"COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis" 2nd Jun 2021
Overnight NewsRoundUp
Mass vaccination creates healthy oasis in Brazilian city
- Serrana, a city in the southeastern Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, has seen a 95% drop in COVID-19 deaths after it concluded vaccination of almost all adults, TV Globo reported on Sunday.
- With 45,000 inhabitants Serrana is a healthy oasis in Brazil, which has the world's second deadliest outbreak with more than 461,000 deaths so far and a very slow immunization pace due to the lack of vaccines.
- Serrana was the subject of a study by the Instituto Butantan, which produces the Coronavac vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech in Brazil.
- When vaccination was starting, the city had an increase in COVID cases, but the spread of the virus was contained once 75% of the population was immunized, scientists found.
- Scientists divided the city into four areas to try to understand which was the threshold to contain the spread of the virus and found that it was controlled after three areas received the second dose.
- The number of symptomatic cases fell 80%, and hospitalizations 86%. COVID deaths fell 95%, according to data given by Butantan to TV Globo.
- Serrana is surrounded by cities that are still dealing with a spike in COVID cases. Ribeirao Preto, 15 miles away from Serrana, is going through a lockdown to try to contain the spread of COVID-19.
- A similar experiment is underway in another city in Sao Paulo, Brazil's richest state. The city of Botucatu expect to immunize most of its 148,000 inhabitants with the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Mass vaccination creates healthy oasis in Brazilian city
Mass vaccination creates healthy oasis in Brazilian city
Serrana, a city in southeastern Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, has seen a 95% drop in COVID-19 deaths after it concluded vaccination of almost all adults, TV Globo reported on Sunday. With 45,000 inhabitants Serrana is a healthy oasis in Brazil, which has the world's second deadliest outbreak with more than 461,000 deaths so far and a very slow immunization pace due to the lack of vaccines. Serrana was the subject of a study by Instituto Butantan, which produces the Coronavac vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech (SVA.O) in Brazil.
Sinovac Biotech vaccine effective in controlling Covid-19, new study shows
The vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech was effective in controlling Covid-19 in a mass-inoculation study in a small Brazilian town after 75 per cent of adults were covered with a second shot, preliminary numbers show. The study carried out by the Sao Paulo state government in the small town of Serrana - population 45,000 - may offer clues for other developing nations on how much of the public needs to be vaccinated in order to begin moving past the pandemic that continues to wreak havoc in Latin America and beyond. While infection rates improved after first doses were administered, Covid-19 wasn’t properly controlled in the town until after a second shot was given. A complete study will be published soon.
Sinovac vaccine restores a Brazilian city to near normal
Just one COVID-19 patient is in critical condition at the Dr. Geraldo Cesar Reis clinic in Serrana, a city of almost 46,000 in Sao Paulo state’s countryside. The 63-year-old woman rejected the vaccine that was offered to every adult resident of Serrana as part of a trial. Doctors say the woman was awaiting one of Pfizer’s shots, which remain scarce in Brazil. But she is an outlier here. Most adults rolled up their sleeves when offered the vaccine made by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac, and the experiment has transformed the community into an oasis of near normalcy in a country where many communities continue to suffer.
Doctors who treated COVID-19 in Serrana have seen their patient loads evaporate. They now help colleagues with other diseases and recently started eating lunch at home. Life has returned to the streets: Neighbors chat and families have weekend barbecues. Outsiders who previously had no reason to set foot in Serrana are arriving for haircuts and restaurant outings.
Peru doubles its official COVID-19 death count; now worst in world
Peru doubles its official COVID-19 death count; now worst in world
Peru has more than doubled its official death toll from the Covid-19 pandemic following a government review of the figures, leaving the country with the highest coronavirus-related death rate per capita in the world.
Brazilian court demands Bolsonaro provide info on Copa America
Brazilian court demands Bolsonaro provide info on Copa America
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has given President Jair Bolsonaro five days to submit information regarding the government’s last-minute decision to host the Copa America football tournament despite the nation’s ongoing struggles with COVID-19. The demand by Ricardo Lewandowski came in response to a suit filed by the opposition Workers’ Party, which objected to hosting the tournament given the current public health situation in Brazil and plunged the fate of Latin America’s biggest sporting event into uncertainty once more.
Covid-19 Australia: Qantas offers unlimited travel as incentive to get coronavirus vaccine
Covid-19 Australia: Qantas offers unlimited travel as incentive to get coronavirus vaccine
Qantas offering added incentive for Australians to roll up sleeves for Covid jab
10 lucky families will win unlimited travel for year, plus free accommodation
Called on other companies to follow airline's lead to bolster vaccination efforts
Moderna partners with Thermo Fisher to scale up COVID-19 vaccine production
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.
Ecuador launches 100-day vaccine plan, president recognizes challenges
Ecuador launches 100-day vaccine plan, president recognizes challenges
Ecuador this week launched a plan to vaccinate 9 million people against the novel coronavirus in 100 days, part of recently installed President Guillermo Lasso's plan to revive the economy by battling the pandemic. Lasso recognized that the country needed to acquire further doses from overseas in order to reach that goal, and said the government was in talks with Russia over the purchase of some 18 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine. "All of our logistical effort will be successful once we have vaccines," Lasso said while presenting the plan. "It is urgent, and we depend on the provision of vaccines from abroad."
Consider global shortages before giving COVID-19 shots to teens, EU body says
Consider global shortages before giving COVID-19 shots to teens, EU body says
European Union countries should take account of global shortages of COVID-19 vaccines before rolling out shots for adolescents, the European Centre for Disease prevention and Control (ECDC) said on Tuesday. Last week, the EU drugs regulator authorised Pfizer and partner BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as 12. Its previous guidance was for adults aged 16 and above. The ECDC - echoing World Health Organization (WHO) calls to delay inoculations of young adults in rich nations - said in a report that vaccinating adolescents should be a priority only when they are at high risk of developing serious coronavirus symptoms
Alaska offers vaccinations for airport arrivals
Alaska offers vaccinations for airport arrivals
Alaska has begun offering coronavirus vaccinations at airports in a move that had been expected for the start of the summer travel season. The state health department said that as of Tuesday, vaccine eligibility has been expanded to include anyone in Alaska who is at least 12 years old, including visitors from other states or countries. Prior eligibility was for those who live or work in Alaska. Vaccines will be offered outside the areas secured by the federal Transportation Security Administration at airports in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau. The health department says plans call for the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to have available all three vaccines authorized for emergency use in the U.S., including the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Long lines and confusion as Venezuela begins COVID-19 vaccination
Long lines and confusion as Venezuela begins COVID-19 vaccination
Hundreds of senior citizens and health workers stood in long lines on Monday to get vaccinated against the coronavirus as part of Venezuela's inoculation campaign, which has been held up by payment problems and political disputes. The government of President Nicolas Maduro for months said it was unable to pay for vaccines due to U.S. sanctions, but last month announced it had come up with the funds to enter the global COVAX program. The campaign that officially began over the weekend is using vaccines provided by Russia and China. Reuters data shows that only 1.1% of the population has received at least one vaccine shot so far.
UK must vaccinate the world to save lives at home - MPs
UK must vaccinate the world to save lives at home - MPs
Boris Johnson has a "moral duty" to share some of the UK's coronavirus vaccines with developing nations to prevent a "humanitarian disaster" say MPs and peers. In a letter, they urge the PM to show "global leadership" ahead of the G7 summit by pledging to donate one dose abroad for each one given in the UK. There is concern new variants could prolong the UK's lockdown restrictions. Ministers say the UK was one of the earliest vaccination donors. Vaccines are being administered across the world under an international scheme known as Covax, to try and stop the coronavirus pandemic, but the global situation remains vastly uneven.
Japan’s vaccine push ahead of Olympics looks to be too late
Japan’s vaccine push ahead of Olympics looks to be too late
It may be too little, too late. That’s the realization sinking in as Japan scrambles to catch up on a frustratingly slow vaccination drive less than two months before the Summer Olympics, delayed by a year because of the coronavirus pandemic, are scheduled to start. The Olympics risk becoming an incubator for “a Tokyo variant,” as 15,000 foreign athletes and tens of thousands officials, sponsors and journalists from about 200 countries descend on — and potentially mix with — a largely unvaccinated Japanese population, said Dr. Naoto Ueyama, a physician, head of the Japan Doctors Union. With infections in Tokyo and other heavily populated areas currently at high levels and hospitals already under strain treating serious cases despite a state of emergency, experts have warned there is little slack in the system.
Scientists call on UK to speed up second Covid jabs as India variant spreads
Scientists call on UK to speed up second Covid jabs as India variant spreads
Scientists are urging the government to speed up second doses of Covid vaccines and delay a decision on easing lockdown restrictions in England on 21 June in an effort to tackle the creeping spread of new cases. Data has shown the coronavirus variant first detected in India, known as B.1.617.2, is continuing to spread across England, and is thought to be driving a rise in cases. It is believed to be both more transmissible than the variant first detected in Kent, which previously dominated, and somewhat more resistant to Covid vaccines, particularly after one dose. The situation has led some scientists to warn the country is in the early stages of a third wave of coronavirus which, despite the vaccination programme, modelling suggests could lead to a rise in hospitalisations and deaths, and that full easing of restrictions in England in three weeks’ time should be reconsidered.
Government faces legal challenge over ‘unlawful’ suppression of Covid data in schools
Government faces legal challenge over ‘unlawful’ suppression of Covid data in schools
Public Health England (PHE) has been accused of acting “unlawfully” by withholding data on the spread of the Indian variant in schools. In a pre-action letter sent to the government body, advocacy group the Citizens and AWO, a data rights firm, claim that PHE “surrendered its independent judgement” to Boris Johnson. The allegation comes following reports that PHE had been preparing to publish the data on 13 May, but faced pressure not to from the prime minister’s office.
Roma mistrust in governments is an obstacle to COVID-19 recovery
Roma mistrust in governments is an obstacle to COVID-19 recovery
As countries across Europe race each other to vaccinate their populations against COVID-19 in the hopes of controlling the spread of the deadly virus and restoring some sense of normality, there is a danger that our already vulnerable and marginalised Roma communities will fall through the cracks. There are more than 12 million Roma in Europe, making up the continent’s largest minority. In some European countries, such as Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria, Roma comprise almost 10 percent of the population. Therefore, if Europe is to defeat COVID-19, it is essential for Roma communities to take up the vaccine.
Philippines extends COVID-19 curbs in capital, ban on inbound travel from several countries
Philippines extends COVID-19 curbs in capital, ban on inbound travel from several countries
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday prolonged partial coronavirus curbs in the capital and nearby provinces until mid-June to contain infections that have been decreasing since hitting a peak in April. Religious gathering remain capped at 30% of venue capacity while dining in restaurants can operate at 20% in the capital region, an urban sprawl of 16 cities that is home to at least 13 million people, and nearby provinces. Non-essential travels will remain prohibited.
Canada panel says COVID-19 shots can be mixed, move could hit AstraZeneca
Canada panel says COVID-19 shots can be mixed, move could hit AstraZeneca
An official Canadian panel on Tuesday said people who received a first shot of AstraZeneca PLC's (AZN.L) COVID-19 vaccine can choose to receive a different shot for their second dose, dealing another potential blow to the pharmaceutical giant. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, said one reason for the recommendation by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) was concern about rare and potentially fatal blood clots linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine. "If it weren't for that, then probably one would progress with giving the same (vaccine) as a second dose," she said.
Israel sees probable link between Pfizer vaccine and small number of myocarditis cases
Israel sees probable link between Pfizer vaccine and small number of myocarditis cases
Israel’s Health Ministry said on Tuesday it found the small number of heart inflammation cases observed mainly in young men who received Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in Israel were likely linked to their vaccination. Pfizer has said it has not observed a higher rate of the condition, known as myocarditis, than would normally be expected in the general population. On Tuesday, it did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In Israel, 275 cases of myocarditis were reported between December 2020 and May 2021 among more than 5 million vaccinated people, the ministry said, in disclosing the findings of a study it commissioned to examine the matter
WHO approves Sinovac COVID shot in second Chinese milestone
WHO approves Sinovac COVID shot in second Chinese milestone
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday it has approved a COVID-19 vaccine made by Sinovac Biotech (SVA.O) for emergency use listing, paving the way for a second Chinese shot to be used in poor countries. A WHO emergency listing is a signal to national regulators of a product's safety and efficacy and will allow the Sinovac shot to be included in COVAX, the global programme providing vaccines mainly for poor countries, which faces major supply problems due to curbs on Indian exports. The WHO's independent panel of experts said in a statement it recommended Sinovac's vaccine for adults over 18. There was no upper age limit as data suggested it is likely to have a protective effect in older people.
Covid-19: Job not done despite vaccination success, scientist warns
Covid-19: Job not done despite vaccination success, scientist warns
The success of the UK's vaccination programme does not mean that the battle with Covid is over, a scientist advising the government has said. Prof Adam Finn said the country remained vulnerable as there were still large numbers of unvaccinated people. There have been calls to delay ending Covid restrictions in England on 21 June amid warnings of a third wave. Downing Street reiterated that the PM had seen nothing in the data to suggest the plan would need to be postponed. A No 10 spokesman added: "We will continue to look at the data, we will continue to look at the latest scientific evidence as we move through June." First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced Scotland's next stage of lockdown easing would be paused for much of its central belt, with places including Edinburgh, Dundee and Stirling staying in level two.
Covid-19: 'Very few' Covid hospital patients had two jabs, NHS boss says
Covid-19: 'Very few' Covid hospital patients had two jabs, NHS boss says
The head of NHS Providers has said "very, very few" Covid patients in hospital in England have received two coronavirus jabs - showing the vaccines provide "very high" levels of protection. Chris Hopson said patients now tended to be younger - meaning there was a lower need for critical care. But he said it was "incredibly striking" how busy hospitals were, as they deal with non-Covid backlogs. Trusts were going "full pelt", he said. Meanwhile, Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi has confirmed that the government is considering making coronavirus vaccines compulsory for NHS staff.
Antibody from cold can neutralize COVID-19 and could lead to vaccine against all coronaviruses
A new study compared blood samples collected before the pandemic to those from people infected with COVID-19. Levels of an antibody generated by immune system cells called memory B cells were higher in the samples from the COVID-19 survivors. These antibodies circulate in the bloodstream for years and 'remember' diseases and are called back into action if the threat returns. Researchers say the findings could help scientists develop a vaccine or antibody treatment that protects against all coronaviruses
People in Wales to be offered third Covid 'booster' jab as part of trial
People 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.
Moderna starts application for full U.S. approval of COVID-19 vaccine
Moderna starts application for full U.S. approval of COVID-19 vaccine
Moderna Inc on Tuesday filed for full U.S. approval of its COVID-19 vaccine for adults, the second drugmaker to do so after Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech sought full clearance for their vaccine last month. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's emergency use authorization (EUA) allowed use of the vaccines during the pandemic, based on a minimum number of infections among the trial population and two months of safety data for vaccine recipients. Full approval for the vaccines, based on six months of trial data, could be an important step in allaying vaccine hesitancy in the United States and other nations.
WHO renames COVID-19 variants with Greek letters to avoid stigma
WHO renames COVID-19 variants with Greek letters to avoid stigma
Coronavirus variants are to be known by letters of the Greek alphabet to avoid misreporting and stigmatising nations where they were first detected, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced. The new system applies to variants of concern – the most troubling of which four are in circulation – and the second-level variants of interest being tracked. “While they have their advantages, these scientific names can be difficult to say and recall, and are prone to misreporting,” the WHO said in a statement. “As a result, people often resort to calling variants by the places where they are detected, which is stigmatising and discriminatory.”
Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City to enact social distancing
Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City to enact social distancing
Vietnam's business hub Ho Chi Minh City will begin social distancing measures for 15 days starting from May 31 in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, the government said on Sunday. The city has seen a rise in cases related to a religious mission that has recorded at least 125 positive tests, accounting for most of the city's infections, according to a government statement.
How Covid-19 finally caught up with Taiwan
How Covid-19 finally caught up with Taiwan
Lockdown pets drive the group behind pet insurer Bought By Many to a valuation of more than $2bn. The surge in pet ownership during the pandemic has helped propel the group behind pet insurer Bought By Many to a valuation of more than $2bn, and a director at the company behind the video game Final Fantasy says 5G could disrupt the reign of the console. Plus, the FT’s greater China correspondent, Kathrin Hille, tells us how Taiwan is dealing with the latest wave of Covid-19 and how it’s affecting chipmakers
Vietnam's 'very dangerous' new hybrid variant may be fueling Asia's worst outbreak so far
Vietnam's 'very dangerous' new hybrid variant may be fueling Asia's worst outbreak so far
Vietnam has suspended international flights from today into its capital, Hanoi, and commercial hub, Ho Chi Minh City, as it tries to control a suspected new hybrid coronavirus variant that it fears is fanning the Southeast Asian nation’s worst outbreak of the pandemic. China has also tightened its border security as its neighbour, once considered a pandemic success story, now plans to test all 13 million residents of Ho Chi Minh City and tighten social distancing measures. Vietnam’s plight follows a now familiar pattern of Covid-19 surges across Asia - most alarmingly in countries like Singapore, Laos, Thailand and Taiwan that were praised for beating the virus in 2020, only to be caught out by a global vaccine shortage as new variants ricocheted back from coronavirus hotspots. On Saturday, the Vietnamese authorities revealed they had discovered a “very dangerous” new coronavirus variant that combined mutations first found in India and the UK, and which spreads quickly by air.
COVID-19: France tightens restrictions on foreign travellers due to fears of Indian variant
COVID-19: France tightens restrictions on foreign travellers due to fears of Indian variant
France has tightened restrictions on foreign travellers in an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus variant first identified in India. The new rules come into effect today and include: • Entry to France limited to EU nationals, French residents, and those travelling for essential purposes • Permitted travellers must test negative for COVID-19 before leaving their departure country • They must also isolate for seven days after they arrive in France • They must sign a declaration saying they do not have COVID symptoms and that they are not aware of having been in contact with someone who has the virus in the 14 days before their journey
Tea garden workers in India’s Assam hit by second wave of COVID
Tea garden workers in India’s Assam hit by second wave of COVID
Gautam Sabar had been complaining of fever and headache for a week so on May 15, his son Gaurab Sabar took him to the in-house hospital at the Dimakuchi tea estate in northeast India’s Assam state. There was no doctor to attend to him and the health assistant present at the facility prescribed him some medicine and let him go, Gaurab told Al Jazeera. The next morning, as Gautam’s condition deteriorated, the son rushed him to the health facility again. This time the assistant put him in the tea garden’s ambulance and sent him to a government facility 20 kilometres (12 miles) away where he tested positive for COVID-19. Not equipped to tackle serious cases, the doctors at this facility asked them to take Gautam to the Civil Hospital at Udalguri, the district headquarters. Soon after he arrived at the hospital, Gautam, who had a history of diabetes, died.
Empty streets, shuttered malls as Malaysia begins third nationwide COVID-19 lockdown
Empty streets, shuttered malls as Malaysia begins third nationwide COVID-19 lockdown
Main roads in Malaysia fell silent on Tuesday (Jun 1) as the country began its third nationwide lockdown amid a surging third wave of COVID-19 that has hit record levels in recent weeks. Only essential businesses, such as supermarkets and medical clinics, are allowed to continue with business during the first phase of the lockdown, from Jun 1 to Jun 14. Most schools are closed and shopping malls have also been shuttered. Only two people from each household are allowed to go out to buy essentials or for medical services, with movement limited to a 10km radius. Travel between most parts of the country has been banned for months.
Ecuador launches 100-day vaccine plan, president recognizes challenges
Ecuador launches 100-day vaccine plan, president recognizes challenges
Ecuador this week launched a plan to vaccinate 9 million people against the novel coronavirus in 100 days, part of recently installed President Guillermo Lasso's plan to revive the economy by battling the pandemic. Lasso recognized that the country needed to acquire further doses from overseas in order to reach that goal, and said the government was in talks with Russia over the purchase of some 18 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine. "All of our logistical effort will be successful once we have vaccines," Lasso said while presenting the plan. "It is urgent, and we depend on the provision of vaccines from abroad."