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"COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis" 13th Sep 2021

One Minute Overview

Cricket: England-India 5th test cancelled after COVID outbreakThe fifth and final cricket test of the series was cancelled just hours before play was due to start, following a coronavirus outbreak in Indian camp.

Poor countries say lack of vaccines may exclude them from climate talks - The world's poorest countries asked for more help on Friday to meet vaccination and quarantine requirements and costs to ensure they can take part in next month's global climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland. The talks aim to spur bigger commitments to start reducing manmade greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and keep the rise in the global average temperature since pre-industrial times to well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), to stave off the worst effects of climate change.

Spread of 'Delta' COVID-19 knocks wind out of UK economy in July - Britain's economy unexpectedly slowed to a crawl in July as the Delta variant of COVID-19 spread rapidly after lockdown restrictions were eased and as many workers stayed at home self-isolating as the virus spread

How Outrage Over Vaccine Mandates Became a Mainstream G.O.P. Stance - Resistance to vaccine mandates, once a fringe position, has entered the Republican mainstream. But the governors fighting President Biden’s Covid-19 vaccine requirements impose mandates of their own.

Officials: Health care rationing could spread across Idaho - Amid the Idaho coronavirus surge that prompted officials to authorize hospitals to ration health care, Army soldiers sent to one hospital have traded their fatigues for personal protective equipment to help treat a flood of infected patients.

Germany recommends COVID-19 vaccinations for pregnant women - Germany's vaccine oversight body on Friday recommended that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should be vaccinated against COVID-19 with an mRNA-based shot. The Permanent Vaccination Commission (STIKO) advises that women should receive two shots from the second trimester of pregnancy, according to guidance posted on the website of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases.

Surging Covid-19 Cases Hammer Asian Factories - Factory activity faltered across Asia in August, with a resurgence in Covid-19 infections adding to global supply-chain disruptions and confirming fears of a slowdown in the region’s economic recovery. Gauges of manufacturing activity plummeted across major Asian economies, in large part because virus lockdowns, port congestion and higher input costs hampered production. There were also signs that global demand for some Asian goods has been leveling off, as consumers rein in spending in the West.

Virus claims Black morticians, leaving holes in communities - When the last mourners departed and funeral director Shawn Troy was left among the headstones, he wept alone. For five decades, the closing words at countless funerals in this town of 4,400 had been delivered by his father, William Penn Troy Sr. Now the elder Troy was gone, one of many Black morticians claimed by a pandemic that has taken an outsized toll on African Americans, after months of burying its victims. And as Shawn Troy stepped forward to speak in place of a man well known beyond his trade -- for his work in county politics and advocacy of its Black citizens -- the emptiness felt overwhelming. Not just his family, but his community, had lost an anchor.

COVID-19: Anti-vaccine posters found with razor blades attached to cut people who take them down, union says - Transport for London (TFL) workers have been warned about taking down unofficial COVID posters, after a union confirmed anti-vax signs have been found with razor blades attached to the back of them. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said the posters had been put up on rail and tube stations in London. The union has called for action to be taken against those responsible for the posters, which bear the message 'Masks Don't Work' and have a razor blade attached on the rear - potentially injuring anyone who tries to take it down.

Ex-French health minister charged over COVID handling - France’s former health minister Agnes Buzyn has been charged over her handling of the COVID-19 crisis after investigators at a special court in Paris concluded there were grounds to prosecute her. Buzyn has been charged with “endangering the lives of others”, the prosecutor of the Republic’s Court of Justice said on Friday, but not for a second possible offence of “failure to stop a disaster”.

Auckland COVID cases drop again as New Zealand presses on with Delta curbs - New Zealand reported 11 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, all in locked down Auckland, its biggest city, as the country looks to limit the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus.

Unvaccinated People 11 Times as Likely to Die From Covid-19 - As the Delta variant became dominant in the U.S. this summer, data showed that unvaccinated Americans were 4.6 times as likely to be infected, 10 times as likely to be hospitalized and 11 times as likely to die from Covid-19 than vaccinated people. In a trio of studies released Friday underscoring the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines even against the highly contagious Delta variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examined Covid-19 outcomes among patients who visited emergency departments, urgent care centers and veterans’ hospitals. One study that tracked patients at five Veterans Affairs Medical Centers across the country between Feb. 1 and Aug. 6 found that mRNA vaccines were 87% effective at preventing Covid-19 associated hospitalization, including during the Delta surge. The study found that effectiveness dropped to 80% for patients over the age of 65, while for younger patients, the vaccines were 95% effective.

Israel Is Preparing for Possible Fourth Covid Vaccine Dose - Israel is making preparations to ensure it has sufficient vaccine supply in case a fourth round of Covid-19 shots is needed, the country’s top health official said on Sunday.  “We don’t know when it will happen; I hope very much that it won’t be within six months, like this time, and that the third dose will last for longer,” Health Ministry Director General Nachman Ash said in an interview with Radio 103FM.
Israel, which has mainly used the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE vaccine, has so far inoculated about 2.8 million people with a third dose after beginning a drive to administer booster shots in August. Health officials have said the effects of the initial Covid-19 shots weaken five months after inoculation, making boosters necessary.

Pfizer to seek approval for vaccine in children 5 and over - Pfizer and BioNTech announced this week that it will soon seek approval from global regulators for use of its coronavirus vaccine in children ages 5 and over. The vaccine makers said in an interview published on Friday that they are looking to produce smaller doses of the vaccine for younger children. “We will be presenting the results from our study on five- to 11-year-olds to authorities around the world in the coming weeks,” Ozlem Tureci, the co-founder of BioNTech and its chief medical officer, told German news outlet Der Spiegel.

Scientists' egos are key barrier to progress, says Covid vaccine pioneer - Scientists would make swifter progress in solving the world’s problems if they learned to put their egos aside and collaborate better, according to the leading researcher behind the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine. Prof Katalin Karikó, the senior vice-president for RNA protein replacement therapies at BioNTech in Germany, endured decades of scepticism over her work and was demoted and finally kicked out of her lab while developing the technology that made the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines possible.

Lockdown Exit
How Outrage Over Vaccine Mandates Became a Mainstream G.O.P. Stance
Resistance to vaccine mandates, once a fringe position, has entered the Republican mainstream. But the governors fighting President Biden’s Covid-19 vaccine requirements impose mandates of their own.
Spread of 'Delta' COVID-19 knocks wind out of UK economy in July
Britain's economy unexpectedly slowed to a crawl in July as the Delta variant of COVID-19 spread rapidly after lockdown restrictions were eased and as many workers stayed at home self-isolating as the virus spread
Biden’s Covid-19 Vaccine Push Aligns Him With a Fed-Up, Vaccinated Majority
After President Biden resisted comprehensive vaccine mandates for months, his forceful steps on Thursday to pressure the 80 million unvaccinated Americans to get their shots put him squarely on the side of what had been a fairly quiet but increasingly frustrated majority: vaccinated Americans who see the unvaccinated as selfishly endangering others and holding the country back.
Denmark lifts all Covid restrictions as vaccinations top 80%
Denmark’s high vaccination rate has enabled it to become one of the first EU countries to lift all domestic restrictions, after 548 days with curbs in place to limit the spread of Covid-19. The return to normality has been gradual, but as of Friday, the digital pass – a proof of having been vaccinated – is no longer required when entering nightclubs, making it the last virus safeguard to fall. More than 80% of people above the age of 12 in the Scandinavian country have had the two shots, leading the Danish government to declare as of midnight it no longer considers Covid-19 a “socially critical” disease.
Poor countries say lack of vaccines may exclude them from climate talks
The world's poorest countries asked for more help on Friday to meet vaccination and quarantine requirements and costs to ensure they can take part in next month's global climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland. The talks aim to spur bigger commitments to start reducing manmade greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and keep the rise in the global average temperature since pre-industrial times to well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), to stave off the worst effects of climate change.
No proof of vaccines or tests required to enter Dubai Expo
The Dubai World Expo, which is expected to attract 25 million visitors over the course of six months, won’t require visitors to present coronavirus vaccination certificates or COVID-19 tests, a spokesperson tells Bloomberg News.
Denmark becomes only European country with no COVID curbs
Denmark has become the only European country with no coronavirus-related restrictions in place, as vaccine rates have reached more than 70 percent of the population. The return to normality has been gradual, but as of Friday, the digital pass – proof of having been vaccinated – is no longer required when entering nightclubs, making it the last COVID-19 safeguard to fall.
Covid-19: Pupils will not have to 'routinely self-isolate'
Pupils in the same class as a positive Covid case "will not routinely be asked to isolate and book a test", ministers have said. Health Minister Robin Swann and Education Minister Michelle McIlveen said the Public Health Agency (PHA) would take a "more targeted approach" to contract tracing.
Covid-19: Rules ease on dining, dancing and live shows in NI
Covid-19 rules for hospitality businesses in Northern Ireland have been eased, with table service restrictions now removed. The measure took effect from 17:00 BST on Friday. Customers can now queue for service in bars and pubs for the first time since pandemic measures were introduced. It is one in a series of relaxations to Covid-19 rules in Northern Ireland taking effect after agreement by Stormont ministers this week.
Officials: Health care rationing could spread across Idaho
Amid the Idaho coronavirus surge that prompted officials to authorize hospitals to ration health care, Army soldiers sent to one hospital have traded their fatigues for personal protective equipment to help treat a flood of infected patients.
Vietnam to reopen resort island to foreign tourists to boost economy
Vietnam plans to reopen the beach-fringed island of Phu Quoc to foreign tourists from next month, authorities said, as the country looks at ways to revive an economy suffering from extended lockdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic. The island, 10 km (6 miles) off the coast of Cambodia, is expected to open for a trial period of six months, the government said in a statement issued late on Thursday
Australia's Queensland state warns of possible COVID-19 lockdown
Australia's third most populous state said on Saturday it may order a snap lockdown after a cluster of COVID-19 cases, as the country posted a record one-day rise in daily infections. Queensland state, home to more than 5 million people, said it had detected five new infections in the past 24 hours after a family tested positive. The next few days would be critical to see if a lockdown was warranted, authorities said.
Cricket: England-India 5th test cancelled after COVID outbreak
The fifth and final cricket test of the series was cancelled just hours before play was due to start, following a coronavirus outbreak in Indian camp.
Biden Is Right: Vaccine Refusal ‘Has Cost All of Us’
As Americans contemplate the prospect of a second winter trapped in the grip of Covid-19, remember that it didn’t need to be this way. Vaccines were developed in record time, and have proved to be both incredibly safe and stunningly effective. Nearly two-thirds of eligible Americans have accepted these facts and done their part by getting fully vaccinated.
Exit Strategies
Surging Covid-19 Cases Hammer Asian Factories
Factory activity faltered across Asia in August, with a resurgence in Covid-19 infections adding to global supply-chain disruptions and confirming fears of a slowdown in the region’s economic recovery. Gauges of manufacturing activity plummeted across major Asian economies, in large part because virus lockdowns, port congestion and higher input costs hampered production. There were also signs that global demand for some Asian goods has been leveling off, as consumers rein in spending in the West.
Why Federal Research Bolsters the Case for Coronavirus Vaccine Mandates
Scientists believe the administration’s new measures may tamp down the pandemic, although the effects will not immediately be obvious.
3M, Qiagen to comply with Biden's COVID-19 vaccination, test mandate
3M Co, the biggest U.S. producer of N95 masks, and German genetic testing specialist Qiagen said separately on Friday that they will comply with the Biden administration's new COVID-19 vaccination and testing mandate for workplaces. "We strongly support all initiatives aiming to increase vaccination rates especially at the workplace," Qiagen told Reuters in an email.
Calls to step up COVID-19 vaccinations, tests in New South Wales prisons
A human rights lawyer is calling for the New South Wales government to step up measures to vaccinate prisoners. George Newhouse from the National Justice Project said the government needed to increase its vaccinations or release some inmates. He said of the 13,000 prisoners in NSW, only 21 percent were double vaccinated. Thirty-point-five per cent of patients in a state-run correctional centre were fully vaccinated, according to a spokesperson for the Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network, which deals with the health of NSW prisoners.
Germany recommends COVID-19 vaccinations for pregnant women
Germany's vaccine oversight body on Friday recommended that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should be vaccinated against COVID-19 with an mRNA-based shot. The Permanent Vaccination Commission (STIKO) advises that women should receive two shots from the second trimester of pregnancy, according to guidance posted on the website of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases.
Not getting vaccinated against Covid-19 is like driving while intoxicated, one health expert says
As the US averages more than 1,000 Covid-19 deaths daily, not getting vaccinated is akin to driving while intoxicated, one health expert said Friday. "We need to start talking about the choice to remain unvaccinated as the choice to go out and drive intoxicated," CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. Wen's remarks come after the Biden administration announced Thursday a Covid-19 vaccine mandate plan that directs the US Labor Department to require all businesses with 100 employees or more to ensure their workers are either vaccinated or tested once a week.
Vaccine mandate spawns new fear: finding and keeping workers
The new federal vaccine requirement announced by President Joe Biden has created another worry for large businesses: With help wanted signs up almost everywhere, some could lose valuable employees or won’t be able to find new ones. Biden announced sweeping new orders Thursday that will require employers with more than 100 workers to mandate vaccinations against COVID-19 or offer weekly testing. The new rules could affect as many as 100 million Americans, although it’s not clear how many of those people are currently unvaccinated.
Biden's vaccine rules to set off barrage of legal challenges
President Joe Biden’s sweeping new vaccine requirements have Republican governors threatening lawsuits. His unapologetic response: “Have at it.” The administration is gearing up for another major clash between federal and state rule. But while many details about the rules remain unknown, Biden appears to be on firm legal ground to issue the directive in the name of protecting employee safety, according to several experts interviewed by The Associated Press.
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.
Unions split on vaccine mandates, complicating Biden push
The National Nurses Union applauded President Joe Biden’s proposal to require that companies with more than 100 employees vaccinate their work force. The American Federation of Teachers once said vaccine mandates weren’t necessary, but now embraces them. In Oregon, police and firefighter unions are suing to block a mask mandate for state workers. The labor movement is torn over vaccine requirements — much like the country as a whole — wanting to both support its political ally in Biden and protect its members against infection but also not wanting to trample their workers’ rights.
Amid talk of boosters, global vaccine disparity gets sharper
Several hundred people line up every morning, starting before dawn, on a grassy area outside Nairobi’s largest hospital hoping to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Sometimes the line moves smoothly, while on other days, the staff tells them there’s nothing available, and they should come back tomorrow. Halfway around the world, at a church in Atlanta, two workers with plenty of vaccine doses waited hours Wednesday for anyone to show up, whiling away the time by listening to music from a laptop. Over a six-hour period, only one person came through the door.
With Biden Vaccine Plan, Politics Is Fully in Charge
Lumping 75 million unvaccinated Americans into one category is wedge partisanship, not science.
Virus claims Black morticians, leaving holes in communities
When the last mourners departed and funeral director Shawn Troy was left among the headstones, he wept alone. For five decades, the closing words at countless funerals in this town of 4,400 had been delivered by his father, William Penn Troy Sr. Now the elder Troy was gone, one of many Black morticians claimed by a pandemic that has taken an outsized toll on African Americans, after months of burying its victims. And as Shawn Troy stepped forward to speak in place of a man well known beyond his trade -- for his work in county politics and advocacy of its Black citizens -- the emptiness felt overwhelming. Not just his family, but his community, had lost an anchor.
Partisan Exits
Opinion | Biden's Vaccine Mandate, Enforced By OSHA, is a Big Mistake
There’s one person that President Biden desperately needs to consult about his new federal vaccine mandate: President-elect Biden. In December 2020, as the prospect of imminent mass vaccination against Covid-19 was finally becoming a reality, Mr. Biden leveled with the American people: He said he would not force anyone to get the jab. “No, I don’t think it should be mandatory,” he told reporters. “I wouldn’t demand it be mandatory.” Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, recently reiterated Mr. Biden’s position. “That’s not the role of the federal government,” she declared on July 23, referring to the idea of a government mandate. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the same thing a week later: “There will be no nationwide mandate.”
COVID-19: Anti-vaccine posters found with razor blades attached to cut people who take them down, union says
Transport for London (TFL) workers have been warned about taking down unofficial COVID posters, after a union confirmed anti-vax signs have been found with razor blades attached to the back of them. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said the posters had been put up on rail and tube stations in London. The union has called for action to be taken against those responsible for the posters, which bear the message "Masks Don't Work" and have a razor blade attached on the rear - potentially injuring anyone who tries to take it down.
Protesters form human chain against COVID-19 vaccines on Westminster Bridge, London
The footage, which was filmed today (September 11), shows protesters forming a human chain on Westminster Bridge, London. Demonstrators hold yellow banners reading messages against COVID-19 vaccines,
White House says Biden, Xi discussed origins of COVID probe
U.S. President Joe Biden discussed the investigation into the origins of COVID-19 during a call on Thursday with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, according to the White House. "They did discuss a range of trans-national issues including COVID-19, and understanding its origins is of course a primary concern for this administration," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Friday. "Yes, it was a topic raised, but I'm not going to go into further detail."
'Loved ones died confused and alone' - calls for urgent public inquiry into pandemic handling in Wales
Our loved ones are being let down, families across Wales say, as a campaign has been launched for an inquiry into the Covid-19 handling. A UK-wide campaign has been launched as 'families deserve answers' following hundreds of thousands of Coovid-related deaths across the country. As a result, a Wales-specific group was launched - Covid-19 Bereaved Families Cymru group to provide support for Welsh families and not to be a 'footnote' in UK findings. The groups is calling for an independent public inquiry which will 'not save lives' but lessons can be learnt.
Refugees fear COVID risk in Australian immigration detention
Campaigners in Australia are urging the government to release asylum seekers held in immigration detention after at least one COVID-19 case was officially confirmed at a facility in Melbourne. Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, is currently in its sixth lockdown amid a coronavirus outbreak driven by the highly infectious Delta variant.
Biden’s Vaccine Mandate Is a Big Mistake
There’s one person that President Biden desperately needs to consult about his new federal vaccine mandate: President-elect Biden. In December 2020, as the prospect of imminent mass vaccination against Covid-19 was finally becoming a reality, Mr. Biden leveled with the American people: He said he would not force anyone to get the jab. “No, I don’t think it should be mandatory,” he told reporters. “I wouldn’t demand it be mandatory.”
Ex-French health minister charged over COVID handling
France’s former health minister Agnes Buzyn has been charged over her handling of the COVID-19 crisis after investigators at a special court in Paris concluded there were grounds to prosecute her. Buzyn has been charged with “endangering the lives of others”, the prosecutor of the Republic’s Court of Justice said on Friday, but not for a second possible offence of “failure to stop a disaster”.
Italian police warn of armed attacks by anti-vaxxers
Italian police warned on Thursday that anti-vaccine campaigners had called for armed attacks during planned anti-government protests this weekend, and that eight people were being investigated for incitement to crime. A police statement said searches had been conducted in six Italian provinces, including Milan, Rome and Venice, and that the eight placed under investigation were part of a group calling itself "the warriors" on the Telegram messaging app.
Continued Lockdown
Auckland COVID cases drop again as New Zealand presses on with Delta curbs
New Zealand reported 11 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, all in locked down Auckland, its biggest city, as the country looks to limit the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus.
Scientific Viewpoint
Israel Is Preparing for Possible Fourth Covid Vaccine Dose
Israel is making preparations to ensure it has sufficient vaccine supply in case a fourth round of Covid-19 shots is needed, the country’s top health official said on Sunday. “We don’t know when it will happen; I hope very much that it won’t be within six months, like this time, and that the third dose will last for longer,” Health Ministry Director General Nachman Ash said in an interview with Radio 103FM. Israel, which has mainly used the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE vaccine, has so far inoculated about 2.8 million people with a third dose after beginning a drive to administer booster shots in August. Health officials have said the effects of the initial Covid-19 shots weaken five months after inoculation, making boosters necessary.
Oxford Covid jab faces effectively being withdrawn from Britain's vaccine rollout
Research suggests combining two different vaccines provides better protection Medical regulator ruled AstraZeneca cannot be used for third doses in this way Majority of third doses given out this autumn and winter are likely to be Pfizer
Unvaccinated People 11 Times as Likely to Die From Covid-19
As the Delta variant became dominant in the U.S. this summer, data showed that unvaccinated Americans were 4.6 times as likely to be infected, 10 times as likely to be hospitalized and 11 times as likely to die from Covid-19 than vaccinated people. In a trio of studies released Friday underscoring the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines even against the highly contagious Delta variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examined Covid-19 outcomes among patients who visited emergency departments, urgent care centers and veterans’ hospitals. One study that tracked patients at five Veterans Affairs Medical Centers across the country between Feb. 1 and Aug. 6 found that mRNA vaccines were 87% effective at preventing Covid-19 associated hospitalization, including during the Delta surge. The study found that effectiveness dropped to 80% for patients over the age of 65, while for younger patients, the vaccines were 95% effective.
CDC study: Unvaccinated 11 times more likely to die from Covid-19
People who are not vaccinated against Covid-19 were 11 times more likely to die of the disease and 10 times more likely to be hospitalized with the disease, a study published on Friday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. The study looked at 600,000 Covid-19 cases in 13 states from April through mid-July. "The bottom line is this: We have the scientific tools we need to turn the corner on this pandemic. Vaccination works and will protect us from the severe complications of Covid-19," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Friday.
Brazil Moves Away from Chinese Covid-19 Vaccine
Brazil, a major buyer of China’s CoronaVac shot and a poster child for Beijing’s efforts at vaccine diplomacy, is making a speedy retreat from the Covid-19 vaccine as concerns grow over its efficacy against the Delta variant and other vaccines become more readily available. Brazil’s federal government has halted negotiations over additional doses of Sinovac’s vaccine, CoronaVac, spokespeople for the government and its local producer, the Butantan Institute, told The Wall Street Journal. The government has also said it won’t recommend use of CoronaVac for a third booster shot.
FDA Again Warns Parents Not to Get Children Under 12 Vaccinated Yet
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is “working around the clock” to make Covid vaccines available to young children, it said in a statement on Friday. In the meantime, however, the agency urged parents not to seek out the shots for children who are under 12, and therefore not yet eligible for vaccination. The agency said that it hoped vaccines would be available for young children “in the coming months,” but that it could not offer a more specific timeline. However, once it has applications from the vaccine manufacturers in hand, it will “be prepared to complete its review as quickly as possible, likely in a matter of weeks rather than months,” Dr. Janet Woodcock, the acting F.D.A. commissioner, and Dr. Peter Marks, of the agency’s Center for Biologics Research and Evaluation, said in the statement.
Vietnam approves Hayat-Vax coronavirus vaccine for emergency use
Vietnam has approved the Hayat-Vax coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, the seventh to be endorsed in the country.
S.Africa's regulator approves Pfizer COVID-19 shot for children 12 and up
South Africa's health regulator has approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for use by children aged 12 and older, paving the way for the government to offer vaccinations to teenagers. The South African Health Products Authority (SAPHRA) said the decision came after a review of updated safety and efficacy information submitted in March this year. After a bumpy start, South Africa's vaccination campaign has ramped up in recent months with a solid supply of shots secured and just over 12% of its more than 60 million people vaccinated. That puts the country well ahead of others on the continent.
South Africa vaccinates children in test of China’s Sinovac jab
The global study is to enroll 2,000 participants in South Africa while 12,000 others will be taking part in Kenya, the Philippines, Chile and Malaysia.
Some Vaccines Last a Lifetime. Here’s Why Covid-19 Shots Don’t.
Why don’t Covid-19 vaccinations last longer? Measles shots are good for life, chickenpox immunizations protect for 10 to 20 years, and tetanus jabs last a decade or more. But U.S. officials are weighing whether to authorize Covid-19 boosters for vaccinated adults as soon as six months after the initial inoculation. The goal of a vaccine is to provide the protection afforded by natural infection, but without the risk of serious illness or death. “A really good vaccine makes it so someone does not get infected even if they are exposed to the virus,” said Rustom Antia, a biology professor at Emory University who studies immune responses. “But not all vaccines are ideal.”
Covid-19: Hospital may cease giving patient ivermectin, US court rules, as prescriptions soar
An Ohio judge has overturned an earlier court order that forced a hospital to treat a covid-19 patient with the antiparasitic drug ivermectin, popularised by US conservative media. West Chester Hospital was ordered to administer the unproved drug by a county judge on 23 August, after Julie Smith sued on behalf of her husband, Jeffrey Smith, who has been in intensive care since 15 July and on a ventilator since 1 August. Julie Smith launched her lawsuit after the hospital declined to fill a prescription she had obtained from Fred Wagshul, one of three doctors who last year founded the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCCA), a group that has spread claims of ivermectin’s efficacy against the coronavirus.
More US studies show COVID vaccines protect from serious illness
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has presented data showing unvaccinated people are four-and-a-half times more likely to contract COVID-19 and 11 times more likely to die from it than those fully vaccinated. In a White House COVID-19 briefing on Friday, CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky said the data shows “vaccination works and will protect us from the severe complications of COVID-19”.
Pfizer to seek approval for vaccine in children 5 and over
Pfizer and BioNTech announced this week that it will soon seek approval from global regulators for use of its coronavirus vaccine in children ages 5 and over. The vaccine makers said in an interview published on Friday that they are looking to produce smaller doses of the vaccine for younger children. “We will be presenting the results from our study on five- to 11-year-olds to authorities around the world in the coming weeks,” Ozlem Tureci, the co-founder of BioNTech and its chief medical officer, told German news outlet Der Spiegel.
Unvaccinated Americans Are 11 Times More Likely to Die of Covid, C.D.C. Reports
Three studies that drew data from different U.S. regions evaluated the protective power of the vaccines. One looked at more than 600,000 virus cases in 13 states, representing about one quarter of the U.S. population, between April and July, and concluded that individuals who were not fully vaccinated were far more susceptible to infection and death from the virus. They were 4.5 times more likely than vaccinated individuals to become infected, 10 times more likely to be hospitalized, and 11 times more likely to die from the coronavirus, the study found.
Scientists' egos are key barrier to progress, says Covid vaccine pioneer
Scientists would make swifter progress in solving the world’s problems if they learned to put their egos aside and collaborate better, according to the leading researcher behind the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine. Prof Katalin Karikó, the senior vice-president for RNA protein replacement therapies at BioNTech in Germany, endured decades of scepticism over her work and was demoted and finally kicked out of her lab while developing the technology that made the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines possible.
Coronavirus Resurgence
The ACT has recorded 15 new cases of COVID-19, with six infectious in the community
Six of today's cases were infectious in the community. 19,500 first-dose Pfizer appointments have been brought forward in the ACT. Police will enforce compliance with health orders during today's warmer weather
Mine 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".
China reports 25 new COVID-19 cases, up from 17 a day earlier
China reported 25 new COVID-19 cases on the mainland for Sept. 10, up from 17 a day earlier, the national health authority said on Saturday. One of the new infections was locally transmitted while the rest were imported, the National Health Commission said. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, was 21, the same as the day before. Of the new cases, five were local.
Covid-19 Australia: New South Wales recorded 1,599 cases as state passes 8 million jabs
Thousands of regional NSW residents awoke to first day of freedom on Saturday Stay-at-home orders were lifted in Coffs Harbour, Wagga Wagga and Albury Masks will still be mandatory in indoor venues and capacities enforced at events
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
Australia's daily COVID-19 cases near 2000 as Delta gains ground
Australia's COVID-19 daily cases topped 1,900 for the first time in the pandemic on Friday as an outbreak fuelled by the highly infectious Delta variant continued to gain ground in locked-down Sydney and Melbourne, its largest cities. Australia is in the grip of a third wave of infections with the Delta outbreak forcing officials to ditch their COVID-zero strategy in favour of suppressing the virus.
New Lockdown
Australia's Queensland state warns of possible COVID-19 lockdown
Australia's third most populous state said on Saturday it may order a snap lockdown after a cluster of COVID-19 cases, as the country posted a record one-day rise in daily infections. Queensland state, home to more than 5 million people, said it had detected five new infections in the past 24 hours after a family tested positive. The next few days would be critical to see if a lockdown was warranted, authorities said.