health minister Olivier Veran has already ordered bars and restaurants in Marseille to shut for two weeks and last night warned that Paris could be placed on “maximum alert” from Monday, meaning similar measures there.
2nd Oct 2020 - Evening Standard
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 2nd Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullExclusive: U.S. traffic deaths fell after coronavirus lockdown, but drivers got riskier
U.S. traffic deaths fell during the coronavirus lockdowns but drivers engaged in riskier behavior as the fatality rate spiked to its highest level in 15 years, according to preliminary data released Thursday. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported the fatality rate jumped to 1.42 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in the three months ending June 30, or about 30%, the highest since 2005. At the same time, overall traffic deaths fell by 3.3% to 8,870 while U.S. driving fell by about 26%, or 302 fewer deaths over the same period in 2019, according to the report first reported by Reuters.
2nd Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
NHS Covid disruption could cause tens of thousands of deaths, MPs warn
Tens of thousands of patients could die because the NHS suspended such a large proportion of normal care to focus on tackling Covid-19, MPs have warned.
Illnesses that went undetected or untreated included cancer and heart disease, the Commons health and social care committee says in a hard-hitting report. “We’ve heard of severe disruption to services, especially cancer, and here we could be looking at tens of thousands of avoidable deaths within a year”, said the former health secretary Jeremy Hunt, who chairs the cross-party select committee.
1st Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Q&A: what does the government's latest UK Covid-19 data reveal?
With infections still on the rise, and sharply in some regions, it is clear that the latest restrictions brought in to suppress the virus have either yet to take effect or have not gone far enough. On Wednesday, a further 7,108 new cases were recorded, slightly down on the previous day’s 7,143, but high enough to show that the epidemic continues to grow at pace. There were 71 reported deaths for the second day in a row.
1st Oct 2020 - The Guardian
University lockdowns: a whole new way to fail young people
I distinctly remember the day in June when the boy cleared out his student flat and said goodbye to those few who were still living there. He had not been back since the previous term. While he packed and said his goodbyes, I found a place serving takeaways and ate at a table outside, before wandering into the “non-essential shops” in the town centre. It was only the boy’s second year, so this desolate end was not the final farewell to college life — but some of his friends would not be there next year. There were no kisses or bro-hugs, just a wave and a “maybe see you in London”. For the first time since lockdown, I truly saw the cost through his eyes.
1st Oct 2020 - Financial Times
How A Three-Tier Lockdown System In England Could Work
Local lockdown rules are pretty confusing. Even the prime minister got them wrong. To ease some of the confusion, England could be heading towards a three-tier lockdown system as soon as next week, iNews has reported. Areas with outbreaks would be classified as ‘tier one’ and would be subject to the tightest restrictions. It’s believed this could involve a strict social lockdown in order to curb transmission. If you think of it in terms of a traffic light system, this would be a red area
1st Oct 2020 - Huffington Post UK
New lockdown restrictions for Ibiza as French students complain of coronavirus risk
Ibiza will go into partial lockdown from Friday after coronavirus spread quickly on the party island which is normally popular with British tourists. Parties of more than five people will be banned, children’s playgrounds will be shut down and bars and restaurants will have to close at 10pm, the Balearic Islands government said. Authorities recommended that people stay at home for all but essential activities but did not make this mandatory.
1st Oct 2020 - iNews
Supreme Court orders airlines to refund bookings during coronavirus lockdown
India's top court on Friday ordered airlines to refund passengers who were forced to cancel tickets booked during a two-month, nationwide lockdown to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. The Supreme Court told airlines to refund the money within three weeks in a decision that will add to the burden on cash-strapped Indian carriers whose revenues have been hit by coronavirus restrictions on air travel. The lockdown, imposed on March 25, banned domestic and international travel, closed factories, schools, offices and all shops other than those supplying essential services. It caused extensive economic disruption and measures were eased from May as the virus was still spreading.
1st Oct 2020 - YAHOO!
Coronavirus pandemic: Madrid urgently requests more doctors amid spike in area
#Spain's Madrid region on Wednesday requested urgent help to hire hundreds of foreign #doctors and reinforce police as they registered 1,290 new #coronavirus infections and considered extending a partial lockdown to more areas.
1st Oct 2020 - France24
German court rules insurer must pay restaurant's lockdown claim
A German court has ruled that a Munich restaurant’s insurer must pay out a claim for losses caused by the state-imposed COVID-19 lockdown earlier this year, the first prominent such case in Germany in which the court found in favour of the plaintiff. There are hundreds of similar lawsuits pending after many insurers in Germany, including Allianz ALVG.DE, refused to pay businesses for lockdown losses, arguing that while effects of other pandemics would have been insured, COVID-19 had not been named specifically in the terms and conditions.
1st Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus: Doctors told to plan for vaccination scheme
Doctors in the West Midlands have been told to plan for a mass coronavirus vaccination scheme from as early as November. A leaked document identifies two vaccines which are expected to be available this year. Immunising the entire population could take 10 months and will start with the most vulnerable in care homes. Mass vaccination sites and mobile facilities are being commissioned as part of as a "fairly massive exercise". According to the document, the two vaccines are called Ambush and Triumph. Ambush needs to be stored at -70C (-94F) and kept in hospitals due to regulations set down by the Medicines Health Regulatory Authority.
1st Oct 2020 - BBC News
FDA widens U.S. safety inquiry into AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine - sources
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has broadened its investigation of a serious illness in AstraZeneca Plc's AZN.L COVID-19 vaccine study and will look at data from earlier trials of similar vaccines developed by the same scientists, three sources familiar with the details told Reuters. AstraZeneca’s large, late-stage U.S. trial has remained on hold since Sept. 6, after a study participant in Britain fell ill with what was believed to be a rare spinal inflammatory disorder called transverse myelitis. The widened scope of the FDA probe raises the likelihood of additional delays for what has been one of the most advanced COVID-19 vaccine candidates in development. The requested data was expected to arrive this week, after which the FDA would need time to analyze it, two of the sources said.
30th Sep 2020 - Reuters
Nigerian scientists develop Covid-19 vaccine need human trials
The race for a Covid-19 vaccine has so far been a show of vaccine nationalism as countries are securing prospective vaccines for their populations and prioritizing access for their domestic markets. This has left Africa in a disadvantaged position as none of the vaccines being developed are in the continent and a majority of African countries lack the power or funds to secure vaccines for their citizens.
1st Oct 2020 - Quartz Africa
Covid-19: Dr Anthony Fauci 'cautiously optimistic' of coronavirus vaccine by year's end – but will New Zealand have access?
The United States’ leading Covid-19 expert is “cautiously optimistic” a safe and effective vaccine may arrive sooner than many predicted. “We project that we will know whether we have a safe and effective vaccine likely by the end of this calendar year,” Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, told former prime minister Helen Clark. “I would predict November and December. It could possibly be earlier, I think that's unlikely but not impossible.” But ensuring equitable distribution and access around the world will present one of the greatest challenges. Fauci told Clark and journalist Linda Clark during a virtual discussion hosted by the Aspen Institute of New Zealand – which is available to view above – that the financial risks associated with preparations were worth taking.
1st Oct 2020 - Stuff.co.nz
French coronavirus cases near record levels again, with nearly 14,000 new infections
France on Thursday reported nearly 14,000 new confirmed coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, close to the record levels seen last week. The number of infections rose by 13,970 to a total of 577,505 cases, the health ministry said, more than the 12,845 reported on Wednesday and below a record of 16,096 on Thursday last week. The number of deaths increased by 63 to 32,019, in line with Wednesday and the trend of the past week.
1st Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Serbia to review COVID-19 death rate after expert's criticism
Serbia will review records since the start of the coronavirus outbreak to check the death rate and rectify any irregularities after its leading epidemiologist questioned the figures. "We will do the audit in the most honest way. I believe in the expertise of our people. We never hid anything, and everything we did, we did transparently," President Aleksandar Vucic told reporters on Thursday.
Serbia recorded its first case of the novel coronavirus in early March. According to official data, 33,551 people have been infected and 749 have died after falling ill with COVID-19. Predrag Kon, a member of the government-appointed crisis staff tasked with combating the disease, said on Tuesday the official death toll for the capital Belgrade was three times lower than the real figure.
1st Oct 2020 - Reuters on MSN.com
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 1st Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Plasma treatments for COVID-19 quadruple – but the NHS still needs more donations
The number of people receiving plasma as a treatment for COVID-19 has quadrupled in the last month. Around 220 hospitalised patients were treated in September as part of clinical trials that began in May. People who have had coronavirus produce antibodies that are present in their plasma - if transfused to a COVID-19 patient who is struggling to develop their own immune response, there is evidence that it could help them recover.
30th Sep 2020 - Sky News
COVID-19 cases rising among US children as schools reopen after lockdown
After preying heavily on the elderly in the spring, the coronavirus is increasingly infecting American children and teens in a trend authorities say appears fueled by school reopenings and the resumption of sports, playdates and other activities.
Children of all ages now make up 10% of all US cases, up from 2% in April, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported Tuesday. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that the incidence of COVID-19 in school-age children began rising in early September as many youngsters returned to their classrooms.
30th Sep 2020 - The New Indian Express
Post lockdown Mediterranean cruise vessel docks in Greece with coronavirus cases
The first cruise ship to sail to Greece since the coronavirus lockdown docked at the port of Piraeus early on Tuesday after a dozen crew members were reported positive for the virus, state news agency ANA said. The Maltese-flagged Mein Schiff 6, operated by German travel giant TUI, is carrying 922 passengers and 666 crew .
Nobody will be allowed to disembark as testers from Greece's public health agency embarked for inspection. The Greek coastguard said on Monday that 12 crew members had tested positive, although TUI Cruises said that they were asymptomatic.
30th Sep 2020 - MercoPress
In Madrid, Covid-19 Resurgence Divides Rich and Poor
Every weekday morning, Jorge Sánchez leaves home in Puente de Vallecas, one of the poorest and most densely populated areas of Madrid, and drives 10 miles to his job as a gardener tending a public park in an affluent district of the city. Puente de Vallecas was one of 45 Madrid districts locked down last week as the authorities struggle to cope with a second wave of coronavirus infections sweeping the capital region, but Mr. Sánchez is still allowed to commute to the leafy neighborhood where he works.
30th Sep 2020 - The New York Times
SBI Foundation launches the ‘India Health Alliance’ to fight against Covid-19 pandemic
The prime focus of ‘India Health Alliance' would be on combating the COVID-19 healthcare pandemic in India. SBI Foundation will be launching two new initiatives in the areas of Community Screening & Testing and Tele-Care
30th Sep 2020 - Mint
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 30th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullChildren 'must be the priority' in Covid-19 planning
Children must be the priority at this stage of the Covid-19 crisis, says England's Children Commissioner. Anne Longfield calls for a recovery package to tackle a "rising tide of childhood vulnerability". She warns of an "inter-generational crisis", with the impact of the economic fall-out of the pandemic on parents determining the future prospects of their children. The government said the wellbeing of children was central to its response. Ms Longfield says the nation's efforts to "build back better" must begin with a focus on children, "sometimes sadly lacking during the pandemic".
29th Sep 2020 - BBC News
Coronavirus: 'Unenforceable' rules to trigger hospitality sector collapse, lockdown city leaders warn
Liverpool, Leeds and Manchester face mass redundancies and "boarded-up high streets" amid a collapse of the hospitality sector unless coronavirus restrictions are reviewed, the cities' leaders have warned the government. A letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Business Secretary Alok Sharma from the leaders and chief executives of the three city councils said restrictions in place in the regions were threatening a "huge, disproportionate" economic impact. They said hotel occupancy was down to 30% and footfall had dropped by up to 70%.
29th Sep 2020 - Sky News
One million lives lost: How have key nations fared during the coronavirus pandemic?
The coronavirus has now claimed one million lives, but as the crisis developed, countries’ paths have greatly diverged. Many countries worldwide imposed lockdowns, curfews and other previously unthinkable curbs on personal freedoms.
Although on the surface the measures taken may have appeared broadly similar, minor tweaks and delays have proven to be the potential difference between tens of thousands of infections. Here we take a snapshot look at how key nations across the world have dealt with the pandemic so far, and the impact this has had upon the lives and health of their populaces.
29th Sep 2020 - The Independent
First cruise ship to sail to Greek islands since coronavirus lockdown is forced to dock after 12 crew members test positive for Covid-19
The German-operated Mein Schiff 6 has docked with 1,588 passengers and crew
Nobody can leave the ship in Piraeus as testers board the ship for screening
12 crew members tested positive although follow-up tests have been negative
29th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
Australia sends troops to help contain coronavirus on cargo ship
Australian soldiers are being deployed to Port Hedland, one of the world’s largest iron ore loading ports, to help contain a coronavirus outbreak on a bulk carrier that last changed crews in the seafaring city of Manila. Seventeen of the 21-crew members on the ship have tested positive for the virus, ship owner Oldendorff Carriers said in a statement.
29th Sep 2020 - Al Jazeera English
Moscow extends school holiday over coronavirus
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Tuesday extended an upcoming school holiday by a week to limit the spread of the coronavirus, days after sources told Reuters that the capital’s hospitals had been told to free up hundreds of beds. COVID-19 infections have been rising across Europe in the weeks since the start of the new academic year and some other countries have also considered extending October school holidays to try to slow the spread. The Kremlin said last week it did not plan to impose severe lockdown restrictions despite a growing number of new cases of COVID-19, but Sobyanin advised anyone with chronic health problems or those older than 65 to stay home. On Tuesday, Sobyanin said students would be off school from Oct. 5-18, and urged parents to keep their children at home.
29th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Dutch may restrict travel to Amsterdam, close bars early: NOS
The Dutch government on Monday announced a raft of new restrictions to slow a second wave of coronavirus infections, including earlier closing times for bars and restaurants and limited travel between major cities. The measures, which also include wider use of cloth masks for the public in Amsterdam and other big cities, came as daily new infection rates have passed their earlier peak in April. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the steps were unavoidable due to the speed of the virus’s spread.
29th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Lonza confident of 2020 target for Moderna COVID-19 vaccine supply
Lonza is confident that U.S. and Swiss plants it is building to help make Moderna's MRNA.O COVID-19 vaccine candidate will be ready for commercial production this year, executives at the Swiss company said on Tuesday. New production lines at Lonza’s site in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, aim to start making vaccine ingredients in November, while three lines in Visp, deep in a valley in the Swiss Alps - to supply 300 million vaccine doses annually - should begin delivering by December. There is no approved COVID-19 vaccine yet, but several are in advanced trials, including from Pfizer Inc, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna, whose candidate relies on technology never previously approved that enlists human cells to help trigger an immune response.
29th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 29th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullUntil there's a Covid vaccine, we need to focus on treating longer-term health consequences
As Covid-19 infection numbers show a welcome downward trend in Melbourne and the city’s residents look forward to some easing of restrictions, it’s time to consider the longer-term health consequences of the pandemic. More than 27,000 Australians – including some 20,000 Victorians – have been infected with the virus, with almost 900 deaths to date. Many countries are now in the grip of a second wave as the pandemic continues to take a toll on millions of lives around the globe – not only in terms of death, but also in the lingering, debilitating symptoms arising from severe, damaging inflammation.
29th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
Pharmacy teams unable to get COVID-19 tests despite priority status
Some community pharmacy workers are struggling to get a COVID-19 test, despite their “essential workers” status, C+D has learned from pharmacy bodies.
A Twitter poll of 79 respondents, posted earlier this month (September 15) by Royal Pharmaceutical Society director of England Ravi Sharma, found that 76% of pharmacy workers had experienced difficulties in accessing tests for COVID-19.
Other pharmacy bodies have reported similar problems. Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp), confirmed that the organisation has received “many concerns about this issue”. It is something Ms Hannbeck has raised with NHS England and asked them to look into, she told C+D last week (September 25). While there have been reports of shortages of COVID-19 tests for the general public, pharmacy team members are classed as “essential workers” who are prioritised for testing.
28th Sep 2020 - Chemist+Druggist
Covid-19 skin rash website criticised for lack of BAME examples
A website dedicated to sharing images of Covid-19-related skin rashes to help doctors and patients identify whether an unusual rash might be a sign of coronavirus infection has been criticised for containing just two images of black or brown skin. The British Association of Dermatologists’ (BAD) Covid-19 Skin Patterns website features 400 images of Covid-associated rashes, from prickly heat and chickenpox-type rashes to raised itchy hives and chilblain-like “Covid fingers and toes”. They were gathered by the Covid Symptom Study app in response to growing evidence that skin rashes are a key feature of the disease, present in around 9% of app users testing positive for Covid-19. In children they may be even more predictive, with a sixth of children experiencing a rash and no other symptoms.
28th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
Covid-19 deaths pass 1,000 in Birmingham hospitals
The UK's first hospital trust to record 1,000 Covid-19 deaths says the toll is the "terrible reality" of the virus. University Hospitals Birmingham, which has four hospitals and is the biggest trust in England, reported there had been 1,002 deaths since 14 March as of Monday. The number of coronavirus cases in Birmingham is 153.2 per 100,000 people, in the seven days to 24 September. The hospital trust confirmed the figure with "great sadness". "Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the families and friends of those who have suffered losses," a trust spokesman said.
28th Sep 2020 - BBC News
Police told not to download NHS Covid-19 app
The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) has confirmed officers are being told not to install the NHS Covid-19 app on their work smartphones. The app detects when users have been in proximity to someone with the virus. Some officers have also been told they may not need to obey self-isolate alerts generated by the app when downloaded to their personal phones. Lancashire Constabulary has told staff to call the force's own Covid-19 helpline instead. The BBC contacted the North-West of England force after a source claimed the advice had been given because of "security reasons". The source also said officers had been told not to carry their personal phones while on duty if they had activated the app.
28th Sep 2020 - BBC News
Coronavirus UK: 'Total social lockdown' possible for London and North
A senior Government source told The Times the country ‘wasn’t ready’ to hear the plans last week, but they have been suggested to help stop the second wave in its tracks. Under the emergency plan, pubs, restaurants and hospitality venues would be forced to shut for at least two weeks and households would be banned from meeting each other in any indoor location. Schools, essential shops and offices where people cannot work from home would be left open.
28th Sep 2020 - Metro.co.uk
Rapid rise in hospitalisations in France and Spain behind No10's Covid crackdown
Downing Street and its scientific advisers had only just announced national restrictions on the population last week, when rumours began swirling that yet more could be imposed in the coming days. The “rule of six” was barely a week old when the Prime Minister announced a curfew of 10pm on all pubs, bars and restaurants, and now ministers are considering a complete lockdown on socialising in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19. Unlike in March, when Boris Johnson was chastised for failing to lockdown the country sooner, now the PM is facing severe criticism, particularly from his own party, for moving too fast with additional measures.
28th Sep 2020 - iNews
Why India should worry about post-Covid-19 care
When 60-year-old Milind Ketkar returned home after spending nearly a month in hospital battling Covid-19, he thought the worst was over. People had to carry him to his third-floor flat as his building didn't have a lift. He spent the next few days feeling constantly breathless and weak. When he didn't start to feel better, he contacted Dr Lancelot Pinto at Mumbai's PD Hinduja hospital, where he had been treated. Mr Ketkar, who thought he had recovered from the virus, was in for a shock. Dr Pinto told him inflammation in the lungs, caused by Covid-19, had given him deep vein thrombosis, which occurs when blood clots form in the body, often in the legs.
28th Sep 2020 - BBC News
Israel doubly deserted on Yom Kippur during holiday and COVID-19 lockdown
In ordinary times Yom Kippur brings much of Israel to a standstill, as businesses close and roads empty for the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. But the world has looked very different this year, so deserted highways in city centres have become something of a familiar sight, even on days other than religious holidays when. Israel entered its second-wave lockdown on Sept. 18 after a surge of new cases had hospitals worrying about the strain on admissions. The country of nine million people has logged at least 1,441 deaths from COVID-19.
28th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Burials surge as COVID-19 cases spike in Indonesia’s capital
Gravediggers at a cemetery in Jakarta say they’re burying three times as many bodies as they did before coronavirus. Jakarta has been the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in Indonesia, where authorities have struggled for months to contain the virus. The country has reported more than 275,000 cases and at least 10,380 deaths, the highest levels in southeast Asia. Jakarta alone has buried some 5,000 bodies under COVID-19 protocols since the virus was detected in Indonesia in March, the city administration has reported. The city now averages between 26 and 28 COVID-19 burials a day, a significant surge since the beginning of August.
28th Sep 2020 - Al Jazeera English
Netherlands: 31% more coronavirus infections today; Covid hospitalizations up 26th day straight
Preliminary data showed that the Netherlands registered another 2,921 infections of the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus, a 31 percent increase over last Monday's total and a 3 percent drop compared to Sunday's record-setting tally. Hospitalizations for Covid-19 also rose for the 26th consecutive day. Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Health Minister Hugo de Jonge were expected to hold a press conference on Monday evening to address the escalating health crisis in the Netherlands.
28th Sep 2020 - NL Times
Australia-New Zealand travel bubble could happen before Christmas
A travel bubble with New Zealand could be in place before Christmas, New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister says. Winston Peters told Today the country was "raring to go", and said it would be a welcome boost for tourism on both sides of the Tasman. However, he said it depends on establishing coronavirus tracing protocols and other systems, especially given Melbourne's second COVID-19 outbreak.
27th Sep 2020 - 9News
Second Covid-19 wave could turn cracks in the hospital system into 'earthquakes'
When Dr. Shereef Elnahal walked through his New Jersey hospital in April, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. There were 300 patients being treated for Covid-19, filling hospital rooms and spilling out into the halls of the emergency room. The trauma center, once used for gunshot wounds and car crash victims, was now filled with people on ventilators. “It was really like nothing we’ve ever seen before,” said Elnahal, president and CEO of University Hospital in Newark. “I have memories of walking around and I would look inside the rooms where that was possible. Almost every person was a person of color,” he told NBC News.
26th Sep 2020 - NBC News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 28th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullChina begins emergency use of Covid-19 vaccine despite safety concerns
Hundreds of thousands of people in China have been given a coronavirus vaccine despite the fact it has not been finally approved by regulators. The move has prompted concerns among onlookers that China is pushing ahead to gain an edge in the race to develop a successful vaccine without following proper safety measures. Chinese companies Sinopharm and SinoVac have given vaccine shots to more than 350,000 people in recent months and that number is likely set to rise.
26th Sep 2020 - Evening Standard
India offers Covid vaccine production facilities to the world
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged at the United Nations on Saturday that his country's vaccine production capacity would be made available globally to fight the Covid-19 crisis. "As the largest vaccine-producing country of the world, I want to give one more assurance to the global community today," Mr Modi said in a pre-recorded speech to the UN General Assembly. "India's vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all humanity in fighting this crisis." Mr Modi said India was moving ahead with Phase 3 clinical trials – the large-scale trials considered the gold standard for determining safety and efficacy – and would help all countries enhance their cold chain and storage capacities for the delivery of vaccines.
26th Sep 2020 - The National
New CSP Covid-19 rehabilitation standards launched
They apply to anyone with rehabilitation needs– aged 18 or over - who has or has had Covid-19, and are relevant to people at all stages of their Covid-19 recovery, their families and carers. This is whether their care is managed in community settings throughout or if they were admitted to hospital at any stage.
There are seven quality standards: Needs assessment, rehabilitation planning and review - Personalised rehabilitation - Self-management - Communication and information - Coordinated rehabilitation and care pathways - Evaluation, audit and research - Personal protective equipment and infection control
26th Sep 2020 - Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
Covid-19: What has it meant for the 'busiest' trains?
Newly released figures have revealed the 10 most overcrowded trains in England and Wales. Among them was the 07:16 service from King's Lynn, in Norfolk, into London King's Cross. But has coronavirus changed things? Spoiler alert. It has.
The data released by the Department for Transport on Thursday suggested nearly one in five train passengers had to stand due to overcrowding during the morning rush hour. But these latest figures are for last autumn and seem to reflect a different world from today's Covid-19 reality. Great Northern, which runs the King's Lynn to King's Cross service, had told us it had already been working hard to reduce crowding before the pandemic struck. The government's figures show the service was running at 165% capacity when it was measured last year.
26th Sep 2020 - BBC News
Military to support Birmingham's Covid-19 testing
Military support is being brought in to help with the coronavirus testing programme in Birmingham. About 100 military personnel will aid Birmingham City Council with its "drop and collect" testing programme. At a weekly briefing, the council's deputy leader said it would assist civilian efforts to maximise the numbers of tests able to be done. It comes as the number of cases in the city reached 107.6 per 100,000 people - the highest in the West Midlands. The "drop and collect service" sees tests dropped off at a resident's door and then collected by staff and is aimed at areas with high rates of infection, to provide a service to people who can't leave their homes and to encourage those who may not be proactive in getting tested.
26th Sep 2020 - BBC News
UK Government local coronavirus testing site opens in Edinburgh
A new walk-through coronavirus testing centre has opened in Edinburgh. The new facility is being provided by the UK Government as part of a UK-wide drive to continue to improve the accessibility of coronavirus testing for local communities.
The centre, in the Usher Hall, will offer pre-booked tests for those with coronavirus symptoms. The new site is situated so as to be easily accessible without a car. Those being tested will be required to follow public health measures, including social distancing, not travelling by taxi or public transport, practising good personal hygiene and wearing a face covering throughout, including while travelling to and from the testing centre.
26th Sep 2020 - GOV.UK
Flu vaccine demand seems up in northern hemisphere: WHO
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, there seems to be an increased demand for influenza vaccine in the northern hemisphere with some countries experiencing shortages, a World Health Organization (WHO) expert said on Friday. Dr. Ann Moen, WHO chief of the Influenza Preparedness and Response, said at a news briefing that at the same time, some parts of the southern hemisphere reported fewer influenza cases this year. "We've heard from specific countries saying that they were trying to get additional vaccines, and they were trying to source it. And some countries are having trouble sourcing additional vaccines," said Moen. She said WHO is helping countries manage prevention, control, and treatment of respiratory illnesses "holistically," including both influenza and COVID-19.
25th Sep 2020 - Anadolu Agency
Coronavirus: Potential vaccine passes another hurdle as 10,000 UK volunteers to test jab
Novavax has started its Phase 3 trial of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine in the UK. The US biotechnology firm is to enrol 10,000 people out of 250,000 volunteers aged between 18 and 84 over the next four to six weeks. The company joins AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Moderna as its coronavirus vaccine candidate enters the final step of the regulatory approvals process.
25th Sep 2020 - Sky News
Coronavirus: Hundreds of thousands in China given emergency use Covid vaccine
Hundreds of thousands of people in China have been given an emergency use coronavirus vaccine, raising serious welfare concerns among experts. An emergency use vaccine means they have been given people to before final regulatory approval. It is unclear how many people have been given the vaccine, but the state-owned Sinopharm subsidiary CNBG has given the vaccine to 350,000 people outside its clinical trials, which have about 40,000 people enrolled, a top CNBG executive said recently. It has also provided tens of thousands of rounds of its CoronaVac for the Beijing city government. Another candidate being jointly developed by the military and CanSino, a biopharmaceutical company, has been approved for emergency use in military personnel.
25th Sep 2020 - ITV News
Iceland's infection rate spikes after French tourists blamed
Iceland's infection rate per 100,000 people has risen from 7.3 to 89.7 in 10 days
French tourists have been linked to at least 100 cases at two bars in Reykjavik
Nordic country was praised for its successful testing and tracing in the first wave
Only one person is in hospital with Covid-19 and nobody has died of it since April
25th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
Derry and Strabane COVID-19 cases double in ten days: 24 infections among people over 60 in the past week
In total 295 positive coronavirus cases have been registered in Derry and Strabane between September 19 and September 25, according to the latest Department of Health data that was released this afternoon. Since the pandemic began there have been 700 confirmed cases in Derry and Strabane. More positive COVID-19 cases were registered in the city and district in the past week than were recorded between the start of the pandemic and Sunday, September 6.
25th Sep 2020 - Derry Journal
China delivers more COVID-19 preventive supplies to Zambia
China delivered more COVID-19 preventative materials to Zambia. Li Jie, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia, said on Friday the international community still needs to support Zambia as the country has continued to see a rise in both new cases and deaths. He said the two countries have been all-weather friends for a long time and that the two sides have been united in fighting the pandemic since it broke out in the southern African nation. “These supplies have just arrived in Zambia by air. I am handing over them to the Ministry of Health. I believe they will play a positive role in the treatment of critically ill patients and the protection of medical staff,” he said.
25th Sep 2020 - cgtn.com
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 25th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullHow remote working is changing our homes - with open plan living going out of fashion
This allows specific areas to be created for activities such as home working and exercise, according to the Flexible Living Report 2020 by John Lewis. Research by the retailer found that one in five people has reconfigured their open plan space to accommodate multiple activities throughout the day. This has driven a change in shopping trends, with sales of office furniture soaring along with ‘statement artwork’ which provides an attractive backdrop for video calls.
24th Sep 2020 - The Scotsman
After months of planning and billions in spending, will colleges’ virus prevention efforts get trashed by a few student parties?
University officials planned for months for the resumption of fall classes amid the pandemic, with experts advising them on the rapidly evolving understanding of the novel coronavirus. They spent tens of billions of dollars creating massive testing programs, clearing out dorm space for quarantines, sticking reminder dots six feet apart on sidewalks, overhauling ventilation systems and crafting public health campaigns centered around feisty mask-wearing mascots. But as cases of the coronavirus have popped up on campuses, forcing some schools to empty their dorms or switch to virtual classes, one factor cannot be ignored: Students like to party. And good luck reining that in.
25th Sep 2020 - The Washington Post
UK supermarkets urge shoppers not to panic over lockdown fears
Supermarket bosses have urged shoppers not to start panic buying, while Asda is bringing in 1,000 safety marshals, as the industry braces for a potential change in shopping habits ahead of new lockdown restrictions. Tesco boss Dave Lewis said stockpiling was “unnecessary” as there was no disruption to product supply chains as a result of new government measures to tackle rising Covid-19 infection. Giles Hurley, the boss of discounter chain Aldi in the UK, wrote to customers saying: “There is no need to buy more than you usually would. I would like to reassure you that our stores remain fully stocked and ask that you continue to shop considerately. “We have remained open for our customers throughout the pandemic and will continue to have daily deliveries, often multiple times a day, across all of our products.”
24th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
ALL bars in France's second city of Marseille are closed and others around the country told to shut at 10pm after new Covid spike
Closures in Marseille - which start on Monday - were announced by Olivier Véran
They are as part of a nationwide series of tough new measures after Covid spike
They include bars in Paris, Lille and Grenoble having to shut 10pm from Monday
Mr Véran said an even earlier closure of bars can be sanctioned by local prefects
24th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
Hospitality jobs have taken a hammering. Opening Australia's state borders will not be enough | Greg Jericho
The goodish news of last week’s unemployment figures have been quickly tempered by the release of the latest payroll job numbers. The figures were released on the day the deputy governor of the Reserve Bank described the recovery as “a slow grind” and they highlight the problems a service-driven economy such as ours faces in the midst of a pandemic. The latest payroll job numbers by the Bureau of Statistics give us the most current view of the labor force. It is a view that is becoming increasingly bleak. Where May, June and July saw a nice recovery of jobs as the lockdowns around the country were mostly relaxed, since then the number of jobs has fallen:
24th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
Cuomo says New York to review any COVID-19 vaccine authorized by federal government
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Thursday said the state will carry out its own review of coronavirus vaccines authorized or approved by the federal government due to concerns of politicization of the approval process. Cuomo, a Democrat who has repeatedly criticized President Donald Trump and his Republican administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, told reporters at a briefing he was going to form a review committee to advise the state on the safety of a vaccine. “Frankly, I’m not going to trust the federal government’s opinion,” Cuomo said. “New York state will have its own review when the federal government is finished with their review and says it’s safe.”
24th Sep 2020 - Reuters
France reports over 1,000 people in ICU due to coronavirus
The French health ministry reported on Thursday that number of people in intensive care due to the coronavirus jumped over 1,000 for the first time since June 8. The ministry also said that the number of people with COVID-19 in hospital was up by 136 to 5,932.
24th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
100 N.Y.C. School Buildings Have Already Reported a Positive Case
At least one coronavirus case had been reported in more than 100 school buildings and early childhood centers in the New York City school system by the first day of in-person instruction on Monday, according to the Department of Education. Nearly all the buildings remained open, though six were closed temporarily, in accordance with city guidelines that only those schools that report at least two cases in different classrooms will be shut.
24th Sep 2020 - The New York Times
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 24th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Health workers 'sick' with fear at thought of second wave
"The levels of anxiety amongst our staff that we may go back to what we saw in April is beyond anything I have ever experienced in over 30 years in the health service." Dr David Rosser, chief executive of the University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust, was talking to a weekly coronavirus briefing when he described seeing unprecedented levels of concern among his colleagues. And, although hospitals have outlined a number of measures put in place to support staff, some of those who worked through the first few months of the pandemic have told the BBC they felt worried, panicked and overwhelmed at the thought of facing a second wave.
23rd Sep 2020 - BBC News
Coronavirus: PM urged to explain plans for military to support police as new restrictions announced
Boris Johnson is facing demands from Labour to explain his proposal to use the Army to help support police amid the new coronavirus lockdown rules. He faces Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions just hours after his TV broadcast in which he warned of a tough crackdown if people continue to break the rules.
23rd Sep 2020 - Sky News
Madrid pleads for more doctors, police as coronavirus cases surge
Spain’s Madrid region on Wednesday requested urgent help to hire hundreds of foreign doctors and reinforce police as they registered 1,290 new coronavirus infections and considered extending a partial lockdown to more areas. Representing over a quarter of Spain’s 4,143 new cases in the past 24 hours, the capital region has been hardest hit by a second wave of COVID-19, with the number of daily deaths and infections soaring to levels not seen since May. Madrid has already restricted movement between and within some districts where about 850,000 people live since midnight on Monday.
23rd Sep 2020 - Reuters
Fourth-Largest U.S. School District to Allow Students Back in Classrooms
Students in Miami-Dade County, the fourth-largest district in the United States and the biggest school system in Florida, will be able to choose to return to their classrooms next month under a plan approved by the school board on Tuesday after a marathon two-day meeting. Students would attend classes five days a week, but families who prefer virtual learning could stick with that option. About half of the district’s families chose remote learning when selecting an option this summer
23rd Sep 2020 - The New York Times
Argentina: Provincial healthcare strained as COVID cases spread
From the capital city and into the provinces – the coronavirus makes its way relentlessly across Argentina. Even though Argentina was one of the first countries to impose a lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, infections continue to rise. Recorded cases have passed 630,000 as COVID-19 spreads from the capital Buenos Aires into the provinces.
Al Jazeera’s Teresa Bo reports from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
23rd Sep 2020 - Aljazeera.com
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 23rd Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: number of schools in England 'not fully open' quadruples
The number of schools in England badly affected by Covid-19 cases among students and staff has quadrupled in the space of a week, and the number of pupils absent rose by 50%, according to estimates released by the Department for Education. The DfE’s figures revealed that 4% of state schools were classed as “not fully open” last week because of Covid-19, compared with 1% of schools seven days before, including cases where entire year groups had been sent home. Around 20 schools were closed outright for Covid-related reasons. Nine hundred schools were affected, in a week during which many headteachers and parents complained they were unable to access coronavirus tests, forcing those showing symptoms to be kept away from the classroom and self-isolate. Including independent schools at a similar rate would bring the figure for England close to 1,000 schools.
22nd Sep 2020 - The Guardian
‘Shop as normal’: Panic-buying resumes as UK braces for new lockdown measures
Shoppers have been urged to remain calm in the nation’s supermarkets amid fears of a return to the panic-buying seen in the days approaching the UK’s March lockdown. Some supermarkets across the UK have been left with empty shelves in certain aisles - with toilet roll depleted - in scenes reminiscent of the run on shops that occurred in ahead of the first introduction of coronavirus restrictions. A spree of panic-buying in the early stages of the nation’s outbreak saw some forced to turn to foodbanks after being unable to get the essentials they needed to get by.
22nd Sep 2020 - The Independent
No COVID-19 test, no grape harvest in Spain's Basque Country
All wine industry workers in Spain’s Rioja-producing region of Alava must undergo a coronavirus test before they start work to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks putting the grape harvest at risk. Grape pickers, who have dubbed 2020 the “harvest of the masks”, will be given their own equipment, including baskets and scissors, which cannot be exchanged, to avoid infections, said a spokeswoman for the Rioja wine regulatory board. Authorities in the Basque Country have made it compulsory for wine estates to provide a list of workers. The health department then carries out the PCR tests.
22nd Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
France's weak spot: Virus infections rise at nursing homes
Confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths are rising again in France’s nursing homes for the first time in months. French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited a nursing home in the town of Bracieux in central France on Tuesday, tweeted shortly after his arrival that “our elders, more fragile, are more exposed to the virus. We must collectively redouble our attention.” Families fear that French authorities have not absorbed the lessons from earlier in the pandemic, when nursing homes across the country shuttered elderly residents inside and were short of protective equipment for employees.
22nd Sep 2020 - The Associated Press
Property leaders' plea: Open the borders, end the lockdown
Leaders in the property, retail and hospitality sectors have called for border closures to be abandoned across the country and for Victoria's strict lockdown to be eased more quickly, warning the economic harm of a prolonged recession far outweighs any medical benefit from the controls. With Victoria recording just 11 new coronavirus cases on Monday, property executives are urging the southern state to accelerate plans to reopen the economy. As well, Queensland's border closure is ringing alarm bells over the future of that state's tourism sector as summer approaches.
22nd Sep 2020 - The Australian Financial Review
Filipinos return to work in Australia as lockdown eases
With the easing up of lockdowns, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) on Tuesday reported that most Filipino workers in Australia have returned to their respective jobs. The labor department cited the report of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Canberra to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III saying, “workers have now resumed their employment which gives hope to OFWs in Australia to continue holding on to their aspirations for a better life here.” POLO Canberra launched a series of online consultations with OFWs all over Australia since last month to reach out to Filipino workers whose employment were affected by the pandemic
22nd Sep 2020 - Manila Bulletin
UK’s hospitality sector warns new lockdown would be ‘nail in coffin’
Hospitality bosses in the UK have warned that restrictions to prevent the spread of coronavirus could be the “nail in the coffin” for the industry, which had only just begun to recover from the first period of lockdown. Fears of further curfews or a second shutdown on the sector sent share prices of leisure and travel businesses tumbling on Monday, before the government said it would impose a 10pm curfew on pubs starting Tuesday. Operators urged the government to provide evidence their establishments were the cause of a sharp uptick in cases over the past week.
22nd Sep 2020 - The Financial Times
China's second wave of coronavirus outbreak in winter is 'inevitable', Chinese expert warns
Dr Zhang Wenhong, who led Shanghai's COVID-19 fight, made the stark warning
A looming second wave of coronavirus outbreak is 'inevitable' in China, he says
The expert also predicted the world would need 'at least a year' to reopen again
21st Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 22nd Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullU.S. faces a smoldering COVID-19 pandemic nationwide as flu season starts
As the United States approaches the miserable mark of 200,000 deaths from the coronavirus, the pandemic is no longer focused on one or two epicenters. Instead it is smoldering across all states, raising fears that when colder weather forces more people inside, it could surpass the surge seen in the summer. The United States is losing on average over 800 people a day to the virus - compared with fewer than 15 a day on average in Australia, Canada, Germany, Israel, Italy and the United Kingdom. Although new cases are down about 50% from the peak in July, the United States is still reporting on average nearly 40,000 new infections a day - the highest number in the developed world.
21st Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Are German schools prepared for a winter lockdown?
Winter is coming, and with it the possibility of the next wave of corona infections. But Germany's schools ready for another lockdown - a return to stay-at-home learning and online-classes? Deutsche Welle visits one Berlin school to find out.
21st Sep 2020 - Deutsche Welle
Madrid asks for Spanish army's help in battling coronavirus surge
Madrid’s regional government chief requested the army’s help on Monday in fighting the coronavirus surge in the Spanish capital where local authorities ordered a partial lockdown of some poorer districts, prompting protests. At the height of the first wave of the pandemic in March-April, Spain deployed thousands of troops to help civilian authorities contain the outbreak. A recent spike in infections, peaking at over 10,000 per day, took cumulative cases above 670,000 as of Monday, the highest in Western Europe, while the number of deaths from the COVID-19 respiratory disease in Spain stood at 30,663. “We need help from the army for disinfection...and to strengthen local police and law enforcement,” Isabel Diaz Ayuso told a news briefing after meeting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in an attempt to reduce contagion in Spain’s worst-hit region.
21st Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Hospitals in France and Spain are just three weeks from 'saturation'
French hospital cases have risen by 28 per cent in a month while Spain admitted more patients in the last four weeks than in the previous three months combined
Hospitals in some areas such as Madrid and Marseille are reaching crisis levels
Madrid called in the army as some parts of the city went into lockdown today
But both countries have far greater hospital and ICU capacity than in the spring
21st Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
Seoul schools resume in-person classes as South Korea coronavirus cases dip
Schools in the South Korean capital Seoul and nearby areas resumed in-person classes for the first time in almost a month on Monday after daily coronavirus cases dropped to the lowest levels since mid-August. Students returned to schools under a hybrid schedule of in-person and online classes to limit the number of people at schools at any given time. Students will attend in-person classes once or twice a week.
21st Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus: Care homes 'widely exposed' as COVID-19 'begins to move in'
Care homes are still "widely exposed" to coronavirus as it starts spreading within them again, a trade association boss has said. Nadra Ahmed, chair of the National Care Association, said many of her members are "extremely concerned" at government guidance on how care homes should prepare for winter amid warnings of a COVID-19 second spike. She told Sky News the challenge they faced at the start of the pandemic "continues".
20th Sep 2020 - Sky News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 21st Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: A quarter of Brits worried about their ability to pay rent
A quarter of tenants in the UK are concerned about paying rent in the upcoming months, according to a study. About 13% of tenants have already missed rental payments due to COVID-19 or had to make alternative arrangements in order to pay their rent, as lettings agents report a rise in rental arrears, a survey of 2,750 UK renters by property technology company Goodlord found. Meanwhile, an additional 12% are “concerned” about their ability to pay their rent going forward.
Over a quarter (28%) of tenants believe their current income isn’t secure, or are “unsure” about its security, with those aged 18 to 24 being under the most financial strain. Only two in five tenants “definitely agree” their income is secure, the research found.
20th Sep 2020 - Yahoo Finance UK
Sixty-nine percent of Americans have no confidence in Trump on coronavirus vaccine, poll reveals
Despite president Donald Trump’s claims that a coronavirus vaccine will soon be available, new polling shows that a majority of Americans have no confidence in him to confirm that it is safe. An ABC News/Ipsos poll released on Sunday shows that 69 per cent of Americans do not have confidence in the president vouching for the effectiveness of a vaccine — 53 per cent saying they have no confidence at all in him doing so. Conversely, just nine per cent of Americans have a great deal of confidence in the president to confirm the effectiveness of a vaccine, and just 18 per cent have “a good amount” of confidence.
20th Sep 2020 - The Independent
UK 'faces six months of coronavirus restrictions' - with 'on-off' lockdowns likely
Brits could face six months of restrictions - with "on-off" lockdown measures to stop the spread of Covid-19. Yesterday the Prime Minister warned the country is just six weeks behind France and Spain - where the daily death toll rose to 239 this week, and admitted a second wave was "inevitable". He is now considering six months of "circuit breaker" lockdowns - which would see strict restrictions introduced for around two weeks, and then eased slightly. Ministers hope this approach can avoid a full UK-wide lockdown like the one that was introduced on March 23. The on-off restrictions could see limits placed on social contact and hospitality venues such as bars and restaurants made to close.
20th Sep 2020 - Mirror Online
Russia Is Slow to Administer Virus Vaccine Despite Kremlin’s Approval
In one example of the limited scope of distribution, the company financing the vaccine pointed to a shipment sent this past week to the Crimean Peninsula. The delivery contained doses for 21 people in a region with two million. The Russian Ministry of Health has not said how many people have been vaccinated in all of Russia. The minister, Mikhail Murashko, said last weekend that the first small shipments was being delivered this past week to the Russian provinces.
20th Sep 2020 - The New York Times
Madrid braces for partial lockdown as virus surges
Nearly a million Madrid residents were bracing Sunday for a partial lockdown as Spanish authorities seek to put a brake on a second wave of Covid-19. The restrictions, which kick off Monday for two weeks, affect 850,000 people living mainly in densely-populated, low-income neighbourhoods in the south -- or 13 percent of the population in and around the capital. Like many countries in Europe, Spain is battling a coronavirus surge and, once again, Madrid is the worst-hit region.
20th Sep 2020 - FRANCE 24
Headteachers share frustrations as thousands of pupils sent home amid Covid cases at schools
Headteachers in Greater Manchester have shared their frustrations at having to send pupils home amid the ongoing pandemic. Following months of planning to get children back in the classrooms for the new academic year, it's come as a huge blow for many to have to send classes and even entire year groups home. The Manchester Evening News has been keeping an up-to-date list of the schools impacted by closures and more and more positive cases are being confirmed each day.
20th Sep 2020 - Manchester Evening News
How coronavirus will change the university experience for ever
ndergraduates starting degrees this term are facing a first year like no other as universities try to keep their students and staff safe while offering the best experience they can amid the coronavirus pandemic. There will be none of the usual parties or nightclubs for the freshers of 2020, most of whom will live in small household bubbles in halls of residence and, for the first semester at least, have lectures online and much less face-to-face time on campus than normal. Every aspect of university life in the UK has been impacted by the government guidelines aimed at reducing the spread of the virus, from teaching and accommodation to access to support services and sport, where Covid-19 has halted the British Universities & Colleges Sport
20th Sep 2020 - The Times
How COVID spreads on longhaul flights: Single passenger infects 15 others on 10-hour trip to Vietnam
The unidentified woman, 27, unknowingly spread the virus back in March
She infected 14 passengers and one crew member out of the 217 on board
'The risk for on-board transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during long flights is real and has the potential to cause COVID-19 clusters of substantial size', the report adds
In the coming days, the number of U.S. COVID deaths is set to hit 200,000
20th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus: 'Increasingly likely' London will face tougher lockdown restrictions
It is "increasingly likely" further lockdown restrictions will be required in London, the city's mayor has warned - and says he does not want to wait. Sadiq Khan said: "The prime minister has said that we are now seeing the start of a second wave of COVID-19 across the UK. "Londoners should also know that I am extremely concerned by the latest evidence I've seen today from public health experts about the accelerating speed at which COVID-19 is now spreading here in London.
19th Sep 2020 - Sky News
Coronavirus: New local lockdown rules announced in parts of North West, Midlands and West Yorkshire
Parts of the North West, West Yorkshire and the Midlands have been placed under further localised coronavirus restrictions. The new measures, prompted by a fast rise in COVID-19 cases, have been confirmed by the Department for Health following consultation with local councils and MPs. Lancashire, Merseyside, Warrington and Halton are now being classed as "areas of intervention", and fresh restrictions will come into force in Wolverhampton, Oadby & Wigston, and parts of Bradford, Kirklees and Calderdale.
19th Sep 2020 - Sky News
A&E boss fears being overwhelmed by second coronavirus wave & effects of lockdown
A hospital A&E chief has said she fears being overwhelmed not just by a second wave of coronavirus — but also by the knock-on effects of the first. Dr Ann-Marie Morris, of the Royal Stoke University Hospital, said she was seeing a rise in patients with alcohol-related conditions as well as more victims of violent crime.
19th Sep 2020 - The Sun
Engagement with anti-vaccine Facebook posts trebles in one month
Engagement with anti-vaccine posts on a sample of UK Facebook pages trebled between July and August, analysis by the Guardian has found, triggering calls for a major new push to tackle conspiracy theories. Interactions on posts expressing scepticism or hostility towards vaccines on six UK Facebook pages increased from 12,000 in July to 42,000 in August, according to the analysis, conducted using the social media analytics tool CrowdTangle.
19th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus: Van Morrison lockdown protest songs 'dangerous'
Northern Ireland's health minister has described three new songs by Sir Van Morrison that protest against coronavirus lockdowns as "dangerous". In the lyrics, Sir Van claims scientists are "making up crooked facts" to justify measures that "enslave" the population. "The new normal, is not normal," he sings. "We were born to be free". Health Minister Robin Swann said if Sir Van had scientific facts he should present them.
19th Sep 2020 - BBC News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 18th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullCanada could lose ability to manage COVID-19 cases, says chief medical officer
Canada could lose its ability to manage the coronavirus pandemic due to a worrying recent spike in new COVID-19 cases, the country's top medical officer said on Thursday. The warning from Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam is the clearest indication yet of how worried authorities are about the potential for the outbreak to spiral out of control. An average of 779 new cases had been reported daily during the most recent week, more than double the level in July, Tam said. Officials in major provinces blame social gatherings for the spike. "The ongoing increase in new cases being reported daily continues to give cause for concern," Tam said in a statement. "With continued circulation of the virus, the situation could change quickly and we could lose the ability to keep COVID-19 cases at manageable levels."
18th Sep 2020 - YAHOO!
Coronavirus outbreaks hit French universities
At least 12 coronavirus clusters have been detected in French universities this month, prompting concern that students, including those in medical faculties, are failing to respect social distancing. The clusters have emerged since the start of the academic year and have forced the temporary closure of some of the country’s leading institutes. Students have been accused of behaving irresponsibly, notably at parties, but they blame overcrowded lecture theatres. A Twitter hashtag, #Balancetafac, which translates roughly as Denounce Your Uni, has been set up for students to post images and comments illustrating widespread sanitary failings in higher education. Concern is particularly acute since about half of French students live at home.
17th Sep 2020 - The Times
Why India’s Covid problem could be bigger than we think
India is approaching the ninth month of the coronavirus pandemic with more than five million confirmed cases - the second-highest in the world after the US - and more than 80,000 reported deaths. Infection is surging through the country in a "step-ladder spiral", a government scientist told me. The only "consolation" is a death rate - currently 1.63% - that's lower than many countries with a high caseload. The increase in reported cases has partly to do with increased testing - but the speed at which the virus is spreading is worrying experts. Here's why. It took 170 days for India to reach the first million cases. The last million cases took only 11 days. Average daily cases have shot up from 62 in April to more than 87,000 in September. In the past week, India has recorded more than 90,000 cases and 1,000 deaths every day. Seven states are worst affected - accounting for about 48% of India's population.
17th Sep 2020 - BBC News
'It's like March in slow motion': Doctors in Madrid face coronavirus resurgence
"In a way, it’s like the situation in March but in slow motion," said Dr. Carlos Velayos, who works as an intensive care unit physician at the public hospital in suburban Fuenlabrada. The hospital is expanding its ICU capacity from 12 to 24 beds by the end of September, as all of them are currently filling up with coronavirus patients.
With 1,273 patients in ICUs, Spain has as many beds devoted to treat grave patients of COVID-19 as France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy together. And 359 of them are in the Madrid region, which for the past week has accounted for roughly one-third of a national average of 8,200 new infections per day. Spain has a virus caseload above 600,000, one of the world's highest, and more than 30,000 confirmed deaths for the new virus
17th Sep 2020 - The Japan Times
Southern hemisphere has record low flu cases amid Covid lockdowns
Health systems across the southern hemisphere were bracing a few months ago for their annual surge in influenza cases, which alongside Covid-19 could have overwhelmed hospitals. They never came. Many countries in the southern half of the globe have instead experienced either record low levels of flu or none at all, public health specialists in Australia, New Zealand and South America have said, sparing potentially tens of thousands of lives and offering a glimmer of hope as winter approaches in the northern hemisphere. General practitioners in New Zealand have not detected a single influenza case since they started screening patients in June, health data shows; last year about 57% of the samples they collected were positive.
17th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 17th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullManchester NHS hospital accounted for a THIRD of coronavirus deaths in English hospitals last week with 18 fatalities as health bosses fight 'internal outbreak'
Tameside General Hospital saw a surge of Covid-19 deaths last week. The 18 Covid-19 deaths accounted for a third of those across England. Some of the victims are thought to have caught Covid-19 in hospital. They all had underlying health issues or were elderly, the hospital said
16th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
Beware of big pharma in rush for Covid-19 vaccine
Once an effective vaccine is discovered, we will need open sharing of the technological process so that as many suppliers as possible can make it, to ensure an adequate supply across the world. This is not a time for monopolies. While governments leave big pharma in the driving seat, there will be vaccine scarcity and the global race to hoard vaccines will deplete global stocks, leaving very little – if any – for the WHO to supply to poorer countries. This is not just morally wrong, it is also counterproductive, because we will only be safe if everyone is safe.
16th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
Towns in France impose restrictions to contain COVID-19, Bordeaux is running out of ICU beds
Stricter sanitary measures have been announced in France's southwestern region Nouvelle-Aquitaine on Monday for public events and nursing homes to contain a spike in coronavirus cases. With the country facing a resurgence in coronavirus cases and reaching record-levels of 10,000 new cases over the last weekend, the government has promised to speed up tests and toughen measures in high-infection zones.
16th Sep 2020 - The Week
ICUs are nearing capacity in this French city. And it's only September
Dealing with the first wave was like a sprint, the second will be more like a marathon. That's how Dr. Olivier Joannes-Boyau, head of the intensive care unit at University Hospital in the southwestern city of Bordeaux, describes the resurgence of Covid-19 in France. After young French people took advantage of the lifting of lockdown and summer months to socialize freely, Covid-19 hospitalizations have risen in large cities like Paris, Bordeaux and Marseille on the Mediterranean coast. French hospitals are now preparing for the long slog. The last time University Hospital dealt with a rise in Covid-19 cases, it put aside all other emergency procedures to deal the crisis. This time, it is trying to keep the rest of its services going too. Just like the wider country, it is adapting to a virus that looks like it is here to stay. Hospital staff are more experienced than they were when the coronavirus first swept through France, and Bordeaux University Hospital is now armed with steroids to reduce Covid-19 symptoms and improved ventilators, both of which can reduce intubation rates.
16th Sep 2020 - CNN
Reaching herd immunity in a viral pandemic
The novel coronavirus pandemic has brought “herd immunity” to the public consciousness, kindling hope the phenomenon can help slow or even end the outbreak. Herd immunity refers to a large portion of a community developing a degree of immunity to a virus, thereby reducing person-to-person spread. As a result, the whole community gains protection, not just those who are immune.
16th Sep 2020 - Reuters Africa
'Eat Out to Help Out' scheme pushes UK inflation to near five-year low
A hefty drop in meal prices, spurred by Britain’s scheme to support the hospitality sector through the COVID-19 pandemic, helped to push inflation down last month to its lowest rate in almost five years. Consumer prices rose by 0.2% in annual terms in August, the smallest increase since December 2015 and a sharp slowdown from July’s 1.0% increase, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Wednesday. A Reuters poll of economists had pointed to a reading of 0.0%. Discounts for more than 100 million meals were claimed Last month through the government’s “Eat Out to Help Out” programme, which offered diners a state-funded price reduction of up to 10 pounds ($12.89).
16th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Myanmar races to build field hospital as coronavirus surge stretches health system
Myanmar authorities are racing to build a field hospital in the commercial capital of Yangon to cope with a surge of coronavirus infections that doctors fear threatens to overwhelm the country’s fragile health system. The Southeast Asian nation reported 307 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, its highest daily toll since the start of the pandemic in March, and another 134 on Wednesday morning, taking the total to 3,636 cases and 39 deaths. Myanmar had gone weeks without a case of local transmission before an outbreak in mid-August in the western region of Rakhine that has spread across the country.
16th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 16th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullReturning Kiwis in Covid-19 isolation facilities to vote by phone this election
It is estimated up to 5000 people will be in managed isolation or quarantine during the October 17 election and referendum. To enable returnees in the country’s 32 managed isolation facilities to vote safely, the Electoral Commission amended the electoral regulations last week to allow them to vote by telephone. Arriving travellers will use dictation voting, which is an option usually only offered to those who are blind, living in remote locations overseas or aren’t able to physically mark their voting papers. “We looked at a range of options, but all of them involved more contact with individuals in isolation because of Covid-19,” chief electoral officer Alicia Wright says.
15th Sep 2020 - TVNZ 1
Three coronavirus cases at one of Doncaster's biggest schools leads to year group being put into isolation
Hall Cross School has the Covid 19 cases among three of its year 11 pupils, but has sent the other age groups home today so a comprehensive deep clean can be carried out at its upper school site this afternoon. Academy principal Simon Swain said this afternoon: “Following confirmation that three students in Year 11 have tested positive for Coronavirus and further to advice from Public Health England and colleagues at the Local Authority, we have sent all Year 11 students home today to self isolate for 14 days. "We have also sent Year 10 and the Sixth Form home this afternoon so the Upper School site can be deep cleaned further to our existing deep cleaning processes.
15th Sep 2020 - Doncaster Free Press
Some volunteers quit J&J COVID-19 trial in Spain after AstraZeneca scare, investigator says
Some volunteers have quit Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine trial in Spain after news of side effects in a participant in AstraZeneca’s trial, the Spanish programme’s lead investigator told Reuters on Tuesday. The investigator, Alberto Borobia, said there were enough reserve volunteers for the trial to continue as normal, however. “Many have called to ask us some more detail about the risk of the vaccine, whether what happened with that vaccine had anything to do with the one we are studying, these types of questions,” Borobia said. He did not say how many people had dropped out.
16th Sep 2020 - Reuters
'Just a matter of time': nurses die as US hospitals fail to contain Covid-19
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had advised hospitals to isolate Covid-19 patients to limit staff exposure and help conserve high-level personal protective equipment in short supply. Yet Covid patients continued to be scattered through the Oakland hospital, according to complaints to California’s division of occupational safety and health (Cal/Osha). Areas of concern included the sixth-floor medical unit where veteran nurse Janine Paiste-Ponder worked. Covid patients on that floor were not staying in their rooms, either because they were confused or uninterested in the rules, according to Mike Hill, a nurse in the hospital intensive care unit. Hill, who is also the hospital’s chief representative for the California Nurses Association, said that staff was not provided highly protective N95 respirators.
15th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
No data on migrants' deaths during lockdown, says govt
Even as visuals of hundreds of migrant labourers walking towards their hometowns in searing heat continue to haunt collective public memory, the Ministry of Labour and Employment on Monday told the Parliament that it does not have any information on how many of these daily wagers lost their lives during the nationwide lockdown announced on March 25.
15th Sep 2020 - Pune Mirror
Relief and fear as Portuguese students go back to school
Wearing masks and trying to keep a safe distance, more than a million pupils returned to schools across Portugal on Monday, a long-awaited moment for many after students were forced in March to learn remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic. At the Maria Amalia high school in Lisbon teenagers were called into the classroom one by one and asked to disinfect their hands, while windows were left open. Standing next to her son as they waited outside, Alexandra Borges said she feared there would be new infections at school but going back to in-person classes was essential for pupils of all ages, including her son Pedro, who brought hand sanitizer inside his backpack.
15th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
UPDATE 1-Fuel demand rises as schools open, commuters shun public transport
Traffic picked up in cities across the globe as the summer season ended and schools opened, giving a boost to fuel demand, but the prospect of recovery remained weak as many commuters still worked from home and vehicle sales were down. The reliance on isolated forms of travel including private cars seemed to be the main factor boosting demand, analysts and traders said, as most people avoided public transport for fear of the coronavirus. Road traffic in New York, London and Paris was on a slow but steady recovery, data provided to Reuters by location technology company TomTom showed.
15th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Jordan closes schools in new curbs after spike in COVID-19
Jordan will suspend schools for two weeks from Thursday and close places of worship, restaurants and public markets as part of renewed restrictions after a record spike in coronavirus cases in the last few days. The decision taken after a cabinet meeting came as the kingdom struggles to prevent the uncontrolled spread of the pandemic, government spokesman Amjad Adailah said. “We are living through exceptional circumstances,” Adailah said. Health Minister Saad Jaber said the government was seeking to avoid the kind of tight nationwide lockdown imposed in the spring that brought the virus under control with low daily case numbers among a population of 10 million.
15th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
The worst may yet be to come for the high street. Half of Brits (53%) say the coronavirus outbreak has made them less likely to buy clothes in-store
Consumers are still reluctant to return to the high street, as COVID changes which clothes Brits buy and their shopping priorities. New YouGov data suggests the worst is yet to come for the high street. Half of Brits say the coronavirus outbreak has made them less likely to buy clothes in-store, including nearly a third who said “much less”. Just a tiny minority report the opposite. A similarly high number say coronavirus has made them a little or much more (29%) likely to purchase clothes online. Only 4% say there’s now a slimmer chance of them shopping online.
15th Sep 2020 - About Manchester
Coronavirus: NHS recovery threatened as test shortages mean staff have to self-isolate
The government is under growing pressure from NHS hospital trusts, public health officials and MPs over a lack of availability of coronavirus tests. NHS Providers, which represents NHS trust leaders, has said health services are being put at risk because a lack of COVID-19 testing is forcing many staff to self-isolate when they could be at work. And public health directors in North West England have called for "immediate action" to address the issue.
15th Sep 2020 - Sky News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 15th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullUAE announces emergency approval for use of Covid-19 vaccine still under trial
Emergency use of the vaccine, which is still being tested, was granted after a set criteria and after it had been tested on 31,000 volunteers, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority. The announcement comes amid a surge in new COVID-19 cases in the UAE
15th Sep 2020 - Mint
Vietnam speeds up production of Covid-19 vaccine
The Covid-19 vaccine research and development project in Vietnam has shown positive progress with a fairly high immune response to the vaccine antigens. Vietnam is striving to accelerate the progress of Covid-19 vaccine research, Kinh Te & Do Thi reported. Vietnam’s Prime Minister has asked the Ministry of Health to focus on coordinating with ministries and agencies to disseminate and guide the implementation of measures to prevent the Covid-19 pandemic in the new normal.
15th Sep 2020 - Vietnamnet
Britain bets on another coronavirus vaccine with £1.3billion investment in Scottish factory
Valneva is creating a vaccine using damaged versions of the coronavirus. Company will manufacture 190million doses in Scotland as part of its deal. The jab is expected to have two doses, meaning UK would need 133million
15th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus: Marseille's Covid-19 hospital beds 'close to saturation'
The use of hospital beds by Covid-19 patients in the French city of Marseille is "close to saturation" amid a sharp spike in infections. Surgeries are being reduced to cope with an incidence rate that has risen to 312 per 100,000 since September.
New limits on gatherings are being introduced around Marseille and in the south-western city of Bordeaux. The two cities are the main new hotspots in a country that on Saturday recorded a big surge in cases. The 10,561 new infections over 24 hours represented the biggest rise since large-scale testing began.
14th Sep 2020 - BBC News
Not enough Covid vaccine for all until 2024, says biggest producer
The chief executive of the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer has warned that not enough Covid-19 vaccines will be available for everyone in the world to be inoculated until the end of 2024 at the earliest. Adar Poonawalla, chief executive of the Serum Institute of India, told the Financial Times that pharmaceutical companies were not increasing production capacity quickly enough to vaccinate the global population in less time. “It’s going to take four to five years until everyone gets the vaccine on this planet,” said Mr Poonawalla, who estimated that if the Covid-19 shot is a two-dose vaccine — such as measles or rotavirus — the world will need 15bn doses.
14th Sep 2020 - Financial Times
Britain's universities have been abandoned to fight Covid-19 alone
Universities usually welcome everyone to the new academic year with a big smile, amid genuinely upbeat talk of “challenges” and “opportunities”. It’s still like that this year, but the smile has something of a manic rictus to it, and the talk is based on every single finger and toe being crossed by every single vice chancellor. Here’s where universities have got to: almost all of them are offering some form of “blended learning”, flipping between face-to-face classroom and online seminars. Big traditional lectures are out: recorded resources are in.
14th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
Cancer tests and procedures halved during lockdown, Medicare data shows
New evidence has shown a sharp drop off in the number of cancer tests and procedures being performed during Australia's first lockdown due to COVID-19.
Medicare data from April to May shows that diagnostic services for some of the most common types of cancers fell by up to 50 per cent, according to a report from Cancer Australia. The findings follow months of warnings from health experts that patients should not delay accessing vital health services during the pandemic.
According to the report, from March to April the number of colonoscopies – used to diagnose bowel cancers - halved. The number of procedures used to diagnose breast cancer also fell by 37 per cent and treatments for skin cancers were down by 30 per cent, the report showed.
14th Sep 2020 - 9News
The coronavirus crisis highlights the urgency of closing the broadband gap
As millions have been forced into lockdowns around the world, virtually everything from grocery shopping to work and school moved online. But what if you don’t have any internet access? A lack of internet would be unimaginable for many, especially those living in sprawling urban centers, but this is indeed the sad reality for at least 16 million Americans lacking access to high-speed internet — or any internet at all.
If this gap in internet access is not urgently addressed, this will only lead to even more socio-economic inequality. Many scholars and human rights organizations now agree that internet access is a basic human right, similarly to the right to health and freedom.
14th Sep 2020 - ZME Science
Working Parents And Closed Schools: The Childcare Struggle During COVID-19
Sierra’s 9-year-old son is attending school remotely this fall, because the local school district has deemed it unsafe to reopen for in-person instruction. While she and her husband placed their toddler in daycare, they haven’t found a spot for their son. Sierra works full-time at an assisted living facility, and her husband works on trains. “The places that are just like smaller-run facilities or just home centers, they're filled because they aren't set up to take all these school-aged kids,” Sierra says. “And then the places that aren't filled they're outrageously expensive. I mean, they're more than our rent and our car payment combined.” With some school districts operating remotely, parents like Sierra are scrambling to find childcare. Childcare centers are trying to meet the demand while also operating as safely as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.
14th Sep 2020 - WFYI
Still closed, Irish pubs show shortcomings of slow lockdown exit
Ireland’s plan to reopen its economy at a slower pace than most was supposed to ensure a more sustainable rebound from the COVID-19 crisis. Tell that to pub owner Paul Moynihan. Eagerly awaiting a promised July 20 reopening of non-food pubs, he spent 10,000 euros ($11,855) on a beer garden at his establishment in the village of Donard hoping some late summer trade would help compensate the sudden March closure. But the government moved the date three times and those pubs are now only due to open their doors on Sept. 21 - even though infection rates are 10 times more than late July.
14th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 14th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Students return to socially-distanced university campuses
This isn't what I expected when I went to university'," said the 21-year-old who is starting a degree in social work this term. Originally from the north of England, Gordon will be moving into student accommodation next week.
13th Sep 2020 - BBC News
Coronavirus: Britons more divided over face masks and lockdown rules than Brexit, poll suggests
Coronavirus is causing deeper social divides than Brexit, with more than half of mask wearers in the UK having strong negative attitudes to those who refuse to wear one, new research suggests. The poll of over 10,000 people, conducted by think tank Demos, found that people have contrasting opinions of the COVID-19 pandemic based on their experiences, social class and occupations. The findings show that the social divide on the key questions associated with the pandemic - such as mask wearing or lockdown rules - is now deeper than the divide over Brexit.
11th Sep 2020 - Sky News
Coughed on, spat at: UK shop workers fear asking customers to wear masks
Despite the public show of support and gratitude for key workers in recent months, the abuse of retail and transport workers has remained persistent and acute. Over 75% of shop workers surveyed by the shopworkers union Usdaw last month reported being abused by customers when asking them to socially distance; almost half had experienced abuse triggered by reminding shoppers to wear face masks. The preliminary findings of the union’s annual Freedom from Fear report, shared exclusively with the Observer, reveal the toll taken on the wellbeing of those working in essential services.
13th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus doctor's diary: Will universities be able to avoid spreading the virus?
A great migration is under way. Children have returned to school and students are beginning to leave for university. Will the UK be able to avoid the outbreaks experienced at some US universities, asks Dr John Wright of Bradford Royal Infirmary. In the hospital we continue to see small numbers of patients with Covid-19. We walk a tightrope of preparing for the autumn surge while trying to get all our normal clinical care waiting lists back to pre-pandemic levels. The lull in acute cases provides a tense truce. In the empty visitors' car parks discarded facemasks are the new tumbleweed. Meanwhile in the city the fever is rising. Every day the coronavirus needle flickers upwards; it's tempting to tap the dial in the hope that is just a malfunction. By Friday the incidence rate has crept up towards 80 per 100,000 and the case positivity rate towards 8%, from less than 50 per 100,000 and 5% just two weeks ago.
13th Sep 2020 - BBC News
Marseille's hospitals back on crisis footing as coronavirus spreads again in France
Each day this week, Professor Dominique Rossi has convened a coronavirus crisis group as intensive care wards in hospitals in Marseille fill up after a summer lull, deciding on how best to distribute beds and find extra staff. With 95% of the southern Bouche du Rhone region’s 80 intensive care beds set aside for COVID-19 patients now occupied, Rossi has dusted off his peak-pandemic playbook to deal with a jump in patients at the epicentre of the coronavirus’ resurgence in France.
“We’re back to the working routine we adopted in April,” Rossi, a urologist who heads the Marseille Hospitals’ Medical Commission, told Reuters.
12th Sep 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus: Birmingham lockdown restrictions increased
Households in Birmingham have been banned from mixing in new lockdown measures announced following a spike in coronavirus cases. The rate of infection has more than doubled in the city in a week to 90.3 cases per 100,000. The measures also cover neighbouring Sandwell and Solihull, affecting more than 1.6 million people in total. The restrictions will begin on Tuesday, it was announced at a regional meeting of council leaders. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: "We never take these decisions lightly but social gatherings can spread the virus quickly and we need residents to abide by the new rules to break the chains of transmission."
12th Sep 2020 - BBC News
Army medics to help NHS deliver biggest vaccination push in British history
The Army is to be drafted in for the biggest vaccination programme in UK history to protect the population against coronavirus, i can reveal. Public health and civil contingency planners believe they will need military assistance to help administer tens of millions of jabs when the Covid-19 vaccine is ready. Nightingale hospitals – currently mothballed after the first wave of the pandemic – and public buildings could be commandeered as mass vaccination sites.
11th Sep 2020 - iNews
Lockdown for a second time: 'It can't get any worse'
After just two months of "heaven", being open after the national lockdown, he had to shut his doors as all hospitality venues in the Bolton area were closed this week.
He has re-furloughed his staff, keeping just himself and the head chef Robert Nelson in their small kitchen. He's hoping the new takeaway menu and this two-man band can keep the pub ticking over. "It can't get any worse can it?" he laughs ruefully. He believes this pub will probably survive, but its sister pub round the corner will not.
11th Sep 2020 - BBC News
Pfizer may win the COVID vaccine race. But distributing it could be another matter.
Pfizer, the multinational pharmaceutical company, may be the first in the United States to seek regulatory approval for a COVID-19 vaccine, but even if its vaccine is authorized, the company may face additional challenges in distributing it. That's because Pfizer's vaccine can't be stored in the refrigeration systems found at the typical doctor's office. Instead, it requires special ultra-low-temperature freezers that can store medicine at approximately 94 degrees below zero. The delivery system is complex, requiring the use of a custom-built "cool box" that can store 1,000 to 5,000 vaccines for up to 10 days at minus 94 degrees.
10th Sep 2020 - ABC News
Covid vaccine: 8,000 jumbo jets needed to deliver doses globally, says IATA
Shipping a coronavirus vaccine around the world will be the "largest transport challenge ever" according to the airline industry. The equivalent of 8,000 Boeing 747s will be needed, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said.
There is no Covid-19 vaccine yet, but IATA is already working with airlines, airports, global health bodies and drug firms on a global airlift plan. The distribution programme assumes only one dose per person is needed. "Safely delivering Covid-19 vaccines will be the mission of the century for the global air cargo industry. But it won't happen without careful advance planning. And the time for that is now," said IATA's chief executive Alexandre de Juniac.
10th Sep 2020 - BBC News
Scarcity of key material squeezes medical mask manufacturing
“N95s are still in a shortage,” said Mike Schiller, the American Hospital Association’s senior director for supply chains. “It’s certainly not anywhere near pre-COVID levels.” Early in the pandemic the White House failed to heed stark warnings, specifically about N95s, from high-level administration officials. The Associated Press has found the administration took months to sign contracts with companies that make the crucial component inside these masks: meltblown textile. Meltblowing is the manufacturing process that turns plastic into the dense mesh that makes N95 masks effective at blocking vanishingly small particles, including viruses. Even today, manufacturers say the Trump administration hasn’t made the long-term investments they need in order to ramp up to full capacity. Meanwhile, the administration allowed meltblown exports to slip out of the country as the pandemic, and the demand for masks, soared.
10th Sep 2020 - Associated Press
European Parliament cancels Strasbourg session due to coronavirus resurgence
The European Parliament on Tuesday canceled plans to return to Strasbourg next week, after the city and its surrounding area were designated as a coronavirus red zone by French authorities. Announcing the decision, European Parliament President David Sassoli noted that holding the session in Strasbourg would have meant Parliament staff having to quarantine on their return to Brussels.
9th Sep 2020 - POLITICO
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 11th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus UK: Birmingham days from lockdown as infection rates double
Local leaders have warned Birmingham could be the next city put into a local lockdown after coronavirus infection rates have soared. West Midlands mayor Andy Street said increased restrictions in the city are ‘looking very likely’ as Birmingham’s case rate has increased to 69 per 100,000, up from 30 a week ago. It comes after 712 people caught coronavirus in the city in the seven days up to Saturday, MailOnline reports. Boris Johnson announced at a press conference yesterday that gatherings of more than six people will be illegal in England from Monday in a bid to control the spread of the virus.
10th Sep 2020 - Metro.co.uk
Jenks Public Schools return to the classroom after weeks of virtual learning
Several Jenks Public Schools students start in-person instruction today after weeks of virtual learning. Officials reported two employees and four students are currently at home due to positive COVID-19 test results. JPS originally started their school year off online and planned to go back to in-person instruction when Tulsa County reached a 'yellow,' low risk, level of COVID cases. However, the district decided that may not be the best decision based on successful data in monitoring cases from surrounding school districts.
11th Sep 2020 - KJRH
Myanmar locks down parts of Yangon amid virus increase
Myanmar was accelerating efforts Thursday to control the spread of the coronavirus, which has led to campaigning for November’s general election to be suspended in some areas due to partial virus lockdowns. The Ministry of Health and Sport issued a stay-at-home order for 20 Yangon townships effective Thursday as cases of the coronavirus continued to rise, with 120 new cases and two deaths. That brings the country’s total to 2,009 recorded cases and 14 deaths since the pandemic began. The order calls for a partial lockdown, with limited trips out of the house allowed to carry out necessary activities, such as the purchase of food. Seven other Yangon townships were put under similar partial lockdowns Sept. 1, as was all of Rakhine state last month after a surge of new cases there.
10th Sep 2020 - The Japan Times
As Jakarta heads into lockdown, doctors warn of buckling health system
Doctors in Indonesia's capital warned on Thursday the coronavirus pandemic is 'not under control' with Jakarta intensive care units nearing full capacity and the city ordering new lockdown measures to stem a spike in infections
10th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Portugal toughens virus rules as schools return
Ministers decided on new rules to come into force from Tuesday, including limiting gatherings to 10 people rather than 20 previously—a cap already in force in the capital Lisbon since late June. Also extending a measure from the capital, sales of alcohol will be barred from 8 pm as will drinking in public spaces. Meanwhile sporting venues will remain closed to fans ahead of the football championship kicking off next week. "We've been seeing a sustained rise in the number of new cases since the beginning of August," Prime Minister Antonio Costa said, after Portugal saw 646 new infections in the 24 hours to Wednesday—its highest since April 20.
10th Sep 2020 - Medical Xpress
Big UK cities lagging on footfall as return to office stalls
Data has revealed that there are significant variations between the UK’s cities and towns when it comes to workers returning to offices and economic recovery. And business leaders are being advised to rethink the role of the office. The Centre for Cities thinktank, which uses anonymised mobile phone data to track footfall, found that smaller cities and towns such as Blackpool, Bournemouth, Southend, Portsmouth, Birkenhead and Chatham were leading the way with footfall recovery, whereas London, Birmingham and Manchester lagged furthest behind.
10th Sep 2020 - Personnel Today
As students return, the deaths of at least six teachers from covid-19 renew pandemic fears
DeMarinis had been worried about returning to work at the rural middle school, where she was starting her 11th year of teaching. She had asthma, which put her at a higher risk for complications from covid-19 despite her young age. “She was scared,” her sister, Jennifer Heissenbuttel, told The Washington Post. Three weeks later, DeMarinis died in the hospital after testing positive for the novel coronavirus and suffering from complications caused by the infection. DeMarinis isn’t the only teacher to die amid the pandemic as children return to schools across the United States. Educators in Missouri, Mississippi, South Carolina, Iowa and Oklahoma have died as the fall semester started in their districts.
10th Sep 2020 - The Washington Post
Fauci says U.S. needs to 'hunker down' for fall and winter
As the United States heads into flu season, Americans can't let up in the fight against the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday. Although the number of new daily cases of coronavirus in the U.S. has slowly been declining over the last two weeks, the country is still closing in on 200,000 deaths from COVID-19 and more than 6 million confirmed infections. “We need to hunker down and get through this fall and winter, because it’s not going to be easy,” Fauci said during a panel of doctors from Harvard Medical School.
10th Sep 2020 - NBC News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 10th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullThe Kent and South London schools with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases
The first week back in education has proven difficult for a handful of schools who have had to send children back home. Coronavirus caused a disruptive year for the education sector, with children learning from home in virtual classrooms and with the support of parents. Thousands of teenagers taking GCSEs and A Levels have also had their exams cancelled, with their predicted grades being used to shape their future.
9th Sep 2020 - Kent Live
Judge criticises UK government’s ‘inadequate’ efforts to aid Covid-19 backlog
A crown court judge has refused to extend the custody time limit for keeping a man in prison awaiting trial and accused the government of under-funding the criminal justice system during the pandemic. Amid a growing backlog of cases, Judge Raynor at Woolwich crown court on Tuesday issued a highly critical 24-page ruling on the case of a 19-year-old who has been held for almost a year. He contrasted the Ministry of Justice’s “inadequate” efforts with the success of emergency courts in Spain and South Korea. It is the second time in the past month that the same judge has warned that he cannot repeatedly order defendants to remain behind bars if the justice system is failing to bring them to trial.
9th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus cases spike among school-age children in Florida, while state orders some counties to keep data hidden
One month into the forced reopening of Florida's schools, dozens of classrooms — along with some entire schools — have been temporarily shuttered because of coronavirus outbreaks, and infections among school-age children have jumped 34 percent. But parents in many parts of the state don't know if outbreaks of the virus are related to their own schools because the state ordered some counties to keep health data secret. Volunteers across Florida have set up their own school-related coronavirus dashboards, and one school district is using Facebook after the county health department was told to stop releasing information about cases tied to local schools.
10th Sep 2020 - The Washington Post
North of England has had highest proportion of Covid-19 deaths since national lockdown eased
A greater proportion of people have died from coronavirus in the North of England after the national lockdown began to be eased than in other parts of England and Wales. Analysis of official figures by ITV News shows nearly a quarter of deaths in the North involving Covid-19 have been registered after 15 May, compared to less than 10% in London.
9th Sep 2020 - ITV News
Rural Communities Needlessly Risk Covid-19 From Prisons
In May, two West Virginia prisons, FCI Gilmer (in central WV) and FCI Hazelton were designated to be quarantine sites for the entire Bureau of Prisons (BOP) system. A number of prisoners were to be transferred from overcrowded DC jails before being sent yet again to another facility after 14 days of quarantine. Part of the objection to the initial transfer was that the BOP screening of prisoners for Covid-19 included a temperature check and questions, but no actual testing for Covid-19. Gilmer received 124 inmates and promptly had an outbreak affecting at least 83 prisoners and additional staff.
9th Sep 2020 - Forbes
Turkey scales back school reopening amid rise in COVID-19 cases
Turkey announced on Tuesday it was scaling back plans to reopen schools later this month, with only the youngest pupils beginning classes at first, for up to two days a week. Fatalities from the coronavirus have jumped to their highest since mid-May when lockdowns were in place. The government has said it does not plan to reitroduce a full lockdown but has urged Turls to follow social distancing and hygiene measures to curb the cirus. Masks have been mandatory.
9th Sep 2020 - Reuters
One in three central London venues haven't reopened since lockdown
One in three central London hospitality venues yet to reopen from lockdown won’t do so until footfall drastically improves, it was estimated today as pub giants called for more government support. Trade association UKHospitality, which represents hotel, pub, restaurant and club owners, made the reopening forecast at a time when numerous people are yet to return to offices and travel restrictions keep tourists away. Some firms have also struggled with making certain smaller sites financially viable due to social distancing rules.
9th Sep 2020 - Evening Standard
COVID-19: Angola to reopen schools in October
Angolan authorities have decided to reopen schools in the country next month after months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to media reports.
“Classes will resume in phases and on alternating days. Grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 will resume on October 5,” nation.africa news website quoted Education Minister Luísa Grilo as saying. Classes for the grades 7 and 8 will resume on Oct. 19, she added. The class sessions are expected to be divided into two and will go for two-and-half hours for primary schools and three-and-half hours for secondary schools, according to the website. Meanwhile, Adao de Almeida, the head of the presidential palace, announced that the government will continue observing certain COVID-19 guidelines until Oct. 9 when schools will resume, according to the website.
9th Sep 2020 - Anadolu Agency
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 9th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullThe New Normal: Lockdown spurs green recovery
Carbon emissions have fallen, there’s clear water in Venice canals, and China’s air quality has improved – for now. But will COVID-19 have a lasting impact on the environment?
8th Sep 2020 - Reuters
COVID-19 Has Nearly Destroyed the Childcare Industry—and It Might Be Too Late to Save It
Jenna Antico, a 31-year-old childcare operator in Sarasota, Fla., thought 2020 would be a pivotal year for her business. The daycare facility she started building in 2015 was turning a steady profit, so she leased a second building in October 2019, then purchased a third in late February 2020. As it turned out, this year has indeed been pivotal—but not in the way she had hoped. When COVID-19 hit the United States like a tsunami in March, shuttering schools and businesses, and prompting companies to start working remotely, daycares like Antico’s got caught up in the current. Parents pulled their kids from the centers and local governments began issuing strict guidelines that providers would have to meet before they could welcome children back.
8th Sep 2020 - TIME
School buses in focus as kids return to classes amid coronavirus pandemic
As more students get ready to head back to the classroom for in-person learning, all eyes are on how school districts will handle the COVID-19 pandemic. Allison Mack has fourth and second graders; both are starting the school year with virtual learning and she is worried about eventually sending them back school in Texas.
She said, “I don’t want to be the statistic of the certain percentage of kids that go back and then get the whole household sick, and God forbid hospitalization, so it’s a very scary time to try to decide what is best.”
9th Sep 2020 - Fox News
Is Melbourne's coronavirus lockdown really the longest in the world? Here's how other countries stack up
Melbourne’s lockdown is one of the longest and strictest in the world, with curfews that won’t be lifted for at least another seven weeks. The Victorian capital has been under social restrictions since 16 March, which were initially extended to 11 May. On 8 July, restrictions were then reimposed in Melbourne specifically following a second outbreak, with a state of disaster and an 8pm-5am curfew ordered on 2 August. Melburnians now face an extra two weeks in Stage 4 lockdown under the roadmap revealed on 6 September, although from 14 September the nightly curfew will start an hour later at 9pm and run until 5am.
8th Sep 2020 - SBS News
Covid-19 death rate among African Americans and Latinos rising sharply
The death rate in the US from Covid-19 among African Americans and Latinos is rising sharply, exacerbating the already staggering racial divide in the impact of the pandemic which has particularly devastated communities of color. New figures compiled by the Color of Coronavirus project shared with the Guardian show that both total numbers of deaths and per-capita death rates have increased dramatically in August for black and brown Americans. Though fatalities have also increased for white Americans, the impact on this group has been notably less severe. The latest figures record that in the two weeks from 4 to 18 August the death rate of African Americans shot up from 80 to 88 per 100,000 population – an increase of eight per 100,000. By contrast the white population suffered half that increase, from 36 to 40 per 100,000, an increase of 4 per 100,000.
8th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
Risking jail, some parents in Spain resist sending kids back to school
Ángela López hardly fits the profile of a rule breaker. But López, the mother of a 7-year-old girl with respiratory problems, has found herself among parents ready to challenge Spanish authorities on a blanket order for their kids to return to school.
They are wary of safety measures they see as ill funded as a new wave of coronavirus infections sweeps the country. They fear sick students could infect older relatives who are at higher risk of falling ill from the virus. And they say that they have invested in computers and better network connections to prepare for online lessons, even preparing to homeschool their children if necessary.
8th Sep 2020 - Los Angeles Times
Covid-19 ‘could be endemic in deprived parts of England’
Covid-19 could now be endemic in some parts of the country that combine severe deprivation, poor housing and large BAME communities, according to a highly confidential analysis by Public Health England. The document, leaked to the Observer, and marked “official sensitive”, suggests the national lockdown in these parts of the north of England had little effect in reducing the level of infections, and that in such communities it is now firmly established. The analysis, prepared for local government leaders and health experts, relates specifically to the north-west, where several local lockdowns have recently been put in place following spikes in numbers. But it suggests that the lessons could be applied nationally. Based on detailed analysis of case numbers in different local areas, the study builds links between the highest concentrations of Covid-19 and issues of deprivation, poor and crowded accommodation and ethnicity.
8th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
Getting kids back to school was easy compared with what will come next
There is growing evidence of the role of children in this pandemic. Since early summer in the US, rates of infection have been rising faster among children than in the general population. Recent outbreaks there, including at two camps in Georgia and a number of schools, indicate that when conditions are right, coronavirus can spread quickly within groups of children. Today it is being reported that dozens of schools across England and Wales are facing outbreaks.
8th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 8th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullPrimark: UK city centres 'not dead' despite Covid crisis
City centres are “not remotely dead” according to Primark, even though sales at its four largest stores in central London, Birmingham and Manchester have slumped to half last year’s level since they reopened. The budget clothing chain said customers had flocked back to its shops in retail parks since the high street lockdown ended in July, with trading better than expected, and that it had taken market share from rival retailers. However, the shift to working from home and lack of tourists has affected trading at its four largest UK stores.
7th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
S.Africa consumer confidence improves in third quarter as lockdown eases
South African consumers regained some confidence in the economy in the third quarter after consumer confidence hit a 35-year low in the previous quarter, a survey showed on Monday, as the country reopened its borders and businesses from the lockdown.
7th Sep 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus: Schools face disruption over positive Covid-19 cases
Pupils and teachers have been asked to self isolate with schools across Wales affected by positive Covid-19 cases. Areas affected include Bridgend, Cardiff, Caerphilly, Carmarthen, Gwynedd, Neath, Rhondda, and Wrexham. More than 200 pupils at Bryntirion comprehensive in Bridgend have been asked to isolate after a confirmed case. And 30 pupils in Year 7 class at Ysgol Bro Edern, Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, must self-isolate for 14 days after a case. At Bryntirion, all Year 7 pupils have been asked to stay away as they have been identified as having had potential contact with a person who has tested positive, along with three staff members.
8th Sep 2020 - BBC News
Coronavirus: Online boom push retail sales up but high street still suffering
Consumers working and shopping from home helped retail sales to their best growth since the start of the pandemic last month but there was little cheer for the high street, new figures show. Total sales rose by 3.9% in August compared to the same period last year, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). It was the third month in a row of growth, following the reopening of stores in June, but the sector has still yet to make up for trade lost during lockdown and it is online rather than bricks-and-mortar shops that have led the way.
8th Sep 2020 - Sky
Coronavirus: Sheffield sixth formers self-isolating
A private school has told its sixth form students to stay at home after one student tested positive for Covid-19. Birkdale School in Sheffield said sixth form pupils were in a bubble so all of them would be required to self-isolate at home for 14 days. The school said it had taken a pupil testing positive into account when reopening and it was following Public Health England guidelines. The affected students will learn remotely while self-isolating.
8th Sep 2020 - BBC News
Coronavirus: Schools face disruption over positive Covid-19 cases
Pupils and teachers have been asked to self isolate with schools across Wales affected by positive Covid-19 cases. Areas affected include Bridgend, Cardiff, Caerphilly, Carmarthen, Gwynedd, Neath, Rhondda, and Wrexham. Thirty pupils in Year 7 class at Ysgol Bro Edern, Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, have been asked to self-isolate for 14 days after a confirmed case. Head teacher Iwan Pritchard said the school had acted "as quickly as possible" to contact those affected. They were identified as close contacts of a confirmed case at the school.
7th Sep 2020 - BBC News
Winter wave of Covid-19 'could overwhelm 87% of NHS hospitals' as they struggle to cope with normal seasonal pressures as well as the pandemic, analysis warns
As many as 115 trusts of 132 surveyed could be over capacity this winter. Figure was found by comparing winter demand and April Covid-19 demand. Four out of five trusts that could be most over-capacity are based in the capital
7th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
Viewpoint: Why remote consultations could strengthen the GP-patient relationship
Telephone, online and video consultations can still enable GPs to have strong relationships with their patients and will ensure general practice is fit for the 21st century, argues Dr Katie Barnett.
7th Sep 2020 - GP online
Delhi metro: India's largest subway reopens with masks and distancing
The metro in the Indian capital, Delhi, has reopened more than five months after it was shut down to prevent the spread of coronavirus. It's India's largest rapid transport system - it carried 2.7 million passengers a day before the lockdown.
Masks, social distancing and temperature checks are mandatory according to the new rules. The move comes as case numbers continue to climb in India, with daily tallies of more than 80,000. The country has so far reported more than 4.1 million cases, and 70,000 deaths. Despite the risks, India continues to reopen because the economy is still reeling from the effects of a prolonged lockdown.
7th Sep 2020 - BBC News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 7th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 outbreak is worsening malnutrition in India
There are warnings the world is on the brink of a "hunger pandemic". Charity Oxfam says up to 12,000 people could starve to death each day because of coronavirus-related restrictions. In India, malnutrition is already a threat to life - and the United Nations says the pandemic is making that worse.
5th Sep 2020 - Aljazeera.com
Covid‐19 pandemic and the surge of panic attacks among NHS nursing staff: An ethnographical perspective
Furthermore, nurses are not used to witnessing such a high number of deaths with recent figures apparently indicating that 51% of people with Covid‐19 died in intensive care, compared to 28% of people with non‐Covid pneumonia (ICNARC, 2020). Palliative care training is often very limited for many nurses and other health workers, so they are often confronted with a common experience they are underprepared for and may feel uncomfortable with. Even for those nurses who have worked in palliative care, Covid‐19 has changed the way nurses are expected to manage end‐of‐life in hospitals in many ways (e.g., no visitors). Jointly, these experiences are adding to the discomfort experienced by some nurses at this time. For others, it is working in a speciality they know little about (e.g., paediatric nurses working in adult wards; ward nurses working in intensive care). Therefore, for those experiencing a heightened anxiety or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the future is less certain. Anecdotal reports are already emerging of estimates in the region of 25%–50% of individuals experiencing depression for months or years to come following this pandemic.
2nd Sep 2020 - Wiley
Indonesia reports higher COVID-19 death rate among children than United States
The percentage of child deaths per total COVID-19 deaths is also high in Indonesia. Children accounted for 1.9 percent of all COVID-19 deaths in which victims’ age were provided. Given the high share of children among COVID-19 fatalities in the country, concerns have been raised over the government’s plan to allow more schools in low-risk areas to reopen
5th Sep 2020 - The Jakarta Post
US university workers fight a return to campus as COVID-19 cases grow
A wave of activism is sweeping US campuses that have reopened after their summer break amid the COVID-19 crisis. Across the country, university workers — including faculty members and staff who teach in classrooms and laboratories, and housekeeping staff who clean dormitories — are pushing back against requirements that they show up on campus alongside undergraduates, thereby, they say, risking their own health. One group has filed a lawsuit against the University of North Carolina (UNC) system, which includes 16 institutions across the state, claiming that the system has not provided a safe workplace for its staff. Others have staged protests — including ‘die-ins’, in which demonstrators have simulated coronavirus deaths — to demand remote classes and more COVID-19 testing. In one case, university faculty members passed a ‘no confidence’ vote to indicate that their chancellor had neglected their concerns and botched the institution’s reopening.
5th Sep 2020 - Nature.com
This elite college is building a COVID ‘bubble’—where students are tested 3 times per week, and can’t leave campus
One is a multi-billion dollar colossus with worldwide broadcasts. The other is a small New England college known for its bucolic campus and demanding coursework. On the face of it, the NBA and Amherst College have little in common. Except this: Both organizations have resumed in-person activities amidst COVID by forming a so-called "bubble." For the NBA, this has meant isolating players, support staff and broadcasters in a series of luxury hotels in Orlando. The plan has widely been viewed as a success—well into the playoffs no cases have been reported.
5th Sep 2020 - Fortune
Will Labor Day weekend in US mean another coronavirus spike?
As people across the United States head into the Labor Day long weekend on Friday, public health officials are warning not to make the same mistakes they did on previous holidays. The fear is that backyard parties, crowded bars and other gatherings could lead to a surge in coronavirus cases across the country, which has reported almost 6.2 million cases of the virus and about 187,000 related deaths since the pandemic began. "I look upon the Labor Day weekend really as a critical point," said Dr Anthony Fauci, the US government’s top infectious disease expert.
5th Sep 2020 - Al Jazeera English
France closes 22 schools days after reopening due to Covid-19 outbreaks
The French government has shut 22 schools in metropolitan France and the overseas territory of Réunion due to fresh cases of Covid-19. Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer insisted that back-to-school had gone smoothly for the vast majority, but parent associations are concerned that too much is being left up to families to manage. "The health protocol is working," assured Blanquer, speaking to Europe 1 radio on Friday morning, marking the end of the first week since the new school year began. "There are 22 establishments which have had to close due to cases or suspected cases of Covid-19," he said, "Twelve of those were in mainland France and 10 in the overseas territory of Reunion Island."
5th Sep 2020 - YAHOO!
Long waits for covid tests cause tension in France
France is now testing over 1 million people per week for Covid-19, but around the country there are reports of long waits and rising tensions between medical staff and patients.
5th Sep 2020 - The Connexion
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 4th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: How safe is it to travel by plane, train or cruise liner?
As restrictions on travel around the globe gradually start to lift, some passengers may understandably feel some trepidation about returning to their pre-pandemic globetrotting habits. We’ve looked at the risks involved in travel by train, plane and cruise liner – and the measures introduced by the industry to try and mitigate them.
4th Sep 2020 - The Independent
In Spain, As Everywhere, The Question Is Whether Schools Can Reopen Safely. I Have Grave Doubts.
Over the next couple of weeks, as happens every year at this time, Spain will begin the return to academic activity. The problem is that this is a far-from normal year: let’s be honest, it’s been a deeply abnormal year; and nor is my country behaving like a normal nation. In short, it’s clear that Spain has managed the impact of Covid-19 badly. The term virus laggard, used recently by The Washington Post, is bang on target: Spain sits ninth in the world ranking of the number of infections, but only because those above it, with the exception of Peru, have much bigger populations. If we take a relative parameter, such as the number of deaths per million inhabitants, only Belgium and the aforementioned Peru surpass us, and it is very possible that the Belgian case is due to different accounting criteria.
3rd Sep 2020 - Forbes
Fears for US recovery grow as virtual schooling continues
Fears about the prospects for US economic recovery have grown in recent weeks as school districts across the country have decided to begin the academic year with remote learning in response to the coronavirus crisis. Large public school districts including Miami, Los Angeles and Washington DC have opted for online instruction amid concerns that reopening could trigger a new surge in infection among students and teachers. Economists say the decisions could cause hits to employment, productivity and consumption that would stunt the US recovery — and could lead to more lasting damage in the form of curtailed educational achievement and greater inequality.
3rd Sep 2020 - Financial Times
Britons slowly returning to workplaces, statistics office says
People in Britain continued to gradually return to their workplaces in late August, something Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to speed up in September to help the economy recover from its historic coronavirus slump. Fifty-seven percent of working adults traveled to work between Aug. 26 and Aug. 30, up from 55% two weeks earlier and 33% in May, the country’s statistics office said on Thursday. Those working exclusively from home slipped to 20% from 22%, the Office for National Statistics said. That figure stood at nearly 40% in June.
3rd Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Tesco angers staff over 'unfair' Covid-19 quarantine rules
Staff at Tesco’s UK headquarters are angry about new rules stipulating they must take unpaid or annual leave if they need to quarantine at home following an overseas trip. The new rules recently implemented by the supermarket giant are viewed as unfair given many office-based staff at the FTSE 100 company have been working from home since Britain entered lockdown in March. They say they would be able to carry out their jobs as normal if made to quarantine. The unrest comes as the UK Government is under pressure to implement quarantine restrictions for holidaymakers returning to England from Greece and as companies wrestle with the implementation of new employment rules as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
3rd Sep 2020 - iNews
Google tells employees to take Friday off as a 'collective wellbeing' holiday during pandemic
Google is giving employees an additional holiday ahead of Labor Day weekend to avoid employee burnout. The extra day comes as the company hopes to preserve “collective wellbeing” as the Covid-19 pandemic enters its seventh month. CEO Sundar Pichai and top execs are trying to find ways to show support to employees who are working remotely until at least mid-2021.
3rd Sep 2020 - CNBC
A glimpse of what N.J. schools will look like for kids when they return
As New Jersey schools move forward with their reopening during the lingering coronavirus crisis, children will be returning to a different kind of experience. NJ Advance Media recently visited several schools to see what the new normal will be for students as they make the transition from virtual instruction to a physical return to the classroom.
3rd Sep 2020 - NJ.com
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 3rd Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullAs Teachers Return To The Classroom During COVID-19, Some Worry About Their Mental Health
Teaching is already challenging enough without a pandemic shaking up how the classroom operates. As Iowa’s schools start to reopen, many districts are focused on keeping their staff and students safe from COVID-19. But it’s also taking a toll on teachers’ mental health.
2nd Sep 2020 - Iowa Public Radio
Health agency: COVID-19 hitting health workers hard in Americas
The scale of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Americas is unprecedented, an official with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said today in a press conference. And nowhere has its impact been bigger than in the healthcare workforce. PAHO Director Carissa Etienne, MBBS, MSc, said that nearly 570,000 healthcare workers in the Americas have fallen ill with COVID-19, and more than 2,500 have died. Overall, there have been almost 13.5 million cases in the Americas and more than 469,000 deaths.
2nd Sep 2020 - CIDRAP
UK households face £1,200 hit to incomes after pandemic, Bank of England warns
The UK faces a permanent £33bn annual hit to the economy as it emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey told MPs on Wednesday. Structural changes in the economy as people change their behaviours in response to the pandemic could cause long-term “scarring” to growth and employment, Mr Bailey warned. The Bank predicts that behavioural shifts, such as more working from home and people being more cautious about going out, will reduce gross domestic product (GDP) by 1.5 per cent every year below where it had been expected to be. Based on 2019 output, that equates to around £1,200 per household per year below what had been forecast before Covid-19 struck.
2nd Sep 2020 - The Independent
Bank of England warns mass return to UK offices 'not possible'
The Bank of England has cast doubt on the government drive to get workers back to offices, after a senior official warned it was impossible for large numbers of staff to return to central London and other big cities while risks from Covid-19 remained.
Pouring cold water on the government campaign, Alex Brazier, the Bank’s executive director for financial stability strategy and risk, said it was “not possible” for a mass return to city centre offices across Britain this autumn due to Covid guidelines, concerns over the health risks, and transport capacity issues. “With Covid safe guidelines, it’s not possible to use office space – particularly in central London and dense places like that – with the intensity that we used to use it. So it’s actually not possible to bring lots of people back very suddenly,” he said.
2nd Sep 2020 - The Guardian
117 children have tested positive for Covid-19 since return to school
A total of 117 children have tested positive for coronavirus since Scotland’s schools reopened last month, the Education Secretary has revealed. John Swinney announced the number of positive tests for the virus as teachers’ unions spoke out about their ongoing fears over safety inside schools. Since pupils returned to school in August, a total of 77 youngsters aged between 12 and 17 have been found to have Covid-19, along with 40 children aged between five and 11. The Education Secretary told MSPs at Holyrood the evidence he had seen suggested most cases were “coming within households”, describing this as the “predominant explanation” for how youngsters had contracted the disease. But he added that overseas travel was also “resulting in quite a number of the cases”.
2nd Sep 2020 - Wales Online
Coronavirus: How it feels to be back at school
As millions of pupils in England return to school after lockdown, the BBC went to two primary schools in Luton, Whitefield Primary Academy and Southfield Primary School, to find out how parents and children felt.
2nd Sep 2020 - BBC News
Covid-19 outbreaks dampen Spanish tourist sector’s hopes for the summer season
According to Social Security Minister José Luis Escrivá, 132,000 new jobs were created in the first three weeks of the month. But the upward trend was reversed by fresh coronavirus outbreaks and travel advisories introduced by many countries that recommended not going to Spain. The slowdown began in late July, when the United Kingdom introduced a quarantine for travelers arriving from the country. This has impacted the tourism industry, which is usually a leading source of Spanish job creation at this time of the year and contributes more than 12% of Spain’s gross domestic product (GDP). And hotels have already announced plans to close in late August due to a lack of demand, in a move that could have an adverse effect on September, traditionally still a strong month for tourism.
2nd Sep 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Spain, France and Greece report fresh surges in Covid-19 cases as schools reopen in Europe
The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, said he was particularly worried about the surge in coronavirus cases in Madrid. One of the countries in Europe hit hardest by Covid-19, Spain has reported a surge in infections in the capital and other regions since lockdown was lifted in June. “We are worried about the state of public health and evolution of the virus in Madrid,” Mr Sánchez said.
2nd Sep 2020 - iNews
57 countries see surge in new coronavirus cases
More than 50 countries around the world are experiencing a rise in new coronavirus cases, figures show. Europe, north Africa and south Asia have the highest concentration of countries that are experiencing an upswing in coronavirus cases, as the worldwide total passed 25 million. The UK is among the worst hit. Infections have spiked in two northern areas of England due to be released from lockdown against the advice of local officials.
2nd Sep 2020 - The Independent
Months after lockdown, children in Wuhan return to school
Children returned to school Tuesday in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the original epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic that underwent months of lockdown but which has not seen new cases of local transmission for weeks. State media reported 1.4 million children in the city reported to 2,842 kindergartens, primary and secondary schools as part of a nationwide return to classes. Life has largely returned to normal in Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus was first detected late last year. After what critics called an attempt to ignore the outbreak, the city underwent a 76-day lockdown during which residents were confined to their homes and field hospitals opened to assist an overwhelmed medical system.
2nd Sep 2020 - The New Indian Express
Covid-19 triggers epidemic of eczema
Covid-19 has triggered an eczema epidemic among NHS workers - from washing their hands so much, reveals new research. Six-out-of-10 seen for skin problems are suffering irritant contact dermatitis - a form of the itchy, painful condition caused by friction, according to the study. It highlights the impact of PPE (personal protective equipment) and frequent hand hygiene on medical workers.Co-lead author Dr Isha Narang, of University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation, said: "Wearing PPE for long periods can cause pressure and irritant effects on the skin and frequent handwashing with soap is drying; sometimes the effects can be bad enough to require time off work. "As PPE and handwashing are essential methods of reducing the spread of Covid-19, it's important to provide healthcare workers with advice and support in managing their skin."
2nd Sep 2020 - Cambridgeshire Live
More than 10% of British shops vacant, survey shows
More than one-in-ten British shops now stand empty, reflecting recent widespread closures which are partly the result of the coronavirus crisis, a report on Thursday showed. Researcher Springboard said the vacancy rate rose to 10.8% in July, from 9.8% in January 2020, reaching its highest level since January 2014 as Britain’s store-based retail sector, outside of food, was hit by a lockdown to counter the pandemic. Already weak players such as Laura Ashley, Debenhams, Oasis Warehouse, Cath Kidston and Monsoon/Accessorize have all gone into administration, with the loss of thousands of jobs, while other major retailers, including Marks & Spencer (MKS.L), Boots (WBA.O) and John Lewis [JLPLC.UL], are also closing stores.
2nd Sep 2020 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 2nd Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 often goes undiagnosed in hospital workers; virus may impair heart functions
A high proportion of COVID-19 infections among U.S. healthcare personnel appear to go undetected, according to a report on Monday in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between April and June, among more than 3,000 frontline workers in 12 states, roughly 1 in 20 had antibody evidence of a previous COVID-19 infection, but 69% of those infections had never been diagnosed. Among those with antibodies to the novel coronavirus, about one-third did not recall having symptoms in the preceding months, nearly half did not suspect that they had been infected, and some two-thirds had never had a positive COVID-19 test. Infections among frontline healthcare personnel may be going undetected, the study authors say, because some infections may be only minimally symptomatic or asymptomatic and also because personnel with symptoms may not always have access to testing. COVID-19 antibodies were less common among workers who reported using a face covering for all patient encounters and more common among those who reported a shortage of personal protective equipment. The researchers call for more frequent testing of healthcare personnel and universal use of face coverings in hospitals.
1st Sep 2020 - Reuters
Blended learning: how one college adapted to coronavirus and what happens next
As coronavirus hit the UK, universities and colleges were faced with no choice but to close their institutions, move all resources online and adopt a remote working model for all students and teachers. While institutions such as Bournemouth and Poole College (BPC), had little time to prepare for the crisis, a 2019 report by Jisc suggests that the sector was in good shape to make the transition to online, with around half of students – including 48% in further education and 57% in higher education – stating they could easily access resources via their virtual learning environment (VLE). One of the challenges we found at BPC was making sure that all of our students were in a position to work from home and easily access online learning resources. It was important to ensure that our students had the right connectivity and broadband in place, as well as laptops and devices, to be able to access their learning materials. We therefore made the decision to loan computers and even provide broadband and SIM card hubs to enable online access. This meant that we were able to support students that were based in rural areas without access to the internet, which is a growing problem across the sector.
1st Sep 2020 - PublicTechnology
UAE reports over 500 new COVID-19 cases for second consecutive day
The United Arab Emirates recorded over 500 new COVID-19 infections for the second successive day on Tuesday after a rise in cases in the Middle East financial hub. The government’s communications office said on Twitter there had been 574 new infections but no deaths in the previous 24 hours, following 541 new infections and two deaths reported a day earlier. Schools in the UAE reopened this week, though some will continue with only remote learning after suspected cases among employees, state news agency WAM reported, citing the education ministry. The report did not identify the schools. Daily infections are at their highest since 683 cases were recorded on July 5. There have been periodic spikes in cases since daily infections peaked in May.
2nd Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Midwives and paramedics to deliver flu and Covid vaccines, proposes DHSC
An ‘expanded workforce’ including midwives will be delivering flu vaccines and a potential Covid-19 vaccine, under proposals unveiled by the Government on Friday. The three-week consultation also focuses on a proposal of mass vaccinations against Covid-19 using a yet-to-be-licensed vaccine, if one becomes available this year. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is hoping new legislation – which would impact midwives, paramedics and others – could come into effect by October, ahead of the winter flu vaccines season.
1st Sep 2020 - Nursing in Practice
How will local lockdowns affect schools in England?
Q: According to the government’s guidance issued on Friday evening for schools in England, how will future lockdowns affect them? A: The new guidance lists four levels of lockdown “tiers”, which are most likely to be local ones such as those in Leicester. The categories range from tier one, the lowest, in which all schools would remain open, to tier four, in which remote learning would be in place for all pupils other than the children of key workers and vulnerable pupils. But unlike the national lockdown from March, alternative provision and special needs schools would remain fully open.
1st Sep 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus Russia: Teachers’ union warns staff could be forced to take unproven Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine
A Russian teachers’ union has warned its members could find themselves coerced into taking the country’s new coronavirus vaccine, which has been shipped to clinics and approved for use before phase three trials have been completed. Russia is the first country to licence a Covid-19 vaccine, calling it “Sputnik V” in homage to the famous Soviet satellite, but Western experts have warned against its use until all internationally approved testing and regulatory steps have been taken, a call dismissed by Moscow. The vaccine will be mandatory for members of Russia’s armed forces, according to Vladimir Putin’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu, but offered to teachers and doctors on an entirely voluntary basis. However, Uchitel, a small independent teachers’ union, has launched a petition to ensure no mandatory measure is imposed on its members ahead of the reopening of schools on 1 September.
1st Sep 2020 - The Independent
Japan’s karaoke bars adapt to the Covid era
Back in early April, during that brief phase when lockdown felt more like an unexplored alien planet than the inescapable traffic jam it soon became, I called Japan’s biggest karaoke operators to see what they made of it all. Principally, I wanted to know what sort of tech they planned to throw at a problem that, on an early reading, seemed destined to put them all out of business. There was, I now realise, something visceral about those calls. It was not that, within a couple of weeks, the karaoke pangs of friends and contacts were overpowering. And it wasn’t that the plight of Japan’s tens of thousands of karaoke establishments particularly stood out in a crisis that forced favourite bars and restaurants to close and caused the whole Japanese economy to shrink a record 7.8 per cent in that very quarter.
1st Sep 2020 - Financial Times
Melbourne anti-lockdown protest organiser calls coronavirus a ‘scam’
A Victorian man who was arrested after planning a Melbourne anti-lockdown rally has said he hopes “tens of thousands” will attend a new protest this Saturday. According to A Current Affair, Windsor resident Solihin Millin was charged with inciting others to breach the chief health officer’s directions last week. The 76-year-old has remained defiant despite his arrest, telling the program the September 5 demonstrations, set to take place across Australia’s capital cities and dubbed “Freedom Day” by supporters, will continue – although if he attends, it will be a breach of his bail conditions. Mr Millin, whose social media profiles are littered with coronavirus conspiracy theory material, labelled the coronavirus pandemic a “scam” and said the planned protest posed no threat to the public.
1st Sep 2020 - NEWS.com.au
Back to school: how European classrooms are coping with COVID
Schools across Europe are reopening as summer break ends and governments insist that students return to the classroom after months of online learning due to the coronavirus pandemic. Reuters looks a little closer at what countries are doing...
1st Sep 2020 - Reuters
Meet Germany’s Bizarre Anti-Lockdown Protesters
A strange mix of conspiracy theorists, far-right extremists and ordinary citizens have taken to the streets. Why?...
31st Aug 2020 - The New York Times
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 1st Sep 2020
View this newsletter in full'The reversal of gentrification': how Covid-19 could remake Australia's cities
Office buildings in Australian CBDs could be converted into residential living spaces, as a tanking commercial property market leads to a potential reversal of gentrification. The prediction of drastically different city centres, made by property experts and architects, follows the Covid-19 shift in work habits that have forced employers to allow staff to work from home, with expectations the flexibility afforded to them as a result of coronavirus will remain in some capacity into the post-pandemic future. Urban planning thinktanks believe that as businesses require less floor space and less commercial property is used, state and local governments will have to do more to draw people into the city centres in which they have already invested heavily.
31st Aug 2020 - The Guardian
Brazilian island reopens just for tourists who’ve had Covid-19
Fernando de Noronha has reopened for visitors after a five-month shutdown, but with one stipulation. Tourists have to have contracted and recovered from Covid-19 before being allowed on the island
31st Aug 2020 - South China Morning Post
36 states report a total of 8,700 Covid-19 cases at colleges and universities; country nears 6 million
Since classes started on August 19, 1,200 students at the University of Alabama have tested positive for the virus, the university system's website showed Saturday. Classes at the University of Dayton will continue online for at least two weeks after the school reported 116 case on Thursday and then another 148 on Friday, according to the university's website. Outbreaks have been identified at four different sororities at Kansas State University, according to news releases from the college and the Riley County Health Department. Providence College in Rhode Island has implemented policies to prevent the virus' spread, but 17 students have been placed on "interim suspension" for violating those measures, meaning they will not be allowed on campus or in classes until they attend a hearing, college spokesperson Steven Maurano told CNN Saturday.
31st Aug 2020 - CNN
Pandemic exposes 'severe stress' in commercial property financing
The fate of the property is not only emblematic of the severity of the crisis emerging for the hotel industry but also of the pressure building across the commercial real estate sector — from small-town malls to sky-high office blocks — hitting one of its primary sources of financing; the $1.4tn market for commercial mortgage-backed securities. “I don’t think anyone foresaw the devastation that Covid would wreak on commercial real estate and the CMBS market,” says Lea Overby, an analyst at Wells Fargo who has covered the sector for almost two decades.
30th Aug 2020 - Financial Times
'You just feel disconnected': how Covid has upturned uni students' lives
University students are returning to (mostly virtual) class at a time of tumult and disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The coronavirus has hit Australian universities hard, with a slew of academic institutions recently announcing severe job cuts – among them the University of Sydney, RMIT University, the University of Melbourne, and the University of New South Wales. The staff cuts, coupled with distant learning, have dramatically altered the university experience for tens of thousands of Australian students. Unions and academics have sounded the alarm that this could lead to degrees of lower quality. Enrolments for next year are set to balloon, which could result in a challenging environment of more students and fewer teachers. Guardian Australia spoke to several students – some at universities that have announced staff cuts, others learning under lockdown – about their experiences during the pandemic.
29th Aug 2020 - The Guardian
China's Wuhan says all schools to reopen on Tuesday
Wuhan, Ground Zero for the COVID-19 pandemic and the Chinese city hardest hit by the coronavirus, will reopen all its schools and kindergartens on Tuesday, local authorities said. As many as 2,842 educational institutions across the city are set to open their doors to almost 1.4 million students when the autumn semester gets underway, the local government announced on Friday. Wuhan University reopened on Monday. The city said it has drawn up emergency plans to switch back to online teaching should risk levels change. It advised students to wear masks to and from school and avoid public transportation if possible. Schools have been ordered to stock up on disease control equipment and to carry out drills and training sessions to help prepare for new outbreaks. They must also restrict unnecessary mass gatherings, and submit daily reports to health authorities
29th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Reopening schools: how different countries are tackling Covid dilemma
Research on the ability of children of different ages to catch and transmit the virus is contradictory, and differences in education systems and social conventions make comparisons difficult. One complicating factor is what epidemiologists call contact matrices: the degree to which different age groups mix, particularly within extended multigenerational families, which can vary from society to society and from group to group within a society. Countries have taken different approaches but some of the questions are broadly familiar. Should all children and staff be required to wear masks, or only some age groups? Should children be tested for the virus? How should social distancing be managed in the classroom and playground? And finally, should schools be reopening at all?
28th Aug 2020 - The Guardian
Spanish health authorities support reopening of schools despite surge in coronavirus cases
The Spanish Health Ministry reported on Thursday that 9,658 new coronavirus cases had been detected by the regions. This is the largest spike in infections that Spain has seen since it entered a second wave of the virus, and confirms the upward trend of Covid-19 transmission, which has been rising since the beginning of August. The news came on the same day that Spain’s 17 regions and the Health and Education ministries met to establish protocols for how to safely reopen schools in September. According to Fernando Simón, the director of the Health Ministry’s Coordination Center for Health Alerts, students will be able to return to class even if there is “community transmission” of the virus in Spain.
28th Aug 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 28th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullChina Calls It A 'Wartime Mode' COVID-19 Lockdown. And Residents Are Protesting
Except in Xinjiang. A sweeping, western region nearly four times the size of California, Xinjiang remains largely cut off from the rest of the country and its some 22 million residents under heavy lockdown, an effort officials say is needed to contain a cluster of more than 800 officially diagnosed cases. In mid-July, officials declared a "wartime mode" for the region. Community officials continue to go door to door, sealing doors with paper strips, tape and in some cases metal bars, to prevent residents from leaving their homes. The region has effectively been penned off from the rest of the country, meaning scant information about the lockdown has emerged. In July, Xinjiang's train stations were closed, intercity bus routes canceled, and centralized quarantine imposed on residents returning to the region.
28th Aug 2020 - NPR
Falling care home demand since Covid poses threat to UK
There is a graph circulating in the care home industry that should send chills down the spine of the health and social care secretary, Matt Hancock. It predicts, under a worst-case scenario, a plunge in the demand for care homes by the end of 2021 that would leave 180,000 beds empty. The forecast by consultants Knight Frank is not good news based on a healthier aged population, but rather is based on fresh waves of coronavirus killing thousands more people in the community and in care homes, creating a flight from the sector. It is pessimistic, but for care home bosses reeling from the first wave of the pandemic – which killed more than 17,000 of their customers – it does not seem impossible. Short-term, it could have a serious impact on an NHS left to look after the infirm. Longer-term, it could seriously erode the UK’s capacity to look after its most vulnerable.
27th Aug 2020 - The Guardian
Brits must return to offices to stop city centres becoming 'ghost towns', CBI boss warns
City centres risk becoming permanent "ghost towns" if staff do not return to offices, a senior business leader has warned. Carolyn Fairbairn, the director-general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said getting staff back into offices and workplaces is as important as pupils returning to school in September. Boris Johnson signalled an end to stay at home guidance in July as he gave employers the green light to get staff back to work, but Dame Carolyn called for the Prime Minister to do more to get office workers back at their desks. "The UK’s offices are vital drivers of our economy," she wrote in the Daily Mail. "They support thousands of local firms, from dry cleaners to sandwich bars. They help train and develop young people. And they foster better work and productivity for many kinds of business.
27th Aug 2020 - Evening Standard
FOCUS: Firms downsizing offices amid coronavirus upheaval
An increasing number of companies in Tokyo are downsizing their offices as teleworking spreads in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic -- a trend that looks likely to continue even after the outbreak ends. IT ventures and startups, known for their quick and flexible decision-making, are at the vanguard of the move. They are rethinking the worth of paying expensive rents, partly since they are struggling to raise capital amid the pandemic.
27th Aug 2020 - Kyodo News Plus
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 26th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in full‘Mental health pandemic’ looming without immediate boost to community services struggling under Covid-19 demands, charity warns
The Government has been urged to immediately inject additional funding into community services to prevent a “mental health pandemic”, as the extent of coronavirus pressures on people’s lives are revealed. People’s overall mental health in the UK has worsened during the Covid-19 lockdown, with many presenting with new signs of illness or psychological strain in the past five months. Now, as the country looks ahead to a possible second wave of the virus, a recession, and a likely jobs crisis, experts have warned that already stretched mental health services could be quickly overwhelmed.
25th Aug 2020 - iNews
Covid-19 proves globalisation is not dead
Covid-19 will not kill globalisation. Rather, it will accelerate underlying trends, compressing into 2020 a transformation in flows across national borders that would have taken years to emerge. As individuals and companies move online, national borders become less relevant. Virtual meetings are substituting for travel and physical meetings, with their greater efficiency leading to higher levels of engagement. This increased digital connectivity facilitates the rapid flow of ideas, the most influential dimension of globalisation. The scientific race to stop Covid-19 and find a vaccine has encouraged unprecedented collaboration. Greater global awareness is evident in the intense interest in the march of Covid-19 and spread of the Black Lives Matter protests to five continents. Not all flows are good, and the spread of bad and fake ideas is also accelerating, from meddling by foreign powers to anti-vax fears that undermine the fight against the pandemic.
26th Aug 2020 - The Financial Times
Tourism Industry Faces $1 Trillion Loss, 100 Million Jobs At Risk From Covid-19, UN Reports
A new policy brief from the United Nations outlining Covid-19’s impact on the tourism industry projects the pandemic will cost the tourism industry approximately $1 trillion in losses and threaten more than 100 million jobs worldwide, underlining how the ongoing global crisis has devastated one of the world’s largest industries.
25th Aug 2020 - Forbes
Coronavirus US: Parents decide whether to send kids to school
As the school year begins, the pressure to get students back in classrooms is growing in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Last week the White House announced teachers are now considered 'critical infrastructure workers,' while CDC director compared teachers to physicians. But as of Monday, only two of the nation's top 15 largest school districts – New York and Hawaii - plan to reopen classrooms even part-time. Elsewhere, schools that reopened in-person switched back to online classes. Four percent of rural districts and 21 percent of suburban areas have announced fully remote plans compared to 55 percent of urban districts
Father-of-two Tyghe Trimble, 38, has decided to keep three-year-old Emerson and eight-year-old Jodie at home
25th Aug 2020 - Daily Mail
School nurses should be leading the COVID-19 response, but many schools don't have one
In schools trying to hold in-person classes this fall, students and staff will be looking to one person for guidance with the coronavirus pandemic: the school nurse. Many schools won’t have one. In those that do, the nurse’s responsibilities are quickly expanding. Daily screenings for COVID-19 symptoms, assessing illnesses and isolating sick kids are adding to their already heavy work loads as they attend to hundreds of students and staff. I am a professor of pediatric nursing, and I formerly worked as a pediatric nurse practitioner in a school-based clinic. I recognize the tremendous stress school nurses are facing right now as they navigate getting students back to school safely in the midst of a pandemic.
25th Aug 2020 - The Conversation US
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 25th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullSouth Korea closes most schools in Seoul area to battle resurgent COVID-19
South Korea on Tuesday (Aug 25) ordered all schools and kindergartens in the greater Seoul region - home to half the country's 52 million population - to switch to online classes as they battle multiple coronavirus clusters. The country's "trace, test and treat" approach to curbing the virus has been held up as a global model, but it is now trying to contain several outbreaks, mostly linked to Protestant churches.
25th Aug 2020 - CNA
The best way to keep schools open? Stop coronavirus entering them in the first place
Schools are integral to local communities. If regional infection is suppressed, cases among teachers and pupils will also be low
24th Aug 2020 - The Guardian
Teachers 'more likely to get Covid on coffee break'
Teachers are more likely to get Covid-19 on their coffee break than in a classroom, England’s deputy chief medical officer has said. Jenny Harries said that the risk for teachers in schools was probably highest “between staff”. Dr Harries also said it would be “unlikely” that there would be a scenario where all schools across the country would be forced to close again. But in areas subject to a local lockdown there could be individual schools forced to close.
24th Aug 2020 - TES News
Coronavirus: Hospital staff prepare for possible second wave
Staff at a north Wales hospital have appealed to patients and visitors to "carry on listening and keeping to the the guidelines" as they prepare for a possible second wave of Covid-19. The latest figures show Betsi Cadwaladr health board has seen a spike in deaths compared to other health boards. But staff at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor said some people "seem to think the pandemic is over". The health board said it was slowly resuming normal services for patients. It has seen a high number of cases in Wrexham, which had the highest weekly number of coronavirus-related deaths. Interim chief executive Simon Dean said the health board was "well prepared for an increase in cases", having increased bed capacity in hospitals, recruiting staff and established the three Ysbyty Enfys field hospitals.
24th Aug 2020 - BBC News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 24th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullAustralia's mental health funding has surged after coronavirus – so why is it so difficult to get help?
Many people are being forced to wait for weeks or months, with ‘far more people needing support than there are people to provide them’
23rd Aug 2020 - The Guardian
Over 40 Berlin schools report Covid-19 cases a fortnight after reopening
Coronavirus cases have been reported by at least 41 schools in Berlin, barely two weeks after the German capital’s 825 schools reopened. Cases are rising across Europe, including in Spain, which registered 66,905 in the past two weeks, resulting in the continent’s highest 14-day infection rate and warnings over the risk of a new wave of deaths. The Berlin experience echoes that in some states in the US, including Georgia, and in Israel, which have recorded clusters tied to schools. According to reports in Berlin, all age groups have been affected, including in elementary schools, high schools and trade schools. Berlin was one of the first places in Germany to reopen its schools after the summer holidays.
22nd Aug 2020 - The Irish Times
Coronavirus: Schools let down by lack of 'plan B', says union
More staff, extra teaching space and greater clarity on what to do if there is a spike in cases is needed for schools to reopen safely, the UK's largest teaching union has said. The National Education Union (NEU) accused the government of letting down pupils, teachers and parents by failing to have a "plan B" if infections rise.
The UK's four chief medical officers have insisted it is safe to return. The education secretary said ministers were doing "everything we can" to help. Millions of pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are due to return to school in the coming days and weeks. In Scotland, schools have already reopened
22nd Aug 2020 - BBC News
Shortage of 6,000 public buses puts UK’s school return at risk
Ministers have privately warned of a shortage of 6,000 public buses needed to get children to school in England next week for the autumn term and have urged coach companies to fill the gap. Low passenger numbers during the pandemic have led some bus companies, particularly in rural areas, to reduce services, while social distancing requirements on public transport mean that there will be lower capacity on such services. Fears that many of the 750,000 children who travel to school by public buses will not be able to make it to classrooms were raised at a meeting chaired by Charlotte Vere, the transport minister.
22nd Aug 2020 - The Guardian
How Britain’s Covid-19 panic buyers triggered a tinned food renaissance
It started with tinned tomatoes, symbolically stripped from supermarket shelves in the panic-buying frenzy of the early days of the pandemic. But lockdown has led to a wider renaissance of canned food as shoppers have embraced staples from spam and corned beef to beans, pulses and fish, all enjoying a popularity not seen since the rationing of the second world war.
21st Aug 2020 - The Guardian
As Colleges Move Classes Online, Families Rebel Against the Cost
Schools face rising demands for tuition rebates, increased aid and leaves of absence as students ask if college is becoming “glorified Skype.”
15th Aug 2020 - The New York Times
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 21st Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullScarce coronavirus vaccine should go to frontline health workers first, report suggests
Frontline healthcare workers, emergency services personnel and the most vulnerable to the virus should be the first to get any eventual coronavirus vaccine, experts recommend in a new report released Wednesday. People working to make and distribute the vaccine should also be first in line to get one, the team at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security recommends. "The primary reason for including these candidate groups within Tier 1 is that their prioritization would likely avert the greatest overall harm," the Center's report reads.
19th Aug 2020 - CNN
Cases Rise in Europe Where Restrictions Eased
Ministry said Wednesday that 3,715 new COVID-19 infections were reported over a 24-hour period, the highest number since the country emerged from its lockdown in late June, according to Reuters. Fourteen people died during that period, and 21 died in the 24-hour period before. Authorities are imposing restrictions on nightclubs and public transportation. The health ministry said the country is not seeing a second wave of cases and that the increase may be attributed to increased testing. In France, health officials reported 3,776 cases in the past 24 hours, France 24 reported.
20th Aug 2020 - WebMD
Concerns grow over Croatia's safe status as WHO warns Balkans is coronavirus 'hotspot'
There are growing concerns that Croatia is about to be added to the UK's quarantine list, with a government source suggesting to ITV News that the number of coronavirus cases there are rising. Government sources would not confirm or deny whether Croatia would be the next country added to the quarantine list, but when asked, one source said: "The numbers are all in public." Earlier the WHO warned the Balkan region is a "hotspot" for coronavirus. Political Correspondent Paul Brand said anyone planning to book a trip to Croatia should "standby".
20th Aug 2020 - ITV News
Two weeks on, blast-hit Beirut’s hospitals are still reeling as coronavirus cases surge
The 64-year-old ran to his neighbourhood’s hospital moments later, only to find it completely destroyed, with health staff busy evacuating hundreds of patients while dozens of injured - many lying on the floor bleeding - tried to seek medical care in a situation that he described as carnage. Hoilu’s eye has since been treated and patched up temporarily, but he is awaiting an eye surgery that he isn’t sure will happen anytime soon. He stands in his house, a beautiful historical building that has been largely cleaned up but is still without windows. Looking at photos of his family, he says he is lucky that all of them are alive and largely unharmed. “Besides killing and injuring thousands, the blast has destroyed an already poor healthcare system,” he told The Telegraph. “At the same time, coronavirus cases are rising; at this point I am not even sure anymore want still to set foot into a clinic.”
20th Aug 2020 - Telegraph.co.uk
Coronavirus: Nearly 600 suspected Scotland workplace cases
Nearly 600 people in Scotland are thought to have caught coronavirus at their place of work, new figures show. The data includes eight people who died from the virus since April. Care home workers account for nearly two thirds of the suspected occupational exposures, according to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) data. But hairdressers, funeral directors, beauty therapists and NHS workers are among those who are also thought to have been exposed to the virus at work. Gary Smith, secretary of the GMB Scotland union, said there is likely to be significant under-reporting of the suspected workplace coronavirus cases.
20th Aug 2020 - BBC News
What is long Covid? Three quarters of people hospitalised suffer symptoms for three months or more
On Wednesday, Dr Hillary said on Good Morning Britain: “We’ve known for some time that this isn’t just a respiratory disease at all. It’s an inflammatory disease which particularly affects the blood vessels, the blood vessels in the heart, the kidneys, the liver, and elsewhere.” A study released on 20 August found nearly three quarters of coronavirus patients admitted to hospital suffer ongoing symptoms three months later - many were struggling so much with the long-term impact they were unable to carry out daily tasks such as washing, dressing or going back to work, the study found. So what is long-Covid and why does it happen to some patients and not others?
20th Aug 2020 - The Independent
NHS England's top GP defends practices' response to COVID-19
NHS England medical director for primary care Dr Nikki Kanani has defended the efforts of GPs during the COVID-19 pandemic - hitting back at claims that practices had shut their doors to patients.
20th Aug 2020 - GP online
New York City sticks with September school reopening despite teacher pushback
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday classified teachers as essential workers during the coronavirus pandemic as the Trump administration presses schools nationwide to bring students back to class. The move comes as a Reuters tally showed that new COVID-19 infections have fallen for four weeks in a row in Texas and Florida. The Homeland Security department’s guidance on teachers marks the latest salvo in a political dispute over the best way to educate America’s schoolchildren until a vaccine can be found for COVID-19. The teachers’ unions have threatened to strike or sue if members are told to go back to class. In Texas, where many schools across the vast state began in-person classes this week, a Dallas school district official said Thursday that all 155,000 students would be taught online for at least the first month of the new term.
20th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Schools Have No Good Options for Reopening during COVID-19
Even as schools have already begun reopening across the United States, debate is still intensifying over whether students should be physically present in classrooms. Children are widely thought to be at relatively low risk of developing severe COVID-19, but a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) indicates that cumulative cases doubled in roughly the past month: between July 9 and August 13, the number increased from about 200,000 to over 406,000. Physically reopening schools might accelerate the increase—potentially raising the number of children with severe symptoms and spurring spread among the community at large.
20th Aug 2020 - Scientific American
Students partied, the school wasn't ready: How Notre Dame's back-to-campus plan unraveled
In May, the president of the University of Notre Dame, the Rev. John Jenkins, insisted that despite a growing number of coronavirus cases, it was worth the risk to bring students back to campus for the fall. “We have availed ourselves of the best medical advice and scientific information available and are assiduously planning a reopening that will make the campus community as safe as possible,” Jenkins wrote in an op-ed piece for The New York Times. “We believe the good of educating students and continuing vital research is very much worth the remaining risk.”
20th Aug 2020 - USA TODAY
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 20th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullGeneva wants to pay you £84 to spend a weekend there this year
The Swiss city of Geneva is ready to welcome tourists back this summer, and will gift those who visit £84 to do so. Tourists staying for two nights or more in the lakeside city will be given a Geneva Gift Card to the value of 100 CHF (£84), which can be used at participating restaurants, hotels, activities and bars across the city.
The gift card will be valid until December 31 this year, meaning it’s the perfect excuse to head to the continent for a city break. The card can be used at more than 100 partnering businesses, including Michelin-starred restaurants like Le Chat-Botte and five-star hotels Mandarin Oriental Genève and Four Seasons Hôtel des Bergues.
19th Aug 2020 - Evening Standard
Detroit teachers authorized a potential strike over Covid-19 safety fears
The union representing teachers in Detroit has voted in favor of a potential strike to push school officials to make changes to the district's reopening plan. The Detroit Federation of Teachers, which represents teachers in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, announced Wednesday that 91% of its members voted to authorize the union's leadership to launch a "safety strike" in the future.
Negotiations between the union and Michigan's largest school district began after school officials approved a reopening plan in July.
20th Aug 2020 - CNN
Archant chief urges journalists to get 'on the road' while at home
An editorial chief has urged journalists working for a regional publisher to get out “on the road” while they are based at home. Archant chief content officer Matt Kelly has issued advice to the company’s editorial staff based on his own experience of working out of a studio flat while a district reporter on the Liverpool Daily Post. Matt, pictured, said in an email to Archant staff he was inspired to offer the advice after editors raised concerns “that the longer we work from home as a routine, the less cohesive we feel as a team”. Some journalists have returned to working at the company’s Norwich and Ipswich offices after lockdown restrictions were eased, but the majority are still working remotely due to the coronavirus crisis. In the email, which has been seen by HTFP, he recalled his own experience of remote working as a 19-year-old on the Daily Post where “without the daily guidance, encouragement, cajoling of a news editor, and the camaraderie and support that comes with being in an office, I found motivating myself very difficult”.
19th Aug 2020 - HoldtheFrontPage
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 19th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullPerthshire Covid-19 cases will put scientific case for reopening schools under extra scrutiny
A headteachers group leader says Covid-19 cases in two Perthshire schools must be closely monitored to ensure the scientific justification for reopening schools was correct. Greg Dempster, general secretary of the Association of Headteachers and Deputes in Scotland, said any transmission within schools should lead to reconsideration of the basis for reopening full-time. Two pupils, one at Oakbank Primary School, in Perth, and another at Newhill Primary School, Blairgowrie, have tested positive for coronavirus and are isolating at home with their families. Perth and Kinross Council and NHS Tayside have said there is currently no evidence of Covid-19 transmission within either of the Perthshire schools, which remain open.
18th Aug 2020 - The Courier
2020: The healthcare revolution with patients at the centre
As a digital healthcare provider that provides NHS services to millions of patients across England, Livi believes that a patient-centred approach is the only way forward. We work with clinical commissioning groups across the country, building regional partnerships to deliver primary care services at the touch of a button. But we do more than this. We’ve seen that joining up digital platforms beyond primary care - such as with urgent care, mental health or through integrating with 111 - means patients receive more tailored, personalised care. We’re also working with Trusts to enable patients to directly book First Contact Physio appointments and have launched a national video pharmacist service for cancer patients in partnership with Boots and Macmillan Cancer Support.
18th Aug 2020 - Health Service Journal
'I'm very anxious about getting back to work'
"I'm very anxious... anxious about catching Covid," says Kate Skoczylas. She is one of thousands of extremely clinically vulnerable people who have been shielding due to their health, and face a return to work in the autumn. Kate, 56, works for her local museums service, and had been about to return to work after undergoing cancer treatment when the first UK lockdown began in March. Kate, and millions of other vulnerable people, were initially told to not go outside, and to self-isolate, to reduce the risk of catching coronavirus. This guidance was gradually relaxed, and in August the government told extremely vulnerable people that they no longer needed to shield in England.
18th Aug 2020 - BBC News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 18th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullHere’s how many UK universities will offer in-person teaching when they reopen
With new coronavirus cases being diagnosed each day across the UK, and certain lockdown restrictions and measures still in place, will universities open as usual in September? Universities in the UK will open this year with many discussing and planning ways in which they can continue to work in regards to keeping both staff and students safe as the coronavirus pandemic continues. Some may choose to do virtual learning, stick with in person teaching, or do a mixture of both.
17th Aug 2020 - South Yorkshire Times
Italy shutters nightclubs, mandates masks as coronavirus case numbers rise again
With daily coronavirus case numbers rising, Italy on Monday imposed its first new restrictions on daily life since coming out of lockdown nearly four months ago, ordering the closure of nightclubs and mandating mask-wearing, even outdoors, in areas with nightlife. The new measures come as Italy faces its most precarious moment of the summer. School is due to start in less than a month, Italians are moving en masse for their August holidays, and tourists are coming in from other European countries that have seen even greater increases.
17th Aug 2020 - The Washington Post
Urgent warning as Birmingham 'on road to lockdown' if Covid cases keep rising
Birmingham's infection rate has more than doubled in a week - with more than 300 new cases. Director of public health Dr Justin Varney said it was likely the city would feature in the national "watch list" of places most at risk of intervention within days, with no sign of the current rise in cases easing off. There have been 321 new cases in the past week. "We could very easily be in a situation like we have seen in Leicester and Greater Manchester," he said this morning. Both areas have had lockdown restrictions imposed by health secretary Matt Hancock after seeing sustained spikes in infection. His concern has been triggered by a rapidly rising rate of infections across the city.
17th Aug 2020 - Birmingham Mail
Will COVID-19 hasten the UK's transition to digital healthcare?
A significant barrier to remote consultation has been the lack of infrastructure to support it. Remote consults in general practice jumped to 85%,[10] but systems were not in place to sustain this. 50% of GPs struggled to work remotely secondary to technological barriers, including problems with VPN connectivity, and a lack of the necessary hardware and software to conduct video conferencing.[10] For remote consults to become a viable long-term method of patient care in the United Kingdom, the right infrastructure must be implemented. Privacy and safety concerns have hindered digitisation’s progress, but little has been done to address these.[11-13] However, there is growing evidence that remote consults are well received by both physicians and patients alike in both primary and secondary care.[3, 6, 14-16] The concerns raised by physicians are legitimate. To help quell these worries, evidence-based guidance needs to be developed to mitigate risk and establish norms of practice. Best practice guidelines have already begun to take shape during the COVID-19 pandemic[17] but more needs to be done urgently.
17th Aug 2020 - The BMJ
Coronavirus: Numbers eating out in UK surpass pre-lockdown levels by a quarter
The first two weeks of the UK government’s Eat Out to Help Out dining scheme has seen the number of people eating in restaurants from Monday to Wednesday increase by an average 26.9% year-on-year. This compares to an average 21.3% year-on-year decline for Thursday to Sunday in the same period, according to data published by OpenTable, a restaurant booking service. One effect of the scheme is that it has encouraged some restaurant goers to eat out Monday to Wednesday, instead of during the other days, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). Looking at the annual change in diner numbers for the whole week commencing August 3, on average the total was down 7.1%, compared to a decrease of 28.2% for the week before the scheme started. Even accounting for the redistribution effect, the net impact of the scheme is a desirable one, says CEBR.
17th Aug 2020 - Yahoo Finance UK
'Unprecedented': Los Angeles schools to test all 600,000 students for Covid-19
Los Angeles schools to test all 600,000 students for Covid-19 - In the most ambitious plan of its kind, Los Angeles Unified has announced plans to test its roughly 600,000 students and 75,000 employees as the nation’s second-largest school district prepares for the eventual return to in-person instruction.
17th Aug 2020 - The Guardian on MSN.com
Tech Week Humber heads online in response to Covid-19
Tech Week Humber is heading online. The digital festival will embrace what it represents as it responds to the coronavirus pandemic.
17th Aug 2020 - Business Live
Second Lockdown A Wakeup Call For Kiwi Businesses To “get Digital”
New Zealand website agency Zeald has had fresh interest in its free ecommerce websites, following the announcement of Covid 19’s resurgence in the country last week. New enquiries add to the more than 600 free websites Zeald has already given away since the first lockdown, to help get struggling small businesses trading online. Founder and Chairman of Zeald, David Kelly, says getting online will help future-proof small businesses against ongoing uncertainty. “While this latest blow has come as a shock, it proves we simply can’t be complacent, even when it looks like we’re getting a handle on Covid 19. We will be operating in an uncertain trading environment for some time to come, and small businesses need to prepare digitally,” says Kelly.
17th Aug 2020 - Scoop.co.nz
Italy’s businesses enjoy ‘better than expected’ virus rebound
In the southern Italian town of Avellino, Salvatore Amitrano has been rushing to dispatch a backlog of deliveries since the country emerged from its strict coronavirus lockdown. Mr Amitrano and his two brothers run a multinational business producing components for household appliances with annual revenues of about €25m. His company Pasell Group, which has plants in Italy, Turkey, Slovakia and Poland, registered year-on-year sales drops of up to 50 per cent in March, April and May as Rome imposed some of the most stringent antivirus measures so far seen in a western democracy.
17th Aug 2020 - Financial Times
Fears overcrowding in Wetherspoon pubs may lead to Covid spike
Fears that relaxed summer socialising will lead to a surge in Covid-19 cases around the UK have been heightened after concerns that JD Wetherspoon is failing to prevent overcrowding in pubs in its 900-strong chain. Concerns about poor social distancing by customers in Wetherspoon pubs followed a surge in visitors during recent hot weather and after the publication of A-level results last Thursday. Customers in a south London pub run by the company said they had not been asked to provide personal details, including mobile phone numbers that can be used in the government’s track and trace system. The Guardian found that in one of south London’s most popular pubs with young people, customers were allowed to buy drinks directly from the bar and stood within 1 metre of others without any intervention by the staff
17th Aug 2020 - The Guardian
China partygoers cram into Wuhan water park
Thousands of partygoers packed out a water park over the weekend in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus first emerged late last year, keen to party as the city edges back to normal life. The popular Wuhan Maya Beach Water Park was filled with people frolicking in swimsuits and goggles for an electronic music festival, many perched on rubber dinghies or wading up to their chest in water. The water park reopened in June after Wuhan gradually opened up after a 76-day lockdown and strict restrictions to try and control the spread of the virus.
The park -- which local media says has capped attendance at 50 percent of normal capacity -- is offering half price discounts for female visitors.
17th Aug 2020 - Yahoo News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 17th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: South Africa crime rate plummets during lockdown
Crime in South Africa dropped by up to 40% during the first three months of its lockdown, official figures show. The police minister said most types of crimes went down between April and June - including sexual assault and arson. He added that a controversial alcohol ban during the coronavirus lockdown had helped, but that attacks on liquor stores had increased in the pandemic. South Africa has among the world's highest crime rates. It has recorded over half the Covid-19 cases in Africa. More than 500,000 infections and 11,000 deaths have been reported in the country - although BBC Africa Editor Mary Harper says this may be because of its reliable testing rates.
14th Aug 2020 - BBC News
How the lockdown forced the UK to confront its food waste problem
The new ordeal of shopping at a supermarket, coupled with the fear of stock shortages, saw households acknowledge food is not just a commodity – but a life-source. OLIO has been used more in the past five weeks than in the past five years. The app connects people who have food they no longer want with neighbours, ensuring surplus food does not end up in landfill. At the start of the pandemic, OLIO adapted to contact-free collection. Clarke attributes OLIO’s surge in membership to three factors: people valuing food more, becoming collectively more aware of social inequality and realising a sense of belonging to our local community. “It really led people to have a bit of a nationwide Marie Kondo moment. They really went through their cupboards and their drawers and looked to give away what they didn't need.”
14th Aug 2020 - New Statesman
Coronavirus: Government begins drive to reassure parents that schools are safe to open
A new campaign to persuade parents that it is safe to send children back to school next month is being launched by the government. In an effort to restore full time education in England, ministers want families to be aware of the measures being used to minimise the risk of coronavirus transmission. The #backtoschoolsafely campaign "matters on a very, very large scale," according to headteacher Andrea Parker, who is the face of the campaign.
16th Aug 2020 - Sky News
Spain’s vineyards destroy record harvest as wine sales crash
It should have been a great year for Spanish wine: a bumper crop of grapes resulting in millions and millions of extra bottles for sipping or swilling at home and abroad. But with Covid-19 leading to a catastrophic drop in wine sales, the Spanish government is offering growers subsidies to destroy part of this year’s record grape harvest. Faced with over-production in a shrinking market, €90m is to be spent either on destruction or on the distilling of grapes into brandy and industrial alcohol. Lower limits have also been set on the amount of wine that can be produced per hectare – and have already been imposed on makers of cava, Rueda and Rioja.
15th Aug 2020 - The Guardian
UK charity shops sales suffer despite lockdown 'decluttering'
Britain’s charity shops are struggling with sales declines of as much as one-third, despite enjoying bumper stock levels – and offering huge savings – following a surge in donations after households “decluttered” during lockdown. Oxfam, which has 595 shops, said that money coming through its tills is down by 32% on a like-for-like basis compared to last year. The British Heart Foundation (BHF), which has around 740 shops, said income is currently down around 20%, with Barnardo’s and Cancer Research UK saying they are suffering similar declines. The lockdown has devastated charities which rely on shops for a significant chunk of their income. BHF said it lost around £60m in sales during the lockdown period, while Barnardo’s said: “We are forecasting a loss of £30m in shop income for this year.” Just keeping the shops safely closed – and paying some landlords – during the lockdown period cost Oxfam £5m a month.
16th Aug 2020 - MSN UK
Covid-19 surges back into nursing homes in coronavirus hot spots
The novel coronavirus is surging back into U.S. nursing homes, where it killed tens of thousands at the start of the pandemic and now once again threatens some of the people most vulnerable to covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. The development is a discouraging result of widespread community transmission of the virus in many parts of the country and in hot spots where it is even less controlled. With staff — and in some cases patients and visitors — entering and leaving facilities, the community-acquired infection almost inevitably finds its way inside. “The strongest predictor of whether or not we’ll see cases in [a particular setting] is community spread,” said David C. Grabowski, a professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, who studies long-term care. “We saw that in the Northeast and now, unfortunately, we’re seeing it in the Sun Belt states.”
14th Aug 2020 - The Washington Post
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 14th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullInstead of lockdowns, teach people how to socialize safely
In response to the rising Covid-19 death toll and case counts in the U.S., calls for a national lockdown have been escalating. In an open letter to America’s decision-makers, more than 150 medical professionals urge them to “shut it down now, and start over.” In the letter, they argue that people should “stay home, going out only to get food and medicine or to exercise and get fresh air.” I empathize with the urgency in their plea for people to stay home. I felt helpless watching patient after patient die from Covid-19 while working in a New York hospital in April. In the Northern California Covid-19 clinic I work in, I continue to see patients infected with and harmed by the virus. I, too, am desperate for this pandemic to end.
13th Aug 2020 - STAT News
Coronavirus: Socially-distanced indoor performances given the go-ahead | ITV News
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has given the go-ahead to delayed plans to resume socially-distanced indoor performances in England. The Government had previously given the green light for performance spaces to welcome back audiences last month, however the move was delayed amid a rise in the prevalence of coronavirus in the community. Indoor performances can now take place from Saturday, except in locations such as Manchester where additional restrictions have already been imposed.
13th Aug 2020 - ITV News
Coronavirus: Juries to hear trials remotely from cinemas
Juries will hear trials remotely from cinemas under plans to stop a growing backlog of criminal cases. The move will see the most serious criminal trials go ahead in courtrooms while a socially-distanced jury watches a video-link in a cinema. The Lord Justice General Lord Carloway described the plan as "bold and imaginative".
But he warned of a "long term project" to clear the backlog of cases postponed due to Covid-19. Lord Carloway said there were about 750 outstanding High Court and 1,800 Sheriff Court cases as a result of the courts being closed by the pandemic earlier this year. He told BBC Scotland this "illustrates the seriousness of the position" and added that the "remote jury approach is the only practical way which has been identified to reduce that backlog."
13th Aug 2020 - BBC News
Serum Institute of India Is Ready to Produce a Coronavirus Vaccine
As chief executive officer of the Serum Institute of India, the largest manufacturer of vaccines in the world, Adar Poonawalla can produce about 1.5 billion doses a year of almost any inoculation. He has machines that fill 500 glass vials every minute, and gleaming steel bioreactors almost two stories high that can make more than 10 million shots a month. He can claim, credibly, that he helps inoculate 65% of the world’s children, in more than 100 countries, against diseases such as measles and tuberculosis. And deep inside Serum’s lushly landscaped, 50-acre campus, about three hours inland from Mumbai, he’s already brewing the raw materials to make one of the leading experimental vaccines for the novel coronavirus at a scale that could make a serious difference to ending the pandemic.
13th Aug 2020 - Bloomberg
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 13th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullNHS staff to be given ‘Covid-19 passports’ so they can be redeployed quickly in any second wave
across the country and are being rolled out “to support the Covid-19 response”.
The Covid-19 crisis has triggered a major reorganisation of NHS care, with hospitals now having to plan to restart routine services while at the same time maintain their readiness for any increase in coronavirus cases.
12th Aug 2020 - The Independent
Teachers are writing wills ahead of schools re-opening over COVID-19 fears
Teachers have revealed how they are so terrified of catching coronavirus and dying after returning to school that they’ve written their wills. High school teacher, Ava Butzu, from Ann Arbor, Michigan, has said she and her teacher colleagues are petrified they could die of Covid-19 if they catch the bug in class as they prepare to return to face-to-face teaching for the first time since March. Ava, 50, who suffers with underlying health problems, said she fears for her own life. She also hit out at Donald Trump’s ‘failure’ to offer an adequate level of protection for teachers against coronavirus transmission in class. The president has insisted classes must resume, but said anyone vulnerable should continue to shelter at home.
12th Aug 2020 - Metro.co.uk
Covid-19 lockdown means 115 million Indian children risk malnutrition
A staggering 115 million children in India are at risk of malnutrition, as the world’s largest school lunch programme has been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
When India went under a strict lockdown on 24 March to reduce the spread of the virus, 12-year-old Kavi’s life changed. His mother, a roadside tailor, was no longer able to work and his father doesn’t have a job due to health problems. With schools closed, Kavi began selling fruit and vegetables from a sparsely stocked cart. The cart is now their primary source of income, but isn’t enough for a family of four. “Some days, we just eat rice or chapati with salt,” says Kavi.
12th Aug 2020 - New Scientist News
COVID-19: US schools short of staff, cash for reopening
Getting students safely back into the classrooms during a pandemic means taking the kind of measures - like shrinking class sizes, adding bus routes and providing computers to families who don't have them - that call for extra staff and money. But it looks like America's schools will have to manage with less of both. Even before Covid-19 struck, staff levels hadn't recovered from the last recession. Now, hundreds of thousands more jobs have disappeared - and there's probably more to come.
12th Aug 2020 - Aljazeera.com
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 12th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullEgypt's isolation hospitals reopen in preparation for second coronavirus wave
Egypt’s isolation hospitals will reopen this week ahead of a predicted second wave of coronavirus. Mohamed Taleb, manager of Al-Nagila Hospital, Egypt’s first ever quarantine hospital, has said that the second wave could be even stronger than the first. In an interview with DMC TV Taleb said that Health Minister Hala Zayed has held several meetings with hospital managers and asked that they be prepared.
Al-Nagila reopened as a covid isolation centre three days ago after initially closing when the country saw a decline in cases. His advice goes against what head of the scientific committee to combat coronavirus at the Egyptian Health and Population Ministry, Hossam Hosny, said earlier this week, that Egypt was not in the midst of a second wave of the virus. Hosny told ONE that the increase in infection numbers was due to Egyptians being careless, and did not indicate there would be a second wave.
11th Aug 2020 - Middle East Monitor
As offices reopen, employers face a surge in mental health issues
The UK workforce is in the grip of a mental health epidemic. At the beginning of this year, global consultancy Deloitte estimated that a sixth of UK workers were experiencing a mental health issue at any one time, costing UK businesses between £42-45 billion a year through lost days and reduced productivity. Thanks to the coronavirus-imposed lockdown, that figure – already 16 per cent higher than the one identified in the landmark Stevenson-Farmer review into mental health in the workplace conducted in 2017 – is expected to continue to grow.
11th Aug 2020 - Wired.co.uk
Dr. Fauci fears the 'convergence' of COVID-19 and the flu this fall could be a 'very difficult time'
Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Americans of the possibility that the COVID-19 pandemic could converge with flu season this year. Fauci said such a situation could prove to be a 'difficult time' for citizens. He added that there should be a 'universal wearing of masks' as schools are reopened across the country. Fauci said photos of packed school hallways with very few people wearing face masks was 'disturbing'
Fauci urged Americans to follow public health guidelines to curb the virus' spread
12th Aug 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus: UK to nosedive into recession after COVID-19 triggers record slump
Britain is to be officially declared in recession for the first time since the financial crash with figures set to show the COVID-19 crisis triggered a record economic slump. The dramatic 21% downturn between April and June - the worst in western Europe - is expected to be confirmed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Wednesday after a 2.2% fall in the first three months of 2020. A recession is defined as two successive quarters of decline in gross domestic product (GDP), which has not been seen in the UK since the financial crisis back in 2008.
11th Aug 2020 - Sky News
A third of NHS staff in two hospital units were infected with coronavirus without showing symptoms, study finds
A new study has highlighted the number of NHS staff who can be infected with coronavirus but be completely unaware they are a risk to their colleagues and patients. The research by doctors at University College London Hospitals (UCLH) found a third of staff working in two maternity departments at UCLH and St George’s Hospital tested positive for the virus but had no symptoms. Overall, one in six staff who had not previously been diagnosed with the virus were tested for Covid-19 antibodies and were found to be positive for infection.
11th Aug 2020 - The Independent
Some U.S. colleges stick to in-person reopening in pandemic despite doubts, pushback
Many U.S. universities are revamping campuses to resume in-person classes despite COVID-19, requiring students to be tested, wear masks and socially distance, but some college town residents and critics say schools are putting profits before public safety. Tulane University, a private college in New Orleans, plans to reopen on Aug. 19 to as many as 13,000 students. Before students move in to dormitories, they must report to an “Arrival Center” at a city hotel “where they will be guided through two days consisting of COVID-19 testing and orientation sessions” according to Tulane’s published guidance. Maintenance workers at Tulane and other colleges are fitting auditoriums and classrooms with signage for social distancing. Students are being asked to wear masks, and at Tulane, those who host parties or gatherings with more than 15 people could face expulsion, the college said.
11th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 11th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullWill Cars Rule the Roads in Post-Pandemic New York?
When New York went into lockdown five months ago to contain the virus, traffic virtually disappeared, and the mostly deserted streets suddenly became a vast trove of open space in one of the world’s most crowded cities. But now as New York slowly recovers and cars have started to return, a battle for the 6,000 miles of city streets is just beginning.
10th Aug 2020 - The New York Times
Coronavirus Greece: Curfew in top island bars and eateries
Greece has announced a night curfew for restaurants and bars in certain areas
Venues will be forced to close from midnight until 7pm from Tuesday - Officials have also put in place new entry restrictions from several EU countries - British holidaymakers are turning to Greece after Spanish quarantine enforced
10th Aug 2020 - Daily Mail
In the next lockdown, schools should close last
For young people, coronavirus lockdowns have been a bewildering experience. Children have been plucked from classrooms and forced — at best — to make do with learning-by-Zoom. Some have been barred from taking exams they worked towards for years. From Tuesday, schools in Scotland will start to reopen; prime minister Boris Johnson is right to say there is a “moral duty” to ensure schools in England follow suit next month. Many other countries are doing the same, or locked in debates over how to do so. The return to school should be prioritised and safeguarded, even if virus cases start to rebound more broadly.
10th Aug 2020 - Financial Times
Lockdown reduces cases of flu, colds and bronchitis in England
Lockdown and physical distancing measures have helped reduce the incidence of flu, colds, bronchitis and a host of viruses other than Covid-19 in England, monitoring suggests. The low incidence of these and other viral infections, including laryngitis and tonsillitis, has helped relieve pressure on the NHS when resources have been dedicated to fighting the coronavirus pandemic. The flipside, however, is that as lockdown eases it is not just cases of Covid-19 that may increase. Prof Martin Marshall, the chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “We would expect to see a drop in influenza-like illness during the warmer months but the latest figures from our research and surveillance centre (RSC), which collects data from more than 500 GP practices in England, shows that it’s lower than the five-year average for this time of year.
10th Aug 2020 - The Guardian
Fighting for breath: how the medical oxygen industry is failing African hospitals
One nurse in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, says that in her hospital doctors frequently have to choose who receives oxygen and who does not. The Linde Group did not comment on any of the allegations but said it would “do everything possible to continue to reliably supply our customers”. Air Liquide says: “We have done everything we can to secure supply through the pandemic.” It added: “We are committed to making sure as many patients as possible in sub-Saharan Africa receive treatment and work with Unicef and a range of other international institutions, governments and NGOs to increase access to oxygen in the region.”
10th Aug 2020 - The Guardian
COVID-19 cases in U.S. children soared in late July, report says
The number of new COVID-19 cases among children in the United States rose 40% in the last two weeks of July, according to a report released just weeks before tens of millions of American students are scheduled to begin the new school year. The new report by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association found that more than 338,000 children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the U.S. epidemic, with 97,078 new cases reported in the July 16-30 period.
10th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Covid-19 poses a new challenge for point-of-care manufacturing
The spread of covid-19 outbreaks has led facilities in medical device manufacturing to rigorously anticipate, plan, and innovate. By Ali Burns, managing director of Siemens Healthineers Sudbury, UK manufacturing facility. In its Sudbury facility, the work Siemens Healthineers does is intrinsically linked to the preservation of life; supply chains and distribution networks are constantly monitored and reinforced for the critical work the company undertakes.
10th Aug 2020 - Health Service Journal
America's window of opportunity to beat back Covid-19 is closing
The good news: The United States has a window of opportunity to beat back Covid-19 before things get much, much worse. The bad news: That window is rapidly closing. And the country seems unwilling or unable to seize the moment. Winter is coming. Winter means cold and flu season, which is all but sure to complicate the task of figuring out who is sick with Covid-19 and who is suffering from a less threatening respiratory tract infection. It also means that cherished outdoor freedoms that link us to pre-Covid life — pop-up restaurant patios, picnics in parks, trips to the beach — will soon be out of reach, at least in northern parts of the country.
10th Aug 2020 - STAT
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 10th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullNearly 100,000 children tested positive for covid in past two weeks, as they return to school and universities make students sign pledges to not attend parties and to stay on campus
Nearly 100,000 children tested positive for COVID-19 in the last two weeks of July, just weeks ahead of schools reopening in some states amid the pandemic. In total 97,000 children tested positive for the novel coronavirus from July 16 to July 30, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Today there are more than five million cases of COVID-19 in the country and over 162,000 deaths. Out of those infections more than 338,000 were children.
9th Aug 2020 - Daily Mail
9 People Test Positive at Georgia School After Viral Photo of Packed Hallways
A Georgia high school that went viral earlier this week after a student shared photos of a crowded hallway will be conducting online-only learning Monday and Tuesday after six students and three staff members tested positive for the coronavirus. According to a letter sent to parents, all nine people who tested positive were at North Paulding High School last week, and they were each tested privately and reported their results to the school. A second letter sent to parents Sunday evening said the school will be disinfected Monday and Tuesday while students are out of the building. Administrators will inform students and parents Tuesday evening whether they will return to in-person instruction or continue with online learning. The viral photo, taken by sophomore Hannah Watters, showed students, few of whom were wearing masks, packed together in the hall. Watters was suspended after sharing the photo on social media but had her suspension rescinded Friday.
9th Aug 2020 - The Daily Beast
97,000 children reportedly test positive for COVID-19 as schools gear up for instruction
Nearly 100,000 children tested positive for the coronavirus in the last two weeks of July, a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics finds. Just over 97,000 children tested positive for the coronavirus from July 16 to July 30, according to the association. Out of almost 5 million reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S., CBS News' Michael George reports that the group found that more than 338,000 were children. Vanderbilt University's Dr. Tina Hartert hopes increased testing of children will help determine what role they play in transmission, as school districts around the country return to some form of school. She is leading a government-funded study that saw DIY testing kits sent to some 2,000 families.
9th Aug 2020 - CBS News
Germany Struggles to Set COVID-19 Rules as Schools Reopen
German students go back to school Monday even as federal and state leaders are still trying to figure out how to keep half a million children, their teachers, and other staffers safe from the coronavirus. "There are conflicting priorities, health protection on the one hand, which is very important to us, and on the other hand that we want to ensure the right to education of every single child,” German education minister Sandra Scheeres said. She said keeping students 1.5 meters apart while inside a school is sometimes impossible. Scheeres recommends that schools divide pupils into groups and keep them separate. If anyone were to test positive for the coronavirus, only that person and their cluster would need to be quarantined instead of everyone.
9th Aug 2020 - Voice of America
Stone pub landlord 'complacent' in enforcing Covid-19 rules
The landlord of a pub linked to an outbreak of coronavirus has said he was "simply not strong enough" in enforcing government rules. Custodio Pinto, of the Crown and Anchor in Stone, Staffordshire, said he regretted being "complacent" in enforcing regulations with customers. Twenty-two people linked to the pub have tested positive for Covid-19. About 1,000 people were tested after health officials set up mobile units in the area. Staffordshire Police said it visited the site on 18 and 19 July following social distancing concerns.
8th Aug 2020 - BBC News
Coronavirus: Pubs ‘the perfect storm’ for spreading disease, experts warn
Pubs create the “perfect storm” for spreading coronavirus and carry more risk than planes, experts have found. Indoor pub drinkers are potentially subjecting themselves to a build-up of infected droplets caused by poor ventilation and people having continuous conversations, often speaking more loudly to be heard over the din of a noisy bar, the academics warn. Households mixing in pubs and homes has been blamed for a rise in Covid-19 cases in Preston, leading to lockdown restrictions being reimposed there.
8th Aug 2020 - The Independent
Gaza children return to school despite virus fears
Hundreds of thousands of children have returned to school in Gaza after a five-month suspension aimed at reining in the spread of the novel coronavirus in the crowded Palestinian territory. Ziyad Thabit, undersecretary of the education ministry in the Hamas-ruled enclave, said pupils would follow a remedial curriculum throughout August and classes would be limited to four a day. The United Nations agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, which provides education to hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza, said more than 285,000 pupils had returned to its 277 schools. In a statement, it said it has "put in place preventative measures such as providing all the necessary materials to sanitise schools" and training staff on how to use sanitation materials effectively.
8th Aug 2020 - FRANCE 24
Power Up: Anthony Fauci cautiously supports sending kids back to school
In an interview with Power Up, Anthony S. Fauci cautiously supported the Trump administration's push to reopen elementary and secondary schools — and in some cases, college campuses — this fall. But he leavened his advice by explaining sending kids back into classrooms depends on how bad the virus is in various places. “The default principle should be to try as best you can to get the children back to school,” Fauci told us. “The big, however, and qualifier in there is that you have to have a degree of flexibility. The flexibility means if you look at the map of our country, we are not unidimensional with regard to the level of infection.”
7th Aug 2020 - Washington Post
Princeton Scraps Plan to Return Undergraduates to Campus
Princeton University reversed its plan to bring some of its students back on campus for the next term, saying undergraduate classes won’t be held in person because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The decision means undergraduates from the classes of 2022 and 2024 will not come to campus in late August as previously planned, the school said. “In light of the diminished benefits and increased risks currently associated with residential education amid New Jersey’s battle against the pandemic, we have decided that our undergraduate program should be fully remote in the fall semester of 2020,” Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber said in a letter to the university community.
7th Aug 2020 - Bloomberg
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 7th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in full56 NFL players have tested positive for COVID-19 since reporting to camp
The NFL Players Association says that 56 players have tested positive for COVID-19 since players began reporting to training camps last week. That represents approximately 2 percent of the players currently on NFL rosters. The league would obviously love to see zero players testing positive, something the NBA and NHL have both managed by putting all their players into bubbles. But the NFL is not going to use a bubble, and so a 0 percent rate of infection is all but impossible.
6th Aug 2020 - NBC Sports - NFL
Mental health study ramped up as Covid-19 struggles take toll on farmers
Robert Gordon University (RGU) and the NHS are working with Scottish farmers to improve mental wellbeing across the industry. The study was launched last year after studies showed that, on average, one farmer commits suicide every week in the UK. Those behind the project now fear farmers are facing additional hardship due to Covid-19 and are calling for them to take part in a survey to determine the best ways of offering help. Regional manager at NFU Scotland, Lorna Paterson, urged people to come forward and participate. She said: “Our farmers’ mental health generally is under severe pressure, and this has been escalated due to Covid-19.
6th Aug 2020 - Press and Journal
Shoppers steer clear of high streets despite lockdown lifting
Shoppers continued to stay away from UK high streets last month despite the reopening of non-essential shops, pubs and restaurants following the lifting of lockdown measures. The number of visitors to UK retail destinations dropped by 39.4% in July compared with the same month a year ago, according to figures from Springboard, a data company that tracks footfall at consumer hotspots. Despite an improvement of almost a fifth from June, in the best month for visitor numbers since February, the figures suggest intense pressure remains for the high street as people continued to stay away from town and city centres amid the ongoing health risks from Covid-19. Non-essential shops began reopening in England and Northern Ireland in mid-June, and in Wales and Scotland later that month. Hotels, pub and restaurants in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland followed suit in July, though customers were only allowed back inside Welsh pubs and cafes this week.
6th Aug 2020 - The Guardian
Teacher sends Gov. Abbott warning on Twitter saying she got COVID-19 scare first week in classroom
A Houston educator says the first week she came back to the classroom, she had a serious COVID-19 scare. Arnetta Murray is a special education teacher at Avondale Houston. She chose to reach out to Gov. Greg Abbott via Twitter and wrote, "I went back to the classroom and you guessed it, I'm now in a 14-day quarantine. Pray for our special needs students."
6th Aug 2020 - abc13.com
Italy threatens to ban Ryanair over alleged Covid-19 guideline violations
Italy’s aviation regulator has threatened to ban Ryanair from its skies, alleging that the airline has not complied with rules brought in to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. The Italian civil aviation authority Enac accused the Dublin-based airline of “repeated violation of anti-Covid-19 health measures drafted by the Italian government and in force to protect passengers’ health”. Continued violation of the rules by the airline could mean it is banned from flying to or from Italy, or the regulator could impose a limit of 50% capacity on Ryanair flights to give passengers more space.
6th Aug 2020 - The Guardian
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 6th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in full‘We don’t live in Spain’ - noise concerns over new al-fresco dining policies
City eateries will be free to use outdoor space for al-fresco dining and drinking in a bid to boost businesses following the impact of the coronavirus lockdown. Social distancing measures mean bars and restaurants are having to maximise outdoor seating in line with government guidance to limit the spread of the virus. And Norwich councillors have agreed to introduce new policies to make it quicker and cheaper for firms to get permission to do so.
But concerns were raised ahead of a meeting of the city council’s licensing committee over a rise in noise complaints and the impact on residents during the summer.
5th Aug 2020 - EDP 24
Dealmakers must readjust as lockdown bites business
The rash of cold feet has not generally extended beyond the US. Globally, only 593 deals had been withdrawn, down 9 per cent year on year. That’s partly because laws outside America make it much harder for a buyer to claim conditions have changed so much that it justifies pulling out of a deal. The Takeover Panel, which governs British M&A, made this abundantly clear back in 2001, when it knocked back WPP’s claim that it should be allowed to drop its offer for Tempus because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. US-based payments group WEX is due in a British court in September to test that high barrier as it tries to break its deal to purchase two systems from Travelport, citing the pandemic. Lawyers say that they would be surprised to see many European deals falter because of Covid-19. “Europe is still a market where if you do a deal, you are locked-in,” says one top M&A lawyer. “People are looking not at walkaway rights but at financial adjustments.”
5th Aug 2020 - Financial Times
Teachers, Show Us How the Coronavirus Is Changing Your Classroom
We want to see how educators are preparing school buildings to keep themselves and their students safe if they open amid the pandemic - send us information on your particular stories
5th Aug 2020 - New York Times
Coronavirus: New Zealand's COVID-19 response criticised by Australian economics journalist
"If New Zealand's the COVID-19 role model then we're in strife", an Australian economics journalist has argued, claiming that declining case numbers are not correlated to the success of "draconian" lockdown measures. Sydney-based journalist Adam Creighton has argued that New Zealand's COVID-19 response - internationally lauded for its success at flattening the curve - is not deserving of praise, arguing lockdown in response to a virus with a low infection fatality rate is not worth the economic sacrifice.
5th Aug 2020 - Newshub
WHO says North Korea's COVID-19 test results for first suspected case 'inconclusive'
North Korea’s test results for a man suspected of being the country’s first coronavirus case were inconclusive, though authorities have quarantined more than 3,635 primary and secondary contacts, a World Health Organization official told Reuters.
5th Aug 2020 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 5th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullOffice Markets Under Pressure as Coronavirus Squeezes Cities
Companies rethink rented space as remote work takes hold; fears of urban malaise begin to swirl
4th Aug 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Victorian nurses ask for urgent PPE as more than 730 health workers sick with Covid-19
Nurses have written to Daniel Andrews asking to “urgently know what’s being done to protect and care for Victorian nurses” as more than 730 health workers in the state remain sick with active infections of Covid-19. The letter to the premier, seen by Guardian Australia, states “the situation is still inadequate months after the outbreak started”. Nurses have written to Daniel Andrews asking to “urgently know what’s being done to protect and care for Victorian nurses” as more than 730 health workers in the state remain sick with active infections of Covid-19. The letter to the premier, seen by Guardian Australia, states “the situation is still inadequate months after the outbreak started”. It was written by a member of the College of Mental Health Nurses, Claire Hudson-McAuley, who detailed stories shared by nurses, including a nurse working in a surgeon’s rooms who said only surgeons were provided with protective N95 masks.
3rd Aug 2020 - MSN.com
COVID-19 reshapes back-to-school spending
Parents are buying less dressy clothing and more basics for their kids, while stepping up purchases of masks and other protective equipment as well as electronics. They're also holding back on spending amid uncertainty over what the school year will look like. The back-to-school season typically kicks off in mid-July and peaks in mid-August. This year, experts predict the peak will hit in late August and spill into most of September. “We are definitely seeing a delay," said Jill Renslow, senior vice president of the Bloomington, Minnesota-based Mall of America, which reopened in mid-June with social-distancing protocols. “People just don’t know what they need."
4th Aug 2020 - Yahoo News UK
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 4th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullSpain's new wave of infections hits the young, middle-aged
Like most Spaniards, Emma Gaya thought the worst of the pandemic was behind her. Spain’s government had ended a three-month lockdown after an COVID-19 onslaught that claimed at least 28,400 lives in the European Union nation. To kickstart its stalled economy, Spaniards were encouraged to cautiously resume their lives under a “new normality” based on wearing face masks, washing hands and social distancing.
4th Aug 2020 - ABC News
Anger as nightclub 6 miles from lockdown area reopens with £200 tickets and huge queues
Switch nightclub in Preston, Lancashire, has been allowed open its doors to punters who paid up to £200 for a ticket after the council gave it the green light - but photos show revellers packed together with no social distancing
3rd Aug 2020 - Mirror Online
Coronavirus: Dozens test positive for Covid-19 on Norwegian cruise ship
At least 41 passengers and crew on a Norwegian cruise ship have tested positive for Covid-19, officials say. Hundreds more passengers who travelled on the MS Roald Amundsen are in quarantine and awaiting test results, the company that owns the ship said. The ship, which belongs to the Norwegian firm Hurtigruten, docked in the port of Tromso in northern Norway on Friday. Hurtigruten has halted all leisure cruises because of the outbreak. "This is a serious situation for everyone involved. We have not been good enough and we have made mistakes," Chief Executive Daniel Skjeldamsaid in a statement on Monday. "A preliminary evaluation shows a breakdown in several of our internal procedures," he added. "The only responsible choice is to suspend all expedition sailings."
3rd Aug 2020 - BBC News
Schools in Germany reopen — but coronavirus is not gone
All of Germany is looking toward the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in the coming days. In 2020, the sparsely populated region in northeastern Germany is the first to start the school year this time. Summer holidays are staggered in Germany, so not all 16 federal states go on vacation at the same time, clogging the nation's airports and famed autobahns. This year's return to school can best be described as a large-scale experiment.
3rd Aug 2020 - DW (English)
Should remote consultations be the default after COVID-19?
Speaking at the Royal College of Physicians last week, health secretary Matt Hancock argued that ‘all consultations should be teleconsultations, unless there's 'a compelling clinical reason not to.’ Mr Hancock celebrated the success of virtual consulting during the pandemic, saying that patients no longer wanted to 'sit around in a waiting room’. He added that a swing towards teleconsulting had benefited GPs - giving them time to ‘concentrate on what really matters’. However, many GPs have expressed caution over Mr Hancock's gung ho recommendation of a virtual-first approach. Some would no doubt have even shuddered at his mention of ‘Zoom medicine’.
3rd Aug 2020 - GP online
‘It feels more dangerous than ever’: Back in the office after four months at home
The Whites aren’t the only people apprehensive about returning. In an exclusive focus group conducted with YouGov and The Independent office workers expressed their hope that remote working would continue post-pandemic, with many saying they did not want to return to office work five days a week. Several big businesses, including Facebook and Twitter, have already said they will be using the pandemic as an opportunity to encourage permanent remote working and the closure of large office spaces.
3rd Aug 2020 - The Independent
Northern England lockdown: Why you can go to the pub, but not a friend's garden
Inconsistencies have led to sharp criticism of the government. Since the restrictions were imposed in Greater Manchester and parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire on Friday: Wigan MP and shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said “the way the government has announced this has been an absolute shambles and made it harder to follow advice” Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham criticised the government for not publishing the exact rules immediately after the announcement was made on Thursday night - Francis Crick Institute director Sir Paul Nurse suggested the government is not treating the public like adults
3rd Aug 2020 - Yahoo News UK
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 3rd Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullSpike in Covid-19 cases puts reopening of pubs at risk amid worries over spread of virus
Pubs may have to agree to shorter opening times and limits on customer numbers as a price for reopening. Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said at least 19 cases over the two days have been identified as community transmission with an unknown source, while 20 cases remain under investigation. "We may be beginning to see more cases which we cannot link to outbreaks or close contacts. The National Public Health Emergency Team will continue to monitor this situation closely over the coming days," he said. The Irish Dog Foods factory in Naas, which was the centre of a large outbreak, remained closed yesterday for a deep clean
1st Aug 2020 - Independent.ie
Indonesia kindergarten explores new ways to teach over pandemic
As schools struggle to keep pupils engaged during the pandemic, a kindergarten on Indonesia’s Java island is getting pupils back in the classroom using makeshift transparent cubicles and also sending teachers on home visits with social distancing barriers. Permata Hati Kindergarten, a private kindergarten with 135 pupils in the city of Semarang in Central Java province, is allowing six pupils per day to spend time in the classroom, giving children a chance to attend school once every two weeks. Central Java has recorded Indonesia’s fourth highest number of infections and at least 287 people have died in Semarang alone, according to government data.
1st Aug 2020 - Reuters
One of the first US schools to reopen had student test positive for Covid-19 on first day
One of the first US school districts to reopen had to snap into swift action after a student tested positive for coronavirus on the first day. Hours into the first day of classes at Greenfield Central Junior High School in Indiana, the health department called to alert the school that a student tested positive for Covid-19 after sitting in multiple classrooms and roaming the halls. School administration immediately began emergency protocol and isolated the student. They also ordered anyone who came in contact with the student to isolate for two weeks
2nd Aug 2020 - Metro.co.uk
US COVID: child care closures disproportionally affect women
A survey found that 13 percent of working parents had to resign or reduce work hours because of a lack of child care. The pandemic upended child care plans for many parents in the US, forcing them - particularly mothers - to grapple with tough choices that are only becoming more difficult as states push return-to-work policies to try to revive the battered economy.
31st Jul 2020 - Al Jazeera English
Great News About Births During Covid-19
Here at last is some good news about the Covid-19 pandemic and the wholesale disruption to our lives it has caused: In many places with strict lockdowns this spring, there were far fewer premature births than is considered normal. The trend doesn’t appear to be universal, but where it applies, the data are staggering. In Denmark, the number of babies born after less than 28 weeks of gestation — 40 weeks is the norm — dropped by 90% during the country’s month-long lockdown this spring. In one region of Ireland, the rate of preemies with very low birth weight was down by 73% between January and April compared with averages over the preceding two decades. Somewhat smaller decreases have been observed in parts of Canada, Australia and the Netherlands. Elsewhere, clinics and doctors are now scurrying to examine their own data.
1st Aug 2020 - Bloomberg
Surviving a COVID-19 ICU stay is just the start. We're ignoring what else it takes to recover.
After the ICU, coronavirus patients need rehab facilities and staff to get them back to normal functioning, if they even can — the U.S. is short on both.
30th Jul 2020 - NBC News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 31st Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Scottish gyms and stadiums likely to stay closed until September
Scottish sports stadiums, gyms and swimming pools are not likely to reopen until the middle of September, assuming infection levels are low enough by then, Nicola Sturgeon has announced. In a statement updating MSPs on her plans to ease lockdown, the first minister said outdoor concerts and funfairs were likely to reopen in a little over three weeks time, on 24 August. Sturgeon confirmed Scotland’s schools would open full-time from 11 August, with all schools expected to resume by 18 August, without any widespread enforcement of physical distancing among children. Ministers were also releasing another £30m to hire extra teachers, she said.
30th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
All GP consultations should be remote by default, says Matt Hancock
All GP appointments should be done remotely by default unless a patient needs to be seen in person, Matt Hancock has said, prompting doctors to warn of the risk of abandoning face-to-face consultations. In a speech setting out lessons for the NHS and care sector from the coronavirus pandemic, the health secretary claimed that while some errors were made, “so many things went right” in the response to Covid-19, and new ways of working should continue. He said it was patronising to claim that older patients were not able to handle technology. The plan for web-based GP appointments is set to become formal policy, and follows guidance already sent to GPs on having more online consultations
30th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
EU warns of risk of syringe shortages for possible COVID-19 vaccine
The European Union has warned member states of the risk of shortages of syringes, wipes and protective gear needed for potential mass vaccinations against COVID-19 and urged them to consider joint procurement, according to an EU document. The bloc has also asked EU governments to consider jointly buying more shots against influenza and increase the number of people vaccinated to reduce the risk of simultaneous flu and COVID-19 outbreaks in the autumn. No vaccine against COVID-19 has yet been fully developed or approved, but countries around the world are seeking to secure supplies of potential shots so that, if and when vaccine candidates prove effective, immunisation campaigns can start quickly. Some countries hope that may be as early as this year. Should a shot prove effective, manufacturing and distribution issues could become hurdles.
30th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
After the surge, the psychological impact of Covid-19 is hitting home
Having dealt with the months-long terror of crammed ICUs, unavailable PPE and the fear of getting infected, the coronavirus crisis is taking its toll on healthcare workers' mental health
30th Jul 2020 - Wired.co.uk
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 30th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in full'Vaccine nationalism' threatens global plan to distribute COVID-19 shots fairly
To avoid such a scenario, the World Health Organization and other international organizations have set up a system to accelerate and equitably distribute vaccines, the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility, which seeks to entice rich countries to sign on by reducing their own risk that they’re betting on the wrong vaccine candidates. But the idea has been put together on the fly, and it’s unclear how many rich countries will join.
28th Jul 2020 - Science Magazine
New survey finds large racial divide in concern over ability to pay for COVID-19 treatment
People of color are far more likely to worry about their ability to pay for healthcare if diagnosed with COVID-19 than their White counterparts, according to a new survey from nonprofit West Health and Gallup. By a margin of almost two to one (58% vs. 32%), non-White adults report that they are either "extremely concerned" or "concerned" about the potential cost of care. That concern is three times higher among lower-income versus higher-income households (60% vs. 20%). The data come from the West Health/Gallup U.S. Healthcare Study, an ongoing survey about Americans' experiences with and attitudes about the healthcare system. The latest findings are based on a nationally representative sample of 1,017 U.S. adults interviewed between June 8 and June 30.
29th Jul 2020 - Medical Xpress
Japan Shows It’s Defying Covid-19 Damage With Falling Death Rate
Japan avoided a surge in overall fatalities during its deadliest month of the coronavirus pandemic, suggesting the government’s testing methods aren’t resulting in a large number of uncounted deaths linked to Covid-19. Mortality across the nation dropped by 3.5% in May from a year earlier, with Japan recording a total of 108,380 deaths from any cause, data released Tuesday by the nation’s Health Ministry show. The month, during which much of the country was under a state of emergency, saw the most confirmed deaths so far from Covid-19. Japan officially recorded 468 coronavirus-related fatalities in May, almost half its total to date of 1,001.
29th Jul 2020 - MSN.com
‘Working in ICU is like flying a plane’: the secret world of intensive care
Even within a hospital, the ICU can feel like another world. But critical care goes far beyond simply keeping people alive – it’s also about what happens next. By Sarah Whitehead
30th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
'I cannot save everybody': Houston doctor fights newest COVID-19 surge
Dr. Joseph Varon, the chief medical officer of United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC), said he is afraid he will soon face a dilemma many doctors elsewhere said they confronted earlier in the pandemic: deciding who to save. “I’m afraid that at some point in time I’m going to have to make some very serious decisions,” he told Reuters in an interview. “I’m starting to get the idea that I cannot save everybody.”
Varon, 58, is overseeing the hospital’s unit dedicated to COVID-19 patients, where he said he tends to an average of 40 people a day. He said he signed more death certificates in the last week than at any point in his career.
29th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 29th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullVenice becomes first major film festival to return after coronavirus lockdown
Helen Mirren, Shia LaBeouf and Greta Thunberg are among the big names due to be on display at the 2020 Venice film festival, as it gears up to be the first major festival to stage a physical event in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Inevitably the lineup has a slimmed-down feel, with many films delayed or held back, meaning there is little in the way of Venice’s traditional dose of Hollywood glamour.
28th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
German And U.K. Officials Warn Of A Possible New COVID-19 Wave In Europe
The European Union successfully flattened the curve of COVID-19 cases in the spring – but a second wave could be building in parts of the EU, according to both British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the head of Germany's disease agency.
"I'm afraid you are starting to see, in some places, the signs of a second wave of the pandemic" in Europe, Johnson said Tuesday. "We don't know yet if this is the beginning of a second wave, but of course it could be," said Lothar Wieler, head of Germany's infectious disease agency, the Robert Koch Institute. His remarks were reported by Deutsche Welle.
28th Jul 2020 - NPR
Berlin couple test positive for coronavirus after Manchester visit
An urgent track and trace operation is under way in Berlin after a couple tested positive for coronavirus after returning from a holiday to visit friends in Manchester.
Fifty people who have had contact with the couple since their return are in quarantine, of whom 13 have so far tested positive for Covid-19. The Turkish couple, a 50-year-old taxi driver and his 45-year-old wife, arrived home on a Ryanair flight on 16 July. They were not diagnosed until six days after their return. The whole family is now infected, including the couple’s four children, aged nine to 21, and their grandmother.
28th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus outbreaks are inevitable if Ontario reopens schools
In many of Ontario’s large urban centres, children may not be safe in classrooms in September. Among the returning cohort, there will almost certainly be asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19. The science is clear that asymptomatic children have unknowingly spread the virus to others in schools. School children have also infected their parents. Otto Helve, a pediatric infectious disease expert, correctly observed: “Outbreaks in schools are inevitable.”
28th Jul 2020 - The Conversation CA
Coronavirus-linked hunger tied to 10000 child deaths each month
All around the world, the coronavirus and its restrictions are pushing already hungry communities over the edge, cutting off meager farms from markets and isolating villages from food and medical aid. Virus-linked hunger is leading to the deaths of 10,000 more children a month over the first year of the pandemic, according to an urgent call to action from the United Nations shared with The Associated Press ahead of its publication in the Lancet medical journal.
28th Jul 2020 - The Japan Times
'We feel safer in Fuerteventura than Blackburn': The British tourists who are still flying out to Spain so they don't lose their money - despite Boris's second wave warning and ...
Tourists heading to Spain were today determined to continue with their travels despite the PM's warning. Those leaving from Manchester said Spain was dealing with Covid better and they could not get refunds. Boris Johnson today defended move and said there was 'second wave' in Europe, while Spanish PM hit back
28th Jul 2020 - Daily Mail
Why the move to online instruction won’t reduce college costs
As COVID-19 swept across the country in March, colleges shuttered and millions of students and instructors were propelled into a world of distance education. Institutional leaders are now grappling with how to provide a quality education over the academic year ahead while also guarding the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff. Online instruction is a core component of many colleges’ strategies, with a growing number abandoning in-person plans for the fall. Questions about the feasibility, quality, equity, and costs of online instruction sit front and center. Our recent analysis suggests that the difficulty of shifting instruction online is likely to vary across fields of study, and that movement to online education is unlikely to reduce instructional costs.
28th Jul 2020 - Brookings Institution
What Spain Is Telling Us About Second Wave of Coronavirus
A new flare-up in infections on the continent is a grim reminder of the more immediate epidemiological threat. While it’s not a second wave yet, it’s a serious test of government strategies intended to avoid one. Cases are rising across the region at the fastest pace since tough lockdown measures were lifted, although overall infections remain much lower than the outbreak’s April peak. In Spain, new daily cases hit almost 1,000 last week, driven by local spikes in areas such as Aragon and Catalonia, where nightclubs are now being closed and curfews applied on bars. In Belgium, an increase in infections has forced the government to roll out tougher social-distancing measures, such as limiting face-to-face interactions.
28th Jul 2020 - Bloomberg
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 28th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullIs Primary Care Locking In The Digital Gains Of Covid-19?
When the country moved to Alert level four in late March, GPs were asked to do a virtual consult with every patient before seeing any in person. This dramatic shift to using telehealth saw some practices conduct almost all of their consultations over the phone or via video during lockdown. By early June, half of practices had returned to seeing the majority of patients in person, but by the end of the month that had risen to 90 percent. The figures are the results of a series of national surveys conducted by Auckland University asking general practices about their experience with Covid-19 and its aftermath, attracting between 150-170 respondents each time. But despite some practices returning to ‘business as usual’ post-lockdown, there are encouraging signs that some of the digital gains will become permanent.
27th Jul 2020 - Scoop.co.nz
Austrian Resort Town Reports Sudden COVID-19 Surge
Austria's tourism industry received a blow after 53 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed since last week in the popular resort town of St. Wolfgang. The lakeside resort shortened bar opening hours after a coronavirus outbreak was detected on Friday. The local tourism office said at least 50 of those new cases were seasonal workers from abroad in the hospitality industry. In an interview Monday, Health Minister Christine Haberlander said more than 1,000 additional COVID-19 tests were conducted by the Austrian authorities in St. Wolfgang. The provincial government said guests who stayed in town from July 15 will be informed about the outbreak. Tourism officials say news of the outbreak already caused many to cancel hotel reservations over the weekend. Two of the hotels there have closed. Many of the town's businesses reportedly are worried that visitors will stay away for the rest of the season.
27th Jul 2020 - Voice of America
Site in Avonmouth that's making parts for Hinkley Point is shut down after outbeak of Covid-19 | ITV News
A manufacturing site in Avonmouth where staff are making parts for the new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C has been shut down after an outbreak of Covid-19. Twenty two staff of the 90 working at the Balfour Beatty site have contracted Coronavirus - leading to the closure of the site until further notice. A deep clean of the site was carried out over the weekend - and NHS test and trace staff were alerted. Balfour Beatty confirmed this evening (July 27) there has been no impact on the construction site at Hinkley Point C. A spokesperson said: "Having engaged with Public Health England and Bristol City Council we have now taken the responsible decision to close the facility until further notice to reduce the potential further spread of Covid-19.
27th Jul 2020 - ITV News
Coronavirus: 21 people test positive for COVID-19 in Shropshire caravan park
Testing has confirmed a COVID-19 outbreak at a caravan park in Shropshire with 21 new cases. The individuals were asked to self-isolate for at least seven days from the time they started displaying coronavirus symptoms or from when they received their positive result. However, the council fears the number of cases at the site will continue to rise before infection control measures start to take effect. All residents at the caravan park, which is in the town of Craven Arms, will be asked to self-isolate with their household for 14 days if they have come into contact with one of the positive cases.
27th Jul 2020 - Sky News
Bolivian prisons erupt into riots over lack of health care after coronavirus deaths
The death of an inmate suspected of having the coronavirus has prompted rioting in four of the most populated prisons in Bolivia's Cochabamba region over access to medical care. Local media showed images of inmates climbing to the roof of San Sebastian prison on Monday (local time), calling for medicine and access to doctors. Some waved black and Bolivian flags, a cardboard coffin, and banners demanding medical staff, COVID-19 tests and flexible hearings. A prisoner said over a loud speaker they wanted medical teams. "We know there are three deaths [among us], and other people deceased in the police," he said.
27th Jul 2020 - ABC News
Huge queues at UK airport as travellers returning from Spain complain holiday plans were ruined by 'knee-jerk' quarantine rules
Travellers returning from holidays in Spain vented their frustration today, complaining their plans had been "ruined" by the Government's new quarantine rules. As of midnight on Saturday, holidaymakers were told they must self-isolate for 14 days upon their return to the UK from Spain after the European country recorded a surge in coronavirus cases. Initially the the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advised only against "all non-essential" travel to mainland Spain, but this advice was updated to include the Balearic and Canary Islands on Monday evening.
27th Jul 2020 - Evening Standard
Coronavirus lockdown saves Shropshire Council £200000 in travel costs
More than £200,000 has been saved in travel costs for council staff throughout the pandemic, as the authority says its transition to a virtual work force "was achieved with minimal disruption". Prior to the crisis the usual daily ‘working remotely’ figure was in the region of 500 to 600 people. Figures included in a report to be considered by the council's audit committee on Friday also show some significant savings in the costs for staffing throughout the pandemic. Mileage claims were down 49 per cent from April to June – with costs reducing from £339,952 for the same period in 2019 to £172,071.
27th Jul 2020 - shropshirestar.com
Coronavirus doctor's diary: Will vaccine sceptics make trials a headache?
It will soon be critical for the NHS to start vaccinating people against flu, to prevent hospitals being swamped with flu and Covid-19 patients this winter. Large-scale trials of Covid-19 vaccines, already under way in some places, are likely to start in Bradford in the autumn. It's therefore worrying, says Dr John Wright of the city's Royal Infirmary, that anti-vax conspiracy theories seem to have flourished in this pandemic.
27th Jul 2020 - BBC News
Advice for pet owners confirmed or suspected of having Covid-19 | ITV News
BVA has issued the following advice for pet owners confirmed or suspected to have Covid-19: Restrict contact with pets as a precautionary measure - If your pet requires care, wash your hands before and after any interaction with them and wear a face mask if possible - Keep cats indoors if possible, and only if they are happy to be indoors. Try to arrange for someone else to exercise dogs, taking care to restrict any contact with the person walking your dog and making sure they practise good hand hygiene. This is to reduce the likelihood of your pet spreading the disease through environmental contamination on their fur – there is no evidence that pet animals can pass Covid-19 to humans - If your pet shows clinical signs, please do not take it to the vet but call the practice for advice first and alert them to the household’s status
27th Jul 2020 - ITV News
Slowly, Italy Is Waking From the Coronavirus Nightmare
This is a very strange, subdued summer for a country with an economy that relies heavily on tourism and merrymaking. But EU. aid is on the way.
27th Jul 2020 - The New York Times
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 27th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Will lockdown easing see more of us using rivers?
Figures suggest that more people than ever are heading to Britain's rivers with the easing of lockdown - renewing calls for better public rights of access. It comes as MPs are to consider proposals aimed at opening up the waterways to all. But after recent incidences of littering and overcrowding, there are fears more people on rivers could "cause chaos". Caroline Radford, who began wild swimming in lockdown, says it has helped her mental health.
23rd Jul 2020 - BBC News
The Great Climate Migration Has Begun
Scientists have learned to project such changes around the world with surprising precision, but — until recently — little has been known about the human consequences of those changes. As their land fails them, hundreds of millions of people from Central America to Sudan to the Mekong Delta will be forced to choose between flight or death. The result will almost certainly be the greatest wave of global migration the world has seen.
23rd Jul 2020 - The New York Times
Coronavirus has made the season ticket obsolete
The mаjority of workers who аre returning to the office аre going bаck pаrt time, аnd аre stuck between а seаson ticket thаt they don’t need, or expensive single dаy tickets thаt they cаn’t reаlly аfford. A letter from 16 MPs to the Depаrtment for Trаnsport lаst week showed the wаy the wind is blowing. Trаin compаnies need to offer а trаvel cаrd thаt is аdаpted to the wаy people live аnd work now, they аrgued, becаuse quite а substаntiаl number of their constituents will be “flexi-working”.
26th Jul 2020 - Entertainment Overdose
Covid-19: Cook Islands to New Zealand air-bridge delayed again
The Cook Islands and New Zealand governments have again delayed announcing details of an air-bridge between the two countries. The New Zealand Cabinet was understood to be discussing plans today for the first relaxation of the borders of New Zealand and Cook Islands, expected in a matter of weeks. But hopes Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern would announce details at her post-Cabinet press conference this evening, have been dashed - for the third week in a row. Cook Islands' Tourism Industry Council acting president and Muri Beach Club Hotel general manager, Liana Scott, said the delay was a "shame" and renewed calls for a firm date to reopen the borders.
27th Jul 2020 - RNZ
Students back at uni - but with masks and no bars
The first students are beginning to return for face-to-face teaching on UK university campuses - with a new term of compulsory masks and closed bars. Most students won't begin until the autumn, but veterinary students are now back at the University of Nottingham. They are the pioneers for how campuses across the UK could look as they reopen after the Covid-19 lockdown. "The social experience will be more limited, but these are unprecedented times," says registrar Paul Greatrix. The first cohort going back in Nottingham are 150 trainee vets, some of whom will see a great deal of each other - as the university adopts the "bubble" system in which small groups will live as well as study together. The university is calling it "households" rather than "bubbles", but it is the same principle of restricting the spread of infection by keeping people in small groups which are kept separate from each other.
27th Jul 2020 - BBC News
Pittsburgh's virus success fizzles in crowded bars, eateries
Pittsburgh’s story may be inevitable for every part of the United States. It may be a victim of other places that were complacent about containing the virus. In a sharp critique last week, Wolf attacked “a lack of national coordination” that resulted in other states eschewing tough containment measures and spreading the virus back to Pennsylvania: “We don’t want to become Florida. We don’t want to become Texas. We don’t want to become Arizona.”
25th Jul 2020 - Associated Press
Beaches, bars, boredom: Why infections are climbing again in D.C., Maryland and Virginia
Washington-area officials are concerned and taking action: The District expanded its mask mandate and ordered people coming from hot spots to quarantine themselves for 14 days, Virginia stepped up enforcement, Maryland’s largest city, Baltimore, suspended indoor dining, and Anne Arundel County, also in Maryland, reimposed size caps for social gatherings. Experts agree that the numbers are alarming, and they say governments would be wise to shut down bars, stop indoor dining and require face coverings in most parts of the region. But they say it is too early to tell whether the three jurisdictions are heading toward a deadly resurgence of the virus — driven mostly by localities outside the immediate Washington area — that would warrant more-drastic measures.
25th Jul 2020 - The Washington Post
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View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus UK: Luton is 'area of intervention' after case spike
Testing will ramp up in Luton after there is a spike in local cases of coronavirus
Luton Council tells locals to 'stay at home as much as possible' to prevent spread
Plans to reopen gyms, pools and leisure centres on Saturday are put on hold
24th Jul 2020 - Daily Mail
Covid-19 threatens access to abortions and contraceptives, experts warn
Rates of unplanned pregnancies have fallen around the world, according to new data published by health research organisation the Guttmacher Institute and the UN Human Reproduction Programme (HRP) on Wednesday. Global rates of unintended pregnancies have fallen from 79 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 49 in 1990 to 64 in 2019, thanks in part to a concerted effort to increase access to contraceptives, but there are concerns that decades of progress in reducing the numbers risk being undone by Covid-19, as lockdown restrictions hamper health services. Zara Ahmed, a senior policy manager at Guttmacher, warned : “Covid-19 could reverse those declines due to challenges with the supply chain, diversion of providers to the response and lack of access to health facilities during lockdown.”
23rd Jul 2020 - The Guardian
Victoria's aged care system on verge of collapse amid Covid-19 surge, doctors warn
Doctors are warning the aged care system in Victoria is on the verge of collapse – a situation that will be worsened by the federal government’s impending announcement that the state’s part-time and casual aged care workers will be banned from working across multiple facilities to help contain the spread of Covid-19 through the sector. The president of the Victorian branch of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Julian Rait, said he had received numerous messages from health workers in aged care warning that with so many aged care workers furloughed due to virus exposure and with cooks, cleaners, health and administration staff fearful of going to work, there would soon not be enough staff to care for residents.
23rd Jul 2020 - The Guardian
First COVID-19, now bugs: US states brace for illness outbreaks
"It's been a rough year," said David Garabedian, her father. "With any brain injury, it's hard to tell. The damage is there. How she works through it is anyone's guess."
As the coronavirus pandemic subsides for now in the hard-hit northeast United States, public health officials in the region are warning about another potentially bad summer for EEE and other insect-borne illnesses. EEE saw an unexpected resurgence last summer across 10 states: Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Tennessee. There were 38 human cases and 15 deaths from the virus, with many of the cases in Massachusetts and Michigan, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most years, the country sees just half a dozen cases of the virus in humans, the agency said.
23rd Jul 2020 - Al Jazeera English
When the world stood still: Ground vibrations caused by traffic and industrial work HALVED during the coronavirus lockdown, study shows
Virus lockdown caused 50% global reduction in human-caused Earth vibrations
March to May saw 'longest and most pronounced quiet period' of seismic noise
Earth vibrations were so quiet that geologists could better record quake tremors
23rd Jul 2020 - Daily Mail
Disney postpones 'Mulan' indefinitely, delays 'Avatar' and 'Star Wars'
Walt Disney Co on Thursday postponed the debut of its movie “Mulan” indefinitely, dealing a new blow to theater operators that were counting on the live-action epic to help attract audiences during a pandemic. “Mulan” was scheduled to reach theaters in March but its release has been postponed several times as many cinemas remain closed. The film had most recently been set to debut on Aug. 21 and theater operators had hoped it would help spark a late-summer rebound for movie-going. Disney also said it had delayed the next film installments from two of its biggest franchises, “Avatar” and “Star Wars,” by one year as the novel coronavirus has disrupted production. The “Avatar” sequel is now set to debut in theaters in December 2022, and the next “Star Wars” movie in December 2023.
23rd Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
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View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus will be with us for 'decades to come', top scientists warn
Prof Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, told the Commons health and social care committee on Tuesday: "Things will not be done by Christmas. This infection is not going away, it's now a human endemic infection.” The top scientist, a member of the Government’s Sage advisory committee, added: "Even, actually, if we have a vaccine or very good treatments, humanity will still be living with this virus for very many, many years.... decades to come." The stark forecast is a blow for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who said last week that he hoped for a “significant return to normality” by Christmas.
22nd Jul 2020 - Evening Standard
Day cares welcome mask-wearing toddlers as parents struggle to 'make best decision' in COVID-19 world
“I’ll need to see the plan from his preschool before I decide,” says Dianne DeRoze, a business consultant in Leesburg, Virginia. “If it’s safe and a positive experience, that’s valuable. What I don’t want is for him to have a knee-jerk reaction that school is this scary place you get dumped.” DeRoze is among the millions of parents grappling with sending their children to preschool and babies to day care as cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, spike nationally. The debate continues to rage among politicians and school officials on fall reopening plans. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week that the city would be providing day care for 100,000 children to help working parents hampered by a planned partial school return.
23rd Jul 2020 - USA TODAY
Coronavirus cases surge among factory workers in post-lockdown India
When Bajirao Thengde voiced his fears about going to work after dozens of colleagues fell sick with coronavirus, his boss at a motorbike factory in western India said he should “learn to live with the virus”. As India’s coronavirus cases exceeded one million last week, unions say similar spikes in infections in reopened factories are putting workers at risk - accusing companies of skimping on health and safety as they rush to get business back on track. It was only after several workers died and district authorities ordered a seven-day lockdown that Thengde’s plant in Maharashtra state finally closed on July 10, weeks after calls for it to shut when the first cases appeared. “We were demanding that the factory be temporarily closed but work carried on,” said Thengde, a union leader who has worked for more than 30 years for Bajaj Auto Ltd - India’s biggest motorbike exporter.
22nd Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Sweden: 5,800 more deaths possible, agency warns
Sweden has one of the highest per capita death tolls in the world (but less than the UK), and has recorded 5,646 fatalities and 78,166 cases of coronavirus
Health officials today said they could see 5,800 more deaths in a worst case
But they believe it more likely they will see clusters and then a general subsiding
22nd Jul 2020 - Daily Mail
COVID-19 patients admitted from more deprived regions are at higher risk of intensive care admission, new study finds
Black, Asian minority ethic patients with COVID-19 are more likely to be admitted to hospital from regions with higher levels of air pollution, lower quality housing and overcrowded living conditions and are more likely to be admitted to intensive care, a new UK study has found.
22nd Jul 2020 - University of Birmingham
Flu and Covid-19 vaccines will need to be given separately, says deputy CMO
GPs will not be able to co-administer Covid-19 and flu jabs due to safety concerns, the deputy chief medical officer for England has said.
22nd Jul 2020 - Pulse Today
Coronavirus clusters: why meatworks are at the frontline of Australia's 'second wave'
Around the world, certain environments have repeatedly proved to be hotbeds for Covid-19 infection. Chief among these are aged care homes, cruise ships, prisons and abattoirs. As Victoria enters a “second wave” of Covid-19 infections, Australian meat processors have found themselves at the frontline of exposure and infection, with multiple outbreaks in abattoirs across the state. In the US more than 16,000 meat workers contracted the virus during April and May, with up to 9% of the workforce infected in some states, according to the Centers for Disease Control. While conditions in Australia are different in many respects, the situation in Victoria still points to the potential for rapid spread.
22nd Jul 2020 - The Guardian
Fans will have to wear masks at NFL games this season — if there is a season with a live audience
NFL fans attending games — assuming there's a 2020 season and spectators are allowed inside stadiums — will have to wear facial coverings, the league said Wednesday.
21st Jul 2020 - NBC News
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View this newsletter in fullPeru Restaurants Resume Operations as COVID Lockdown Lifts
Restaurants in Peru are accepting diners for the first time since closing four months ago at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in March. Under new guidelines, businesses on Monday resumed operations at 40% capacity. Tables were required to be at least two meters apart. Ruben Espinoza, chef and manager of the Punto Marisko restaurant, said he is excited about the reopening even if it's only at 40% of restaurant capacity because it's a start. The reopening of restaurants in the upscale Miraflores tourist district in the capital, Lima, attracted few diners as businesses begin to recover from the economic crisis created by COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.
21st Jul 2020 - Voice of America
British ministers hold first face-to-face cabinet in months
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson held his first face-to-face cabinet meeting of top ministers in more than four months on Tuesday, seeking to lead by example as he encourages Britons to return to work and revive the coronavirus-hit economy. The weekly meeting inside Johnson’s Downing Street office was replaced with video conference calls when the COVID-19 crisis threatened to run out of control. But in recent weeks Johnson has called on people to return to their workplaces, concerned that the economy, poised for recession, could be crushed over the long term by a lockdown that has kept millions at home for several months. Supplied with hand sanitizer and individual bottles of water, ministers were asked to attend a socially-distanced meeting, spaced out around a vast rectangle of tables inside a grand chamber in the foreign office. “Welcome to the Locarno Suite, which is the foreign office’s idea of a modest seminar room,” Johnson joked at the start of the meeting.
21st Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Botched U.K. Lockdown Exit Risks Making Disabled ‘Shielders’ Second-Class Citizens
A leading pan-disability charity is warning that U.K. government plans to restart public life and the economy after lockdown could represent the genesis of a segregated society, in which disabled people are shut away and unable to participate. On Friday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke of the potential for a “significant return to normality from November at the earliest - possibly in time for Christmas.” Though, as a result of lockdown, the U.K. Covid-19 daily death figure has decreased steadily over the past few weeks, globally, the number of new infections over a 24-hour period broke all previous records over the weekend, soaring to almost 260,000.
21st Jul 2020 - Forbes
Local lockdowns will likely happen soon, says Belgian expert
As Belgium’s coronavirus figures are still rising, local lockdowns are likely to be implemented very quickly, said biostatistics professor Geert Molenberghs on Tuesday. It is advisable that some regions go into lockdown again soon, Molenberghs said on MNM radio. If that does not happen, the country is heading for a second, more drastic total lockdown, according to him.
21st Jul 2020 - The Brussels Times
Coronavirus: 200 outbreaks hit Spain as more tourists go on holiday
Spain has been hit with at least 200 coronavirus outbreaks since it lifted its lockdown a month ago. The spike in cases since measures were eased on June 21 has fuelled fears there may be a second wave of the disease, MailOnline reports. And it comes as more tourists – including from the UK – are starting to fly out to its beaches for a holiday. Prime minister Pedro Sanchez has warned repeatedly of the dangers of a second wave, saying last month that ‘we must avoid it at all costs’.
20th Jul 2020 - Metro.co.uk
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View this newsletter in fullEurope Said It Was Pandemic-Ready. Pride Was Its Downfall.
Held in high esteem for its scientific expertise, Europe, especially Britain, has long educated many of the best medical students from Asia, Africa and Latin America. On a visit to South Korea after a 2015 outbreak of the coronavirus MERS, Dame Sally Davies, then England’s chief medical officer, was revered as an expert. Upon her return home, she assured colleagues that such an outbreak could not happen in Britain’s public health system. Now South Korea, with a death toll below 300, is a paragon of success against the pandemic. Many epidemiologists there are dumbfounded at the mess made by their mentors. “It has come as a bit of a shock to a number of Koreans,” said Prof. Seo Yong-seok of Seoul National University, suggesting that perhaps British policymakers “thought that an epidemic is a disease that only occurs in developing countries.”
20th Jul 2020 - The New York Times
Virus was direct cause of death for 89% of Italian COVID-19 victims - The Jakarta Post
The new coronavirus has directly caused the death of 9 out of 10 of Italian COVID-19 victims, a study released on Thursday said, shedding new light on the epidemic which mainly struck the country's northern regions. Since discovering its first infections in February, Italy has reported some 35,000 COVID-19 fatalities.
However, health authorities said many of those who died were also affected by other ailments and this provoked a fierce debate on whether the virus was the actual cause of death.
20th Jul 2020 - Jakarta Post
Covid-19 impact on ethnic minorities linked to housing and air pollution
The severe impact of Covid-19 on people from minority ethnic groups has been linked to air pollution and overcrowded and poor-standard homes by a study of 400 hospital patients. It found patients from ethnic minorities were twice as likely as white patients to live in areas of environmental and housing deprivation, and that people from these areas were twice as likely to arrive at hospital with more severe coronavirus symptoms and to be admitted to intensive care units (ITU). Minority ethnic groups were known to be disproportionately affected by Covid-19: they account for 34% of critically ill Covid-19 patients in the UK despite constituting 14% of the population. But the reasons for the disparity remain unclear.
20th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
Spanish study concludes herd immunity is not feasible to stop COVID-19
“Despite the high impact of COVID-19 in Spain, prevalence estimates remain low and are clearly insufficient to provide herd immunity.“This cannot be achieved without accepting the collateral damage of many deaths in the susceptible population and overburdening of health systems.
20th Jul 2020 - Diabetes.co.uk
Spain's coronavirus rate triples in three weeks after lockdown easing
The prevalence of the novel coronavirus in Spain has risen three-fold over the last three weeks as authorities struggle to contain a rash of fresh clusters, mainly in the Catalonia and Aragon regions, Health Ministry data showed on Monday. After registering thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths per day during an early April peak, Spain succeeded in slowing the number of new infections to a trickle.
But since restrictions on movement were lifted and Spaniards relaxed back into daily life, some 201 new clusters have appeared, with heavy concentrations in and around the Catalan cities of Barcelona and Lleida. The occurrence of the novel coronavirus has jumped from eight cases per 100,000 inhabitants at the end of June, when the country’s state of emergency ended, to 27 per 100,000, deputy health emergency chief Maria Sierra told a news conference on Monday.
20th Jul 2020 - Reuters
Impact of UK coronavirus lockdown may cause 200,000 extra deaths, report finds
Coronavirus lockdown could kill more than 200,000 Brits due to delays to healthcare and an impending recession, a government report shows. Experts from the Department of Health, the Office for National Statistics, the Actuary's Department and the Home Office fear one million years of life lost in the long term.
They calculated up to 25,000 could die from delays to treatment in the first six months since March 23 and another 185,000 in the medium to long-term. Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance revealed the existence of the report - published in April - at a science and technology select committee last week.
20th Jul 2020 - Mirror Online
Fears of HIV spike in Jamaica as pandemic hits prevention efforts
For about a month, John was woken by bad dreams, a side effect of missing his antiretroviral medication from late May, when he was unable to collect his prescription drugs due to COVID-19. John, 32, works in the liquor industry and has lived with HIV for 14 years. This has compromised his immune system, so he went into self-isolation after the coronavirus emerged in Jamaica in March. “During the nights, it makes you jump out of your sleep with nightmares ... (but) you have to isolate yourself,” said John - not his real name - who ran out of medicine because he could not afford private transport to take him to the pharmacy. Clarence did not miss any treatment, but sometimes struggled to get the medication that he has used for many years after contracting HIV 25 years ago.
20th Jul 2020 - Reuters
Chinese cinemas fret over muted reopening
Chinese cinema operators have said restrictions to prevent the spread Covid-19 as the industry reopens after six months of closure and heavy losses mean they will struggle to survive. Movie theatres reported Rmb3.3m ($472,200) in box office takings on Monday following Beijing’s announcement last week that the industry could reopen in “low risk” areas. China’s cinemas earned an average of Rmb174m a day last year, according to Wind, a financial data provider. Cinemas that have reopened have done so with limited seating, a ban on food and drinks, and a shortage of new releases. Audiences and staff must wear masks, and are subject to temperature checks. Operators say the rules have crippled cinemas even as the government has allowed the industry to reopen.
20th Jul 2020 - Financial Times
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View this newsletter in fullAged care 'the new front line' as 40 Victorian nursing homes report COVID-19 cases
20th Jul 2020 - The Age
More wearing masks would encourage Londoners to return, poll reveals
More widespread use of face masks could play a major role in persuading Londoners to return to the centre of the capital and start spending money again, a poll reveals today. The survey asked which of a range of measures would make respondents “more likely to go into London to work or enjoy leisure time.” The most reassuring suggestion was “everyone following social distancing rules so it feels safer”, which was supported by four out of 10 of those asked. This was closely followed “more people wearing face masks” backed by 37 per cent.
19th Jul 2020 - Evening Standard
Coronavirus: senior doctors warn second wave could 'devastate' NHS
Senior doctors are pleading with the public to help prevent a second wave of coronavirus that could “devastate” the NHS, amid concern at mixed government messages about face masks and returning to work. Prof Carrie MacEwen, chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, said medics and healthcare workers felt “totally reliant on the public understanding that this has certainly not disappeared and could come back and cause even more suffering for the population.” Dr Alison Pittard, head of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, also warned the NHS could be “overwhelmed” by a second wave coinciding with seasonal flu and the consequences of the backlog of treatment for serious illnesses including cancer.
“People might think Covid is over with, why do I have to wear a face mask,” she said. “But it isn’t over. We still have Covid patients in intensive care. If the public don’t physically distance and don’t wear face coverings we could very quickly get back to where we were earlier this year.”
19th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
RACE TO A CURE: As scientists around the world race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, there's already a scramble to make the millions of vials needed to deliver it. CBS
RACE TO A CURE: As scientists around the world race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, there's already a scramble to make the millions of vials needed to deliver it. CBS News got an exclusive look at one company going all out to meet the vital need for glass vials,
17th Jul 2020 - @CBSEveningNews
Japan to Pay at Least $536 Million for Companies to Leave China
Japan’s government will start paying its companies to move factories out of China and back home or to Southeast Asia, part of a new program to secure supply chains and reduce dependence on manufacturing in China. Fifty-seven companies including privately-held facemask-maker Iris Ohyama Inc. and Sharp Corp. will receive a total of 57.4 billion yen ($536 million) in subsidies from the government, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Friday. Another 30 firms will receive money to move manufacturing to Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand and other Southeast Asian nations, according to a separate announcement, which didn’t provide details on the amount of compensation.
18th Jul 2020 - Bloomberg
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View this newsletter in fullHalf of British workers have restarted commuting, ONS says
The proportion of people in Britain travelling to their place of work rose to 50% last week for the first time since the coronavirus lockdown started, a survey from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed on Thursday. Another ONS survey of businesses showed 90% of food and accommodation companies had incurred extra costs because of safety measures implemented in attempts to reopen following lockdown.
16th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
London restaurants fret as going out goes out of style
16th Jul 2020 - Reuters
China to let most cinemas re-open from Monday as pandemic ebbs
China will allow most cinemas to re-open from July 20, the film administration said on Thursday, six months after they were forced to close as part of draconian measures to contain the novel coronavirus.
16th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Spanish island closes party strip after rowdy tourists flout coronavirus laws
The Spanish island of Mallorca has closed its main party strip after drunken tourists were seen cavorting without masks, jumping on cars and chanting aggressively on the streets of a resort town. Authorities say such incidents, video of which was shared by a local journalist but hasn't been verified by CNN, are isolated, but they have raised concerns as Spain teeters on the edge of a fresh coronavirus surge.
All of the bars on Punta Ballena street were closed as of Wednesday evening because the "mainly British tourists there, and the bar operators themselves," were not complying with the rules, a spokesman for the Balearics regional government told CNN. Authorities are "aware" of social media postings showing about 20 people dancing in the street, including on top of cars, added the spokesman.
16th Jul 2020 - CNN on MSN.com
New Zealand Inflation Slows as Virus Lockdown Stalls Economy
New Zealand inflation slowed in the second quarter, falling toward the low-end of the central bank’s target range, amid a collapse in the global oil price and a stalling economy due to the Covid-19 lockdown. Consumer prices rose 1.5% from a year earlier, Statistics New Zealand said Thursday in Wellington. That compared with 2.5% in the first quarter, but was faster than the 1.3% expected by economists. Prices fell 0.5% from three months earlier -- the first quarterly decline since 2015.
16th Jul 2020 - Bloomberg
UK government orders halt to Randox Covid-19 tests over safety issues
The UK government has instructed care homes and members of the public to immediately stop using coronavirus testing kits produced by a healthcare firm after safety problems were discovered. Randox was awarded a £133m contract in March to produce the testing kits for England, Wales and Northern Ireland without any other firms being given the opportunity to bid for the work. Under the contract, the kits are sent to the public and places such as care homes and then delivered back to Randox to check swabs to see if individuals have the virus. On Thursday the health and social care secretary, Matt Hancock, told MPs: “We’ve identified some swabs that are not up to the usual high standard that we expect, and we’ll be carrying out further testing of this batch as a precautionary measure.
16th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
Rising virus totals force rethink of bars, schools, tourism
Bars may be off the menu and many schools look set to remain closed for months to come as the new coronavirus causes more illness and death in many countries and the U.S. South and West. India's record daily increase of nearly 32,7000 cases pushed its total close to 1 million and led authorities to reimpose a three-day lockdown and night curfew in the popular western beach state of Goa, two weeks after it was reopened to tourists.
16th Jul 2020 - Medical Xpress
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View this newsletter in fullHow investment in infrastructure can bring tourism back to post-COVID Latin America
The travel and tourism sector in Latin America and the Caribbean is projected to take a $110 billion hit due to COVID-19, says a new World Economic Forum report.
Investment in infrastructure could bring back tourism as well as rebuild the economy. Public-private partnerships, improving technology and investing in infrastructure resilience are keys to building back better in the post-pandemic world.
15th Jul 2020 - World Economic Forum
China's economy seen growing 2.5% in second quarter as lockdowns end, stimulus kicks in: Reuters poll
China’s economy likely returned to modest growth in the second quarter after a record contraction, as lockdown measures ended and policymakers announced more stimulus to combat the shock from the coronavirus crisis, according to a Reuters poll.
15th Jul 2020 - Reuters
As rowdy tourists flout coronavirus laws, residents in some Spanish resorts fear new surge in cases
Scenes of drunken young tourists cavorting without masks, jumping on cars and chanting aggressively on the streets of a resort town have raised concerns in Spain as the country teeters on the edge of a fresh coronavirus surge. Authorities say such incidents, video of which was shared by a local journalist but hasn't been verified by CNN, are isolated. But locals who endured heavy restrictions to limit the spread of the disease fear that ill-behaved visitors could undermine their earlier sacrifices
15th Jul 2020 - CNN
A Resurgence of the Virus, and Lockdowns, Threatens Economic Recovery
Failure to suppress a resurgence of confirmed infections is threatening to choke the recovery and push the country back into a recessionary spiral — one that could inflict long-term damage on workers and businesses large and small, unless Congress reconsiders the scale of federal aid that may be required in the months to come. The looming economic pain was evident this week as big companies forecast gloomy months ahead and government data showed renewed struggles in the job market. A weekly census survey on Wednesday showed 1.3 million fewer Americans held jobs last week than the previous week. A new American Enterprise Institute analysis from Safegraph.com of shopper traffic to stores showed business activity had plunged in the second week of July, in part from renewed virus fears.
15th Jul 2020 - The New York Times
Schools have low coronavirus infection rate, German study finds
A study of 2,000 children and teachers at schools in the German state of Saxony has found very few antibodies among them. The study was carried out in May by the Medical Faculty of the TU Dresden and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus.
The results of the first test phase were released Monday.
15th Jul 2020 - CNBC
Officials seek options for when hospitals run out of ICU beds
The shortage of hospital beds for coronavirus patients in some areas of the US has officials looking at where they will put people when more come in. In one Texas city, the federal government is going to turn a hotel into what is called a surge hospital.
In Georgia, the governor said the state is working unceasingly to prevent hospital bed shortages. The head of a hospital system in hard-hit Miami-Dade County, Florida, told CNN that they plan to convert some regular rooms into ones that can handle the most serious coronavirus patients should the growth in cases continue.
Carlos Migoya said the situation is "very, very tight" at Jackson Health System, but they have stopped doing elective surgeries to help save beds. "This room is not going to last forever," if the numbers keep rising, he said.
15th Jul 2020 - CNN
Extended Lockdown May Not Be Best Strategy Against Covid-19; We Need Scientific Approach
India has now become the third worst-hit nation by the Covid-19 pandemic. Only the US and Brazil are ahead of India in terms of total coronavirus infections. In just three weeks, India went from being the sixth worst-affected country to the third. It’s mid-July and the Covid cases are expected to rise further in the coming weeks. In my earlier column, I had recommended a phased re-opening of activities across the country from April 15 based on the risk profiling. Now, after analysing global Covid data tillJune 30, things are becoming increasingly apparent. We, perhaps, went too far without scientific evidence-based planning, and maybe, it is time to go back to the drawing board and rework our strategies.
15th Jul 2020 - Outlook India
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View this newsletter in fullIndia's tech hub Bengaluru, other towns back in lockdown as coronavirus infections surge
India’s high-tech hub of Bengaluru will go back into a coronavirus lockdown for a week on Tuesday after a surge of infections, threatening to derail government efforts to revive a stuttering economy. Places of worship, public transport, government offices and most shops will close again from the evening, and people will be confined to their homes, only allowed out for essential needs. Schools, colleges and restaurants will remain shut, authorities said. Bengaluru, home to some of the world’s biggest IT firms such as Infosys, had only about 1,000 coronavirus cases in mid-June and was seen to have fared better than other parts of India in terms of testing and contact tracing.
14th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Catalan chief defies judge who rejected lockdown, sowing confusion
Spain’s Catalonia approved on Monday a decree giving it legal backing to place restrictions on the city of Lleida and its surroundings to stem a surge in coronavirus infections, defying a judge’s earlier ruling that such an order was unlawful.
14th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Thais seek to fix errors that allowed infected foreigners in
Authorities in Thailand have urged almost 1,900 people to quarantine themselves and get tested for the virus after a breakdown in screening allowed two foreigners with the disease to pose a risk to public health. The agency coordinating Thailand's coronavirus response also announced it is rolling back regulations for admitting foreign visitors in order to tighten up procedures.
14th Jul 2020 - ABC News
Paris bubbles over with optimism post-lockdown
Since the first days of déconfinement, Parisians have embraced with gusto a return to normal life that interprets liberally the official guidelines of social distancing and wearing masks. Judging by the festive outdoor hubbub, the feeling of risk has dissipated. At 5 Pailles, a trendy brunch spot in the 10th arrondissement, a densely packed line snakes around the corner on weekends. Bengisu Gunes, a partner in the restaurant, says business has never been better: “It’s like a placebo effect,” she says of the desire to come out again. “Or maybe it’s the French culture — a little revolutionary.” Meanwhile in Britain, where restaurants and pubs reopened on July 4, three-fifths of Britons still don't feel comfortable dining out, according to an Office for National Statistics survey.
14th Jul 2020 - Financial Times
'Great concern' as new Ebola outbreak grows in western DR Congo
WHO says nearly 50 people infected in new Ebola outbreak as DR Congo grapples with COVID-19 and measles epidemics.
14th Jul 2020 - Al Jazeera English
Health Ministry officials said to conclude there’s no escaping 2nd lockdown
TV report comes hours after Health Ministry director assures Israelis his office working to prevent another statewide shutdown, but warns that infection rate has risen to 6%
13th Jul 2020 - Times of Israel
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View this newsletter in fullSummer travel: Which countries in Europe have opened their borders?
Across Europe, governments have started to open their borders after weeks of closure during the coronavirus pandemic. Member states are not, however, legally obliged, to follow the recommendation. The list is to be updated every two weeks, the EU says. Given the pace of change, Euronews has compiled a handy guide to the situation in each European country. In the summer holiday season upon us, people have started to wonder whether they will be able to get away for a break abroad - and how far they will be able to go.
13th Jul 2020 - Euronews
The 9-5 day is 'out of the question': Here's what going back to work in an office will be like
Businesses may run in shifts or only have people in the workplace for a few days per week. Employees are likely to mix working from home with being in an office much more. Leaders hope that flexible hours mean they can attract a more diverse range of staff.
13th Jul 2020 - CNBC
Lockdown rules easing in England, Scotland and Wales from today - here's what's allowed
Lockdown rules are being eased in England, Scotland and Wales today as the three nations continue the long journey back to normal life. Here's what these changes include:
13th Jul 2020 - Sky News
The women who can't get an abortion in lockdown
India's grinding national coronavirus lockdown complicated life for women trying to access safe abortions, and now cities are bringing back restrictions, reports Menaka Rao. In the last week of May, a 20-year old college-going woman in India's capital, Delhi, found out that she was pregnant. The woman, Kiran, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, had already taken abortion pills on the advice of a friend who was a doctor. But they did not work and so, her only option was a surgical abortion.
India, however, was still under lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus. It had enforced some of the world's most severe restrictions, stopping air travel, trains and buses, and confining people to their homes as much as possible.
13th Jul 2020 - BBC News
French consumer spending has almost returned to normal levels - finance minister
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Monday that French consumer spending has almost returned to normal levels and that forced household savings during the coronavirus lockdown period could boost consumption later on in the year. “Our recovery plan...is working. A few weeks ago consumption in France was at minus 30%, today we are just minus 5%, we have almost returned to normal,” Le Maire said on RTL radio. Le Maire also said that he estimates that households will have saved about 100 billion euros (£89.3 billion) by year-end due to the coronavirus crisis. “What I wish for is that they will spend this 100 billion,” he said. Le Maire said that on top of a coronavirus rescue plan worth 460 billion euros in the form of emergency loans for companies and other measures, the government will present another leg of the recovery plan at the end of summer.
13th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus: Nail bars and tattoo salons reopen as England lockdown eases
Beauty salons, spas, tattoo parlours and nail bars are welcoming back their first clients for almost four months, as lockdown restrictions ease further in England. But some treatments, such as eyebrow threading, are still banned, leaving many salons unable to reopen. In Scotland, indoor shopping centres are allowed to reopen. In Wales, pubs, bars and restaurants can start serving customers outdoors, while hairdressers can also reopen. Businesses will be required to follow guidelines to reduce the spread of coronavirus - and treatments which involve work directly in front of the face will not be available.
13th Jul 2020 - BBC News
Shopping centres reopen as lockdown restrictions are eased
Scotland will see "the most significant easing of lockdown" this week with shopping centres, pubs and restaurants reopening, the first minister has said. Non-essential shops inside shopping malls are now allowed to return to business. Children and young people are also permitted to play organised outdoor contact sports. Further restrictions on the indoor hospitality sector will be lifted from Wednesday. Family and friends are also able to visit hospital patients from Monday. Patients can have a designated visitor, although they will have to follow strict public health guidance and arrange a time to visit in advance.
13th Jul 2020 - BBC News
Corporations begin cautious return to UK offices after lockdown
When British holidaymakers return from the beaches and a truncated holiday season, some companies will be preparing to welcome back workers too. After months of Zoom video calls, a number of major businesses are getting ready for a return to (relative) normality. Last week accountancy firm PwC reopened all of its UK offices, while its competitor Deloitte began to allow staff back to some sites in the capital and other regional cities, and employees of law firm Slaughter and May were once again able to opt to work from its London headquarters.
12th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
Banks told they must provide cash machines within a 'reasonable distance' of every UK home
Around 7,200 ATMs have been closed during lockdown out of a total of 60,000. Cash usage has fallen by as much as 90% in some areas during Covid lockdown.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak promised cash machines would be accessible in March
12th Jul 2020 - Daily Mail
Save The Children Warns Almost 10 Million Children May Not Return To School After Covid-19 Lockdown
A new report Save Our Education from Save the Children warns of ‘unprecedented global education emergency’. Deep budget cuts to education and rising poverty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could force at least 9.7 million children out of school forever by the end of this year, with millions more falling behind in learning, Save the Children warns in a new report launched today. As the impacts of the recession triggered by Covid-19 hits families, many children may be forced out of school and into labour markets, and many girls are at risk of being forced into early marriage.
13th Jul 2020 - Scoop.co.nz
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 13th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullBeauty salons to open as coronavirus restrictions relaxed in England
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Beauty salons, nail bars and tattoo shops are to open for the first time in four months as part of the latest relaxation of lockdown restrictions in England. Spas, massage studios and physical therapy businesses will also be able to welcome customers again on Monday. But businesses will be required to meet coronavirus guidelines, and restrictions on treatments which involve work directly in front of the face will not be available. Government guidance states that face waxing, eyelash treatments, make-up application and facials should not be provided because of the greater risk of Covid-19 transmission.
13th Jul 2020 - Express & Star
In Pacific Northwest, camping on rise amid coronavirus
Kampgrounds of America, which bills itself as the “world’s largest system of open-to-the-public campgrounds,” recently released its annual North American Camping Report, this year gauging leisure travelers’ attitudes toward camping during and after the pandemic.
12th Jul 2020 - The Columbian
Coronavirus: Outdoor pools and lidos struggling to reopen
Operators of outdoor swimming pools have criticised the timing of the government announcement allowing them to reopen. Some have decided not to open, claiming a lack of preparation time has made a shorter summer season "unviable". Many are run by community groups or charities and have mounted fundraising efforts in order to survive. The government said "comprehensive guidance" was available to leisure operators.
11th Jul 2020 - BBC News
Walt Disney World reopens in Florida amid Covid-19 surge
Walt Disney World Resort has begun to reopen in Florida despite a coronavirus surge across the US state. The site's Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom opened on Saturday. Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios are expected to follow from 15 July. Visitors will be required to wear masks and adhere to other safety measures across the complex in Orlando. Over a quarter of a million cases of Covid-19 have been reported in Florida, along with 4,197 deaths. Disney first closed the resort in March during the early months of America's outbreak. While infections were largely concentrated in New York and California at first, Florida is among several states recording a rise in cases in recent weeks. In Orange County, where the resort is based, authorities have reported 16,630 cases - some of the highest numbers in Florida.
11th Jul 2020 - BBC News
Georgia to reactivate makeshift hospital at Atlanta convention center
Georgia officials are racing to expand hospital capacity to cope with soaring numbers of coronavirus cases, unveiling plans Friday to reopen a makeshift medical facility at the sprawling convention center in Atlanta and other efforts to add more beds. Gov. Brian Kemp's office said the temporary hospital at the Georgia World Congress Center, which opened in April and shuttered a month later, will soon be reactivated to relieve healthcare systems struggling with rising numbers of coronavirus patients.
10th Jul 2020 - Atlanta Journal Constitution
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 10th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullMorocco to Start Reopening Borders After Strict Lockdown
Morocco will start gradually reopening its air and maritime borders next week after one of the world’s strictest border lockdowns, which trapped tourists inside the country and left thousands of Moroccans stranded abroad and unable to come home. Only Moroccan citizens and expatriates living in Morocco will be allowed to travel in the first stage of the reopening starting July 14, according to a government statement Thursday. National airlines will schedule as many flights as necessary to return Moroccans living abroad as well as foreigners living in Morocco. Passengers are required to present both a PCR virus test taken within fewer than 48 hours of the flight, as well as an antibody test, before boarding planes heading for Morocco.
Ferries from the French port Sete and Italian port Genoa will be allowed to resume serving Moroccan ports. All other ports will be excluded from this operation for now.
9th Jul 2020 - U.S. News & World Report
Coronavirus UK: FCO tells ALL tourists to avoid cruises
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) urges against travel on cruise ships
Government previously urged over-70s to avoid cruise ships due to coronavirus
The FCO says new position comes following advice from Public Health England
Consumer groups has warned decision will lead companies to cancel sailings
10th Jul 2020 - Daily Mail
125 new Covid-19 cases in Singapore, including 21 in the community and 1 imported
There are 125 new coronavirus patients confirmed as of Thursday noon (July 9), taking Singapore's total to 45,422. They include 21 community cases, comprising four Singaporeans or permanent residents and 17 work pass holders, said the Ministry of Health (MOH). Of these 21 cases, five were close contacts of earlier cases and had already been placed on quarantine, MOH said. Epidemiological investigations are being done for the other cases.
10th Jul 2020 - The Straits Times
Scotland is entering phase 3 in the route map out of lockdown, but when will hairdressers reopen again?
Hairdressers are now allowing customers to book appointments, but there may be a waiting list and not all salons will be reopening on the same date, so its worth getting in touch with your hairdresser to make an appointment in advance.
9th Jul 2020 - The Scotsman
Coronavirus: Pools, gyms, team sport and outdoor gigs to return
Dowden said normal life was "slowly returning" and that this was an important milestone for the country's performers and artists, who had been "waiting in the wings since March". "I'm really urging people to get out there and to play their part," he said. "Buy the tickets for outdoor plays and musical recitals, get to your local gallery and support your local businesses." But the culture secretary warned the measures were conditional and reversible, adding that the government would impose local lockdowns if cases started to spike.
9th Jul 2020 - BBC News
UK universities receive record number of applications in lockdown
A record 40.5% of all 18-year-olds in the UK have applied to go to university, with numbers rising significantly during lockdown, according to the university admissions service Ucas. It is the first time that more than four out of 10 students (40.5%) had applied by 30 June to go to university and the figures will offer some comfort to universities bracing themselves for the Covid-19 aftershock. At the same point in the admissions cycle last year, the figure was 38.9%, and Ucas points out that between mid-March and the end of June, when the pandemic was at its height in the UK, applications rose by 17%.
9th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
Traffic fell more in Britain than in any other European country during lockdown
They compared traffic data for February with records for March to June. UK came out bottom for post pandemic recovery out of 19 European countries. Recovery in major cities London, Belfast and Manchester also proved anaemic
9th Jul 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus Cases Show No Sign of Slowing in Worst-Hit U.S., Brazil and India
India on Thursday reported nearly 25,000 new coronavirus infections, as the disease continued its ominous spread through the nation of nearly 1.4 billion people. The virus is showing no signs of slowing in the worst-affected countries: the United States, Brazil and India. The three nations are accounting for more than 60% of new cases, according to recent tallies from Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. reported nearly 59,000 new daily cases, just short of the record 60,000 cases set a day earlier, as President Donald Trump insisted that schools reopen in the fall. Brazil reported nearly 45,000 new cases. The virus has also been spreading rapidly in South Africa, which reported nearly 9,000 new cases in its latest daily update. A provincial health official said 1.5 million grave sites are being prepared and it’s the public’s responsibility “to make sure that we don’t get there.”
9th Jul 2020 - TIME Magazine
Asia Today: India’s cases jump, transmission rate increases
India reported nearly 25,000 new coronavirus infections Thursday and its transmission rate is increasing for the first time since March. The new cases bring the total in the world’s third worst-affected country to 767,296. India’s health ministry said the COVID-19 death toll had risen to 21,129. Research by the Institute of Mathematical Sciences in Chennai shows that India’s virus reproduction rate ticked up in the first week of July to 1.19 after steadily falling from peak transmission of 1.83 in March. The rate needs to be below one for new cases to start falling.
9th Jul 2020 - WTOP
Melbourne shop owners fear the worst as second lockdown begins
Locals accept the decision to reimpose Covid-19 restrictions but say they need help to get through it
9th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 9th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullLockdown heroes: will they ever get a raise?
In the US, they are called “essential” staff, in the UK “key workers” and in France travailleurs clés. The Germans have the most elaborate name for the new group: systemrelevante Arbeitskräfte or “system-relevant workers”. But the essential are not always treated as essential. The pandemic has upended the hierarchy of work, demonstrating that many of the people critical to the functioning of a modern economy are also among the least well paid — from the nurses treating Covid-19 patients to the warehouse and delivery workers who provide vital supplies.
8th Jul 2020 - Financial Times
What regions of Spain are in lockdown and is it safe to travel there?
Europe might have eased many of its lockdown measures, raising hopes that summer holidays might still be on the cards – but it’s not such good news for some parts of Spain. That’s because two regions have found themselves in a local lockdown there, following a surge in Covid-19 cases. It comes after the country lifted its state of emergency last month, and reopened to most of Europe – but which areas are back in lockdown, and is it safe to visit Spain? Here’s what you need to know…
8th Jul 2020 - Metro.co.uk
COVID-19 lock-down: How the Gauteng government plans to safely reopen schools
Since the gradual opening of the economy after lock-down there has been a sharp incline of COVID-19 cases. The government has the task of balancing the health of the people with keeping the economy going and opening the schools. How is the Gauteng provincial government helping? The Gauteng MEC for education is laying out the plans to welcome back school goers….
8th Jul 2020 - CNBCAfrica.com
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 8th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullQuarantine: could a coronavirus test at Heathrow replace self-isolation?
Passengers arriving at Heathrow may soon be able to take a coronavirus test to avoid quarantine. The government has exempted travellers arriving from 60 nations from the need to self-isolate for a minimum of 14 days. But the rule remains in place for more than 100 countries – including, controversially, Portugal and every nation in Africa. Even though the blanket quarantine policy is now eased, the need to self-isolate is dampening enthusiasm for business and leisure journeys.
7th Jul 2020 - The Independent
Shops and bars reopen in São Paulo as Brazil reels from world's second-worst coronavirus outbreak
In Brazil’s largest city São Paulo, shops and bars started to reopen on July 6, 2020, after the city spent over three months in lockdown to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses that reopen are being allowed to operate for six hours a day at 40 per cent capacity. But Covid-19 continues to spread across the country, which reported 1,603,055 cases and 64,867 deaths as of July 6. Brazil’s outbreak is the world's second-largest following the US.
7th Jul 2020 - South China Morning Post
New lockdown rules for the reopening of cinemas and sport in South Africa
Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa has published a new directive outlining the new reopening rules for cinemas, sports, and libraries. The directive, which comes into immediate effect, forms part of the country’s ‘advanced level 3 lockdown’ which saw a number of business sectors reopen to the public. While the amended level 3 directive sets out a number of core regulations which all business must follow, the latest directive from Mthethwa also introduces specific guidelines for the arts and sports sectors. The changes are outlined in more detail below.
7th Jul 2020 - BusinessTech
As Melbourne goes into coronavirus lockdown, it's a sign it could happen anywhere in Australia
For many Victorians, this will feel frustratingly like a reset; back to square one.
For the rest of Australia, it's disquieting news — a reminder this situation could occur at any time in any other state or territory. None of us can be complacent. It's hard, but this is just how vigilant we have to be until a vaccine is found. We're all keen to go back to "life as normal" but the reality is, life as normal doesn't exist for 2020.
7th Jul 2020 - ABC News
Beijing proves a 2nd coronavirus wave doesn’t have to mean a 2nd lockdown
Beijing reported zero new coronavirus cases for the first time in 26 days, a sign the resurgence that ignited fears of a second wave in China looks to have been brought under control for now. The city of more than 20 million people appears to have quelled a flare-up that infected 335 people, with infections down from 36 a day at their peak in mid-June. Authorities took a different approach to the virus when it reappeared in China’s political and economic hub after nearly two months of no locally transmitted cases than they did in Wuhan, the central city where the pathogen first emerged.
7th Jul 2020 - Fortune
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 7th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullWhat is the guidance for vulnerable staff in September?
Since March, teachers who are vulnerable, extremely vulnerable or share households with those who are vulnerable, have been protected by the shielding guidelines. But with the new guidance released on Thursday, it is clear that this will change when all students return in September.
7th Jul 2020 - TES News
Lessons from China: Agency execs discuss impact of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and its aftermath on pharma
The COVID-19 pandemic placed China in the spotlight, not only because it had the first cases of the disease but because it had some of the earliest reopenings. It’s an unenviable position, but one that can give insight into the impact on the pharma industry across issues such as digital engagement, healthcare access and communications. WPP Health's Claire Gillis, international CEO, and Yi Han, executive vice president of WG Market Access, have had front-row seats to COVID-19 in China. Gillis travels frequently to China for WPP, while Han splits his time between Shanghai and the U.S. Both worked throughout the pandemic with pharma clients and agency teams in China, and more recently have tackled reopening issues. The two spoke to Fierce Pharma about what they’ve learned and how the pharma industry will permanently change—and in some ways already has—because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
6th Jul 2020 - FiercePharma
German restaurants still hungry for customers post-lockdown
6th Jul 2020 - Bangkok Post
Colleges Plan to Reopen Campuses, but for Just Some Students at a Time
To provide some semblance of the campus experience during a pandemic, colleges say large chunks of the student body will have to stay away and study remotely for all or part of the year.
6th Jul 2020 - The New York Times
13 UK universities on brink of collapse without COVID-19 bailout: Report
An estimated 13 UK universities, educating around 5 per cent of students in the country, would not be able to survive the coronavirus pandemic lockdown without a government bailout support. The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) estimates that long-term losses for the UK's higher education sector could come in anywhere between 3 billion pounds and 19 billion pounds, with the biggest losses stemming from a fall in international student enrolments including those from India who make up a large chunk of that segment.
6th Jul 2020 - National Herald
Coronavirus: Scotland reopens beer gardens and outdoor cafes as lockdown eases
People in Scotland are now able to return to beer gardens and pavement cafes after they opened for the first time in 15 weeks. But customers are being warned that al fresco eating and drinking will not be the same as it was before the lockdown. As well as following strict distancing and hygiene rules, they will have to leave their contact details so they can be traced in the event of an outbreak. Pubs and restaurants should be able to welcome customers indoors from 15 July. That will be part of phase three of the Scottish government's route map out of lockdown, which First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to confirm on Thursday.
6th Jul 2020 - BBC News
France's Louvre reopens after 16-week virus shutdown
The world's most visited museum, the Louvre in Paris, reopened Monday after nearly four months of coronavirus closure, with a restricted number of visitors enjoying a rare chance to view the "Mona Lisa" without the usual throngs. Several dozen visitors queued outside the vast former palace of France's kings, eagerly awaiting the opening as the famed museum hopes to start recuperating losses estimated at more than 40 million euros (US$45 million) due to the lockdown. The museum's most popular draws, including Leonardo's Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and the Louvre's vast antiquities collection will be accessible.
5th Jul 2020 - CTV News
Arrests as revelers defy distancing rules after pubs reopen in England
5th Jul 2020 - NBC News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 6th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullItaly’s problem with working women made worse by coronavirus
Italy has never been a country for working women. And as it's done for so many things, the coronavirus has only made things worse. With few options for affordable public child care, many new mothers find that they can’t return to work after taking maternity leave. Or that when they do, a male-dominated work culture that doesn’t allow for flexible hours means they can’t keep up with their employer’s demands.
5th Jul 2020 - Politico
Coronavirus: Arts venues welcome £1.57bn government support
The government has unveiled a £1.57bn support package to help protect the futures of UK theatres, galleries, museums and other cultural venues. It follows several weeks of pressure, with industry leaders warning that many venues were on the brink of collapse. Independent cinemas, heritage sites and music venues will also be eligible for the new emergency grants and loans. Guidance for a phased return of the performing arts is expected to be published by the government shortly.
A string of theatres have announced plans to make staff redundant in recent weeks, after being closed since the coronavirus pandemic took hold earlier this year. The announcement of the new funding comes just two days after theatres across the UK were covered in colourful messages of support.
5th Jul 2020 - BBC News
'How the hell are we going to do this?' The panic over reopening schools
Pediatricians say schools should strive to bring kids back to classrooms. Teachers unions are on the verge of revolt, in fear of infections. Local school districts are struggling with everything from technology to staging schools for socially distanced learning. And Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is largely on the sidelines, saying the coronavirus back-to-school planning is a state and local issue.
5th Jul 2020 - POLITICO
Coronavirus: Scotland reopens beer gardens and outdoor cafes as lockdown eases
People in Scotland will be able to return to beer gardens and pavement cafes as they open for the first time in 15 weeks. But customers are being warned that al fresco eating and drinking will not be the same as it was before the lockdown. As well as following strict distancing and hygiene rules, they will have to leave their contact details so they can be traced in the event of an outbreak. Pubs and restaurants should be able to welcome customers indoors from 15 July. That will be part of phase three of the Scottish government's route map out of lockdown, which Nicola Sturgeon is expected to confirm on Thursday.
5th Jul 2020 - BBC News
Former WHO director Anthony Costello: 'Opening pubs before schools says something about our priorities'
The paediatrician and member of Independent Sage on Matt Hancock, the likelihood of a vaccine and why 50,000 deaths were preventable
5th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
Will covid-19 be the catalyst for a "new deal" for the health and wellbeing of women, children and adolescents?
This week, I joined online with over 1700 delegates from 120 countries for Lives in the Balance: A covid-19 summit to explore ways of improving and increasing investment in health systems and social protection policies for women, children, and adolescents as the world rebuilds in the wake of the pandemic. As we came together, we reflected on the fact that the world had recently hit the grim milestone, of over 500,000 deaths from covid-19. Yet the World Health Organisation warns us that the worst of the pandemic is yet to come, and we see the deepening global public health crisis compounded by full blown social and economic crises with implications for global peace and security.
2nd Jul 2020 - The BMJ
We Returned to Normal
My wife, kids, and I left our apartment in Brooklyn for my wife’s home country of Iceland, where the coronavirus is mostly under control. What we found is what Americans will not have for a long time: ordinary life.
4th Jul 2020 - The Atlantic
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 3rd Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullDozens of Educators Exposed to Coronavirus During School Reopening Meeting
Dozens of educators in Northern California were asked to quarantine after they were exposed to COVID-19 during an in-person school reopening meeting last month. A leadership team with the Santa Clara Unified School District met in person on June 19 to discuss strategies to help schools open safely in the fall, district superintendent Stella Kemp said during a virtual board meeting last week. Though many meetings held among school officials have been conducted online due to the continuing threat of the pandemic, Kemp said the complexity of the district's path to reopening required in-person discussions.
3rd Jul 2020 - Newsweek
How COVID-19 is disrupting UK's transport network
A study by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has highlighted that preferences for working and socialising remotely post-lockdown will see a move away, at least in the short term, from the infrastructure demand patterns that existed prior to the pandemic. Drawing on YouGov polling data, ICE found that 61 per cent of UK adults support increasing the frequency of remote working. Some 32 per cent think there should be a transition to a permanent at-home working environment where possible, while 44 per cent are likely to avoid travelling on public transport networks.
3rd Jul 2020 - Raconteur
Covid will change University life, predicts Pearson boss
He argues that with children unable to go to school it will speed up the move towards online learning and for a mix of digital and classroom tuition, which could augur well for Pearson if it can take advantage. 'The virus will accelerate changes that are already happening including the trend for online learning which is the whole focus of our business for the past decade,' he says. He and his successor will have to hope so. Although Cevian does not share the aggressive approach of its US counterparts, it does want faster progress from Pearson, whose attempts to transform itself have been a long-running disappointment.
2nd Jul 2020 - This is Money
End of lockdown fails to boost jobs market in Spain
The end of the coronavirus lockdown in Spain failed to bring a surge in employment as government data showed that the 900,000 jobs lost at the pandemic’s peak had not been regained, while the tourism sector has not yet returned to regular activity. The number of people in Spain registering as jobless rose by 0.13% in June from a month earlier, or by 5,017 people, leaving 3.86 million people out of work, Labour Ministry data showed on Thursday. The number of registered jobless people had risen in May by 0.68%. Overall there were 847,197 more jobless people in June than in the same month a year ago. A net 99,906 jobs were lost in June. According to data from the Social Security Ministry, on average 68,208 new jobs were registered in June compared to May, but 161,500 people were fired on the last day of the month.
2nd Jul 2020 - Reuters on MSN.com
Return to class to be reviewed 'day-by-day' as school spread widens
2nd Jul 2020 - The Age
How will schools return safely in September?
All pupils should be back in school in England by September under new government guidelines announced on Thursday by the education secretary. From the beginning of the autumn term, limits on attendance will be lifted to allow schools to open at full capacity, and schools and colleges are being asked to return to a full curriculum ahead of exams next summer. But, after several false starts, how will schools open safely to all pupils after the summer break according to the latest government blue print set out by Gavin Williamson on Thursday.
2nd Jul 2020 - ITV News
Star Alliance airlines agree to common set of health and hygiene standards
The 26 member airlines of Star Alliance have agreed to a common set of health and hygiene safety measures. These measures include providing passengers with hygiene kits; requiring or recommending passengers to wear face masks during boarding and de-boarding, and throughout the flight; announcing or displaying signs on mandatory requirements to minimise the risk of spreading coronavirus infections during a flight; adopting operating procedures for cases where a passenger develops or displays coronavirus symptoms during a flight; providing operating crew with personal protective equipment; and cleaning or disinfecting aircraft at “relevant intervals”.
2nd Jul 2020 - Business Traveller
Home test results are taking so long 'they render tracing scheme useless'
Half of coronavirus tests carried out in the community are taking four days as standard to return results, it has emerged as the Government misses its 24 hour target. Home testing of symptomatic cases, which has accounted for more than 2.7 million tests in the official statistics, is taking so long that it is rendering the track and trace system useless, scientists have warned. The Daily Telegraph can disclose that even if every part of the process runs to the plan, it will be around 96 hours after the original case develops symptoms before the contact tracing process even begins.
2nd Jul 2020 - Telegraph.co.uk
Schools in Thailand reopen with strict hygiene rules
After months of closure due to COVID-19, schools across Thailand reopened on Wednesday under hygiene guidelines and attendance restrictions to prevent the coronavirus outbreak. Schools put attendance limits determined from their facility capacities and class sizes. They have accommodated social distancing and conduct strict health screening in the wake of the pandemic. Public Health Ministry’s social distancing rule allows only one pupil in a four-square-meter classroom space. Therefore, in most cases, students are divided into two groups taking turns to attend their classes. Pupils and parents have to adjust to the regulations and new environment. Many said they were excited with “back to school” under the new rules.
2nd Jul 2020 - Pattaya Mail
American lockdown exceptionalism
As the number of COVID-19 cases starts to rise again in many U.S. states, the question is whether residents of those states will tolerate another lockdown. I used to think so, but it is increasingly clear that Americans have become comfortable with a remarkably high number of casualties. There is a mechanism of social conformity at work here. Most people will not tolerate a small risk to their lives to dine out, for instance — but they might if all their friends are doing the same. The appeal of a restaurant isn’t just the food, it’s the shared experience and the sense that others are doing it, too. The danger lies in the potential for ratchet effects. If hardly anyone is eating out or going to bars, you might be able to endure the deprivation. But once others have started doing something, you will probably feel compelled to join them, even at greater risk to your life.
2nd Jul 2020 - The Japan Times
How Coronavirus Will Reshape US Cities
The pandemic will likely accelerate the pull of the suburbs for families while pushing young people and businesses into more affordable urban areas.
2nd Jul 2020 - Bloomberg
Q&A: 'We are only at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic' – Prof. Peter Piot
We’re only at the start of the coronavirus pandemic although the second wave may take a different form to the first one, says veteran virologist Professor Peter Piot, who has spent the past 40 years tracking down and fighting viruses. Prof. Piot, who helped discover Ebola at age 27 and has led the fight against HIV and AIDS, contracted coronavirus earlier this year. The director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the UK, and a special advisor on coronavirus to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke to Horizon about how having Covid-19 changed his perspective on the illness, why we need a vaccine and the long-term impacts of the pandemic.
26th Jun 2020 - Horizon magazine
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 2nd Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullGovernment's $70 million lifeline for New Zealand film and TV industry
The Government has handed a $73 million lifeline to New Zealand's film and TV industry, which has been struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wednesday's funding boost will cover new and existing projects and is expected to save thousands of jobs. While many people heralded the resurrection of high-profile movie Avatar last month, most of New Zealand's domestic film industry remains in lockdown. "There were 47 films in production at various stages before COVID lockdown, but only one has started up again," Dame Kerry Prendergast, chair of NZ Film Commission, said. The $3 billion, 16,000 job industry was at serious risk of a dramatic shrinking but after continued pleas, they netted a huge multi-million dollar cash injection. Kelly Martin, the producer of the upcoming Robyn Malcolm film This Town says it's "amazing". "It's fantastic that the Government is acknowledging the screen sector needs support," Martin said.
1st Jul 2020 - Newshub
'Utter abandonment' of special needs families during lockdown
Families of children with special educational needs have felt "utterly abandoned" during school closures, an MPs' committee has been told. Witnesses told the education committee those with extra educational, physical or emotional needs had seen support "fall off a cliff" amid lockdown. Risk assessments linked to Covid-19 had been used by some schools to prevent SEND pupils attending, it heard. There was also concern national catch-up plans do not mention SEND children. Witnesses from the special educational needs and disability (SEND) world painted a bleak and disturbing picture of life for pupils with additional needs.
1st Jul 2020 - BBC News
Face masks, COVID-19 screening: EU issues guidelines for return to cruising amid pandemic
On Tuesday, the EU released 49 pages worth of interim guidance for the cruise industry to adhere as cruising begins to resume, the same day it announced Americans would be barred from entering. The EU's Healthy Gateways program, which provides ground rules on public health for member countries' borders, ports and airports, stressed that reducing the risk of COVID-19 infection should be the cruise lines' should be top of mind from the booking process all the way through to the time passengers and crew members return home.
2nd Jul 2020 - USA TODAY
UVI To Reopen This Fall With Mandatory Face Masks, Reduced Classrooms And Strict Social Distancing
University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) President Dr. David Hall addressed the UVI community on Tuesday during a virtual town hall meeting to discuss the University’s fall 2020 semester plans and operations, in light of the continued challenges posed by COVID-19. According to UVI, Dr. Hall outlined plans to gradually resume in-person instruction this fall with restrictions and preventative measures to ensure the safety of students, employees and the public. In the virtual meeting hosted on Zoom, Dr. Hall also answered questions from students relative to University housing and dining services, the resumption of classes and Coronavirus testing.
1st Jul 2020 - VI Consortium
Peru's biggest LGBTQ nightclub reopens as grocery store to survive pandemic
As Peru begins to ease its strict coronavirus lockdown, the country's biggest LGBTQ nightclub opened its doors on Tuesday, but there will be no nighttime revelers; its dance floor will instead be filled with shelves stocked with groceries.
Instead of slinging cocktails at the bar or dancing on stage, ValeTodo Downtown's famed staff of drag queens will sell customers daily household products as the space reopens as a market while nightclubs are ordered to remain closed. The Peruvian government will lift the lockdown in most regions of the country at the beginning of July, but will keep borders closed, as well as nightclubs and bars.
The lockdown has been a struggle for the club's 120 employees like drag queen Belaluh McQueen. Her life completely changed when the government announced the quarantine. Her nights were spent at home, rather than performing as a dancer at the club in vivid-colored costumes.
1st Jul 2020 - Yahoo News UK
Ryanair resumes flights from Leeds Bradford to Spain and France | ITV News
The airline Ryanair will resume 40 percent of its flights from today - including from Leeds Bradford Airport to Spain and France. It's introduced new guidelines such as fewer bag checks, online check-in and temperature measures at airport entry, More than 1,000 flights per day will be operated by Ryanair, which has run a skeleton schedule since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is restoring almost 90% of its route network but frequencies will be lower than normal, with just 40% of its normal July capacity.
1st Jul 2020 - ITV News
Coronavirus: Threat of significant fines and jail time as Melbourne tightens lockdown rules
More than 300,000 people in Australia are going into lockdown for a month - with a neighbouring state threatening to fine or jail anyone who travels from coronavirus hotspots. More than 30 suburbs in Melbourne, in the state of Victoria, are going to face tightened restrictions for four weeks - prohibiting them from leaving home unless they are buying food, exercising, or have a health appointment. New South Wales (NSW), a nearby state that includes the cities of Canberra and Sydney, has now imposed measures designed to deter visitors from Victoria.
1st Jul 2020 - Sky News
No 2nd second lockdown in Colombia's capital after major ICU capacity boost
The mayor of Colombia’s capital Bogota said she wouldn’t call a second lockdown, claiming the health ministry would provide more intensive care units (ICU’s) to treat COVID-19 patients. Following a meeting with Health Minister Fernando Ruiz, Mayor Claudia Lopez said the ministry vowed to give the capital more than the 425 ICU’s promised before the end of August. “There won’t be another lockdown”
Consequently, “there’s won’t be another lockdown,” said Lopez. Lopez had stepped up pressure on the government of President Ivan Duque, threatening to suspend the government’s economic reactivation plans if a 75% ICU occupancy rate forced her to declare a red alert. The increased number of ICU’s, however, “added to those already bought by Bogota,allow us to have a good care system in July,” according to the mayor.
1st Jul 2020 - Colombia Reports
Covid-19 accelerates trust adoption of mobile technology for ICU nurses
Hospital nurses at a Surrey trust have adopted mobile technology during the coronavirus pandemic to take part in “remote” ward rounds and arrange “virtual” visiting for patients. Staff at Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust are using robust smartphones that meet NHS hygiene guidelines to communicate and carry out “remote” ward rounds in the 24-bed intensive care unit.
1st Jul 2020 - Nursing Times
Lockdown easing pits Irish health officials against airline bosses
Ryanair used its return to a more regular schedule on Wednesday to pile pressure on its home market of Ireland to ease travel restrictions in a debate that has pitted airline bosses against increasingly cautious health officials. Ireland’s then caretaker government said last week it planned to lift a 14-day quarantine for anyone travelling to and from countries that have also suppressed the coronavirus from July 9 and would publish a list of safe countries. However, new prime minister Micheál Martin, appointed last weekend, said on Monday he would take a cautious approach to opening up air travel after health authorities warned this could reignite the coronavirus crisis in Ireland. “We can’t say we’re somehow different, close the doors and throw away the keys. On that basis we may as well move out to the Aran Islands,” Eddie Wilson, chief executive of Ryanair’s main airline unit, told the Newstalk radio station, referring to the tiny Irish islands off its west coast.
1st Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Brazil shuts down bar disguised as pet shop to skirt lockdown
A pet shop with no pets has been busted for being a front for a bar in Brazil. Municipal authorities in the city of Petropolis said they discovered the speakeasy after neighbours complained. Inspectors found 16 patrons drinking beer, none of them wearing a mandatory mask or keeping to social distancing rules.
1st Jul 2020 - SBS News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 1st Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullIf Americans keep ignoring COVID-19 safety precautions, we'll have to shut down. Again.
As I was riding my bicycle around Manhattan last weekend, I encountered too many disturbing examples of people in denial, and not just against COVID-19. While almost all the cyclists wore masks, few wore helmets — as though to say they were only capable of one health safety action at a time. Most of the pedestrians did not wear masks at all and, worse, were huddling close together. At the outdoor restaurants I passed, the waiters wore cloth masks but none of the customers did, as though they believed the myth that this virus could not be spread outside. This was not a city with a consistent protective response against the potential resurgence of COVID-19, but rather one rejoicing in the good weather and having broken free of the restrictions of the past three months. Unfortunately, the viral storm could return here at any time. We are doing well in New York, with only 1% of those tested coming back positive, but things are far worse in the South and West, with almost 15% of Texans and nearly 16% of Floridians who are tested receiving positive results.
30th Jun 2020 - USA Today
How schools across the globe are reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic
Each morning before Chengbao Shang leaves for school in Guangzhou, China, his parents take the 7-year-old’s temperature and send the results to his teacher using a program on WeChat, the popular Chinese social media platform. It’s the same for every student in this city of more than 15 million. Chengbao’s father then drives him to school and drops him off 20 yards away from the campus. Chengbao, a first-grade student, gets his temperature taken again when he approaches the front gate of the school, this time by security guards. He and his classmates enter one-by-one, walking about three feet apart. He then goes to his classroom, where 51 students sit at their own desks, also three feet from their closest classmates.
30th Jun 2020 - EdSource
Nome Staff & Students Expected to Wear Masks At School Starting in the Fall
NPS Superintendent Jamie Burgess told the Nome school board last week [June 23rd], the upcoming school year will include measures like wearing PPE and even under-going daily temperature screenings. Burgess knows that will be an adjustment for many students and that some families won’t be comfortable with the idea. NPS will try to make masks available for free to help students who can’t or won’t come in with their own mask every day.
30th Jun 2020 - Knom
Venezuela Tightens Quarantine in COVID-19 Hotspots amid Record Daily Case Count
The Venezuelan government has toughened lockdown measures in hotspot localities as the COVID-19 pandemic picks up. Starting Monday, 30 percent of the country will return to a strict quarantine after a month of easing restrictions , in which a range of enterprises were allowed to reopen across the country on a week-on-week-off basis, including banks, hardware stores and dentists.
30th Jun 2020 - MENAFN.COM
Derbyshire among areas in England at risk of 'local lockdown' as coronavirus cases spike
Derbyshire is one of 36 areas in the England experiencing spikes in coronavirus cases as ‘local lockdowns’ are discussed in parliament to target locations where the disease appears to be most prevalent.
30th Jun 2020 - Derbyshire Times
Thailand to ease nightlife lockdown, allow some entry to foreigners
Thailand's nightlife will restart with some restrictions this week, the kingdom announced Monday, part of a return to normalcy as it prepares to welcome business travellers and medical tourists after a ban on foreign entry. So far Thailand has 3,169 cases and 58 deaths from the coronavirus -- a low toll considering the kingdom in mid-January became was the first country outside China to register a case. But the country's tourism-reliant economy has been hit hard by the border closures, while a halt to its infamous nightlife has left the kingdom's informal workers -- in bars, massage parlours, and karaoke lounges -- adrift.
Premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha said the "most at-risk businesses" will be allowed to reopen from Wednesday, as there has been no local transmission of the virus for more than a month.
29th Jun 2020 - Yahoo News UK
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 30th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullWhat Italy's Post-Lockdown Life Reveals About The New Normal
Italy, once the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, has been easing restrictions for two months. Here are the lessons now emerging.
26th Jun 2020 - HuffPost
Can I go clubbing? Yes – in New Zealand! Your guide to easing and the arts
Actors, dancers and comedians could find themselves experiencing a different kind of lockdown. Fancourt mentions film sets in the US, where entire casts and crews are agreeing to isolate for two weeks before a shoot. “We might have companies of people locking themselves away over a period,” she says. “Alternatively, if we’re able to exist in a state of semi-lockdown, with some social interaction permitted, theatres may be able to adapt their models. “Instead of having multiple different shows with different companies coming in and out, we might end up with scenarios like the Royal Shakespeare Company, where you have companies of actors who stay and do shows as a collective in one place. So the number of social interactions among the company is limited and it’s easier to track and trace if an infection does occur.”
29th Jun 2020 - The Guardian
First UK night out of lockdown – camping in Northern Ireland
In the same week Northern Ireland became the first part of the UK to allow camping, a new glampsite opened in the Sperrin mountains’ dark sky park
29th Jun 2020 - The Guardian
Dr Tom Frieden: 'Blaming CDC for US Covid failures is like blaming someone encased in concrete for failing to swim'
'Public health is sometimes seen as having failed in this response, but the truth is that leaders failed to follow public health advice'
29th Jun 2020 - The Daily Telegraph
High Street gets set to reopen as Scotland continues to emerge from lockdown
The first stage of Scotland's High Street recovery launched on Monday, with retailers opening their doors to customers for the first time in 14 weeks.
29th Jun 2020 - The Courier
Spain maintains ban on cruise ships even as tourism sector reopens
29th Jun 2020 - Yahoo News UK
With coronavirus surge, L.A. County may run out of ICU beds
Los Angeles County health officials issued a dire warning Monday that conditions amid the COVID-19 pandemic are deteriorating rapidly and the highly contagious virus is spreading swiftly in the nation’s most populous county. They said they are now faced with one of their biggest fears: that the reopening of L.A. County would coincide with sudden jumps in disease transmission that have the potential to overwhelm public and private hospitals. L.A. County has long been the epicenter of the coronavirus in California — with nearly 98,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,300 deaths — but officials said Monday that the outbreak is worsening. Barbara Ferrer, the director of public health for L.A. County, said that new data show “alarming increases in cases, positivity rates and hospitalization.”
29th Jun 2020 - Los Angeles Times
Austria lifts travel warning for German state of North Rhine-Westphalia
Austria has withdrawn a general travel warning for Germany's most populous state issued after a massive coronavirus outbreak at a meat processing plant.
The country put the warning in place for people travelling from North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) following the outbreak at Tönnies meat plant in Gütersloh.
Now it has been lifted – but the ban remains in place on the Gütershloh district of NRW. "As of today (Sunday) at midnight, the general travel warning for North Rhine-Westphalia will be lifted; it will only apply to the district of Gütersloh," said Elisabeth Köstinger, the Austrian minister responsible for tourism, during a live broadcast organised by German newspaper Bild. If people from Gütersloh want to visit neighbouring Austria, they have to present a negative coronavirus test that is less than 48 hours old. Those who can do this will "be able to start their vacation in Austria", said Köstinger.
29th Jun 2020 - The Local Europe
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 29th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullSouth Africa to reopen casinos and cinemas despite COVID-19 spread
Tourism is an important revenue-earner and three months of lockdown has left many businesses fighting for survival. “We are continuing with the effort to reactivate the tourism sector so that we can save businesses and jobs in the sector,” Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said in a televised briefing, after warning last month that up to 600,000 jobs were at risk if the sector remained shut until September. Business travel has been allowed from June 1, but overnight leisure stays are still forbidden to try to contain the spread of the virus.
26th Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
Ireland to keep its 14-day quarantine on British travellers: Sunday Times
Ireland will maintain a 14-day quarantine for travellers from the British mainland in July even as it plans to ease travel restrictions with some countries, the Sunday Times newspaper reported, citing a memo. The memo with the Irish cabinet committee said it was "highly unlikely" that Britain would be included in Ireland's safe travel list, the report added. Ireland plans to lift from July 9 a 14-day quarantine for people arriving from countries that have also suppressed the coronavirus, the Irish government said on Thursday.
28th Jun 2020 - Reuters
Government to introduce summer holiday ‘traffic-light’ quarantine system
With the start of the main July and August holiday season just four days away, the government has changed tack on easing its “no-holiday” policy. Relaxation of the UK’s quarantine rules and travel advice will not now come until the week after next, Downing Street signalled, as it announced a new traffic-light system that will open up routes to popular destinations like France and Spain. Critics of the blanket quarantine policy have accused the government of a U-turn and are asking why a targeted approach was not used from the start.
27th Jun 2020 - The Independent
Today: China, S. Korea report new cases in double digits : The Asahi Shimbun
China has reported an uptick in new coronavirus cases, a day after the nation’s CDC said it expects an outbreak in Beijing to be brought under control soon. The National Health Commission said Saturday that 21 cases had been confirmed nationwide in the latest 24-hour period, including 17 in the nation’s capital. City officials have temporarily shut a huge wholesale food market where the virus spread widely, re-closed schools and locked down some neighborhoods.
A report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that testing has found only a few infected people without a link to the market and that the steps taken mean the risk of further spread is low, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
Anyone leaving Beijing is required to have a negative result from a nucleic acid test within the previous seven days. Many Chinese are traveling during a four-day holiday weekend that ends Sunday.
27th Jun 2020 - Asahi Shimbun
Corona and the Age of Ubuntu
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Melinda Gates, speaking on CNN, predicted that the pandemic would devastate the developing world and that she would imagine bodies lying on the streets of African countries. This was when refrigerated trucks were carrying off the corpses of COVID-19 victims from US hospitals, and sports arenas were being repurposed as intensive care units in the US. It seemed inevitable that Africa, which has felt the brunt of virtually all epidemics to hit the world over the last 50 years, would become the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak. If even the highly advanced medical teams and state-of-the-art equipment in Europe and the US could not halt its relentless march, what hope had Africa? Well, the hammer did not fall – or rather, it fell rather lightly, causing very little damage, relatively speaking. Let’s look at some comparative figures as at May 20:
26th Jun 2020 - The Southern Times
COVID-19: France reports more than 1,500 new cases since end-May
France reported more than 1,500 new confirmed novel coronavirus cases on Friday (Jun 26), a spike unseen since May 30, while the number of additional fatalities linked to the virus rose by the highest amount in three days. French health authorities said in a statement the total of newly confirmed infections rose by 1,588, way above both the daily average of 498 seen over the last seven days and the 430 daily average since the beginning of June. The number of people who died from the disease increased by 26 to 29,778, compared to 21 on Thursday and 11 on Wednesday and an average of 19 over the past seven days.
26th Jun 2020 - Channel NewsAsia
Asia Today: India's cases spike again to near half-million
India neared half a million confirmed coronavirus cases Friday with its biggest 24-hour spike of 17,296 new infections, prompting a delay in resumption of regular train services of more than a month. The new cases took India’s total to 490,401. The Health Ministry also reported 407 more deaths in the previous 24 hours, taking its total fatalities to 15,301. The ministry said the recovery rate was continuing to improve at 57.43%. Also, deaths per 100,000 stood at 1.86 against the world average of 6.24 per 100,000, it said. The actual numbers of infections and deaths from COVID-19, like elsewhere in the world, are thought to be far higher due to a number of reasons including limited testing.
26th Jun 2020 - The Associated Press
Record rise in virus cases as Ukraine warns of 'serious wave'
Ukraine on Friday reported a record daily increase in coronavirus cases as authorities warned lockdowns may have to be re-imposed if people continued to flout restrictions. Health authorities recorded 1,109 new coronavirus infections in the previous 24 hours, bringing Ukraine's total to more than 41,000. "People have ceased to comply with restrictions," Prime Minister Denys Shmygal wrote on his Telegram channel late Thursday. "If we want to preserve the economy and not quarantine the country, the only way is to adhere to restrictions together." Ukrainian officials have repeatedly complained that people are ignoring social distancing and other safety rules after anti-virus restrictions were eased last month.
26th Jun 2020 - Medical Xpress
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 26th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullDoctors urge holidaymakers to act with “extreme caution” over second Covid-19 wave fears
The British Medical Association (BMA) has pleaded with holidaymakers to practice social distancing ahead of the tourism industry reopening next weekend
26th Jun 2020 - Mirror.co.uk
Europe sees surge in cases since easing of lockdowns, says WHO
Europe has reported an increase in weekly coronavirus cases for the first time in months, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Hans Kluge, the regional director of the WHO in Europe, said the continent continues to report nearly 20,
25th Jun 2020 - The Independent
Surge in virus numbers highlights challenges, renews concerns over school reopening plans
Florida has seen a dramatic rise in confirmed cases of the virus, with the state Department of Health reporting over 3,000 new cases in six of the last seven days, including a record 5,511 new cases Wednesday. As of Wednesday, Florida's total number of cases stood at 109,014, with 3,281 deaths, the agency reported. Brevard has seen more than 1,000 cases since the pandemic began, with 17 deaths. Despite the sudden spike, which has coincided with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' phased reopening plan, parents remain deeply divided on the question of whether and how schools should open in August. A school district survey has so far garnered over 9,000 community responses but yielded little consensus on issues like staggered school schedules, distance learning and masks in the classroom. And while some parents worry about returning their children to the crowded school setting, many are eager to have their kids back in the classroom.
25th Jun 2020 - Florida Today
Spain squashed coronavirus. Will British tourists undo all that hard work?
In this first round of the Covid-19 pandemic, two countries vie for the gruesome title of having suffered the most deadly consequences – Britain and Spain. Between them, they currently share 107,000 dead, measured in terms of excess mortality.
The comparisons end there. Spain had Europe’s strictest coronavirus lockdown, with children housebound for weeks and army patrols to enforce it. That has produced a dramatic tail-off. Spain’s mortality rate returned to normal on 10 May, after exactly two months of excess deaths compared with the same period over the previous five years. Britain continues to register excess deaths and, in the downward race to be the worst, has edged ahead. This is not just a matter of contrasting British failure with Spanish success. For, as Spain opens its frontiers, it threatens to become something else – a clash of Covid-19 cultures in which Spaniards can only lose.
25th Jun 2020 - The Guardian
Covid-19 Impacts in the Democratic Republic of Congo | Crisis to Opportunities Series
The global Covid-19 crisis has shed a light on the deep-seated inequities in the way our rivers and the people who depend on them are treated. With the exposure created by this crisis comes an opportunity. As International Rivers adapts to current circumstances, we are strengthening our support network to partners and communities facing immediate challenges, while working toward solutions that re-imagine a healthier future for our rivers. We are grounding this work in the direct experience of our long-time partners and those facing increased threats. The following blog series, “Crisis to Opportunities,” is written by our regional campaign staff. For each region, we seek to answer two questions: And what solutions are arising?
25th Jun 2020 - International Rivers
Lockdown might be easing, but the NHS still needs protecting
This week, many doctors, including myself, were rightly disturbed by the results of the latest BMA survey. It found that more than a third of BAME doctors in the UK are still not being given access to potentially life-saving Covid-19 risk assessments – nearly two months after NHS England issued recommendations that risk assessments should be carried out for all staff as a precautionary measure. For white doctors, 42% said they haven’t had risk assessments yet. Results also showed that BAME doctors are still less likely to feel fully protected from coronavirus compared to their white colleagues, and far more likely to often feel pressured into treating patients without appropriate personal protective equipment, which is incredibly worrying.
25th Jun 2020 - Pulse
What it's like to visit Paris post-lockdown
To preserve the ambience, Jégo was forced to rethink the layout of the restaurant he's helmed over the last 17 years. He quickly came up with a concept that takes the bistro back to its original roots, when it sold coffee, wine and sandwiches alongside newspapers and produce to the neighborhood locals nearly a century ago. The reinvented restaurant now features a small garden market in the front window that sells local produce -- cherries, heirloom carrots and tomatoes -- along with housemade paté and terrines. To draw in the after work and apéro crowd, bar stools, high tables and a tapas bar have been set up at the front of the bistro, while a separate space inside sells a selection of the chef's favorite wines. In a bid to make Chez L'Ami Jean more accessible, only a few reservations will be accepted at a time, according to the chef.
25th Jun 2020 - CNN
How waste management companies have worked to keep collection personnel safe during COVID-19
As COVID-19 concerns accelerated in mid-March, waste management companies heeded the call to help keep collection workers safe.
25th Jun 2020 - C&D Recycling
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 25th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Government to tear up red tape to allow more outdoor drinking and dining
A bonfire of red tape is being unveiled by Boris Johnson in a move to help the economy to recover from coronavirus and the nation to enjoy the summer sunshine outdoors. On the day temperatures are set to soar to a record 34C - hotter than the Caribbean and Morocco - the government is publishing new legislation sweeping away dozens of planning regulations. The result will be more food and alcohol on sale outdoors, more outdoor markets, car boot sales and summer fairs, all allowed without the burden of restrictive planning and licensing laws. A Business and Planning Bill, packed with deregulation proposals, is being introduced in the Commons, with ministers claiming it will help businesses get back on their feet and get people back in their jobs safely.
25th Jun 2020 - Sky News
Vacant seats, pre-packed snacks: UK's Odeon seeks to woo guests as cinemas reopen
Britain’s Odeon Cinemas will reopen its theatres from July 4 with pre-packaged food and drinks and vacant seats between guests to reassure them of its safety measures, as England begins to ease its coronavirus lockdown. The cinema operator, owned by the U.S.-based AMC Entertainment (AMC.N), said on Thursday it will initially reopen 10 sites, followed by another 88 by July 16, just in time for the summer blockbusters. Operators, including rival Cineworld (CINE.L) and premium cinema group Everyman Media (EMANE.L), have laid out plans to reopen theatres after closing them in March to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Theatres will have contactless ticket checks and till payments to buy snacks, along with ‘Grab & Go’ kits that include a bottled drink, popcorn and a bag of sweets to speed up service, Odeon said.
25th Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus UK: NHS holidays cancelled amid second wave fears
The Royal Cornwall Trust admitted it was denying its staff holidays in October
NHS bosses fear second wave could threaten to overwhelm hospitals in autumn
Comes as 16 of UK's leading medics today penned a letter to the Prime Minister
Demanding he starts preparing for 'very real risk' of a second, more deadly spike
25th Jun 2020 - Daily Mail
Face masks and class ‘bubbles’: Spain prepares plans for a safe return to school
Spanish education officials have for weeks been debating how to get non-university students safely back to school in the fall for in-person classes. Schools shut down across Spain in March due to the coronavirus pandemic and classes were moved online, but educators have been warning about the gaps in access to technology and the risk that some students could be left behind. Central and regional officials are now working toward the goal of getting all children in pre-university studies back to school despite the logistical problems involved. One of the main issues is how to maintain a safe physical distance between students in facilities with large class sizes and reduced space.
24th Jun 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
No name, no pint - new rules for England's pubs after lockdown
Drinkers in England’s pubs will have to give their name before they order a pint, and there will be no live acts or standing at the bar, the government said in advice for reopening the sector next month. Pubs, restaurants and hairdressers will have to keep a record of customers for 21 days to assist the state health service’s test and trace operation, which aims to identify and contain any local flare-ups of COVID-19 and stop a second wave of infections. Live performances, including drama, comedy and music, will also not be allowed, the government said. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday said that pubs, restaurants and hotels could reopen in England on July 4, easing the coronavirus lockdown that has all but shut the economy.
24th Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
More than a third of BAME doctors have not had Covid-19 risk assessment -
In the survey of 7,500 doctors, carried out last week, more than a third of BAME doctors said they still have not had a Covid-19 risk assessment, two months after NHS England recommended them in April. However, it did show that BAME doctors are more likely to have received one. Also, 46% of BAME doctors said they felt less likely to feel fully protected from Covid-19, compared with 29% of their white colleagues. Four in 10 BAME doctors ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’ felt pressured to see patients without proper PPE, while two in 10 of their white counterparts said the same. More than 90% of GPs who have died with coronavirus came from a BAME background, according to the BMA’s records.
24th Jun 2020 - Management in Practice
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 24th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullBelgium Gives Free Rail Travel To All
But travel abroad will be anything but clearcut, with the reimposition of border controls and cancellation of flights possible this summer. For those with concerns about international travel, the Belgian government has given them a major incentive to take a Belgian ‘staycation’ instead: free rail journeys for the rest of the year to anywhere in the country. Every Belgian resident aged 12 and over will be entitled to a “national tour” rail pass giving them 12 free journeys, in an attempt to boost the country’s tourism sector which suffered badly from the lockdown. The free journeys can be claimed at a rate of two per month, from August 2020 to January 2021
24th Jun 2020 - Forbes
France’s Revival Sees Economy Unexpectedly Return to Growth
The French economy’s revival from the coronavirus lockdown appears stronger than anticipated, with a measure of private-sector activity showing growth for the first time in four months. IHS Markit’s Purchasing Managers Index jumped to 51.3 in June from 32.1 in May, beating economists’ expectations for 46.8. The individual gauges for both manufacturing and services also climbed above the 50 key level.
23rd Jun 2020 - Bloomberg
Cinemas re-open in France, the birthplace of film
After a three-month coronavirus hiatus, French movie fans made a comeback on Monday as cinemas across the country re-opened in the latest phase of the country's relaxation of lockdown measures.
23rd Jun 2020 - Reuters
End of télétravail? France's new rules for employees to return to work
Working from home will cease to be the norm as France lays out new protocols for people returning to work. The French government will this week lay out new protocols that will allow more people to return to work, including abolishing the recommendation that everyone should work from home if possible. As France has gradually reopened, government advice has remained the same as it was at the height of the lockdown - that people who can work from home should continue to do so if possible. The recommendation was intended to avoid large numbers of people in workplaces, as well as easing crowding on public transport at peak times in cities.
But now a new protocol, set to be published in its final form later in the week, scraps this recommendation.
23rd Jun 2020 - The Local France
In Poor Countries, Many Covid-19 Patients Are Desperate for Oxygen
As the coronavirus pandemic hits more impoverished countries with fragile health care systems, global health authorities are scrambling for supplies of a simple treatment that saves lives: oxygen. Many patients severely ill with Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, require help with breathing at some point. But now the epidemic is spreading rapidly in South Asia, Latin America and parts of Africa, regions of the world where many hospitals are poorly equipped and lack the ventilators, tanks and other equipment necessary to save patients whose lungs are failing. The World Health Organization is hoping to raise $250 million to increase oxygen delivery to those regions. The World Bank and the African Union are contributing to the effort, and some medical charities are seeking donations for the cause.
23rd Jun 2020 - The New York Times
When can I travel to France? Latest guidance for UK visitors - and quarantine rules explained
Despite France’s major recent changes to its lockdown measures, arrivals from the UK and some other countries are still being asked to self-isolate for 14 days. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) also currently advises British people against all non-essential travel worldwide. This advice took effect on 17 March, and while it initially applied for a period of 30 days, the travel ban is now listed as “indefinite”. On top of that, a two-week quarantine period for anyone arriving back in the UK – including UK nationals – has been in place since 8 June.
23rd Jun 2020 - Edinburgh News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 23rd Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullWHO reports largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases
The World Health Organization on Sunday reported the largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases by its count, at more than 183,000 new cases in the latest 24 hours. The UN health agency said Brazil led the way with 54,771 cases tallied and the U.S. next at 36,617. Over 15,400 came in in India. Experts said rising case counts can reflect multiple factors including more widespread testing as well as broader infection. Overall in the pandemic, WHO reported 8,708,008 cases — 183,020 in the last 24 hours — with 461,715 deaths worldwide, with a daily increase of 4,743.
22nd Jun 2020 - NBC News
Three members of Pakistan tour party to England test positive for Covid-19
Pakistan’s tour of England appears to be in the balance, with three of their players having tested positive for Covid-19 and a further batch of results set to be published in the next 24 hours. A 28-man squad to cover three Tests in August and the Twenty20 series that follows is due to depart from Lahore on Sunday and all players and members of the support staff were tested regionally over the weekend.
The results from Rawalpindi, where five individuals were tested, came in early and showed Haider Ali, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan have the virus but are asymptomatic. Imad Wasim and Usman Shinwari were shown to be clear.
22nd Jun 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus: Cinemas and museums set to reopen in England from 4 July
Cinemas, museums and galleries will be able to reopen in England from 4 July, Boris Johnson is expected to announce on Tuesday as he outlines a further easing of coronavirus restrictions. Venues closed since the middle of March will be able to welcome visitors as long as safety measures are in place. The PM is also due to set out how pubs can safely reopen following a review of the 2m distancing rule. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Monday the virus was "in retreat". Mr Hancock said England was "clearly on track" to further ease lockdown restrictions but No 10 warned the moves would be reversed if they led to a surge in new infections.
23rd Jun 2020 - BBC News
Theatre vs Covid-19: How NI arts worked with BBC so show goes on
The sector across this island knows all about. But these are far from normal times and when “normality” does return it will be of an entirely different variety from the one we have lived with for so long. The freelance community in the North has been particularly badly hit, financially and creatively, by the effects of the crisis. In seeking to access various avenues of income support, they frequently fall between the ill-fitting bureaucracies of Northern Ireland and Britain and end up relying heavily on one another for guidance and advice. Unsurprisingly, early funding initiatives came from within the sector itself. Tinderbox’s Solo Art was the first. Under the leadership of artistic director Patrick J O’Reilly, who recalls all too well the stressful unpredictability of the freelance existence, the scheme invited individual artists to make a short piece of work in any genre, for the modest sum of £100.
22nd Jun 2020 - The Irish Times
Police die enforcing Latin America's strictest lockdown as Peru's futile strategy unravels
When Peru introduced one of Latin America's strictest lockdowns, national police brigadier David Rodriguez was sent to the streets of Lima to enforce the new guidelines. Just one month later the 55 year-old was struggling to breathe in the police clinic, pleading desperately on social media to be moved to an intensive care unit and for more oxygen. He died shortly after. “They’re the ones sent out to protect others from the virus and they end up infected themselves,” his daughter Krystell Rodriguez told The Telegraph. According to the country’s interior minister, nearly 10,000 police officers have contracted Covid-19 on duty in the country and 170 have died. The numbers not only present a grim picture of Peru's futile fight against Covid-19, but also the tragedy at the heart of the surging crisis in Latin America, the global epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic.
22nd Jun 2020 - Telegraph.co.uk
French schools reopen as more COVID-19 restrictions lifted
Millions of children returned to school in France on Monday as the country entered phase three of the loosening of COVID-19 lockdown rules. There has been no recent spike in infections in France and new cases have stood at around 450 per day from a peak of 7,500. Social distancing measures are still in place and wearing face masks on public transport is compulsory. But what else has changed after more than two months of lockdown?
22nd Jun 2020 - Euronews
High risk of coronavirus second wave as Australian shops and workplaces reopen, report says
Workplaces pose a high risk of triggering a resurgence of Covid-19 cases in Australia, which means people should continue to work from home as long as they can, a report from public policy thinktank the Grattan Institute says. Published on Sunday evening, the report, Coming out of Covid-19 Lockdown: the Next Steps for Australian Health Care, says schools can safely remain open as long as policies are in place to reduce the risk of outbreaks. It comes as Victoria announced it would extend its state of emergency for at least four more weeks and ramp up its police enforcement of lockdown rules after a spike in Covid-19 cases in recent days. The rise also prompted neighbouring South Australia to reconsider its decision to reopen its border, while Queensland declared all of greater Melbourne a Covid-19 hotspot.
22nd Jun 2020 - The Guardian
Russia reopens ahead of Victory Day and Putin referendum -- but coronavirus threat remains
And Moscow is reopening just in time for the festivities. The last set of lockdown restrictions on gyms and restaurants will be lifted Monday, a week earlier than originally planned by the mayor and just in time for the big military parade in Red Square. The festivities are all part of the run-up to another big event for Putin: a nationwide vote on amendments to the country's constitution, scheduled for July 1.
It's a return to normality for Russians exhausted by lockdown and economic uncertainty. But coronavirus has left a cloud of uncertainty over the festivities, which were postponed amid pandemic fears. By tradition, World War II veterans occupy the viewing stand next to Putin as thousands of soldiers march across Red Square. But this year, those veterans are quarantined at a health resort outside of Moscow. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has asked residents to watch the event on TV, saying attendance will be limited.
22nd Jun 2020 - CNN
German coronavirus outbreak at abattoir infects more than 1,000
More than 1,000 employees at German meat processing firm Toennies have tested positive for coronavirus, prompting local health authorities to order all 6,500 employees and their families to go into quarantine. The localised lockdown is a setback for Germany’s reopening strategy. Chancellor Angela Merkel had favoured maintaining lockdown discipline for longer, but eased restrictions following pressure from regional premiers. Even though its management of the coronavirus crisis has been among the most successful in Europe, Germany has seen repeated outbreaks in slaughterhouses, whose employees are often migrants living in crowded company-provided accommodation.
22nd Jun 2020 - Reuters
NYC re-opens restaurants, shops and salons in Phase Two after months of lockdown
Restaurants, shops and salons are now allowed to reopen in New York City, three months after they were forced to close due to the coronavirus pandemic. As of Monday, New Yorkers are now able to eat at tables outside of restaurants, children are allowed to visit playgrounds, and department stores such as Macy’s, can reopen. It has been estimated that between 150,000 and 300,000 people will go back to work on Monday, according to the Associated Press. The reopening is part of the city’s Phase Two of easing lockdown restrictions, after construction and manufacturing jobs were allowed to restart two weeks ago, in Phase One. There will be four phases in total, and as part of Phase Two, restaurants, salons, shops and offices are allowed to reopen at 50 per cent capacity.
22nd Jun 2020 - The Independent
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View this newsletter in fullUK reviews social distancing rules as COVID-19 cases fall
The review follows warnings from the hospitality sector that businesses and jobs could be severely affected when they reopen if the current restrictions remain in place.
19th Jun 2020 - Aljazeera.com
Britain's 14-day quarantine for foreign travellers is 'completely useless', top scientist warns
Professor Peter Piot said the rule would damage to the economy for no benefit. He is the director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Caught the virus himself, and says quarantine rule would have worked in March.
21st Jun 2020 - Daily Mail
Quarantine: airport coronavirus test proposed to swerve self-isolation
An airport ground-handing company is asking the government if travellers arriving in the UK could gain exemption from self-isolation by taking a Covid-19 test. Swissport is proposing that a £140 test, claimed to be to NHS hospital standards, should replace the need for a passenger to remain at home for 14 days from the day following arrival. On 8 June, mandatory quarantine began for almost all arrivals at UK airports, ferry ports and international rail terminals.
21st Jun 2020 - The Independent
Coronavirus: Hairdressers wait for reopening instructions while Britons learn to make do
Desperation to be done with dodgy lockdown hairdos has prompted a surge of home cuts but it's thought they may not always be the work of a fellow householder.
The sight of certain footballers, television stars and MPs emerging with neatly coiffed hair has prompted questions about how they managed to get a trim during the COVID-19 pandemic. Clive Collins is director of 25 Hob salons across the country and has been inundated with calls for him to break the rules, while he is forced to keep his doors closed and his income at zero.
21st Jun 2020 - Sky News
High risk of coronavirus second wave as Australian shops and workplaces reopen, report says
Workplaces pose a high risk of triggering a resurgence of Covid-19 cases in Australia, which means people should continue to work from home as long as they can, a report from public policy thinktank the Grattan Institute says. Published on Sunday evening, the report, Coming out of Covid-19 Lockdown: the Next Steps for Australian Health Care, says schools can safely remain open as long as policies are in place to reduce the risk of outbreaks.
21st Jun 2020 - The Guardian
Apple to shut some U.S. stores again due to rising COVID-19 cases
Apple Inc said on Friday it is temporarily shutting some stores again in Florida, Arizona, South Carolina, and North Carolina in the United States, as novel coronavirus cases continue to rise in the country. Shares of the company, which said the closure would affect 11 stores in these states, were down 0.5%. Apple had planned to reopen about 100 U.S. stores, mostly with curbside pickup but some with walk-in service, in late May as lockdown restrictions began to ease. However, cases in the United States have been steadily rising, with over 2.2 million people infected and at least 118,396 people dead.
20th Jun 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus: R number jumps to 1.79 in Germany after abattoir outbreak
A public health institute confirmed the rate was now far above what is needed to contain the outbreak over the longer term.
20th Jun 2020 - Sky News
Coronavirus: 75 staff at Anglesey chicken plant positive
More workers have tested positive for coronavirus after an outbreak at a chicken factory on Anglesey. All staff at the 2 Sisters meat processing plant in Llangefni are self-isolating after a number of workers were confirmed to have the virus on Thursday. On Saturday the number had risen to 75, Public Health Wales confirmed.
Health officials said the number of cases were expected to rise and samples have been taken from about 350 staff. Testing sites were set up at Llangefni and Holyhead, and at an existing facility in Bangor, following the outbreak. All staff and contractors working at the processing plant, which has 560 workers, have been asked to self-isolate for 14 days, and are being contacted for testing.
20th Jun 2020 - BBC News
Mannequins and decontamination chambers: Future of dining after coronavirus
Mannequins will be set up at tables, customers will have to undergo temperature checks and there will be plenty of outdoor dining when the coronavirus lockdown is eased to allow bars and restaurants to finally reopen
20th Jun 2020 - Mirror Online
Spain to 'freely' welcome Britons without 14-day Covid-19 quarantine
The Spanish government has said British visitors will not need to undergo a 14-day quarantine when the country reopens its borders, and called on the UK government to show similar reciprocity. Travellers from the EU and Schengen area will be allowed back into Spain from Sunday as the country’s three-month state of emergency ends. Although the Madrid government had previously said it was considering a two-week quarantine for UK visitors in response to Britain’s decision to require all international arrivals to self-isolate for 14 days, it announced on Saturday evening that they would be “freely” welcomed back to Spain.
20th Jun 2020 - The Guardian
How England is planning to reopen pubs and restaurants
Under possible new measures drinkers could be encouraged to order pints on smartphone apps and pubs could be patrolled to ensure social-distancing measures are enforced. The plans don't automatically apply in Wales, however, where it is still unclear when and how pubs and restaurants will reopen. Yesterday Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford announced the country's largest easing of restrictions yet, allowing non-essential retail to reopen on Monday along with certain other sectors. No timeline was given for the hospitality sector though, with the industry only being told that discussions would take place around the next review of restrictions on July 9. This week restaurant and cafe owners in Wales called for clarity for the industry, with some saying they are being forced to consider redundancies as a result of the uncertainty. Wales will also end the five-mile restriction on travel next month and allow holidaymakers to return a week later.
20th Jun 2020 - Wales Online
Nursing homes represent more than 1 in 4 COVID-19 deaths in US
As federal data collection becomes more robust, a clearer picture is emerging of the ravages of COVID-19 in nursing homes.
19th Jun 2020 - NBC News
How Safe Is Flying in the Age of Coronavirus?
With many governments loosening travel restrictions to restart economies, airlines have begun restoring flights that were put on hold as the coronavirus pandemic spread. Business is slow, as would-be passengers worry about being stuck in a cabin for an extended time with possibly infectious strangers. The record shows the risks aren’t negligible.
19th Jun 2020 - Bloomberg
Airlines' legal challenge of UK quarantine policy to be heard early July, lawyers say
A legal challenge by British Airways (ICAG.L), easyJet (EZJ.L) and Ryanair (RYA.I) against the UK government’s decision to introduce a 14-day quarantine for travellers will be heard in early July, barristers involved in the case said on Friday.
“The airlines claim that the regulations are irrational and disproportionate. A hearing has been listed for early July,” Blackstone Chambers said in a statement.
19th Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
Poland to lift restictions on numbers of aircraft passengers
Poland will allow aircraft to fly with all their seats occupied as of July 1, Deputy Prime Minister Jadwiga Emilewicz has said. However, critics have argued that it is too early to lift all restrictions as it could trigger more infections leading to deaths.
Poland has been easing lockdown restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic and opened its borders with other European Union countries on June 13. Despite that many countries have opened their economies, the epidemiological threat has not subsided yet and virus hotspots have sprouted in various parts across the world. In Poland, over 31,300 people have been infected so far resulting in over 1,300 deaths and more than 15,000 recoveries. Around the world, the virus has infected over 8.6 million, resulting in over 457,000 deaths and more than 4.5 million recoveries.
19th Jun 2020 - Warsaw Business Journal
French celebrity chef unveils elaborate anti-COVID restaurant ventilation system
French celebrity chef Alain Ducasse on Thursday unveiled a novel air ventilation system in one of his smallest Parisian restaurants to try to overcome the distancing restrictions related to the coronavirus. The system, which has cost 50,000 euros to install at the Allard, on Paris’ chic left bank, aims to dramatically reduce the risk of airborne virus transmission using technology from hospitals — with a touch of Parisian style. Ducasse unveiled the system ahead of a French government announcement later this week on the opening of restaurant interiors to diners,
11th Jun 2020 - New York Post
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View this newsletter in fullRelaxing Lockdown: Overdue or a Ticking Time Bomb? – Byline Times
The uncomfortable truth is that, at this stage, we cannot predict the trajectory of the Coronavirus. Opinions to the contrary are a by-product of confirmation bias. No high-quality data on the immediate and downstream effects of specific social distancing and lockdown interventions exist. ‘Lockdown versus no lockdown’ remains a crude metric. The murky data remain compatible with a wide range of death-to-infection ratios, also known as infection fatality rates (IFR). If the true IFR and health burden of COVID-19 turns out to be much lower than the initial indications of around 1%, and suppression strategies prove unsustainable in the long-term, then blanket lockdown strategies may turn out to have been an overreaction.
18th Jun 2020 - Byline Times
‘Transgender people will be more harmed than other LGBT+ people’: Coronavirus economy especially harsh on those who identify as transgender
As the coronavirus pandemic ravages the country, there are concerns that an already marginalised group will be further left behind, according to interviews with more than a dozen experts who work with the transgender population. “Transgender people are going to be more harmed by the impact on the economy than other LGBT+ people,” said Rebecca Rolfe, executive director of the San Francisco LGBT+ Centre. “People who are most marginalised are going to be most impacted. They’re going to be the last hired, the lowest paid.”
18th Jun 2020 - The Independent
Coronavirus: South Asian people most likely to die in hospital
South Asian people are the most likely to die from coronavirus after being admitted to hospital in Great Britain, major analysis shows. It is the only ethnic group to have a raised risk of death in hospital and is partly due to high levels of diabetes. The study is hugely significant as it assessed data from four-in-10 of all hospital patients with Covid-19. The researchers said policies such as protecting people at work and who gets a vaccine may now need to change. Twenty-seven institutions across the UK, including universities and public health bodies, as well as 260 hospitals, were involved in the study.
18th Jun 2020 - BBC News
Bulgarians complain of long border queues after Greece eases lockdown
Hundreds of trucks and cars from Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia waited in long queues at the border with Greece on Wednesday after Athens eased coronavirus restrictions to try to salvage the summer tourism season. A line of cars stretched back more than 10 km (six miles) at the Kulata-Promachonas border crossing between Bulgaria and Greece, and the queue for trucks was over 15 km long, witnesses said. “People are angry, because the queues are scary. We are travelling with two kids. We had no idea it would be such a nightmare,” Bulgarian public radio BNR quoted a woman in the queue of cars as saying.
18th Jun 2020 - Reuters
France lifts its limit of 20 mourners at funerals
The French government has scrapped the limit of 20 participants who can attend a funeral, a measure introduced during the lockdown as the country fought to contain its Covid-19 transmission rate.
18th Jun 2020 - The Local France
Coronavirus: Big drop in cancer referrals in Wales
The number of patients referred for cancer treatment in April dropped by more than 51% compared to the previous month, according to official figures. People with possible symptoms have been urged not to put off getting them checked out during the pandemic as part of a new Welsh Government campaign. Swansea Bay health board, where referrals were down 52%, attributed it to a fear of visiting hospitals or GPs. Charities have warned of a cancer "timebomb" due to Covid-19 disruption.
18th Jun 2020 - BBC News
Coronavirus UK: Major outbreak hits meat factory in Wales
One quarter of workers at the 2 Sisters meat factory are now self isolating. The factory in Anglesey, North Wales, produces meat for takeaways and shops. The 2 Sisters group is one of the largest producers of chicken in Britain. Officials confirmed they are dealing with a Covid-19 outbreak at the factory
17th Jun 2020 - Daily Mail
Which international destinations are reopening to tourists?
Although most governments are still advising against "nonessential" international travel, a host of popular destinations are beginning to ease their Covid-19 lockdown measures and border restrictions and are moving toward welcoming tourists back. Back in May, the European Union unveiled an action plan to reopen its internal borders in time for summer, while countries such as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have formed "travel bubbles," lifting restrictions for each other's citizens.
Some Caribbean islands are already beginning to open their doors to foreign visitors again, while destinations such as Mexico and Thailand are planning to reopen region by region in the coming weeks. If you're one of many travelers eagerly awaiting news on where you can travel to this year, here's a guide to the top destinations making plans to reopen, as well as some of those that are keeping their borders firmly closed for now.
17th Jun 2020 - CNN
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View this newsletter in full10,000 COVID-19 positive cases cured in 24 hrs: Government issues tips to fight corona stigma
India has seen an alarming surge in COVID-19 positive cases. However, according to the Ministry of health, the country is faring well in the fight against the deadly contagion. Pointing out that as many as 10,215 coronavirus patients were cured in the last 24 hours to take the national total in this category to 1,80,012, the central government on Tuesday announced six tips to fight the stigma associated with the deadly disease.
17th Jun 2020 - TheHealthSite
India to 'reimagine' streets for walkers, cyclists after coronavirus
India will make its streets and markets more accessible to pedestrians and cyclists as it emerges from one of the world’s strictest coronavirus lockdowns, a move urgently needed to curb pollution and improve liveability, urban experts said. An advisory issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs recommended the pedestrianisation of up to three markets in each city, and adding more bicycle lanes. City authorities must select the markets by June 30, and begin implementing short-term measures from Oct. 1, it said. “COVID-19 presents us with an opportunity to reimagine streets for people,” Durga Shanker Mishra, the ministry’s secretary, said in a statement last week.
17th Jun 2020 - Reuters
Eiffel Tower to Reopen After Longest Closure Since World War Two
Workers are preparing the Eiffel Tower for reopening next week, after the coronavirus pandemic led to the iconic Paris landmark's longest closure since World War Two. France's tourism industry is opening back up, but the 324-meter tall wrought-iron tower won't immediately welcome visitors the way it did before the country went into lockdown in March. Only limited numbers of people will be allowed in when the Eiffel Tower opens again on June 25. Elevators to the top will be out of service, at least at first, and only the first and second floors will be accessible to the public.
16th Jun 2020 - VOA News
'We saved your life Boris,' student nurses recruited to work Covid-19 front line angry as placements cut short
Thousands of student nurses recruited to work on the front line against Covid-19 have been told their placements will be cut short, plunging some of them into financial despair. Many nurses expressed their outrage at a decision from NHS England that their paid placements will now finish on 31 July instead of running until the end of September. But Health Education England (HEE) – which oversees training – said that it was "made clear to students who opted into paid placements" that the arrangements would need to come to an end at "an appropriate point".
One nurse calling herself Becky Jane said nurses had been told by HEE that the NHS can no longer afford to keep the paid placements going until the end of September as originally promised. “Some of us left jobs for this. Many of us have children and families to care for," she wrote on a message on Facebook. She said nurses could graduate with around £30,000 debt already and had signed up for the six-month placements at the start of April despite being “terrified” of contracting Covid-19.
17th Jun 2020 - ITV News
ITV News investigation finds majority of NHS Trusts have not completed full risk assessment on BAME staff
Back in April, the head of the NHS Sir Simon Stevens wrote to all hospital Trusts advising them to risk assess all their BAME staff. So far, so good. It's now mid-June, and we have discovered a tiny proportion of those Trusts have actually carried out all the assessments. In fact, only 14 of the 80 NHS Acute Hospital Trusts in England that replied to ITV News' inquiry have completed risk assessments of all BAME staff.
And that's not all.
17th Jun 2020 - ITV News
Syrian refugees profoundly hit by COVID-19 economic downturn
The number of vulnerable refugees who lack the basic resources to survive in exile has dramatically surged as a result of the public health emergency. The refugee hosting communities in countries in Syria’s neighbourhood experience similar hardships. Many refugees have lost what were already meager incomes, forcing them to cut down on the most basic needs, including food and medication. Refugee households are taking on additional debt and are not able to pay their rent anymore., Serious protection risks are growing, including risks of child labour, gender-based violence, early marriage and other forms of exploitation.
16th Jun 2020 - UNHCR
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View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: US airlines threaten to ban passengers who refuse to wear masks
Passengers could be barred from flying with US airlines if they refuse to wear face coverings during their journey, the industry's main lobby group said. United said those who do not comply with the rule will be placed on an internal travel restriction list.
17th Jun 2020 - Sky News
Hospitals in several Alabama cities now seeing all-time highs in coronavirus patients
The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals in Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery and Decatur has hit all-time highs this month, filling beds and taxing staff as the state struggles with a wave of new cases. Nearly one-third of those patients will require ventilators during treatment, said Assistant State Health Officer Dr. Karen Landers. Cases are surging in Alabama. The department of public health reported record-high numbers of new coronavirus cases in recent days, with more than 1,000 cases added on Sunday.
16th Jun 2020 - AL.com
Footfall on England's high streets rise by 50% as shops reopen for first time since lockdown
Customers turned out in force for the reopening on Monday across the country's major cities as people stepped out to bag a bargain or browse the rails for the first time since lockdown. Shoppers have been encouraged to be sensible and adhere to new hygiene measures and social distancing in place to tackle the spread of coronavirus in the UK. Figures recorded up to 5pm on Monday showed that footfall in England was up by more than a third on last week.
16th Jun 2020 - Evening Standard
Coronavirus Accelerates Across Africa
The virus was slow to start in many African countries, but epidemiologists say the number of confirmed cases on the continent is now rising fast.
16th Jun 2020 - The New York Times
New Zealand puts Covid-19 quarantine in hands of military after border fiasco
The New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has branded as an “unacceptable failure” a quarantine blunder that meant two arrivals from Britain left managed isolation in New Zealand without being tested for the coronavirus – which they were later diagnosed with. “It should never have happened and it cannot be repeated,” Ardern said on Wednesday, adding that the defence force would now oversee the quarantine of new arrivals and audit the quarantine process. Ardern also said she would temporarily remove the compassionate exemption under which the pair were released from quarantine early. Health officials are tracing 320 people who are regarded as “close contacts” of the women, and they will be urged to get tested. Close contacts could include passengers on their flight to New Zealand and other quarantined travellers at their Auckland hotel, as well as hotel staff and flight crew. The women were now in isolation with a relative, officials said.
17th Jun 2020 - The Guardian
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View this newsletter in fullPrimark pulls the crowds as stores reopen in England after lockdown
Long queues of shoppers snaked around stores in England on Monday, with discount fashion retailer Primark proving a particular draw as shops reopened their doors after 83 days of lockdown. Queues formed from early morning outside several branches of Primark, which does not sell online so has not made a penny in the UK for months.
The chain reopened some of its stores early, including its biggest in Birmingham, to avoid overcrowding as hundreds of people lined up outside. At its Leeds store, the estimated afternoon wait time to get in was up to an hour.
There was also a big queue outside the Nike Town store on London’s Oxford Street, the capital’s busiest shopping street, with many shoppers ignoring social distancing rules.
15th Jun 2020 - Reuters
Shoppers rush to the High Street as England stores reopen
Demand across England's High Streets, retail parks and shopping centres surged on Monday as some shops reopened after a three-month lockdown. Research firm Springboard said that by 17:00, footfall was 38.8% higher than last week, as pent-up demand led to reports of long queues. However, shopper numbers were generally far below the same time last year. But at Bicester Village, near Oxford, crowding was so great that 3,000 people signed a petition to close it. All shops in England are now allowed to open, but with strict safety measures.
15th Jun 2020 - BBC News
Germany and France reopen borders as Europe emerges from lockdown
France and Germany became the latest European countries to reopen their borders as the continent emerges from its three-month Covid-19 lockdown. Speaking on Sunday evening, France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, said the country’s Schengen borders would be open from Monday and its non-EU borders from 1 July. He said that while France could be proud of its response to the pandemic, it needed to reflect on the crisis.
15th Jun 2020 - The Guardian
Greece welcomes foreign visitors, restarts summer tourism
Tourism employs about 700,000 people and accounts for some 20% of Greece’s economic output, so how the sector fares is significant for the country’s recovery. Greece emerged from a decade-long debt crisis two years ago. About 33 million tourists visited the Mediterranean nation last year, generating revenues of 19 billion euros. Passengers arriving from airports deemed high-risk by the European Union’s aviation safety agency will be tested for the coronavirus and quarantined up to 14 days, depending on the test result. Restrictions remain for passengers from Britain and Turkey. Arrivals from other airports will be randomly tested. Restrictions on movement imposed in March helped Greece contain the spread of COVID-19 infections to just above 3,000 cases, a relatively low number compared with other EU countries. But it brought the economy to a standstill.
15th Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
From crowded tubes to pedal power, London's COVID transport challenge
The crowded daily commute in London has long been a source of misery for millions. But getting to work will be even more of a challenge following Britain’s coronavirus lockdown. Capacity on the transport network in one of the world’s biggest financial hubs has been reduced by 85% to comply with social-distancing rules, protecting commuters by preventing them cramming into trains, the London Underground and buses. Everyone using public transport must also now wear a face covering. As the lockdown restrictions are gradually eased, many now face the quandary of how to reach the City of London, Canary Wharf and other business areas both quickly and safely.
15th Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
German tourists arrive in Spain's Mallorca after lockdown
A select group of German tourists arrived in Spain's island Mallorca on Monday (June 15) as part of a pilot project which will bring 10,000 holidaymakers to the Balearic Islands to find out how mass tourism can work in a time of coronavirus.
15th Jun 2020 - Reuters
Paris restaurants reopen fully, still wary about post-lockdown
Parisian restaurants cautiously reopened their indoor dining halls on Monday as the government relaxed one of the last major coronavirus constraints, but with virtually no tourists and many French people still working from home, the mood was cautious. President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that restaurants and cafes in Paris could reopen fully from Monday, the same day France lifted border restrictions for European Union travellers, bringing much needed relief for the hospitality industry.
15th Jun 2020 - Reuters
End of lockdown could trigger ‘extreme’ congestion and worse air quality as commuters swap public transport for cars
Studies warn of surge in road users amid fear of coronavirus spreading on buses and trains. As lockdown measures have eased, authorities in cities around the world have warned against people crowding onto public transport where they could inadvertently cause another wave of coronavirus infections. The result is that commuters who may usually have opted for public transport may use personal cars more, experts have suggested.
15th Jun 2020 - The Independent
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View this newsletter in fullAirlines are suing the U.K. to lift self-isolation rules for travelers
A group of airlines in the United Kingdom is challenging the British government to lift what they say are onerous travel restrictions that will destroy jobs and devastate the tourism industry. British Airways, Ryanair and EasyJet are suing to force judges to review a new rule from the British Home Office that requires all incoming travelers to self-isolate for 14 days.
12th Jun 2020 - Washington Post
Coronavirus: Boris Johnson orders review of two-metre social distancing rule in UK
Boris Johnson has ordered a comprehensive review of the two-metre social-distancing rule amid calls it should be scrapped. Easing the restriction is seen as vital if businesses such a restaurants and pubs are to be able to re-open sustainably. The Mail on Sunday reported the review would effectively take control of social-distancing guidelines out of the hands of the British Government’s scientific advisers, who have been deeply reluctant to countenance relaxation. The move comes as thousands of non-essential shops in England are set to re-open on Monday for the first time since the coronavirus lockdown was imposed in March.
14th Jun 2020 - Irish Examiner
'Disinfecting non-stop' as Italy faces two new virus outbreaks
Yellow police tape -- a familiar sight across Italy since the coronavirus began sweeping the country in March -- reappeared at the weekend outside a Rome squat where around 15 new cases have emerged. Health workers insist the outbreak among squatters including a Peruvian family is under control, at a time when Italy is cautiously relaxing measures to contain the disease that has claimed more than 34,000 lives. A second outbreak was far bigger and occurred at a hospital on the western edge of Rome, with 109 cases and five deaths. Rome's regional COVID-19 crisis centre said all those who tested positive for the virus at the illegally occupied building had been transferred. All their contacts were identified and 108 tests were carried out.
14th Jun 2020 - Digital Journal
Coronavirus: How will secondary schools reopen safely?
As some Year 10 and Year 12 pupils in England prepare to go back to school on Monday, secondary head teachers are having to overcome an array of challenges.
Plans shared with the BBC suggest the arrangements will vary widely. More than 300 schools and colleges told us they were mainly offering between five and 30 hours of face-to-face teaching each week. Some are making the return gradual, starting with pupils who are struggling the most, with many providing individual pastoral sessions to check on mental health. The Sixth Form Colleges Association says schools and colleges should ensure that extending face-to-face teaching does not impact on support for pupils who are still at home.
14th Jun 2020 - BBC News
Covid 19 coronavirus: Thailand eyes travel bubble with New Zealand
Thailand is considering forming travel bubbles with countries that have comparably low Covid-19 rates of infection, government officials said this week. The country closed borders at the beginning of April, which devastated the tourism industry and led to millions of job losses. The tourism industry alone accounts for 20 per cent of the country's GDP. Now, in an attempt to revive the economy, the country is looking at establishing travel bubbles with countries with low rates of coronavirus, including China, South Korea, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand.
13th Jun 2020 - New Zealand Herald
How will clothing stores and other shops ensure customer safety once lockdown rules are eased?
Clothing stores will begin opening in phases next week from Monday, June 15, after being closed since the lockdown began on March 23. Retailers have been told to work to make shopping as safe as possible, and ensure customers can socially distance in stores to avoid spreading Covid-19. The government has provided safety advice for stores to help them comply with social distancing guidelines.
13th Jun 2020 - Evening Standard
Covid 19 coronavirus: Thailand eyes travel bubble with New Zealand
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Thailand is considering forming travel bubbles with countries that have comparably low Covid-19 rates of infection, government officials said this week. The country closed borders at the beginning of April, which devastated the tourism industry and led to millions of job losses. The tourism industry alone accounts for 20 per cent of the country's GDP. Now, in an attempt to revive the economy, the country is looking at establishing travel bubbles with countries with low rates of coronavirus, including China, South Korea, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand.
13th Jun 2020 - New Zealand Herald
From ditching restaurants to public transport and malls: the COVID changes set to become permanent
National Australia Bank surveyed 2,000 people about their COVID-19 changes. Restaurants, shopping malls and public transport are set to go out of fashion. Even more Australians are set to demand the right to work remotely from home.
15th Jun 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus could push global poverty past one billion mark, new study suggests
The number of people in extreme poverty around the world could rise beyond 1 billion as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, new analysis has suggested. Figures from the World Bank suggest that 736 million people currently live in destitution, surviving on less than $1.90 a day (£1.53). But in a study published on Friday, researchers at King’s College London and Australian National University have warned that the pandemic could trigger “substantial” poverty increases and reverse decades’ worth of progress.
13th Jun 2020 - The Independent
Coronavirus: almost all Dubai government employees return to offices
Government workers who are immuno-compromised, elderly, pregnant or have chronic diseases or a disability can work from home. Almost all Dubai government employees returned to their workplaces on Sunday. But employees with compromised immunity and chronic health conditions, pregnant women and people with disabilities will continue to work remotely from home. Fifty per cent of Dubai government staff resumed work at offices from May 31, with the entire workforce returning to the office on Sunday, June 14. The majority of employees who returned to their offices today said they felt safe and happy to interact with their colleagues in person again. Fahad Ahli, who works for Smart Dubai Government, said he had missed meeting his colleagues “face-to-face”.
14th Jun 2020 - The National
Medical workers resort to parking-lot deals and DIY projects to get safety gear
Medical shortages in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, have left many healthcare workers in a desperate hunt for medical supplies. Community clinics, nursing homes and independent doctors, in particular, find themselves on the fringe of the supply chain for masks, gowns, gloves and ventilators. Desperate administrators wire money to offshore banks to acquire supplies. Most medical supplies – from isolation gowns to the filtration components of N95 masks – originate in China in factories that manufacture so-called spunbond polypropylene out of toxic chemicals. Decades of honing has turned the supply chain into an efficient
12th Jun 2020 - The Guardian
Public health workers fighting COVID-19 are threatened with violence, forced out of jobs
In the battle against COVID-19, public health workers spread across states, cities and small towns make up an invisible army on the front lines. But that army, which has suffered neglect for decades, is under assault when it’s needed most. Officials who usually work behind the scenes managing tasks like immunizations and water quality inspections have found themselves center stage. Elected officials and members of the public who are frustrated with the lockdowns and safety restrictions have at times turned public health workers into politicized punching bags, battering them with countless angry calls and even physical threats. On Thursday, Ohio’s state health director, who had armed protesters come to her house, resigned. The health officer for Orange County, California, quit Monday after weeks of criticism and personal threats from residents and other public officials over an order requiring face coverings in public.
12th Jun 2020 - NBC News
Coronavirus patients 'treated worse than animals': India court
Supreme Court also expresses concern over handling of bodies as cemeteries and crematoriums hold hurried last rites.
12th Jun 2020 - Al Jazeera English
Thermal imaging and e-forms: How Spain will screen for Covid-19 when the travel ban is lifted
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If everything goes according to plan, the first tourists will arrive this coming Monday as part of a pilot project in the Balearic Islands. Then, on July 1, Spain will officially lift travel restrictions at the border, including the quarantine requirement. Despite the travel ban, a total of 33,500 people entered Spain during the month of May through air and maritime borders, thanks to exceptions made for specific workers, residents returning to their homes, and certain emergency situations. But this number is expected to soar as soon as the country reopens, and authorities are scrambling to get health teams ready in time to detect all incoming cases.
12th Jun 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Norway snubs COVID-19 hotspot Sweden in lifting travel curbs
Norway will allow travel to and from Finland, Iceland and the Swedish island of Gotland from Monday, but maintain travel restrictions on mainland Sweden due to its higher level of COVID-19 cases, amid concerns of a second wave of infections.
Denmark, Finland and Norway have lifted some of the controls on leisure travel they imposed to slow the coronavirus pandemic, but have kept most of those imposed on Sweden, the richest and most populous of the Nordic countries.
12th Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
Canada to mandate temperature checks for airline passengers, Trudeau says
“Temperature checks will not be detecting people with COVID-19,” Trudeau said in a news conference. “It’s an extra layer of safety to encourage people who might feel sick to stay home and not put others at risk.” The screening will be phased in, with those arriving in Canada being screened by the end of June, and then for those leaving the country as well as for domestic travelers at the country’s four biggest airports by the end of July. If a traveler is found to have a fever after two separate measurements 10 minutes apart, they will be asked to rebook after 14 days have passed, the transport minister said.
12th Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 12th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 & its Impact on Textile & Garment Supply Chains in Developing Nations
The COVID-19 outbreak led to production stops in China first, followed by closures of shops elsewhere around the world. For the moment, European and American retailers, the two destination markets for this sector, are still cancelling their orders. Cancelled orders are a cause for concern in many sourcing countries. As shippers are increasingly invoking ‘force majeure’ clauses within their contracts to halt their payments, on 8 April, the Sustainable Textile of Asian Region (STAR) Network, the body, which brings together representatives of the producing associations from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Pakistan and Vietnam, released a joint statement on the issue. It urged brands and retailers to consider the impact that their purchasing decisions during the coronavirus pandemic could have on workers and small businesses in the supply chain and, therefore, to honour their contracts with their suppliers. In their statement, the STAR Network invited global businesses to “support business partners in the supply chain as much as possible, and aim at a long-term strategy of business continuity, supply chain unity and social sustainability.”
11th Jun 2020 - Inter Press Service
British Airways to put artworks on sale in COVID-19 cash crunch
British Airways will sell at least 10 works of art from its extensive collection, a source said, to try to raise millions of pounds to boost its cash reserves as it struggles through the coronavirus pandemic. The airline has come under fire from British politicians for plans to cut 12,000 jobs. But with planes grounded and no revenue, it says the job losses are necessary because travel demand is set to shrink in coming years. The BA collection includes works by Damien Hirst, Peter Doig and Bridget Riley, and selling off some of the works, which usually hang in executive lounges at airports, was an idea from a BA staff member, a source familiar with the situation said on Thursday. At least one work has been valued at more than 1 million pounds ($1.27 million), the source added.
11th Jun 2020 - This is Money
Egypt to reopen tourist destinations less hard-hit by virus
Egypt will reopen select tourist destinations to international charter flights starting July 1, its cabinet said Thursday, allowing travelers from around the world to return to parts of the country less hard-hit by the coronavirus. The government hopes to draw tourists to popular yet remote attractions that have been spared the ravages of the virus. Those include the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula, home to the major resort and beach destination of Sharm el Sheikh, the Red Sea resort areas of Hurghada and Marsa Alam, as well as Marsa Matrouh, on the Mediterranean coast.
11th Jun 2020 - The Times of Israel
Germany in close contact with Turkey over travel warning - minister
Germany is in close contact with countries outside Europe, including Turkey, over whether travel warnings in place due to the coronavirus pandemic can be lifted, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Thursday. Lifting the warnings would depend on factors like the number of infections and capacity levels at local health systems, Maas said after talks with ministers from several popular holiday destinations for Germans.
11th Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 11th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullWorld faces worst food crisis for at least 50 years, UN warns
The world stands on the brink of a food crisis worse than any seen for at least 50 years, the UN has warned as it urged governments to act swiftly to avoid disaster.
Better social protections for poor people are urgently needed as the looming recession following the coronavirus pandemic may put basic nutrition beyond their reach, the UN secretary general, António Guterres, said on Tuesday. “Unless immediate action is taken, it is increasingly clear that there is an impending global food emergency that could have long-term impacts on hundreds of millions of children and adults,” he said. “We need to act now to avoid the worst impacts of our efforts to control the pandemic.”
10th Jun 2020 - The Guardian
Pope expresses concern about children in poverty amid virus
Pope Francis appealed for help to protect children who are being forced to work to help their families living in extreme poverty during the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking from the Papal library at the Vatican during his weekly audience, the Pope said that in some circumstances this amounted to child slavery or imprisonment. Pausing from his prepared text, the Pope added, “we are all responsible for this.” There have been 12 cases of COVID-19 among the employees and residents of the small Vatican city state.
10th Jun 2020 - Ebru.co.uk
Hairdressers, beauty salons reopen in Malaysia
The government says the country will enter a "recovery" phase until the end of August, and warned that restrictions will be reinstated if infections soar again.
10th Jun 2020 - Republic World
Will people ever go the movies again?
Movie theaters are used to screening nail-biting endings, but are they now looking at their own? Theaters have been shuttered since mid-March, and in the months since the curtain came down, thousands of theater staffers have been furloughed or laid off, rent on cineplexes has gone unpaid, and movie studios have canned premieres for their multimillion-dollar productions. While box office receipts have hovered at a healthy $11 billion for North America for the past five years, analysts predict that ticket sales will plunge to $5.5 billion in 2020 — a 52 percent decline — according to MoffettNathanson, a media research company. AMC Theatres, the world's largest cinema chain, said last week that it had "substantial doubt" that it could continue its operations for an extended period.
10th Jun 2020 - NBC News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 10th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: The time for mental healthcare reform is now
The global outbreak of COVID-19 forced many mental healthcare services across Europe to adjust. Lockdown restrictions led to a disruption of many services crucial for the mental wellbeing of people. Civil society organisations and the United Nations (UN) have called on policymakers to support mental healthcare reform now and beyond the pandemic. The biggest crisis can be an opportunity for much-needed systemic change. Service providers all over Europe are leading the way, as the examples below illustrate.
10th Jun 2020 - Open Access Government
Inside Story - What is the psychological cost of the coronavirus?
More than 264 million people worldwide were affected by depression, and suicide was the second-leading cause of death among young people - and that was before the coronavirus pandemic. Before distance and isolation became our new experience of life; before grieving loved ones without being able to say goodbye; and before the sudden loss of jobs. Such difficult experiences have led to elevated levels of stress and anxiety, experts say. They warn of a potential rise in suicides and drug abuse, and a possible psychological cost in the coming years, after the pandemic is over. Human Rights Watch has urged governments to expand mental healthcare services. The United Nations says facilities already lacking resources and people fleeing violence, are of particular concern. So, what is the long-term impact of the coronavirus on people's mental health?
9th Jun 2020 - AlJazeera
Spain sees rise in air pollution as coronavirus lockdown eases
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As Spain began to deescalate the confinement measures, more traffic has returned to the roads, and nitrogen dioxide levels are once again on the rise. This increase was calculated by EL PAÍS based on the data from air-monitoring centers from the 15 most populous cities in Spain, which are home to more than 10.7 million people, or around one fourth of the total population. Since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has been compiling and sharing the weekly evolution of several pollutants as recorded by around 3,000 air-monitoring centers in the European Union. Thanks to the work of the EEA, it is possible to follow the changes in air-pollution levels during the crisis.
9th Jun 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Nine million UK children off school for six months will be 'lost generation'
Union leaders tonight warned that a return to school in September could not be taken for granted. Education Secretary Mr Williamson admitted the disruption could leave kids needing “a year or more” of support to catch up. It came as the UK death toll rose by 286 to 40,883. Children’s Commissioner for England, Ms Longfield warned “the education divide is broadening... almost a decade of catching up on that gap may be lost”. She said: “The risk I am most concerned about is that of a generation of children losing over six months of formal education, socialising with friends and structured routine... The Government need to face up to the scale of damage this is doing to children and scale-up their response.”
9th Jun 2020 - Mirror Online
When will pubs and restaurants reopen? The new UK lockdown rules explained
After nearly two months in lockdown, the UK started to ease certain restrictions on travelling to work, exercise and going outside. New rules allow people to exercise outside more than once a day and spend time in parks and outdoor spaces – sunbathing and having picnics – even if they’re not exercising. But what does this all mean for the hospitality industry? Not only are pub and restaurant owners wondering about the future of their business but people are asking when they might be able to start drinking or eating out again, especially as the weather gets warmer.
9th Jun 2020 - The Independent
Chinese businesses adapt to post-lockdown reality
China’s big cities have started to come back to life but worries remain about a potential second wave and businesses are struggling with a shortage of customers.
Most urban centres are free from the virus yet companies are implementing disease control measures, ranging from checking guests’ temperatures and having staff and customers wear masks to conducting regular deep cleans of facilities. To understand how China’s service industry is adapting to the post-virus environment, the Financial Times spoke to three representative businesses in Beijing and Shanghai.
9th Jun 2020 - Financial Times
With China's Economy Battered By Pandemic, Millions Return To The Land For Work
Seasonal agricultural workers plant peanuts next to wheat fields in China's Henan province. With tens of millions of urban and factory jobs lost, many of the newly unemployed have returned to their rural villages.
9th Jun 2020 - NPR
Regional airports reopen in France as lockdown eases
Airports in France that were closed during the lockdown are reopening as the country continues to ease restrictions put in place to control the spread of COVID-19. Nantes airport in the west of France and Biarritz on the southwest coast opened on Monday, with Lille in the north slated to restart flights on 15 June and Bordeaux on 6 July. The airport in Nantes is seen as the gateway to the western Atlantic region.
9th Jun 2020 - CGTN
'Moment of a lifetime' for Italians taking advantage of museums emptied of tourists by COVID lockdown
Italians become tourists at home and embrace 'slow tourism' as the country reopens. As pandemic restrictions were lifted this past week, with Italy opening its borders to EU travellers and allowing inter-regional travel, the country's world-renowned museums and cultural sites also reopened. With only a trickle of EU tourists arriving, Italians have a historic opportunity: the chance to see their own masterpieces free from throngs of tourists and by booking just days in advance, rather than weeks or months.
9th Jun 2020 - CBC.ca
Nine in 10 GPs want to continue with remote consultations after coronavirus
Nine in 10 GPs want to carry on delivering consultations remotely after the coronavirus pandemic has ended, a BMA survey has found.
9th Jun 2020 - Pulse Today
The interactive IATA coronavirus travel regulations map that reveals restrictions country-by-country
It's user friendly - simply click on a country and a panel pops up that reveals the latest regulations. It has been produced by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and is continuously updated. Each country is colour-coded according to how strict its regulations are – dark blue for 'totally restrictive'
9th Jun 2020 - Daily Mail
Healthcare CFOs look to technology and automation for COVID-19 recovery
The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is forcing hospitals and health systems to tighten their belts due to shrinking revenues and margins, but many CFOs won't be reducing spending in one key area: technology and automation. In the recent months of the crisis, 84% of hospitals surveyed by Black Book and 79% of large physician practices have confirmed they performed audits on the existing state of digital transformation. Ninety-three percent of all providers said that missing capabilities and redundant or conflicting systems were identified in the second quarter, and will drive immediate financial systems rationalization and acquisitions.
10th Jun 2020 - Healthcare Finance News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 9th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullIn Italy, Signs of Psychological Distress Among Healthcare Workers Tackling COVID-19
A substantial proportion of healthcare workers in Italy, particularly young women and frontline workers, have experienced mental health issues during the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, according to a cross-sectional, web-based study published in JAMA Network Open. Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and depression were observed in nearly half and a quarter of the sample, respectively.
8th Jun 2020 - Psychiatry Advisor
New Zealand lifts COVID-19 restrictions crowds free to attend Super Rugby Aotearoa
Crowds will be permitted to attend the opening round of Super Rugby Aotearoa this weekend, after New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed the country would shift to Alert Level 1 from midnight Monday [NZT]. In what is believed to be a first since the coronavirus pandemic put most professional sports on hold, there will be no restrictions on the size of the crowd that can attend this weekend's opening games between the Highlanders and Chiefs in Dunedin (Saturday), and the Blues and Hurricanes in Auckland (Sunday). New Zealand has not had a new COVID-19 case for 17 days, and there are no longer any active cases of the virus across the country.
8th Jun 2020 - ESPN.co.uk
Government seeking to increase social gathering limit to 50
Due to the Coronavirus Crisis, the public in Denmark has had to limit their social gatherings to a maximum of ten people in recent months. But that could well change in the very near future after PM Mette Frederiksen sent a letter to members of Parliament proposing increasing the limit to 50 on June 8. The letter also revealed the government proposes additional increases to the gathering limit – up to 100 on July 8 and then to 200 on August 8.
8th Jun 2020 - Copenhagen Post
New Zealand's star tourism attraction struggles as visitors stay away post-Covid
It's a stunning fall morning in Queenstown, New Zealand. Trees with orange leaves border the calm Lake Wakatipu, and craggy mountains -- the kind made famous by Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" movies -- tower in the distance. It's the perfect spot for a photo. But for now, there are very few tourists about. "It's usually quiet for us in the winter," says Betty Perkins, the owner of Million Dollar Cruise, which has been running boat tours of Queenstown's lake for 13 years. "But not this quiet."
There are now no active coronavirus cases in New Zealand, a country of five million people. But borders remain closed, and there is still no firm date for a much-anticipated trans-Tasman bubble, which would open up travel with neighboring Australia.
8th Jun 2020 - CNN
Italy's cultural cities strategize after tourism losses post-lockdown
Italians become tourists at home and embrace 'slow tourism' as the country reopens. As pandemic restrictions were lifted this past week, with Italy opening its borders to travellers, the country's world-renowned museums and cultural sites saw only a trickle of tourists arriving. Italians now have the chance to see their own masterpieces by booking just days in advance,
8th Jun 2020 - CBC.ca
'A dream come true' as visitors return to Spanish nursing home
The sounds of tears and laughter rang through the Casaverde nursing home in Navalcarnero outside Madrid on Monday, as residents received their first visitors since the facility was locked down in March.
8th Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
France identifies 150 coronavirus clusters, many in health centres and hospitals
Since France began to ease its strict nationwide lockdown on May 11th, health authorities have focused their efforts on a 'test and trace' strategy to identify early new outbreaks of the illness. The latest data from Santé Publique France shows that up to June 3rd 150 Covid-19 clusters have been identified - 142 in mainland France and eight in its overseas territories.
8th Jun 2020 - The Local France
Covid-19: Singapore and France agree to keep supply chains for essential food open and connected
Singapore and France have agreed to maintain open and connected supply chains for essential food supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic. Both countries affirmed their intention to do so in a joint statement by Singapore's Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing and France's Minister of Agriculture and Food Didier Guillaume on Monday (June 8).
8th Jun 2020 - The Straits Times
Action! Film-makers back to work in New Zealand after coronavirus
New Zealand’s capital has had an extra buzz of excitement over the past week since Hollywood director James Cameron and his crew flew in to film the much-anticipated sequel of the epic science-fiction film “Avatar”.
8th Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus: Will UK universities open in September?
The numbers of students in UK universities could be much lower than usual from September. A survey by the University and College Union found that more than one in five students could defer going to university this year. Universities and colleges take varied approaches to the issue. Some will not allow deferred entry for subjects such as medicine, but will consider it for other courses. However, you need to check that the same course is being offered the following year
8th Jun 2020 - BBC News
Coronavirus: UK travel quarantine, dentists reopen and NI weddings return
Rules requiring the majority of people arriving in the UK to self-isolate for 14 days have come into effect. Whether it's by plane, ferry or train, arrivals - including UK nationals - will have to provide an address where they'll stay and face fines if they don't comply. The government says the quarantine is essential to prevent a second wave of coronavirus infections, but the measures are hugely unpopular across the beleaguered travel industry. There are some exceptions, so check out the rules in full. Our experts have also answered a list of your questions. And if we can't easily go abroad, what are the chances of taking a holiday within the UK?
8th Jun 2020 - BBC News
Spain Looks to a New Kind of Tourism After COVID-19
“Our biggest overseas market has always been the British. We are also popular with Spaniards. But this year we will have to concentrate on attracting the French, who are also a big market, and the Portuguese. Reluctance to travel by air and to make reservations may mean the British come later.” Peréz said cleaning hotels, making staff and customers wear masks, enforcing social distancing in restaurants, bars and even nightclubs will be essential. Avoiding crowding on the beaches will also be imperative. Known as the Manhattan of the Costa Blanca, Benidorm is famous for its skyscraper-like hotels. The close proximity of guests in these buildings is likely to prove a problem until an effective vaccine is found for COVID-19.
8th Jun 2020 - VOA News
Video: Thai businesses develop robots to adapt to coronavirus era
The coronavirus outbreak has accelerated the development of the robotics industry in Thailand, as companies race to devise solutions to meet increased hygiene and medical needs. Robotics is one of 10 strategic sectors that the government wants to focus on, but the industry's development had been slow until now. The coronavirus pandemic has moved things forward rapidly and companies have now developed robots that can take body temperatures, check mask usage, as well as conduct remote medical examinations.
8th Jun 2020 - Nikkei Asian Review
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 8th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullUN headquarters preparing for three-phase reopening to 'new normal' amid COVID-19
The sprawling United Nations headquarters, which has remained largely closed since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is preparing to re-open in three phases with new workplace measures being put in place for staff, diplomats and journalists that will include maximum two-person occupancy in elevators and wearing masks in common areas.
8th Jun 2020 - Deccan Herald
Vietnam Breaks Out of the Covid Tourist Trap
7th Jun 2020 - Bloomberg
Japanese architect Shigeru Ban calls for coronavirus-safe shelters
Japan’s Pritzker Award-winning architect Shigeru Ban, famous for designing buildings from paper tubes in disaster areas, says the world needs to think about tackling natural catastrophes in the coronavirus era. And while he hopes the pandemic will lead to less of a crush on Tokyo’s packed commuter trains, he warns against relying on teleworking, stressing that hands-on contact with materials is vital for great architecture. Speaking from his Tokyo office, the 62-year-old said cities need to start planning now to mitigate the nightmare scenario of an earthquake or typhoon striking before the pandemic has run its course.
6th Jun 2020 - The Japan Times
Coronavirus: No return to 'business as usual' for dentists
The British Dental Association (BDA) has warned there will be no return to "business as usual" for dentistry in England. Practices were told last week that they could reopen from Monday 8 June, if they put in place appropriate safety measures. But some dentists say it was not enough warning and they lack necessary kit. A poll of 2,053 practices in England suggests that just over a third (36%) plan to reopen on Monday. "Anyone expecting dentistry to magically return on Monday will find only a skeleton service," says BDA chair Mick Armstrong.
5th Jun 2020 - BBC News
What Will It Take to Reopen the World to Travel?
Above all, it’s trust. Countries are rebuilding relationships under enormous economic pressure, while keeping a wary eye on a virus that’s not going away soon.
3rd Jun 2020 - The New York Times
How to Reopen America’s Schools
Many questions remain as experts weigh options for getting children back into the classroom.
6th Jun 2020 - The New York Times
Japan to require virus testing, itinerary in travel restriction easing
Japan is already in talks with Thailand, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand to mutually reopen borders, with businesspeople and professionals such as medical staff expected to be fast-tracked. Under the plan, travelers leaving Japan will first have to get a negative result in a polymerase chain reaction or PCR test, which they will then submit to the embassy of the country they plan to visit. During the first two weeks of their trip, travelers will also be required to stay at a hotel and there will be restrictions on their movements except for commuting to work and a ban on using public transport. The two weeks will likely be counted from when a negative virus test result is confirmed, the sources said, though alternatively it may be from the date of arrival.
5th Jun 2020 - Kyodo News Plus
Under lockdown, social work has gone virtual. What happens when the real world comes back?
Change has made a tough job harder – at the same time as children have also been seen far less by teachers, health workers, children’s centre staff and others who so often pick up the first signs something is wrong. Now, as restrictions begin to ease and schools make preparations to open, concerns are growing that a surge in referrals could test an already creaking system to breaking point. Against this backdrop, the government has caused further alarm by diluting – without warning – a wide range of the rules that help keep children in care safe.
2nd Jun 2020 - The Bristol Cable
How digital entrepreneurs will help shape the world after the COVID-19 pandemic
The ability to leverage digital tools has become a must for entrepreneurs, to survive the ongoing crisis. The pandemic has accelerated the process of digital transformation across almost all sectors. Greater social mobility and shared value creation are among those factors that entrepreneurs can leverage using digital tools on the recovery path.
4th Jun 2020 - World Economic Forum
A sight for sore eyes: Madrid reopens its museums
The government shut state-run museums on March 12 as it locked down the country to curb the coronavirus spread. Curbs have been lifted gradually, with Madrid one of the slowest places to ease restrictions as it was among the worst hit.
The Prado and Reina Sofia are not yet fully open, but many masterpieces, including works by Velazquez and Goya in the Prado and Picasso’s “Guernica” in the Reina Sofia, are on display. Health measures are in force, including social distancing, reduced capacity and timed tickets for visits. Staff took visitors’ temperatures as they entered the Prado.
6th Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 5th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullVaccines group raises $8.8 billion for immunisation plans for poor countries
4th Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
Avoid coronavirus travel quarantine by flying from 'clean' airport
Holidaymakers flying from a limited number of British airports will be able to enter Europe without being tested and quarantined under new measures to open up tourism. A “blacklist” of 13 UK airports has been drawn up by the European Aviation Safety Agency (Easa), an EU organisation, to mark out those in areas with the highest coronavirus infection rates. Greece confirmed yesterday that the system would be used to determine which passengers would be subject to the strictest measures on arrival from June 15 when it opens its borders to tourists for the first time since March. All people from high-risk areas will be given a Covid-19 test, with isolation periods of seven or 14 days depending on whether the result is positive.
5th Jun 2020 - The Times
The Winding Roadmap for Reopening Offices and Putting Workers First
The majority of American workers say their employer is offering flex time or remote options during the pandemic, an increase of almost 20 percent since February 2020, according to a recent Gallup poll. A majority also reported that they would prefer continuing to work remotely even after workplaces reopen.
4th Jun 2020 - Triple Pundit
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 4th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullAir pollution in China back to pre-Covid levels and Europe may follow
Air pollution in China has climbed back to pre-pandemic levels, and scientists say Europe may follow suit. Air pollution causes at least 8m early deaths a year, and cleaner skies were seen as one of the few silver linings of Covid-19. Experts have called for action to help retain the air quality benefits of lockdowns, and measures taken to date have included expanding cycle lanes and space for walking in cities.
Data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea) shows concentrations of fine particles (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) across China are now at the same levels as one year earlier. At the height of the country’s coronavirus response in early March, NO2 levels were down by 38% from 2019 and levels of PM2.5 were down by 34%.
3rd Jun 2020 - The Guardian
How Business Owners Are Preparing For A Post-Covid World
We talked to founders from across various industries in the Gen.T community to learn how they've rapidly pivoted their businesses to survive and thrive in a post-pandemic world
4th Jun 2020 - Tatler Malaysia
Rethinking the world's largest cities in wake of COVID-19
Remote working was already on the rise in many parts of the world before the pandemic. Now, as firms grapple with social distancing rules that limit how many workers can return, they are thinking about what their offices are really for. That in turn will force planners and city officials to reconsider and redesign central business districts, said Tony Matthews, a senior lecturer in urban and environmental planning at Australia’s Griffith University. “If daytime working populations fall, new populations are likely to be needed to keep these areas buzzing and generating incomes,” he said. “Some areas may need to be redesigned if they are no longer economically viable — retail districts, for example. Some office buildings may be demolished or repurposed, with the surrounding infrastructure and public space also changing in time,” he said.
3rd Jun 2020 - Japan Times
Global report: Germany eases travel warning and cafe culture returns to Paris
Germany lifted its blanket European travel warning as coronavirus lockdowns across the EU continued to ease, with officials saying new cases in western Europe were now in steady decline. Parisians reclaimed their cafe terraces and Berliners took back their bars as normal life inched closer to returning in many parts of the continent. Germany’s foreign minister, Heiko Maas, said his government was maintaining its travel warning for non-European destinations, but from Wednesday it would issue individual advice for all Schengen-zone countries to allow holidaymakers to decide where they could safely travel this summer.
2nd Jun 2020 - The Guardian
Restaurant bookings have fully recovered in Germany in a sign that activity rebounds quickly as lockdowns ease
Analysts at BCA Research compiled this chart, showing German bookings have actually fully recovered. Another place showing a strong recovery is Australia, which like Germany has been praised for its coronavirus response and has been further along in reopening than many countries. “Germany and Australia show that quickly after the lockdowns are eased, the number of reservations in restaurants rebounds strongly. This suggests that even if the behavior of households will not return to normal, there is significant scope for improvement from current levels,” said the analysts.
3rd Jun 2020 - MarketWatch
It's like the 1944 liberation, say Parisians as they taste freedom from lockdown
The speed with which freedoms are being handed back has caught many restaurant owners by surprise. They were only informed on Thursday that they could open, and many have not had time to do so. Others, like Le Select, are serving drinks only. Jacques Viguier, the owner, who visited his brasserie every day during the two and a half months it was shut “to give myself something to do”, said he had yet to buy in the ingredients needed for a menu that features dishes such as duck confit, veal kidneys and beef tartare. He expects them to arrive in time to start serving meals tomorrow.
3rd Jun 2020 - The Times
Coronavirus in Spain: No deaths reported for second day in a row as lockdown restrictions eased
Spain, holding its breath as it emerges from lockdown, reported no deaths for the second day in a row since the pandemic started. One of the hardest-hit countries by Covid-19, it was positive news for Spaniards who had lived through dark times when hundreds of people lost their lives each day to the virus.
3rd Jun 2020 - iNews
Spain's job haemorrhage dries up as country emerges from ...
The brutal job losses registered in Spain following the coronavirus outbreak reversed in May with the creation of net jobs for the first time since one of Europe's toughest lockdowns was imposed more than two months ago. As the lockdown gradually eased in May, a net 97,462 new jobs were created during the month, although the overall number of jobs in the country was still 885,985 lower than in May 2019. Data from the previous months had showed 900,000 jobs were lost in the second half of March alone. Spain registered 26,573 more people as jobless in May than in April, which represented a 0.69% increase. About 3.86 million people were out of work, data from the Labour Ministry showed on Tuesday.
3rd Jun 2020 - Thomson Reuters Foundation
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View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: UK banks draw up £15 billion support fund for small businesses struggling under lockdown
Small firms today welcomed a £15 billion support fund backed by UK banks to aid businesses struggling with debts. The Business Growth Fund was founded in 2011 by big banks including Barclays, HSBC and Lloyds, and is run by former JP Morgan banker Stephen Welton. Welton warns that a large number of businesses will fail in the fallout from Covid-19 and that unless there is some degree of debt flexibility an economic crisis could turn into a banking crisis.
2nd Jun 2020 - Evening Standard
Remote working: How cities might change if we worked from home more
Major tech companies say they are open to their staff working from home permanently. Employees are coming to realise remote working is not only possible but, in some cases, preferable. A shift to a new way of working might already be under way. Such a shift could have profound implications on our home life, and by extension on the life of our towns and cities: almost a quarter of all office space in England and Wales is in central London alone. To understand those implications, we brought together four experts on city life, all of whom were working from home.
1st Jun 2020 - BBC News
First NZ film resumes shooting again after lockdown
Poppy has become the first feature film to resume shooting in New Zealand since the Covid-19 lockdown. The local drama tells the story of a young woman with Down syndrome who refuses to be defined by her disability and decides to take control of her life. The film was three hours into the final week of shooting when the Level 4 lockdown announcement was made. Shooting restarted on Friday at a private location on the Kāpiti Coast and is expected to take six days to wrap.
2nd Jun 2020 - Stuff.co.nz
Shooting on period film resumes in Paris as lockdown eases in France
Shooting has resumed in Paris as Montmartre was transformed for a period movie amid the coronavirus lockdown. As restrictions ease in France, film crews were spotted getting straight back to work setting up for a new movie. The crew donned facemasks to ensure safety of everyone working in close proximity. Although it is unknown what the exact movie is being filmed, it is believed to be set in the 1940s.
1st Jun 2020 - Metro.co.uk
Filming on 'The Batman' and more set to recommence with new UK COVID-19 guidelines
1st Jun 2020 - YAHOO!
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View this newsletter in fullFilming in the UK set to recommence with new COVID-19 guidelines
2nd Jun 2020 - YAHOO!
Spain says will guarantee health safety when opening tourism to foreigners
Spain will guarantee health safety when reopening the country to foreign tourists next month after the coronavirus contagion prompted a three-month closure, industry and tourism minister Reyes Maroto said on Monday. "This will be our strength," she told Telecinco TV station.
1st Jun 2020 - MSN.com
Hygiene, savings, efficiency mark post-COVID-19 investments
While hygiene, savings and efficiency issues are likely to lead the venture ecosystem in the post-COVID-19 world, this effect can be observed in investments in three Turkish startups, namely Yolda, Nanomik and TatildeKirala.com
2nd Jun 2020 - Daily Sabah
Vicars will take down names of worshippers to allow churches to reopen safely
Empty fonts and hand santizer stations are some of the new measures included in Church of England plans
1st Jun 2020 - Telegraph.co.uk
Coronavirus: End of remote voting could see MPs form 1km-long queue in parliament
MPs are set to return to parliament on Tuesday but will no longer use the "hybrid" system for debates they had last month.
2nd Jun 2020 - Sky News
Lockdown: Parents concerned over plans to reopen schools, over 2 lakh petition govt
Over two lakh parents from across India have signed a petition demanding that schools should not be reopened unless the Covid-19 situation improves or a vaccine is ready
2nd Jun 2020 - Times of India
Coronavirus: Test 'could restore confidence' for staff to return to work
1st Jun 2020 - Bournemouth Echo
'Demand is huge': EU citizens flock to open-air cinemas as lockdown eases
From Berlin to Madrid the movies are back, albeit with hygiene and distancing restrictions. Open-air cinemas will begin reopening across Germany on Friday evening, and indoor cinemas are expected to get the go-ahead from July. Operators say they welcome the chance to be among the first cultural institutions to be able to inject joy back into people’s lives. They also recognise the responsibility they have. If successful, their navigation of hygiene and distancing regulations will serve as a blueprint for other cultural venues such as concert halls and performance venues.
1st Jun 2020 - The Guardian
What we can learn from China and Sweden about post-lockdown traffic and travel
China has the most post-lockdown experience because it's believed that's where the novel coronavirus originated. Sweden, meanwhile, decided not to shut down its economy like most developed countries and can offer a glimpse of how people could act when the economy in Canada and other countries is fully open again even though the threat of COVID-19 still exists. Travel data from the two countries provides some insight into what to expect in terms of how many people will continue to work from home, traffic patterns on city streets, the eagerness of shoppers to return to stores and how long until travellers will have the confidence to catch a flight, among many other observations. Peoples' new travel habits will have broad implications for the economy, especially the oil sector, which saw demand plummet for fuel during the pandemic.
1st Jun 2020 - CBC.ca
Restaurants reopening: How lessons from the US provide hope for UK businesses preparing to open after lockdown
The findings, published by research firm CGA Nielsen, reveal the preferences of US consumers in multiple cities where lockdown restrictions have been loosened, and offer UK firms an insight into the types of measures customers would like to see implemented once restaurants reopen here. One third of consumers in key cities in two US states - Texas and Florida - went out to eat in a restaurant or bar in mid-May, according to the findings. Of those that had ventured into a restaurant or bar, one in three had done so three times or more. Nearly nine in 10 (88 per cent) of those polled stated they were satisfied with their overall experience.
1st Jun 2020 - iNews
Russia's COVID dissenters: Underground bars, gyms and hair salons flout tough quarantine rules
Another St. Petersburg bar, Depeche Mode, was also jammed with people socializing and drinking on a recent weekend night. There was no physical distancing and not a face mask or bottle of hand sanitizer in sight. "The [virus] fear is somewhere on the back burner," said bar owner Danya Lipovestsky. "For people, it's easier for them to come here to this underground bar to chat and forget the fear that we're all going to die. "Even me, I come here even though I am totally in the risk zone with asthma," he said. "I'm scared but to hell with it. It's just better to be here."
1st Jun 2020 - CBC.ca
George Floyd protests spark COVID-19 fears in U.S., South Korea sees rise in cases
Protests around the U.S. against police brutality have sparked fears of a further spread of the coronavirus, while South Korea is reporting a steady rise in cases around the capital after appearing to bring the outbreak under control. The often-violent protests over the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was pinned at the neck by a white Minneapolis police officer, are raising fears of new virus outbreaks in a country that has more confirmed infections and deaths than any other. The protests come as more beaches, churches, mosques, schools and businesses reopen worldwide, increasing the risk of cross-infections.
1st Jun 2020 - Globalnews.ca
Shopper numbers jump 31% as lockdown in England relaxed
Shoppers rushed back to high streets and retail parks on Monday as the reopening of car showrooms, markets and some Ikea stores marked the easing of lockdown restrictions in England. The number of shoppers out and about jumped by 31% across all retail destinations by 5pm in England compared with last week’s bank holiday Monday, according to analysts at Springboard. For the UK as a whole, shopper numbers rose by 28%.
1st Jun 2020 - The Guardian
Japanese bathhouses awash with post-lockdown customers
Masazumi Kato sighed deeply as he lowered himself into a tub at a public bathhouse in a Tokyo suburb, enjoying a return to a Japanese tradition largely off-limits during the city's coronavirus lockdown. With the lifting of a nationwide state of emergency over the virus, Japan's onsen -- large bathhouses where patrons bathe naked in a series of warm pools and tubs -- are gradually reopening. And fans like 52-year-old Kato have few qualms about returning. "I believe they are taking anti-virus measures, like chlorine," he told AFP as he soaked in an outdoor tub, with other naked men submerged in pools nearby. "I trust them and I like to use this place," said Kato, a frequent patron of the Yumominosato facility in Yokohama, outside Tokyo.
1st Jun 2020 - Yahoo News UK
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View this newsletter in fullWhat a post-lockdown lockdown bar could look like - including thermal imaging cameras and some staff in visors
Thermal imaging cameras, bar staff in visors and orders on an app: this is how one of Manchester's most popular bars plans to finally reopen. Albert’s Schloss has today revealed the measures it’s putting in place to keep staff, customers and the venues performers safe. It could be a taste of things to come at hospitality venues across Greater Manchester and the rest of the UK. Before being seated or served, customers will face a temperaturescreening from a thermal imaging camera which alerts staff to anyone with an elevated temperature. If staff suspect anyone on site is unwell - customer or otherwise - they are likely to be asked to leave and seek medical attention.
31st May 2020 - ITV News
Mayor Tory urges employers to allow remote work to continue until at least September
Toronto Mayor John Tory is urging companies to continue to let their employees work remotely until at least September to ensure a safe restart during the city's recovery period. Tory said working from home, phasing in employees return to work and staggering start times where possible will help businesses and organizations reopen safely amid the COVID-19 pandemic."Such an approach will help take the pressure off our subway system downtown and help ensure that we have a slower, steady and safe restart," Tory said during the city's COVID-19 briefing on Friday
29th May 2020 - CP24 Toronto's Breaking News
Western Australia to finally relax lockdown laws with gyms to open and 300 people allowed in pubs
Western Australia will enter stage 3 of eased lockdown restrictions on June 6.
The relaxed laws will increase gathering limits and allow up to 300 people. Patrons must be seated at all times inside pubs, restaurants and food courts. Gyms, health clubs and beauty services will be able to operate as normal
29th May 2020 - Daily Mail
French bistros turn on their stoves as lockdown eased
France was promised a return to an “almost normal life” yesterday as the prime minister authorised restaurants to reopen and city dwellers to start planning trips to the seaside. Édouard Philippe unveiled a battery of decisions to ensure “freedom will become the rule and restrictions the exception” in the second phase of the government’s lockdown exit strategy. Chefs will be able to turn on their stoves again, the Mona Lisa will once more greet visitors to the Louvre and tourists will be able to return to the Eiffel Tower. Mr Philippe said France wanted Europe’s internal borders reopened on June 15, but insisted that if Britain went ahead with its plan to quarantine people arriving from France for 14 days, Paris would impose a similar quarantine period
29th May 2020 - The Times
Australian pubs face a long road back after lockdown
Publican Leisa Wheatland says a large empty pub is a bit like a school with no kids, "it's pretty sad and lonely without patrons." Coffee windows, jam jar cocktails, takeaway dinners and "takeovers" by patrons are keeping Australia's shuttered pubs afloat, but as the industry toasts the lifting of lockdown laws next week, publicans say bouncing back from the brink is not as simple as pouring a pint.
29th May 2020 - Sydney Morning Herald
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View this newsletter in fullFrench cafés eye return to business as government prepares new lockdown easing
While restaurants, bars and cafés in so-called "green" zones with limited Covid-19 cases could open on June 2, those in "red" zones including Paris and a large swathe of the northeast may have to wait until July, a government source said. Cities will also be allowed to reopen parks and public gardens, though in red zones visitors will have to wear masks. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has urged the government to reopen parks for residents who have been cooped up for weeks, not least to avoid the mass gatherings witnessed on canals and esplanades as summer approaches.
28th May 2020 - France24
Is this the future of dining? Restaurants could feature bubble pods after lockdown
28th May 2020 - Yahoo!
Air France-KLM to resume flights to Italy from June 1
28th May 2020 - Yahoo Finance UK
Cineworld is re-opening UK cinemas in July as country emerges from lockdown
Cineworld says it plans to reopen UK branches in July after the coronavirus lockdown. The cinema chain has been shuttered since mid-March, when Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed a nationwide lockdown amid the health crisis.
28th May 2020 - The Birmingham Mail
Ted Baker plans to reopen stores in June as UK eases lockdown
British retailer Ted Baker is preparing for a gradual reopening of its stores from mid-June and will recall furloughed staff based on the needs of its operations, the company said on Thursday. A coronavirus-triggered lockdown in the UK had forced the fashion retailer to shut all of its stores and furlough 75% of its staff. The British government said earlier this week that outdoor markets and car showrooms in England can reopen from June 1 followed by all other non-essential retail from June 15. Stores will look and operate very differently from how they did before a coronavirus lockdown was imposed on March 23 as they comply with new health and safety and social distancing rules.
28th May 2020 - Yahoo!
Isle of Wight school closes following confirmed Coronavirus case: 14 days isolation for all those in contact
Christ the King College has had to close after a member of the team tested positive for Coronavirus (Covid-19). All students and staff who were potentially in contact with the person who has tested positive have been advised to self-isolate for 14 days. Head of the school, Nora Ward, told News OnTheWight,
28th May 2020 - On The Wight
Spain, Italy, France, Greece and Portugal all issue travel advice to Brits over holidays this summer
Birmingham Airport is set to spring into life in the coming weeks as the tourism industry is given a jolt of adrenalin across the continent. Europe will welcome British holidaymakers once more from June and July, with summer holiday hopes revitalised for bored Brits at home. Birmingham Airport has been eerily quiet in recent weeks - with one week seeing just six flights take off from the transport hub, situated near Solihull. But now, as the UK emerges from lockdown, travel firms from TUI, Ryanair and Jet2, to British Airways and Easyjet, are committing to restarting flights.
28th May 2020 - The Birmingham Mail
How China emerges from lockdown will affect global tourism
You can wave to the giant Mickey Mouse mascot, but not get close enough for a jolly selfie. Such are the rules at Disneyland Shanghai, which reopened on May 11th. Visitor numbers are capped at 30% of the sprawling park’s capacity. Meanwhile the Forbidden City in Beijing can now take only 5,000 visitors a day, just 6% of its normal cap.
28th May 2020 - The Economist
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 28th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullHow Covid-19 could redesign our world
The coronavirus crisis is reshaping the world. One transformation that might be here to stay? How our restaurants, gyms, bars and parks are designed – and how we use them.
27th May 2020 - BBC
How Europe has gone back to the shops after coronavirus lockdown
The UK's plan to re-open shops on June 15 comes more than two months after Austria started opening stores. Safety measures include compulsory masks, plexiglass screens and maximum numbers of people in shops. Some Italian stores say they will not get enough business because there are still few tourists and commuters
27th May 2020 - Daily Mail
Madrid toasts lockdown easing as outdoor terraces partially reopen
A year ago, it would have seemed like a perfectly ordinary spring day in the Spanish capital, but for most of its residents today, it was almost a landmark event.
It was the first day after more than two months of a strict lockdown that citizens were able to meet up with friends and family from other households in groups of no more than 10 people. Monday was also the first day that the city’s restaurants, cafes and bars could reopen outside seating areas, albeit partially, as part of the first phase of the government’s four-stage easing of the lockdown. The terrace itself was sparsely populated, just four of the usual eight tables laid out with a distance of two meters between each. Wearing gloves and a mask, the waiter milled around the handful of people who had managed to grab a seat.
27th May 2020 - EURACTIV
Coronavirus: Film workers among 150 given exemptions to enter NZ amid border lockdown
Film workers are among a few thousand people allowed past New Zealand’s closed borders amid the Covid-19 lockdown. It comes as the Government undertakes a review of its current strict border restrictions. It is understood Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford was given special powers on April 21 to use his discretion to let in key individuals from the screen industry.
27th May 2020 - Stuff.co.nz
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View this newsletter in fullRyanair will ramp up services when Spain reopens to tourists on July 1
Ryanair confirmed plan to ramp up flights to 40 per cent of its normal schedule. The budget airline group has now launched a sale for flights in July and August.
Spain said 14-day quarantine measures for passengers will be lifted from July 1
26th May 2020 - Daily Mail
A four-day work week in New Zealand could boost domestic travel
26th May 2020 - Times of India
As physical doors close, new digital doors swing open
In this piece, we’re taking a deeper look at how the Australian lockdown experience has created a new set of digital users and at what businesses can do to emerge stronger after the COVID-19 crisis. While the future is still in flux and new habits haven’t yet been solidified, our initial data on consumer uptake of digital technologies, matched with historical parallels, point to significant changes for the digital sector.
21st May 2020 - McKinsey.com
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View this newsletter in fullSouth Korea reports 19 new coronavirus cases as children return to school
South Korea has reported 19 new coronavirus cases on the eve of the return to school for more than two million children. The majority of the new cases were in the Seoul metropolitan area, where officials have been actively tracing transmissions linked to nightclubs and other entertainment venues. South Korea’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention also reported two more deaths, bringing the country’s total to 269 fatalities from 11,225 cases. Wednesday will see around 2.4 million pupils return to school, and health minister Park Neung-hoo urged school officials to double-check their preventive measures.
25th May 2020 - YAHOO!
Reopening Hollywood: First major movie to be released since coronavirus lockdown
The makers of the first major movie to be released since the coronavirus lockdown have told Sky News it is the "canary in the coal mine" for an entertainment industry looking to reopen. The film Unhinged, a road rage thriller starring Russell Crowe, will hit cinema screens in the US on 1 July, months earlier than originally planned. It bucks the trend of films being delayed or released instead on television and streaming services.
25th May 2020 - Sky News
New Zealand to stage pro competition as virus restrictions ease
New Zealand will stage a team-based tennis tournament for local-based men’s players from June 3, organisers said on Monday, an event marking the southern hemisphere’s first pro competition since the COVID-19 pandemic brought global sport to a halt. All 112 matches of the “NZ Premier League” will be played in Auckland without spectators but broadcast live on Sky Sport or the Youtube channel, Sky Sport Next, Tennis New Zealand said on Monday.
25th May 2020 - Reuters UK
Spain begins reopening restaurants, cafes and beaches as lockdown loosens
Coronavirus lockdown rules are being eased in Spain after two months of restrictions. Beaches, cafes and restaurants are reopening to visitors from Monday.
The country was among the worst hit in Europe with its death toll climbing to over 28,000.
25th May 2020 - Evening Standard
Italy grapples with a new rhythm as it emerges from 2-month lockdown
The tension between embracing change and upholding tradition is palpable on the streets of Milan. A decade ago, when the city moved to reduce smog, the linchpin to its sustainability plan was increasing use of public transit. Now, with a 30 per cent cap on transit capacity because of social distancing requirements, the city is boosting other alternatives to private cars: bicycles, electric scooters, mopeds and vehicle sharing.
25th May 2020 - CBC.ca
Asia Today: South Korea to require masks on transit, flights
South Koreans will be required to wear masks when using public transportation and taxis nationwide starting Tuesday as authorities look for more ways to slow the spread of the coronavirus as people increase their public activities. Health Ministry official Yoon Taeho on Monday said masks will also be required on all domestic and international flights from Wednesday. From June, owners of “high-risk” facilities such as bars, clubs, gyms, karaoke rooms and concert halls will be required to use smartphone QR codes to register customers so they can be tracked down more easily when infections occur.
25th May 2020 - ABC News
When will hotels open in the UK? Latest on domestic holidays, and current lockdown rules explained
Lockdown restrictions are beginning to ease across the UK, with some businesses beginning to reopen their doors to the public. But when will hotels, B&Bs and other holiday accommodation be allowed to do the same? This is everything you need to know.
25th May 2020 - inews
Coronavirus: Countries try 'travel bubbles' to save post-lockdown tourist season
The European nations of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia have already created what they are calling a "Baltic travel bubble," allowing one another's citizens to travel among the three states without having to self-isolate on arrival. All three countries managed to contain their viral outbreaks with only dozens of deaths. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told NBC News the "bubble" is important for the country's tourism sector, which makes up five percent of its gross domestic product, or GDP, and is the first of its kind in the European Union. For nationals of other countries, quarantine restrictions will still apply, he said.
25th May 2020 - NBC News
Bosses Begin Testing Workers for Covid-19
25th May 2020 - Wall Street Journal
Dancing with disinfectant: China's nightclubs back in the groove post-Covid-19 lockdown
25th May 2020 - The Straits Times
Gaganyaan cosmonauts resume training in Moscow after COVID-19 lockdown ends
The training of four Indian astronauts for the country's first manned mission to space, Gaganyaan, which had been halted in Russia due to COVID-19 lockdown, has resumed. "Gagarin Research & Test Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) on May 12 resumed training of the Indian cosmonauts under the contract between Glavkosmos, JSC (part of the State Space Corporation Roscosmos) and the Human Spaceflight Center of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)." Russian space corporation, Roscosmos pointed out in the official statement.
25th May 2020 - DNA India
Churches hold first Sunday mass across France as lockdown eases
French government allows churches, mosques and synagogues to reopen after two months of coronavirus lockdown.
25th May 2020 - Al Jazeera English
Masks, distancing as Kiev metro opens after lockdown
Ukraine's capital on Monday welcomed passengers into its subway system after more than two months of lockdown imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The Kiev metro, which normally transports 1.5 million people daily, remained deserted, with only 20 passengers or fewer in each car even during rush hour, AFP journalists saw. Posters at platforms urge passengers to observe social distancing of at least 1.5 metres (five feet) and audio messages encourage Ukrainians to "protect their health".
25th May 2020 - FRANCE 24
Children Return to Australian Schools After Weeks of Lockdowns
More than one million students are back in class Monday, as state and private schools in New South Wales resume full-time learning after two months of lockdown. Authorities in the neighboring Australian state of Queensland have also reopened schools. Many children in Tasmania are also returning to class. Victoria will begin a phased return to on-site schooling Tuesday. Social distancing measures are in place, and parents and carers are not allowed onto school premises.
25th May 2020 - Voice of America
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View this newsletter in fullLufthansa to resume flights to 20 destinations from mid-June
Lufthansa (LHAG.DE), which is in talks with the German government over a 9 billion euro ($9.8 billion) bailout, will resume flights to 20 destinations from mid-June, including some holiday hot-spots, a spokeswoman said on Sunday. The destinations include Mallorca, Crete, Rhodes, Faro, Venice, Ibiza and Malaga, the spokeswoman said, adding flights would depart from the airline’s main hub in Frankfurt. Further destinations will be unveiled at the end of next week, she said.
24th May 2020 - Reuters
FAO Iraq hands-over hygiene sprayers, disinfectants, and personal protection equipment to the Ministries of Agriculture in Baghdad and Erbil to support fighting COVID 19 [EN/AR/KU] - Iraq
In response to the emerging needs in Iraq due to current COVID-19 pandemic, FAO- Iraq has delivered hygiene, disinfectants sprayers and Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) to the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), and the KRG Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources (MoAWR) in the presence of representatives of both ministries' officials and FAO. This initiative will allow governmental staff to continue their daily work to support farmers and ensure the continuity of the food supply chain in Iraq.
22nd May 2020 - ReliefWeb
Coronavirus: Emirates airlines sets hygiene, health standards as it resumes operation
The Dubai-based Emirates airlines has added new measures on the ground and on board as it resumes passenger flights to nine destinations amid the coronavirus pandemic, including fitting its cabin crew with (Personal Protective Equipment) outfits. The new measures were shown in a promotional video on Thursday as the airlines resumed regularly scheduled passenger flights to nine cities in eight countries, including providing connections between the UK and Australia.
23rd May 2020 - Al Arabiya
How the movie industry is fighting lockdown
It hasn’t taken some movie makers long to adjust. We’re already hearing of films whose storylines revolve around the coronavirus pandemic. Corona is the first feature film on the topic – a low-budget, single-camera film shot in one take inside a broken down elevator.
22nd May 2020 - The Conversation UK
Don’t Forget to Wear Your Mask to the Amusement Park
One thing that unites most Americans today is a share yearning for everything to just get back to normal. Unfortunately, we're now painfully aware that 'normal' depended on ignoring just how much it involved swapping germs with strangers. 'Say it don't spray it' is no longer a gibe at spit talkers, it is now a matter of life and death
22nd May 2020 - Bloomberg
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View this newsletter in fullUK's first coronavirus contact-tracing group warns of difficulties
They were surprised to find that most contacts of people with Covid-19 were workers from the NHS, care homes or care provider agencies – and that those people were not always happy to stop work and go into isolation for seven to 14 days. “The majority were in health and care settings. That’s the really big and worrying message here,” said Jones. The group set up its pilot project in Sheffield, using volunteers who called up people with Covid-19 referred to them by GPs. The volunteers offered support and asked for the names and numbers of anyone the patient had spent more than 15 minutes with in an enclosed space.
21st May 2020 - The Guardian
City workers to be encouraged to work remotely from the bush to be proposed to Scott Morrison
The plan will be proposed to Prime Minister Scott Morrison by the Nationals. It aims to incentivise Australians to ditch expensive city living for the bush. The plan is a bid to reboot the economy in regional areas following COVID-19. Some bosses can no longer afford to have all employees working at city offices
22nd May 2020 - Daily Mail
Compliance with UK lockdown rules has dropped to 60 per cent
More than half of young adults are no longer sticking strictly to the lockdown rules, according to a new survey. Researchers who questioned over 90,000 adults have found that “complete” compliance with Government safety measures, such as social distancing and staying at home, has dropped in the past two weeks from an average of 70% of people to under 60% who said they act this way. Less than 50% of younger adults are “completely” complying with lockdown rules, according to the University College London (UCL) study which looked at how adults are feeling about a range of issues during the pandemic. These include the lockdown, Government advice, their overall wellbeing and mental health.
21st May 2020 - Wales Online
Coronavirus conspiracy beliefs ‘reduce adherence to Covid-19 guidance’ – study
People who believe coronavirus conspiracies are less likely to comply with social-distancing guidelines or take up future vaccines, new research suggests. Almost three fifths (59%) of adults in England believe to some extent that the Government is misleading the public about the cause of the virus. More than a fifth (21%) believe the virus is a hoax, and 62% agree to some extent that the virus is man-made, scientists say
22nd May 2020 - Irish Examiner
EasyJet to resume flights in UK, France and four other European airports
EasyJet is to resume flights on a small number of routes from 15 June, with increased on-board safety measures including mandatory wearing of face masks, as it returns to the skies after grounding its fleet on 30 March. The airline will restart domestic routes in the UK and France initially, along with flights from four destinations elsewhere in Europe, where it says there is sufficient customer demand to support profitable flying. Further routes will be added in the following weeks, as and when passenger demand rises and lockdown measures ease further across Europe.
21st May 2020 - The Guardian
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View this newsletter in fullCCSA wants staggered school reopenings
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) is considering allowing schools in infection-free areas to reopen first in July. The proposal, made by the Senate committee on education, has been forwarded to the Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha-led CCSA for a decision, Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan said on Wednesday. His ministry is conducting inspections to determine whether schools can reopen.
21st May 2020 - Bangkok Post
Lockdown Over, Italians Line Up To Get A Haircut
To help sustain hairdressers’ business and give them the opportunity to serve more clients in the same day, salons are now allowed to stay open for longer times (between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.) for seven days a week. Employees are going to have to wear protective masks and gloves at all times, and in waiting rooms a distance of two meters between people is going to have to be ensured. Entrance will be forbidden if the person has a temperature higher than 37.5°C or if they show respiratory symptoms.
20th May 2020 - Forbes
The measures restaurants need to survive the UK lockdown and reopen, according to the industry
Two months into lockdown and the hospitality sector is still none the wiser on quite how it will emerge when the Government finally allows businesses to open. The industry was told this month that some restaurants, cafes and pubs will be allowed to open on 4 July, though much remains unclear as to how owners will do so safely, adhering to social distancing guidelines.
20th May 2020 - iNews
College in the Fall of 2020: Fever Checks and Quarantine Dorms
We listened as University of Kentucky administrators discussed bringing students back to campus, providing a glimpse into what other schools might do in the fall.
21st May 2020 - The New York Times
South Korean high school seniors return to school
Hundreds of thousands of high school seniors across South Korea entered their schools after having their temperatures checked and rubbing their hands with sanitizer — familiar measures amid the coronavirus pandemic. Students and teachers are required to wear masks, and some schools have installed plastic partitions at each student's desk, according to the Education Ministry. Only high school seniors returned on Wednesday. Younger students are scheduled to return to school in phased steps by June 8.
20th May 2020 - Minneapolis Star Tribune
Coronavirus: Air New Zealand prepares to reopen koru lounges but buffets will be off the menu
Air New Zealand is preparing to reopen its domestic koru lounges but new hospitality rules designed to prevent the spread of Covid-19 will make it a different experience for travellers. The airline will begin reopening domestic and regional lounges from Monday but its international lounges in New Zealand and overseas will stay closed until further notice. Chief revenue officer Cam Wallace said Auckland and Wellington would be the first domestic lounges to open
20th May 2020 - Stuff.co.nz
Nations struggle to define 'new normal' as lockdown restrictions ease
Schools, public transport, bars and restaurants are shaping up as the front lines as nations move out of lockdown but retain social distancing. How each of those key sectors manages social distancing and reduces expected new outbreaks will determine the shape of daily life for millions as researchers race to develop a vaccine that is still likely months, if not years, away from being available to all.
What a return to normal looks like varies widely.
20th May 2020 - Aberdeen Evening Express
Europe learning the dangers of going back to school after coronavirus
Europe has two problems when it comes to reopening schools. First, there's weighing the risks of opening the gates again against the potential damage done by keeping them closed, whether to economic recovery or mental health. Even more challenging may be convincing anxious parents that now is the time to send their children back to school.
20th May 2020 - Politico
Airport dogs could sniff out coronavirus
Trials are taking place in the UK to see whether specially trained airport sniffer dogs could detect Covid-19 in travelers, even before symptoms appear. Sniffer dogs are already a common sight in airports -- usually, they're looking out for drugs, weapons or other contraband. But specially trained dogs have also been trained to detect infections and diseases, including cancer, malaria and Parkinson's disease. Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, in collaboration with charity Medical Detection Dogs and the UK's Durham University, say respiratory diseases change body odor, and they reckon trained dogs will be able to pick up this shift on Covid sufferers.
19th May 2020 - CNN
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 20th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullA perfect storm for medical PTSD: Isolation, intensive care and the coronavirus pandemic
The traumatic stress associated with medical treatment, the health care environment and chronic illness can lead to a wide variety of mental health problems. Medical post-traumatic stress disorder, or m-PTSD, as well as depression and anxiety, can worsen patients’ physical health and harm their quality of life. Medical trauma arises from a complex interaction of risk factors associated with a person’s unique experiences and their perceptions of the events, as well as environmental factors. But unlike other types of trauma, it is a direct result of experiencing medical treatment – the very interventions designed to protect patients’ physical health and their lives. It is because of this context, in part, that medical trauma is often overlooked and misunderstood. After all, the hospital is where you go to heal.
19th May 2020 - The Conversation US
Germany invests in e-learning after 220000 migrants had to interrupt integration courses
Many government services in Germany have been suspended because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. These include integration and language courses coordinated by the German asylum office, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). All courses were suspended on March 16. To help approximately 220,000 migrants in Germany resume their lessons, BAMF now said it has invested some €40 million to continue the courses in a digital format. Currently, nearly 83,000 immigrants are participating in digital integration and language courses, Uta Saumweber-Meyer, BAMF department head told Funke Mediagroup.
19th May 2020 - InfoMigrants
Mubadala making facemasks out of plane parts plant
Production is designed to cater to demand in the United Arab Emirates for N95 masks, as part of the personal protective equipment supply chain. Manufacturing giants around the world are repurposing their assembly lines to address the undersupply of personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent novel coronavirus infection. In the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi state-owned investment company Mubadala is making N95 facemasks out of an airplane parts plant.
19th May 2020 - Brazil-Arab News Agency (ANBA)
Italy Reopens Hair Salons as Coronavirus Crisis Eases
Italy Reopens Hair Salons as Coronavirus Crisis Eases - NYT reports on how Italy's hair salons are re-emerging from the coronavirus crisis
19th May 2020 - The New York Times
New Zealand becomes the latest country to allow children back to school
Hundreds of thousands of New Zealand children returned to lesson on Monday as schools around the world continue to reopen as coronavirus lockdowns ease. Excited youngsters greeted classmates for the first time in eight weeks in cities such as Wellington and Auckland after parents dropped them off at 'kiss and go zones' at the gate as part of strict social distancing measures. Schools in Austria, Belgium and Portugal also reopened their doors for the first time in weeks on Monday, while more children were allowed to return to lessons in Greece. Lessons have already resumed for pupils in France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Australia, parts of Canada and China as the global spread of disease slowed.
19th May 2020 - Daily Mail
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 19th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullWhat universities can learn about citizenship in the COVID-19 pandemic
Mere job-related skills will mean very little from now on if they are not rooted in applicable social beliefs and personal strengths. The current “university campuses lockout” will probably alter students’ expectations and choices of study and work.
Physicians, nurses and all key workers are displaying unimaginable levels of courage, solidarity, generosity, camaraderie, tenacity and resilience,
19th May 2020 - World Economic Forum
Churches, beaches and restaurants in Italy open their doors as tough lockdown rules eased
The cornerstones of Italian life have opened their doors after three months of lockdown as the government's tough restrictions were cautiously lifted. Restaurants, bars, shops, church, museums, hairdressers and beaches reopened on Monday as life outside the home slowly returned to an altered normal in one of Europe’s hardest hit countries.
Some churches welcomed worshippers to Mass as the second phase of the lockdown allowed the faithful to attend religious ceremonies.
18th May 2020 - ITV News
Restaurants, bars and churches reopen in Italy with Saint Peter's Basilica even taking visitors again
“I share the joy of those communities who can finally reunite as liturgical assemblies, a sign of hope for all society,” Pope Francis said yesterday during his live-streamed prayer. The Argentine pontiff is not yet expected to lead any public religious ceremonies in the basilica, which can accommodate 60,000 people, or in Saint Peter’s Square, as the Vatican seeks to avoid crowds. The Vatican, an independent enclave in the heart of Rome, has applied the same anti-virus measures as Italy, which imposed strict lockdowns after a dizzying rise in Covid-19 deaths and infections that overwhelmed hospitals.
Businesses including restaurants, bars, cafes, hairdressers, and stores will also be allowed to re-open on Monday. Gyms, pools, cinemas and theatres are allowed to open on 25 May.
18th May 2020 - TheJournal.ie
Chaos as eight schools in French city forced to close after child catches coronavirus
The schools in Roubaix, northern France, closed on Monday after a child caught Covid-19, just one week after schools reopened across the country, with 70 cases confirmed at other schools
18th May 2020 - Mirror Online
Joy, tears and nerves as students return to class around New Zealand
Students across New Zealand have flocked to classes for the first time in nearly two months. In a day filled with hugs, tears, excitement and trepidation, schools reopened on Monday as part of the move to lockdown level 2. While classrooms have been open to younger children if needed since level 3, attendance levels have been low, with the vast majority opting to keep learning from home.
18th May 2020 - Stuff.co.nz
Lockdown might be easing, but we can't relax our grip on domestic abuse
Police forces must continue to prioritise their response to domestic abuse - especially after the lockdown
18th May 2020 - Telegraph.co.uk
New Zealand braces for spike in child abuse reports as Covid-19 lockdown eases
The prolonged nature of lockdown and the added stress of job losses among already strained families was creating “a perfect storm”, Moss said, and rises in family violence overseas are likely to hold true in New Zealand too, though no local research has been conducted yet. “Lockdown is a lot longer than the school holidays so we are right to be concerned that there is hidden, invisible harm occurring to children,” Moss said. “I have a serious level of worry about kids that we don’t know about and kids that have never been reported to us and were locked down in situations where there is family violence, troubling dynamics in the house, maybe drugs and alcohol, or mental health problems.”
18th May 2020 - The Guardian
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 18th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullHope for holidaymakers as Heathrow Airport trials thermal imaging fever checks
Heathrow Airport will trial automatically screening passengers for fever using thermal imaging cameras this week, raising hopes that travellers could fly overseas without having to quarantine
17th May 2020 - Mirror Online
COVID-19 Airport Policies & Procedures
Airports around the world have been affected by COVID-19 and have implemented new policies and procedures to help protect travelers and employees. Many airports continue to add notices to their websites outlining how they’re handling the ever-evolving situation. Methods include: Increased cleaning of seating, handrails, restrooms, people movers and elevators during the day; Nightly deep cleaning of entire terminals; Guidelines to encourage safety and social distancing; Installation of hand sanitizing stations;
17th May 2020 - Trip Advisor
Germany kicks off as Europe eases curbs but virus marches on
German football champions Bayern Munich were set to play their first match in more than two months on Sunday as coronavirus restrictions ease in parts of Europe, but the devastating pandemic remains on the march elsewhere with deaths soaring in Brazil.
17th May 2020 - Medical Xpress
Coronavirus: Italy set to throw open its borders in time for summer tourist season
Italy will reopen restaurants and coffee bars next week and allow travel in and out of the country next month as it continues to ease its coronavirus lockdown. A decree signed by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Saturday means that the foreign travel ban will be lifted on 3 June - and people can also start moving freely across the country's regions on the same day. Mr Conte said that anybody entering Italy from an EU country from then onwards would not have to undergo a quarantine period.
17th May 2020 - Sky News
Face masks, blood tests and onboard janitors. Flying's about to feel very different
First and foremost, airlines will need to comply with health and safety regulations of the moment before allowing passengers to get on board. For some carriers, that will mean asking travelers to produce negative coronavirus test results, or so-called immunity passports, prior to boarding. Last month, Dubai-based airline Emirates announced it had became the first airline to conduct “rapid” 10-minute blood tests at departure gates.
17th May 2020 - CNBC
Future of Factories Is More Robots and More Mexico
The coronavirus pandemic is likely to spur a bigger revival of manufacturing in North America than the multiyear U.S.-China trade war ever would have on its own. Unfortunately, that’s unlikely to translate into much in the way of U.S. factory jobs.
While the tariff volleying of 2018 and 2019 exposed the risks of China-dependent supply-chains, it largely did not lead to manufacturers putting America first on their list of desired factory sites. Instead, if they diversified away from China at all, companies mostly decamped for other low-cost countries in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. The initial concentration of the coronavirus pandemic in China seemed likely to accelerate that trend. But if the pandemic has taught us anything, it's that nowhere in the world is safe from the fallout and that the practice of zigzagging goods around the world is increasingly risky.
15th May 2020 - Bloomberg
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 15th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullHow offices will change after coronavirus
Pandemic-proofing offices could involve short-term fixes, new working patterns and long-term design upgrades that put hygiene at the heart of workplace planning.
15th May 2020 - BBC News
Lloyd's of London expects up to £3.5bn in coronavirus payouts
Lloyd’s of London, the world’s biggest insurance market, expects to pay out between $3bn (£2.4bn) and $4.3bn (£3.5bn) to its customers due to the coronavirus pandemic, as it warned of a $203bn hit for the entire industry. Insurance companies around the world have suffered losses as widespread government shutdowns have prompted claims for business closures, and halted travel and events. The scale of payouts to customers forecast by Lloyd’s this year are equivalent to other big claims years for insurers, such as the aftermath of 9/11, when Lloyd’s paid out $4.7bn, and in 2017, when hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria caused widespread damage and loss, leading to $4.8bn in payouts.
14th May 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus: Manufacturer diversifies into making workplace sanitiser stations
A display manufacturer says reaction has been “phenomenal” as it gears up to go into full-scale production of hand sanitiser stations designed for workplaces and retail spaces as lockdown eases. With strict hygiene protocols expected to stay in place for a long time to come across all sectors, director and owner Matt Cater saw a need for focal points instructing people on how to maintain safe working environments.
14th May 2020 - East Anglian Daily Times
Hotels vs. Airbnb: Has Covid-19 Disrupted the Disrupter?
For years, home sharing has put pressure on hotel rates and occupancy levels. Social distancing, hygiene and refund policies may be the new game changers.
14th May 2020 - The New York Times
Covid 19 coronavirus: Gyms will be keeping members spread out during level 2
Gyms gearing up to re-open their doors in the next few days are busy ensuring physical distancing and hygiene measures are in place to keep both gym-goers and staff safe. Exercise NZ expected most gyms to be back operating by Monday - if not sooner. Exercise NZ chief executive Richard Beddie said the key tool for gyms to manage the risks around Covid-19 were physical distancing and sanitisation.
Beddie said for a gym class they were recommending gyms mark spots to keep attendees 2m apart and ensure equipment such as treadmills were 1.5m apart.
14th May 2020 - New Zealand Herald
Virus hygiene scanning tech for bus and transport launched
A transport industry IT solution to the coronavirus pandemic’s hygiene challenge has been launched, which sees cleaners 'scan in' to record when and where buses, vehicles and locations have been cleaned. Melbourne-based software company RollCall Safety Solutions unveiled RollCall Services this week to transport and bus companies with the aim of helping reduce the risk of a Covid-19 outbreak.
14th May 2020 - Australasian Bus and Coach
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 14th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullEU Releases Hotel Guidelines: How Your Greek Holiday Will Look Like
The European Commission agreed on Wednesday to advise member states to open their borders to countries with similar coronavirus risk profiles under a plan to bolster the ailing tourist industry. Among the recommendations proposed by the European authorities are those that affect the operation of hotels in the coronavirus era. Greece is scheduled to open all of their year-round hotels on June 1, and seasonal hotels will open at some unspecified time in July. The Commission says that a precondition for any touristic activity to resume is that the incidence of COVID-19 has declined to low levels and sufficient health system capacity is in place for local people and tourists, so that in the event of a sudden increase in cases, primary care, hospital and intensive care services are not overwhelmed.
13th May 2020 - Greek Reporter
Coronavirus - Guinea: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) supports the COVID-19 pandemic response in Guinea
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is sending additional resources to support the COVID-19 response in Guinea, one of the countries on the African continent most affected by the virus, with nearly 2,000 confirmed cases. MSF will provide healthcare for patients in Conakry, the Guinean capital. The number of people infected with COVID-19 has increased rapidly in the country since the first cases appeared in March. Five years after the ravages caused by the West Africa Ebola epidemic, the new coronavirus is posing an additional challenge in this country where access to healthcare remains a daily challenge due to shortages of health facilities, medical staff, equipment and drug supplies.
13th May 2020 - Africa News
Coronavirus: Social distancing 'impossible' on London commute
Commuters in London said social distancing was "next to impossible" as many made their first journeys to work since lockdown rules were eased. People in England are being encouraged to return to work if they cannot work from home.
The government said it would have to "take steps" if too many people used public transport. One commuter said most people were not wearing masks, leaving him fearing "a second wave of infection". Passengers using public transport should stay 2m (6ft) apart and wear face coverings, under government guidelines.
13th May 2020 - BBC News
Universities should capitalise on surging interest in nurse training
NHS England has called on universities to increase the number of places on nursing courses to give people interested in nursing more opportunities to sign up.
The call comes after the NHS Health Careers website has seen a 220% rise in people expressing an interest in becoming a nurse amid the global pandemic.
13th May 2020 - Nursing Notes
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 13th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Rail firm seeks Covid-19 guidance from supermarkets
Rail firm Transport for Wales is looking at steps taken by supermarkets for guidance on keeping people safe from coronavirus. Chief executive James Price said this included "guidance and help" on social distancing and access to hand washing facilities. The firm is currently operating a reduced timetable for essential users only. Mr Price said now was "not the time" to invite all passengers back.
He insisted customer and staff safety was "at the forefront" of everything the company did.
13th May 2020 - BBC News
Every Premier League club must appoint an official coronavirus officer as part of new hygiene rules
New draft of top-flight's hygiene guidelines has been sent to clubs and players. Person should be a senior employee who holds the appropriate qualifications. But the officer must not already be a member of the club's medical staff. Premier League stars will inform bosses they would rather not return to training
12th May 2020 - Daily Mail
Need for hygiene standards for cabin surfaces in the spotlight - Runway Girl
During a RedCabin webinar dedicated to looking at the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on airline cabin design and operations, industry experts discussed the need for standards that would help define and certify the effectiveness of antibacterial and antiviral surface treatments.
12th May 2020 - Runway Girl Network
'Back to work day' in England with the first steps to reviving the economy
Ministers insist that 'employers have a duty to keep employees safe in the work place' and complaints will be followed up.
13th May 2020 - Sky News
Coronavirus: Ryanair plots July return with passengers and crew required to wear face masks
Ryanair plans to restore 40% of its flight schedule from July, with all crew and passengers required to wear face masks and pass temperature checks. The budget airline said it hopes to have nearly 1,000 flights per day, with 90% of its normal network on offer. This would be dependent on governments lifting restrictions on flights within the European Union, restrictions that were put in place to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
12th May 2020 - Sky News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 12th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullMexican border town uses ‘sanitizing tunnels’ to disinfect US visitors from Covid-19
The Mexican border city of Nogales, Sonora, has set up ‘sanitizing tunnels’ to disinfect people leaving the US through Nogales, Arizona. On the Mexican side of two major border crossings, drivers coming from Arizona must exit their vehicles and step into an inflatable tunnel that sprays them with a cleansing solution. The border city’s mayor has told Mexican news outlets that a majority of the people who have tested positive for Covid-19 in Nogales, Sonora, had recently returned from the US
12th May 2020 - The Guardian
5G will be essential for New York's COVID-19 rebound. Here's why
According to the CTIA, the Washington, D.C.-based wireless association, 5G will generate 3 million new jobs nationwide, as well as $275 billion in new investment, and $500 billion in economic growth. Here in New York, the industry projects that 5G will bring $28.2 billion worth of economic growth over the next five years, creating 193,000 jobs in the process. Bringing high-speed wireless networks to New York will also help small businesses, which have long been the backbone of our economy, employing over half of the private sector workforce. These businesses are struggling to stay afloat in the face of significant financial stress caused by the pandemic. Ensuring they have full cellular coverage and access to high-speed broadband service will help them recover and thrive in the new, post-COVID-19 economy.
11th May 2020 - Lohud
When will kids go back to school?
11th May 2020 - Daily Beast
How will the Covid-19 pandemic change our cities?
12th May 2020 - News and Star
Coronavirus: TfL lays bare £4bn loss in race to secure Whitehall bailout
TfL needs more than £3bn to balance an emergency budget that will be discussed this week, Sky News can reveal. London's transport system is braced to record a £4bn loss this year, underlining the urgency of the capital's efforts to access emergency funding from the government in order to keep bus and Tube services running. Sky News can reveal that Transport for London (TfL) has projected the massive annual deficit in its finances as it burns through roughly £600m every month during the COVID-19 crisis.
11th May 2020 - Sky News
Disneyland reopens in Shanghai after three months of closure
Disneyland reopens in Shanghai after three months of closure #AFP
12th May 2020 - Agence France Press
'Adapt or die': Turkey restaurants rise to coronavirus challenge
German-Turkish Chef Cem Eksi would normally be plating up colourful, modern Mediterranean dishes in his intimate 15-seater bistro, Mabou. But coronavirus restrictions have forced him to do away with his planned spring menu and rethink his entire approach. "I completely changed everything, I'm now making pasta and bread and sending it out to be delivered on a motorcycle," he says. Eksi, who began his career in a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Germany, says there is no time for having an ego in an environment where you either "adapt or die"
12th May 2020 - Aljazeera.com
Class size of 15 pupils when primary schools return
There is an "ambition" for all primary school children in England to spend a month back at school before the summer holidays, says the government's updated Covid-19 guidance. But to support social distancing there will be class sizes of no more than 15 pupils, staggered break times and frequent hand washing. The National Education Union rejected the reopening plans as "reckless". Parents who choose to keep their children at home will not face fines.
11th May 2020 - BBC News
Scotland’s tech scene helping tackle coronavirus - Nick Freer comment
I was honoured when Heriot-Watt asked me to be interviewed for the university’s inaugural edition of its Entrepreneurial Speaker webinar at the end of April.
11th May 2020 - The Scotsman
Coronavirus: Turkey unveils plan to revive tourism with health and hygiene certificates
With safety measures and certificates of health, Turkey hopes to reassure travellers worried about Covid-19
11th May 2020 - The Independent
More People Turning to Cars Because of Fears of Coronavirus Infection on Public Transit
Vehicle traffic is rising quickly in cities around the world as pandemic lockdowns are eased.Ridership on public transit is likely to remain depressed because of the coronavirus outbreak.Most people planning to buy a car this year say it reduces the chance of catching COVID-19 on public transit.
11th May 2020 - The Weather Channel
How Leeds tech distributor is helping tackle PPE shortages
Technology distributor Farnell is supporting a number of projects to tackle the shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on the NHS front line.
11th May 2020 - Yorkshire Post
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 11th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: UK sent 50,000 Covid-19 samples to US for testing
The government has admitted sending about 50,000 coronavirus tests to the US last week for processing after "operational issues" in UK labs. The Department of Health said sending swabs abroad is among the contingencies to deal with "teething problems". The samples were airlifted to the US in chartered flights from Stansted Airport, the Sunday Telegraph said. Results will be validated in the UK and sent to patients as soon as possible.
10th May 2020 - BBC News
UK travel industry warns against 'nightmare' of quarantine
Britain’s travel industry has warned that a lengthy quarantine period for all people arriving in Britain from abroad would be a “nightmare” that would badly hurt a sector already in meltdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The prospect of a period of quarantine, being imposed “on people coming into this country by air”, was outlined by the prime minister in his Sunday night address. It sparked alarm from the travel industry and the aviation sector, while the farming industry, which faces a severe shortage of seasonal workers, will also be affected.
10th May 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus pandemic: How women entrepreneurs are riding out the COVID-19 lockdown in India
As COVID-19 puts a halt to the wheels of economies worldwide, five entrepreneurs and self-employed women in India share their experiences.
9th May 2020 - MoneyControl.com
Coronavirus: Lockdown extends Britain's longest run without coal since 1882
None of the nation's power has been supplied by coal generators for almost a month due to good weather and the pandemic.
8th May 2020 - Sky News
‘Uber style’ system could be trialed on Bristol buses in world first
With strict social distancing in place, First is already running two buses in tandem on a few peak routes to boost seat numbers, and Freeman said there could be as many as four in a row as demand increases. He said: “We’ve tried to reorganise the business to face the challenge of how we protect people from coronavirus at the same time as providing a minimum level of service for the people who need to travel. “They are essential workers who haven’t got any other form of transport. There aren’t that many – patronage is down to about eight per cent.” “It will be a long job to get people back. It will reflect people’s confidence gradually growing.” First has stepped up its cleaning regime and is looking at how social distancing will be possible on board buses. It is trialling signs to advise passengers on where to sit and will be taping off some areas – steps that limit the number of passengers buses can carry. Freeman said: “There are 20 seats on a double-decker. That should reassure people there won’t be someone sitting behind them, breathing down their neck.
7th May 2020 - Bristol247
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 8th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Rail services to be increased as travel restrictions ease
There are plans to increase train services from Monday 18 May across Britain, in preparation for the eventual easing of travel restrictions. The move will ensure the railways are able to cope with a rise in passengers when some people return to work. Rail bosses and government sources told the BBC that services will be increased to about 70% of the normal timetable.
8th May 2020 - BBC News
IHG warns coronavirus is hotels' 'most significant challenge'
Hotels must make “visible” changes to their hygiene standards in order to persuade customers to return as the industry faces its “most significant challenge” ever, the head of InterContinental Hotels Group has warned. Keith Barr, chief executive of IHG, which owns the Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn brands, said that the company was trialling electrostatic sprayers and removing standard guest room items such as pens and paper in order to “make sure people feel comfortable again”. “Covid-19 represents the most significant challenge both IHG and our industry have ever faced,” he said after the company’s first-quarter update on Thursday.
7th May 2020 - Financial Times
Coronavirus: Can primary schools adapt to a post-lockdown world?
What role will design play in helping schools to manage a phased post-Covid return of pupils, potentially as early as 1 June? The AJ talks to architects who specialise in education about practical solutions
7th May 2020 - Architects Journal
What will staying in a hotel look like in the near future?
Goodbye, breakfast buffets and bellhop service. Hello, temperature screening and keyless check-in. While pandemic-era policies are still being developed at hotels around the globe and will no doubt vary widely, it's safe to say that guests will see big changes the next time they check in anywhere. For the foreseeable future -- until a vaccine, widely effective treatment or instantaneous testing for coronavirus is available -- hotel stays are likely to be a stripped-down affair, particularly in higher-end hotels where personalized service and amenities have long been part of the draw, says Christopher Anderson, professor of business at Cornell University's Hotel School in Ithaca, New York.
7th May 2020 - CNN
Byline Times's own CMO: The 'Little England' App Can Be No Replacement for Covid-19 Testing
Dr John Ashton, a former director of public health, provides his regular update on the UK’s Government’s Coronavirus response and the need for real local testing and tracing.
7th May 2020 - Byline Times
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 7th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullAir India opens bookings for passengers to London, Singapore, US from May 8
National carrier Air India on Wednesday opened bookings for those passengers who meet eligibility criteria and wish to travel from India to London, Singapore and select destinations in the United States on flights operating between May 8 to May 14, a statement from the airline said. “We would like to inform all those who wish to travel from India to London, Singapore and select destinations in the USA on Air India flights operating between May 8 and May 14 to click on http://www.airindia.in/r1landingpage.htm for booking. Passengers are requested to read the eligibility criteria carefully as available on the link and proceed further for booking only if they meet the same,” the Air India statement read.
7th May 2020 - Hindustan Times
Online supermarket Ocado's sales soar 40% in lockdown Britain
6th May 2020 - YAHOO!
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 6th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullHotels in Egypt wishing to operate now require 'Hygiene Safety' badge
Hotels wishing to operate in Egypt under the coronavirus pandemic will now require a “Hygiene Safety” badge officially approved by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, circulated through all hotels by the Egyptian Hotel Association (EHA).
This badge is represented by the sun disk surrounded by the “Ankh, Wedja, and Seneb” hieroglyphs symbolize life, prosperity and health respectively.
5th May 2020 - Egypt Independent
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 5th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Hotel association releases strict cleaning guidelines amid pandemic
Industry trade group American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) released its new “Safe Stay” guidelines on Monday, aiming to elevate the standards of the hotel business’ best cleaning practices and operational protocols in response to the COVID-19 health crisis, USA Today reports. The new recommendations follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and were issued in partnership with major chains, including Hilton, Walt Disney, Marriott International, Hyatt Hotels Corp., Best Western and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts.
4th May 2020 - Fox News
Collaboration platforms may provide tools for working remotely among physicians, staff
As physicians and their staff continue to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, there are several collaboration platforms and other organization tools that can help them stay connected now and as practices begin to reopen, according to a presenter at the American Alliance of Orthopaedic Executives Annual Conference.
3rd May 2020 - Healio
Delhi International Airport comes up with coronavirus COVID-19 exit plan: All you need to know
As India prepares for the third phase of the coronavirus COVID-19 induced nationwide lockdown which has been extended until May 18, the situation of air travel is not clear yet despite Centre removing many restrictions in an advisory issued on Saturday.
But the Delhi international airport has come up with an exit plan for resumption of operations. From check in to forecourt here is all that is going to change in your travel experience post lockdown:
4th May 2020 - Zee News
Sensor taps and no door handles: Covid-19 shows it's time to rethink public toilets
Public health experts, designers and architects say the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed fundamental flaws in the design of public toilets that risk spreading a second wave of coronavirus, and possibly even new pandemics. The pandemic has sparked calls for the introduction of building codes and design innovation for all future structures to comply with infection control measures, with greater input from disease specialists in construction projects that often see the design stage as a chance for cost cutting. Some of the suggested innovations include a greater uptake of sensor taps, fully self-cleaning cubicles, designing exits that don’t require human contact, and having bathroom attendants.
3rd May 2020 - The Guardian
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 4th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullWizz Air resumes overseas flights from Luton as passengers 'sit 2m apart'
Wizz Air has become the first European airline to restart commercial flights after services to Portugal, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria left the UK yesterday. Passengers took off from Luton Airport wearing face masks and sitting two metres away from each other, Mail Online reports. The Hungarian budget airline has also removed in-flight magazines and brought in new cleaning measures to reduce the risk of travellers getting infected with coronavirus. Passengers are also being encouraged to make all payments via contactless card and to watch a new safety video.
2nd May 2020 - Mirror Online
Coronavirus crisis: Myer reveals new hygiene measures as it plans post-COVID reopening
Retailers, shopping centre owners and shop assistants have joined forces to sell a plan to get people back into their stores and protect everyone’s health. As the nation’s leaders meet to work out how to ease restrictions in place to slow the spread of coronavirus, the five peak retail bodies have offered their suggestions for a recovery protocol.
1st May 2020 - Perth Now
How hotels are doubling down on hygiene
The coronavirus crisis has not only sent the hotel industry reeling by cratering occupancy rates. It’s forcing hotels to ramp up their cleaning protocols and hygiene — things that will be more of a priority for consumers in a post-pandemic world, where safe is the new sexy. "What would have been in the back of customers’ minds is now front and center," said Phil Cordell, Hilton’s global head of new brand development.
1st May 2020 - The Philadelphia Inquirer
Hotel chains are announcing new cleaning program amid coronavirus. Here's what they look like.
Best Western joined the fray of hotel chains updating cleanliness measures due to the new coronavirus. In an update to its "I Care Clean" program, the company's rejiggered "We Care Clean" plan includes enhanced sanitization procedures at the front desk and lobby, upgraded grab and go breakfast offerings in most hotels and offered more strict cleaning of public amenities like pools and fitness centers. The hotel brand is relying on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and Health Canada.
1st May 2020 - USA TODAY
State employees working remotely to begin returning to offices
Each state agency will bring employees back to the offices differently, depending on the services they provide to the public, Noem said. Some state employees will have staggered shifts or an agency may bring employees back into work in waves.
Noem announced her Back to Normal Plan on Tuesday loosening restrictions on businesses that she put in place in March due to the pandemic.
1st May 2020 - Argus Leader
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 1st May 2020
View this newsletter in fullHotels to make drastic changes after COVID-19 - including removing these items from rooms
Hotels are currently closed around the world amid the coronavirus lockdown. Many are now looking to the future and revealing new ways hotel stays might change following the pandemic.
1st May 2020 - Express
Coronavirus update: New compulsory online hygiene training for hospitality sector
No hospitality business will be allowed to reopen in Western Australia until all staff have completed a new COVID-19 hygiene training course. The $1.8m state-funded online course would be free to all hospitality workers - but also compulsory, WA Premier Mark McGowan said on Wednesday afternoon.
1st May 2020 - 7NEWS.com.au
Coronavirus UK: The state-of-the-art protective face mask Premier League clubs are in talks to use
Top-flight clubs are in talks over providing players with protective face masks. The revolutionary masks are designed to minimise risk of contracting covid-19. At least four Premier League clubs are in talks with a Dubai firm over the masks. As part of new guidelines, players will be required to wear protective equipment
1st May 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus testing allowing self-isolating NHS staff to return to work
North Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group has explained how the NHS is reacting to "the greatest global health emergency in more than a century"
30th Apr 2020 - Grimsby Live
Half of Telecom Italia Staff to Work Remotely in Cautious Approach After Lockdown: Document
Under the company's reopening plans, agreed with national unions, around 23,200 employees, including customer care personnel, will continue to work from home, the internal documents showed. A further 8,000, including executives and managers, will start returning to their offices from May 4 but will be working in shifts, alternating work from home and from their offices, in order to avoid overcrowding. Desks in open spaces will be reorganized in a chessboard-like arrangement, allowing social distancing, and staff will need to wear protective masks while in the office, the documents showed.
30th Apr 2020 - The New York Times
Tips and recycling centres 'to re-open' in bid to avoid fly-tipping
Many councils shut household waste and recycling centres as the lockdown took hold in order to focus on refuse collections from homes
29th Apr 2020 - Bristol Live
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 30th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullHyatt is latest hotel chain to announce new cleaning program amid coronavirus. Here's what hotels are doing
"We must critically examine the hotel experience from every vantage point – from our rooms and our lobbies to our spas and dining – bringing in the latest research, technology and innovation to make that happen," Mark Hoplamazian, Hyatt president and CEO, said in a statement. By September, every Hyatt hotel is expected to have someone trained as a "hygiene manager," who will make sure their hotel adheres to new guidelines. These may include social distancing guidelines, prominent hand sanitizer placement, food safety and hygiene protocol implementation for restaurants and room service and increased cleaning frequency with hospital-grade disinfectants on high-touch surfaces, shared spaces and in guest rooms.
29th Apr 2020 - USA TODAY
Coronavirus: Power workers living in isolation pods
Electricity workers are living in a mini village to ensure power keeps reaching homes and hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic. About 18 National Grid employees have been living in pods on the site in the Midlands since the Easter weekend. Staying there helps minimise the risk of them falling ill, the company said.
Among the workers is Steve Gregory, who will miss his wedding anniversary while he works to keep the electricity flowing.
29th Apr 2020 - BBC News
Q doctor Gets 300 Clinicians Back to Work Remotely in 48 Hours, in Response to Covid-19
Q doctor, a technology provider that removes barriers for patients to access medical advice and treatment, has enabled 300 clinicians to provide remote patient care using its virtual workplace system, by scaling the capacity of its Health and Social Care Network (HSCN) connection with Cloud Gateway. Q doctor provides a virtual workspace and online video consultations solution, Q health, which gives consultants, GPs, nurses and many other medical professionals the ability to provide care, wherever the doctor or patient is based. NHS Digital and NHS England have granted approval for Q doctor to be included in an emergency Coronavirus framework, meaning Q health is now centrally funded for NHS organisations that need it.
29th Apr 2020 - PR Newswire UK
COVID-19 Canada holds its first ‘virtual’ parliament meeting
Due to concerns about the possible spread of the coronavirus, all large gatherings of people across the country have been halted. This includes church gatherings, sports events, school classrooms, in fact gatherings of any kind and that includes to hundreds of members who normally gather in Canada’s House of Commons. To ensure parliament keeps working,and questions can be asked of the ruling Liberal government, technicians set up a ‘Zoom’ meeting with a trial on Monday and the actual question period on Tuesday.
29th Apr 2020 - RCINet.ca
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 29th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullPortugal holidays: Algarve tourism companies deemed ‘clean & safe’ from coronavirus
Travel officials in Portugal are hoping to reignite tourism in the Algarve with the implementation of new “clean and safe” stamps following the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The Algarve Tourism Board, in partnership with Portugal Tourism Board (Turismo de Portugal), has introduced the badges as a way of ensuring the safety of workers and visitors.
28th Apr 2020 - Express
Cleaners Decry Site's New Rules, Lamenting the Reality of Hygiene in Corona Era
Private accommodations along the Adriatic may have to ditch their usual post-checkout cleaning practices to continue using online booking services. Gloves may be worn and then tossed, hands washed repeatedly and disinfectant maniacally sprayed. The early days of tourism during the coronavirus era offers new, still-evolving protocols that may slice into profits even in the best of seasons. Hosts and cleaners along the Dalmatian coast suggest they might be shuttled into hibernation, or worse, close up shop.
28th Apr 2020 - Total Croatia News
How Hilton hotels will be cleaned after coronavirus
Hilton is boosting its cleaning protocols as travelers' expecations for hygiene have evolved amid the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, the hotel announced it is collaborating with Lysol maker RB and the Mayo Clinic to come up with a new set of guidelines. Putting a door seal on cleaned rooms and removing pens and paper are among the standards under consideration.
28th Apr 2020 - Business Insider
Airlines emphasise cleanliness and hygiene in fight against coronavirus
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has published a list of guidelines airlines should follow to protect passengers and crew from contracting the illness.
IATA’s guidelines, which are not mandatory for airlines to follow, cover a range of measures such as screening passengers for fevers, equipping cabin crew with surgical or medical protective masks, and routinely disinfecting aircraft. This is what you should be looking for from your airline…
28th Apr 2020 - Business Traveller
Ford to reopen European plants with increased coronavirus safety protocols
Ford said it expects to begin reopening its European plants on Monday. The factories, which have been down since mid-March, will reopen with new global safety protocols to limit the spread of Covid-19. Such safety measures are expected to provide a potential template for reopening Ford’s U.S. operations.
28th Apr 2020 - CNBC
Big retailers in Australia move to enhanced 'click and collect' shopping as coronavirus shutdown endures
Retail giants are set to rely more heavily on click and collect sales even as lockdown restrictions are eased, with the sector’s peak body cautioning against a rush to fully reopen bricks and mortar stores. Paul Zahra, Australian Retailers Association (ARA) CEO, believes the shift towards delivery and kerbside pickup will leave a “legacy” in Australians’ shopping habits, and said one “fundamentally positive” impact of the pandemic has been that retailers traditionally reluctant to move online have now come on board.
28th Apr 2020 - The Guardian
JetBlue to Require All Passengers to Wear Face Masks on Flights
JetBlue announces that it will require "All Passengers to Wear Face Masks on Flights"
28th Apr 2020 - Yahoo Lifestyle
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 28th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullHow do vulnerable get food during coronavirus?
Millions of vulnerable households in the UK need groceries delivered to their homes during the coronavirus lockdown. Here, Which? explains the options available if you or someone you know needs help. Despite promises from supermarkets and the government that support is on its way to vulnerable households in need of grocery deliveries, thousands continue to report difficulties in getting food brought to their homes.
23rd Apr 2020 - Which?
Biggest Hurdle to Bringing People Back to the Office Might Be the Commute
27th Apr 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
'Project Restart': Premier League ramps up plans for resuming season
All games are expected to be held behind closed doors and the league is considering making some available on free-to-air TV. One issue under debate on Friday will be what "approved stadiums" will be used and whether that will be a limited number of grounds or neutral venues. However, a return to action still depends on the government's five tests being met, especially an increase in testing, and meeting social distancing guidelines.
27th Apr 2020 - BBC Sport
Two million Australians download COVIDSafe contact tracing app in first day of release
More than two million Australians have downloaded the new COVIDSafe contact tracing app within the first day of its release, far exceeding expectations. "Well done Australia. We've just passed 2m downloads for COVIDSafe," Prime Minister Scott Morrison tweeted on Monday night. The voluntary smartphone app uses Bluetooth to keep track of a user's close contacts and its data would supplement the work of about 7000 healthcare workers doing contact tracing across the country. Health Minister Greg Hunt was thrilled with the uptake.
27th Apr 2020 - ABC News
Coronavirus: 'The new normal' - This is how the UK might operate once lockdown is eased
Redesigned dining rooms, kitchens and beer gardens may be the way out of the lockdown for the hospitality trade. Every industry is likely to be facing a reshaping and restructuring in how it operates to ensure social distancing and hygiene standards are such that the virus is unable to take ahold in the way that it has now
27th Apr 2020 - Sky News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 27th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Carer goes into the homes of some of those most at risk from Covid-19
Community support worker Kerry Mannex leaves her bubble every day. The mother of two adult children has been visiting up to 16 elderly and disabled Christchurch clients a day throughout lockdown. What began as a part-time job that fitted in with raising young children has turned into a very full-time career Mannex says. "I just fell into it really, I just have a passion for helping people I think."
25th Apr 2020 - Stuff.co.nz
Burberry donates more than 100,000 pieces of PPE after transforming Yorkshire trench coat factory
Burberry said it has donated more than 100,000 pieces of PPE in line with its commitments to support relief efforts during the global health emergency. The fashion giant said its Castleford factory in Yorkshire is manufacturing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including non-surgical gowns and supplying them to NHS workers who are treating coronavirus patients. It also said it will maintain its base pay for employees who have been unable to work due to closures.
25th Apr 2020 - Evening Standard
Coronavirus will cause 'lasting changes' to shopping habits, says Unilever boss
The coronavirus pandemic will trigger “lasting changes” in shopping behaviour, according to one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of grocery brands. Unilever’s chief executive, Alan Jope, said the health crisis would accelerate the growth of online food shopping. He also predicted a permanent increase in demand for soap and other cleaning supplies as improved hygiene became a priority for households.
“I think we will be able to look back and see this as a point of inflection for online grocery shopping,” he said. “Good luck getting an appointment for a grocery delivery. I think that will persist and we will adjust our approach to reflect that.”
24th Apr 2020 - The Guardian
Aid worth almost PLN 50 million for the fight against coronoavirus arrives from China and is ready to be distributed.
Aid worth almost PLN 50 million for the fight against coronoavirus arrives from China and is ready to be distributed... The work of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity is in full swing and we have made another purchase of 4 COVID-19 testing devices for Warsaw, Łódź and Poznań, along with 40,000 tests. The value of the entire contract is over PLN 10.5 million (https://www.wosp.org.pl/aktualnosci/105-mln-pln-dla-laboratoriow-diagnozujacych-covid-19). Thus, the value of help carried out by WOŚP now totals around PLN 50 million. Thank you for all payments made into the Intervention Fund (https://www.wosp.org.pl/pomagamy/fundusz-interwencyjny), but most of all - thank you to all recipients of medical facilities, hospitals, nursing homes and care and treatment institutions for their brave and devoted help in saving the lives of their patients
23rd Apr 2020 - Facebook
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 24th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullGuidelines for mall reopening in Dubai: 24-hour sanitisation, strict hygiene
Malls and other retail spaces will have to follow strict hygiene measures once they reopen, according to a set of guidelines issued on Wednesday. The document did not specify when the malls and retail spaces would reopen, but asked businesses to be on standby for official announcements that "will be announced shortly". The list detailed all the health and hygiene protocols that commercial establishments would need to comply with in order to resume services once the reopening announcement is made. The guidelines include 24-hour mall sanitisation (including sterilisation of entrances and cleaning of toilets after every use) and entrance health checks to ensure that anyone entering the mall undergoes the mandatory temperature screening and checks.
23rd Apr 2020 - Khaleej Times
Screens between tables and sanitary welcome kits: How Spain’s tourism industry is preparing for life after loc
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Sipping on a gin tonic while enjoying the views of Madrid will be possible this summer at Ginkgo Sky Bar within the “new normality” of life post-coronavirus lockdown. Every patron will exist in their own bubble of hygiene: wearing gloves, a face mask, and separated from other patrons by a screen. If someone wants to go up to see the sunset, they will need to ask staff for permission and follow a safe route marked out on the floor of the rooftop bar, which is part of the five-star hotel Plaza España Design, of the VP hotel chain.
22nd Apr 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Coronavirus: Are hospital cleaners forgotten heroes in this crisis?
"The whole edifice of the hospital system rests on the folks who clean, wash and provide cafeteria services," Dr Robert Bruno, who conducted the 2018 study, told the BBC. Yet despite their importance, Ms Martinez says that service workers are often the last to learn about new protocols and procedures in the hospital - as may have been the case with coronavirus.
20th Apr 2020 - BBC News
The War Against Coronavirus Comes to the Bathroom
Cholera and tuberculosis outbreaks transformed the design and technology of the home bathroom. Will Covid-19 inspire a new wave of hygiene innovation?
10th Apr 2020 - CityLab
Coronavirus: Dogs being trained to find passengers with COVID-19 at UK airports
Dogs are being trained to detect coronavirus in passengers arriving at UK airports.
Canines at the Medical Detection Dogs charity have previously been used to find cancer, Parkinson's disease and malaria and will receive similar training in order to help during the pandemic. The organisation's founder believes the animals could detect COVID-19 in asymptomatic travellers arriving in the UL when lockdown measures are relaxed.
22nd Apr 2020 - Sky News
Oak National Academy: How we set up a virtual school for 750,000 students in two weeks
The coronavirus lockdown meant that many children couldn't go to school as normal, so that day a quarter of a million of them took part in online lessons at Oak National Academy instead. Even more amazingly, we only came up with the idea of this online classroom two weeks ago. It's been quite the ride, and yet another example of our public servants stepping up during this national crisis. I’ve spent my entire career in and around schools - teaching, advising on education policy and helping teachers to keep getting better. So the impact of coronavirus on schools is understandably an important topic for lots of my friends and colleagues.
23rd Apr 2020 - iNews
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 23rd Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullEmirates becomes the first airline to conduct on-site rapid COVID-19 tests for passengers.
15th Apr 2020 - @emirates
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 22nd Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullCDC To Expand Public Health Workforce To Support Contact Tracing : Shots - Health News
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is funding 650 health workers at state health departments to supplement more than 600 CDC staff already in place, according to director Dr. Robert Redfield. Redfield says it's part of an effort to expand the nation's public health workforce. The goal is to ensure every community can do enough testing and contact tracing to prevent any big new outbreaks from occurring. "As we open up, we need to reset our sights on what the primary strategy is to control this virus and that has got to be containment. And that means we have to have the testing and capacity to contain-contain-contain this virus," he says.
21st Apr 2020 - NPR
British energy startup launches campaign supplying power banks to frontline workers fighting coronavirus
A British energy startup is providing power banks to NHS staff and frontline workers so they can stay connected whilst on shift during the coronavirus pandemic. A Lifesaver's campaign, Lifeline To The Frontline, has supplied 400 pre-charged power banks using 100 per cent renewable energy from Octopus Energy to the University Hospital in Lewisham and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in London.
21st Apr 2020 - Evening Standard
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 21st Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullIt's landed! A few moments ago a Boeing 787-9 Polish Airlines Dreamliner flight landed
It's landed! A few moments ago a Boeing 787-9 Polish Airlines Dreamliner flight landed at Lotnisko Chopina in Warsaw, bringing personal protection products ordered by WOŚP in China for Polish doctors, medical staff, medical rescuers, very brave nurses, as well as for employees Social Assistance homes. Thanks to the great work of aircraft crews and well organized by LOT Polish Airlines Cargo and the Polish government of China - Poland, the first batch of ordered articles by WOŚP was in Warsaw by late evening.
Huge joy and let this be the positive message I wrote about in an earlier post dedicated to Carmen from Spain. This is also happening in Poland and this is the power of all good people, good events and friends.
20th Apr 2020 - Jurek Owsiak
TikTok pledges £5m for RCN Foundation coronavirus support fund
Video-sharing platform TikTok is donating £5m to a fund set up by the Royal College of Nursing’s charitable foundation to support health workers on the frontline of the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. The pledge comes amid a 5000% increase over the past month in healthcare-related posts on TikTok from staff themselves as well as the public showing their support for those delivering care.
17th Apr 2020 - Nursing Times
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 20th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Madrid’s medical heroes in the fight of their lives
"We're not heroes; we're health workers," insists Hernando Trujillo, a doctor tackling the coronavirus emergency in the working-class south of the capital. The hospital has capacity for 1,300 beds and, at the height of the Covid-19 epidemic, close to 1,000 were being used to treat coronavirus patients. "There was almost no transition. It was really quiet and then suddenly a mad rush. The collapse came in a day," says Laura Andújar, a 37-year-old emergency nurse.
19th Apr 2020 - BBC News
Three million packs of paracetamol from India to replenish British supermarkets shelves
After stockpilers emptied paracetamol from shelves of left British supermarket and retailers, Britain has bought around 3,000,000 packs of paracetamol from India. The Government ordered the huge amount from India, where the drugs are made, who have approved the export of 2,800,000 packets which will be distributed to leading UK supermarkets and retailers. The shipment followed India's decision to lift export restrictions on essential drugs including s request from the UK government for paracetamol. India produces 5,600 metric tons of paracetamol every month while the domestic requirement is only around 200 metric tons.
18th Apr 2020 - ITV
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 17th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullGPs develop advice on remote consultations for COVID-19
GPonline has reported in recent weeks that doctors in some areas are now delivering as many as 95% of consultations with patients online or via phone calls - a complete reversal from pre-pandemic times when less than 15% of consultations were delivered in this way across England. The guidance, drawn up by NHS GPs who work for digital healthcare provider LIVI, comes as NHS England published updated advice for general practice on switching to a 'total triage' model during the COVID-19 pandemic
16th Apr 2020 - GP magazine
This Is Special Education Schooling During Coronavirus for N.Y.C. Children
Parents and educators have embarked on a desperate scramble to avoid dire academic outcomes for some of the city’s most vulnerable students.
16th Apr 2020 - The New York Times
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 16th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullHow to thank coronavirus helpers amid the pandemic
While many people work from home and await the end of stay-at-home guidelines, some workers continue to brave the coronavirus pandemic to go to work to keep essential parts of society running.
14th Apr 2020 - Los Angeles Times
The month primary care went through a dramatic digital transformation
n the space of a few short weeks primary care services in the UK have switched wholesale from 1.2m face-to-face consultations a day to the vast majority of consultations carried out remotely. According to a 12 April BBC report, GPs are now seeing just seven in every 100 patients face-to-face, following a “remarkable” shift to online and telephone appointments across England in response to the coronavirus crisis. This is a truly remarkable reconfiguration of the NHS front door that has so far attracted relatively little attention in the national coverage of coronavirus, and may be one of the mist radical long-term changes to the way health services are delivered in the UK.
15th Apr 2020 - Digital Health
Coronavirus ventilator wins UK approval in run-up to NHS rollout
Penlon’s ESO2 device becomes first model to get green light from UK’s healthcare regulator. Formal approval comes amid mounting concern that tens of thousands of ventilators ordered by the government are still awaiting regulatory clearance. The length of the process has stoked fears about the readiness of the NHS for a surge in patients requiring ventilation. The health secretary, Matt Hancock, has said the government wants to increase ventilator stocks from 10,000 to 18,000 to be sure of having enough.
15th Apr 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus: Student nurses 'scared but excited' as they enter workforce early
Thousands of student nurses have volunteered to fast-track their studies so they can help the NHS deal with the coronavirus.
15th Apr 2020 - Sky News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 15th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullManaging mental health remotely: COVID-19 and beyond
Simon Blake, Chief Executive of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England, highlights how we can adapt to managing mental health remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic
14th Apr 2020 - Open Access Government
Coronavirus: Amazon ordered to pause all non-essential deliveries in France
Amazon has been ordered to pause all non-essential deliveries in France while a coronavirus risk assessment is carried out across its operations. The online retail giant will only be allowed to deliver food, hygiene and medical products while a health evaluation takes place, a court in Nanterre ruled. A penalty fine of €1 million per day will be served to Amazon for every day that it is in breach of the order, which will be in place from Wednesday.
14th Apr 2020 - The Independent
Coronavirus: Harry Potter buses used as free NHS transport
Harry Potter-branded buses normally used to take fans to film studio tours are being offered as free transport for staff working in the NHS. The buses will take them between three sites in Hertfordshire, and will have on-board social distancing rules. Warner Bros and coach company Golden Tours have had to cancel all trips to the Leavesden studios where much of the Harry Potter filming took place. The NHS said the move was a "wizard idea". "Our workforce has been depleted due to sickness or self-isolation and so it's really important that those staff who are well, but have transport issues, can come back," Paul da Gama, from the West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust, said.
14th Apr 2020 - BBC News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 14th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullHow factories change production to quickly fight coronavirus
How does a gin company start creating sanitiser at short notice? Switching products can be faster and easier than you might imagine – and can help businesses survive, too.
13th Apr 2020 - BBC News
How the coronavirus is spurring the growth of emerging technologies
The outbreak is ramping up demand for delivery drones, hygiene robots, telemedicine, virtual reality, and other aspects of technology, according to eMarketer.
13th Apr 2020 - TechRepublic
Robots may become heroes in war on coronavirus
Long maligned as job-stealers and aspiring overlords, robots are being increasingly relied on as fast, efficient, contagion-proof champions in the war against the deadly coronavirus. One team of robots temporarily cared for patients in a makeshift hospital in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the COVID-19 outbreak began. Meals were served, temperatures taken and communications handled by machines, one of them named "Cloud Ginger" by its maker CloudMinds, which has operations in Beijing and California. "It provided useful information, conversational engagement, entertainment with dancing, and even led patients through stretching exercises," CloudMinds president Karl Zhao said of the humanoid robot. "The smart field hospital was completely run by robots.
13th Apr 2020 - Japan Today
Amidst Covid-19 lockdown, a Mumbai-based startup is providing emergency rides in the city
Aiming to help those in need such as healthcare professionals and essential service providers, Mumbai-based fleet management firm Everest Fleet is offering rides to essential service providers, frontline helpers, and medical patients, so they can navigate safely through Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane.
6th Apr 2020 - Economic Times
West Lafayette schools raising money to help teachers with e-learning supplies
West Lafayette Schools Education Foundation is working to raise money for its teachers. It comes as the coronavirus forces classes to be taught online. The foundation had to postpone its annual fundraiser this year. In the past, the annual Scarlet and Gray Dinner allowed them to raise money for various programs the school offers. However, with it being postponed, the education foundation is working to raise money in a different way. West Lafayette Junior Senior High School sign. Leaders are hoping to raise at least $5,000 to benefit all the teachers in their district. The money will be given as gift cards to the 160 teachers at the elementary, intermediate and junior/senior high school. They can then use that money to buy supplies for their virtual classrooms.
13th Apr 2020 - wlfi.com
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 13th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullNHS coronavirus app could lift UK lockdown by tracing those in contact with infected
A new mobile phone app could be central to ending the UK's coronavirus lockdown.
The Government has ordered NHSX, the health service's technology arm, to create an app which would trace those who have been in contact with infected people and alert them to get tested. Google and Apple have been helping the NHS to develop the system at "breakneck speed", the Sunday Times reports. The app would use Bluetooth to tell its users if they have been near someone who has tested positive for the deadly bug, helping to bring any new chains of infection under control.
12th Apr 2020 - Mirror Online
Massachusetts grocery store workers can now get free coronavirus testing
Massachusetts grocery store and supermarket workers can now get free coronavirus testing as the state ramps up preparations and activates more National Guard personnel ahead of the “very difficult month of April,” Gov. Charlie Baker said Saturday. Food store employees will now have access to the priority COVID-19 testing sites for first responders at Patriot Place in Foxboro and at the Big E Fairgrounds in West Springfield. Baker’s announcement comes days after Vitalina Williams, a part-time cashier at the Salem Market Basket, died of the virus, and it follows the state’s new guidance for residents to wear masks or face coverings in public, particularly to grocery stores.
11th Apr 2020 - Boston Herald
Circuit breaker classes: Yoga, tuition and gyms move online as Singapore gets used to operating in virtual worlds
Armed with a large iPad, a laptop and a large monitor screen, over 40 tuition teachers with Raymond’s Maths & Science Studio press on with their regular lessons amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Although the lessons are held at the same time on the same day as before, all of the teachers now tutor remotely from their homes over video conferencing application Zoom. Managing director Raymond Loh told CNA that training teachers to use Zoom and trying to bring the classroom onto a digital platform is “not an easy task”.
12th Apr 2020 - Channel NewsAsia Singapore
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 10th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullBundeswehr delivering 60 respirators to the UK
In the UK, the government is concerned about the health system becoming overwhelmed with COVID19 patients. After a call for help from London, the German army (the Bundeswehr) is now delivering 60 respirators to the NHS for use
9th Apr 2020 - Der Spiegel
Transcript: Bill Gates speaks to the FT about the global fight against coronavirus
Microsoft founder says there is a ‘humanitarian and a self-interested’ case for rich countries to help developing world
9th Apr 2020 - The Financial Times
Royal Mail begins delivering virus advice to 30 million homes
Royal Mail is doing its bit to spread key coronavirus lockdown messages after not only beginning to deliver a UK-wide letter from the UK government but also introducing a new postmark setting out life-saving social distancing tips. Dropping on the UK’s door mats over the next week, the mailing will be going out to 30 million homes, and includes a letter from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, alongside a leaflet outlining the UK government’s advice. This includes an explanation of symptoms, hand hygiene guidance, rules on leaving the house, how to self-isolate with symptoms, and shielding for the most vulnerable. The leaflet will also signpost online resources that can provide further guidance.
9th Apr 2020 - Inverness Courier
Doctors and nurses from Romania are treating patients in Italy to help the European family. This is #solidarietàUE in action.
Doctors and nurses from Romania are treating patients in Italy to help the European family. This is #solidarietàUE in action.
9th Apr 2020 - @vonderleyen
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 9th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullFrom cushions to masks: Boat manufacturer shifts production to meet hospitals’ coronavirus needs
A big part of fighting the coronavirus is making sure people on the front lines have the supplies they need during the pandemic. Aida Claudio is one of several employees at the Nautique boat factory in East Orange County, where they have shifted their work from upholstery for boats to sewing masks that can be used by hospital workers during the COVID-19 outbreak.
8th Apr 2020 - WKMG News 6 & ClickOrlando
Coronavirus in Norfolk UK: How supermarkets are coping three weeks in | Health
Major chains have reacted to social distancing measures by controlling the amount of customers in stores, reducing opening hours, bringing in specific shopping times for NHS staff and carers, imposing queuing systems with appropriate two-metre markers and ramping up hygiene measures, such as disinfecting trolley handles.
Customers have been encouraged to shop as infrequently as possible and limits have been put in place to combat hoarding of certain items, leaving households needing to plan their shopping more carefully to ensure they have enough food.
8th Apr 2020 - Eastern Daily Press
Coronavirus - a stimulus to healthcare innovation
If there is a silver lining to this grim Covid-19 pandemic it is that our health system has responded magnificently to the challenge and, in so doing, has had to adopt new ways of working, many of which have been long advocated and which we should now embed.
9th Apr 2020 - Stuff.co.nz
Coronavirus: NHS turns to big tech to tackle Covid-19 hot spots
The NHS has confirmed it is teaming up with leading tech firms to ensure critical medical equipment is available to the facilities most in need during the coronavirus outbreak. It blogged the firms would create computer dashboard screens to show the spread of the virus and the healthcare system's ability to deal with it. Four tech firms were named in the blog. Three are US-based: Microsoft, Google and Palantir. The fourth is Faculty AI, which is headquartered in London.
28th Mar 2020 - BBC News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 8th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullInside intensive care unit where NHS heroes are battling coronavirus
New footage has emerged of embattled NHS staff on the frontlines of the war against coronavirus. Doctors and nurses at University College Hospital in London say they have never seen anything like this before and they’re ‘not even at the peak yet’. Medics wearing full personal protective equipment are shown closely monitoring patients strapped to ventilators in the so-called ‘red zone’ for the sickest of patients.
7th Apr 2020 - Metro
Google Doodle Says Thank You to Coronavirus Helpers, Honors Public Health Workers and Researchers
Today's Google Doodle celebrates all public health workers and researchers across the globe working in the fight against the novel coronavirus. The tribute is the first in a new Google Doodle series launched today to honor those working on the front lines of the outbreak. "Today, we'd like to say: To all the public health workers and to researchers in the scientific community, thank you," Google notes.
6th Apr 2020 - Newsweek
This Quebec Health Official Has Become A Sensation With His Coronavirus Tips
A month ago, Dr. Horacio Arruda was a relatively unknown bureaucrat in the Canadian province of Quebec. Now, you can find his face on T-shirts, a bread loaf at a Montreal bakery, and memes and videos all over social media. In this age of the coronavirus, Quebec's latest celebrity is its deputy health minister, who delivers down-to-earth advice in French and English in widely watched daily briefings.
6th Apr 2020 - NPR
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 7th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullUK councils face lawsuits over access to education in lockdown
Government pressed to ensure poorer pupils have laptops and broadband for home learning
6th Apr 2020 - The Guardian
How remote leaders can keep workers calm and connected in a crisis
If you're new to leading a remote team, there are three crucial things you must do to ensure employee happiness and productivity — especially during a time of crisis like the COVID-19 outbreak. It's crucial to drive home the mission and to be transparent about what's going on at each level of the company. Keep company culture alive with virtual parties and celebrations, and help new hires along the way by using a buddy system.
6th Apr 2020 - Business Insider
Coronavirus: why the Nordics are our best bet for comparing strategies
There is no knowing at this stage how the interventions adopted by Sweden and the other Nordic nations will play out. But within weeks, this will start to become clear. From this, we will learn much about the delicate balance between strategic under- and overreaction in the face of an infectious disease pandemic.
3rd Apr 2020 - The Conversation UK
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 6th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: New anti-viral disinfectant used to clean London's transport network
A new anti-viral disinfectant that protects for up to 30 days is being used on London's public transport network, Transport For London (TFL) has said. The product has been used on "our entire fleet of over 600 Tube trains, all our London Underground stations that are open, Dial-a-Ride fleet, Victoria Coach Station and 33 of our key bus stations," TFL said.
3rd Apr 2020 - Sky News
Coronavirus: Uber to give NHS staff free trips and meals
Uber will give away hundreds of thousands of free trips and meals to NHS staff working on the frontlines during the coronavirus outbreak.
The taxi and food delivery company said that as of Monday 30 March, it will offer 200,000 complimentary trips and 100,000 meals to medical staff in order to support them while they work with patients who have been infected by Covid-19.
3rd Apr 2020 - The Independent
[Photo] Samsung says it's been helping mask companies with production processes
The Samsung Group has announced that it has been providing technical and production support to companies making protective masks to alleviate the national shortage. Samsung said that it has been sending production experts to small and medium-sized firms to help them streamline their production processes. Samsung has also been directly making mask production molds and providing them to companies. Samsung claims that its aid has helped companies produce 20% more masks and cut down on distribution time by 50%.
25th Mar 2020 - The Hankyoreh
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 3rd Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Medicines delivered to your home for one euro, La Poste's new service
La Poste announced on Tuesday that it had entered into a partnership with the Aprium Pharmacy network and the delivery specialist Stuart. Objective: to offer a brand new medication delivery service called Aprium Express. For just one euro, it is now possible to have medicines delivered to your home in less than two hours, reports BFM TV . Delivery is even free for nursing staff.
1st Apr 2020 - 20Minutes.fr
Coronavirus has encouraged companies to add mental health benefits
The novel coronavirus pandemic may drive companies to invest more heavily in mental health benefits. Some companies, like Starbucks and PwC, have already updated their benefits in response to the virus. Companies that provide mental health tools for individuals and workers have seen an uptick in the number of people requesting services. Younger generations, like millennials and Gen Zers, are driving the push for more mental health care at work.
2nd Apr 2020 - Business Insider
Coronavirus: NHS Nightingale becomes world's largest critical care unit
With 80 wards, the temporary facility at the ExCel Centre in London's Docklands is now the world's largest critical care unit.
3rd Apr 2020 - Sky News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 2nd Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullScott Morrison announces free childcare for working parents
2nd Apr 2020 - Yahoo Australia
Occitanie: the success of candied dishes delivered to the confined
During this period of containment, Occitan companies selling cassoulets and other local candied dishes respond to a significant demand for home deliveries.
30th Mar 2020 - France Bleu
Coronavirus: WHO pays tribute to the "extraordinary" work bing carried out at the Ifema hospital
The Ifema hospital in Madrid was described as "extraordinary" by Bruce Aylward, chief Covid-19 expert from the World Health Organization (WHO). On a visit to Madrid he commented during a visit to the field hospital, which is alleviating the healthcare pressure from other Madrid hospitals facing the Covid-19 coronavirus challenge. His tour of the ICU led to him commenting the way the hospitals and the courage shown by the health professionals reminded him of how the Chinese tackled the outbreak a while back
31st Mar 2020 - Redaccion Medica
The WHO congratulates the newly created Ifema hospital for its extraordinary work
31st Mar 2020 - ABC
Lack of childcare 'forcing key workers to stay home'
Schools, nurseries and childminders were told to close their doors last week to all except vulnerable children and the children of key workers, such as NHS staff and delivery drivers. But many nurseries say staying open for such small numbers of children has not been financially viable. They also say staff need better protection from the coronavirus. The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) estimates around half of nurseries have completely closed for the duration of the coronavirus crisis.
30th Mar 2020 - BBC News
Free childcare guaranteed to all essential workers in Colorado through May 17
All essential workers will have the opportunity to get free child care through May 17, according to an announcement Monday morning by the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS). On Monday, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced that the state will extend a full, 100% tuition credit to anybody defined as an essential worker in the Colorado stay-at-home public health order.
30th Mar 2020 - The Denver Channel
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 1st Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullFrance24 on video reports on the arrival of millions of medical supplies from China - including 10m facemasks for healthworkers flown in by the Chinese
France24 on video reports on the arrival of millions of medical supplies from China to help the French battle the Covid-19 virus. This included 10m facemasks for healthworkers flown in by the Chinese
30th Mar 2020 - France24
Exclusive: Retail logistics firm put in charge of crisis-hit PPE deliveries
- Clipper Logistics chosen to manage PPE-only supply channel - Trust deliveries due to begin daily from Tuesday - Community deliveries anticipated to begin next week
31st Mar 2020 - Health Service Journal
Fall in Covid-19 tests putting lives at risk, critics claim
UK fails to reach goal of 10,000 daily tests, prompting accusations ministers are misleading public
30th Mar 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus: Supermarket vouchers to go out to children entitled to free school meals
The move comes as schools have been closed as part of measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19 across the UK.
31st Mar 2020 - Sky News
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 31st Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullLa Comédie Française launches its online channel with new shows and programs
The troupe will be offering its web TV accessible via its website and via its Facebook page from this Monday. On the scheduled programming: members playing the announcers, readings for works and analysis of texts for high school graduates, children's stories, reruns of popular shows
29th Mar 2020 - Le Parisien
China Pushes to Churn Out Coronavirus Gear, Yet Struggles to Police It
Companies big and small that once manufactured other items are now in the business of making anti-coronavirus gear — and regulators in China are struggling to enforce standards while encouraging the flow. Those tensions blew into the open internationally this week. Officials in Spain said testing kits it bought from a Chinese company had only a 30 percent accuracy rate, rather than the 80 percent rate they had expected.
27th Mar 2020 - The New York Times
World academies call for global solidarity on COVID-19 pandemic
The current COVID-19 outbreak was first reported on 31 December 2019. On 11 March 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic. Today, under the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), 140 medical, scientific and engineering academies from around the world call on the scientific and policymaking communities to come together to help control the spread of infection. IAP's aim is to encourage better and faster use of research and its outputs for the global public good.
30th Mar 2020 - EurekAlert
NHS trusts call for detail on ventilator capacity as new order placed for 10,000
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Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents healthcare trusts, said it was clear ventilator numbers needed to “significantly increase”. Welcoming steps to source more devices he added “extra capacity will take time to deliver” and said it would be “helpful” if forecasts on numbers could be shared with trusts.“It would be helpful if national NHS leaders and the Government shared more of the detail on how they see ventilator capacity growing, what the constraints for the immediate next few weeks are likely to be, and how these constraints will be managed.”
30th Mar 2020 - Express & Star
Coronavirus: Nigeria's Edo state prepares for a massive coronavirus testing exercise
The Coordinator of World Health Organisation (WHO), in the State, Mrs. Faith Ireye, disclosed that 71 contacts are listed for the two confirmed cases in the state, adding that the government looks inward to keep over list rather under list. She said 13 persons have been identified with their samples taken to Irrua Specialist Hospital for testing.
30th Mar 2020 - The News Nigeria
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 30th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus news: 20,000 retired NHS staff to return to fight outbreak as government warns partial lockdown could last six months
The UK could remain on partial lockdown for six months, deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries has said, warning of a second peak if such measures are ended too quickly. Boris Johnson has written a letter to every household in the UK to urge the public to stay at home during the coronavirus “national emergency”, raising the possibility of even stricter lockdown measures being introduced.
30th Mar 2020 - The Independent
LA received 170 broken ventilators from the national stockpile. Rather than complaining, we put them on a truck, drove them up overnight, and had @Bloom_Energy get to work fixing them.
LA received 170 broken ventilators from the national stockpile. Rather than complaining, we put them on a truck, drove them up overnight, and had
@Bloom_Energy get to work fixing them. Monday they‘ll back in LA--fixed. That’s the spirit of CA.
28th Mar 2020 - @GavinNewsom
Coronavirus: Is the NHS ready for its toughest seven days ever?
One chief nurse at a hospital in the midlands told The Independent what was now being considered for intensive care “would have been unthinkable in normal times. This is going to push staff who aren’t used to this sort of acute care of patients to the limits.” Nicki Credland, chair of the British Association of Critical Care Nurses (BACCN), added: “We are doing everything we possibly can, but we simply do not have enough intensive care nurses. We are going to have to accept we can’t save everyone.”
29th Mar 2020 - The Independent
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 27th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullAt work: in a Tunisian factory, 150 people, mostly workers, locked up with something to live in almost self-sufficient, in order to continue to manufacture masks and protection for caregivers fighting the new coronavirus!
Confinées... at work: in a Tunisian factory, 150 people, mostly workers, locked up with something to live in almost self-sufficient, in order to continue to manufacture masks and protection for caregivers fighting the new coronavirus!
26th Mar 2020 - AFP
Coronavirus tests will be given to NHS staff and key workers first
Fifteen-minute tests to determine whether people have had a case of coronavirus – and therefore are thought to be immune – will be given to NHS staff and key workers as a priority, according to the chief medical officer. Scientists say accurate tests could be crucial in the fight against the pandemic
26th Mar 2020 - The Independent
Coronavirus: NHS uses tech giants to plan crisis response
Data collected gathered via the NHS's 111 telephone service is to be mixed with other sources to help predict where ventilators, hospital beds, and medical staff will be most in need. The goal is to help health chiefs model the consequences of moving resources to best tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Three US tech firms are aiding the effort - Amazon, Microsoft and Palantir - as well as London-based Faculty AI. The plan is expected to be signed off by Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
26th Mar 2020 - BBC News
Children eligible for free school meals to get weekly vouchers worth £15 instead
Children entitled to free meals at school will get weekly supermarket vouchers in their place to help them eat amid coronavirus closures. The pupils are set to receive the £15 payments as part of a national scheme being rolled out next week, according to Schools Week. The vouchers work out at £3 per day - 70p more than what schools are paid to provide meals - and are believed to have the backing of all major supermarkets.
26th Mar 2020 - Daily Mail
'Military drafted in to deliver PPE' to medics on coronavirus frontline
The military have been drafted in to deliver vital personal protective equipment (PPE), including 10 million masks, to medics on the coronavirus frontline, the Housing Secretary has told ITV's Peston. Robert Jenrick said the Government were "ramping up efforts very significantly" in order to meet the extra demand for PPE, he told Anushka Asthana. "We need to get more PPE out to people working on the frontline, that's in hospitals, it's in social care, it's in pharmacies and GP's surgeries," he said.
25th Mar 2020 - ITV News
Schools asked to donate science goggles for NHS to use as face shields
Schools across England are being asked to donate science goggles and other apparatus to the NHS due to a shortage of protective equipment for doctors dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. The Guardian has heard from a number of schools and teachers who are responding to urgent messages from NHS trusts that need face shields.
25th Mar 2020 - The Guardian
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 26th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in full10 Covid-busting designs: spraying drones, fever helmets and anti-virus snoods
Companies the world over are directing their ingenuity at the fight against the coronavirus. Here are the front-runners, from sanitising robots to a 3D-printed hospital ward
25th Mar 2020 - The Guardian
Aldi paying staff 10% bonus to say thanks for work during coronavirus pandemic
Aldi is set to pay a 10% bonus to its workforce across the country, it has emerged.
The German supermarket is a huge employer across Birmingham and throughout the Black Country, as well as the wider Midlands. The retailer is offering a 10 per cent bonus to its staff members across the UK. It comes in a bid to say thanks for working hard during the coronavirus pandemic which is currently sweeping the UK, forcing a huge lockdown. Aldi said the extra money will be backdated to March 9, 2020.
25th Mar 2020 - Birmingham Live
Coronavirus Ireland: Aer Lingus to fly Airbus A330 planes to China 60 times to collect medical supplies
Aer Lingus is to fly five of its largest aircrafts packed with health supplies from China in a daily coronavirus mercy mission for Ireland. Dozens of its pilots who volunteered to help with the humanitarian operation were sorting their visas in the Chinese Embassy in Dublin on Wednesday. The airline plans to send over its Airbus A330 passenger planes to Beijing up to 60 times to collect medical equipment ordered by the HSE. And the Aer Lingus' crew made up of pilots and engineers won't be able to get off the aircraft - as they'll be quarantined if they do.
25th Mar 2020 - Irish Mirror
‘Risk of danger to residents’ prompts some Toronto condos to ban Airbnbs amid COVID-19 crisis
/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/business/2020/03/25/risk-of-danger-to-residents-prompts-some-toronto-condos-to-ban-airbnbs-amid-covid-19-crisis/ice_condos.jpg)
After years of struggling or failing to stop their buildings from being used as de facto hotels for short-term rental operators, some Toronto condos are finally banning Airbnbs because of concerns about the spread of COVID-19.
25th Mar 2020 - Toronto Star
Coronavirus: New antibody tests will be given to NHS staff and key workers first
Fifteen-minute tests to determine whether people have had a case of coronavirus – and therefore are thought to be immune – will be given to NHS staff and key workers as a priority, according to the chief medical officer. The government has purchased 3.5 million tests for coronavirus antibodies, which are currently being assessed for accuracy. If they work, the tests would allow doctors and nurses to determine whether they could return to work – and, in the long term, see social distancing restrictions relaxed sooner.
25th Mar 2020 - Independent
Ocado introduces strict delivery rules amid UK lockdown - can you still order Waitrose?
Ocado is an online supermarket that is widely known for delivery products from retailers including Waitrose. The coronavirus - also known as COVID-19 - pandemic has led to a UK-lockdown, which has caused a demand in delivery services, and the company has introduced new rules for customers.
25th Mar 2020 - Express
London construction sites halt work to ease Tube pressure during coronavirus pandemic
Major construction sites across London halted work today to ease pressure on the transport network but Tube carriages remained dangerously overcrowded on some lines this morning. Sadiq Khan said the London Underground was 30 per cent less busy in the early rush hour compared with yesterday, but medical staff took to social media to complain of being hemmed into carriages packed with non-essential workers.
25th Mar 2020 - Evening Standard
UK government orders 10,000 ventilators from Dyson
Britain has ordered 10,000 medical ventilators designed at breakneck speed by vacuum cleaner-maker Dyson, billionaire founder James Dyson said, as the country tries to boost the number of devices available to treat coronavirus patients.
25th Mar 2020 - Reuters
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 25th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullThere are 20,000 Black cab drivers kicking their heels. @BorisJohnson why don't you use them to collect & drive #keyworkers to & from work rather than make them risk getting #COVID19 on public transport?
24th Mar 2020 - @KevinRampling
The new supermarket rules - here's what you need to know about the social distancing restrictions
Supermarkets are asking customers to stay 2m from each other and installing screens
24th Mar 2020 - The Telegraph
Coronavirus: Supermarkets limit shoppers as rules tighten
Visit a supermarket today and you're likely to be greeted outside by a member of staff. They'll be ensuring you stick to the new strict social-distancing rules that have applied since Monday evening. At Waitrose you'll be met by a marshal, while at M&S they're called greeters. Asda will also station more staff at its shop doors to "greet" customers. Their jobs are exactly the same: to ensure only a limited number of shoppers enter stores at any one time. They also check people are queuing responsibly and that shoppers wait patiently and stand two metres away from each other.
24th Mar 2020 - BBC News
Coronavirus: Waitrose and Lidl deploy 'two-metre marshals' and checkout screens as contactless limit to be raised
Waitrose and Lidl are among chains to enforce distancing measures as supermarkets remain open for spending on lockdown essentials.
24th Mar 2020 - Sky News
Please keep donating': NHS urges people to keep giving blood and says it is an 'essential form of helping the vulnerable'
The NHS has urged people to keep donating blood during the UK-wide coronavirus lockdown as it is essential to patients and a form of helping the vulnerable. NHS figures reveal a 15 per cent drop in whole blood donations since the draconian measures limiting movement came into force across Britain. Following the tightening of restrictions announced last night there are fears the number of blood donations may continue to plummet.
24th Mar 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus: Pharmacies urge public to only buy medicines they need amid panic buying
Pharmacies have urged the public to only buy medicines they need to avoid "creating difficulties" for others following panic buying across the UK. There is no overall shortage of prescription medicines, but there has been an increase in demand for all types of products - particularly hand sanitisers, paracetamol and thermometers.
24th Mar 2020 - Sky News
Ford joins GE, 3M in speeding up ventilator, respirator production
Ford and GE Healthcare will expand the production of GE’s ventilator design to support patients with respiratory failure or difficulty breathing caused by the pathogen. In addition, they are developing a simplified design that Ford could begin making at one of its plants. The plan is to get the new design approved quickly by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Tom Westrick, vice president and chief quality officer at GE Healthcare, said on a conference call. Ford also is evaluating a separate effort not involving GE with the British government to make additional ventilators.
24th Mar 2020 - Reuters UK
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 23rd Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullTens of thousands of Spaniards have to break their confinement to work each day. We collect testimonies from those employees who cannot stay at home: this is the story of the workers who are most exposed in the midst of a pandemic
Every day at eight in the evening, millions of Spaniards applaud from their windows and balconies across the country. This is Spain shut down by the coronavirus, which welcomes and thanks with applause the work of health professionals such as Carmen, health workers who fight in hand-to-hand combat against the coronavirus and its effects on the health of the population as a whole
21st Mar 2020 - El Diario
My @WHO colleagues and I are so glad to see these aggressive moves by @Twitter to end misinformation and help keep the world safe from #coronavirus
21st Mar 2020 - @DrTedros
We’ve pivoted to solely produce surgical masks and medical garments
I have been fruitlessly trying to reach your office regarding helping with NY’s medical supply shortages. We’ve pivoted to solely produce surgical masks and medical garments. We have the capacity to make 2 million masks a day, and would love to help. E-mails have had no response.
20th Mar 2020 - @StrangeHarbours
Companies are scrambling to build more ventilators (partial paywall)
In one category of product, scarcity is all too real. Overwhelmed health services are desperately short of mechanical ventilators to help the roughly 10% of sufferers with severe symptoms to breathe. Political leaders are urging existing specialist producers to ramp up production. Germany’s government ordered 16,000 new machines from two domestic producers. Others, like Britain’s prime minister, Boris Johnson, want manufacturers of all stripes to retool and help out. That is easier said than done
19th Mar 2020 - The Economist
‘The government threw us under the bus’: How Bristol food businesses are working to survive coronavirus
Small businesses, especially in hospitality, face bankruptcy as Bristol goes into self isolation, but some are finding innovative ways to respond to the coronavirus crisis.
20th Mar 2020 - The Bristol Cable
Governments and Companies Race to Make Masks Vital to Virus Fight
President Trump resists using emergency powers to compel production, saying companies will voluntarily provide much-needed protective gear. It is unclear whether enough new masks and other protective gear will be available before health care facilities start getting overwhelmed by an anticipated flood of infected patients.
21st Mar 2020 - The New York Times
UK government draws up plans to buy airline shares, that would eventually be sold back to private investors, to keep them afloat during Covid-19 !
21st Mar 2020 - AirportWatch
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 20th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullA Superstar Epidemiologist's Plan to Fight Coronavirus
The only way we’re really going to flatten the curve is:
a) a massive at-home testing effort
b) using cell phone location data to tell people who may have been exposed to self-isolate
c) allowing people who have known immunity (from having had it) back into the workforce once we know via blood test that they can’t get it or spread it anymore. That way, they can keep everything running while others fall sick.
20th Mar 2020 - Mother Jones
London paramedics rationed to one face mask between two
Paramedics attending people who could be infected with the coronavirus were told only one person in each team of two could wear a face mask, with the other instructed to stand two metres away from the patient if “clinically appropriate”.
18th Mar 2020 - The Guardian
How can we protect healthcare workers?
19th Mar 2020 - @ScottGottliebMD
Maintaining Services - Connecting Communities for COVID19 News - 19th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullAustralia has given the elderly an hour in the mornings to do their shopping so they can avoid panic buying caused by the #coronavirus
"Even though it was just for 1 hour, it gave us a chance to slowly do our shop." Australia has given the elderly an hour in the mornings to do their shopping so they can avoid panic buying caused by the #coronavirus
18th Mar 2020 - @QuickTake
10,000 extra troops to join British army's Covid support force
The Ministry of Defence is to double the size of the military’s civil contingency unit to create a 20,000-strong Covid support force, the defence secretary has announced. An additional 10,000 troops will be added to the 10,000 routinely held at higher readiness in case of a civil emergency, and reservists could also be called up, Ben Wallace said on Wednesday. There are fears about the ability of the police and NHS, which are both already at full stretch, to deal with the scale of the crisis. While the government has been reluctant to highlight such a bleak prospect, the armed forces need to be prepared for the threat of a breakdown in civil order given that troops have been deployed in other countries to enforce lockdowns and prevent looting of shops.
18th Mar 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus in London: Why is the outbreak worse in the capital?
Many streets and pubs are eerily quiet as London records more confirmed cases of COVID-19 than anywhere else in the country. London has been hit the worst by the coronavirus outbreak - with 953 of the UK's 2,626 confirmed cases and at least 35 of its 104 deaths. The spread of COVID-19 has all but emptied streets that are normally packed, monuments appear eerily deserted and tourist attractions, museums and theatres continue to close.
18th Mar 2020 - Sky News
Sainsbury’s to close its meat, fish and pizza service counters to free up staff
Sainsbury’s to close its meat, fish and pizza service counters to free up staff. The supermarket is aiming to bolster its delivery network to cope with unprecedented demand
17th Mar 2020 - The Guardian
A supermarket in Denmark got tired of people hoarding hand sanitizer, so came up with their own way of stopping it.
15th Mar 2020 - @_schuermann
Coronavirus: Water firms issue blockage warning as people use toilet paper 'alternatives'
Drains and sewers are in danger of becoming blocked as people use wet wipes, paper towels - and possibly even newspaper - because they can't find loo roll at the supermarket. Water companies in the UK and Australia have warned against using alternatives which are unflushable. They say if there is no other option, wipes and kitchen roll should be disposed of in the bin. Social media campaigns are urging people to stick to toilet roll as some people panic-buy and strip shelves bare during the coronavirus outbreak.
18th Mar 2020 - Sky News
