"COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis" 4th Jun 2021
Overnight News RoundUp
Vaccinated or not, California workers may keep masks on
- Major California businesses expressed frustration Thursday with proposed rules by state workplace regulators that would only allow workers to go maskless if everyone in a room is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.
- The workplace rules could remain in place into early next year even though coronavirus cases have fallen dramatically in the state after a severe winter spike as more people get vaccinated.
- That contrasts with the state's plan to fully reopen in less than two weeks and do away with virtually all mask and social distancing requirements for vaccinated people.
- Katie Hansen, senior legislative director for the California Restaurant Association, was part of a long line of critics from various industries that testified at a meeting of the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, or Cal/OSHA, that is considering the plan.
- Hansen said that if the rules are adopted, then after the state reopens 'a fully vaccinated server could work a lunch shift in a restaurant...then go out to dinner with their family or friends at the same restaurant in the evening and not be required to wear a mask, even though they had to wear a mask earlier in the day while at work.'
- 'Cal/OSHA is out of step with the rest of the country,' said Andrew Sommer on behalf of the California Employers COVID-19 Prevention Coalition.
- Gov. Gavin Newsome, who established the state reopening date was June 15, was noncommital about what he would do if the idea was adopted. Newsome has the power to override it with an executive order.
- 'We'll see where they land on the rulemaking before making a determination of next steps,' he said, adding that Cal/OSHA must apply its rules to a wide variety of businesses, including places like meatpacking facilities that were hit especially hard by the virus.
Vaccinated or not, California workers may keep masks on
Vaccinated or not, California workers may keep masks on
Major California businesses expressed frustration Thursday with proposed rules by state workplace regulators that would only allow workers to go maskless if everyone in a room is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. The workplace rules could remain in place into early next year even though coronavirus cases have fallen dramatically in the state after a severe winter spike and as more people get vaccinated. That contrasts with the state’s plan to fully reopen in less than two weeks and do away with virtually all mask and social distancing requirements for vaccinated people.
G7 ministers to discuss COVID vaccines, animal-borne diseases
G7 ministers to discuss COVID vaccines, animal-borne diseases
The United Kingdom is set to host health ministers from the G7 countries for talks focused on improving the early detection of animal-borne diseases and expanding poorer nations’ access to COVID-19 vaccines. The two-day meeting will begin in Oxford on Thursday. In a statement, the British government said ministers from the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States will pledge at the meeting to “combat future health threats by working together to identify early warning signs from animals and the environment”. They will agree on a “new international approach” to prevent diseases spreading, since three-fifths of all infections jump from animals to humans. “Globally we are only as strong as the weakest link in the health security chain. No one is safe until everyone is safe,” said Matt Hancock, the British health and social care secretary on Wednesday.
Biden outlines plan to quickly share 25 mln COVID-19 vaccines with world
Biden outlines plan to quickly share 25 mln COVID-19 vaccines with world
The White House laid out a plan for the United States to share 25 million surplus COVID-19 vaccine doses to the world, with the first shots shipping as soon as Thursday, and said it would ease other countries’ access to U.S.-made supplies for vaccine production. President Joe Biden said the United States would give the vaccines without expectation of political favors in return. The dose shipments are the first of some 80 million COVID-19 vaccines that Biden has pledged to provide internationally this month as concern grows about the huge disparity in vaccination rates between advanced economies and developing countries.
Congo faces third wave of coronavirus, says health minister
Congo faces third wave of coronavirus, says health minister
Democratic Republic of Congo is facing a third wave of coronavirus infections, with its epicentre in the capital, Kinshasa, one of Africa's most-populous cities, Health Minister Jean-Jacques Mbungani said on Thursday. Like many other African countries, Congo has officially reported relatively few cases and deaths, but health authorities are concerned about a recent spike in infections that saw 243 new cases recorded on Wednesday, the highest daily figure since March. "I officially announce the onset of the third wave of the COVID-10 pandemic in our country, with Kinshasa as its epicentre," Mbungani told reporters.
France donates 184000 AstraZeneca doses to Senegal via COVAX
France donates 184000 AstraZeneca doses to Senegal via COVAX
France has donated 184,000 doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to Senegal through the COVAX vaccine-sharing facility, the programme's sponsors said in a statement on Thursday. This is the second batch of COVID-19 vaccines Senegal has received through the global scheme, after an initial 324,000 AstraZeneca doses arrived in March. The arrival of the latest batch is timely. Senegal's supply of vaccines is running low just as thousands of people are due for their second jabs. Most of the country's 16 million citizens have yet to receive a first dose.
Africa faces ‘rising threat’ of a COVID third wave: WHO
Africa faces ‘rising threat’ of a COVID third wave: WHO
Healthcare systems across Africa are “far from ready” to cope with a fresh surge of coronavirus infections, with vaccine deliveries at a near standstill and cases surging in many countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. “Many African hospitals and clinics are still far from ready to cope with a huge rise in critically ill patients,” WHO regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, said on Thursday. “The threat of a third wave in Africa is real and rising,” she added in a virtual briefing. Africa has officially registered more than 4.8 million cases and 130,000 deaths, according to the WHO, representing 2.9 percent of global cases and 3.7 percent of deaths. According to a survey conducted by the WHO in May, the essential health facilities and personnel required to manage critically ill COVID-19 patients are grossly inadequate in many African countries.
Greece rolls out ‘long-awaited’ mass vaccine campaign to refugees
Greece rolls out ‘long-awaited’ mass vaccine campaign to refugees
Greece is launching a mass vaccination campaign for refugees, months after the first shots were rolled out to the wider population in early January. Starting Thursday, vaccinations will be offered to people living in refugee camps on the islands of Lesbos, Chios and Samos. Those on the remaining island camps and the mainland will be offered the shots next week. Athens plans to inoculate more than 11,000 people living in refugee camps on the Greek islands against the coronavirus. According to the UNHCR, there are 91,945 recognised refugees in the country. More than five million first shots have been administered across Greece, which has a population of approximately 10.7 million people.
India Covid variant spreading in England’s schools, data shows
India Covid variant spreading in England’s schools, data shows
The Delta Covid-19 variant has begun spreading in schools and colleges throughout England, it has been revealed, after Public Health England published new data, demanded by teachers and staff unions, on outbreaks of the variant.
The new data, covering 26 April to 30 May, showed the number of Delta variant infections in schools or other educational settings rising rapidly throughout the period, with a total of 140 incidents. Prof Christina Pagel, director of University College London’s clinical operational research unit, said the figures were evidence that schools were now “a major source” of transmission, after the government last month dropped its requirement for secondary school pupils to wear masks in classrooms.
India’s child victims of COVID-19
India’s child victims of COVID-19
India has the largest railway network in Asia. A 2009 study conducted by Railway Children India (RCI), a child rights organisation that helps at-risk youngsters at railway stations, street children and slum dwellers, found that 121,860 children were then at risk at 32 railway platforms across all 16 railway zones (there are 17 zones now). This equals a child arriving alone at a big city railway station and being at risk every five minutes in India. “These children have run away or have been abandoned and are instantly faced with the prospect of violence, exploitation, trafficking and abuse,” says Navin Sellaraju, CEO of RCI.
COVID-19: Vietnamese government sends mass texts to citizens asking for cash to fund vaccine programme
COVID-19: Vietnamese government sends mass texts to citizens asking for cash to fund vaccine programme
Vietnam is asking members of the public to donate money that can be used to buy, import, research and produce COVID-19 vaccines. The country is currently being hit by its biggest coronavirus outbreak so far, with nearly 60% of its infections recorded in the past month. And the government has now sent mass text messages to citizens requesting financial contributions to a £777m special fund for the COVID vaccination programme. It comes as the country announced Russia had agreed to provide it with 20 million doses of its Sputnik V vaccine this year.
Greece to offer COVID-19 vaccines to neighbouring countries - spokeswoman
Greece to offer COVID-19 vaccines to neighbouring countries - spokeswoman
Greece will supply its northern neighbours Albania and North Macedonia with 40,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, the country's spokeswoman said on Thursday. "Greece, in coordination with the European Commission, as most European countries do for their neighbours, will offer vaccines...20,000 doses to North Macedonia and 20,000 to Albania," Aristotelia Peloni told a news conference.
COVID-19: Testing system could be 'overwhelmed' if more countries are added to the green travel list
COVID-19: Testing system could be 'overwhelmed' if more countries are added to the green travel list
The UK's testing system could be overwhelmed if holiday hotspots are added to the green travel list, according to an industry expert. Rory Boland, travel editor of Which?, has told Sky News "too many people are not getting their test back on time". The warning comes ahead of an expected review of the government's travel traffic light system later today. Holidaymakers returning to the UK from green locations are not required to self-isolate but they must take one post-arrival coronavirus test. Mr Boland said the testing system is struggling to meet demand as it is.
Cautious China Keeps Borders Shut Despite Mass Vaccination Drive
Cautious China Keeps Borders Shut Despite Mass Vaccination Drive
China is rolling out a world-leading 20 million Covid-19 vaccine doses a day, and more than 40% of the nation’s vast population has had at least one, homegrown shot. But as other countries move to reopen to the world, it seems to be in no hurry to turn the page on the pandemic. After a lackluster start dogged by hesitancy and some supply shortages, China has now administered more than 660 million vaccine doses, putting the country’s 1.4 billion people on track for herd immunity territory in just a few months. In its capital Beijing, more than 80% of people have had at least one dose, according to data from the municipal health authority reported by local media. Yet China -- which has both eliminated transmission of the virus locally and achieved a substantial level of vaccination -- is yet to signal any intention of shifting away from its Covid playbook of closed borders, strict quarantine for foreign arrivals, and aggressive lockdowns when flareups return.
India orders 300m COVID shots as court demands vaccine ‘roadmap’
India orders 300m COVID shots as court demands vaccine ‘roadmap’
India’s government has signed its first purchase order for unapproved COVID-19 vaccines, a day after it faced criticism from the top court about an “arbitrary and irrational” vaccine rollout that has left millions of people vulnerable. After a devastating second wave of infections that killed tens of thousands in April and May, the focus has shifted to urgently inoculating India’s vast adult population to curb infections later this year. The government will buy 300 million doses from local firm Biological-E and has put down an advance of $205.6m, the health ministry said, even though the vaccine is still undergoing phase-3 clinical trials before approvals can be given. “The arrangement with M/s Biological-E is part of the wider endeavour of Government of India to encourage indigenous vaccine manufacturers by providing them support in Research & Development (R&D) and also financial support,” the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
UK to remove Portugal from safe travel list in blow for airlines - BBC
UK to remove Portugal from safe travel list in blow for airlines - BBC
Britain removed Portugal from its quarantine-free travel list on Thursday, essentially shutting down the UK's international leisure market just weeks after it reopened and sparking outrage from embattled airlines. The industry questioned why British people could not travel when the country had some of the highest vaccine rates in the world. Portugal said the decision lacked logic. Airports demanded a cash lifeline. Transport minister Grant Shapps said however that coronavirus variants had been detected in Portugal, forcing the UK to shut off the one big European holiday destination it had sanctioned and prioritise its national reopening instead.
Covid-19: Could a third wave change 21 June plans in England?
Covid-19: Could a third wave change 21 June plans in England?
Coronavirus cases are at a fairly low level currently, relative to the whole pandemic. But, as England prepares to allow people to mix more than they have at any point since March 2020, is that tide starting to turn? There are signs national cases are beginning to rise. And this relatively small uptick disguises much larger spikes in cases - and some rises in hospital admissions - in certain areas, including the north-west of England and also in large parts of Scotland. As we know from experience, what might look like a small blip can quickly spiral into a huge wave if enough people are still susceptible to the virus. The virus doesn't have nearly the same opportunity to take off as it did at the start of the winter wave.
Coronavirus: Germany fights trade in fake Covid vaccine certificates
Coronavirus: Germany fights trade in fake Covid vaccine certificates
A German police force has set up a special team to combat a growing black market in forged vaccine certificates. Police in Cologne told the broadcaster ARD that fraudsters were communicating via an encrypted messenger service which makes investigations difficult. They are still trying to determine the scale of the problem nationally. Some people are duped into paying about €100 (£86; $122), then get nothing. Covid "passports" to ease travel are being rolled out now across the EU.
Of the Covid vaccinations approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) all but one - the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) one - require two jabs, several weeks or months apart.
India orders 300m COVID shots as court demands vaccine ‘roadmap’
India orders 300m COVID shots as court demands vaccine ‘roadmap’
India’s government has signed its first purchase order for unapproved COVID-19 vaccines, a day after it faced criticism from the top court about an “arbitrary and irrational” vaccine rollout that has left millions of people vulnerable. After a devastating second wave of infections that killed tens of thousands in April and May, the focus has shifted to urgently inoculating India’s vast adult population to curb infections later this year. The government will buy 300 million doses from local firm Biological-E and has put down an advance of $205.6m, the health ministry said, even though the vaccine is still undergoing phase-3 clinical trials before approvals can be given. “The arrangement with M/s Biological-E is part of the wider endeavour of Government of India to encourage indigenous vaccine manufacturers by providing them support in Research & Development (R&D) and also financial support,” the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
The World Should Learn From India’s Covid-19 Cataclysm
The World Should Learn From India’s Covid-19 Cataclysm
In cities at least, India’s nightmarish second wave of Covid-19 finally seems to be ebbing. Delhi has brought its test positivity rate below 2% for the first time in two months. The pandemic’s scars won’t be easily erased, however — and they should be a warning to other developing nations. Those countries must learn from India’s experience if they don’t want to repeat it. The first and most obvious lesson is to avoid overconfidence. A relatively small change in how transmissible the novel coronavirus is can have large, non-linear effects on how fast it spreads. That means strategies that kept the pandemic at bay in 2020 won’t necessarily work in 2021. As new variants emerge, health authorities might need to lock down more firmly and in a more targeted fashion to remain safe.
Sweden failed to protect elderly from COVID, parliament panel says
Sweden failed to protect elderly from COVID, parliament panel says
Sweden's centre-left minority government, which neverordered a COVID-19 lockdown and relied instead mostly on voluntary curbs, failed in several aspects of its handling of the pandemic, parliament's constitutional committee said on Thursday. The government was slow to put in place a testing and tracing system, failed to protect of the elderly and there was a lack of clear lines of responsibility between national and local authorities, the committee said. It did not comment on Sweden's controversial no-lockdown strategy.
‘Uncontrollable’ Indian variant forces Melbourne to extend Covid lockdown
‘Uncontrollable’ Indian variant forces Melbourne to extend Covid lockdown
Melbourne is to extend its fourth lockdown of the pandemic for another week after the state premier said the city was battling a coronavirus variant that is “quicker and more contagious than we have ever seen before”. The city was due to remove its initial seven-day lockdown tonight. However, the Victoria government said it would remain in place for another week amid concerns over the Indian variant. The announcement by James Merlino, the acting premier, came after six new cases were reported yesterday, taking the total to 60.
Moderna Applies for Full COVID-19 Vaccine Authorization
Moderna Applies for Full COVID-19 Vaccine Authorization
On June 1, Moderna followed Pfizer in becoming the second pharmaceutical company to apply to the FDA for full vaccine approval for adults 18 and older,
Prior COVID-19 infection reduces infection risk for 10 months -study
Prior COVID-19 infection reduces infection risk for 10 months -study
Previous COVID-19 infection substantially reduces the risk of a new infection for up to 10 months afterwards, according to a study of care home residents and staff by University College London (UCL) scientists. The study, published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity on Thursday, found that care home residents who had been previously infected with COVID-19 were approximately 85% less likely to be infected between October and February than those who had not been infected. For staff, those with a past infection were around 60% less likely to become infected again.
Covid-19: PPE guidance is upgraded as evidence of airborne transmission grows
Covid-19: PPE guidance is upgraded as evidence of airborne transmission grows
More NHS staff caring for patients with suspected or confirmed covid-19 will have access to higher grade personal protective equipment (PPE), including FFP3 masks, under updated NHS guidance on covid-19 infection prevention and control.
Issued this week, the updated guidance obliges NHS organisations to assess the risk that covid-19 poses to staff and to act to mitigate any risks, such as by providing higher grade PPE including FFP3 masks. These risk assessments should include evaluations of ventilation, operational capacity, and the prevalence of infections including new variants of concern in the local area. The guidance also provides updates on the use of valved respirators and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, advising that extended use of gowns must be minimised, with sessional use taking place only in areas where all patients have confirmed covid-19. The BMA, which has led calls for better PPE throughout the pandemic,2 described the updated guidance as “a step in the right direction.”
Hong Kong authorises COVID-19 vaccine for 12-year-olds and above
Hong Kong authorises COVID-19 vaccine for 12-year-olds and above
Hong Kong will open its COVID-19 vaccine scheme to children aged 12 and above for the first time, the government said on Thursday, as it pursues a broader campaign across the city to incentivise its 7.5 million residents to get vaccinated.
Children of that age group will be able to get Germany's BioNTech vaccine, but residents still have to be older than 18 to receive China's Sinovac shot. The Chinese special administrative region started its COVID-19 vaccination programme in February but only around 14% of the population have been fully vaccinated.
AstraZeneca in talks to shift COVID-19 vaccine production to Catalent factory
AstraZeneca 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.
Dental workers found to be at increased COVID-19 risk
Dental workers found to be at increased COVID-19 risk
UK dental professionals were at heightened occupational risk for COVID-19 infection early in the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an observational study yesterday in the Journal of Dental Research. A team led by University of Birmingham researchers obtained blood samples from 1,507 dentists, dental nurses, and dental hygienists in the Birmingham, England, region in June 2020. They found that 16.3% of participants had SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, compared with an estimated 6% to 7% of the general population. Dental receptionists who don't have direct patient contact, however, were no more likely than community members to have coronavirus antibodies, at 6.3%.
Valneva's not too late in COVID-19 as analysts eye $1.1B in 2022 vaccine sales
Valneva's not too late in COVID-19 as analysts eye $1.1B in 2022 vaccine sales
Valneva has yet to successfully usher its inactivated COVID-19 vaccine across the regulatory finish line, but analysts still see reason to bet on the French vaccine specialist. The biotech's shot could bring in roughly $1.1 billion in 2022 through supply deals and more than $500 million in 2023, Jefferies analysts wrote in a note to clients Tuesday. The vaccine, dubbed VLA2001, is currently in late-stage trials—tested against AstraZeneca's shot—with a readout expected in the third quarter this year. Unlike its pandemic competitors, Valneva is the only European-made inactivated, adjuvanted coronavirus candidate that has undergone clinical testing in the region. It will likely be the only, or at least the leading, shot of its type in Europe, the analysts said. The vaccine, which incorporates a CpG 1018 adjuvant from Dynavax, could have a safety edge since mRNA shots are still novel technologies and adenovirus vaccines from Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca have been plagued with concerns of rare but serious blood clots, the analysts wrote.
Experts monitor variants after 10 children admitted to hospital ‘with Covid’ in Scotland
Experts monitor variants after 10 children admitted to hospital ‘with Covid’ in Scotland
Experts are investigating whether new variants of coronavirus are having a greater impact on children after 10 youngsters aged nine and under were admitted to hospital in Scotland last week. The deputy first minister, John Swinney, said not many children have been admitted to hospital during the pandemic but the number currently in hospital is “on the high side”. The health secretary, Humza Yousaf, said on Wednesday that 10 children aged zero to nine were admitted to hospital last week "because of Covid".
Mr Swinney, who is also Covid recovery secretary, said experts will be trying to determine whether there is something in the new variants that are emerging that is making it more acutely challenging for children with a greater impact on their health.
A Return to Normal? Not for Countries With Covid Surges and Few Vaccines.
A Return to Normal? Not for Countries With Covid Surges and Few Vaccines.
In Colombia, nearly five hundred people a day have died of the coronavirus over the last three weeks, the nation’s most dramatic daily death rates yet. Argentina is going through the “worst moment since the pandemic began,” according to its president. Scores are dying daily in Paraguay and Uruguay, which now have the highest reported fatality rates per person in the world. “The vaccines are coming too late,” said María Victoria Castillo, whose 33-year-old husband, Juan David, died in May as he waited for the Colombian government to extend shots to his age group.
Indian doctors fighting COVID ‘overworked, stressed, frightened'
Indian doctors fighting COVID ‘overworked, stressed, frightened'
Low pay, 24-hour shifts and severe shortages of staff and protective gear have left many doctors on the front lines of India’s brutal pandemic surge near breaking point and fearful for their lives. Coronavirus infections have killed at least 165,000 people in the vast South Asian nation – home to some of the world’s most densely populated cities – since the start of April.
Coronavirus curbs shutter thousands of Bangkok restaurants
Coronavirus curbs shutter thousands of Bangkok restaurants
When restaurant owner Chirayu Na Ranong heard the Thai government announce new coronavirus restrictions in Bangkok in April, he burst into tears. The latest curbs were the final straw for his Chu Chocolate Bar & Cafe in the centre of the city. The cafe, popular with both tourists and locals for the past decade, closed its doors for the last time this week. "I knew that it was over, because we were already just barely surviving, and then with one more lockdown, we wouldn't have enough money to pay," Chirayu, 36, told Reuters as his staff cleared out the restaurant.
COVID-19 far more widespread in Indonesia than official data show: studies
COVID-19 far more widespread in Indonesia than official data show: studies
COVID-19 is many times more prevalent in Indonesia than shown by official figures in the world's fourth most populous country, authors of two new studies told Reuters. The country of 270 million has recorded 1.83 million positive cases, but epidemiologists have long believed the true scale of the spread has been obscured by a lack of testing and contact tracing. The results of Indonesia's first major seroprevalence studies - which test for antibodies - were revealed exclusively to Reuters.
COVID surges in Afghanistan, Africa stir more concerns
COVID surges in Afghanistan, Africa stir more concerns
Despite an overall decline in global COVID cases, fresh activity spikes are expanding to different parts of the world, with a crisis worsening in Afghanistan and cases rising sharply in a number of African countries. In other developments, the United Kingdom today updated its assessment of the Delta (B1617.2) variant, which appears to be more transmissible than the Alpha (B117 variant), and potentially leading to more hospitalizations.
More evidence of frequent antibiotic use noted in COVID patients
More evidence of frequent antibiotic use noted in COVID patients
Research published yesterday in The Lancet Microbe shows that COVID-19 patients in the United Kingdom in the first wave of the pandemic rarely had bacterial co-infections or secondary infections, yet frequently received antibiotics. The study by a team of UK researchers looked at data from more than 48,000 COVID-19 patients treated at 260 hospitals in England, Scotland, and Wales from Feb 6 through Jun 8, 2020, and found that only 13% had bacterial co-infections or secondary infections. But 85% received one or more antibiotics during their hospital stay, with broad-spectrum antibiotics used frequently, and more than a third received antibiotics for their illness before being hospitalized. While several retrospective studies and reviews on antibiotic use in COVID-19 patients have been conducted over the course of the pandemic, and similar findings of low co-infection and high antibiotic use reported, this is the first prospective study of the issue. The authors describe it as the most comprehensive analysis of its kind to date, providing microbiologic details on laboratory-confirmed co-infections and secondary infections in COVID-19 patients.
Covid-19: Positive tests for infections rise by 22 per cent in England
Covid-19: Positive tests for infections rise by 22 per cent in England
The number of patients who have tested positive for coronavirus in England has risen by 22 per cent to the highest level in six weeks, NHS Test and Trace data suggests. A total of 17,162 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the country at least once in the week to May 26. The weekly increase in positive test results brings the number of new infections to its highest since 14 April.